Only God Can Judge Me.

Steve Gentry

[0:02] If this is your first time here, my name is Steve, one of the pastors here at Village [0:07] Church. [0:08] As always, I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you here this morning. [0:13] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to Matthew chapter 7. [0:17] We’re going to be starting in verse 1 this morning, but over the past few weeks, we have [0:23] been talking about lies that we tend to believe as a people, as a culture, and what they really

[0:32] are are seven philosophies that we take into our daily lives, and we kind of have as the [0:39] core thoughts of how we’re going to live, how we’re going to view our decisions, how [0:43] we’re going to view our relationships. [0:45] We started with kind of taking a look at how it is that we define the term love, and then [0:51] last week we took a look at how it is that we make decisions, what we base our thoughts, [0:57] what we base our choices on, and this week I kind of want to take a look at how we judge

[1:03] one another. [1:05] And so the phrase that kind of our culture has adopted, and how we view our discernment, [1:12] and how we look at our relationships, how we look at how we tell people what it is that [1:17] we think and how we tell people what it is that we believe down to the choices that [1:22] those that are close to us in our lives make is sometimes when somebody says something [1:27] that we don’t appreciate, it’s just kind of this thought, well, only God can judge me.

[1:32] It was the theologian Tupac that made that phrase very popular back when I was, I think, [1:38] a freshman in high school, and of course he was a very virtuous man who really embodied [1:44] what it was that people thought about a phrase like that, that I’m not to be judged, I’m [1:51] not to be thought of, I’m not to be defined by the things that I do. [1:58] Instead, it’s what’s on the inside that really counts, and you don’t know what’s actually [2:04] going on the inside of me, only God knows that.

[2:08] But the question that we’ve got to ask ourselves is one of whether our actions and the choices [2:15] that we make and the things that we do actually do serve as a message to other people as [2:24] to what we really are like on the inside, as to what’s actually going on inside of the [2:31] core of who I am. [2:34] And what I think Scripture is going to show us and what I think we’re going to see today [2:38] is that our actions do play a vital role in communicating, number one, who we are, but

[2:47] then number two, in communicating what it is that we actually believe, because quite [2:53] frankly the only thing that people can determine who you are as a person is by what you do [2:59] and how you treat other people. [3:01] And so they do say something very important about us, and the fact is that God has not [3:09] told us that we’re not to judge one another in a sense that we’re to use absolutely zero [3:15] discernment towards other people.

[3:18] Instead, God has actually told us that we’re not to use a judgment that’s going to come [3:23] naturally to us, and instead we’re to use a judgment that God desires to put inside [3:28] of us Himself. [3:29] And there’s two types of thoughts on this, and we kind of do as a people, we kind of [3:36] polarize ourselves, and you can really see this on Facebook during especially political [3:40] seasons, is that either A, we are extremely judgmental, we want everyone to know everything

[3:50] that we think about everyone and everything at any moment, and if you don’t do exactly [3:56] as I do, then you fall short of God’s decrees.

[4:01] Actually, let’s use a little G on God there.

[4:07] Or everybody’s opinion is valid, let’s be nice, Jesus said be kind, and kindness is [4:16] marked by zero tension, zero turmoil, zero argument, zero thought. [4:22] And so we’re just to kind of float through this world, getting along. [4:29] And those really are the polar sides, but most of us don’t find ourselves in those [4:34] polar sides. [4:35] We always find ourselves swinging somewhere on the pendulum, back and forth, really confused

[4:41] as to what it is that we’re supposed to do with the word truth. [4:47] Do we hit people over the face with it like a baseball bat, or is it a fluffy pillow [4:53] that I lay my head on at night? [4:54] That’s only mine. [4:56] And I think Jesus, of course, uses very wise words in Matthew 7-1 when he does tell us, [5:03] don’t judge.

[5:05] The fact of the matter is, is that that is the definition that as a culture people have [5:10] of Christianity. [5:11] Theologian D.A. [5:12] Carson has stated that Matthew 7-1 has displaced John 3-16 as the only verse of the Bible [5:19] that the man on the street is likely to know. [5:22] And the fact is that this phrase is often pointed at the church as a whole.

[5:27] Research was done by the Barna Group a few years ago that found that 80% of people outside [5:33] of the church define Christians by being too judgmental. [5:36] The perception is that Christians are prideful and quick to find fault in others. [5:42] And so our temptation is to either fight that and say, well, the world doesn’t understand [5:47] or agree with it and say, we should never say anything that’s completely clear and [5:53] truthful and factual.

