THOU ART THE MAN
(Outline is based on "The Sin of Faultfinding" By: Guy F. Hester from Pulpit and Bible Study Helps)
November 1991 Editor-in-Chief: Spiros Zodhiates)
Scripture: Matt: 26:20-25 "Is it I?" II Sam 12:1-14 "Thou art the man" Matt. 7:1-5 "Judge not"
(Read sections as they are discussed. Do not attempt to read all sections at beginning.)
I. IS IT I?
Matt. 26:20-25; Luke 22:23; Mark 14:19, 29 --- "not I" John 13:22-25 "who is it?"
Peter said in Matt. 26:33 "yet will I never be offended"
A. We should rather say:
"If it be possible that others may be offended, there is danger that I may be also."
But it is common for those who think too well of themselves, easily to admit suspicions of others.
1. Peter stumbled --- so might I.
2. Judas fell --- so could I.
It was a great moment of emotion; it was a moment of splendid honesty. When Jesus made His statement. He forced them to come face to face with himself; and the question they asked Him was not, "Is it my neighbor?", but, "Is it I?". It was a moment when every man suddenly woke to the fact that there was within himself--howsoever he hated it--something of the capacity for treachery. (G.C.M. Mk 14:19)
B. No good thing in the flesh Romans 7:15-25 "evil is present with me"
(II Cor. 5:1-3) The body of flesh is a heavy burden, the calamities of life are a heavy load. But believers groan because burdened with a body of sin, and the many corruptions that are still remaining and raging in them. This make them complain, "O wretched man that I am!!!" Rom 7:24 (M. H.)
C. "take heed" I Cor 10:1-2 "take heed lest ye fall; many Israelites failed v. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased:
Others have fallen, and so may we. (M. H.)
There is a proneness in good men to be over confident of their own strength and stability. We are ready to think ourselves able to grapple with the strongest temptations, to go through the hardest and most hazardous services, and to bear the greatest afflictions for Christ; but it is because we do not know ourselves. Those often fall soonest and foulest that are most confident of themselves. Those are least safe that are most secure. Satan is most active to seduce such; they are most off their guard, and God leaves them to themselves, to humble them. (M. H.)
D. Hezekiah
1. Heart lifted up II Chron 32:25
2. Left for trial II Chron 32:31 Isa 39:1-8
E. Other Scriptures:
1. Romans 11:20 "Be not highminded, but fear:" We need not to fear, but God will be true to His Word; all the danger is lest we false to ours. (M. H.)
2. Hebrews 4:1 Coming short Who is it? Is it I?
We cannot know what men are, much less what they will be, but those who appear to be sent of Christ we must receive, till the contrary appear. (M. H.)
3. John 6:70 "one of you is a devil"
We must not be too sure concerning any. God knows those that are His;
we do not. (M. H.) God knows which one is "a devil".
Advancement to places of honour and trust in the church is no certain evidence of saving grace.
F. Extra Comments on "Is it I?"
1. Matthew Henry --- Holy fear of ourselves, and not presumptuous confidence, is the best security against apostasy from God, and final rejection by Him.
2. Apostle Paul --- I Cor 9: 27 "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway. It is not with good reason Paul wrote I Cor 9:27. * A preacher
of salvation may yet miss it!!!!
3. Thomas A. Keimpis "Imitation of Christ" --- We cannot trust ourselves, we are often in need of grace and wisdom.
4. G. Campbell Morgan --- One thing that a man cannot know is himself.
5. Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
" O wretched man that I am!!!!!!!!!!!!"
II. THOU ART THE MAN
II Sam 12:1-14 Psalms 32 , 51
A. Time had passed (approx. 1 year) --- reprisal from God had not been immediate.
Eccl. 8:11 "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."
Though we lay aside thoughts of sin committed and go on, God does not so easily forget.
B. The word comes from the prophet.
God's Word in the mouth of His ministers must be received, whether it speak terror or comfort. (M. H.)
C. David is quick and harsh in his judgment. Matt 7:1-5
David had killed Uriah with his pen. Those that contrive wickedness and command it are as truly guilty of it as those that execute it. (M. H.)
David had looked, lusted, and fell.
Nay, many are guilty of that in secret, which they have the face to punish others when it is discovered. (M. H.)
Reflect that perhaps the fault of which you complain might, on a strict examination, be discovered in yourself; and that it would be unjust publicly to express indignation against your own crime. (M. H.)
Men's being so severe upon the faults of others, while they are indulgent of their own, is a mark of hypocrisy. (M. H.)
Those who blame others, ought to be blameless and harmless themselves. (M. H.)
Our zeal against sin must be guided by discretion. (M. H.)
There is a society within the veil into which no unclean thing shall enter, a church of the first-born, in which are no false brethren. (M. H.) Hebrews 12:23
III. JUDGE NOT Matt. 7:1-5 (*Excellent introduction on pg 87 of Matthew Henry Commentary.)
A. Judge --- to assume the office of a judge (Vine's)
B. What would become of us, if God should be as exact and severe in judging us, as we are in judging our brother; if he should weigh us in the same balance? (M. H.)
C. It is common for those who are most sinful themselves, and least sensible of it, to be most forward and free in judging and censoring others (M. H.)
D. Read Luke 6:37-45 Sometimes we should leave it alone and let it be manifest with time in the fruit bearing season. (M. H.)
Wise men may act when wiser men do nothing. The wisest man know which to do and when. (M. H.)
