Matthew 7:1-12

And if you'd pray those two great commands of Scripture of turning your phones off and turning to Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

! Matthew 7, 1-12 this morning. I don't know whether you can remember the reading, Matthew 7, 1-12.

But I think one of the problems with the sermon on the mount is we are so used to looking at it in little sections.

Sometimes it's very difficult to see the connections.

And how is Matthew 7, 1-12 connected?

It speaks of logs and dogs and hogs.

But how is all that pulled together? What is the connection?

Is there any link between Jesus talking about what he's talking about?

So in verses 1-5 he takes you to the octalmatrist.

And then in verses 6 he takes you to the cafe.

And then in verses 7-9 he takes you to the farm.

How is it all connected? How does it all link up?

I think Jesus gives us the clue in verse 1.

He says, judge not. Stop judging.

And that is the link that I think we often miss.

The link about judging. Proper judgment and having discernment.

That actually goes right the way through this chapter.

And these first 12 verses.

That seems to be the keynote.

And so four points this morning.

I think Jesus teaches us first of all the restriction on judging.

The restriction on judging.

Stop judging in order that you would not be judged.

That's the command.

Jesus is making this command isn't he?

He's saying that habit of persistent ongoing fault finding that people have.

And again we need to remember the context.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples.

And he is saying to his followers.

Get rid of this habit of carping criticism.

Even this idea of condemning other people enters into it as well.

And he seems to have in mind this carping criticism fault finding.

That centres on non-essentials.

And we get that from verses 3-5 don't we?

We see this fellow who seems to see a speck of sawdust in his brother's eye.

You know on rather small matters.

They get all disturbed and critical.

And he says stop judging that.

Stop judging that.

See the great big plank in your own eye.

Charles Spurgeon when he was in his early ministry.

He started being a minister when he was 17.

He was just a young man and he made a number of mistakes.

He was young at that time.

There was a certain fellow that would come to him every Monday and point out his mistakes.

And one day this man, his name was Mr Brimley.

He was actually the mayor of Cambridge.

He said to young Spurgeon.

Is it really true that you told your people the other Sunday that if a thief would get into heaven he would pick the angels pockets?

This version said well yes.

If a thief, if it were possible for an ungodly person without him being changed by the Holy Spirit, without him being born again,

if he got into heaven with the same nature as he's got now,

if a thief got into heaven and his nature was unchanged it wouldn't do any good.

He would steal in heaven.

He would go around as a thief picking the angels pockets.

My dear fellow Brimley said, don't you realise angels don't have pockets?

And Spurgeon said with the same gravity, no sir.

Well I didn't realise that.

But I will put this right.

I'm glad to hear from someone who knows.

Following Monday morning, Spurgeon goes into his shop and he goes into Mr Brimley's shop and he said,

Mr Brimley I put the matter right.

What matter?

I put the angels pockets.

Mr Brimley looked horrified and said, what did you say?

Spurgeon said, I told my people that I made a mistake when I was preaching to them last Sunday.

I told them that if a thief got into heaven with his nature unchanged,

he would still go around picking the angels pockets.

But that I have subsequently heard from no lesser person than the mayor of Cambridge,

someone who knows that angels have no pockets.

And so I don't want you to go around with the false notion about heaven.

And so I told them that if a thief were ever to get into heaven with a nature unchanged,

then she would go around plucking the feathers out of the angels' wings.

Mr Brimley said furiously, I will never try to set you straight again.

Spurgeon replied, that is precisely what I wanted you to say.

Now that was a very silly illustration.

But some people have this habit, don't they?

They have a habit of carping and fault-finding.

And Jesus says, stop it.

It's really interesting.

He says, stop it.

We often don't think we can say that.

Stop this habit of fault-finding and criticising.

But it's become part of your nature.

The young composer gave a concert.

It didn't fare well with the critics.

The critics really panned it.

They didn't care for it.

But Gene Sibelius, the famous Finnish composer,

consoled the young fellow.

He patted him on the shoulder and he says,

remember, son, there is not one city in the world

where they've erected a statue to a critic.

Stop judging.

Now why is it that we have this habit of doing so?

There are certain reasons why we shouldn't do it.

Or we put it positively,

there are reasons why we do it.

First reason is that we forget our position before God.

