Basic Christianity 101

BASIC CHRISTIANITY 101: THE WAY WE JUDGE

PSALM 133/ MATTHEW 7:1-6

LABOR DAY WEEKEND AUGUST 31, 2003

INTRODUCTION: THE CONSERVATIVE CHURCH AND THE LIBERAL UNIVERSITY:email

I LUV YEW: I got your back You got mine, I’ll help you out Anytime. To see you hurt To see you cry, Makes me weep And wanna die. And if you agree To never fight, It wouldn’t matter Who’s wrong or right. If a broken heart Needs a mend, I’ll be right there To the end. If your cheeks are wet From drops of tears, Don’t you worry, Let go of your fears. Hand in hand Love is sent, We’ll be friends Till the end!

TRANSITION THOUGHT: Judging others seems to be a spiritual gift a lot of us have. Some of you wanted the young man escorted out of church. Some of you cheered internally as the elder statesmen sat with the young College student. All of us pictured ourselves there. We have seen similar instances when someone much unlike us entered the room or the conversation and we thought to ourselves, ¡§What are you doing here?¡¨ Our text could be blistering to some, sore toes to others, and for some a pause to say thank you Lord for the help. You see, judging is a part of our lives whether we want to admit it or not. Since I began thinking about this sermon, I have been chastised by the Spirit often. He is revealing to me where I judge and His response to that actions.

THESIS SENTENCE: THE WAY WE JUDGE OTHERS MATTERS TO GOD!

OUR TEXT TEACHES US¡K

I. THE WAY WE JUDGE IS RECIPROCAL VV 1-2

A. Reciprocal does not mean ¡§DO NOT!¡¨ VV. 1

1. The issue here is not a simple mandate, but a major clarification.

2. The term ¡§JUDGE¡¨ here is biblically defined as: a faultfinding spirit and judgmentalism.

3. Let¡¦s hear how scripture addresses this issue:

„« Luke 7: 41-43

„« John 7: 21-24

„« I Corinthians 2: 15-16

„« I Samuel 16:7

4. The real issue Jesus brings to our attention is ¡§RIGHT JUDGMENT!¡¨

B. Reciprocal does mean ¡§Equality!¡¨ VV. 2

1. Why are we to judge rightly? It is reciprocal!

2. There is no double standard here!

3. The way you judge others is the way you are judged!

4. The measure you use on others is the measure used on you!

5. The issue here is accountability. How you hold people accountable for their actions is how you are held accountable for you actions.

ILLUSTRATION: 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!’"

Our Daily Bread.

SADDLE BACK SAYING: "I’ve discovered when I’m walking humbly before the Lord and just being who I am - being honest and depending upon God - I’m immune to most insults. Almost nothing can hurt me. I’m walking before the Lord with the attitude, ’They may be right, they may be wrong,’ but I’m just trying to please the Lord. If you find someone who is very sensitive to criticism, it’s because they haven’t learned this principle of happiness: Be humble in spirit before the Lord." ¡V Rick Warren

TRUTH: JUDGMENT IS RECIPROCAL

II. THE WAY WE JUDGE IS REFLECTIVE VV. 3-5

A. Reflective is a reality check vv. 3-4

1. What are you looking for in others? Are you looking to see the wrong or the right? Lil has often told me that if you are looking for something wrong with a person you will be able to find something.

2. Irene taught me the opposite, if you are looking for something right in a person, something good, and you will find it.

3. The real issue here is denial. Denial states that there is nothing wrong with me, so obviously there has to be something wrong with you.