Matthew 7:1-12

So our sermon text tonight is Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Let me invite you to go there with me.

We've been looking at the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount this summer.

This is probably one of the most famous sections of Jesus' teaching.

And tonight we're looking at chapter 7, verses 1 through 12.

So let me invite you to go there with me.

That's page 812 in the Pew Bible, if you want to turn there.

If you didn't bring a Bible with you, page 812.

If you don't own a Bible, feel free to take that Bible with you tonight

for your own study, for your own reading.

We'd be glad for you to have one.

So Matthew chapter 7, verses 1 through 12.

Matthew 7:1–12

Jesus teaches his disciples this.

He says,

Judge not that you be not judged.

For with the judgment you pronounced, you will be judged.

And with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye,

but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother,

let me take the speck out of your eye when there is the log in your own eye?

You hypocrite.

First take the log out of your own eye,

and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs,

lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and it will be given to you.

Seek, and you will find.

Knock, and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives,

and the one who seeks finds,

and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Or which one of you, if his son asks for bread,

will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

If you then, who are evil,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father, who is in heaven,

give good things to those who ask him?

So whatever you wish that others would do to you,

do also to them.

For this is the law and the prophets.

Let's pray.

God, we thank you for your word.

And as we've just heard,

we want to ask and seek and knock

that you would open up this passage for us by your spirit.

Lord, and bless the words of my mouth

and the meditation of all of our hearts.

God, would it be pleasing in your sight, we pray.

Amen.

So chapter seven.

So at this point in the Sermon on the Mount,

Jesus is opening up, as you probably noticed,

a new topic, a new section.

The Sermon on the Mount starts back in chapter five.

And in that chapter, really as a whole,

Jesus is showing us how the life lived

in his kingdom of grace fulfills the Old Testament law.

Over and over and again,

he's showing us how the life that he's come to bring

is really the fulfillment of all of God's promises.

And then in chapter six,

Jesus went on to show us two things

about being his follower.

In the first half of chapter six,

he showed us how being his follower

makes us very different

than the religious people in our age.

He says that our spirituality

isn't about sort of trumpeting our righteousness

to be seen by others.

Instead, it's actually an intimate walk,

an intimate relationship with God as our father.

And then in the rest of chapter six,

he shows us how being his follower

makes us very different,

not just from the religious people,

but from the irreligious people.

He shows us that our ambition

isn't about building up treasures on earth

and trying to fight away

that residual sense of worry and anxiety

that we have by building up earthly material wealth.

He says, no, your ambition

is to seek first the kingdom

and his righteousness.

So Jesus in chapter six

has just finished teaching us

how we have a whole new spirituality

and a whole new ambition.

He's shown us how we're totally different

from the religious and the irreligious.

And now in chapter seven,

he's showing us

what relationships are meant to look like

for his followers.

how we ought to live our life together

as those who've been brought

into God's kingdom by his grace.

And we need someone to teach us

about relationships, right?

Because relationships are hard.

We step on each other's toes.

We offend each other.

We hurt each other.

We ignore each other.

We try to build friendships

and they fail.

We try to build marriages

and they get rocky

and they get bitter.

We try to build churches

and they split.

Relationships are hard, right?

I don't think any of us here tonight,

if we're being honest,

would say that relationships

are just an easy breezy thing

and that we've never encountered difficulty.

If that's you,

if you're thinking that,

I have nothing else to say to you tonight.

No, I'm just kidding.

I challenge you to look a little more deeply

at your life, at your heart.

I think it's clear from this passage

that Jesus doesn't presuppose

that life in his kingdom

is going to be all rosy, right?

He knows that there will be offenses committed,

wills crossed, feelings hurt.

There will be sin that has to be addressed.

Relationships are hard.

But if relationships are hard,

we know that they're incredibly important

at the same time, right?

I mean, in a certain sense,

life is about relationships.

Relationship with one another,

relationship ultimately with God.

This is how God created us.

He made us to live in community.

And that means to live in relationship

with flesh and blood other people.

Because in doing so,

isn't there something deeply spiritual about that?

As we live in relationship,

aren't we bearing the image

of our triune God?

