February 23 2020 - Bible Doesn't Say That - Week 3

I really wanted to preach this sermon of the series were in here because this is probably one of the most misunderstood ideas in the entire Bible. People have been misinterpreting this one literally for years. And this is really where apologetics comes into play which is where my passion is because this is another one of those places where you have to look,

At the entirety of the passage in order to understand what's going on here. So you remember last week? We talked about Philippians 4 and how often it's very misunderstood what Paul is saying there are so many people that use one particular person chapter 4 without reading the entire context of the chapter. We end up with what we end up with is people saying I'm all the time. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That's great. It's a fantastic motivation. It's something to really keep in the back of your mind as you go through life and say that you know, God really gives me strength and so I can do anything that I set my mind to But that isn't exactly what Paul was saying when he said that what he was saying was that he had been through the ups and downs.

In give life, and if not because he relies on Christ for his strength in him that he can do all things but rather that because he relies on Christ. It doesn't matter whether he's having the UPS or Downs. in his life So it's not that I can go and bench press a car because I believe that Christ is going to give me the strength to do so rather whether I can do that or not is okay.

Because Christ is the one that gives me my inner strength.

Think of it this way, you know that we have always said that because you're Christian you're going to be persecuted more than anyone else right? I mean that's that's not like a secret. I think that everybody knows that I raise your hand if you don't know that because we need to have an entirely different sermon. Power thing here that we don't have to worry about being persecuted though. Because Christ is going to give us our strength. He's going to give us the strength to make it through all of that. Does that I mean, is that making sense? I don't have to worry about saying the right words up here because it literally says in the Bible that the holy spirit is going to give me the words to speak up here today. I don't have to do anything. He's going to speak through me. Happy broccoli. What I pray before I get up here to preach not my words, but put your words in my mouth speak through me so that they understand. Would it surprise you that I honestly don't remember most of what I write before I get up here on Sunday morning. It probably wouldn't surprise my wife, but that's for an entirely different reason.

you'll notice that I'm reading from my plan here on the iPad. And I don't even remember writing most of this. The spirit is the one that moves my fingers when I'm preparing at the end. So most of this I don't even really remember that's why I have a plan and I diagram it out and I read from this. Well this week we're going to do my favorite apologetics lesson this week. We're talking about judgement. How many times have you heard? Someone say don't judge. If you call yourself a Christian and you read your Bible, then you'd know that the Bible says that it's not your job to judge, but it's Christ job alone to judge people. That's not his place or does not your place. That's his place. Judgement will come on Judgement Day when we get to heaven right don't judge me. Are you judging me? Don't judge me.

But the Bible doesn't even say that. That surprised you. You can't find that in the Bible. Show me where it says don't judge. I got to take my back Christ. Actually, that's I don't judge others, but that's literally only the first four words of the sentence.

Of the entire passage. And again, that's one of those things where we have to go through as good Apollo just as good Christians we have to go through and we have to decipher that and we have to actually look at the meaning of that and and see what it is the crisis saying here. He's not saying don't judge. That's the end of the sentence it goes on from there. So what's a quick if you have your Bibles turn to Matthew chapter 7 we're going to start here today. This isn't our main passage, but this is good one. It tells us about. not judging others

So let's get down to the bones about what it says if you thought it said don't judge others. We're going to straighten that out this morning. So Matthew chapter 7 verses 1 through 5. I'm reading from the NIV says do not judge.

There's I wasn't there's those first three words. They're do not judge. or you too will be judged for in the same way that you judge others. You will be judged. And with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

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. How can you say to your brother? Let me take that Speck out of your eye when all the time. There is a plank in your own eye. You hypocrite. First take the plank out of your own eye. And then you'll clearly see to remove the speck from your brother's eye. You think Christ isn't telling us not to judge here. He doesn't say don't judge but he does but he goes on from there what he says, it don't judge unless you want to be judged in the same way that you judge the other person. You can judge. Just make sure that you get yourself in line first. You Can't Jump the judge someone else for what they're doing if you're doing the same thing it doesn't work that way And that's what he saying here. If you have a plank in your own eye in other words, if you're doing an act, that is simple. Then don't worry about the speck in your neighbor's eye. Don't don't judge them for doing the same thing that you're doing doesn't make any sense. Right? And we do this all the time. I do it. I work really hard not to but but it happens. Doesn't it?

So here's an example of what people might be saying. They really need to be better Christians that person over there.

They should really focus more on their Christianity.

They go around judging people all the time. They should be better Christians.

Or see how he hangs out down at the bar. He should really be a better Christian if he's going to show up to church here on Sundays, really?

Being awful judgmental there, aren't you? As long as we're talking about not judging aren't you being very judgmental?

Let me ask you this. Didn't I hear you this other person didn't I hear you the other day using some language that you shouldn't have?

Can you call out from work the other day when you really weren't sick and you were just tired from the escapades the night before with a Libyan significant other? What's not be so quick to judge the other person? When we don't exactly have our own life on the straight and narrow, right?

Somebody used to tell me that when you point your finger at someone else. You have three fingers pointing back at you.

We're so high and mighty right.

Jesus wasn't saying don't judge he was saying make sure that you're judging yourself first.

He was giving us that standard by which to judge. He said it's okay to judge. I'm okay with that. As Christians as followers of me. I want you to judge others. But I want you to hold yourself accountable to.

That's what we have to do in order to keep each other on the straight and narrow.

if you want to follow me make sure that

You keep your keep each other in line. Be sure that you have your life put together. So that you can be a more effective judge. Nothing don't judge, but he wants you to be a good judge.

It does no one any good to judge the other person if they're sending in the same way. And have you ever noticed that we only get upset about the negative judgment? So it's only when someone says hey you really shouldn't be lying to your boss about why you called out from work. That's not something that you should do if that not worth it gets us or don't should not could not would not. Those are what really irritate us. We don't like it when someone tells us that we can't do something or shouldn't do something. In fact, we're so upset by that these days that people seriously get into fights and serious arguments over stuff like that Police pull you over and tell you not to do something. You can't tell me I can't do that. I know my rights. Happens all the time with you on YouTube all the time, right? No one ever gets mad at someone. Do judges them in a positive way though, right? Have you ever noticed that I've been I really enjoyed your sermon this morning. It was right on point. I feel like I got a lot out of it and I could really hurt hear God's words coming from you this morning. Wait a minute. Are you judging me?

Are you telling me that my sermon was better than the other guys?

Don't try to judge me like this never happens, right? Nobody ever says don't judge me for that as a great game the other day you were with the one that really helped us out by scoring all the points. Are you telling me that I played better than the guys on the other team don't judge me. Who Do You Think You Are?

Just a couple of years ago Michael Hidalgo wrote an article for Relevant Magazine in his article. He says perhaps our familiarity with the words do not judge is due to the fact that many of us insist on judging others.

We're willing to entertain conversation about most anyone who makes a mistake or does something wrong.

Even when it has nothing to do with us.

Something in us like to see people pay for their misdeeds. So we attack guilty.

All the time I do this.

I've got to be probably one of the worst finest thing and the absolute best thing that I can do is Do repent and try harder next time?

But it does make us feel get a little bit when we see that Justin Justice happen though, doesn't it? when Karma comes back around

Remember several weeks ago or maybe months and I talked about that. I said that there was this person that I knew that said it comes back around.

And eye for an eye that's biblical.

Karma is going to catch up with you.

Well, maybe with the old Covenant. Jesus has much more forgiving with the New Covenant. We don't actually hear that anymore and I for an eye a tooth for tooth. Something's something's deservedly. So.

It all goes on to say that when we post our opinions and lunch. Are that we post our opinions and launched on toxic crippling words. It's kind of like when I was saying a few moments ago about how we'd 10 to fly off the handle when something or someone wrongs us. We see these videos of people on social media all the time now, which is where I go for my news.

We see these videos where the police officer pull someone over they ask for license and registration proof of insurance. And the person says I'm not giving you anything. Until you can tell me. What you pulled me over for?

Well, it's not really the way that it works. You see the person in Authority has observed you doing something that you shouldn't have done rather than allowing that person to do their job and then defending it with the proper channels. The civilian does what they fly off the handle or head they attack like a dog of saying here. Don't judge me. I'll tell you when I've done something wrong.

The problem is is that with that logic we can't all be right, right.

With the logic of oh, I'll tell you when I've done something wrong or it's your job to tell me when we can't all be right, right. I mean if that's the case then now the drunk driver would not be arrested all the time.

I haven't had too much to drink.

Here's the other thing the person knows that they were wrong. You know when you're wrong. I know when I'm wrong.

You know what I do when I'm wrong. Take my medicine. You're right. I messed up. When it's a matter of when it's a matter of Faith, you know what God I was wrong.

And the good news is that we're able to get that forgiveness for what we've done.

That's the New Kent the Covenant. The New Covenant is that we're able to ask Jesus for that forgiveness and he gives it to us.

Doesn't matter if we're wrong.

What matters is what's here?

Whether I'm wrong or not.

If I ask for the Forgiveness here, I asked Jesus for that forgiveness. Then it's okay.

Jesus was in the temple and this crowd formed until he sat down and began teaching them. I mean, this is what happens, you know, Jesus goes to the temple and all the sudden there's a bunch of people there. And the Pharisees bring this woman in front of him. I love Jesus like this happens so many times where he's in the temple and he ends up figuratively smacking these guys in the back of the head. You you feel like as you're reading that the Pharisees and Sadducees her or going to say something smart and like maybe this is the time that they'll finally get it or maybe this is the time that they're going to trip Jesus up and and and be like, haha. We tricked you. Just kidding. And it never happens so I can really feel bad for these guys cuz it happens like every single time every single time. They go to Jesus and then we're going to get you this done.

Like that time that you they thought they had them because they're like how you healed a man on the Sabbath. You broke your own la you said don't do any work on the Sabbath end and you healed a man and Jesus goes well. Why would my heel someone what am I supposed to do? Just let him die because it's you know the Sabbath and they're like hell, yeah, I guess so, I guess that's right. Sub, they they bring this woman in front of him. They're like, hey, this woman is an adulterous. She's sleeping with some other man besides her husband the law of Moses, which you said you were here to hold the hold.

You said that you were here to uphold the law of Moses? And the law of Moses says that since she's an adulteress she has to be stoned. So what are you say? What do you say?

And Jesus is all young cool and heat up Meals down and starts drawing in the sand her writing in the sand in the temple.

and they're just kind of Sitting there looking at him, you know what's going on? Like he's taunting them, right?

And so you know that the Pharisees are going well. We we got them now.

He doesn't know what to do. You going to have to allow us to kill this woman? Even though he's supposed to be here to save everyone. He's going to have to allow us to Stone her because blah Moses is

so let's watch the king of the Jews weasel his way out of this one, hahaha.

And so Jesus if you remember this, right he goes well if you're so perfect.

If you guys are all so perfect. Then let he who is without sin. What the what the one who hasn't send. Let him throw the first stone.

And it was priceless the Pharisees all just going to look at each other.

and then One by one they just kind of start walking away.

Disappearing. Jesus have gone back to the drawing in the Santa writing in the sand and so he looks up and all the Pharisees are gone because you know, they just kind of snuck off. You know, you're right.

Hey looks at the woman and he says. Nobody stuck around nobody condemned you nobody stuck around to Stone you.

And she goes now.

Man now they all left everybody's gone.

And so Jesus says yeah me either.

I'm not going to condemn you either. Going don't send anymore.

Figures the point the moral center of our universe the guy that literally wrote the laws about how you should act the one who literally defined morality and goodness. Looked at this woman who send a pretty big Sam like this is the one that like my wife leaves me over right and says, sorry I can't do it anymore.

the light of the world the Christ the one says Target

Don't do it anymore.

Okay.

So, let me help you out with the math. So that you don't have to do it on your own if he did that for her and we're worried about so-and-so who said such-and-such about so-and-so.

we got people killing babies 300,000 of them a year and and they're saying we can kill them all the way up until the day before birth.

Now now they say that.

and we're worried because

the other person

isn't as good a Christian as we are.

They're not as good a Christian as we are because they don't wear a suit to church.

But it's okay to kill babies all the way up until birth.

Top light bulb, don't you think?

And so what about you? Are you are you perfect in every way?

or do you Have some flaws that you could really stand to work on.

Do you have someone that you're accountable to? I have a couple of people that are close to me that. Believe they don't even need to be in church to be faithful to God.

Remember though the church is in the building.

Play this is just an empty vessel. This is this as blocking concrete.

churches in here churches in here

It's in the connection between the two of us. That's the connection. That's the church.

So do you have a church?

We're all of church. I'm in those of us here. Those of us watching at home. This is a church. We need each other. We need the we need to be accountable to each other.

You should have that accountability partner maybe at your spouse. Maybe you don't maybe you don't feel comfortable with it being your spouse. You probably should but maybe you need someone outside of that relationship that you can be accountable to maybe if maybe there are some things that you know, you're just a little bit too embarrassed about or whatever to share with your spouse.

Maybe you just feel like burying the dark Gary or dark areas of your life.

Do your spouse maybe that's just too much make you feel like it's too much and I understand but but find someone that's that's my challenge to you. Find someone that you can be accountable to. You have to have someone that believes the same way that you do. That's that's beyond important.

If you're not finding someone that believes in the same way that you do.

Then you're wasting your time. That's not somebody that you can be accountable to. I have people that I'm acquainted with perhaps rims maybe but but acquainted with no less. and but some of those people don't share the same values that I share.

Until we're acquainted but that's not somebody that I'm accountable to. That's not my accountability partner.

You have to find that person. That's that shares the same belief as you do. And it doesn't mean that you are there accountability partner.

Just because they are yours doesn't mean that you're theirs.

Maybe they are comfortable showing their spouse there Dark Side. That's okay, too. It's not about them. It's about you. So find someone let them be the one that judges your actions pray with them. Let them pray for you. Be honest, that's one challenge. Here's one more this week find someone that is bothering you.

and without judging pray for that person. Don't be like God you really need to fix this person because they're so screwed up.

That's what we want to do. That's what I do.

mostly with my kids got them because if you don't then I may have to go to jail.

So help me before. Someone is forced to judge me for my actions. Don't do that instead. I really feel like this person is struggling with gossip, and I just want to lift that up to you.

Not something that's in my hands. It's it's in yours.

It's not something that I can judge. Because you know what? I'm not perfect either.

So I just pray that you will be with them and guide them and while you're guiding them. maybe throw some guidance my way to

because I'm such a sinner.

And I should really be better. That's the other challenge for this week. To do that as well. What's bright?

That way thank you for being such a fair and just God for sending your son. Jesus to die for us. Even though. We really don't deserve it at all.

We are sinners. We should be so much better than what we are in and we're just not. We don't deserve your forgiveness.

And so thank you for giving us your forgiveness. Anyway, thank you for I'm not judging us. so harshly thank you for giving us the the avenue to

be forgiven for the things that we do so stupidly.

Bring us all back again. Next week. Jesus sends safely in time in your name. We pray. Amen. We got lots of things coming up. We got two more weeks in this sermon series and then we're going to head straight into lint I know that lent is typically considered a Catholic thing, but it doesn't have to be and we've decided that we're going to participate in that so we'll be going into lent a little bit late because it's actually going to start about a week or two before we get out of this sermon series. And so we'll head into that right after this sermon series and then Easter's coming up right after that. I Good Friday is April 10th. We would like everybody to be here for Good Friday. We're going to be showing the passion. There will be children's programming available. So don't feel like if you have kids that you can't come that night because the passion is graphic kids will have a room of their own to be in with the children and families Minister and she'll be taking them through some stuff as well. So and then not Easter right after that and then we're going to try to get into some other stuff over the summer. So hope everybody can be here with us for all of those things and we will see you back next week. Thanks for being here.