Stop judging, Jesus says, that you be not judged.

For with the judgement you pronounce,

you will be judged.

And with the measure you use,

it will be measured to you.

What does he mean when he says,

lest you be judged, that you be not judged?

He doesn't mean that if you're critical of someone,

of others, they'll be critical of you.

That isn't what he's saying.

He isn't saying a kind of karma,

you criticise others and it'll all come back to you.

Probably what Jesus means is when he says that you be not judged,

that passive verb refers frequently,

it has the idea of God's activity.

What he's saying,

do not judge lest you be judged by God.

And so what Jesus is saying is,

realise that, stop that.

This habit of judging, lest you be judged.

You need to know that you too stand under the judgement of God.

You also are one who is going to be judged.

And at that point,

if you've been brought up in an evangelical church,

you'll say, hang on a minute, hang on a minute.

If God has brought me to faith in Jesus,

then I will not face judgement anymore.

Three things students always say.

Every sin is exactly the same.

It's all the same, which it isn't.

I can't remember what the third one is.

The second one is this.

There's no judgement for Christians.

We will not face judgement.

And that is true in one sense, isn't it?

There is no more condemnation in Christ Jesus.

Wonderfully so.

You're not judged according,

with regard to your salvation.

That you are secure in him.

There is no way that God is going to change his mind.

There's no way that God is going to

overturn his verdict on your life.

God will not change his mind.

But that doesn't mean

that as a Christian disciple,

you will not be judged

for the quality of your Christian life.

And that is actually

a lot of the teaching in the New Testament.

So, in Romans 14,

where he says,

in verse 12,

10 of verse 12,

You then,

why do you judge your brother?

Or why do you look down on your brother?

For we will all stand

before God's judgement seat.

So each one of us

will give an account

for himself to God.

That's what Paul means

in 2 Corinthians 5.

Again,

he's talking to Christians.

And he says,

for we must all appear

before the judgement seat of Christ.

that each one

may receive

what is due him

for the things done

while in the body.

In other words,

you need to be careful

and I need to be careful

because you and I too

will stand before

Christ's judgement seat

for the quality

of our Christian life.

You too will be judged.

Your temper,

the gifts that the Lord

has given you

and how you've used them,

your criticism of other.

And Jesus says,

don't forget,

not only don't forget

your position,

but you are blind

so often to your own sins.

And that is the point

of verses 3 to 5,

isn't it?

Why do you see

the little speck

that's in your brother's eye

but don't notice

the great big log

that's in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother,

let me take the speck

out of your eye

when there is a log

in your own eye?

You hypocrite.

First,

get rid of the log

out of your own eye

and then you will see clearly

to take the speck

out of your brother's eye.

It's stupid,

isn't it,

to go up to him

and say,

you've got this little speck

of dust in your eye

that's making it red

and you've got this massive

2x4 plank

in your eye.

How are you ever

going to be able

to see to do that?

Hypocrite,

first of all,

remove it.

It's like somebody

with loads of dandruff

on their shoulders

going up to somebody

with a tiny little fluff

and saying,

oh, you've got something

on your suit

and rubbing it off.

Sort yourself out.

There's a terrible

blindness,

isn't there,

in you and I

to our own sin.

And we need to be

aware of that.

And that is involved

in what Jesus is saying.

In verses 3 to 5,

he says,

judge not

in verse 1.

You can see that

what he means

in verses 3 to 5,

isn't he?

He's saying,

don't judge hypocritically.

Hypocritically.

It's interesting,

Jesus is not forbidding,

he's not saying,

be gullible,

he's not saying,

don't be discerning.

He's saying,

don't judge hypocritically.

Don't judge in a way

that is blind

to your own sin.

We can see it in others,

can't we,

but not in ourselves.

And that is what

Jesus is addressing here.

When we go to

camp in Swansea,

we stay in the church

I grew up in.

And it's a

kind of,

it's a 19th century building,

the toilets are

pretty grotty

where the gents are anyway.

And there's a sink,

but the mirror

to the sink

is on a different wall,

which is really fine,

apart from when

you want to go and shave.

You want to try to shave

without a mirror?

Men?

It's so difficult,

isn't it?

Because you cannot

shave without a mirror.

Can you?

You end up with streaks

while I'm not shaving

at the moment.

You cannot shave

without a mirror.