The one God who eternally exists

in a threefold relationship

of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God himself, this is what we confess,

is an essentially relational God.

That even without the world,

God existed in a perfect,

loving, holy relationship.

And for that fact alone,

aren't our relationships,

which are a picture of that,

incredibly important?

Aren't they freighted

with a spiritual significance

that we often underestimate?

But even more,

I would say that relationships

are important

because I think that loneliness

is one of the great pressing problems

for us today, isn't it?

Think about it.

Even more so in our technological age

when we can feel digitally connected

to everyone

and really connected to no one.

And out of that loneliness,

out of that lack,

or perceived lack,

of meaningful relationships

spring a whole host

of further problems in our life.

Just look at your own life.

When you're lonely,

aren't those some of your hardest times?

Not just emotionally,

but spiritually, morally.

So relationships are critically important,

and yet as we've said,

they're incredibly hard.

And so we need help.

And that's where our passage comes in.

Here's what relationships will look like,

Jesus says,

in my kingdom.

This is how you live

under my reign of grace.

And this is how you're going to be,

you,

my disciples,

my followers,

my church,

this is how you're going to be

a picture to the world

of a renewed humanity.

Under my loving rule,

by my spirit.

And in our passage tonight,

Jesus makes three big points

about relationships,

and we're going to walk through each one.

The first one's this.

And they're simple points.

The first one's this.

Don't judge.

Verses one through five.

Let's read them again.

Judge not,

that you not be judged.

For with the judgment you pronounced,

you will be judged.

And with the measure you use,

it will be measured to you.

Why do you see the speck

that is in your brother's eye,

but do not notice the log

that is in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother,

let me take the speck out of your eye

when there is the log in your own eye?

You hypocrite.

First take the log out of your own eye,

and then you will see clearly

to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Now,

what does Jesus mean

when he says,

don't judge?

Does he mean

that we should never distinguish

between what's right and good for us

and what's wrong and bad for us?

Should anything go in God's kingdom?

Well, no, right?

He clearly doesn't mean that.

Okay,

so let's go one step further.

Does Jesus mean

that we should never

look into the life

of another person

and point out

what's right in their life

and good for them

and what's wrong in their life

and bad for them?

Should we never do that

according to Jesus?

Isn't that what a lot of people mean

when they say,

don't judge?

It's amazing.

I think there was a time

when John 3.16

was the most known passage

in the Bible.

I think Matthew 7.1

is probably the most well-known passage

in the Bible right now.

Anybody in the street,

don't judge.

Right?

Is Jesus saying

we should never get that personal,

that engaged,

that into one another lives?

Well, I think it's clear

from the end of verse 5

that we actually should be doing that.

We should be helping

to take the specks

from our brother or sister's eye.

We should be looking

into their life

and helping them to see

how they can change

and become more like Christ.

So then,

what exactly does Jesus mean

when he says,

don't judge?

Well, I think it's clear

that he's forbidding.

What he's forbidding here

is a judgmental heart.

A condemning attitude.

The heart that in pride

looks at another brother

and sister in Christ

and condemns them

for sin in their life.

This is the kind of heart

that Jesus is forbidding here.

This is the kind of heart

that sees a brother or sister

struggling or failing

and says,

you call yourself a Christian?

How could you do

something like that?

And then,

begins to exclude them

or cut them out

because of that struggle

or failing.

I'd never go to church

with someone like that.

And what Jesus is saying

is that sort of

judgmental spirit

should have no place

in the community of disciples.

Flat out.

You know,

perhaps you've been

in a church

that's plagued

by that sort of attitude.

What Jesus says

in verse 2

is that

that sort of heart attitude

will grow

like wildfire

in a community.

You'll judge

and it will come

right back at you.

You'll measure someone up

and suddenly

you'll find yourself

being measured up.

And what happens

is that

what gets created

is this sort of

great big feedback loop

where over time

all that gets heard

in the community

is this obnoxious noise

of condemnation

as I condemn you

and you condemn me

and it grows

in this loud

obnoxious hum

and that's all we hear

rather than

the peaceful song

of the gospel.

Maybe you've seen this

in churches.

It's sad.

It's damaging

not just to the people involved.

