Would you turn with me to Luke
chapter 6? While you're turning there, if
you can this afternoon, you could read Matthew chapter 6 verses
1 through 18. I'm going to be dealing with
the subject of rewards. Rewards. Verse 41. of Luke chapter 6, the Lord asks this question, And why beholdest thou the moat? It could be a small splinter,
it could be a piece of wool, something that could be carried
through the air. And why beholdest thou the moat that is in thy
brother's eye? but perceive us not the beam. That's a ceiling timber. It's
what was used to hold up a ceiling. That is in thine own eye. Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of
thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly Pull out the
moat that is in thy brother's eye. I've entitled this message
moats and beams. Moats and beams. Now, whatever subject we're dealing
with, we must preach the gospel. And I don't mean as an add on.
I mean, I better be preaching the gospel when I'm preaching
upon this subject of moats and beams. So you pray for me. that
I will be enabled to preach the gospel of God's grace clearly
in bringing this message. The Lord asks this question,
why beholdest thou the moat that's in thy brother's eye? And that
word behold means to look closely, to perceive, to take heed, Why
are you beholding? Why are you looking so closely
at that moat that is in your brother's eye? Now, the Lord
is not denying the fact that your brother has a moat in his
eye, perhaps multiple moats, maybe real annoying moats. But how is it, our Lord asks,
that you can see it? when you have a log, a ceiling
timber in your own eye. Or how can you say to your brother,
let me help you with that moat, that vexing sinful moat in your
eye. Let me assist you in getting
rid of it. And all the while you don't even consider the beam,
the log, the ceiling timber that's in your own eye. And that's a
ghastly sight to think about. I mean, you think of somebody
with a big log sticking out of their eye. Now here is a very
important principle. The Bible does not tell other
people what they should do. The Bible tells me what I should
do. The Bible doesn't tell me or
doesn't tell other people how to treat me. It just doesn't
do it. It doesn't address that situation.
It tells me how to treat other people. Look in verse 27, all
the words our Lord gave that led up to this statement of not wanting to be a moat picker-outer. Verse 27, but I say unto you
with cheer, love your enemies, Do good to them which hate you.
Bless them that curse you. And pray for them which despitefully
use you. And unto him that smiteth thee
on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh
away thy cloak, forbid him not to take thy coat also. You see,
all these things are what you're to do. Not what somebody else
is to do, but what you're to do. Give to every man that asks
of thee. And of him that taketh away thy
goods, ask them not again. And as you would that men should
do to you, do you also to them likewise. For if you love them
which love you, what thank have you? For sinners also love those
that love them. And if you do good to them which
do good to you, what thank have you? For sinners also do even
the same. And if you lend to them of whom
you hope to receive, what thank have you? For sinners also lend
to sinners to receive as much again, but love your enemies,
and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again. And your reward
shall be great, and you shall be called the children of the
highest. For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Be ye therefore merciful, even as your father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not
be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not
be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto
you. Good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running
over shall be given to your bosom. For with the same measure that
you meet, with all it shall be measured to you again. And he
spake a parable unto them, can the blind lead the blind? Shall
they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his
master, but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the moat
that's in thy brother's eye, but perceiveth not the beam that
is in thine own eye? Now, what is it exactly that
would cause somebody to feel qualified to be a moat remover
to his brother. Are you qualified? When that same individual, our
Lord says, has a sealing timber in his own eye. Now look at how
the Lord responds to this in verse 42. He says, either how
canst thou say to thy brother, brother, let me pull out the
moat that's in thine eye. When thou thyself beholdest not
the beam that is a nine oh nine. Thou hypocrite. Huh? I don't go to that church because
there's too many hypocrites there. Y'all feel right at home. You
really should. Thou hypocrite. Cast out first the beam out of
thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out
the moat that is in thy brother's eye. Now what is it that would
cause someone to be so quick to help his brother with the
moat? Our Lord tells us, hypocrisy. Hypocrisy. May God give me the
grace to preach to myself. and to preach
to you. What is a hypocrite? Well, it's what was called in
those days, the movie stars. That's a hypocrite, an actor. And if you're a real good actor,
no one can tell you're acting. Don't you love to see a good
movie that moves you? But I know every one of you have thought,
well, while we've been watching a movie that is so good, something,
this is all acting. It seems so real. It seems so
powerful. It seems so poignant, but it's,
it's an act. I don't mean any of it. It's
an act. That's what the word hypocrite
means, a stage performer, an actor. Peter practiced hypocrisy in
Galatians chapter 2. Paul called it dissimulation.
