This message deals with one of the chief complaints of non-believers... that of "Christians are Hypocrites and Self-righteous." Why do they believe that? Jesus gives a beautiful lesson in non judgmental, non self righteous and unconditional love.
JUDGE NOT – LOVE MUCH
1. TOPIC: HYPOCRISY/SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
2. QUESTION: ARE WE THE KIND OF PERSON A NON BELIEVER CAN COME TO WITHOUT FEELING JUDGED?
3. OBJECTIVE:TO UNBECOMING SELF RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE AND BECOME APPROACHABLE – CHRIST LIKE
• REVIEW LAST WEEK
o CHOSEN – NEW LIFE – FIRST TEAM – A HOLY TRIBE – CHOSEN PRIESTS WALKING IN HIS LIGHT
• PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. IN HIS GREAT MERCY, HE HAS GIVEN US NEW BIRTH INTO A LIVING HOPE THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, AND INTO AN INHERITANCE THAT CAN NEVER PERISH, SPOIL OR FADE – KEPT IN HEAVEN….FOR YOU! (1PETER 1: 3, 4)
• WE TALKED MY RECOGNITION OF HOW FAR WE ARE FROM THE WORLD
• CAUTIONED ABOUT COMPARING OURSELVES TO THE WORLD
• USING GOD’S PLUMB LINE AS OUR STANDARD OF COMPARISON.
• REVIEW TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: LUKE 7: 36-39
o A LOT HERE
o WHO WAS THIS WOMAN
NOT MUCH INFORMATION
• MOST SCHOLARS BELIEVE A PROSTITUTE, JEWISH OR GENTILE... NO INFO AVAILABLE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS SHE IS A SINNER
• HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW SHE GOT THERE
o DIFFERENT CLIMATE, TIME, AND EVERYTHING WAS OPEN.
o CUSTOMARY IN THAT DAY FOR OUTSIDERS TO HANG AROUND DURING BANQUETS SO THEY COULD WATCH THE “IMPORTANT PEOPLE” AND HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS
o BUT ARE TO REMAIN SILENT
o ALSO A CUSTOM TO WASH, OR HAVE THE FEET OF THE GUESTS WASHED
FOOTWEAR WAS SANDALS… FEET GOT DIRTY… ERGO CUSTOM.
• SO NOW WE KNOW HOW SHE GOT IN… WHY WAS SHE THERE?
• WHERE SHE HAD MET JESUS OR WHAT OF WHAT HE SAID HAD BROUGHT HER HOPE, “NEW LIFE” TO HER DEAD HEART AND A SENSE OF DIVINE PARDON TO HER SUFFERING AND GUILT RIDDEN SOUL WE DON’T KNOW.
•
• MOST LIKELY, SHE WAS AMONG THE CROWDS OF “PUBLICANS AND SINNERS” WHOM JESUS DREW SO OFTEN TO HIM AND HEAR HIM SPEAK WORDS SUCH AS NEVER BEFORE SPOKEN.
• THE “HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS” OR IN OTHER WORDS, LOOKING TO ALL THE GOSPELS TO FIND THE TIME LINE OF EVENTS, WE SEE THAT JUST BEFORE THIS EVENT, JESUS HAS SAID THIS:
o (Mt. 11:28-30) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
• JESUS WORDS SPOKE TRUTH TO HER, SHE BELIEVED, REPENTED.
• HER LIFE WAS FOREVER CHANGED AND SHE WAS ETERNALLY GRATEFUL AND FULL OF LOVE FOR JESUS, HER SAVIOR AND LORD.
• STILL… THIS WAS A WOMAN LOOKED DOWN UPON BY MOST PEOPLE OF THAT TIME.
• SO THE QUESTION IS THIS –
o HOW CAN THIS WOMAN, THIS SINNER WHO SEES JESUS WITH ALL HIS PERFECTION, KNOWING WHAT HE TEACHES, AND NOT FEEL JUDGED?
o HOW DOES SHE, A PUBLIC AND SINNER KNOW SHE CAN COME TO JESUS WITHOUT CONDEMNATION OR REGRET OR FEAR?
o WHEN JESUS SPOKE, WHEN HE GAVE THE INVITATION, HE SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY AND YET HIS WORDS WERE AN INVITATION WITHOUT CONDITION, WITHOUT JUDGMENT.