It's damaging

to the reputation

of Christ.

Maybe you've seen it

in marriages

this kind of

judgmental attitude

where a couple

sort of

starts out well

in their relationship

but man

over time

they just end up

tearing one another down

and hammering

on one another

and condemning

each other's performance.

Sometimes it starts out

in seemingly innocent

sort of banter

or a sarcastic attitude

or sort of

a sarcastic

joking remark

and then it ends up

growing into the

deafening noise

of judgment

and condemnation

and suddenly

this marriage

this relationship

is like a battleground

with one side

just bombing the other

with an increasingly

short fuse

and an increasingly

quick trigger finger.

but Jesus says

no

this isn't

what it will look like

for you.

You won't be

self-appointed judges

casting your verdict

of condemnation

on everyone

who happens

to slip up.

No

you will be

not proud judges

but you are going

to be

humble

soul

spiritual

surgeons

helping each other

loving each other

in the struggle

against sin.

Jesus says

first

take the log

out of your own eye

and that's an amazing

word picture

we're kind of familiar

with it

but it's

you know

I wonder

if the first time

Jesus used that analogy

that people actually

had to laugh

because it's such

a ridiculous image

isn't it?

I mean

think about it

imagine someone

marching around

condemning people

for having specks

in their eye

while a giant beam

is waving around

in theirs

I mean

it's like something

out of Monty Python

right?

Walking around

saying

let me take that

speck out of your eye

after they keep

knocking people over

with this rafter

that's protruding

from their face

it's absurd

it's ridiculous

and Jesus is saying

it's about as ridiculous

as a judgmental Christian

take the log

out of your own eye

first

you know

realizing that

I've got a log

immediately

makes you humble

doesn't it?

