INTRO.- Here is an Aesop’s Fable to help us with this subject.
ILL.- A Lion, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with food by force, resolved to do so by savvy or wit. He returned to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sickness should be publicly known. The beasts expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the Lion devoured them.
After many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick and presenting himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful distance, and asked him how he was.
"I am very sick," replied the Lion, "but why do you stand without? Pray enter within to talk with me." "No, thank you," said the Fox. "I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of any returning." Smart fox. He was very discerning.
Now what’s the difference in judging something and being judgmental toward someone? Or the difference between judging and discerning?
ILL.- The Lone Ranger and Tonto stopped in the desert for the night. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.
Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?"
The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars." "What that tell you?" asked Tonto. The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, it’s evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What’s it tell you, Tonto?"
Tonto is silent for a moment, then says, "Kemo Sabe, you are dumber than a box of rocks! It means someone stole tent."
That’s discernment! But when Tonto called the Lone Ranger “dumber than a box of rocks” that’s being judgmental.
ILL.- Suppose you come to a stoplight that just turned red and someone comes up from behind you and goes through that red light. A discerning person might think, “That was not too smart. That’s a good way to have an accident.”
The judgmental person might think and say, “That idiot! How stupid could he or she be? They’re going to get killed and go to hell!” That’s being highly judgmental!
We all need to be discerning in life without being judgmental but sometimes, it’s hard to separate the two.
PROP.- In our text, Jesus teaches about the importance of being discerning without being judgmental. Let’s consider:
1- discernment of self
2- discernment of evil
3- discernment of God
I. DISCERNMENT OF SELF
Matt. 7:1-2 “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.”
Jesus is talking about being judgmental toward others. We’re talking about being harsh, critical, condemning, etc. Consider some areas, for example, where we should not judge one another.
1- We should not judge people’s motives. We can’t know why they do what they do. Only the Lord knows this.
ILL.- Take, for example, televangelist Benny Hinn. I am not a fan of his, but to say that Benny Hinn preaches only for money is going beyond discernment. We may think we know what’s in his heart, but only the Lord knows for sure.
2- We should not judge the service of another believer.
ILL.- We had a woman in one church where I served as minister that was always willing to sing a solo. I believe that her heart was in the right place, but it would have been easy for some to think, “Well, that was a lousy song. Why does she even bother to sing?” It’s easy to consider OUR service as being greater than someone else’s service and thereby put them down.
3- We should not judge outward appearances, because we all know that it is the heart that counts.
ILL.- Not too long ago I changed my hairstyle. In 1990, however, I started using gel on it, combing it straight backwards. I had it all slicked down. The first time one of my preacher friends in southern IL saw me with it like this, he said, “Jimmy Swaggart.” That should have been a clue right then to go back to the way I had it. My heart was just the same but my hair was different. And my hair didn’t make me into a Jimmy Swaggart no matter what people thought.
I think it is our human nature to want to judge people. I think it is our SINFUL human nature that wants to do this, but we are taught differently in scripture.
James 4:11-12 “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”
James’ words are very powerful and plain. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE? By judging others we put ourselves in the roll of God and this is dangerous territory. It’s what caused Satan to get kicked out of heaven!
Matthew 7:3 “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?”
Jesus is saying that we need to discern ourselves or judge ourselves and not others. Often, when we point our finger at someone else we are far more guilty in our own lives of some kind of sinful behavior.
ILL.- Someone wrote, “Why is it that my dirt is never as dirty as your dirt, from my perspective? My sin never seems as sinful as the sin of others either. And that is what Jesus is referring to. I have a log in my eye and find it quite easy to ignore, but that speck in your eye is glaringly obvious.”
The point of what Jesus is saying is this: don’t judge others. You’ve got more problems of your own without giving other people trouble!
Augustine prayed “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.”
II. DISCERNMENT OF EVIL
Matt. 7:6 “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 then turn and tear you to pieces.”
The dogs and pigs of Jesus’ time were not quite what we think of today. As someone said, “We’re not talking Lassie and Miss Piggy here!”
For instance, dogs weren’t the nice, domesticated puppies many of us have at home. The dogs of Jesus’ day were wild, feeding on garbage and road kill. Dogs and pigs were viewed with contempt. Pigs were considered unclean, and the ancient Jews were forbidden to eat them. No self-respecting Jew would go anywhere near a pig.
What is Jesus talking about in this verse? He is talking about discerning evil in life. There are some people who treat the gospel and all things having to do with God and Christ with scorn and contempt.
