Disciples Don't Judge

Morning Saints and good morning sinners That's all of us this morning either of Saint or sinner, right? Am I on? Okay, great. You know this world is a tough place, right?

People are trying to find their way. People trying to find their way from the sins of addictions from the feelings of hopelessness from maybe some of us have been there and some of us have the pressure to exceed in this world and we allow that to get the best of us. This morning were going to talk about disciples and why they don't judge. Why they're not mean to people. What subway do the church has always been a hospital for Sinners? Not a museum for Saints? You know the church today is under attack for not being perfect. You imagine that we had called Hypocrites Lee it called all kind of names because we're not perfect and that sometimes were me. Sometimes we don't act very Christian. but the truth is we don't have to be we don't have to be perfect because Christ is perfect. 1st Corinthians 5:7 Christ Our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Christ was the only one that was perfect and we can't pretend like we are that's the point of this morning. One of our acts of worship that sometimes we do sometimes we don't. Are confessing our sins publicly? And I hope that each of us from talk a little bit later like that are confessing our sins to God. We have sins in our life. But sometimes it's hard because what we're saying the guy that is we're sorry. No, I want you to think over the past week. Have you had to say you're sorry? Like over the past month. Now the problem is saying sorry today is a sign of weakness. We don't want to apologize. We don't want to be wrong but the back because we are and sometimes we don't even mean it. We hurt somebody's feelings. We we say something we shouldn't. You know, the one that you're kind of irritates me is when I see someone yelling at a cashier at a store. I don't know if I I repeat myself to I'm sorry, if I've shared this, you know when I'm in a store and I see a cashier getting screamed at by customer. Sometimes I have to say something. I just I can't take it. I really can't we were at Target about a year ago and this cashier was getting yelled at and cursed. And this lady had the nerve asked me what I thought. So I told her she was wrong. She shouldn't be doing that. She should leave and then I told the cashier that shouldn't have to put up with that and we don't have to. People need to learn how to say sorry Christians need to stand up for one another even if they're not a Christian we stand up for people.

sometimes we act a lot more like Sinners than we do Saints. And guess what? That's okay. God doesn't demand Perfection from us. Now he does the man we probably should be doing something with our faith, right? We can't stand still. We have to be going towards what we call sanctification, but the truth is no one is righteous. So I'm going to focus on this stuff very first part of the Senate that's not even a complete sentence. He says he also told this to someone who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and look down on everyone else now.

This opening statement just kind of cracks me up. That there's someone that you know, there's always somebody that thinks they are righteous that they are perfect and we had that within the church to I'm not I'm not judging anybody here this morning Force, right? But we always have that one person no matter where you are. What relationship you have? I had it in school special. I remember that one person. They just thought they were better than everybody else. It drives me crazy. Here we are relations 328 makes it very clear for us. There is no Jew or Greek slave or free male or female for all one in Christ Jesus. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. I don't care what you look like. I don't care what you sound like. I don't care where you came from and the eyes of God. We are the same and when we go to heaven, we're going to be the same. We all are born into this world the same way and we all die the same way. Doesn't matter I can tell you I don't I don't care what Earthly possessions I have. I just hope one day when I die. I'll be surrounded by family members that is tragic when someone passed away and I have no one that they've got rid of their whole family.

God does not care anything about what we think of ourselves. We Are All Made In His Image. We're told that in Genesis that God created man in His image. And you know, I don't care what part of life there is one thing that everyone has similar. Rich for educated uneducated problems everybody has problems. And that's one of my great pleasures of being a pastor. Like they're people that I get to talk to that. I would never in any other way get the doctor. And in any other way, would they ever come to me a young kid? And tell me their problems.

But that's one of the joys of my job.

