What s one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for you? QUESTION 1 #BSFLtransformed BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 45
THE POINT The way we treat others should reflect the way we re treated by God. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Life is full of difficult people. You encounter them on the job, in the classroom, and maybe even in your Bible study group. Even total strangers can make life difficult. As I m writing, I m on an airplane, and the guy sitting in front of me has his seat dropped back in my lap. How can I write a Bible study about dealing with difficult people when the guy in front of me is making it difficult? In the same way, how can we keep from being difficult to others? The surface solution is to be nice to everyone all the time. But is that realistic? Is it enough? Jesus called us to an even higher standard. As with everything Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, He went beyond a polite definition of proper outward behavior. His goal? Heart transformation. He called us to love others and treat them even as He has treated us. 46 SESSION 5
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Matthew 7:1-12 (HCSB) 1 Do not judge, so that you won t be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother s eye but don t notice the log in your own eye? The Law and the Prophets (v. 12) This expression referred to the entire Jewish Scripture, or what s known today as the Old Testament. 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and look, there s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother s eye. 6 Don t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces. 7 Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them this is the Law and the Prophets. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 47
THE POINT The way we treat others should reflect the way we re treated by God. Matthew 7:1-6 It s all too easy to be critical of others. Yet, Jesus told us, Do not judge (v. 1). Jesus was teaching against arrogant judgment that condemns behavior and words that damage another person. It s important to note that this isn t a blanket statement against all evaluation, but a challenge to be discerning when we appraise behavior. We connect daily with people from all walks of life. Is this verse teaching us to accept other religions, sexual morality grids, and belief systems? Are we to view all ideas as equally right, God-honoring, and moral? No. Later in verses 15-20, we re commanded to judge in the sense of evaluating something. We re to wisely examine and evaluate beliefs and behavior against the biblical standard of righteousness and unrighteousness. The focus of verse 1 rests on our treatment of others and the motivation behind such treatment. We must begin by considering the log in our own eye. To confront others without first dealing with our own sins and failures is the height of hypocrisy. On the other hand, our own transparency in this area will open the door for making real differences in the lives of others. When we grow in our relationships with others, they often will open up and may even give us permission to bring correction into their lives. Unfortunately, relationships don t always proceed in this way. No matter how hard you try with some people, they never will open up to you or the message of Christ. Once we speak a word to someone and they react harshly, we don t have to continue. To continually hold out the gospel where it is obviously not wanted is to give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs (v. 6). If we face sustained rejection, we re to move on. This was Paul s practice on his missionary travels (Acts 13:46; 18:6; 19:9). We can and should keep praying for them, of course, but all our efforts to impact them at this time will be in vain. In fact, we may even be doing more damage than good, if they aren t open to the Spirit s work in their lives. What s the difference between judging others and talking honestly about sin? QUESTION 2 48 SESSION 5
When has persistent prayer changed your relationship with someone? QUESTION 3 Matthew 7:7-11 We can t get wisdom from our smartphones. We can get information on any subject imaginable, but not wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to see as God sees and to live as God has called us to live. So how do we get wisdom? Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him (James 1:5). And that is what Jesus was telling us in His sermon: Keep asking,. Keep searching,. Keep knocking (v. 7). Wisdom comes through persistent prayer. Let s keep this in the context of what we read earlier in verses 1-6: We re not to judge others, but we can encourage others after we have dealt with our own faults and gained the wisdom we need to do so. Persistent prayer will get us there. As we spend time in God s Word and in prayer, He molds our hearts and cuts away the things that aren t like Him. We will begin to see others the way the Father sees them. It s nearly impossible to be critical of someone when you re praying for him or her. Jesus used the example of an earthly, sinful father to show the greatness of God s love. My ability to love my sons as their dad can t be compared with the nature of our heavenly Father, but even I know how to give good gifts to my boys. So, our heavenly Father, who is far greater and loves us far more, certainly knows much more how to give good gifts. He knows how to give the very things we need. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 49
THE POINT The way we treat others should reflect the way we re treated by God. "We were created for the purpose of giving God's invis ible character How do you want to be treated? a gl impse of visib i l ity." BETH MOORE, LIVING FREE DON T JUDGE QUESTION 4 Which criteria do you find yourself using to judge others? Circle all that apply. Occupation Clothes, possessions, or other outward appearance Ethnicity Religious affiliation Christian or Non-Christian Other: How often do you evaluate your own heart before judging others? Rate yourself on the following scale. Almost never 50 SESSION 5 Always
Matthew 7:12 Jesus summed up in one sentence how to have great relationships with others: Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them this is the Law and the Prophets (v. 12). It doesn t get any clearer than that. However, while this principle seems simple enough, it s not one we often apply. A lot of people know this principle or some form of it as The Golden Rule. They may not even be aware Jesus said it. Many religions and philosophies including Confucius and some Greek philosophers (who all came before the earthly ministry of Christ) include some variation of the principle in their ideology. Therefore, many of those who first heard Jesus Sermon on the Mount may have been familiar with a version of this, but Jesus took the principle and turned it upside down. Others previously had presented the idea negatively, as: Don t do to others what you do not want done to you. But that does not go far enough. We could live out this negative rule simply by doing nothing! But Jesus words call us to go beyond the world s standards of morality and ethics; He calls us to step into people s lives with love and grace. After all, isn t that what we want ourselves? This principle goes deeper than just being nice to people because we want people to be nice to us. When you read this principle in light of the complete Sermon on the Mount and Jesus entire life and ministry it s a call for us to love others the way Christ loves us. Jesus didn t come to condemn us; He came to love us and save us (John 3:17). He is patient and full of grace in dealing with us; therefore, love and grace need to guide our relationships with each other. God s treatment of us should transform our treatment of others. What s our role in God s transforming work? QUESTION 5 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 51
THE POINT The way we treat others should reflect the way we re treated by God. LIVE IT OUT How will you reflect God s grace to others this week? ]] Examine your behavior. During your prayer time for the next 40 days, specifically ask God to help you treat others the way He wants you to treat them. ]] Seek God s wisdom. Identify a person or situation you can lift in prayer. Commit to praying for that person or circumstance until things are resolved. Persist and don t quit! ]] Set aside your prejudices. Intentionally build a relationship with at least two people you would naturally judge. Find out what makes them tick. Jesus words in this passage aren t easy ones to live out. He wasn t teaching the importance of polite, appropriate, or correct behavior. No, Jesus was calling for our inner attitude to be one marked by grace, forgiveness, and sincere love. Thankfully, we re not left to our own devices to do this. Christ Himself set the pattern by loving us first so that our love for others stems from the agape love He has shown to us. My thoughts 52 SESSION 5