True Disciples - Loving Your Neighbor - Judgment And Discernment - Matthew 7 Series

2025.03.02.Sermon Notes. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP - MATTHEW 7 – THE WAY TO LIFE

WILLIAM AKEHURST, HSWC

BIG IDEA: JESUS Continues HIS Sermon on the Mount and Teaching on True Discipleship with insight on Judgment and Discernment, when it comes to “loving our neighbors”.

SCRIPTURES: Matthew 7:1-29, Matthew 22:36-40, John 8:7, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Mark 16:15-16, John 15:7-8, James 5:16, John 10:9, Luke 6:44-45, John 15:5-8, Luke 6:46, Proverbs 10:25, James 1:22, Numbers 32:23, Luke 11:28, Philippians 1:3-6, Philippians 1:9-11

RECAP: In Matthew 6, JESUS spoke about our inner spiritual life. With 3 aspects of prayer, Giving , Prayer, and Fasting, as well as Worldly vs. Heavenly Treasures, and Anxiety or Worry over materials things.

In reflection, JESUS was teaching about Loving GOD over the things of this world.

Now in Matthew 7, we see His Sermon on the Mount continue, but now with regard to Loving your Neighbor as yourself.

Later in Matthew, chapter 22:36-40, JESUS will be asked about which Commandment is the Greatest, to which HE will respond, LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7 will also give us insight on Judgment and Discernment, when it comes to “loving our neighbors”.

Matthew 7:1-29

JUDGMENT AND DISCERNMENT.

(1-2) A SUMMARY STATEMENT ON PASSING JUDGMENT UPON OTHERS.

DO NOT JUDGE (Luke 6:37–42)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

John 8:7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

Judge not, that you be not judged:

This is probably one of the most verses that are taken out of context.

JESUS speaks to the way we think of and treat others and warns against passing judgment upon others, because when we judge, we will be judged in a similar manner.

For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged:

Jesus isn’t PROHIBITING the judgment of others, but HE requires that our judgment be completely fair, and that we only judge others by a standard we would also like to be judged by.

For example. Wrong Judgment is when we make judgments by a standard, but ignore that standard in our own lives.

How do we judge others unjustly or unfairly?

• Thinking the worst of others.

• Keeping a list of their faults.

• Judging or evaluating someone by their worst moments. (Keeping a record of their wrong)

• By judging others without considering their circumstances. (To combat this, Put yourself in their shoes)

• By judging others without understanding that we ourselves will be judged by the same standards.

PRINCIPLE: With the measure or standard, or law, that you use to judge, will be measured or standard, or law that will be applied back to you in judgment.

God will measure unto us according to the same measure we use for others.

This should motivate us to be generous with love, forgiveness, and goodness to others.

If we want more of those things from God, we should give more of them to others.

The rabbis taught that God had two measures that He used to judge people.

1. A measure of JUSTICE

2. A measure of MERCY.

Saying that whichever measure you want God to use with you, you should use that same measure with others.

POINT: We should only judge another’s behavior with an understanding that we ourselves will be judged. Therefore, we must consider HOW we want to be judged.

(3-5) ILLUSTRATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF JUDGING.

PRINCIPLE: EXAMINE YOURSELF FIRST

3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

JESUS uses an illustration to demonstrate HIS teaching.

A man with a board in his eye trying to help a friend remove a speck from the friend’s eye. Picturing this scene is something you might find in a comic book or cartoon. But JESUS used this exaggerated illustration to make it more understandable and memorable.