Don't Judge Others!

The Bible Doesn't Say That  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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While we are not to be the judge, jury, and exocutioner we are still called to hold one another accountable and the church is called to rise above sin, not turn a blind eye to it.

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Introduction

Good morning and welcome!
This morning we are going to continue on with our sermon series “The Bible Doesn’t Say That!”
And this morning we are going to be talking about the subject “Don’t Judge Others!”
And I am sure we have all heard people say “you shouldn’t judge other people.”
And often times they will quote Jesus’ words in . . .
Matthew 7:1 NIV - Anglicised
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
But the problem is, they will never read the rest of the passage.
They are like the man who was asked to choose an accountability partner.
He thought and thought about who he could get, and the best person he came up with was himself.
So, he chose himself as his own accountability partner.
Now, how do think that worked out?
The issue is that people will cherry-pick verses out of the Bible like this one because they do not want to be held accountable for their sin.
And we are going to see this morning that what Jesus is talking about here is not a blanket DON’T JUDGE ANYONE FOR ANYTHING, type of teaching.
And to help us we are going to be looking at a situation that Paul dealt with in the Corinthian church.
Specifically, we are going to be in .
And while you are finding in your Bibles I am going to show you a short little video illustration . . .
PLAY VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGghswQgAzE
Now, I’m not sure how well you could see what was going on, but the guy was interviewing for a job, but he had this big ole stain on his shirt.
And the guy interviewing him couldn’t focus on what the person being interviewed was even saying because he was distracted by the big ole ugly stain.
And what I want us to draw from this is the fact that sin is the same way.
When there is sin in the Church, it is a distraction from everything else God is trying to accomplish in the Church.
And I am not talking about being the “sin police.”
We are not out here lurking in bushes spying on people trying to catch them in sin.
I am talking about sin that is obvious.
Sin that is blatant.
Sin that the person or people involved in it are engaged in it openly.
Sin that the Church responds to by either turning a blind eye to or excusing it outright.
Which is exactly what Paul is demonstrating to us here in .
So, if you have found in your Bible, I’d invite you to stand if you are able.
I am going to be reading the first 13 verses and we are going to be talking about the idea of not judging others!
Paul writes . . .

Scripture Focus

1 Corinthians 5:1–13 NIV - Anglicised
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I have written to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
1 Corin

Judgement From Within

Now, if we take what the popular notion is about Jesus’ words in and combine it here with what Paul is saying it would seem contradictory on the surface.
However, when we begin to dig under the surface, there is no controversy at all.
What Paul is dealing with is a situation where there is sin IN THE CHURCH.
Notice that in verse 12 Paul says . . .
1 Corinthians 5:12 NIV - Anglicised
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
Paul is talking specifically about those who claim to be part of the Church.
Paul is talking specifically about those who CLAIM to be Christians.
He is not talking about all the people in the world who have no relationship with Jesus Christ.
Their morality or lack of morality is easily explained....The Holy Spirit has never had the opportunity to deal with their sinful nature.
They are accountable to God, first and foremost on the condition as to whether or not Jesus Christ is their Savior and why they have rejected Jesus.
That’s why Paul writes that . . .
1 Corinthians 5:13 NIV - Anglicised
13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
1 Corinthians
Paul, and ALL Christians are responsible for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those outside the Church. Beyond that, they are in God’s hands and it is up to God to judge them for their actions and their decisions.
The Church is supposed to set the example for how the world SHOULD LIVE, but the judge is God, not us.
But Paul here is dealing with a very specific situation that is going on INSIDE the Church.
And this problem is two-fold.
He is dealing with Adultery.
And according to the laws of our land, he is also dealing with a form of incest.
Back in verse 1 Paul writes . . .
1 Corinthians 5:1 NIV - Anglicised
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
So, there is a man in the Church.
A man that is claiming to be a Christian.
Who is engaged in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife.
Which is so morally reprehensible that Paul says that this kind of sexual immorality does not occur even among the pagans.
In other words, even those who have no relationship with Jesus Christ.
Even those who have no real and true moral compass, know that doing this is wrong.
And to make the matter even worse, Paul writes that . . .
1 Corinthians 5:2 NIV - Anglicised
2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
1 Corinthians 5:
These Christians in this Church are so proud and full of themselves, but all the time this blatant sin is going on right in front of them, AND THEY KNOW IT.
Not only do they know it but they are not doing anything about it.
Some are saying that “well, we don’t want to cause a stink.”
Others are saying, “well, that’s none of my business.”
Some are saying, “well, it’s not that bad.”
Some are saying, “well, we shouldn’t judge others.”
All of the excuses we use not to deal with things that go on.
And all the time, while they are all puffed up and proud this sin is just like the stain on the man’s shirt from out video.
It is a HUGE distraction for what God desires to do in the Church and in the community through the Church.
Let’s think about it for a minute. What kind of example do we set for people when the sin inside the Church is worse than outside?
People don’t take the Church seriously because the Church has never done a good job dealing with the sin within the Church.