Remember that in Galatians chapter 2? All Peter did was he was eating
with the Gentiles. Some people from Jane's church
came who were really into the law and Peter felt nervous. And
he got up and left the table he was sitting at and went to
sit with the Jews saying by that symbolically, well, this is more
pleasing to God. If I'm over here with this bunch,
this is more pleasing to God than I was when I was with the
Gentiles. And Paul said, this is nothing but an act. It's pure
hypocrisy. It's dissimulation. Hypocrisy
is always a performance of some kind. Isn't that what an actor
does? He performs for people. He acts. Turn to Matthew chapter
six. We're going to be looking at
this passage of scripture tonight. Verse one. Take heed that you do not your
alms, my marginal reading says your righteousnesses, your acts
of righteousness before men to be seen of them. Otherwise, you
have no reward of your father, which is in heaven. Therefore,
when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee
as the hypocrites do. Here's the first time the word
is mentioned in the New Testament. The Lord had a lot to say about
this thing of hypocrisy. Do not sound a trumpet before
thee as the hypocrites do to announce to everybody what they're
doing in the synagogues, in the streets, that they may have glory
of men. Verily I say unto you, they have
their reward. Verse five. And when thou prayest,
Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, the actors, the pretenders, for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and the corners
of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I say
unto you, they have their reward, and a miserable reward it is.
Look in verse 16, moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites,
the actors of a sad countenance. They can really make their face
appear to where they're fasting. For they disfigure their faces
that they may appear unto men to fast. There's the acting,
isn't it? Good acting, good acting. Verily I say unto you, they have
their reward. Now I'd like us to look at some
things from the scripture about this thing of hypocrisy. Turn
to Luke 13. This is what is behind this thing
of judging, hypocrisy. Look at Luke 13, beginning in
verse 11. And behold, there was a woman
which had a spirit of infirmity 18 years and was bowed together
and could in no wise lift up herself." Now, put yourself in
this woman's place. Bent over, completely unable
to rise up, and she'd been in this condition for 18 long years. And when Jesus saw her, he called
her to him and said unto her, thou art loosed thou art set
free from thine infirmity and he laid his hands on her and
immediately she was made straight and glorified god wasn't this
a glorious thing what the lord did for this woman now look at
the ruler of the synagogue's response and the ruler of the
synagogue answered with indignation because that Jesus had healed
on the Sabbath day, and he wanted to protect the Sabbath day. He
wanted to protect with what God stood for. Under the guise of
being concerned about God, he criticized the Lord for healing
this woman. There are six days in which men
ought to work, and them, therefore, come and be healed, and not on
the Sabbath day. We need to protect the Sabbath
day. God forbid that we should not be righteous. The Lord then
answered him and said, thou hypocrite. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?
