Sermons About Judgment
Justice and Eternal Punishment
Even though messages about Hell are often labelled 'offensive' or 'antiquated' or 'irrelevent', God's word is clear about the reality that those without the righteousness of Christ will eternally experience God's justice because of their condition of rebellion against God.
0 Amens
Missional No-Brainers
Jesus tells us to go where we are welcomed. He also tells us what to do when we are not.
0 Amens
Day of Judgment
Look at what is happening today! The stock market, gas and oil prices, the economy, loss of jobs, loss of homes, excessive executive pay! This is all due to “Man’s Greed!†When everything appears to be going south, and right appears to be wrong, and wrong appears to be right, remember; “God is still in control!†If you have never been saved, it’s not too late; today is the day of salvation! You can be saved right now! It’s free and easy! Sincerely and humbly, say these words, “Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and you died on the cross for my sins and my salvation, forgive my sins. Take over my life, thank you for dying on the cross for me! I welcome you into my heart, make me a new creature. Allow me to serve and honor You. If you prayed these words and really meant it, you are a Born Again Christian! Find a local church to serve and grow in Gods provision and abundance.
0 Amens
Are You Sure You Want to Be The Judge?
Are You Sure You Want to Be The Judge? Ray Befus Matthew 7:1-6 (TNIV, p. 663) October 26, 2008 The Shack Series #7 Our focus this morning is on judging other people . . . a subject near and dear to the hearts of folks in the Ameriquest Insurance group. They’re so committed to being understanding and gracious toward their clients that they ran these ads during Superbowl 39 (video clip—4 ads). Ameriquest says, “Don’t judge people too quicklyâ€. We’re turning to a passage in the Bible this morning where Jesus teaches, “Don’t judge other people at allâ€. READ Matthew 7:1-6 (Sermon on the Mount—the very heart of Jesus’ teaching). b. We’re thinking about judging other people this morning because judgment is one of the significant themes in the book, The Shack. The main human character, Mack, has been beaten up by life—a harsh, religious father; a dysfunctional childhood, career tensions and transitions, feelings of inferiority in his marriage, disappointments in the church, and then the murder of his youngest daughter. Papa cuts Mack some slack for all his attitudes, because Mack’s pain has been real. Mack is a survivor. But Mack’s main survival strategy has been destructive to himself, those he says he loves, and his relationship with God. Mack has been living like he is the judge of the universe—at least his universe—judging God, judging the church, judging himself, and judging other people. As this fictional story unfolds, Mack eventually sees his arrogance, repents of his judgments, and is reconciled to both his earthly father and his heavenly father. Mack even decides to forgive his daughter’s murderer. By the end of the book, Mack has been transformed by repenting of his harsh judgments toward God and other people. 3. What is judgment . . . or the sin of judging others? It’s not the same thing as recognizing weaknesses, or discerning failures, or calling attention to dangers. In verses 15-20, Jesus urges his listeners to be discerning about false teaching and to identify false prophets. God’s people should be clear thinking, discerning, courageous students of life and Scripture who are willing to speak out about the problems and dangers they see. a. Jesus’ concern isn’t DISCERNMENT; it’s DEVALUING others because of their weaknesses, failings, wrong ideas, and sins. It’s deciding that they aren’t worth respecting, loving, forgiving, helping, or serving because they are wrong about something high on our list of personal values. When we judge other people, we decide (consciously or not) that these people are fundamentally different than us. Their needs and problems, hopes and dreams aren’t any concern of ours. We decide that theirs lives and ministries, their beliefs and priorities, their families and careers are worth less than ours. In fact, we treat them like they are worth-less . . . WORTHLESS . . . to us. We feel free to slander them, or withhold our help and support. We feel free to hold on to our disappointment in them until it distills into bitterness and we become negative, detached people. We feel free to separate from them, abandon them, and move ahead in life without them . . . THESE PEOPLE GOD CREATED AND LOVES, THESE PEOPLE JESUS CAME TO RECONCILE AND SAVE, THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRETTY MUCH JUST LIKE US (whose weaknesses, muddled thinking, personal failings, sins aren’t a lot worse than our own). b. We’re not talking about discernment this morning. Jesus is addressing the practice of devaluing other people, withholding ourselves from them, deciding that they are unworthy of help, respect, or kindness; hanging on to our criticisms, refusing to forgive, and walking away from them with callous indifference or cold resentment. Judgment—a poison to our souls and an offense to the One who created us all. PRAY. TRANS: If judging people is so ugly and destructive, why do we so easily fall into it . . . slandering presidential candidates and their constituencies, withdrawing from other Christians as if they were agents of the anti-Christ, refusing to forgive folks who are just human, fellow travelers like us? We can see that judging others is an ugly evil; why does Jesus feel the need to spell this out for us? Judging others is a special danger because it often feels good, feels right, and feels empowering. I. A CHEAP THRILL FOR BITTER PEOPLE (like sniffing glue or paint—a cheap buzz) A. (It feels good) Judgment provides comfort when we’re feeling insecure. Even if our lives are still filled with chaos and we’re still facing real trouble, there is some comfort in finding someone to blame, to isolate, and to punish (at least with our criticisms). Judging others relieves some of our stress. Sure, we’re going through a hard time, but at least we have the comfort of being right