9-3-2022 Edgewater Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Keith “Making Christian Choices; Where Is Your Heart?” Matthew 7;1-12

[MizKJVOnly]

9-3-2022 Edgewater Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Keith “Making Christian Choices; Where Is Your Heart?” Matthew 7;1-12

 

 

We don’t always know the true story. Many of us without knowing all the facts make judgments of people. This happens all the time and unfortunately this is common in the Church too. The Christian church has a bad reputation of being a bunch of judgmental hypocrites that jump to conclusions prematurely. Many people have been hurt by the church for these judgments that they have felt. Many people have vowed to never set foot in church again and its all because of judgmental hypocritical Christians.

We should be making choices that are consistent with what we as Christians claim to be. Where is your heart? Jesus said where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. What is it that you treasure? God or money? What kind of life will you live? A life of worry or a life of Faith? Do you trust in the things of this world? Or do you trust in God? Where is your heart? In our text Jesus warns against being judgmental to others in verses 1 to 5. He also tells us in verse 6 that it is necessary to evaluate the fruit in the lives of other people. Jesus says it is our heavenly Father who is the source of our stability in all of our relationships. This is in verses 7 to 12.

In verse 1 Jesus says to judge not so that we will not be judged. Many people use this scripture to accuse Christians of being judgmental. “How dare you say something about my actions and lifestyle. Jesus said do not judge. How dare you judge me”. How do we respond to this? Is this teaching of Jesus really meant to keep us from saying that anything is right or wrong? Are we not allowed to point out right or wrong anymore? Are we supposed to just buy into this worldly idea of this new definition of tolerance where we accept everybody’s opinion and all thoughts or actions are equally valid? This is a favorite verse for many people that say don’t judge me.

Is it wrong for a Christian to judge others? This is what we are talking about today. Lets look at a few other scriptures about making judgments. I Corinthians 5;11. Paul said he had written to the church to not keep company with any man that is called a brother that is sexually immoral, covetous, an idolater, a drunkard or an extortioner. Don’t even eat with such a person. I John 4;1 says Beloved don’t believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God. Do this because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Now these passages teach that there are times when we as Christians are to make judgment. We know we are not to condemn others and assume things, but we also know that the passage in Matthew 7 does not mean that we are never to make judgments about people.

In Matthew 7;3 Jesus asks “why do we look at the speck in our brother’s eye but don’t see the plank in our own eye?” Jesus said first remove the plank out of our own eyes then we can clearly see to help get the speck out of the other person’s eye. Jesus is not telling us to just overlook sin. Even the sin in someone else. Jesus was responding to the Pharisees who had elevated themselves and judged anyone who didn’t live up to their standard of righteousness. If we are not careful, we can slip into that same attitude. Jesus is saying that we need to examine our own hearts. Look first at your own lives, look at the plank in your own eye. Only when we have examined ourselves first, then we can see clearly enough and have the right hearts to address the things that are in the lives of our brothers and sisters. In Galatians 6;1 it says if a man be overtaken with a fault, we which are spiritual should restore him in the spirit of meekness. We should consider ourselves unless we be also tempted.

Is it judgmental to say that sin is sin? Am I judgmental if I say that is a sin? I know what sin is, I do it, I’ve done it and I’ve lived it. Jesus said we will recognize them by their fruits so it becomes necessary that we examine their fruit before we make a judgment. We are to be fruit inspectors because how else will we know? Christians are to judge sin but judgment must first begin in our own lives. We should take Michael Jackson’s advice and start with the man in the mirror. If we don’t examine ourselves first then we are as foolish as a man performing cataract surgery with a telephone pole sticking our of his eye.

In verse 6 Jesus says to not give that which is holy unto the dogs nor cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you into pieces. In the ancient world dogs lived in squalor and scavenged the streets for food. Jews considered them unclean and use the term dog to describe gentiles or anyone else outside of their community. Swine, which are pigs, are unclean in Old Testament law. Jesus said to not cast your pearls before swine. Why pearls? In Matthew 13;45-46 there is a parable of a man finding a pearl of great value and selling all he had to buy it. Jesus is using pearls to symbolize the value of the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a valuable thing. While believers are to be forgiving, merciful and slow to judge, they should also be wise and discerning the true character of people. We know them by their fruit.

Don’t bother with dogs and pigs; those who only want to attack you and tear you to pieces. It is foolish to continue to proclaim the gospel to those who adamantly reject it. At some point we have to move on. Do not give whats holy to the dogs is what Jesus said and we see an example of this in Matthew 10;12. Jesus sent out the 12 disciples instructing them to go to the lost house of Israel. Jesus said when you go into a house greet it and if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if the house is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you or hear your word, when you depart from that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. Jesus said it will be more tolerable for Sodom & Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. Jesus did not say the term dogs was limited to the gentiles. The Gospel is for everyone but not everyone accepts it. You have to know when to leave it alone because they refuse to accept it. There comes a time in sharing the gospel that we are doing nothing more than casting our pearls before pigs and giving whats holy to dogs. There’s no point in continuing to argue with someone who doesn’t want to hear it.

In Titus 3;9-11 it says to avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions and striving about the law. For they are unprofitable and useless. Reject the divisive man after the 1^st and 2^nd admonition. Knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. Jesus is not saying there are certain people you should not share the gospel with. Share the gospel everywhere you go. Live it, that’s who we are. We are children of God. You might be surprised who can get saved by your influence. But when we face rejection after rejection, there comes a time when we need to move on to others who will be more responsive to the gospel. Paul did this regularly in the book of Acts. In verses 7-11 the well known scriptures say ask and it will be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened. The word “Ask” is an acronym for Ask, Seek, Knock. This is a good way to remember that. Ask means to pray to God for things with a humble heart. Seek means to actively pursue the will of God. Knock suggests perseverance. Keep knocking, Disciples are to persist and believe that God, their Father, will provide what is best for them.

 

AMEN