Build Strong Relationships Series

(adapted from Southeast Christian Church’s series Living a Life of Integrity)

SERIES: “WORDS OF WISDOM FOR KINGDOM LIVING”

TEXT: MATTHEW 7:1-12

TITLE: “BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS”

INTRODUCTION: A. Graduates, we’re glad that you’re with us this morning

1. We share in your celebration of achievement

2. You’ve completed high school and your life lies ahead of you

3. Whatever you do, I encourage you to build strong relationships in this life

--Relationships that prepare you for the life to come

4. Whether you’re going on to college, entering the military, or joining the full-time

work force, relationships are the most important thing for you to build

B. Several weeks ago in our series through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount we looked at

Jesus’ words concerning building our lives

1. He admonished us to invest in things that are eternal and not temporary

2. The relationships that we build here on earth will shape us for eternity

3. In the passage we’ll look at today we’ll learn that God wants us to build strong

relationships with others and with Him and to begin to see Him as a gracious,

loving Father.

4. This passage concludes with the Golden Rule, which you probably learned as a

child—“Do to others as you would have others do to you.”

--In a sense it is a backdrop from which to view all of the principles within the

Sermon on the Mount.

I. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS

A. Avoid Judgmental words

--Mt. 7:1-2. – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will

be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

1. In his book, A Gentle Thunder, popular Christian author Max Lucado tells about a time he took his

family on vacation to a historical city. While they were touring an old house, Lucado said he noticed a

family behind them was from New York. And he said, “They didn’t have to tell me they were from

New York. I could tell. They wore New York City clothes. The teenage son had one half of his head

shaved and on the other half of his head, his hair hung down past his shoulders. The daughter wore

layered clothes and long beads. The mother looked like she’d raided her daughter’s closet, and the

dad’s hair was down the back of his neck.”

He said, “I had these people figured out. The boy was probably strung out on drugs. The parents

were going through midlife crisis. They were miserable people and in need of spiritual guidance. Good

thing I was nearby in case they needed some counseling.”

But Lucado was taken back when the family introduced themselves. After talking for a while,

Lucado said, “I was right—they were from New York City. But that’s about all I got right.” He said,

“When I told them my name, they were flabbergasted.”

“We can’t believe it!” they said. “We’ve read all of your books. We use them in our Sunday School

class at church. We tried to come hear you speak when you came to New York, but the night you were

here was our family night…” Lucado said he thought to himself, “Sunday School? Church? Family

night?” Then he says, “Oh boy, I’d made a mistake. A big mistake. I’d applied the label before

examining the contents.”

Reflecting back on that event, Lucado wrote, “We’ve all used labels. We stick them on jars and manila

folders so we’ll know what’s inside. We also stick them on people for the very same reason.”

2. There’s something enjoyable about sitting in a position of judgment.

--It makes us think better about ourselves and less of others

3. Years ago, the most familiar passage in all the Bible, the verse most often quoted was probably what

became known as the Golden Rule found a little later in our text this morning in vs. 12: “Do to others

what you would have them do to you.”

a. However, in recent years there’s been a transition.

b. The passage now most quoted is, “Do not judge.”

c. Mark Moore, a professor at Ozark Christian College, says this verse has been used as a wild-card

trump against meddling Christians who call a spade a spade. This verse has been quoted by people

who really mean, “Stay out of my business! Who are you to judge me?”

--Someone termed this verse “the backsliders’ favorite verse”

4. Don’t be confused about what Jesus is saying here

a. He is not condemning judgement of any kind

--In fact, Jesus says in Jn. 7:24: “judge with righteous judgment.”

b. What Jesus is warning us about is judgementalism

--It is the practice of being hypercritical all the time

c. He’s not talking about judgement in courts or judgements based on right methodology utilizing the