and telling others that we’re right and they’re wrong, and knowing, when we go to bed, that they should be ashamed of themselves for the error of their ways. They have no one to blame but themselves. Like Pilot, we feel some comfort in washing our hands of other people’s lives and believing that we’re not responsible for them. (It feels right) Judgment lifts us up when we’re feeling down. You can’t judge another person without (often unconsciously) deciding that you are, in fact, superior to him or her. The very process of judging others has an elevating effect that feels . . . self-affirming . . . because it is just that: self-affirmation. ILLUS: I have a mother to die for. When I was a teenager and was just beginning to sharpen my tongue into a razor-like weapon, she told me that people who become proficient at evaluating, criticizing, and judging others are really small people who are desperate to elevate themselves. They go through life trying to elevate themselves by cutting others down. They feel better, they feel smarter, they feel high and mighty . . . but for all their criticizing, they haven’t grown an inch. C. (It feels empowering) Judgment provides a rush of spiritual power. Actually, I have come to believe that judging others is one sure way to tap into spiritual power . . . real spiritual power . . . demonic power. In the oldest book of the Bible, Job, Satan is revealed to be a spiritual being who openly declares his suspicion, cynicism, judgment, and malice to all the hosts of heaven. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, Satan whispers his suspicion, cynicism, judgment, and malice into Eve’s innocent heart. Judging others often feels empowering because it opens the door to demonic partnership, deception, and destruction. Men and women whose hearts are filled with bitterness will sometimes meet together for some fellowship, share their mutual judgments, and feel that they had a powerful meeting. Actually, they did. People who build a friendship or partnership on shared criticisms and judgments of political leaders or church leaders or business leaders will feel that they reached a powerful understanding and agreement with each other. They’re right; there was real power spinning their conversation. Satan is happy to empower Christians to do his work of isolating God’s people from each other and destroying God’s work in their lives. TRANS: Like sniffing glue or paint, judgment is a cheap thrill for bitter people. But, like glue or paint, judgment is . . . II. A POISON THAT WILL DAMAGE YOUR SOUL A. Don’ be foolish (vv. 1-2)—you’ll reap what you sow. Jesus speaks from common-sense wisdom. Wisdom on the streets. What goes around, comes around. It’s not hard to understand. It’s hard to remember when you’re frustrated, disappointed, feeling betrayed, or down right angry at someone. If you let yourself become a negative person, you’ll attract negative friends. Your conversations will be filled with negative evaluations of this and that. If your conversation is often full of cynicism and cutting remarks, folks who are at a similar place in life will feel comfortable around you. They’ll find your company welcoming. If you’re harsh with people who frustrate you, other folks who speak your language will find you. You’ll find it easy to relate to each other. And, at some point in your journey, those same people are going to turn on you. It’s only a matter of time before you stumble or do something to offend them and the searchlight of judgment will be turned on you. You’ll be the one who is no longer worth their company, or loyalty, or respect, or support. You’ll be the one who isn’t worth forgiving, loving, helping, or inviting over on a weekend. You’ll be the one on the outside of the club, looking in. So, be wise. Do not judge others. If you give yourself license to judge others, sooner or later you’re going to get a taste of that same treatment. B. Don’t be a hypocrite (vv.3-5)—look in the mirror. Jesus knows that it’s just human nature to pick at other people—their weaknesses, failings, and sin—while being blind to our own stuff. Who doesn’t have stuff . . . a lot of stuff? Think of some of the stuff that you just can’t stand in other people . . . stuff that just drives you nuts . . . stuff that ticks you off . . . stuff that makes you sick . . . stuff that gets you boiling . . . stuff that starts your doors slamming. You know what I’m talking about? Oh yeah, baby! I hate that stuff . . . people who are late to meetings, who don’t know American history, who break their promises, who talk too much, who are voting for the other presidential candidate, who are divorced, have a jail record, or try to be funny when they’re not . . . I hate that stuff . . . kids who cohabitate and protest the war, You’re right: there’s a lot of sad stuff out there. I wish people were a little smarter, wiser, more discerning. But isn’t there still a lot of sad stuff in there—inside you? Are you positive that your stuff smells like roses? That your stuff is so much better than their stuff? Are you sure that at the end of the day, God is going to wink at your stuff and slam other people for their stuff? It’s true: their stuff (like a speck of sawdust in the eye), is probably really hurting them. But, your stuff . . . this judging stuff, this devaluing others stuff . . . this turning your back on fellow travelers is going to destroy you. It’s poisoning your own soul. 2. Hypocrite is a pretty strong word. You don’t want to be a hypocrite. By definition a hypocrite is someone who wears a mask. A hypocrite plays a part for his audience, while his mask covers up the truth about what’s really underneath. If you’ve read the gospels, you might know that hypocrisy is a bedfellow of wickedness and evil. Hypocrites hang out with liars. In Jesus’ mind, hypocrites are just one step away from hell. When King David is pleading with God for mercy and help, he argues that God should give him some credit for not associating with hypocrites (Psalm 26:4). 