Not the Popular Path. Text: Matthew 7:1-14

Transcription

1 Week 5: Not the Popular Path. Text: Matthew 7:1-14 Revolutions always attract rebels o They appeal to people of extremes o They can create a spirit of dissatisfaction o And Jesus message has addressed a wide range of issues Including lust, anger, divorce, oaths, and retaliation He s addressed loving your enemies He s exposed false righteousness He s warned against laying up treasures on earth He s labeled anxiety as a lack of trust in God And He s warned against divided allegiance o Now He warns against three natural byproducts of His teaching: 1. A spirit of judgmentalism 2. A tendency toward tolerance and indiscrimination 3. A habit of self-sufficiency A spirit of judgmentalism vs 5 Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2 ESV o Jesus knew this was going to be a problem, because He knows the hearts of men The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9 NLT o God knows o And Jesus knew what His audience would do The poor were going to judge the rich The weak were going to judge the strong The gentle were going to judge the powerful The content were going to judge the covetous The confident would judge the anxious

2 A WORD OF CLARIFICATION: This is NOT talking about judging sin This is NOT even addressing sin He is addressing judgmentalism Who am I to judge? - We take this verse out of context - We use it as a proof text to excuse sin in the lives of other believers - But that is not what Jesus is talking about Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. Ephesians 5:3-4 NLT When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don t even eat with such people. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 NLT It isn t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, You must remove the evil person from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NLT - Again, Jesus is warning against judgmentalism - Judgmentalism is itself a sin - It is based on pride and self-righteousness - This is about finding and exposing the perceived fault in others - Majoring on the minors - Diminishing the value of others in order to raise your own self-worth So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God. Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. Romans 14:10-12 NLT So let s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. Romans 14:13 NLT o Judging others instead of self

3 And why worry about a speck in your friend s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can t see past the log in your own eye? Matthew 7:3-4 NLT It is so easy to see someone else s faults It takes the focus off of us But Jesus would have us self-examine He would have us look inwardly Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 NLT A tendency toward tolerance and indiscrimination vs 6 o A spirit of blanket acceptance o It is always couched in terms of love o But godly love and tolerance are incompatible Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Matthew 7:6 o Specks and logs o Dogs and pigs Both of these animal groups were despised by the Jews Pigs were considered unclean Gods were wild and dangerous scavengers But who is He comparing to pigs and dogs? o What is holy This phrase is the key o hagios worthy of veneration, sacred o Pearls have great value o So does the truth of God s Word concerning the kingdom of heaven o Don t waste it on dogs o Don t cast it to pigs This is about valuing what God values o We are to treat the gospel with reverence o Dogs don t respect what is holy They treat it with disdain o Pigs won t see any value in pearls They ll turn up their noses at it The primary point is NOT the dogs and pigs o It is the kingdom of heaven o We are to see it as holy and sacred o We are to live accordingly

4 o But we are not to expect the lost to live up to Kingdom standards o We are not to demand that the unsaved live like they re saved o But neither are we to approve of their sin o Tolerance is not love. It is hate. o While we are commanded to love our enemies, we are not commanded to tolerate their behavior o To do so is to cast our pearls before swine o Jesus is NOT calling our enemies swine o He is emphasizing our devaluation of the Kingdom life when we tolerate ungodly behavior o Tolerance says, Live like you want Jesus says, Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Jesus says, Your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees A habit of self-sufficiency vs 7-11 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 ESV ASK SEEK KNOCK o All three are terms of dependence o They convey reliance, not autonomy o Those approved by God will be tempted to become self-sufficient o We will say, I can do all things o But leave off, through Christ who gives me strength o The Kingdom life is impossible apart from God o Even Jesus said: I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. John 5:30 ESV The Golden Rule So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 ESV o This verse is an inclusion o IT goes with Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. o This is the law of love

5 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10 ESV o But the Golden rule has a potential dark side It is not going to be easy The Kingdom life is not an easy life Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV It is restrictive and limiting I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 ESV Not all-inclusive or accommodating It is difficult and demanding But in the end, it will be rewarding For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life. Matthew 7:14 ESV