E. "The Sin of Faultfinding"
1. Perhaps there is no more common than the sin of faultfinding. Husbands find fault with their wives (the next time you find fault with your wife's judgment, stop and think about whom she married), wives find fault with their husbands, children with parents, parents with children, etc. Even in the church, it seems that there are those who are constantly looking for faults in others. In the church we have a lot of spectator Christians. They expect the preacher, song leader, Bible school teacher, etc, to perform for them while they sit back and look for their mistakes, find fault and criticize.
2. Matt. 11:16-19 Faultfinders are never reasonable, logical nor consistent. They found fault with John because he neither ate nor drank and they found fault with Jesus because
he did eat and drink.
F. What is Faultfinding?
1. Faultfinding is being hypercritical. There is a difference between being critical and hypercritical. Not all criticism is bad. There is constructive criticism. Hypercriticism delights in criticizing for its own sake. It is condemning one because of difference in judgment (Ex: food and drink of Romans 15). It is the exaggeration of matters of judgment and expediency.
Luke 19:20-24 "Out of thine own mouth" David pronounced his own judgment as we often do. (austere = sharp, hard, exactness)
2. Faultfinding is putting personal prejudice in the place of principle. Jesus instructed, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment: (John 7:24). We need to make certain that it is the error of the man, or his sin, that condemns him and not our own prejudices. It is so easy to justify those who we like and condemn those whom we dislike. (* Use illustration: "Be Sure You See the Tree in All its Seasons")
John 7:23-24 Judge = to form an opinion (Vine's)
3. Faultfinding is imputing motives. It is not always possible for us to know the motive behind the deed. Paul asked, " What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man . . ." (I Cor. 2:11). Yet, human behavior can never be properly evaluated without taking into account the motives. No court assesses the penalty for a crime until the motive is established. John 7:50-51 Is it murder, manslaughter, or self-defense?
The scale of justice must be used before the sword of justice. (M. H.)
4. Faultfinding is forming an opinion without all the facts. We must not judge without full information. We also must have knowledge of the Word of God as it relates to those deeds. John 12:47-48 Judge = to condemn (Vine's)
5. Faultfinding is a failure to try to understand the circumstances. (Empathy vs. Sympathy) It is not being willing to excuse or exercise mercy. It is condemning the person instead of the deed, the sinner instead of the sin. John 8:15-16 A carnal mind (fleshly mind) is
Not capable of true judgment.
6. Scriptures:
a. Acts 10:42 God will judge through Christ, by the Word.
b. Romans 2:1-11
C. Romans 14:1-15
G. What Jesus Said About Faultfinding
1. Do not be a faultfinder. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." This sounds like a very personal and practical reason, but what does it mean? It simply means that we will get back just what we give. As we do to others, they will do to us. Usually those who are always finding fault with others are the most sensitive to criticism themselves. They delight in pointing out the faults of others, but are very much upset when any mention is made of their own faults. [Have you ever heard, "You can dish it out, but you can't take it?"]
This text is not a prohibition of all judgment. This fact is easily seen in the context. Look at verse 6: "Give not that which is holy unto dogs . . . ." Thus we must exercise judgment
And discrimination. Notice verse 15: "Beware of false prophets . . . ." Can one do this without exercising some kind of judgment? Also note verse 20: ". . . by their fruits ye shall know them." This calls for judgment on our part.
The judgment that is condemned is a self-righteous, faultfinding judgment. It is possessing a feeling of superiority. Peter wrote, ". . . Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble"
( I Peter 5:5). It is the tendency to regard others with contempt.
2. Do not try to help others correct their faults or even look at the faults of others when we have faults equal to or even greater than those of our fellow man. "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? . . . Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matt. 7:3, 5). This is not a prohibition of helping a brother correct his faults, but rather a prohibition of
hypercritical faultfinding. Paul said, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted: (Gal. 6:1). Paul says that it is the spiritual who may help a brother in correcting his faults. That is one who considers himself, looks at his own life, and remembers that he is subject to the same temptations. The one who is spiritual is the one who has removed the beam from his own eye and can now, "see clearly to cast out the mote" out of his brother's eye
(Matt. 7:5). Let us help our brother get rid of his faults, but let us first get rid of our own.
I Cor. 2:14-16
3. I Cor 4: 1-6 I Cor 6:1-4 I Cor. 10:29-33 II Cor. 5:10-11 Col. 2:16
II Tim 4:8 Hebrews 12:23 Hebrews 13:4 James 2:12-13
James 4:11-12 James 5:9 I Peter 1:17 I Peter 4:17-19 Rev. 19:2 Rev. 20: 11-15 Rev. 20:11-15
4. We can profit by the faultfinding of others regardless of what their intention might have been in their consideration of us. Although the critic's motive may not be good, and his choice of time and place to criticize may be most inappropriate, that does not mean that we cannot learn from his remarks. There is the possibility that there is some truth in the criticism that he has given. We can train ourselves to learn from unpleasant truth from our critics. [Charles Spurgeon once said that an honest critic could be a preacher's best friend.]
5. The Pharisees found fault with Jesus because He ate and drank with sinners
(Matt. 9:10-13). Simon Peter found fault with Him because He allowed a sinful woman to touch Him (Luke 7:36-39). If Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could not escape the faultfinders and critics of His day, should we expect to escape them today? The first rule in learning how to deal with those who find fault is to accept that a certain amount of it is inevitable. In fact, the Bible warns us against trying to please everybody (Luke 6:26). Recognize that it is inevitable that people will find fault with you if you follow Christ; for, all of those who "live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Tim. 3:12).
IV. CONCLUSION
Pride blinds the eyes from seeing the great depths of divine grace. Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost. Are you a seeker or a faultfinder? HOP I - 139
When betraying the Lord by sin is mentioned, we should first ask the Lord, "Is it I?" , before He sends the prophet to say, "Thou art the man."