[5:55] The fact is that neither of those options are valid, and neither of those options are [6:00] what Jesus is actually driving us to do in Matthew 7-1. [6:03] So look at the text and let’s read what Jesus has to say between verses 1 and 6. [6:10] Judge not that you be not judged. [6:13] And that’s typically where everyone stops. [6:16] And that’s part of the problem, is that Jesus doesn’t stop there.

[6:20] He goes on. [6:22] And Jesus says this. [6:24] He says, for with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged. [6:27] And with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [6:31] Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log [6:35] that is in your own eye?

[6:37] Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, when there [6:41] is a log in your own eye? [6:44] You hypocrite. [6:45] First, take the log out of your own eye. [6:48] And then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. [6:53] Do not give dogs what is holy.

[6:56] That sounds pretty judgmental. [6:59] And do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn [7:06] to attack you. [7:07] Pray with me.

[7:10] Our Father, this is a large issue that many of us fall many different places in the spectrum. [7:20] Lord, my prayer is that you will communicate to us how it is that you want us to make [7:26] decisions, how it is that you want us to preach your gospel, and how it is that you [7:30] want us to meet out the judgment that you have revealed to us through the cross of [7:36] your Son, Jesus Christ. [7:38] Lord, may our vision always be to be people who are centered upon the truth of the gospel

[7:48] and everything that it shows us. [7:52] In the name of Christ, I pray. [7:53] Amen. [7:54] I’m going to attempt to do two things today. [7:57] I’m going to attempt to show you what your judgment shouldn’t be like in the religious [8:02] sense, and then I’m going to attempt to show you what your judgment should be like.

[8:06] But I’m guaranteed to do one thing in doing both of those things, and that is to offend [8:11] all of you. [8:13] So I understand this morning that I am going to correct you no matter where you stand [8:19] in the polar spectrum of judgment. [8:21] If you’re heavy in judgment, my hope is that I soften you a little bit. [8:25] If you’re too gracious in your judgment, my hope is to firm you up a little bit.

[8:29] And so I’m going to try to drive at both of you because I only have one week for this [8:33] topic when I really need two. [8:35] So let’s preach two sermons together. [8:37] Number one this morning, I want us to understand that our judgment must be formed by God’s [8:45] judgment. [8:46] Our judgment must be formed by God’s judgment.

[8:50] Jesus’ admonition in Matthew chapter 7 verse 1, to judge not, was in itself a judgment [8:58] on the audience that he was speaking to. [9:02] In Matthew chapter 7, he’s on what we’ve, in our Bibles, have made the third chapter [9:07] of the Sermon on the Mount. [9:09] And when he gets into that third chapter, he’s becoming very specific about how you [9:14] are to use discernment in your life.

[9:17] And he’s directing this part towards a specific group that is in the audience that he’s speaking [9:23] to. [9:23] And if you have any background in the Bible, you know that he’s probably speaking specifically [9:28] to the Pharisees in this statement. [9:30] And this is a religious group of people who made the laws and they enforced the laws of [9:35] the Old Testament on the culture of Israel at large, specifically in Jerusalem at this

[9:41] time. [9:41] And what’s going on with the Pharisees is not only are they enforcing the Old Testament, [9:45] but then they have heaped commentary on top of commentary on the Old Testament all the [9:50] way down to not just what does the Old Testament say as to what you’re supposed to do, but [9:53] how specifically are you supposed to do it? [9:56] What’s the weight of the spices in your home that you’re supposed to give to the temple

[10:00] of God? [10:01] How exactly is it that you’re supposed to fashion your prayers and your prayer garments in [10:05] your life? [10:06] And so the Pharisees would walk through the town literally dressed as a judgment on everyone [10:13] else and meeting out a judgment that had ceased for a long time to be the standard by which [10:20] God had pointed out to them and instead had become a way in which to simply protect the

[10:28] culture and the power that they were setting up as human beings. [10:33] And so it was much more intricate and far perverted from the vision that God had meted [10:41] out in the Old Testament. [10:44] And so Jesus is specifically pointing to them and saying the judgment that you’re laying [10:50] out is going to be returned upon you. [10:54] Are you prepared for that?

[10:56] That’s a message that every one of us needs to hear. [10:59] Are you consistent in the way in which you judge other people? [11:04] Do you live up to all of the standards that you lay out for other people? [11:11] Do you exhibit the lifestyle completely that you hold out for everyone else? [11:20] If you said yes, you’ve got issues because you’re a liar. [11:23] Okay.