He was using the things of God to further his own cause. We
are concerned about the Sabbath. And the Lord says, you hypocrite. Doth not each one of you on the
Sabbath day loose his ox or his ass from the stall and lead him
away? Now turn with me to Matthew 15. I want to look at some other
scriptures. Turn to Matthew chapter 15. Verse seven. You know, when I read scriptures
like this, it isn't any wonder that the Pharisees hated the
Lord the way I talk to them. I mean, look what he says to
them here in verse seven. He says, you hypocrites. Now, I
can admit to being a hypocrite, but when somebody else calls
me that, it makes me mad. It just makes me, you call me that? Well, the Lord could say that,
And he wasn't a hypocrite. Anything he says is different,
isn't it? Because he said it. You hypocrites, well did Isaiah
prophesy of you saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with
their mouth. They talk about fellowship with
me. They talk about praying. They talk about serving me. They
talk about being mine. They draw nigh into me with their
mouth and they honor me with their lips. They have the right
language. They use right words, but their
heart is far from me. Now there's a hypocrite. He has
the right language, but his heart is far from the living God. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Look in Matthew chapter
16, verse one. The Pharisees, also with the
Sadducees came, tempting him, desired him that he would show
them a sign from heaven. Now we, We're listening to you,
but we need more evidence. We need a sign that will prove
that you are who you say you are. We need more evidence. That's
all we want is more evidence. Now, that's hypocrisy. What it
was, they were refusing to bow to who he is and what he said
under the guise of needing more evidence. He answered and said
to them, when it's evening, you say it'll be fair weather, for
the sky is red. In the morning, it will be foul
weather. Oh, ye hypocrites. You can discern the face of the
sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times. Turn over
to Matthew chapter 23. Now this is the message that
our Lord preached that led to his death. After this message,
they said, we've had it with him. We're getting rid of him.
And in this message, seven times, he accuses them of hypocrisy.
And we find out what hypocrisy is in this passage of scripture.
Now look in verse, um, No, I'm sorry, verse 13. But woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites. For you shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men. For you neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering in. You try to influence
people in your evil way. Bring people with you. That's
the sign of a hypocrite. They're trying to work with other
people. They never are alone. They're always trying to shut
up the kingdom of heaven against man. Look in verse 14. Woe unto
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, actors. For you devour widows'
houses. Here's what you're really doing.
Yet for a pretense, a cloak to cover up what you're doing, you
make long prayer. What you do is a cover-up. You're
trying to hide your true motives, is what he's saying. And for
a cover-up, you make long prayer, therefore you shall receive the
greater damnation. Verse 15. Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you compass sea and land to make
one proselyte. And when he's made, you make
him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Proselytizing,
trying to win people over to their way, trying to get brownie
points. I've influenced this person. That's the mark of a
hypocrite. He can't stand on his own. He wants to get other
people believing like him. It gives him some strength. There's
strength in numbers. Verses 16 through 22, woe unto
you blind guides, which say, whosoever shall swear by the
temple, it's nothing. You're not held to your oath.
But whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, then
you've got to keep your oath. You're a debtor. You fools and
blind, for whither is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifies
the gold? And whosoever shall swear by
the altar, it's nothing. If all you swear is by the altar,
you don't have to keep your promise. But whosoever swears by the gift
that's upon it is guilty, you fools and blind. For whether
is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift. Whoso
therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it and by all
things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the
temple, swears by it and by him that dwelleth therein. And he
that swears by the heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him
that sitteth on the throne. Now here's the, it's very simple.
It's very simple. What the hypocrites did, they
would invert the order. They said it's the gold that
counts, not the altar. The altar is what sanctifies
the gold. The gold doesn't sanctify the altar. My gift is what sanctified,
no, the temple is what sanctifies the gift. What that means is
a hypocrite always puts what man does first. always puts what
man here's here's the deciding factor what men do what men do
and it's not the gift that makes the altar and the sacrifice work
no it's the altar that sanctifies the gift it's what the lord does
that sanctifies but the hypocrite always inverts the order i think
the The most glaring example of this is this thing of, say,
forgiveness. The hypocrite thinks, well, if
I do this and I'll do that, I do that, I'll be forgiven. That's
what I'll get at the end. No, salvation begins with the
forgiveness of sins. The hypocrite always inverts
the order. Look in verse 23. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin.