it gets you

off the bench

the judge's bench

and if you take it out

with the help of others

no doubt

then it doesn't just

make you humble

but it makes you helpful

you'll be able to

actually then turn around

and do the gentle work

of loving

and correcting

and restoring

a brother or sister

who's stuck in sin

and this teaching

it just runs

throughout the New Testament

one example

the apostle Paul

picks up on Jesus' teaching

as he writes his letter

to Galatia

to the churches in Galatia

Galatians chapter 6

Galatians 6:1

verse 1 says this

brothers and sisters

that is he's writing

to the church

just like Jesus

here in the Sermon on the Mount

you notice how many times

Jesus has brothers

in this paragraph

he's talking about

the church

this is an in-house issue

brothers and sisters

if anyone is caught

Paul says

that is if they're stuck

in any transgression

you who are spiritual

that is you who have

the Holy Spirit

who know what it's like

to have the log

taken out of your eye

which should be all of us

you who are spiritual

should restore them

in a spirit

of gentleness

that's our marching order

when we look at our

brothers and sisters in Christ

as we do life together

and as we inevitably see sin

in their lives

specks in their eyes

Jesus would say

that will trip them up

that will irritate them

that might eventually blind them

as we see those specks

in their eyes

Jesus says

you don't stand over them

and proudly judge them

nor do you ignore them

and walk the other way

no

you come alongside them

and you work to gently

restore them

now imagine

imagine

if that's what people found

when they spent time

in our community here

if that's what people knew

to be true

of Trinity

of our gatherings on Sundays

of our small groups

in particular

where we can get to know

one another

a little more deeply

of our one-to-one

friendships and relationships

that flow out

of our membership

with one another

what if people found

that to be the case

that to be true

of our community

that it wasn't a place

of judgment

like so many people

think Christianity is

but it was a place

of restoration

a place of spiritual healing

a place of spiritual help

what if they found people

who loved each other enough

to take the logs

out of their own eyes

and be the humble

soul surgeons

that Jesus calls us to be

that's what I need

and I'm not just using

the rhetorical I

here in my sermon

that's what I personally

Nick need

I need someone

who isn't going to condemn me

with a spirit of judgment

but someone who's actually

going to correct me

and be helpful

I can't see the specks

in my own eye

you can't see the specks

in your eye

I can't see them in my eye

but you know what

you can see them in my eye

and you can help

so this is point number one

as Jesus starts framing

relationships for us

Jesus is telling us

that when it comes to your

brothers and sisters

in the kingdom

you're not there to pronounce

judgment

you're there to offer

humble help

second point

is this

be

discerning

this is verse six

look there again with me

do not give dogs

what is holy

do not throw your pearls

before pigs

lest they trample them

underfoot

and turn

and attack you

okay

now this verse

is striking

on a lot of levels

right

striking level number one

it's pretty clear

that Jesus is calling

some people

dogs and pigs

okay

that probably challenges

some of our views

of who Jesus is

right

oh Jesus

meek and mild

he would never hurt an ant

and then he calls people

dogs and pigs

does that mean

Jesus doesn't love people

no

but I think we need

to come to terms

with who Jesus really is

and this becomes

even more shocking

when you consider

that in the first century

dogs weren't exactly

sort of cuddly pets

no one had a gold retriever

in the first century

that was neat

and you played fetch with it

and you took it to the lake

and it swam for you

right

no

dogs were these mangy creatures

that ran around in packs

in your city

and carried diseases

nobody liked dogs

so it's pretty bad

I think about pigs

I have a son

I have a three year old son

at home

you know

I think one of the things

you get as a three year old son

is like a farm set up

with little plastic pigs

and they're cute right

they roll around in the mud

they're really neat

look

a pig for a first century Jew

was like the definition

of something that was

ritually unclean

no Jew would have looked

at a pig and be like

oh cute

look it's rolling around

in the mud

no it was unclean

it was bad

okay you get the point

what the heck

is Jesus talking about here

what is he saying

about our relationships

here I think

is what Jesus is doing

in this verse

he is taking

an extreme case

and making

a general point

so he's making

he's making an extreme

sort of case

he's taking

an extreme case

and making a general point

here's the extreme case

that Jesus is laying out for us

he is saying

that there will be

some people

that you will share

the gospel with

that's the pearl

in Jesus' little parable

right here

the precious

beautiful

costly message

of Christ

there will be

some people

who will

doggedly

refuse

and reject

and renounce

and ridicule

all your

repeated attempts

to love them

and to share

the saving message

of Christ

with them

and Jesus says

for those who are

that

dogged

in their opposition

to me

then there comes

a time

when you sadly

need to invest

your energies

elsewhere

not that you hate them

not that you

scorn them

but you invest

your energies

elsewhere

of course

God can change

their heart

overnight

right

Jesus goes

right in

to start talking

about prayer

after this verse

I think that's

telling

and if God

does that

by all means

give them

the pearl

right

but there comes

a time

with some people

when sadly

you need to move

on

and invest

your energies

elsewhere

now

as I said

Jesus is talking

about an extreme

case

this isn't something

we're going to run

into every day

in John Stott's

commentary on this

passage

John Stott

he said that

in his entire

ministry

he only knew

one or two people

that he thinks

would fall into

this category

one or two

in his whole

ministry

now look

John Stott

was a pastor

of a church

in London

one of the

biggest cities

in the world

and his evangelistic

efforts took him

literally all around

the world

and if someone

like that says

I only know

one or two people

then I think

that should give us

a lot of pause

before we just

start writing

off our neighbors

right

no we shouldn't

be doing that

okay

but

the extreme

example

is meant

to teach us

a general

lesson

a general

truth

and the

general

truth

is this

that we

need to be

discerning

in our

relationships

in other

words

we need to

not be

afraid

to do

honest

spiritual

assessment

not in order

to judge

others

but in order

actually to

love them

think about

it

right

one of the

worst

things

that a

medical

doctor

can do

is give

a false

diagnosis

when my

brother was

in high

school

in his

sophomore

year

there came

a time

in his

sophomore

year

when he

was just

always

tired

always

fatigued

and was

not

feeling

himself

so we

took him

to the

doctor

right

my mom

took him

to the

doctor

and here's

what the

doctor said

you know

you're probably

just going

through some

growth

pains

drink some

protein shakes

get some

rest

and it'll

pass

well for some

reason that

didn't quite

sit right with

my mom

with my

parents

so they

took him

to another

doctor

and got a

second opinion

they ran

some tests

and found out

which is a

form of

cancer

had they

listened to

the first

doctor

who knows

what would

have

happened

but thankfully

we caught

it in time

the treatments

were successful

my brother's

been cancer

free for

over like

20 years

but here's

the point

if it's

that critical

that we get

an honest

and accurate

medical

assessment

how much

more

that we get

an honest

spiritual

assessment

I mean

if the

worst thing

that a

doctor

can do

is give

you a

false

medical

diagnosis

the worst

thing

that a

friend

can do

is give

you a

false

spiritual

diagnosis

if done

in humility

an honest

spiritual

assessment

is the

most loving

thing

that we

can receive

if I'm

dying

spiritually

and there's

a cure

I need to

know of it

one of my

pastoral

responsibilities

here at

Trinity

is to

give

leadership

and

guidance

to

our

youth

ministry

leaders

who

work

with

our

middle

schoolers

and high

schoolers

our

teenagers

and you

know

too often

what I

find in

youth

ministry

is that

kids

can get

categorized

as good

kids

you know

this kid

shows up to

meetings

he obeys the

rules

he's not too

rebellious

that kind of

kid is

supposedly a

good kid

but you

know what

that good

kid

apart from

Christ

is spiritually

dead

none of

his rule

following

none of

his

attendance

at our

awesome

Wednesday

night

youth

group

meetings

none of

his

outwardly

commendable

behavior

means that

he's in a

saving

relationship

with

Jesus

and if

all he

hears is

that he's

a good

kid

then he's

in a

very

spiritually

dangerous

place

he's been

given a

misdiagnosis

and he

will remain

sick

and be

headed

for death

friends

think about

your

co-workers

think about

your

neighbors

is there

someone who

actually

loves them

enough

to give

them

when the

time is

right

an honest

spiritual

diagnosis

now that

doesn't mean

we should

go bang

on our

neighbor's

door

uninvited

and call

them a

sinner

right

that's

probably

not the

most

helpful

way

to go

about

this

yeah

but in

your life

with those

outside the

church

are you

willing

am I

willing

when the

spirit

opens the

door

to say

that good

works

won't earn

God's

favor

and that

spiritually

speaking we

can never

be good

enough

and that

apart from

Christ and

what he's

done for

us in

love

we're

spiritually

dead

how about

you tonight

friend

has

has anyone

been that

honest

with you

are you

willing to

be that

honest with

yourself

the only

thing that

will take

away your

spiritual

cancer of

sin and

give you a

clean record

with God

is a saving

relationship

with Christ

how do you

get there

to get

there you've

got to

agree with

God's

diagnosis of

your spiritual

condition you

have to admit

that you're a

rebel against

God and

that that sin

leads to

death deserved

death and

then you need

to turn away

from trying to

be the king

of your own

life and

give your

life to

Christ to

trust in

him alone

for your

record before

God

and if you

haven't done

that then

there is no

amount of

rule following

or church

attendance that

will ever make

a difference

but if you

have done

that or if

you do

that even

tonight even

right now

then Christ

will accept

you and

make you

his own

and finally

for the first

time you'll

know what

it's like

to be alive

not just to

be sitting

here in a

body but to