Because you have

to see yourself.

And you can very

clearly see others,

the sin of others,

but you can't very

clearly see yourself,

and so stop judging.

The kind of

hypocritical judgment.

So let me say this,

one of the ways

that we frequently do this

is actually in gossip.

We may not even

be conscious

that we're doing it,

but we may be

speaking to someone else

about someone else.

And we are in some way

pulling them down,

and that person

may agree with us

to some degree.

So we don't think

of it as gossip.

Let's stop judging,

unless you be judged.

So there's a restriction

on judging.

Secondly,

let's see in verse 6,

there's the requirement

of judging.

Requirement of judging.

Look at verse 6.

Don't give dogs

what is holy.

Don't throw your pearls

before pigs,

lest you trample them

underfoot

and turn to attack you.

Don't worry about

the meaning of it

now for a moment,

we'll come back to that.

But just notice the language.

Do you see

what Jesus is saying?

He is assuming

that you're going to obey

whatever it is he means

in verse 6.

And so,

if you're going to

obey verse 6,

what have you got

to work out?

You've got to work out

who are the dogs

and who are the pigs,

haven't you?

You're going to have

to judge,

you're going to have

to discern.

You're going to have

to stop judging

as he taught you

in verses 1-5,

a kind of carping,

critical, hypocritical

kind of judging.

But you see,

Jesus does balance

and in verse 6

he's now saying,

don't give what is

holy to the dogs

and don't throw your pearls

before the hogs.

And so you have to know,

don't you,

who are the dogs

and who are the hogs

if you're going to

obey this.

Jesus is not

forbidding all kinds

of judgment.

He's just putting

a balance on what

he said in verse 1-5.

Much like he does

in Proverbs 26.

He has got those

funny verses in it,

two verses back to back.

And one of them says,

don't answer a fool

according to his folly.

And then in the very

next verse it says,

answer a fool

according to his folly.

And it gives a reason

for both those things.

It's balancing there,

but you need to see

the big picture.

You have to think

there is a paradox.

There are two truths

which seem contradictory,

but actually when you

take them together

they're both very helpful.

There's a sort of judging

that you ought to do,

and this is the requirement

of judging.

And so that tells you

and I

that the mushy,

ordinary,

bog standard

interpretation

of verse 1

cannot be right.

So people shoot off

verse 1 all the time,

don't they?

Maybe you're talking

about a public scandal

in business

or in public,

and you state

how wrong it is

and so unjust,

and then somebody

comes in and says,

the Bible says,

judge not

and be not judged.

Or there's some

public teacher

in the church

and they are rejecting

what the Bible

is saying on sexuality

and homosexuality

and they are speaking

really clearly

against the Bible's message

and you state that

and somebody comes

and says to you,

the Bible says,

don't judge.

Now you see what

Jesus is saying

in verse 6?

There is a kind

of discernment,

there is a kind

of judgment

that you have to make.

He's not assuming

that you have a mind

that is kind of

morally neutral

and mushy.

No.

He's saying there's

a kind of discernment

that you have to make.

There's a discernment

that He wants you to have.

Now look at the details.

What does He mean

by what is holy?

And who are the dogs?

And what are the pearls?

And who are the pigs?

Well, so probably this.

What is holy

refers to anything

of the sacred things

of God.

particularly the gospel

and His word

about the kingdom

that He's been speaking about

and the offering

of Jesus

as the King of the kingdom

and the pearls

it probably has to do

with the treasure

of the kingdom,

the treasure of the gospel.

And He's saying

that there are some

that are hogs

and dogs.

Dogs used to be

a term that was used

for the Gentiles.

I don't think

He's using it

in that way.

But He is taking it

He's saying

a dog

is a pejorative term.

It's still used today

as a pejorative term.

And it's saying

they are

essentially

there are some

who are like that.

He's not thinking

of your pet dog

I think on the children's

shoot isn't it

there's a lovely picture

of a retriever

or a Labrador

or something like that.

When He talks about dogs

He's not talking

about a dog like that.

Draw a big pair of fangs

on that children.

Dogs that go

through the rubbish.

Dogs that bite

and carry rabies.

They're not the sort

of things that you'd

like to have in your house

or in your garden

or let your kids

play with.

They're wild.

They're not nice

to have us.