[11:24] The only correct answer to that question is no. [11:27] And that’s part of Christ’s point. [11:30] And Jesus did not come to remove judgment. [11:33] Instead, Jesus came to bring a different type of judgment to the people around him. [11:38] The word judge that’s used there in verse one in this passage can mean to make a selection. [11:44] It can mean to pass judgment based on the correctness of something or the factual nature

[11:49] or it can mean to condemn another person. [11:55] And the prohibition in chapter seven, verse one, based on the context of the passage as a whole [12:01] is clearly that Jesus is talking about the condemning type of judgment. [12:07] If you read the entire Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does call on his followers to judge others in the [12:14] sense of being discerning. [12:17] Jesus wants us to use a specific type of discernment.

[12:21] When he comes in with the Sermon on the Mount to the book of Matthew is written largely [12:25] specifically for a Jewish audience. [12:28] What he’s doing is he’s taking the culture that they’re setting up and saying, [12:31] you’re doing it the opposite of what I’ve actually called you to do. [12:35] And so every little piece in the Sermon on the Mount does stand as a judgment upon people. [12:42] It stands as a way to meet out whether or not someone is representing God or whether or not

[12:48] someone is representing something other than what the kingdom of God exists to be. [12:54] And in chapter seven, verses one through four, which we just read through, [12:57] Jesus is speaking to the wrong kind of judgment. [13:02] Jesus is explaining what it looks like to grow as his follower on earth and the steps with which [13:09] you need to take to actually take the judgment that is mostly external that we use. [13:15] And like he does all throughout the Sermon on the Mount, he turns your values completely

[13:20] backwards. [13:22] And he says that judgment that you’re pointing to everyone else, you need to use it instead [13:27] primarily and at the beginning as a mirror with which to look into your own life and see what’s [13:35] actually happening. [13:38] And so Jesus is specifically saying you need to judge yourself.

[13:45] Because that’s where you start. [13:47] That’s the only way that you’re ever going to get anywhere. [13:51] And truthfully, that’s the only way that you’re ever going to help anyone else. [13:56] It’s like when you’re boarding an airplane, which is everyone’s favorite activity to do, [14:00] and you sit down and all you want to do is get where you’re going and they have to go [14:04] through all the checklists and they start talking about the worst case scenario, which is with the

[14:08] oxygen masks fall down. [14:10] Which by the way, the worst way to start a flight is by talking about the most terrifying thing [14:16] that could happen. [14:18] Because there’s nowhere to go, just there. [14:21] And what they tell you about the oxygen mask is, is don’t help the person beside you. [14:26] You’re like, well, that doesn’t sound very loving.

[14:28] Actually, it’s the most loving thing that you can do. [14:30] Is they first put your own oxygen mask on. [14:34] Then you’ll have enough oxygen to not pass out so that you can help the person beside you.

[14:42] And in an interesting way, in an analogous way, that is exactly what Jesus is talking about here. [14:48] If you never use the judgment of God on your life, how can you ever hope [14:55] you have any credibility in offering the judgment of God to anyone else? [15:01] So in a very large way, the scriptures that God has given us serve as a mirror into my own core, [15:09] into my own heart, and into my own life so that I can first be changed by God, [15:15] so that I can first be transformed by God, so that I can begin a restorative journey

[15:21] in my reconciliation with God and my relationship with him. [15:25] Because in the process of following Jesus is the way in which I can be transformed [15:30] I gain the tools and I gain the discernment to be of aid to other people.

[15:39] Jesus points out the very thing that it makes you if you don’t turn his word and the truth [15:46] and revelation of who Jesus is through his life and then of course through his sacrifice on the [15:51] cross and resurrection. He says that if you don’t turn it into a mirror into your own life, you [15:56] are a hypocrite. His large point is that even at the surface level, hypocrisy [16:03] is unloving to God as well as to others. It communicates a lack of trust in God to forgive you,

[16:15] a lack of grace towards others as you work out your own salvation. [16:21] You know the way in which you treat other people is revolutionized when [16:24] you realize what a need of grace you personally have. Your ability to empathize with the struggles [16:31] of others. Your ability to comfort someone who is going through a real struggle and feels the weight [16:39] maybe of their sin or maybe of someone else’s sin. The way in which you can be involved in [16:45] that person’s life is revolutionized when you realize one thing.

[16:51] That you are desperate yourself for the grace and forgiveness of a loving God [16:57] who sacrificed his own life to save you. But without that, it’s very difficult, [17:06] even impossible I think Jesus’s point really is, to offer grace to someone else. To empathize [17:15] with someone else’s struggles. To realize how hard it actually is for other people to repent [17:22] of their sin on a consistent basis. Because the reality is the easiest sins for you to condemn [17:29] are the ones that you’ve never struggled with. The easiest thing for you to be hard on others

[17:36] about are the things that you are strong about. But when you realize, well you know, [17:43] it’s easy for me not to struggle with this thing because it’s just not a personal struggle that [17:49] I’ve had. But I do have a great many struggles myself. And man, the road of repentance on my [18:00] personal struggles has been and is and will be a lifelong battle. And when I come at someone else’s [18:09] issues with that mentality, what I’m able to do is actually put myself in their shoes. [18:16] Even if for a moment, actually say, I know how hard it is because I’ve got sin.