know spiritual

life

the last

point that

Jesus makes

about our

relationships is

found in

verse 12

so whatever

you wish that

others would

do to you

do also to

them for

this is the

law and the

prophets

don't judge

be discerning

and now third

do to others

what you'd

have them do

to you

and isn't

this what we've

been talking

about the

whole time

I don't want

a proud judge

I want a

humble helper

right I

don't want a

false diagnosis

I want an

honest true

diagnosis

that's what I

want someone to

do for me

and Jesus

says exactly

do it for

others

be the

humble soul

surgeon be the

honest friend

and don't

just stop

there let

this principle

the golden

rule as we

sometimes call

it rule all

of your

relationships in

every aspect

that's the law

and the prophets

you know when you

study the first

century you find

that other

teachers in

Jesus day said

similar things

but they often

would word it in

the negative like

this don't do to

others what you

wouldn't want done

to you

but you see how

Jesus flips it

around he makes

it positive

do to others

what you would

have him do

to you

and doesn't

that make it

much more

radical

much more

comprehensive

much more

just mind

blowingly

applicable to

our lives

but you know

if we focus

for a moment

where Jesus

has put the

focus in

verses 1

through 6

don't judge

be discerning

if that's what

he's calling us

to do unto

others as we

would have

others do

to us

then I think

two things

become quickly

really clear

first

we absolutely

need to pray

that's exactly

what Jesus

points to in

verses 7

through 11

look there

it's as if

Jesus is saying

in context

you cannot

possibly do

this on your

own

you need to

bathe every

single relationship

that you have

in tremendous

amounts of

prayer

not sure how

to be a

gentle soul

surgeon with

your wife

or with your

husband or

with your

roommate or

with your

friend

Jesus says

ask

seek

knock

the father

is not

going to

give you

a stone

he's going

to give

you bread

not sure

how to be

discerning

with your

friends at

work

ask

Jesus says

seek

knock

your father

is not

going to

give you

a serpent

he's going

to give

you fish

look you

know how

to give

your kids

good gifts

how much

more do you

think the

father

in heaven

is going

to give

good

things

to those

who ask

him

you see

God wants

to be

at the

center

of all

of our

human

relationships

he wants

to be

the one

that we

depend

on

as we're

trying to

make our

friendships

work

and as

we're

trying to

make our

church life

work

and as

we're

trying to

make our

marriages

work

and our

relationship

with our

co-workers

work

and our

family

life

work

he wants

us to

be

utterly

dependent

on him

as we

move out

in those

relationships

he wants

us to

ask

and to

seek

and to

knock

so that

at the

end of

the day

we won't

take credit

for our

good

relationships

God

will get

credit

but secondly

as we

pray

we need

the gospel

after all

the reason

why we're

so

judgmental

why is

that

it's

because

we're

so

self

righteous

and on

the flip

side

why are

we

not

discerning

and

honest

isn't

it

because

we're

so

afraid

of

what

others

will

think

of

us

if

we

actually

tell

them

what

we

know

to

be

true

so

on

the

one

hand

we're

too

self

righteous

and

proud

and

on

the

other

hand

we're

too

afraid

what

on

earth

could

crush

both

pride

and

fear

at

the

exact

same

time

friends

only

this

the

cross

of

Jesus

Christ

what

does

the

cross

mean

what

does

it

say

on

the

one

hand

what

the

cross

says

is

that

I

am

sinful

beyond

degree

that

I

am

so

sinful

that

Jesus

Christ

the

eternal

son

of

God

had

to

die

for

me

in

order

to

restore

my

relationship

with

God

so

beneath

the

cross

there's

more

pride

how

could

there

be

self

righteousness

beneath

the

cross

there's

no

more

judges

beneath

the

cross

but

what

does

the

cross

also

say

the

cross

also

says

friends

that

I

am

loved

beyond

compare

that

so

great

was

his

love

for

me

that

Christ

was

willing

to

pour

out

his

life

gladly

to

die

for

me

and

that

means

that

beneath

the

cross

there's

no

more

fear

there's

no

more

being

afraid

and

worrying

what

others

will

think

because

now

you

see

what

God

thinks

your

creator

that

you

are

loved

with

an

eternal

costly

love

so

what

do

we

need

in

our

relationships

friends

we

need

a

cross

we

need

the

gospel

we

need

the

cross

and

that's

exactly

what

Jesus

has

done

for

us

so

in

his

kingdom

there's

no

more

pride

and

there's

no

more

fear

and

in

our

relationships

there's

finally

the

power

to

do

unto

others

what

we

have

them

do

to

us

not

to

judge

us

but

to

help

us

not

to

give

us

false

diagnoses

but

to

give

us

true

ones

and

friends

these

are

the

good

things

that

the

father

has

promised

to

give

us

through

Christ

by

his

spirit

so

let's

pray

father

indeed

tonight

we confess

that our

relationships

are hard

god

as we

think

about

being

spiritually

helpful

to

one

another

and

lord

as we

think

about

being

spiritually

helpful

in

giving

true

diagnoses

to

one

another

god

we

confess

that

we

are

out

of

our

depth

god

we're

too

proud

and

we're

too

afraid

so

we

need

your

holy

spirit

god

father

we

need

your

spirit

to