DON'T JUDGE ME (August 21, 2022)
Text: Matthew 7: 1 – 5
Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, 2 for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others. 3 Why, then, do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye? 4 How dare you say to your brother, 'Please, let me take that speck out of your eye,' when you have a log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Whether or not we like to admit it or not, we are all hypocrites because of our double standard judgments we make. As it has been said, “We are umpires at heart; we like to call balls and strikes on somebody else.” (Michael P. Green. ed. Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989, p. 206). How quick are we to point out the shortcomings, faults and disqualifications in others while we neglect our own? Do we deny that we do these things? Do we also say or think “Don’t judge me”?
We always see the good in each other’s Facebook posts only because we report the good. Those who oppose us might not be so kind.
There is in us all a built-in inclination to judge others. It begins in in our minds.
Today we will look at without, within, and transformation.
WITHOUT
How much time do we spend looking at the faults of others?
1) Time spent: Have we ever stopped long enough to measure the amount of time we have spent judging others? That is not how we normally think about things is it? It is human nature to judge someone almost automatically.
2) Automatic to the flesh: Don’t we seem to operate on automatic pilot when it comes to judging others? Thoughts precede actions and we are always thinking aren’t we?
3) Critics: Aren’t we all critics? Do we always keep our criticism to ourselves? Or do we say what we think out loud?
How often are we right about the ways we judge others outwardly?
1) Pop quiz: Has God ever given you a pop quiz? Years a ago I was preaching a sermon about judging others in what appeared to be God’s timing. I was preaching about judging others that morning. In that sermon, I mentioned how we are often quick to make judgments without knowing all the facts. I had no idea that we had a visitor who was in the balcony that day. He chose to isolate himself from the congregation because he had tattoos, and he was not sure that he would be welcomed. Here I was preaching about being judgy of others when it seemed like God gave us a pop quiz that day with that visitor.
2) Cookie cutter: One size does not fit all! How many times do we sum others up with a cookie cutter point of view? Do we not incriminate ourselves when we act as if all people should be just like us? Do we invite people to come to church as they are but expect them to be just like us?
3) Disciples: Think about Jesus twelve disciples. Apart from becoming disciples, they did not have much in common except for Jesus’s calling of them to be disciples. Simon the Zealot and Matthew would likely not have been in other’s company without conflict.
? Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen.
? Matthew was a Jewish tax collector for Rome.
? Simon (not to be confused with Simon Peter) was a former Zealot. They were all different in their own ways but Jesus called them to follow Him. Simon Peter was a fisherman who was known to shoot from the hip. He was not to be mistaken with Simon the Zealot
? Nathanael was prejudice against Nazareth at one time before becom8ing a disciple. Who Were the 12 Disciples (Apostles of Jesus)? Their Names and Facts (crosswalk.com)
? Thomas called the twin because he was believed to look like Jesus was a doubter.
? Judas Iscariot was a traitor.
? We do not know much about the backgrounds for the rest of the disciples, James the less, Thaddeus and Philipp.
Jesus called them to come together as His disciples meaning that they would humbly follow in His footsteps and become more and more like him.
How does judging others disrupt our calling as Jesus’s modern day disciples?
1) Never lacking an object: We never have trouble finding someone or something to judge or criticize do we? We judge strangers, friends, enemies, teachers, leaders, coaches, athletes, actors, musicians, authors, spouses (did you think I would leave that out?) and the list goes on.
2) Bubble thoughts: We have all read the comics in the paper. We all know the bubbles tell the dialogue between the characters. What’s in your bubble----your private thoughts? Aren’t you glad that people cannot see what is in our “bubble thoughts”? Aren’t we also glad we cannot see the “bubble thoughts” of others?
3) Judgement in disguise: Do we ever dress up our criticism as banter or sarcasm when the true motive is being judgmental?
4) Prejudiced: What about us? Do we get historical and keep records of the faults of others?
5) Projection: Don’t we sometimes misjudge others because of our prejudice, narrow-mindedness, partisanship or sectarianism? Don’t we sometimes project our own faults and shortcomings on others?
6) Sanctimonious: Can’t being judgy make us arrogant and blind us to our own need to repent because of the fault finding and criticism we do against others? Remember Job’s three friends and their insinuations that Job was suffering because of something he did?
7) Narrow minded evangelism: If we do not see someone as worthy of salvation, then would that not hinder need to share the Gospel?
8) Sticks and stones: We all know the saying about sticks and stones. Say it with me, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. Is that really truthful or some cliché saying we use to lessen the blow of someone’s hurtful words?
9) Historical: I remember reading somewhere where a guy once said that when he and his wife got in a disagreement that she did not get hysterical, but that she did get historical. How often do we get historical in keeping score? Remember what I Corinthians 13 says?
10) Loveless Christianity: Are we like the congregation of the church of Ephesus? Remember the complaint letter to the church at Ephesus? Reveleation 2:3 – 4: “I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (NRSV). Remember the words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7?: Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant (5) or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; (6) it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. (7) It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (NRSV).