I just cannot imagine as a young person or a person during the times of Jesus going to Jesus a well-known rabbi. And telling him that I was righteous, but again, that's me judging that person right in the Bible. I'm judging right there. I really liked and I said it this morning. I really like this idea since we talked it's Reformation Sunday, and we talked a little bit of Luther Luther said we are both Saint and sinner at the same time. That there's something in us that is going to draw us the same and you know, he was up a month and he will go to confession and he would you would tell the priest, you know, I just feel horrible. I'm a center. What can I do about it? And the priest would give up give him something to do. What kind of urn off his scent, you know his guilt. And every time you would come back for more and more and he felt so guilty even say Luther might have whipped himself. Because he felt the guilt of his son. But he came back and he said there's nothing I can do. I can't turn off my son. I can't make myself feel better for what I do. I totally came with this idea that we are both Saint and sinner. I think we often need a reminder. That we are guilty of sin. Stop word at self and today's world. It's kind of gone out the window. Send I don't like to talk about it, but we learned in our next few versus here. That we must repent. Of our sense that's a little bit of a heavy topic this morning. I'm sorry. What are scripture is up? I went up to the temple complex for 3 and 1/2 Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took a stand and was playing like this now just imagine someone doing this. . I sent you that I'm not like other people. Can you imagine like this? Greedy, unrighteous adulterers or even like that tax collector who I just cannot stand. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I get. Now I certainly have met people that say all these things but not pray but acts like they're saying he would not even raise his eyes to heaven. But kept striking his chest and saying God. Have mercy on me a sinner. Now you guys Capris for me here. I mean the text is so straightforward what's going on in the story? And it parallels so much of what Jesus tells us in the New Testament.

But I kind of think in modern terms like how would this play out? Could you imagine someone praying hear some sentences for you? Thank you. I'm not a jerk like my boss. So mean. Thank you that I'm so good-looking. I'm like those people. God thank you, so I'm not so dumb, but smart. . Thank God. I'm not as poor as those people. I couldn't live like that. Look at that small house. They live in Are Christians even insulting other churches my goodness how ridiculous is that? You're not guilty. I'm just as guilty on some of these things. You know, I won't say what things but I said, I'd never be that type of Pastor. I'll never be at that type of church. You know, I'll never go to that school my goodness only those type of people go there. I mean it's ridiculous. But the center the tax collector does it right?

He says very clearly have mercy on me a sinner.

Can we imagine a tax collector having it, right? Yeah, I don't like them. I really don't like tax collectors.

I had to call the one down in Henry County on our house cuz they tripled our taxes if we're not living in it. But you know what? She was a nice lady. I have done that you guys know that there is a Christian lawyer Association. I thought that was an oxymoron. I really did. Did you know I went to a small group and the guys leaving the small group was judge and he was part of this organization.

You know. We don't have a time. We're not Roman Catholic, right? We don't have a confessional booth in the back with every Sunday. You come and confess your sins. And then I tell you, you know, God have mercy on you. Maybe give you a something to do a prayer to pray. But that doesn't mean we should stop confessing. Just cuz you're not going to the priest we have to go before God on our knees as the tax collector. We have to say God. I'm a sinner and need of a savior. And maybe you need to confess your sin to someone else. Maybe you've said that someone else maybe you said something mean or hurtful. And you need to say I'm sorry. And again, I I'm just as guilty as everyone. I thought this was an alarming stat. So 69% of Americans. disagree That said deserves punishment, essentially. So we have the Commandments we have that Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. But 69% of Americans say throw it out the window. We don't need to confess. We don't we don't have sin in our life. Now. What I'm saying is all sin is equal in the eyes of God. There is no greater sin besides blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Now we're told him Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But yet 69% of Americans say don't worry about it. No, I don't know. Maybe that's pretty alarming fact. I was so I don't know where we all stand in the congregation. But the point here is we have to be have repentant hearts. We have to go before God the creator of the universe. Why? So that he will forgive us. So that he will forgive us. As in verse 14 our last verse of the morning. And I tell you this one went down to his house Justified. lacrosse justifies us rather than the other because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. So that's a nice way of saying and you think your righteous God is going to put you on your knees. And let me tell you he does. But the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Oh my goodness. That's a that's a sermon right there. How often does God humble those who need to be humbled? And those dear Saints of the church. Are there people that do his work God lifts up?

You know, I've done a lot of funerals. my first year of ministry I did at least one or two funerals a month for my first call my first appointment.

And those people who were humble and serve price on the Strip show me tell you those funerals were uplifting or joyful. but those people that I don't know. Didn't really care about those around them. We're sad. I've had sad funerals and happy funeral. I hope that when I die, I hope it's a good joyful place and I'll from New Orleans or right around there and we party at a funeral right? We have a party we really do and it's always a joy to celebrate life. We can celebrate life when we have the Forgiveness that got us talking about in his versus so some translations. Say this verse 13. God turn your ass from me a center. Let me tell you so when I when I started Bible College. It's really warm. This is a horrible and site sometime but you get you pick up keywords. And then based on those keywords, you can tell right away when you listen to a sermon what type of Pastor it is and let me tell you when I heard rat and a servant I already have a judgement. I already know what's up pastor already know where their theology is going. It's horrible. I'm judgmental and I have to tell you I would choose often to just turn off the sermon. I'm not listen to it. I think of a Fundamentalist. but the truth is God does have rap.