Jesus is saying

there are some people

they've rejected

the gospel

and they are so

antagonistic

with the gospel

and anti the gospel

that they may

tell you so.

And they say

I don't want to hear.

I don't want to hear.

And they may say

leave me alone.

They might say

don't even talk

about Jesus to me.

They may say it

very politely

in a British kind of way.

Don't even invite me

to that.

I don't want to know

anything about the

kingdom of God.

I don't want anything

to do with that.

I like you

but I can't stand

this Jesus stuff.

And Jesus says

respect them.

And leave them alone.

Because don't throw

what is precious

to dogs

and hogs

who've rejected it.

Don't give anything

that is sacred

to people who despise

the sacred things

of God.

It's not meant

to keep us

from telling others

what they know

Jesus.

It's mainly saying

that there are

certain circumstances

there are certain

people that prefer

not to be bothered

with the gospel.

And when you

tell them that

leave them to God.

That's the kind

of thing.

You don't give

sacred things

to people

who despise

that.

And that is what

Jesus seems to be

saying.

And when we

do this

what do we

make of this?

Jesus himself

when he gives us

an example

do you remember

Luke 23?

Jesus comes

before Herod

and Pilate

sent Jesus

before Herod

and when Herod

saw him

Luke tells us

he was really

pleased.

Because for a long

time he wanted

to see Jesus

and he hoped

that he could

see Jesus

through some

kind of miracle.

And so he

asked Jesus

loads of questions

but Jesus gave

him no answer.

Herod is there

he's curious

about Jesus

but he's not

serious about

committing his

life to Jesus.

And so Jesus

doesn't go for it.

He leaves Herod

alone.

He doesn't offer

to do a little

heavenly trick

a miracle

this will satisfy

your curiosity.

Herod has got

no desire for

the truth at all

and so Jesus

leaves him alone.

He doesn't even

answer does he?

Or the Apostles

Lord in Acts 13

and Acts 18

two different places

in Antioch

and in Corinth

the Jews

make so much

fuss

that they

abuse him

and Barnabas

and Silas

and they

reject his

message

and Paul

says we

had to offer

the gospel

to you first

but since you

think that you

are unworthy

of eternal life

we turn to the

Gentiles.

We're turning

and taking the

gospel away from

you

and we're giving

it to the

Gentiles.

you see people

who don't want

to have any

truck with the

gospel

then it's

taken from

them.

Don't throw

what is

precious to

those who

despise it.

That is

Jesus' point.

It takes

really different

forms.

In 1555

John Calvin

was in the

city of Geneva

and he was

having a problem.

There was a

man who was

notoriously

immoral

and drunk

and the

elders of

the church

along with

Calvin

they excommunicated

him because

of his

conduct.

He was

banned from

the Lord's

Supper.

But the

civil magistrates

the city

officials

they overturned

that decision

of the elders

and they gave

this fellow

the right

to partake

of communion

again.

The day

came on

a September

morning

it was

communion

Sunday

and after

Calvin preached

his sermon

when he went

down from

the pulpit

and thinking

that this

guy

John Bethelier

was in

the audience

and that

he would

want to

come to

the table

to defy

him

Calvin said

to the

people

I have

prayed to

the Lord

for firmness

and my

prayer has

been answered.

And he

told them

if anyone

who had

been banned

from the

Lord's

Supper

should come

forward

to try

to partake

of that

supper

Calvin said

I will

do what

the clear

command

of my

master

requires me

to do.

And then

raising his

voice and

stretching out

his hands

he said

lay down

my life

before

these hands

shall reach

forth for

the sacred

things of

God

to those

who have

been branded

as despisers.

John Bethelier

didn't come

because he had

to make a

stand didn't

he Calvin?