[18:25] Because I am desperate for a gracious God to offer me forgiveness because I am in many [18:31] ways the hypocrite that Jesus is talking about. And because of that, I’m in need of his grace. [18:38] And if we don’t do that, the Church of Jesus Christ simply becomes a group of judgy judgers [18:45] judging everyone all the time in Judger Town. That’s what we become. Oh really, you struggle [18:52] with that? I don’t. And then that person will look at me and say, oh you struggle with that? I don’t.

[18:58] In the meantime, no one’s helped and everyone becomes completely self-righteous. [19:03] Because all we do is set ourselves up above other people to try to look better [19:07] than everyone else. And if there’s no hope in here,

[19:13] I tell you there will be no hope for anyone out there.

[19:17] And so the reality that we need to come to God’s word with is understanding that our judgment is [19:23] not to be completely outwardly focused, but rather God is saying use my judgment onto [19:30] yourself. You live then without any focus on the issues of your own heart if all you want to do is [19:37] condemn and judge others. But what you need is to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ in personal [19:43] repentance and obedience. And what that will make you, and I’ll be honest with you, [19:49] is that will begin to change your life and you will grow to be very generous in your judgment

[19:53] and very gracious in your communication. There’s not enough emphasis in our culture [19:59] on being gracious in our communication. In John chapter 7 verse 24, Jesus says this, [20:06] he says, do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. Judge with right. [20:13] And that’s extremely difficult, personally. I struggle with that. I judge every one of [20:18] you based on your appearances. And I know you do the same to me. But the reality is that when [20:26] Jesus came, he wanted us as a people, he wanted us as a world to understand that each and every

[20:33] one of us do not always wear on the outside what’s going on on the inside. I truly cannot tell you [20:41] the struggles that all of you come in here with this morning. Sure, some of you look tired, [20:47] some of you look like you had a long one last night, some of you look like you just got up, [20:53] but I don’t know the reasons behind all of that. And so what Jesus is asking us to do is he’s [21:01] asking us to actually get involved in one another’s lives as Jesus got involved in our life. [21:09] Think about it. The one who had the power to speak everything that exists into existence became one

[21:15] of us. And as John 1 says, he tabernacled or he dwelt among us, living with us, [21:23] spending a lot of time with 12 guys who never seemed to be able to get it right, [21:27] but the numbers grow over 100 if you look at the vast majority of disciples that were actually [21:33] following him through his journey to the cross. You begin to understand, my goodness, if Jesus [21:39] was able to empathize with human beings, why can’t I? If Jesus was able to be in relationships [21:46] with people who were nothing like him, I just wish there were more people like me.

[21:55] What if Jesus had said that about his disciples? He would have had none [21:59] except the Holy Spirit and God the Father. But Jesus exhibited something totally different [22:06] for us. He said, it’s not about you, but others. Jesus lives his life, constant servanthood, [22:17] constant sacrifice, constant empathy, constant understanding, delving into the reality of who [22:24] people actually are and the fact that they needed him in their lives. Friend, if you have the life [22:29] of Christ inside of you, people need you in their lives. But even more than that, you need

[22:35] other people. Because sometimes the judgment that we meet out to other people is actually [22:41] a protection from other people because we don’t really want people in our lives all the time. [22:46] And you’re not as much judgmental as you are afraid. You’re afraid of what will actually [22:51] happen if people get close to you. So what is our judgment to be based on then if we’re to have [22:56] judgment? Well, frankly, it’s to be based, like I said, on Jesus. There is much that God has been [23:04] clear on. He’s been very clear as to what we’re to do. He’s been very clear as to what we’re to

[23:09] focus on in our lives in his word. Our focus is always to be the gospel. But too often, rather [23:17] than wielding God’s judgment, we seek to wield our judgment as though we are God. Too often, our [23:25] judgment is steeped in whatever culture we’re used to and the preferences that we have on any [23:30] number of issues that have no foundation whatsoever in Scripture. We would rather be seen as right and [23:37] strong than gracious. Sounds like a core value of what it means to be a human being. You don’t need [23:44] to be gracious. You need to be right. And that’s what led us, that’s what has led us as a church

[23:50] to be simply seen as prideful. It’s not judgment that’s our issue. Pride. From schooling to dietary [23:58] restrictions to recycling to your birthing plans, we are judgmental and argumentative at a level [24:05] that supersedes our passion for personal discipleship and growing and helping others in [24:11] what Jesus has been specific about. We need to be more comfortable with the words of the apostle [24:18] Paul in Romans chapter 14.3. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains. Let not the [24:24] one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats for God has welcomed him. If you like squash,

[24:32] fantastic. It’s terrible. It’s called squash.