God has right because he loves us. God does judge us because he loves us if we're parents. Most of us have been parents or grandparents her or aunts or uncles you had kids somewhere. And a weakness allow our children is to do whatever they want all the time when they grow up. It doesn't turn out well typically. I watched it. I have a family member has done this and their son. My goodness needs to go to military school. That's where he needs to go. and

we all admit it as a family even though mom, so we have to understand that God loves us so much that he wants to correct this. And I think of this though if you scroll through Facebook, there's a videos often of this judge in New Jersey, I believe and it's an older guy. Like, I think he's in his 80s and he often gives those that come before him compassion. And I don't know be somebody come up and don't have $500 in speeding fines. How many finds out though they were on the way to get their chemo treatment or they are on their way to see a loved one that I was coming home from serving overseas or something like that and he was famous. Well before Facebook put them on there, but he often gives compassion for those. I don't deserve it really disputed. You pass the stop sign. You deserve the fine, right? But this child shows compassion and I know many people are the judge that we know told us and his position. He often sees grandchildren now people that have gotten in trouble with the law. And he is trying to help these families from his position as the judge now. How often do you hear that? I don't know. I don't know what it is here in our County but I will tell you that there are people that have compassion so when I'm thinking of Jesus and I'm thinking of the way he takes our judgment upon himself. Why would I not in humility? Be grateful every single day. Everyday, I wake up grateful that he has shown compassion. We have to stop judging people including me because we're told here in the Bible. If I were in church, Matthew 7:2 you'll be judged same way you judge others. You'll be measured in the same way. You measure others. My goodness, I'm in trouble. I better go before Jesus right now and say God. You know, I really messed up. We need to evaluate where we are personally on this area of our faith. We need to ask as a church. Where are we personally are we judging people? And as a community because I don't believe you know, we live our faith here at church. We bring it out to the the community and I think we do a good job that of that here, but we need to evaluate how judgmental

Don't be that person.

Don't be the person that people don't like to be around because they feel they have to be perfect.

And it's not that we are not to judge is that Jesus tells us that we cannot Josh as disciples. It's not multiple choice. Wait, we can't it's not a buffet. We can't pick and choose what we want.

And we can't ask for forgiveness. And say, you know tomorrow do the same thing over and over again when we ask for forgiveness. It's because we want to change your life. Now I get it, you know, especially in a pokestop in addictions the God. I'm I'm sorry. I keep messing up and and I think he understands that. I do. But we should be working on our lives as Christians. And again, I love all your care about you. This is the the scripture that was chosen from you this morning.

And I am really guilty of it. As I shared a little bit. So this is our commission as a church this morning. Our commission is the Via place a Congregation of people continuing be a Congregation of people. That love everybody that comes through these doors. That when someone comes in these doors, they feel loved and let me tell you how I feel loved here.

We need to be a people that out in the community. They wonder why are you so nice to me? Why don't you care that I look ridiculous?

Why don't you care that I think differently than you? And I know Republicans and Democrats being friends. Can you believe that different sides of the aisle? Nobody cares because we put Christ first. Right. We we don't now as Believers. Absolutely. We have to hold each other accountable 100% You see a brother or sister falling into temptation. You need to go to them and say you need to fix this. You need to go apologize. You need to say sorry what it whatever it is. We have to do that at the church. but don't do it out of judgment. You have to come from a place of love. So, let's be at church this morning. Let's continue to be the Church of love that Christ has called us to be let us pray.

almighty God you told us this morning the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee.

God as the pastor of this church. I took to be the Pharisee sometimes. God I ask for your forgiveness and mercy got that right cuz I know I cannot do it on my own. I am a sinner. in need of a savior

God help us as First United Methodist Church.

Be the Church of love. To be the church that does not cast judgement. Because people look differently than we do. Because they talk differently than we do. They they have less money or more money than we do. God help us. Help Us Alive towards you towards sanctification God have mercy on us sinners this morning.