What Did Jesus Say?

However, before we can go further with what Paul says here, lets go back to Matthew and look at what Jesus says in that entire passage.
In the entire passage Jesus says . . .
Matthew 7:1–6 NIV - Anglicised
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Matthew 7:1-
Matthew 7:1–5 NIV - Anglicised
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
So, once we get past the first verse and start looking at the passage as whole, we will discover that Jesus is actually talking about us just out here passing blanket judgement on everybody.
So, once we get past the first verse and start looking at the passage as whole, we will discover that Jesus is actually talking about us just out here passing blanket judgement on everybody.
Out here serving as judge, jury, and executioner.
And I am talking about on the people of the world.
Instead of being out here spending our time pointing our finger in the world’s face, we should be out here telling people the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Which is exactly what Paul talks about in .
Now, Jesus also deals with another group; those inside the Church passing judgment on one another.
And he hammers them.
Again Jesus tells us . . .
Matthew 7:3-
Matthew 7:3–5 NIV - Anglicised
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Jesus is not saying that we should not be holding one another accountable.
Jesus is not saying that we should not be dealing with sin within the Church.
Jesus IS saying that we need to deal with our own sin BEFORE we start telling other people what their problems are.
He is basically saying, you bunch of hypocrites, how in the world is anyone else in sin going to take you seriously when yours is just as bad or even worse?
Jesus says, deal with your own sin, and then you can help others deal with theirs.
And if we really think about it, if we all dealt with our own sin, then what sin would there be for the Church to have to deal with?
There is NOTHING though contained in this passage that tells us to turn a blind eye to, or not deal with sin.

Paul’s Solution

Which is exactly what Paul is telling the people to do here.
He is telling them that this man is claiming to be a Christian, and there is obvious sin within him and that sin must be dealt with.
If it is not, then both the Church and this man are at risk of complete and utter destruction.
Paul tells them that . . .
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 5:4–5 NIV - Anglicised
4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
And then in verse 11 . .
1 Corinthians 5:11 NIV - Anglicised
11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
1 Corinthians 5:
And then in verse 13 again . . .
1 Corinthians 5:13 NIV - Anglicised
13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
Notice here that Paul is specifically talking about those who call themselves Christians.
He says to expel them ,to not associate with them, to hand them over to Satan, so that the sinful nature be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
What Paul is saying is, don’t be all buddy, buddy, giving the impression that you approve of their sin.
Show them the love of Jesus Christ, but also share the truth with them in love.
Let them know that their sin is wrong and that they will stand accountable to God for it.
Paul also tells us in Galatians that . . .
Galatians 6:1 NIV - Anglicised
1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
We are to do what we can to try and restore people.
We restore people by teaching the truth and showing them love and compassion.
Restoring people is not pointing our finger at them and telling them, you sinner, your not welcome here!
No, we teach and preach the truth.
And everyone is welcome in the congregation, because that is where you learn.
However, there comes a point where those in the Church must take a stand and that one who is claiming to be a Christian must be confronted with their sin.
Not in a judgmental way, but in a sincere concern for their soul.
Sin is sin, and we have an obligation to call it like we see it.

Altar Call

And I have to say that if you are here this morning and you are living a life of sin, you know who you are.
You know what your doing, even if I don’t.
And God also knows.
And there will come a day that if you do not deal with the sin in your life, God will judge you for it.
If you leave this world and the sin has not been dealt with, you will go to hell.
Not for a day, or a week, or a month, or even a year.
But for all eternity.
And we don’t like to hear that, but its the truth.
So, if there is sin in your life that God is calling you to deal with, I would invite you to come and deal with it right now.
My goal is not to offend or upset people, but you have to be told the truth and I am far more concerned with your soul and with where you will spend eternity than I am with you being mad at me.
We need to stop playing Christian and be Christians.
The altar is open.
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