And he's not criticizing for this, they should have. Yet you've
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy,
and faith. The hypocrite majors on minors,
and he minors on the majors, judgment, how God can be just
and justify the ungodly, mercy, the need of sovereign mercy of
God, faith, looking to Christ. He lets that go and majors on
that which is not really even that important. What, you blind
guides? What's straining in that? And
swallow a camel? Look in verse 25. Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the outside
of the cup of the platter. You look good on the outside.
But within you're full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee,
cleanse first that which was within the cup and platter, that
the outside of them may be clean also. Woe, same thing here. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for you're like whited sepulchers, beautiful tombs,
which indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but are within
full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you
also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you're full
of hypocrisy and iniquity. The hypocrite makes the outside
look good and knows nothing about the inside. And then the Lord
says in verse 29, woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,
because you build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the
sepulcher of the righteous. And you say, if we'd been in
the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with
him in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore you be witnesses unto
yourselves that you're the children of them which killed the prophets.
Fill up the measure of your fathers, you serpents, you generation
of vipers. How can you escape the damnation
of hell? The hypocrite brags on dead prophets. We wouldn't
have been the way our fathers would. We would have been right
there. We would have been right with Martin Luther and Calvin and
all that. But they neglect living ones. That's the mark of a hypocrite. Look in Luke chapter 12. one
other scripture with regard to this. In the meantime, verse one, when
they were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people
in so much that they trod one upon another, he began to say
to his disciples, first of all, beware ye of the leaven of the
Pharisees. And in Matthew, he called it
the doctrine of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. It's a cover-up. It's an act. Now, the Bible has
so much, as you see, our Lord has so much to say about this.
You know, we read of feigned and unfeigned. That means hypocritical
or unhypocritical. I love it where Luke talks about
some fellows who came up to question the Lord, and the scripture says
they feigned themselves to be just men, but it was all an act. And what about Unfeigned faith
and unfeigned love, unhypocritical faith, unhypocritical love, unfeigned,
genuine. Now the first thing that I think
of when I think about something being unfeigned, I think of how
do I take the word sinner with regard to myself? I'll take the
title. Bible says I'm a sinner. But
am I a real sinner? Or am I a feigned one? Do I really
believe that all I am before God is sin? And that all I can
do in and of myself is sin and I cannot not sin? Do I really
believe that or do I just take the title because I know that's
what I'll take? What about this thing of unfeigned
faith? Do I really believe that Jesus Christ is the only righteousness
I have. And I really am looking to Him
only. You see, not being a famed sinner,
being the real thing, I really do need Him only. And I look to Him only as all
my righteousness before God. You really do. It's not an act. I really do. Right now, I really
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as my righteousness before God.
Not an act. We read of unfeigned love. I
say I love God. Do I love him as he's revealed
in his word? Do I love his absolute sovereignty? Do I love his way
of saving sinners? Do I love what he reveals about
himself in this book? That's genuine, if I do. Not faked, but genuine, unfeigned. Now, this thing of beholding
the moat that is in my brother's eye finds its parent in hypocrisy,
a judgmental attitude. Now turn back to Matthew chapter
seven. Verse one, now here's the Lord's
command. Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge,
you shall be judged. And with what measure you meet,
it should be measured to you again. Now, our Lord is saying
there, what goes around comes around. It comes back to you.
You judge your brother, that's the way you're going to be judged.
And immediately he says, and why beholdest thou the mote that's
in thy brother's eye, but consider us not the beam that's in thine
own eye. Now, it's a dead giveaway that
I personally and practicing hypocrisy when I'm sitting in judgment
on you. That's a dead giveaway. That's
the religion of the Pharisee. I think of that, and that's what
we all are by nature. He spake a parable into certain
that trusted themselves that they were righteous and they
despised. They looked down their nose at others. Turn to James
chapter four. James chapter four. Verse 11. Speak not evil one of another,
brethren. James chapter 4 verse 11. Speak
not evil one of another, brethren. Now how many times have you and
I done that? Speak not evil of one another, brethren. He that
speaketh evil of his brother and judges his brother speaks
evil of the law, and he judges the law. That's who you're judging. But if you judge the law, you're
not a doer of the law, but a judge. There's one lawgiver, that's
the Lord God, who is able to save and destroy. Who are you
to judge another? Who are you to judge anybody? Paul says in Romans chapter 14,
verse 13, let us not judge one another anymore. Now let me say
some things before I get into why we shouldn't judge. First
of all, We constantly have to judge. You have to judge whether
or not what I'm saying is according to scriptures, don't you? Try
the spirits. whether they be of God. You have
to judge as to whether or not what you're hearing is the gospel.
You need to ask the Lord to be your teacher and see if what
I'm saying is according to scripture. You've got to make a judgment.
And when you hear somebody who's preaching something contrary
to the grace of God, when you make a judgment saying, I'm not
going to listen to that, that's wrong, that's not having a judgmental
attitude. You know, the Lord said, judge not according to
appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. I'm to judge what I'm
hearing as to whether it's not the truth. I've got to hear the
truth. I must. And you know there's so many
things in the Bible that are clearly right and clearly wrong. And
it's not having a judgmental attitude to believe something's
right and something's wrong. We ought to. I mean the scripture
has much to say about what's right and what's wrong. What's
pleasing to God and what's not pleasing to God. There's so much
in the scripture about that so we can't say judge not just all
together, all across everything, because we have to. The Lord
actually commanded us, judge not according to appearance,
but judge righteous judgment. You know, when the Lord said,
beware of false prophets, I've got to judge whether or not somebody's
a false prophet, don't I? I've got to give a true, accurate
judgment, or my soul's at stake. You better judge. In that sense,
you better judge. Now, With regard, though, to
me judging you, you've got moats. You've got
plenty of them. Me too. No doubt about it. Isn't that so? Actually, we all
got a bunch of beans, don't we? My brother has moats, but how
can I see him so clearly? Why am I looking on him with
such intensity when I have beams sticking out of mountain eyes?
Turn to James 3. You're in James. Look in James
chapter 3. Verse 1. My brethren, be not
many masters. You know what a master is? A moat remover. a moat remover, someone who's
able to get the moats out of their brother's eye. They can
teach him right. But James says, be not many masters,
knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. If
I become a moat remover, all I'm doing is making things harder
on myself. I'll receive the greater condemnation. And look what James
says, for in many things, we offend all. Isn't that so? In many things, we offend all. We all offend in many ways. We
all have weaknesses. We all have issues. We all have
inconsistencies. We all have glaring contradictions. We all have insecurities. Isn't that so? You know it is. We all have a history. We all
have a past that we have great difficulty getting past. We all
have a yesterday that's affecting us today. Some have such difficult
past, it's a wonder that they're doing as well as they are doing. We all have this thing called
the flash. When Paul said, brethren, if
a man be overtaken in a fault, you with your spirit shall restore
such a one. Can't you understand because
of yourself how easily that you personally could be overtaken
in a fault? If God removed his hand from
me or from you, what would happen to us? I mean, there's no sin
we wouldn't commit. There's no trouble we wouldn't
get into. If a man be overtaken, overcome
by some fault, some sin, you with your spirit shall restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness. I was talking to a pastor friend
of mine, and he said someone had got in trouble. He'd done
something wrong, and he brought reproach on the gospel, he brought
reproach on the church, and he came to the pastor and said,
I'm sorry. And what he had done was going
to come out in the newspaper. And the pastor knew it, so he
told some of the men in the church, this is going to be coming out
in the paper. And how embarrassing. And one man came to him and said,
well, aren't we going to do anything about it? I mean, we need to
do something about this. And his pastor replied, yeah,
we're trying to restore him. We want to restore him, not punish
him. Restore him. Until the beam has been removed
from my eye, I am unqualified to remove the moat from yours.
