MATTHEW 7:1-6

WHEN MY OPINION IS DANGEROUS

#20 - SERMON ON THE MOUNT

 

I dreamed death came the other night;

          And heaven’s gates swung wide.

With kindly grace an angel

          Ushered me inside.

And there, to my astonishment,

          Stood folks I’d known on earth.

Some I’d judged and labeled,

          Unfit or of little worth.

Indignant words rose to my lips,

          But never were set free;

For every face showed stunned surprise…

          No one expected me! (Author Unknown)

 

There have been wrong guesses or judgments down through the years.

 

“In a book published in 1933, Dorothy Thompson related that it took her just 50 seconds after meeting Adolph Hitler to decide that ‘that formless, almost faceless man’ would never become the dictator of Germany.”

 

“In 1865, the Chicago Times said this about the Gettysburg address – ‘The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat and dish-watery utterances of a man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as President of the United States.’”

 

And did you know that “…most people who loaned money to Robert Fulton for the development of the steamboat did so with the stipulation that their names be kept secret, for fear they might be ridiculed for backing such an absurd idea.”

 

Finally, “Ben Franklin’s mother in-law hesitated at letting her daughter marry a printer. There were already two printing offices in the United States, and she feared that the country might not be able to support a third.” (Source Unknown)

 

It is very easy to pass judgment on the character, intentions, abilities, activities, words, and ideas of others. It is also very easy to be wrong when we pass judgment on the character, intentions, abilities, activities, words and ideas of others.

 

Pray don't find fault with a man who limps,

Or stumbles along the road.

Unless you have worn the shoes he wears

Or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt.

Though hidden away from view.

Or the burden he bears, placed on your back,

Might cause you to stumble too.

 

Don't sneer at the man who is down today.

Unless you have felt the blow

That caused his fall, or felt the shame

That only the fallen know.

You may be strong, but still the blows

That were his, if dealt to you

In the self same way at the self same time,

Might cause you to stagger too.

 

Don't be too harsh with a man who sins,

Or pelt him with words or stones.

Unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,

That you have not sins of your own.

For you know, perhaps, if the tempter's voice

Should whisper as soft to you

As it did to him when he went astray

"Twould cause you to falter, too." (Author Unknown)

 

The theme of the Sermon of the Mount is Living Righteously.  As we move into Matthew 7, we discover that there are times when our opinions of others can be dangerous.  They are dangerous because of a judgmental attitude. If we are going to live in a way that is pleasing to God we must learn when we are to judge and when we are not to judge. This morning we want to examine:

 

STANDARDS OF JUDGMENT – Vss. 1-2

SEEING THE PROBLEM – Vss. 3-5

SHARING THE TRUTH – Vs. 6

 

STANDARDS OF JUDGMENT – Vss. 1-2

 

Vss. 1-2 – Verse 1 has often been misunderstood. People have read this verse, and have come to the conclusion that they should not do any judging at all. This is not what Jesus was saying.  There are at least 3 specific times in which we as Christians should do some judging. One of them is mentioned right here in this chapter.

 

Matthew 7:15-20 tells us that we should be able to judge that someone is a false teacher.  One of the problems with many Christians today is that they don’t know when someone is inaccurately and/or deceptively teaching the Word of God.

 

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul criticizes the Corinthians because they did not judge immorality within the church.

 

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 - I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: [10] Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. [11] But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. [12] For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? [13] But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

 

God judges sin on the outside of the church.

God expects us to judge sin on the inside of the church.   

 

In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 we find that Christians should be able to resolve matters among themselves instead of taking each other to court.

 

1 Corinthians 6:1-2 - Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? [2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

 

As Christians God enables us to judge disputes between other Christians. Oh that we would seek to bring our squabbles with other Christians to other Christians so that they might be resolved peacefully.   

 

So, if we are to judge false teachers, and if we are to judge sin among believers, and if we are to judge disputes among Christians, what was Jesus referring to when he said, “Judge not that ye be not judged”?

 

To judge here means to be judgmental.

This would carry the idea of condemning another.

This would carry the idea of having a critical spirit.

Very often this condemnation of others and this critical spirit are expressed through gossip.

 

People are forever criticizing and evaluating in a negative sense the ministry of others.

In one church where we pastored there was a woman who taught the adult ladies Sunday School Class. She had committed adultery after her husband had been paralyzed from the waste down. And to make matters worse, this woman and her husband were missionaries.

 

She confessed her sin. She wrote letters to her supporting churches. And she made it right with the Lord. Coming home, in time she taught in the local Christian School, and lived a decent, moral Christian life.  And yet, we would hear critical gossip, referring to her sin, suggesting that she should not be allowed to teach. She had repented of the sin, and forsaken.  But still the critics would not leave it alone!

 

Preachers who come into the limelight through radio, television, and books seem to be targets for unmerciful attacks.

 

I don’t always agree with Billy Graham, but he preaches the Gospel and I’m indebted to Billy Graham for leading me to Christ.  The unmerciful attacks he has endured from other Christians have often been very unfair.

 

Let me warn you. It seems that anyone who is accomplishing anything for the Lord is vulnerable to criticism. And we must be careful because we are very capable of finding fault with each other.

 

We are capable of criticizing a person’s methods.

We are capable of criticizing a person’s motives.

We are capable of criticizing a person’s effectiveness.

 

How many times out loud and in our hearts have we used unjust or uncalled for criticism? I know that I have been guilty of this.

 

How then do we know when we are being critical or judgmental? Here are four questions that we can ask ourselves:

 

1. Am I criticizing because I am saddened concerning sin?

Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse said, “Does such criticism arise because there is profound grief over sin? Is the critic moved by the fact that God is outraged and that great wrong is done?”

 

2. Am I talking about this person’s fault because I am concerned about this person’s spiritual well being?

 

3. Am I talking about this person’s fault because I want him to look bad and me to look good?

 

4. Am I critical of this person, because I am angry or bitter against this person?

 

There are times when people problems come up and must be talked about, especially by church leaders. But when we are talking about another may it always be:

·        Out of dislike for sin, not the sinner

·        Out of concern for another, not myself

·        Out of love for my brother or sister, not dislike.

 

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:

 

Notice that God promises us the same type of judgment that we administer. I, for one, would rather have fair, equitable, and merciful judgment for myself, wouldn’t you?   

 

To receive such judgment, my judgment of others must be fair, equitable and merciful.

 

and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 

What does this mean?

I get the impression that God is saying, when you criticize another for his failure, you will be tempted in the same area.

 

For example:

·        Have you ever criticized another for losing their temper, and then lost your temper?

·        Have you criticized someone else for being defensive and then become defensive yourself.

·        Have you criticized another for being dishonest, and them been tempted to be dishonest yourself?

 

While pastoring in North Plainfield, NJ, I had a fairly good relationship with one of the deacons named Dale.  We were honest with each other. When something bugged me about Dale, I told him. When something bugged Dale about me, he told me.  However, we both found that when we confronted the other, we were sure to be tempted to do the exact same thing. And we were honest about that too.

 

STANDARDS OF JUDGMENT – Vss. 1-2

SEEING THE PROBLEM – Vss. 3-5

 

Does Jesus expect us to ignore the problems in another’s life?

The answer is “no”.

The Lord does want us to see the other person’s problem clearly.

Most of us can spot the problems of others, so we think, without seeing our own problems.

 

Vs. 3-4 – A mote is a piece of sawdust or chaff.

                A beam is a log or a wooden rafter.

 

I think if Jesus were speaking today he might say, “Why are you finding fault with the splinter in someone else’s eye when there’s a 2 by 4 in your eye?

 

You can’t see clearly to correct a brother or a sister when you yourself have greater problems.

 

When I felt called to the pastoral ministry and was leaving Child Evangelism Fellowship to become a pastor, a couple of people took me to task of being out of the Lord’s will.

 

In the course of one conversation, I discovered that Frank, who was running a Pizza shop, had felt called into the Lord’s work, but had not followed through. It was as though this person who had the log of personal disappointment in his eye was trying to remove some sawdust from mine.

 

Vs. 5 – Notice what Jesus calls people who criticize others, but allow sin in their own lives. He calls them hypocrites!

 

Jesus tells us to first examine ourselves!

When we feel motivated to criticize, we should look at ourselves first, and confess whatever failures we have.

 

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

When we examine ourselves and confess and forsake our own sins, two things will happen.

 

1.     When I am right with the Lord, I will know whether I need to deal with the problem in the other person or not.  Maybe the problem was not as I thought it was before.

2.     If I do go to that person with a need to correct him or her, I will do it with the right attitude. And the person is more likely to be receptive.

 

Galatians 6:1 - Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

 

“Many babes in Christ die in infancy because of their inability to live up to the impossible standards which are thrown upon them by more mature (?) believers, who so often fall short in those standards themselves.” 

   -- James Sennett in The Wittenburg Door (Dec. 1984/Jan. 1985).  Christianity Today, Vol. 31, no. 9.     

   

STANDARDS OF JUDGMENT – Vss. 1-2

SEEING THE PROBLEM – Vss. 3-5

SHARING THE TRUTH – Vs. 6

 

Vs. 6 - Matthew 7:6 - Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

 

A Jew would not give a piece of sanctified meat from a sacrifice to a dog.

A Jew would not give that which was precious, like a pearl to a pig. Pigs were considered “unclean” animals.

 

There is no doubt that you and I should share our faith with others. The Great Commission is very clear about that.

 

Mark 16:15 - And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 

There is also no doubt that God has appointed us to share what we have learned of Christian truth with each other.   

 

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

Although Jesus has ordained that we share the Word of God with Christians and non-Christians alike, there are times to be silent.

 

When an unbeliever continues to mock and demean the Gospel when we try to present it, we need to remain silent until that person is ready to listen.

If a “Christian” is mocking and demeaning the Word of God as it is presented it is better to be silent.

   

When the Apostle Paul met stiff opposition in the Synagogue, he would move to another location.

 

Acts 19:8-9 - And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. [9] But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

 

We are not required to share our testimony or the Gospel or blessing in walk with God to people who seek to mock, make fun, or ridicule our Christianity.

 

Instead we are to share our pearls with those who will listen respectfully.

But when someone is seeking to cause embarrassment for the Gospel, we are become silent.

 

J. Vernon McGee said that he remembered a Tennessee legislator friend of his who had been a very heavy drinker.

 

He was saved and became a choice servant of God.  When the other members of the legislature got wind of the fact that he had “gotten religion”, they began to make fun. ‘Someone rose and addressed the chairman of the meeting and said, “I make a motion that we hear a sermon from Deacon So and So’”. Everyone laughed, but the Christian got the best of them. He answered “I’m sorry, I do not have anything to say. My Lord told me not to cast my pearls before swine.”

He took his seat and they never ridiculed Him again.

 

I need to be careful.

There is a time when my opinion is dangerous.

 

STANDARDS OF JUDGMENT

SEEING THE PROBLEM

SHARING THE TRUTH