[24:42] Like whoever found it was like, this is disgusting. I’m going to give it the most gross name possible [24:48] for a vegetable so that everyone will stay away from it. And for some reason, my wife thinks it [24:53] tastes like a candy bar. I tell you, squash ain’t no butterfinger, friend. No, if it was, I would [25:03] weigh less. I guarantee it. But we set ourselves and our preferences up against one another and [25:14] our whole goal is to prove how right we are and how wrong they are. No sacrifice, no patience, [25:26] no grace, just opinions and preferences. We like to post our blogs and ram our opinions and

[25:35] preferences down everyone else’s throats in a condemning way. We need to stop drawing boundaries [25:43] around peripheral matters that have nothing to do with the gospel. Whether it be in our personal [25:50] relationships or cultural statements made to the masses, we must ensure that we are seeking to show [25:58] the love and severity of God and not draw boundary lines around personal opinions. [26:09] God has been clear about enough controversial issues for you to get yourself in trouble with [26:15] with the masses, for you to leave everything else alone. But the fact of the matter is that you need

[26:20] to ask yourself a question every day of your life. Is the judgment that you are using based in the [26:26] gospel and the example of Christ, or is the judgment that you are meeting out to other people [26:31] based on you and you?

[26:35] Two this morning, understand that biblical judgment then is about helping others trust Christ. [26:42] Biblical judgment is about helping others trust Christ. Note that he says in verse 3, [26:47] why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye? But do not notice the log that is in your own [26:52] eye. What Jesus is saying is that judgment starts at home. Judgment starts with you. Jesus came to [26:59] you. He willed a lot of judgment. Look at what he says in John chapter 9 verse 39. He says, [27:04] for judgment I came into this world that those who do not see may see and those who see may become

[27:12] blind. He kind of levels everyone. He’s like, you think you can see? I came to judge you. Oh, [27:18] you think you’re blind? Came to judge you too. I came to bring judgment to absolutely everyone, [27:24] but it begins with the judgment of self before you focus on others. Focus on you. [27:31] Friends, too often we are consumed with weighing the lives of others rather than looking in the [27:37] mirror that personal discipleship requires. The most judgmental people that you know and I know [27:47] are the ones, excuse me, and the ones who complain about how judgmental everyone else is

[27:53] will be the ones not involved in personal discipleship.

[27:57] When you make this issue of judgment a polarizing issue and either everyone’s [28:01] too judgmental or no one’s judgmental enough, you disqualify yourself from what is good judgment. [28:08] That’s the judgment of Jesus Christ. Those tend to be the people who do not want to be involved [28:13] in personal discipleship because either you’re going to be too hard on them or they’re going to [28:18] be too hard on you and no one measures up to their standards. The reality is that when we use the [28:25] judgment of Christ and we begin by seeing our desperate need to get the log out of our own eye,

[28:33] then what that does is it frees me to not fear your judgment. It frees me to not be afraid if [28:42] you see something that I’m missing in my life because I know the one who came for judgment has [28:49] come and in areas that I was blind, he’s made me see and in areas that I thought I see, he’s made [28:55] me realize just how blind I actually was. When you have the judgment of Jesus Christ meted out [29:02] into your life in the ways that you need it, it’s very freeing. Very freeing because it gives me the [29:10] freedom to know, oh, you think I need to grow? You have no idea how much I need to grow.

[29:17] Charles Spurgeon, a great preacher in England long ago, was once confronted by a lady in his [29:23] church after a service who disapproved of something that she had seen him do before in the service. [29:29] And she said, oh, Pastor Spurgeon, I’ve got some sin to confront you with. And he said, oh, you only [29:34] have one? Look more. There’s many. We need to be okay and comfortable with the fact that we are all [29:44] growing and following Jesus Christ. The fact of the matter is that Jesus came in John chapter 3 [29:50] and he explained it to us starting in verse 17. Here’s what Jesus said. He said, God did not send

[29:55] his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [29:59] And we’re like, oh, that feels really good. Then in verse 18, he says, whoever believes in him is not [30:04] condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already. That doesn’t feel quite as good [30:08] because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment.

