Sermon Central
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Splinters And Logs
Contributed by Rick Boyne on Feb 21, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: The reasons we're told "Do not judge" is because most of us aren't responsible or mature enough to do it with fairness. We must exercise mercy with each other.
Splinters and Logs
February 19, 2012 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: We must exercise mercy with each other.
Focus Passage: Matthew 7:1-5
Supplemental Passage: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalms 139:23-24 NASB)
Introduction: Relate a personal story regarding jury duty.
I. Judging to Condemn
a. When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village. (Luke 9:51-56 NASB)
b. Don’t judge someone based on what you believe to be true. You may not have all the facts and are not, in fact, able to judge the motives of the heart.
II. Judging to Control
a. Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" So Peter seeing him *said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" Jesus *said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" (John 21:20-22 NASB)
b. Don’t take Scripture out of context and apply parts of it, changing the meaning, just to control someone. This amounts to spiritual abuse.
III. Judging to Compare
a. For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. (2 Corinthians 10:12 NASB)
b. Don’t judge in order to make yourself look better than someone else. The measuring stick by which we are judged is Jesus, not each other.
Invitation:
