He says, judge not that you be
not judged. We hear that often expressed,
well, judge not, judge not. But it's necessary that we be
engaged in certain types of judgment. The first of which is this, 2
Corinthians chapter 13. We're taught to judge ourselves,
to examine ourselves, take inventory of our own relationship with
God. In 2 Corinthians 13, 5, it says,
Paul says, examine yourselves, judge yourselves. We judge ourselves,
we'll not be judged. Whether you be in the faith,
prove your own self. No, you're not your own selves
out of Jesus Christ in any way, unless you're a reprobate. And then it's necessary that
we try and judge what we have preached. Spurgeon said, if you
turn to 1 John 3, Spurgeon said, if you go and hear a man preach,
1 John 4 is where I want you to turn, go and hear a man preach. who does not preach the truth
of the word of God. That's his fault. You go and hear and you didn't
know what he was going to preach. He doesn't tell the truth about
God, about man, about Christ. That's his responsibility. You
go back and hear him, that's your fault. And if you keep on
going to hear him, he says, that'd be your condemnation. So how
does one know? Well, 1 John 4 warns, Beloved,
believe not every spirit, believe not every preacher. Try the spirits,
try the preachers, whether they are of God, because many false
preachers have gone out into the world. How are you going
to judge? Well, hereby know ye the Spirit
of God. Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, the God-man. I preached on that long ago. You know what he's saying there.
It's not just that a man called Jesus Christ walked the earth,
but as God, he walked the earth. He came into the world. So it's
necessary that we judge what we list, the things we listen
to. It's necessary that we judge those who walk unruly and disorderly
in the fellowship of the Church. They have to be corrected. In
1 Thessalonians 5, he says, he gives instructions to the Church.
Verse 13, 1 Thessalonians 5, esteem them very highly, in love
for their work's sake, be at peace among yourselves. And we
exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, them that walk
disorderly, them that walk not according to scripture. You've
got to warn them. So that's a form of judgment. But back in the text, here's
what the Master's talking about, because the rest of the next
few verses tell us that. Judge not that you be not judged. Our Lord is warning us against
a critical spirit. Constantly critical spirit. a condemning spirit, critical
of people, critical of other believers, with a condemning
spirit, always with a word of criticism. Criticism. For this one or that one, what
they ought to do, what they're not doing, whatever they do that
we can do better, we criticize them. Now this is what he says
in verse 2, if that be our nature, that critical spirit, that condemning
spirit, that finding fault constantly, where people have to measure
their words around us and their everything to keep being criticized. He says in verse 2, with what
judgment do you judge? You're going to be judged. And
for what measure ye meet, it will be measured to you again.
And we're not talking about salvation here. We're not talking about
salvation, we're talking about that present state. Not the hereafter,
but the here and now. And he says if you have a critical
spirit, a condemning spirit, by which we judge everybody by
our measure, We're going to be dealt with by God and men in
this present life, the same way we deal with others. Luke carries
the little father in Luke chapter 6. Luke deals with it a little more
fully. Let's look at Luke 6, beginning
with verse 36. We're talking about now, in this
life right here. Be ye therefore merciful. Merciful. Merciful to whom? To others.
As your Father also is merciful to you. Judge not. Don't be overcritical, condemning others. And you'll
not be judged. In other words, when we are critical
and condemn others, We can expect the same treatment. Folks may
not tell us to our faces, but they'll say it behind our backs.
We're going to be dealt with in the same manner in which we
deal with others. And then he says, Condemn that,
and you'll not be condemned. When we condemn and judge others
and are critical of them, folks are going to apply the same measure
to us. And when they do apply our own
measure to us, we fall short. Then he says, forgive, and you'll
be forgiven. Be always ready to forget an
offense. Folks will treat you usually
the same way. Forgive a slight, and you'll
be forgiven. Hold a grudge, and you receive
the same treatment. That's what he's saying. Judge not, you'll not be judged.
Condemn not, you'll not be condemned. Forgive, and you'll be forgiven. And he says, give, and it'll
be given to you. Liberality begets liberality. It encourages liberality. And
it'll be given to you, good measure. This is a Hebrew dry measure
now, not a liquid measure, but the dry measure like putting
wheat or oats or something of that nature in a basket. And
folks will give to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together,
as much as they can get in the basket, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom,
for with the same measure that you deal out, you're going to be dealt with.
God's going to, he's going to establish it that way, God and
men. God's going to give us over to
that type of treatment if that's the type of treatment we dispense.
So that's what he's saying here in chapter 7 of Matthew verse
1 and 2. Judge not, you'll be not judged,
but with the same judgment. Don't be critical. Condemn him. Quick to find fault, because
you'll leave you over to that same treatment in the hands of
men. And you may not even realize it, but that's the way they deal
with you, the way you're held in their esteem, how you hold
them, how you treat them. Then in verse 3 of Matthew 7,
he says, puts in thy brother's eye, and
you don't consider the beam that's in your own eye." Matthew Poole, I read him on
this, he said, Now, this moat doesn't have anything to do with
a splinter of wood or a straw, and the beam doesn't have anything
to do with a large boulder or a large plank, but it does. He and Mr. Gill conflicted on this, but
this is what our Lord is saying. Now, what the moat and the beam
have to be defined, to define the moat and the beam, has to
do with these same verses. The critical spirit, judgmental
attitude, condemning nature. Now, the moat in your brother's
eye It means, the Lord means a straw or a splinter of wood,
a very small particle or chaff which flies in the wind and gets
into the eye and causes pain or causes tears or hinders sight. And what our Lord is referring
to here, it has its aggravations and has its pain and has its
effects and hindrances, but it's a small matter. And our Lord
refers here to human weaknesses and human failties and youthful
ignorance and foolishness and infirmities that are displeasing
to others, and not to be vindicated Not to be excused, but nevertheless
not serious enough or critical enough to cause a major division
or cause that person to be censured. It's a moat. It's a moat. It's an aggravating moat. It's
a hindering moat. It's a splinter of wood. It's
the thing that causes problems, but it's not critical. What's
the need? Considerably bigger. considerably
better. The beam is a major problem.
The beam is a problem you were talking about in the reading
tonight that comes from within, not from without. Pride, which
leads us to be critical. Pride is a major beam. It's not
just the human infirmity, it's a condemning attitude. Confidence in our righteousness
that leads us to be critical. We've got to feel like we're
holier than thou in order to find fault with every little
particle, every little mote. There's got to be a high opinion
of ourselves if we have a low opinion of others. There's got
to be a willingness to divide and sow discord among brethren. over the least infraction or
disagreement. And that's a major, major problem. That's a major problem. And that's
the reason our Lord said, why do you see this weakness or infirmity
or human frailty or youthful ignorance, a thing that's not
critical to the glory of Christ, or to the gospel, or to the kingdom
of God. But you behold this moat in your
brother's eye, and you don't even see that pride, that self-righteousness, that
covetousness, that high opinion of ourselves that leads us to
be critical. What's wrong? Why don't we see
this being? Verse 4, or how would you say
to your brother, let me correct you on this moat business. Let me take this moat out of
you. How can I correct his minor problem if I have in my heart
such a major, major issue between me and God? It's pride, self-righteousness,
high opinion of myself. How can you do it? How can you
take the moat out of his eye while you can't even see that
arrogancy and high opinion of ourselves? Verse 5, you're a
hypocrite. That's what he said, you're a
hypocrite. Now, if you're going to be a teacher, if you're going
to be an example, if you're going to be a leader, if you're going
to be a blessing to others, You're going to have to first, first, get the beam out of your
own eye. As teachers or examples or leaders
of others or a blessing to others, we're going to have to look into
our own hearts, look deeply by God's grace through his word.
Look into our minds and our motives, and when we do, and become most
dissatisfied with what we see and most dissatisfied with what
we discover, then we'll be able to exercise mercy and forgiveness
and grace and comments about the other person seasoned with
grace and not with a critical spirit.
But that's got to be first. It's got to be an operation, an operation on our own selves
that would enable us to be a blessing to others. All right, verse 6. You see that little figure in
your It has verse 6, and then it has a P, this backwards, with
a big black mark in the middle. That's a paragraph. The translators
indicate here change of subjects, like when you're writing a letter,
and you're on this same subject, and then you change paragraphs,
and you're coming from a different, your own same message, same gospel. We're going to look at something
else here the Master shows us. Give not that which is holy unto
the dogs, neither cast eager pearls before swine, lest they
trample them under their feet, turn again and wring you. Now,
we're to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Our Lord
said, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature
indiscriminately. We'll preach to anyone who will
listen to us, or give us a hearing, or turn on the television, or
listen to the tape, or read an article. We'll preach Christ
to anyone, be delighted so to do. He said, you'll be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost
parts of the earth. And we are to pray for and desire
the salvation of all sorts of men, all kinds of men, kings,
queens, those in power and authority, high and low, rich and poor,
moral, immoral. We are to desire the salvation
of all sorts of people. Because our Lord indeed does
have a people in every nation. and every tribe and kindred and
tongue unto heaven. And we know there's none that
he cannot save. He's able to save to the uttermost
all them that come to God by him. But he's calling some people
here dogs, not sheep, dogs. A dog is an animal they wouldn't
allow to bring the price of into the temple. Swine, he wouldn't
even let the Jews eat it. He's calling some folks here
dogs and swines, and he tells us, don't give that which is
holy to dogs. He's talking about, and that
your pearls before swine. He's talking about people who
despise the grace of God. People who ridicule and make
fun of the grace of God. And two particular, two particular
areas. Give not that which is holy unto
these dogs. And don't cast your pearl before
swine. What do you think of when you
think of those two things? Holy and pearl. Well, I think of giving that
which is holy to these dogs and setting it before them. I think
of the holiness of God. The very nature and character,
a word that sums up the character of our God. Holy. Reverend is
his name. God is holy. And that's why God
sent Christ down here to be our holiness. so that he could be
just and justify us, without which no man can see the Lord,
this holiness, this righteousness of God. Christ is our righteousness.
Christ is our holiness. Christ enables God to be just
and justify. And this is the point they hate. So don't you give that which
is holy and precious and essential and of God to these dogs. What about the pearl? Well, the
pearl is a hoot, the pearl of great price. That's who that
is. The sufficiency of Christ, the
efficacy of Christ, the substitutionary work and person of Christ, which
I read about over there in Proverbs 8, before the world began. His
desire was to the sons of men whom he represented as the pillar
of great fast. The one for whom we forsake everything
and love him, leave everyone clean to him. Cast off everything
and trust him. Swine can't appreciate that him. Dogs can't understand the holiness
of God, without which no man will see the Lord. And swine,
pigs who just root in the dirt, eat anything you throw in the
slop bucket, they can't appreciate the pearl of great price for
which the man sold everything. So you're not obligated. to take
abuse from them, he said, they'll just trample under feet the blood
of Christ, the glory of Christ, the holiness of God. They'll
turn again on you and wring you, and you don't have to suffer
their abuse. Leave them alone. Turn to Matthew 15, see if that's
not what he's saying here. Matthew 15. Matthew 15 verse
12. Then came his disciple and said,
Don't you know that the Pharisees, these are these religious fellows
that love their ceremonies and self-righteousness and tradition
and refuse Christ, they were offended when they heard this
saying. He answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly
Father hath not planted shall be rooted up, leave them alone. They're blind leaders of the
blind. If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the
ditch. Just leave them alone. Don't
give that which is holy, that which is precious. Don't argue
with them. Don't hear the dogs just trampling
under their feet. Don't you cast that pearl of
great price before swine to be ridiculed and make fun of. You
don't have to do that. Just leave them alone. Then in
verse 7, he says, Ask, and it will be given you. Ask, and it
will be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. Another one of those paragraph
marks. This asking of God is prayer. This is prayer. asking it shall
be given you. Turn to James for a moment. James 1 verse 5 and 6. If any man lack
wisdom, let him ask. This is prayer. That's what he
asks, and it shall be given you. If any man lack wisdom, let him
ask of God. Give it to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not. It'll be given him. But let him
ask in faith. Nothing wavereth. He that wavereth
doesn't have his mind clearly made up. It's like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed So this is asking
in prayer, asking it shall be given you. It's asking for things
temporal. You remember in the last chapter,
our Lord talking about what shall I eat, what shall I drink, what
shall I wear. Your Father knows you have need of these things.
So asking, things temporal. And things spiritual, grace and
wisdom. If any man like wisdom, ask.
So this asking is of God is prayer, verse 7, and seek. Well, this means prayer through
it, seeking God's face. It's seeking God's favor. It's
seeking his divine will. Thy will be done. Lord, show
us your will. Seeking his face, seeking. David
said, Lord, hear me. Incline thine ear. his face,
seeking his favor, seeking his will, seeking him with a whole
heart. You'll find me when you seek
me with all your heart. And then he says, knock. This
is prayer, asking in prayer, seeking God's face and favor,
knocking like a beggar knocks on the door. And he'll stand there and knock
till somebody answers. I have a friend, kind of up in years, and not
well, and really sometimes doesn't want to be
bothered. But someone went by to see her one time, and they
knocked on the door, and she never came to the door, and they
knocked again. They knocked again. And finally they said, now, I
know you're in there, and I'm not leaving until you
open this door. That's kind of what Jacob said,
wasn't it? I won't let you go until you
bless me. And she opened the door. I think
she knew that her friend was just stubborn as she was. All
right, but importunity, our God calls it. Don't back off. Ask and it shall be given you.
Seek his face, his favor, his will. Keep on knocking like the
beggars do. That fits prayer. The nature
of prayer is asking. The zeal of prayer is seeking.
And the perseverance of prayer is to keep on knocking. And if
it's vital enough and important enough, we won't quit. We'll pray without ceasing. All
right, verse 8 is still on this subject. For everyone that asks
it, here, someone said there are three word precepts and a
promise. a three-word precept and a three-word
promise. Let's see if we have it here.
Everyone that asketh in the name of Christ, everyone that seeketh
with a sincere heart, everyone that knocketh constantly at the
throne of grace, receives. Find it. It's open. Everyone that asketh in the name
of Christ shall receive. all that we need in him. Everyone that seeketh with a
sincere heart the mercy of God, the door will be open. He findeth and the door will
be open. And he'll go in and out and find pasture. And then
our Lord gives an illustration. Now this is interesting here. This will be so helpful if I
can say it like it ought to be said. What man is there of you whom
if his son asked bread, would you give him a stone? If your
son, whom you love, asks you for bread, bread which is good
for him, bread which is nourishing, bread which is necessary, would
you hand him a rock? Of course not. If he asks for
fish, meat, would you give him a serpent to destroy him, an
asp, a viper? Well if you being evil by birth,
by nature, we're not holy like God, we're evil by nature. If
you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them
that ask him? There's a key word here, good.
Your son asks bread, but he asks for other things besides bread,
doesn't he? He may even ask for bread. He
wants five dozen cinnamon rolls. You won't give them to him. That's
all he wants is cookies or bread. Well, you're not going to do
that. That wouldn't be good for him. He asks for candy. You'll give him what he needs.
What he wants is not what he needs. What children ask their parents
for isn't always good for them. This good father will give his
children the things for which they ask, if they're good things. Like education, or books, or
good companions. Good gifts, good gifts. We really
protect our children from things they want, which is not good
for them. We have enough wisdom and judgment
and experience through the years to know more than they know about
what's good for them. And this is what our Lord is
saying. If you didn't even know how to give good gifts, and a
good parent will only give good things. Even if a child wants badly this thing, you won't do
it. If you're a good father, you
won't do it. And your heavenly Father is going to give good
things to you, and only things that are good for you is he going
to give you, that's it. That's why in a lot of our prayers
we say it's not answered. They answer it all right. They
answer it. But he only gives good gifts.
All things work together for good to them that love God. He gives the good things. Everything's
got to be for our good. Whether we understand it or not,
whether we like it or not, it's for our good. Your heavenly Father
will give good things to them that ask him, seek him, desire
his will, and know that his will is fast. Therefore, and this will sum
up our lesson for this evening, therefore, these words someone
said of the epilogue, the conclusion, the sum of what he's been saying,
therefore, therefore, judge not that you be not judged, all of
these things that he says, therefore, this is the conclusion of what
he's spoken on the mountain concerning our conduct and our attitude
toward others. Therefore, all things whatsoever
you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. This is the law and the prophets.
This is the substance of all that's found in the law and the
prophets, in regard to the second table. This is not, he said,
as you what What things ever you would that men should do
to you, do you also to them. This is not all the Law of the
Prophets. This is a sum and substance of
the Law of the Prophets in regard to the Second Table. There's a whole lot more in the
Law of the Prophets regarding Christ, redemption, eternal life,
written concerning Him. But this is concerning what He's
been talking about. This is the Law and the Prophets,
this is not something new, this is the Law and the Prophets.
This is God's will and God's way for our conduct and attitude
and spirit toward others. That goes back as far as the
Law and the Prophets. What things ever you would that
men should do to you, do it to them. I have eight things I want to
mention here. that I believe will answer this,
what we would have others do to us. I believe these eight
things that I'm going to give you are a pretty good summary
of what we would have others do to us, and therefore we should
do to them. This is what I feel like most
people desire. Number one is to love one another.
To love one another in sincerity. For who we are, who we are, and
for what we are. Just to love, love us. Sincerely, from the heart, love
covers a multitude of faults. Love believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things. Just love us. Secondly, be happy
and joyful. With us, in our presence, don't
panic. Don't go around angry so much
of the time. Put on a glad countenance. Put on a happy smile. Put on a joyful spirit. Give your blessing to those about
us. Joyful spirit. And then thirdly,
Let's live in peace. There's so much conflict out
yonder. Let the home be a place of peace,
the church a place of peace, where we work without quarreling
and being upset, upset over little things, insignificant things. Live in peace. And fourthly,
be patient with us. Encourage us. Maybe we're not
as wise as you are, or as gifted as you are, or as talented, or
as zealous, but we're who we are, and that's where we're going
to stay. And we need patience. We need
patience and encouragement, and a lift, and a push instead of
a put-down. Be kind. Speak kindly of us and
to us. Don't criticize. People respond
to gentleness a whole lot more quickly than they
do to criticism. Be kind. Be good to us. Everybody enjoys a card, or a
bouquet, or a bonus, or a treat, or a little help along the way,
a little push, a little extra incentive. I think if I ran a
business, I'd put about everybody on incentive. Let them be able
to do what they can to be good to us. Have confidence in us. Trust us. We're perfect in Christ, but
we're not in Isaiah. But trust us. It's going to work
out all right. It's going to be all right. Down
the road, it's going to be all right. So trust us, have confidence
in us. Encourage us. And then the eighth
is don't flaunt superiority, intellect, position, possessions,
beauty, clothes and gifts. Be a humble person. Be an ordinary
person. Be one who recognizes that we're
all one in Christ, we're all equal in Christ. We have no reason
to be trying to impress anybody. Preacher, where did you find
those eight things? Where do you think I found them? Anybody recognize them? You did,
didn't you? Galatians 5 verse 22. That's where I found every
one of them. Galatians 5 verse 22. The fruit
of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit. That's
where I found every one of them. What you would that men should
do to you, do you even say to them. Here it is. The fruit of
the Spirit. Galatians 5 verse 22. It's love. One another. Put on a happy face. joy. Let's live in peace. Patience. I said be patient with
us. Gentleness. Be kind. Goodness. Be good to me. Reward me for
good things. Faith. Have confidence in us.
Trust. Meekness. Don't flaunt superiority. Temperance. Moderation. That's
everyone. And it's the fruit of God's Spirit,
it's the evidence of God's grace, it's the presence of God's life
within us. So that, I call this message
the Golden Rule, and that's what people call that verse. Therefore
all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do
ye but so unto them. For with what measure we meet,
will be measured to us again. That's true. Our Lord said, what
measure you be. And he said, it'll not only be
measured to us, but it'll be pressed down and shaken and running
over with people put in your bosom.