That's what the Lord is saying. Now, let me give you some reasons.
I've given these before. I want to give them again, let
me give some reasons why me and you shouldn't judge anybody.
Now, remember, we're supposed to be judging in the sense of
I'm to judge whether or not I'm hearing the gospel. Is it according
to the word of God? Is it according to salvation
by the sovereign grace of God? Is it giving God all the glory
and none to man? I better be judging in that sense.
But as far as me looking down at you, That's another, that's another
thing, judging, judging. Why should we not judge? Well, here's the first reason,
because the Lord said not to. That's enough of a reason, isn't
it? Lord said judge not, judge not, that you be not judged. Lord said not to. Paul put it
this way in Romans 14, let us not judge one another anymore.
Don't do it. The Lord said not to. The second reason why we shouldn't
judge is because it's the practice of hypocrisy. Let me show you
what I mean. Turn to Romans chapter two. Every time I sit in judgment
of you, Every time, without exception, I am practicing hypocrisy. In Romans chapter 1, Paul names
this big list of sins, beginning in verse 29, being filled. He's
describing the Gentiles being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy,
murder, debate, deceit. malignity, whispers, backbiters,
haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment
of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Now, these are bad people, aren't they? Would you look at these
people and say, these are bad people, these are evil people,
these are wicked people. Well, look what he says next.
Chapter 2, verse 1, therefore thou art inexcusable, O man,
whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another,
you condemn yourself, for you that judge doest the same things. Whatever I judge you for, I am
guilty of doing the precise same thing. Here's another reason
why we shouldn't judge. Because when we do it, we assume
a position that belongs to God only. We read that in James chapter
four. There's one lawgiver. He's the
only one who can make a, he's the only one that has a right
to make a judgment. Will I arrogate that position
to myself? Will I become a judge? This belongs
to God only. And here's another reason why
we shouldn't judge, and this is just so true, I wish I believed
it more than I do, but we're incapable of rendering an accurate
judgment. We really are, we're utterly
incapable of rendering an accurate judgment. We don't know all the
facts. That brother with a limp in his
walk has a rock in his shoe that I don't even see. And if I had
that rock in my shoe, I'd limp worse. We don't know what's going
on behind the scenes of anything. Don't have the right information. You know, Paul said, judge nothing
before the time. He said that. Judge nothing before
the time. Then the Lord will bring everything
to light. But before then, you and I are incapable of rendering
an accurate judgment. We don't know the facts behind
the case. The person we judge, here's another
reason not to judge, the person we judge doesn't answer to us. Paul said, who are you to judge
another man's servant? To his own master, he stands
or falls. That person we judge does not
answer to us. I think of what Paul said to
the Corinthians. He said, it's a very small thing for me to be judged
if you are man's judgment. He who judges me is the Lord.
And we are not to judge somebody else's servant. Here's another
reason why we shouldn't judge. And I love this. It's unlike
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is an incredible, glorious
concept. But Jesus Christ never sinned. And he's the only one who would
ever have a right to judge somebody as it were, isn't it? That's
who he is. He's righteous, absolutely holy. And yet sinners could come into
his presence, and I mean bad people, immoral people, defiled,
degraded people, could come into his presence and not feel threatened
and not feel judged. Now, you know how bad it feels
to be judged by somebody, don't you? I mean, it's a bad feeling. You hate it when you're under
somebody's microscope. You hate it. There's always somebody in
an audience, for instance, when I'm preaching. There'll be somebody
in the audience. I know they're not listening to hear the gospel.
They're not listening to be fed. listening with a critical ear.
It's difficult to even look at that and see it. It's a horrible
thing to be judged, isn't it? I hate feeling like I'm under
somebody's microscope, that they're watching my next move. I don't
want to be somebody like that, do you? You know, the Lord wasn't.
