SERIES OVERVIEW
The fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew’s Gospel are known, collectively, as “The Sermon on the Mount!” It has been called “The Greatest Sermon of All Time!” The teaching is very similar to Luke 6:17-49 which is referred to as “The Sermon on the Plain”. Scholars agree that this indicates these were common teachings and themes that Jesus spoke of frequently from place to place. Anything Jesus felt was important enough to repeat clearly deserves some deep study and application on our part. The Sermon on the Mount and The Sermon on the Plain form a short Discipleship 101 course for us. What are the BASICS of what it means to truly be a FULLY DEVOTED follower of Jesus? What should we do? How should we speak? How should we act? How should we treat others? What should our motives be? In November and December, Pastor G will take seven weeks to dig deep into these incredibly important teachings of Jesus in his new message series: MAUNA: Teachings from the Sermon on the Mount.
Here, in Week Five: Don’t Judge! ~ Pastor G takes us through Matthew 7:1-5.
MESSAGE NOTES
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ~ Matthew 7:1-2
C.I.E. = Context Is Everything.
For with the judgment you are judging, you will be judged; and with the measurement you are measuring, you will be measured. ~ Matthew 7:2
Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. ~ James
Search seven times before you suspect anyone. ~ Japanese Proverb
Judge not your friend until you have stood in his place. ~ Rabbi Hillel
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. ~ Confucius
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. ~ Luke 6:35-36
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” ~ Luke 6:37-38
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God! ~ Bishop Myriel
Krínō (GREEK) ~ To Separate, To Judge, To Determine (ENGLISH)
Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ~ Galatians 6:1-2
Jesus accepted the woman at the well, loved her, and didn’t hesitate to let her know that He was fully aware of her SIN. ~ Pastor Francis Anfuso
Neither do I condemn you, now go and SIN NO MORE. ~ Jesus
Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ~ Matthew 7:3-5
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” ~ Luke 18:10-14
Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. ~ Luke 17:3
Epitimaó (GREEK) ~ Rebuke (ENGLISH)
Literally, it means to assign value as is fitting the situation, building on the situation to correct. To warn my instructing. To warn in order to prevent something from going wrong.
Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. ~ Matthew 7:1-5 (The Message Paraphrase)
GO DEEPER
ALOHA GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
READ: Matthew 7:1-2, Galatians 6:1-2 and Luke 17:3
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1) Have you ever encountered someone who interpreted this passage as “Do not ever make any kind of judgment about the behavior of anyone else?”
2) Now that Pastor Greg has shared several other places in Scripture where God commands us directly TO make these kinds of judgments what do you think?
3) Is the Word contradicting itself? Is Jesus contradicting Himself?
4) Or, based on the greater context, is it clear that this passage carries with it the implication of “do not judge harshly or arrogantly or without grace and mercy?”
5) What does Jesus mean when He says the judgment and measurement we enact with be the same judgment and measurement we receive?
READ: Luke 6:35-38
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1) This passage is from “The Sermon on the Plain” – a sermon very similar to “The Sermon on the Mount.” Does this different arrangement of teachings help make Jesus’ intent behind His “Do not judge” command more clear?
2) What is “The Big Idea” of these 4 verses?
3) When Jesus commands us to “give” in this particular passage and promises that we will receive an abundance in return. Unscrupulous pastors and evangelists often use this verse to solicit large money gifts for themselves or for their ministries, saying, “If you give $100, God will bless you back tenfold, a hundred fold. Is that really what Jesus talking about?
4) Is this a verse about giving money or any kind of material thing? Or, is this a verse about giving love, mercy and forgiveness? Explain your reasoning.
READ: Matthew 7:3-5
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1) If you had to explain this passage of Scripture to a non-believer, how would you put it into your own words?
2) What is the “speck” in your brother’s eye? What is the “beam of wood” in your own eye?
3) How can you remove the beam from your eye? What does that mean?
4) How can you then remove the speck from your brother’s eye? What does that mean and how would you go about doing that once you can see clearly again?