[30:17] Note that. This is the judgment. The light has come into the world and the people who love the [30:24] darkness rather than the light because their works are evil. You know, friends, it is only [30:31] through judgment that condemnation can be relieved. That’s Jesus’s point. When Jesus came, [30:40] he didn’t come as a savior with no sin to judge. He came to show that he’s the savior because [30:48] there’s sin that needs to be judged. But when you are in love with darkness, when you are in [30:53] love with no one having say in your life, when you are in love with no one being able to put

[31:00] expectations on you, no one calling you to commitment to anything, no one putting any [31:06] thought into what you should do to grow in your following God. That doesn’t reveal a passion for [31:15] a savior. What it does is it reveals a passion for yourself not being judged. That’s not the [31:21] Christ that came. The Christ that came came with a judgment to meet out beginning in your life. [31:27] If he isn’t trusted, then there is nothing left but condemned judgment.

[31:36] So sometimes the fear that many of you have in your conversations with unbelievers and in your [31:43] conversations of people who are engaging in activities that you know are going to be destructive [31:48] in your lives is that you’re afraid of not having a second conversation because the first [31:53] conversation is going to scare them off. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about that.

[32:02] Jesus clearly says, he says, look, I did not come to condemn any of you,

[32:07] but understand that some of you are going to be condemned because you won’t believe me.

[32:13] Jesus brings us this great paradox. It’s the relief of condemnation if you trust him. [32:22] But if you don’t trust him, a lot of condemnation.

[32:28] A lot of condemnation because your sins won’t be forgiven because there is no atonement, [32:35] because no one has paid the penalty. Then only you and you alone can pay that penalty. [32:41] Because ultimately when the gospel of Jesus is offered, when the good news of Jesus Christ is [32:47] offered to people, it is a judgment on that person’s sin. Judgment on your sin. But then when [32:53] it is offered from you to someone else, it is a judgment on their sin. This course is judgment [33:02] in verse five. Here’s the hope what Jesus offers. He says, first take that log out of your eye.

[33:12] But then he doesn’t stop there, does he? No, he says, sow that.

[33:20] Sow that. Here’s the end. It’s not about you. It’s not just, oh, I feel so good. I don’t have [33:26] to do anything else anymore. I’ve got the log out of my eye. I’m going to go see the Grand Canyon.

[33:32] Now Jesus says, the log’s out of your eye. Now you’re free to help your friend. It’s back in [33:40] theirs. See, too often we minimize the speck in our other friend’s eye. You wouldn’t minimize [33:45] it if it was a cancer eating away at their very soul. And that’s what Jesus is saying it is. [33:51] See, he wants you to understand that you are in so much need of grace because your log is so much [33:57] larger than what the other person is dealing with because he wants you to actually be of use in [34:02] leading that person in changing their life. He says, then help them. And when you do that,

[34:11] understand this is judgment, but it is Jesus’s judgment. It is the judgment of redemption. [34:17] There’s no self-righteousness involved because when Jesus is trusted, it is understood that it [34:22] is his righteousness that you’re offering others. And it is not a righteousness defined by you, [34:28] your standards, your preferences, your wants. It is instead defined by Jesus and what he has shown us.

[34:38] And that’s why unconditional support isn’t love and it isn’t grace. I saw an episode of [34:47] Friends years ago. Some of you are, yeah. But Phoebe was convinced that the spirit of her [34:56] grandmother was in a cat. And Ross, of course, the modernist wanted to inform her of the truth [35:06] of science. And there’s no way the spirit of your grandmother’s in a cat. And so he does and he [35:12] confronts her and he says, Phoebe, that’s not your mother. That’s a cat that a child one town over, [35:17] she wants her cat back. We’ve got to take her a cat. And Phoebe looks at Ross in this great climax

[35:22] of the episode to teach us all that all you need is love. She tells him and she says, Ross, [35:28] I just need you to be a friend to me right now. Our culture is crazy

[35:36] because he was being a friend.

[35:41] Fact of the matter is that unconditional support isn’t love. It’s ruining you. [35:48] It’s hurting you. It’s condemning you. If the things that you believe are actually going to hurt [35:55] you, if the things that you’re doing are ultimately going to serve to destroy your life and hurt you, [36:03] and most of the time hurt others, to unconditionally support someone in that type of life is not love. [36:14] Hate. Because what you’re communicating is, is that it’s not important enough for you to mess up [36:21] what you got going on with. I’m just going to let them head 100 miles per hour in the wrong direction.

