Culture's Favorite Biblical Misunderstanding Series

• Today, we live in a culture which is given to universalism.

• The thinking goes something like this: “if’ there is a God, He is a good God who lives in a good place which is designed for good people. Since we all are pretty good and God is good, logically – one day all us good people will wind up in that good place, where the good God is, and it’ll all be good – for eternity”.

• The problem arises when we take a serious look at God’s word, that is, a serious look not simply a cursory or superficial look.

• Tonight – we see our culture’s most favorite verse and the misunderstanding thereof.

* Here are some statement which we know the Bible teaches;

• Homosexuality is a sin from which must be repentance

• Sex Outside of Marriage is a sin.

• Abortion is Murder.

• However, stand up in our society and speak these statements, you’ll find our culture quoting the Bible to you and they’ll quote what we are about to read. Continuing our study of the Sermon on the Mount today we read Matthew 7:1-6

• I’ll offer you four thoughts about this misunderstood text:

1)THE EXPLANATION – Vs 1-2 Years ago, I heard Dr. Ted Traylor say, “The Bible doesn’t say what it means, or mean what it says, the Bible ‘means what it means’.”

* There is no private interpretation. So the question is;

*What did Jesus really mean?

*The culture has so lifted this verse out of context in order to prove the popular concept that if we were to carry out their interpretation to its logical end, we would be forced to do away with; court, employment

* The Greek word (Krinos) has at least 12 different shadings for this word (choose, separate, discern, determine, adjudicate) It also means “to condemn in a manner which censors”. Talking about a critical spirit.

* There is one only step from critical to hypocritical and one more step from hypo to hypercritical. Through this process, Satan Wins.

* This type of judgment is about judging people by the wrong standard and with the wrong spirit.

* This text is not a total “thou shalt not” as you’ll recall the Church at Corinth fell under God’s judgment because they didn’t judge the sin within the church body. You see, Jesus is not talking about spiritually confronting sin. (Gal 6:1)

* The proper standards is God’s and His Spirit is always reconciliation first.

* Yet, as humans we are notorious for judging before knowing the acts.

I read about an owner of a manufacturing plant who decided to make a surprise tour of the shop. Walking through the warehouse he noticed a young man just lazily leaning up against some packing crates with his hands in his pocket doing nothing. The boss walked up to him and angrily said, "Just how much are you paid a week?" Well, the young man’s eyes got rather big, and he said, "Three hundred bucks." The boss pulled out his wallet, pealed off three one hundred bills, gave it to him, and said, "Here’s a week’s pay. Now

get out of here and don’t ever come back!" Well, without a word the young man stuffed the money into his pocket and took off. The warehouse manager was standing nearby staring in amazement. The boss walked over to him and said, "Tell me, how long has that guy been working for us?" The manager said, "He didn’t work here, he was just delivering a package."

* This type of critical judging causes us deep and continuing problems.

* Why and How, you might ask? Because it is reciprocal and bring about return judgment.

2)THE EXPOSURE – Vs 3-4 The principle which Jesus employs could easily be called “speck & logs.” Years ago, I heard a message about logs, dogs, and hogs.

* Consider this truth; “you cannot judge a person by what other say about him, but you can judge a person by what he says about others.” Jesus confronted the religious head on by their condecsending attitude.

* He said, "They have a speck (splinter, twig, branch)in their eye and you, you have a log in your own eye. It’s like you are looking at yourself under a telescope and them under a microscope."

 If you are familiar with the Peanuts cartoon strip then you are acquainted with Lucy. She is a constant faultfinder and ever quick to criticize her playmates. One day Linus asks Lucy. "Why are you always so anxious to criticize me? Lucy replies; "I just think I have a knack for seeing other people’s faults." Linus says; "What about your own faults" And Lucy replies; "I have a knack for overlooking them".