• SHE SAW IN JESUS, AND HEARD IN HIS WORDS A PROMISE OF HOPE AND SHE BELIEVED. SHE KNEW IN HER HEART THE DEPTH OF HER SIN, YET SHE SENSED SO MUCH LOVE FLOWING FORTH FROM JESUS THAT SHE FINDS HERSELF DRAWN TO HIM AND HER HEART FILLED WITH HOPE AND AN OVERWHELMING SENSE OF LOVE FOR THIS GOD OF LOVE.
• SHE HAS LEARNED THROUGH HER OWN SINS AND THE MAGNITUDE OF THEM, THAT GOD IS LOVE.
• SHE DOES NOT YET KNOW FORGIVENESS BUT IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, HE EXHIBITS THE QUALITIES OF GOD AND THE WOMAN SEES HER WORTH IN THE EYES OF GOD EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HER SINS.
• SHE SEES THE QUALITIES IN CHRIST THAT ARE DIVINE, AND SHE UNDERSTANDS…SHE UNDERSTANDS UNHINDERED BY JUDGMENT BUT OVERWHELMED WITH LOVE AND HIS PRESENCE REVEALED IN HER HEART
• THE DEEP CONSCIOUSNESS OF HER SINS INCREASES… BUT GOD’S LOVE INCREASES IN PERFECT PROPORTION TO THE DEEP SENSE OF SIN AND WITH EACH REALIZATION, LOVE MEETS THOSE PLACES OF SHAME AND GUILT.
o THIS IS GRACE!
o WHAT BRINGS HER TO TEARS IS THE KNOWLEDGE AND PROMISES OF FORGIVENESS.
o SHE WAS EXPERIENCING THE LOVE OF GOD WITHOUT HUMAN JUDGMENT!
• WHAT, AS CHRISTIANS, DO WE HEAR NON- CHRISTIANS COMPLAIN ABOUT MOST?
o THE CHURCH IS FULL OF HYPOCRITES…
o IT SEEMS MOST PEOPLE IN ONE BREATH SEEM TO THINK TO BE A CHRISTIAN; THEY HAVE TO BE PERFECT….
WE KNOW BETTER
o YET, THEY STILL CALL US HYPOCRITES
WHY? ARE WE?
WHAT IMAGE, WHAT ATTITUDE DO WE SHOW NON-BELIEVERS?
• ARE WE AS APPROACHABLE AS IS CHRIST?
o IF, WHEN YOU WALK OUT OF THIS SANCTUARY THIS MORNING, YOU ENCOUNTER A HOMELESS PERSON, WHAT WILL BE YOUR REACTION?
WILL YOU FEEL THE LOVE FOR THAT PERSON AS CHRIST WOULD?
o WHEN WE ENCOUNTER PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US, BLACK, ASIAN, NATIVE AMERICAN OR SO ON… DO WE LOVE THEM AS CHRIST LOVES?
o IF WE ENCOUNTER SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES DIFFERENT THAN WE DO, OR SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IN CHRIST, DO WE EXHIBIT THE LOVE OF CHRIST…. WHAT IS IN OUR HEART?
o DO WE EXHIBIT LOVE, OR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS?
DO WE FEEL IN OUR HEART SUPERIOR TO THE NON-BELIEVER?
DO WE FEEL WE ARE A BETTER PERSON, THAT OUR SINS ARE LESS OFFENSIVE TO JESUS BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH IN HIM?
• KNOW THIS; OUR SIN IS NO LESS EVIL AND NO LESS OFFENSIVE TO JESUS THAN THAT OF THE NON-BELIEVER. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. WE ARE NOT A BETTER PERSON BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH
• BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH, WE ARE EXPERIENCING GOD’S GRACE, CHRIST’S LOVE AND THE LOVE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE CAN GRAB HOLD OF AND KNOW WITH CERTAINTY THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS.
• THAT IS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NON-BELIEVER AND US.
• SIN IS SIN AND OURS IS JUST THE SAME AS THEIR SINS.