3. ILLUS: Speaking of mothers, one of my favorite actors is Denzel Washington. Did you see The Great Debaters last year? Wow—one of my all-time favorites! Denzel was being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey last year and told a story about how his mother helped keep his budding, movie star ego in check. He said, “I walked in the house one day and—feeling full of myself, a movie star—I said to my mother, "Did you ever think this was all going to happen?" She was like, "Please. First of all, go wash the windows for me. You have no idea how many people were praying for you when you were being a knucklehead." Oprah Winfrey and Denzel Washington: 'Little Things Matter,'" Parade magazine (12-16-07). Everyone is a knuckled head from time to time; no one has to be a hypocrite! Someday, when you’ve taken care of all your stuff . . . that’s when you’ll have the right to walk out on other folks because of their stuff. Until you’ve overcome all your stuff, keep your great and mighty powers of discernment focused on yourself. You don’t have the right to judge them, to devalue them, to treat them like they aren’t worth your respect or love or help. TRANS: Jesus ends this intense little coaching session with another bit of street wisdom. III. A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE STRATEGY THAT INVITES MORE PAIN (v. 6) God has given you a good mind. You have real discernment. You see life with real clarity. You’re right about some of these people and issues. A piece of sawdust in someone’s eye can cause a car wreck. Why don’t you take what you see and move toward people with a commitment to listen and help, speak and serve, forgive and love, pray and wait? When you take the discernment I’ve given you and you decide to devalue others and pour out your judgments and criticisms on them, you’ll offend them and turn them off. Your discernment might have helped them if it had been offered with respect and kindness. But, wrap your discernment in judgment, and it’ll be as pointless or useless as lending your Bible to a dog, or giving your jewelry to a pig. You’re wasting your gift of discernment. Worse, the people you judge are going to be strongly tempted to turn on you, tit for tat, and give it back. It’s a very human reaction. They know you well enough to see some of your weaknesses and failings. They’ve got some dirt on you. If you send them an email full of sharp words and condescending judgments today . . . better not check your email tomorrow. CONCLUSION: Back to The Shack: the turning point in Mack’s weekend with God is the moment he decides that he doesn’t have the love, wisdom, or courage to be anyone’s judge. God alone has the right to judge people—to write them off. Mack repents of playing God by judging God and other people, and for the first time in a long time, he no longer feels stuck. If you’re feeling stuck in your faith journey, you could do a lot worse than read The Shack. The book is fictional, but on points like judging others, it reflects Jesus’ teaching with real power. When life has given us a beating, judging others often feels good, feels right, and even feels empowering. But, it is a poison that will damage your soul and all your relationships. In the final few paragraphs of the book, Willie writes, “Well there you have it . . . . I am sure there are some who wonder whether everything really happened as Mack recalls it, or if the accident and morphine made him just a little bit loopyâ€. “All the changes in his life, he tells me, are evidence enough for him. The Great Sadness is gone and he experiences most days with a profound sense of joyâ€. “So the question I am faced with as I pen these words is how to end a tale like this? Perhaps I can do that best by telling you a little about how it has affected me. As I stated in the foreword, Mack’s story changed me. I don’t think that there is one aspect of my life, especially my relationships, that hasn’t been touched deeply and altered in ways that truly matter. Do I think that it’s true? I want all of it to be true.†“If you ever get a chance to hang out with Mack, you will soon learn that he’s hoping for a new revolution, one of love and kindness—a revolution that revolves around Jesus and what he did for us all and what he continues to do in anyone who has a hunger for reconciliation and a place to call home. This is not a revolution that will overthrow anything, or if it does, it will do so in ways we could never contrive in advance. Instead it will be the quiet daily powers of dying and serving and loving and laughing, of simple tenderness and unseen kindness . . . .â€
0 Amens
Recipe #4: You Can Both Win-EVERYTIME!
Recipe #4: Winning Fights: You Both Can Win—Every Time! “First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.†Matthew 7:5 5 PATHS TO LOG REMOVAL 1. Call a Time Out. **“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.†James 1:19-20 **“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 2. Cry out to God. **“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.†James 1:5 **“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.†1 Thessalonians 5:18 3. Commit to Forgiving Your Mate. **“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.†Ephesians 4:31-32 4. Choose a different Reaction. **James 1:21-25 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. 5. Create Judgment Free Zones. **James 4:11-12 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? TO YOUR MATE: I PROMISE to find God’s best in every trial. I give you the security of knowing that the negative things that happen in our marriage will not destroy my love for you. I will not expect perfection from you, but will use even the irritations between us as opportunities to see my blind spots and foster my personal growth. I will call on the power of Christ to root out my weaknesses. (Romans 8:28, James 1:12, Romans 5:3-5)
0 Amens
The Great Day of Justice
One day, God's justice will be poured out fully and finally. One that day, all will stand before the judgement seat of Christ, even those covered by His righteousness.
0 Amens
Biblical Faith is Vindicated in the Judgment of the Wicked
God will vindicate real faith. Real faith, not false faith, will be proven by God to be true. And that ultimate vindication will come in the judgment of the wicked both temporally and eternally.
0 Amens