[36:29] Friends, we do need to be there to aid and help other people. And sometimes there is no way to [36:37] prevent the accusation of being judgmental when seeking to reach people with the gospel of Jesus. [36:42] But there is a burden placed on you to ensure that your motivations are gospel centered rather [36:51] than self-righteous. So the question is, do you put time into how you seek to be strategic [37:01] in the way that you preach what is a very attractive gospel of Jesus Christ? [37:07] Or are you just looking to get a sound bite in? Are you just looking to prove how your beliefs are

[37:16] superior? The motivation and the attitude and the planning and the wisdom and the personal [37:23] discipleship that you use in your life to build the way that you teach the gospel to other people [37:29] in their lives is very important. Sometimes it isn’t the gospel that’s so offensive. [37:35] Sometimes it’s just you and your approach. Your goal is not to make people run away. [37:45] Being weird is not a spiritual gift. Don’t shrink back from being bold for the gospel because you [37:56] are so ashamed of who you are, who you don’t think you are. Trust that Jesus has redeemed you.

[38:03] But also, don’t be thoughtless in your approach to how you are being bold for the gospel. [38:11] Our goal needs to be to actually get people to understand who Jesus is and why he’s the [38:17] definition of it. And friends, that takes thought. That takes effort. That takes planning. That takes [38:25] knowledge. That takes information. But it also takes correct motivation and it takes love. [38:31] Those are some ways that we as a church need to grow. [38:35] Thirdly, this morning, making disciples requires judgment. I want to go the other way for a moment.

[38:43] Making disciples requires judgment. Redemption does have an expectation of real life change. [38:51] Matthew 7-5, I think, is the most hopeful verse in all of it because, again, it takes us from a [38:57] place where I understand that the log, number one, can be taken out of my eye, but also that my [39:01] friend with the speck, he has hope of having the speck taken out of his eye. Jesus can pull the [39:07] plank out of your eye and then you can engage others to live the mission of Jesus to be the [39:13] hope for their lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ. And Jesus can use you as his missionary

[39:19] to see real life change happen. In fact, the matter is that it only happens through the power [39:27] of the gospel. So I want to beg of you two things. The first one is that the next time someone comes [39:37] beside you in your life of becoming a disciple of Christ and attempts to point you toward a life [39:44] and a lifestyle that truly brings God glory through the cross, don’t reject them for judgment.

[39:54] Don’t reject it. Thank them for loving you enough to show you that Jesus isn’t done with you.

[40:04] I think sometimes, maybe even subconsciously, we get to a place in our relationship with [40:08] God, where we’re like, okay, I’ve got enough. And that’s why personal discipleship and other [40:14] people being involved in our lives is so vital and so important because it stands as a grace [40:19] from God to tell each and every one of us, not done yet. There’s more growth to be had. [40:26] It’s more sacrifice to you. There’s more joy that you can have. Otherwise, you run the risk of [40:34] feeling that verse six is actually about you. You’re the dog that hates holiness.

[40:43] That is not a fruit of salvation. See, friends, there’s an expectation in this that real change [40:50] is the hope and real change is always the goal. I’m in constant need of change. I’m in constant [40:57] need of growth. I’m in constant need of repentance for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s very [41:03] general. Sometimes it’s very specific. But there are so many blind spots in my life, and I need [41:08] people who love me to gather around me and help me. I need people to lovingly urge me to grow [41:15] in the gospel. And by God’s grace, He’s given me all of you for that. I must be really needy.

[41:24] Discipleship judgment, though, does require relationships. [41:30] The Church of Jesus Christ is a redemptive community that gives an environment for [41:39] restorative living. We’ve been redeemed. We’ve been forgiven. We’ve been reconciled to God [41:47] if we trust in Jesus Christ. But we’re being restored to our life of following Jesus. [41:54] And when we say only God can judge me, it’s actually a statement of fear and a lack of faith [42:01] in Jesus. This is the place of the church in our lives. Throughout the New Testament, Paul

[42:08] and Jesus also offer instruction on the place of helpful judgment. So first, Jesus offers in Matthew [42:16] chapter 18, beginning of verse 15, a statement on the place of the church in our lives. And it [42:22] doesn’t get more personal than this. He says that if someone has offended you or if someone [42:27] has sinned against you, you go to them and you tell them and you hope repentance takes place. [42:33] But if they don’t, you take it up a notch. If they don’t, you take it up another notch. That’s very

[42:39] judgmental. And that’s the opposite of what any of us want in our lives, is it not? But what if I [42:44] told you that that’s actually sin, that you don’t want this in your life, and that is actually what [42:48] God has given the church to you for? When we are confronted with the Gospel, whether it be on Sunday, [42:57] whether it be on Monday or any other day of the week, it is a type of discipline into my life. [43:03] It is God’s judgment and grace being meted out to me. And in Galatians chapter 6, the apostle Paul [43:09] tells the church that when sin is revealed, it is the responsibility of those in the church to aid

