Are You Trusting God To Judge

Are You Trusting God To Judge

Matthew Chapter 7:1-6

Prayer

Introduction

Good Morning. What a great singing we had last night. For those who were not able to come you missed a blessing. I know that some don’t like loud music but we sung some great old songs last night and we also sung some great contemporary songs last night. And do you know something everyone of the songs that graced our fellowship hall last night lifted up praise, honor and glory to our God, our heavenly father. Sometimes we have a tendency to judge things, because it is not the way we grew up with or that is not how we have always done it. I want you to know that I love every single old hymn but I am also beginning to love the contemporary music of today. Those old hymns that we love to sing and hear at one time was the contemporary music of its day. At one point in the protestant reformation musical instruments were not allowed in service and don’t even think about showing joy in your salvation.

We often judge things and others based on our flimsy broken reasons and not based on the word of God. We believe that what we think is correct. In his little book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H.A. Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He related an incident in the life of a man called Bishop Potter. "He was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser’s desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, ’It’s all right, bishop, I’ll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!’" Sometimes when we think we are right we are wrong. We never ever consider the possibility that we might be wrong. How about the time when Richard and Gina came to visit us as Rhino and Sunshine? How many of us judged them by what we saw on the outside? How many in all the churches that they have visited has judged the outside without ever seeing the inside. A schoolteacher decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One afternoon a water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared, and alone. No one seemed interested in helping. Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, “Please God, send me an angel, preferably one with mechanical experience.”

Within four minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattooed arms. He jumped off and went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the freeway onto a side street, where he calmly continued to work on the water pump. The intimidated schoolteacher was too dumfounded to talk. As he finished the task, she finally got up the courage to say, “Thanks so much.” Noticing her surprise, he looked her straight in the eye and mumbled, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared.

Ultimately, judging has to do with playing God. When we judge someone, we do three things. First, we place ourselves above another as if we were his or her God. Second, we condemn another. And third, we create the standard for another.

When we evaluate someone, we don’t do these three things. First, we do not place ourselves above the other person. Instead, we identify with the person as a fellow sinner and struggler, humbling ourselves as we realize that we are subject to temptations also (Gal. 6:1). Second, we do not condemn another person with the guilt, shame, and wrath of the law. We as sinners are just as guilty and do not have that privilege (Rom. 2:3). Third, we do not make up the standard. We humbly bow to God’s standard in evaluating each other and call each other to repentance.