He was a

man who

cared for

the things

of God

and so

there may

well be

I think

there probably

is going

to be

in your

dealings

with people

there will

be somebody

who says

point blank

to you

I want

no more

of your

witness

I don't

want any

more of

your

Christianity

and I

think Jesus

is teaching

us here

we have

to respect

that

don't

cast the

pearls of

the gospel

before those

who will

have none

of it

and tell

you that

but verse

six is

also a

terrifying

warning

because it

shows you

and I

how far

antagonism

to the

gospel

can go

how far

it can

take you

it can

give you

the nature

of a

pig

or a

dog

and that

ought to

be to you

a great

warning

that you

can put

yourself

in such

resistance

and antagonism

to the

gospel

that it

can put

you

beyond

the

hope

of

responding

to it

that if

you

harden

your

heart

one day

God

will say

enough

is

enough

and if

you

continually

and persistently

refuse

the gospel

and maintain

that stance

you are

on your

way

to the

kind of

antagonism

to the

truth

that will

place you

in a

place

where

you're

not

even

able

to hear

the

gospel

anymore

and you

need to

be aware

of that

thirdly

Jesus

says

there's

not only

a

restriction

on

judging

and the

requirement

of

judging

but thirdly

there's

the

resources

for

judging

and as

you look

at those

verses

it says

ask

and it will

be given

to you

seek

and you

will

find

knock

and the

door

will

be

open

to you

and we

love those

verses

but when

you look

at them

in the

context

of what

it says

you say

why does

Jesus do

that

what is

he on

about

can you

see the

connection

between

verses

5 and

6

what

Jesus

is doing

here

it's

not

really

disconnected

if you look

at verses

1 to 6

how can I

do that

how can I

have the

knowledge

to do

that

how can I

live in

that way

how can I

be aware

of the

log that's

in my

own

eye

so that I

don't judge

blindly

without seeing

my faults

that's a

question you

might have

or you

might have

a question

how can I

discern

how on earth

can you

tell

whether or

not someone

is despising

the sacred

things of

God and

the gospel

how do you

know when I

should leave

them alone

how can I

know the

difference between

improper

critical

condemning

kind of

judging

and somebody

having a

true discernment

of their

true state

how can I

distinguish

between that

and you've

got all these

questions

and so Jesus

says to you

doesn't he

verse 7

ask and

it will be

given to

you

seek and

you will

find knock

and the

door will

be opened

to you

how can I

know the

difference

and know

Jesus'

words and

Jesus

ask

pray to

the father

that is the

way that you

receive the

discernment

and understanding

that you need

in order to

obey Jesus'

commands

it's the same

thing in

James 1

James 1

James 1:5

verse 5

if any one of

you lacks

wisdom

then he'll

ask of

God

and he'll

liberally

give it

and when you

read that

you think

that's come

out of

nowhere

but before

that

Jesus has

said

count it

all joy

brothers

and sisters

if you fall

into various

sorrows

and so on

so why did

James say

if any of you

lack wisdom

let him ask

of God

it's all

connected

James is

saying if

you fall

into trial

it's not

that that you

need deliverance

from right

away

but you need

to know

how to

endure it

you need

to know

how to

go through

suffering

you need

to know

how are

you going

to be

steadfast

and faithful

to Jesus

and count it

all joy

in the midst

of trials

well if

anyone

lacks

let him

ask of

God

and it's

connected

and it's

the same

as it is

here

what Jesus

is doing

here though

in the way

that he speaks

is he's

trying to

give you

more than

the fact

that you

should go

on believing

and asking

in prayer

he's

trying to

encourage

you

look at

what he

says

in verse 9

to 11

or which

of you

if his

son

asks him

for bread

will you

give him

a stone

or if

he asks

for a

fish

will you

give him

a servant

and if

you then

are evil

and you

know how

to give

good

gifts

to your

children

how much

more

will your

father

who's

in

heaven

give

good

things

to those

who ask

him

notice

how he

describes

earthly

fathers

he says

they are

evil

if you

then being

evil

that's

Jesus'