[43:15] the process of repentance and restoration. Because if anyone is caught in a transgression, [43:21] those of you who are spiritual, gently, gently, gently. When was the last time you thought of [43:31] judgment in a gentle way? A very difficult thing to wield, gentleness. Much easier to [43:38] wield with a baseball bat. It feels better. Those Facebook shares take like two seconds. [43:47] Storing with gentleness could take many months and years. And let’s be honest, we don’t have time for [43:54] that. Should we? How we go about this is very important. Discipleship requires a great deal

[44:05] of patience and understanding that growth and change take a lot of time to take root and to see [44:12] growth and to see fruit actually emerge in each other’s lives. But when we are patient with one [44:18] another, yet always not compromising on God’s vision for life change and restoration, what we [44:25] begin to see is what discipleship is actually all about. It is about people loving one another with [44:33] a love that is somewhat unnatural for us. Because it is a love that is not defined by us. Because [44:39] it is a love that does not come from within us. But instead it is a love that is put inside of us

[44:45] through faith by the power of God. And when you have that type of love, you have real hope that [44:51] everywhere that you are wrong can someday be made right. Everywhere that your affections take you, [44:58] everywhere that you are tempted to go in sin, there is real hope that you won’t go there someday. [45:05] And instead you will go the direction that God has for you. And in going that direction, [45:09] God will engage the lives of others to aid them in going the exact same direction towards God that [45:16] you are going. My point in that is to tell you that the church is not a judgment free zone.

[45:23] It is not. It is filled with the judgment of Christ. 1 Corinthians 5,

[45:33] Apostle Paul tells us that the church stands to correct sexual.

[45:38] In 1 Timothy 3.15, the Apostle Paul instructs the pastor Timothy that he needs to teach his [45:45] people how to behave as the household of faith. In Titus chapter 2 verse 12,

[45:54] Paul tells the pastor Titus, he says, as your people wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ, [46:00] you instruct them on how they are to act as God’s people.

[46:07] And in verse 6 of Matthew chapter 7, Jesus tells his followers to be wise about their judgment. [46:16] He uses the example of dogs and pigs to let us know that there is going to come times when [46:21] people will reject the message of the gospel. He says in those moments you are going to have to be [46:28] concerned about your discipleship. You are going to have to make hard choices in who you invest in.

[46:40] Friends, in redemption, God provides relationships that aid us in living out [46:47] the life change that is brought through trusting Jesus. It proves then that not all judgment is [46:54] negative. As hard as that is for us to believe, and quite frankly, it may take a little faith [47:02] for you to believe that not all judgment is negative. Instead, it is for your growth [47:08] in following Jesus. When properly and biblically applied, it not only ceases to be negative, [47:19] but the judgment of Jesus and even the judgment of Jesus and others becomes part of your hope.

[47:28] It becomes a grace in your life. You need judgment. Trust me. You need the judgment of Jesus. [47:37] You need the judgment of the church because it is God’s plan for your discipleship.

[47:47] As the band comes up, I want to transition

[47:52] into a time of communion, into what is really our response week in and week out to God’s word.

[48:02] Communion is an interesting thing. It is a time when we eat the bread, we drink the cup, [48:07] what it really stands for is it stands for judgment. It stands for the standard with which [48:15] we judge ourselves and the standard with which we judge one another. It is a statement, though, [48:23] the bread being the broken body of Christ, which was broken in his sacrifice, and the shed blood [48:28] of Christ, which is what the cup represents, that his life was poured out for you. [48:38] The reason this judgment can go from such a negative to a positive is that Jesus tells us,

[48:44] he says, so when you get together, I want you to reflect on this until I return because it is [48:50] going to remind you of my death. That is not a bad thing to be reminded of because what Jesus’ death [48:58] represents is the definition of what he meant when he says, I came to bring judgment.

[49:05] Because instead of giving me what I deserve because of my sin, Jesus took it on himself.

[49:12] The judge came down and he took my sentence. The judge came down and he took all of my sins, [49:19] those I don’t take so seriously and those that I do take very seriously, onto himself. All of them.

[49:29] And then he looks to me and he says, if you trust me, the judgment is over.

[49:37] You will never be condemned for your sin. Now you can begin to grow in grace.

[49:47] That is what communion represents. If you want that in your life, if you need the forgiveness [49:55] of a savior, the only God, Jesus Christ, if you have trusted that, I want to invite you [50:00] to all the stations around this room. If you have not trusted Jesus though, and you are struggling,

[50:10] trust him and he will redeem you. When you are ready, come.