Removing Specks And Casting Pearls Series

Removing Specks and Casting Pearls

Matthew 7:3-6

OKAY – let’s do this... MGCC – this morning we are wrapping up our study of Matthew 7:1-6...

Six verses that kind of sit right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ Kingdom Manifesto about how things are done and how lives are to be lived in His Kingdom.

UNDERSTAND – 2000 years ago on a grassy hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee... Jesus told those gathered that the lives that they will be empowered to live are distinct and different than the world around them and the religious leaders over them. Distinct and different in regard to such things as...

Lust, anger, marriage, divorce, truth telling, keeping our word, responding when wronged, how we treat our enemies, where to store up treasure... distinct and different from how the world handles worry and anxiety, AND... as we began unpacking last week, distinct and different in regard to making judgments about other people.

YEAH – last week we did a deep dive on these 2 verses...

Do not judge, or you too will be judged (KJV).

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Matthew 7:1,2

AND MGCC – as we said last week...

Both non-Christians and Christians have weaponized this verse to prevent anyone from making a moral judgment on their life. “You can’t tell me how to live. Who are you to tell me that this behavior is wrong or sinful. After all your very own Jesus said, ‘judge not, lest you be judged.’

AND LISTEN – where we landed last week after looking at this verse in its context, and after looking at other Scriptures.

IS THAT – in Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus is not telling us that...

• we are to live our lives without any discernment

• we never have the right to speak into the life of another Jesus-follower about sinful and ungodly behavior, or

• that we must hide and remain silent about certain Biblical truths, because the world we be offended and label our words hateful

INSTEAD – Jesus is telling us that we should be very, very careful about ‘how’ we judge. Get It?

UNDERSTAND – what Jesus is calling out is not exercising judgment but being judgmental.

Any there is a huge difference between the two.

YOU SEE...

Judging someone is about discerning truth based on facts.

Being judgmental is about being censorious and finding fault with people without cause based on personal feelings or assumptions.

AND LISTEN - the issue is not really about whether or not we are to judge, but rather ‘how’ and ‘who’ we are to judge.

After all Jesus said...

Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. – John 7:24

Literally in the Greek, ‘but judge with righteous judgement.’

SO YES – we are actually called ‘to judge other’ but to do it correctly, rightly, with righteous judgment.

AGAIN – it is so very important that we get this one right?

BECAUSE – the misunderstanding, the misapplying and the abuse of these verses, and of the entire issue of judging others for that matter.

HAS - led Jesus-followers down some wrong and destructive paths, LIKE...

• becoming so self-righteous, hateful and judgmental towards others, that they really earned that label of... ‘Christians are so mean, narrow minded, hateful and judgmental”

• believing that they have no right to confront another brother or sister who is caught up in a destructive sin and behavior... ‘who am I to judge’

• Hiding their light of biblical moral truth under a basket in order to avoid being labeled by culture as being judgmental and promoting hate.

NOW – if you missed the conversation last week, I really want to encourage you to check it out online...

AGAIN – it is so important that we get this right, AMEN?!

(Website, Spotify, Apple Podcast, TuneIn)

OKAY – a quick review of how we are not to judge.

Judging Not...

Don’t judge superficially

In other words don’t judge by appearance or without having all the facts... You know, making a judgment when you only have part of the story. Because things are not always as they appear... another fast pic

Don’t judge hypocritically

Don’t judge without considering your own sin. Like don’t be like the Pharisee in the parable Jesus told in Luke 18...

I thank God that I am not like...

Don’t judge unwarily

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:2

UNDERSTAND MGCC - the way we judge others is how God will judge us...

NOW – we have seen this same idea already in the SM