• IT IS THROUGH THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE ARE FORGIVEN AND HAVE THIS PROMISE. NOT BY ANYTHING, WE HAVE DONE OR CAN DO.
• JESUS DID THE WORK AT THE CROSS- JESUS IS THE ONE TO WHOM WE OWE THE DEBT AND AS THE HOLDER OF THE DEBT, JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FORGIVE THE DEBT.
• WHAT BROUGHT TEARS TO THE WOMAN IS THE KNOWLEDGE AND POSSIBILITIES OF FORGIVENESS, WHICH JESUS SHOWS HER AND EACH ONE OF US IN THIS STORY.
• CHRIST PERFECTLY MANIFESTED GRACE. IT IS THE PLACE WHERE THE SINS OF MAN, THE CROSS OF CHRIST AND GOD’S LOVE COLLIDE.
• JESUS, IN THIS STORY GIVES US A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF WHAT HE ASKS THOSE WHO CHOSE TO BE HIS DISCIPLES.
• IT IS NOT OUR JOB TO TELL OTHERS HOW TO LIVE. THAT WAS THE MISSION OF JESUS.
o ONLY JESUS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO DICTATE THE KIND OF LIFE HE PROMISES WILL BRING PEACE, FORGIVENESS AND ETERNAL LIFE WITH CHRIST.
• JESUS ASKS US ONLY TO LOVE OTHERS AS HE LOVES US... AND EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD.
o WITHOUT JUDGMENT
o WITH HUMILITY
o REALIZING AND KNOWING OUR SINS JUST AS OFFENSIVE AND HURTFUL TO CHRIST AS THOSE OF THE NON-BELIEVER
• JESUS CHARGES US WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE HIS DISCIPLES - TO SHARE HIS LOVE WITH EVERYONE.
• HE NEVER GAVE US THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS! WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE ANOTHER?
• AS A FEDERAL AGENT I HAD AN ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW
o DOES MY JOB PERFORMANCE MEET THE POSITION REQUIREMENTS?
• IF JESUS CAME TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON FOR YOUR ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW, WOULD YOU BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT HE WOULD FIND?
o ARE THERE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU KNOW WOULD NOT BE PLEASING TO GOD? EVEN OFFENSIVE AND PAINFUL FOR CHRIST?
o HOW DOES YOUR CHRISTIAN PERFORMANCE MATCH CHRIST’S JOB DESCRIPTION FOR HIS DISCIPLES?
• EACH OF US WANTS TO LOOK GOOD TO ONE ANOTHER. PUT ON THE APPEARANCE OF BEING A GODLY PERSON. HOWEVER, ARE WE? WHAT DOES GOD REALLY WANT OF US?
• CHRIST HATED SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS:
• 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (MT 23:27,28)
• Luke 18: 9-14 - 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
• 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
• THIS IS WHAT GOD IS ASKING OF US: LOVE. LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST LOVES US.
• JESUS HAS CHOSEN US TO BE HIS DISCIPLES, HIS PEOPLE TO RADIATE HIS LOVE TO ALL WITH WHOM WE COME IN CONTACT.
• THE PEOPLE WE MEET, ON THE STREET OR IN THIS CHURCH MUST SENSE FROM EACH OF US THE SAME SENSE OF HOPE AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE WITHOUT JUDGMENT AS DID THE WOMAN IN TODAY’S SCRIPTURE.
• THAT IS WHAT IT IS TO BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST. HUMBLE, GRATEFUL, BLESSED, FULL OF THE GRACE AND THE LOVE OF JESUS AND ANXIOUS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT LOVE IN THE WAY WE LIVE, LOVE AND TREAT ONE ANOTHER.
• WE ARE NOT ANY BETTER. WE ARE BY THE GRACE OF GOD, FORGIVEN.
o Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
• LOVE JESUS AS THE WOMAN LOVED HIM – LOVE OTHERS AS JESUS LOVED THE WOMAN.
• JUDGE NOT – LOVE MUCH AND YOU WILL MAKE CHRIST SMILE AND LAUGH WITH JOY! YOU WILL BE HIS DISCIPLE!