How can we truly be loving or love one another if we are too busy keeping score?
WITHIN
How well do we examine ourselves in comparison to our spouse?
This exercise is meant to create awareness of how easily we can become critical of those we love the most. Keep track of the number of times you answer “Yes” to the following statements.
1. I feel critical toward my partner three times a week or more.
2. I feel critical toward my partner for how he or she looks.
3. I feel critical toward my partner for how he or she talks.
4. I feel critical toward my partner for how he or she relates to others.
5. I feel critical toward my partner for his or her values.
6. I feel critical toward my partner for his or her household habits.
7. I wish my partner were more like me.
8. I think my partner is capable of changing in the ways that I want.
9. I think my partner behaves in certain ways just to annoy me.
10. I find it hard to forgive my partner for not living up to all of my expectations.
11. I find it hard to accept the ways in which my partner is different from me.
12. My parents often criticized me when I was a child.
13. My partner often accuses me of being critical.
14. I wish I were more accepting of my partner.
15. One (or both) of my parents often criticized the other.
Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. [original source: Biblical Studies Press.Reprinted by permission of Warner Books, Inc. of New York, New York, U.S.A. From The First Year of Marriage by
Miriam Arond and Samuel L. Pauker, M.D. Copyright by Miriam Arond and Samuel Pauker. Quoted in Together Forever, Aid Association for Lutherans, Appleton, WI, 1997, p. 76].
How well do we do with self-examination?
1) Negligent: How often are we diligent to condemn or judge others when we are negligent to the necessity of self-examination?
2) Specks versus logs: Isn’t that why Jesus asked why it is that we focus on the speck in the eyes of another and yet neglect the log in our own eyes?
3) Pharisaical: Remember how the Pharisee thought that he was better than the tax collector? He arrogantly told God how good he was and how bad the tax collector was.
4) Satan’s hidden agenda: Satan does not want you to think of anyone as worthy!
What if we are secretly and severely judging ourselves with no mercy?
1) False security: Do people not sometimes exhibit false security. They pretend to be ok when they are broken inside?
2) Prosecuting attorney: Does the devil constantly whisper in your ear and tell you that you are not good enough? Does he remind you about your brokenness in relationships? Or that you are not worthy? Or constantly remind you of your sins to make you a prisoner of guilt?
3) Life and death; Proverbs18:21 says Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits (NRSV). Satan wants you to use your words to destroy others as well as yourself, because he wants to deceive, discourage people by blinding them from the light of the Gospel (II Corinthians 4:4).
I saw footage on the internet of a lady who had a NDE (near death experience) and she said that the Lord showed her the power of negative words on others. She said she saw already negative people become more negative because of negative comments said by others.
4) Satan’s hidden agenda: Satan does not want you to think of yourself as worthy!
TRANSFORMATION
Does God give second chances? The answer to that question is an emphatic “Yes”!
Jesus took our sin away at the cross! Psalms 103:12-14 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. (14) For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
? Look at the story of the woman at the well in John 4
? Look at the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8
? Look at the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15
? Look at your story and recall how God has forgiven you.
God wants us all to be transformed and become new creatures in Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:17)!
How often have we said “don’t judge me” when we are judging others? Satan wants to use the judgment game to weaken Christians and their witness. Satan wants to keep would be believers from finding the peace of a “strangely warmed heart” that would set them free to become new creatures in Christ! How often does judgment sabotage our ability to witness?
Are you being transformed daily?
Consider Romans 12:1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect (NRSV).
We need the Gospel armor and to put on each piece of it with prayer like the hymn says.
? Transformation is something that we must do daily!
? Satan wants to catch us off guard and distract us from our need to worship.
? Satan does not want us to renew our minds but to be conformed to the world.
? Satan wants us to focus on the sins of others and judge them.
? Satan also wants us to beat ourselves up.
? Stan wants us to keep score against others.
? Satan wants to also keep score of our sins and beat us with guilt.
? We are transformed when we walk with God’s Holy Spirit.
Let go and let God!
Maybe you are here this morning, feeling like you are not good enough for God. I have seen physical scars of those who have cut themselves because somehow Satan whispered to them that they are not worthy. It’s a lie! That’s a lie Satan wants you to believe.
Whether we have visible scars or scars that we hide, Satan wants us to believe we are defeated. Satan wants people to believe that there is only a guilt ridden future where people believe that they can never be free because of the logs---the sins in our lives.
Jesus can help us with the logs ---the sins in our lives. In fact, Jesu came to take away those sins and give us new life in Him that can transform us every day! Christ died for us while we were yet sinners to prove His love for us (see Romans 5:6 – 8). When Christ dies on the cross for you to take away your sin, He took your sin and cast it as far away is the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12 -14). Jesus gives us a future with a hope (Jeremiah 29:11)! How could transformation even be possible without Jesus Christ who makes all things new?
In the Name of the Father. The Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
