Introduction: D. L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon were great preachers of the 19th century. Moody admired Spurgeon from a distance and looked forward to the opportunity of meeting him in London. On that historic day, Spurgeon answered the door with a cigar in his mouth. Moody was aghast. “How could you, a man of God, smoke that?” Spurgeon took the cigar from his mouth, put his finger on Moody’s rather inflated stomach, smiled, and said, “The same way you, a man of God, could be that fat.”
We are talking this month about the subject CONSIDER YOUR LIFE. Last week we talked about considering DAY – a gameplay for each day from Matthew 6 that encouraged us to pray, forgive, devote ourselves to Christ and seek Him every day. That focused on our own discipleship and commitment.
Today we want to look at some passages in Matthew 7 and think about how they encourage us to CONSIDER OUR NEIGHBORS. Jesus gets right to the heart of the matter when he says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” When I think about my neighbors – those who are around me in the marketplace, neighborhood, workplace school – how I regard them and treat them makes a difference. In our text, I notice four ways that Jesus teaches us to consider our neighbors.
Judge Kindly
Matthew 7:1-6 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
We are usually blind to our own vices, we are hardly qualified to judge others. We never know the whole facts or the whole person.
Matthew Henry: Four ways we ought not to judge:
*We must not speak evil of our brother.
*We must not make the worst of other people nor infer insidious things from their words and actions.
*We must not judge uncharitably, unmercifully, nor with a spirit of revenge or mischief.
*We must not judge the hearts of others nor their intentions.
Lenski calls: “self-righteous, hypocritical judging which is false and calls down God’s judgment on itself.”
Nearly everyone has been guilty of misjudging others, and nearly everyone has suffered from someone else’s misjudgment. I think Jesus is telling us to Judge Kindly.
*Because we will be judged as we judge. (2)
*Because we have a plank in our eye (3-4)
*Because instead of judging, I should be helping (5) (It is hypocritical to judge instead of healing)
*Because not everyone wants what we’re sharing (6)
Pray Fervently
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
How do we Consider our Neighbors? Pray For Them! Pray for the ones who do not want the gospel. Pray for the ones who have not found Jesus. Pray for the Christians to grow in discipleship. Abba Father knows how to answer our prayers (9-10). We may not understand how He does answer them. In His times and in His Ways. We affirm that He knows how to answer prayer.
Love Exceptionally
Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Consider Your Neighbors: Love Them Exceptionally. This is the second greatest command! We call it the ‘Golden Rule’ – if only the whole world could learn this! And if only we could! How do you want to be loved? We all do want to be loved. By being judged kindly. By being prayed for fervently. This command moves us beyond what others may DESERVE. What do we deserve?
“Tragedy is that our attention centers on what people are not, rather than on what they are and who they might become.” – Brennan Manning
Instead of what we deserve, we want to be loved with grace and mercy. Love POWERS grace and mercy!
Build Wisely
Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
*Consider Your Day: Pray, Forgive, Devote, Seek.
*Consider your Neighbor: Judge Kindly, Pray Fervently, Love Exceptionally, Build Wisely.
When we consider our lives, we need to do so in light of the teachings of Jesus. He challenges us in big ways.
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LifeGroup Questions
1. Fred Rogers’ iconic Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was the subject of a recent documentary called “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”. What element of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood do you especially wish was more a part of our world today? – OR – What are some of the most important qualities of neighborliness that Christians should exemplify? (Trailer)
2. Jesus seems to forbid judging in the first part of Matthew 7. What would be some of the dangers of never judging anything? In what ways do we need ‘good judgment’?
3. What makes it so easy to judge others who are different than us? What is the difference between ‘good judgment’ and the judgment Jesus is forbidding here?
4. Notice a few New Testament passages on judging others. What stands out to you in these readings? Talk about these passages in the group. Romans 2:1-4; Romans 14:1-4; James 4:11-12
5. In what ways can prayer be a big help when it comes to how we see our neighbor?
6. The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) is an essential part of the Christian walk. Why is it easy to forget this ‘rule’ at times? What are some ways we can encourage each other and ourselves to keep it in mind?
7. What else did you see in this text that you wanted to talk about?