And he's the only one who's holy. And yet, this man, sinners eat
and drink with him. You see the gloriousness of his
character? unlike the Lord Jesus Christ.
And judging somebody is so contrary to love. Paul said regarding
a judgmental attitude, now walkest thou not charitably. That's just
contrary to loving somebody, this judgmental, harsh attitude. Turn to Galatians chapter six. Paul also called this a setting
of not your brother. When you, when I judge you, I'm
setting you at not Galatians chapter six. I've already
quoted this verse one brethren. If a man be overtaken, overcome
in a fault, a trespass, a sin. You, which are spiritual, restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest thou
also be tempted, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill
the law of Christ. Is your sin a burden to you? My sin, David said, is ever before
me. Well, your brother's sin is a
burden to him too. Bury one another's burdens. Put
up with one another. Realize what we all are. And
so fulfill the law of Christ. To not do so is to not fulfill
the law of Christ. Now, look back in Luke chapter
6. Here's another reason not to judge. We've got a couple
more reasons. Here's a real good reason to
not judge somebody. Judge not, and you shall not
be judged. I don't want to be judged, do
you? I don't want the Lord to judge
me. Now the Lord says, judge not
and you won't be judged. And then that passage in Matthew
chapter seven, he said with the same judgment you judge, you'll
be judged. What goes around comes around.
It's going to come back to you. If you hold somebody's feet to
the fire, Lord's going to hold your feet to the fire. If you
bring somebody under the law, the Lord's going to bring you
under the law. If you're harsh and critical toward somebody,
the Lord's gonna be harsh and critical toward you. If I'm harsh
and critical toward somebody, the Lord's gonna be harsh and
critical toward me. Judge not that you be not judged. Now, with regard to this thing
of the gospel, it's the same thing, forgiven you shall be
forgiven. It's the same principle. Don't you know that the only
reason you've been forgiven is for Christ's sake? Don't you
know that? Don't you know that the only
righteousness you have is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ. You know that. You really believe, if you're
a believer, if you're a believer, you really believe that all you
are in and of yourself is sin. And the only reason your sin
is forgiven is for Christ's sake. And if you really believe that,
you can forgive somebody else. If you really believe you're
judged in Christ and he is your righteousness before God, it's
going to make you not judge your brother. You see, this is all
according to the gospel, this thing of not judging and forgiving.
It's all according to the gospel. Forgive and you'll be forgiven. Judge not and you won't be judged. Now, judging is the practice
of the religion of the Pharisee. And that's all of our natural
religion. I'm looking at a bunch of Pharisees
right now. Don't you know that's so concerning yourself? I mean,
just the very fact that we judge people talks about our Pharisaical
nature. I mean, it's part of the fallen
human condition. Pharisee means separated one. And here's what the Pharisee
does. He says, God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men Particularly, I'm not like this
publican. Now, when the Lord described
this man, he spake a parable unto certain that trusted in
themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Said it not others. I don't want to be that way.
Now my brother, does he have motes in his eyes? Sure he does. Sure he does. And until I get
the beam out of my own eye, I will lack the capacity to help him
with the motes in his own eyes. You see, I have enough of a job
dealing with the beams and my own. And here's what I want for
me and my brother. It's what I want for me. This
is what I want for my brother. Look to Christ only. You know, somebody's got a beam
sticking out of their eye, the only hope they have is the Lord
Jesus Christ, isn't it? The only hope they have is His
salvation. And may my brother, with his
moats, and me with my beams, look to, rest in, believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and not judge one another, as Paul said,
anymore. You see, my brother, he's going
to stand on Judgment Day accepted, perfected, without fault. All the world is going to see
my brother as perfect in Christ Jesus. And what he is then, he
is now. And I want to look at him as
such. And I want him to look at me as such. May the Lord enable
us, as Paul said in Romans chapter 14, not to judge one another
anymore. Let's pray together.