ILL.- During a cold winter, a farmer found a snake stiff and frozen with cold. The snake said to the Farmer, "If you pick me up and hold me to your stomach, your body will make me warm." The Farmer said, "If I do that you will bite me." The Snake answered, "Why would I do that if you save me?"
The Farmer had compassion on the Snake, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth and resumed its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound.
"Oh," cried the Farmer, "Why did you bite me after I saved you?"
"You knew I was a snake when you picked me up," answered the Snake. With his last breath the farmer said, "I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel."
Brothers and sisters, if you cozy up to a snake you’re liable to get bit!
Matt. 7:6 “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 then turn and tear you to pieces.”
We need to be discerning in life when it comes to spreading the good news of Christ. Some people will not listen. And some people will even do worse than not listen. Some will turn on you and attack you! Or abuse you! Or cuss you!
ILL.- I have personally never been attacked for preaching or for witnessing to someone about Christ. About the worse thing that ever happened to me was when the boss of a service station where I worked said to me, “They’ll be no more of that religious talk around here.” That was after two old men got into a religious argument and I didn’t even start it!
Sometimes it does absolutely no good to share the gospel with some people. All they will do is spit in your face, so to speak.
ILL.- For example, do you honestly think it would do any good to witness to someone like Ted Turner? Or how about Rosie O‘Donnell? Or Saddam Hussein?
Brothers and sisters, be discerning. Don’t waste your time trying to witness to some people, but at the same time, don’t use this as an excuse not to witness for Christ.
III. DISCERNMENT OF GOD
Matt. 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
In this passage we need to think in terms of discerning the character of God. Far too many people are way off base when it comes to understanding God.
ILL.- J. B. Phillips wrote the small book, “Your God is Too Small.” In the chapter, GRAND OLD MAN, some Sunday School children were asked to write down their ideas of God. Most wrote these words, “God is a very old gentleman living heaven.” Since God is viewed as being “old,” we equate that to having little ability or power in life.
A group of mixed older students were asked some years ago, “Do you think God understands radar?” Almost all the students said, “no.” That might be like saying today, “Do you think God understands computers and smart bombs and nuclear energy, etc?” WHAT DO YOU THINK? I know what you should think.
ILL.- George Muller was born in Prussia on September 27, 1805. His father was a collector of taxes and George seemed to inherit his father’s ability with figures. When Muller was converted to Christ he was impressed by the many recurring statements of Jesus for us "to ask." At this point in Muller’s life he and his wife launched into a daring experiment. First, they gave away all of their household goods. The next step was even more daring, he refused all regular salary from the small mission he had been serving. He then set out to establish an orphan home to care for the homeless children of England.
The first home was dedicated in a rented building on April 21, 1836. Within a matter of days, 43 orphans were being cared for. Muller and his co-workers decided their experiment would be set up with the following guidelines:
1- No funds would ever be solicited.
2- No debts were ever to be incurred.
3- No money contributed for a specific purpose would ever be used for any other purpose.
4- All accounts would be audited annually.
5- No ego-pandering by the publication of donor’s names.
6- No "names" of prominent people would be sought for the board or to advertise the institution.
7- The success of the orphanage would be measured not by the numbers served or by the amount of money taken in, but by God’s blessing on the work, which Muller expected to be in direct proportion to the time spent in prayer.
When the first building was constructed, Muller and his friends remained true to their convictions. The public was amazed when a second building was opened six months after the first. They kept concentrating on prayer and eventually there were five new buildings, 110 workers, and 2,050 orphans being cared for.
George Muller not only counted on God to provide, but he believed that God would provide abundantly. For over 60 years Muller recorded every specific prayer request and the results. Muller was responsible for the care of 9,500 orphans during his life. These children never went without a meal. Muller never asked for help from anyone but God. $7,500,000 came to him over the course of his life and he vows it was all in answer to believing prayer.
Brothers and sisters, be discerning about God! We have a Heavenly Father who loves us beyond human understanding and is willing to give to us when we ask in humility.
CONCLUSION---------------------------
ILL.- One day Billy and Ruth Graham were driving through a long stretch of road construction. They had numerous slowdowns, detours, and stops along the way. Finally they reached the end of all that difficulty, and smooth pavement stretched out before them. This sign caught Ruth’s attention: "End of construction. Thanks for your patience." She commented that those words would be a fitting inscription on her tombstone someday.
Ruth Graham was very discerning and insightful and I’m sure she was when it came to other matters in life. We all need to be more discerning and insightful when it comes to life. And there is only way to get the right insight for life.
James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God…”
When we get our wisdom from the Lord we will be discerning in life, but not judgmental. We will discern the good from the evil but at the same time we will leave all judgment to God.
