Theme: The world and many in the church say "judge not," but Jesus tells us that we should judge and He will teach us how. Paul and James both teach as well that we are to inspect fruit, and to judge those inside the church. In v. 2, Jesus not only is giving a warning but also is teaching how to properly judge. We are not to be critical but helpful and seek to reconcile others to God. We are to not use a higher standard in judging others than we do ourselves. We are to be merciful. In vv. 3-4, Jesus gives a somewhat humorous example to speak to using a higher standard to judge others than we do ourselves. We cannot judge rightly if we are living in sin. In v. 5, Jesus teaches we are not to be hypocrites and act like we have never sinned. We are to judge ourselves first, with a view towards helping others with sinful issues in the future. Our judging should come from a heart that is poor in spirit and that mourns for its own sin and hungers and thirst for righteousness as we seek to be peacemakers, bringing others to God. We must be willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake, because we will be persecuted at times if we judge correctly. Judging is tough work, but it is crucial for the church to do. In verse 6, Jesus warns us to not judge those who hate reproof; they will not be helped by it. In this passage we learn that we should judge, but judge correctly. True love isn't tolerance but being willing to judge correctly in order to draw others back to Christ.
SERMON ACTIVITY
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