assessment

of my

nature

and yours

Jesus

says

you have

a sinful

human

nature

and that

is what

he means

and if

you think

that men

and women

and boys

and girls

are basically

constituted as

good

well you

don't agree

with Jesus

he assumed

it

he said

to his

disciples

if you

then being

evil

he doesn't

mean

that you're

as evil

as you

possibly

could be

of course

not

but he

does

mean

that you

and I

and I

have this

root of

evil

and sin

within me

if you

then being

evil

see the

contrast

if you

have the

competence

and even

enough

natural

affection

to play

not to

play tricks

on your

own

sons and

daughters

how much

more will

your heavenly

father give

to those

who ask

him

what's

Jesus

saying

he's

saying

one of

you dads

wouldn't do

something

like this

your son

comes in

you've

spent all

afternoon

decorating

a stone

as a

piece of

bread

and your

son comes

in and

says

can I

have one

of those

rolls

and you

say yeah

take the

chop one

and your

son is so

hungry

that he

picks it

up and

he doesn't

realise

that it's

a piece

of stone

and he

bites into

it

and he

breaks

three teeth

and you

say

it's a

stone

you thought

it was bread

but it's a

rock

it's so

funny

let's go

to the

dentist

none of

you

would be

so

low down

evil

to do

that

would you

none of

you would

be so

sinful

your

daughter

asks you

for a

packed

lunch

tomorrow

he

says

what

would

she

like

in

the

packed

lunch

and she

says

I'd

love

a

piece

of

fish

and he

said

it would

be

really

funny

if I

put

a

serpent

in

there

and she

comes

into

school

and she

opens

up

the

picnic

box

or the

lunch

box

and out

comes

the

serpent

RSPTA

and the

police

are

called

and you

laugh

you know

how to be

consistent

with your

children

you know

how much

more

Jesus is

saying

he will

give good

things to

those who

ask

you can

trust him

God

the

father

will not

double

cross

you

God

is not

looking

for

loopholes

to get

out of

answering

your

prayers

he says

get rid

of

superstition

get rid

of

this

nonsense

I think

Christians

can be

really

superstition

we think

if I

come to

God

in

prayer

like this

I'm

afraid

he's

going to

call me

to be

a

missionary

or something

like that

you

you

can

trust

you

can

trust

your

father

in

heaven

it

doesn't

mean

you

won't

have

questions

about

what

he

gives

you

but

the

point

is

you

can

depend

on

a

faithful

father

and

then

fourthly

and really

briefly

he gives

you the

rule of

judging

verse 12

verse 12

yes he doesn't

help us with the

headings being where

they are

he says

so whatever

you wish

that others

would do to

you

do also to

!

this is the

law

the

prophets

that's the

rule in

judging

you notice

how it

ties it in

with what

has gone

before

doesn't

it

it says

it should

say

now

therefore

so

therefore

it's in

the negative

it's

it's

it's

it's

not in

the

negative

it's

not

whatever

you

don't

want

people

to

do

to

you

don't

do

to

them

it's

positive

all

things

that you

would

like

others

to

do

to

you

!

you

also

want

to

do

the

same

for

them

it

leaves

all

sorts

of

room

for

creativity

and

there's

positivity

and energy

in verse

12

but the

thing I

want you

to

notice

is the

place

where it

occurs

he's

trying to

say

he's

trust

your

heavenly

father

he's

saying

your

heavenly

father

look how

much

more

will he

give

good

things

to

you

so

then

if

your

heavenly

father

has

got

such

goodness

towards

you

his

people

then show

the

goodness

of

the

father

in

the

way

that

you

deal

with

others

as part

of the

connection

it

connects

to

verses

1

to

5

and

you

wonder

how

am I

to

judge

well here's

the

rule

you can't

form a

precise

rule

for every

situation

but here's

a general

rule

to let

you know

how you're

going to

judge

if you

are going

to be

judging

others

in some

way

which you

are going

to be

because we

cannot live

without judging

others

you better

make sure

that you

how would

I want

someone else

to judge

me

but I'd

want

someone else

to judge

me

considerably

and I'd

want them

to consider

all the

circumstances

that I'm

under

in a

certain

situation

I'd

want

them

to judge

me

kindly

I'd

prefer

that they

judge

me

directly

and they

didn't

go to

others

and

gossip

about

me

or to

someone

else

but they

do it

directly

and when

they

state

their

case

I'd

want

them

to

judge

me

temperately

that

they

don't

blow

my

I'd

want

them

to

judge

me

privately

and if

they

are

something

against

me

I

prefer

that

if

I

need

correction

that

they

would

not

do it

in front

of a

group

of

people

and they

wouldn't

bring it

up all

of a

sudden

but they

have the

courage

to judge

me

privately

isn't that

the way

you want

to be

judged

well if

that's

the way

you want

to be

judged

verse 12

is saying

that's

how you

judge

others

and notice

the rationale

of this

we should

act in

this way

because

this is

what the

law and

the

prophets

are all

about

that is

what the

old

testament

requires

we don't

act

in this

way

because