Matthew_7:11.2021.12.05

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:03

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, And join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Gepper.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:25

We're in, Matthew 6. No. 7. We're gonna read 1 through 6 in the New American Standard. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged. And by your standard measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice log that is in your own eye.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:53

Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye? You, hypocrites, first, take out the log in your own eye, then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces. The word of the lord. Thanks be to god. Amen. So it's clear here. The lord Jesus says, do not judge. Do not judge.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:32

Again, quoted often Unbelievers often brought to your attention the Christians Christians are not supposed to judge. Right? That's what he says here. Do not judge. However, he also says here in, in John chapter 7, judge with righteous judgments. Wait a minute. Do not judge or judge with righteous judgment. Which is it? So here's my question. What do you do when scripture seems to contradict itself? You look at other scripture? What else? Surrounding context.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:11

Context? Very important. Right? Anything else? Ask other more informed leaders. Yeah. Yeah. See, Look at what's the historical. Right? Right? Other strong, Right? Believers. Right? So one thing we shouldn't do is just ignore it. Okay.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:36

So we're fully informed. It's an understanding that things of god in force are like highest heavens are above the earth. So some things we're not we don't come to full clarity on. You run into to something in scripture which seemingly contradicts itself. These are the things we look for. What are the other scriptures? How do they more fully inform us? Right? What's the context in which we read this? Is there a what's the historical view on it within the church? Right? And then, we look for other, you know, strong strong believers, teachers about, the scripture. So in here, he says do not judge. The word judge means to distinguish, to to.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:23

By the way, literally, the English word decide comes from the same word as homicide. It means to kill off all the other alternatives. So by its nature, right, to decide has the idea by implications to try it, to to, render a judgment, To condemn it and punish it in a in an evil sense. Right? So he gives us some context here. He says, do not judge so that you will not be judged for he says, for in the way in which you judge, for in the way. So that's what goes in the quotes. We're in the way. He's saying, so there's a way in which you judge.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:06

Part of the issue is the way in which you judge, For it's in the way in which you judge. And then he gives an example for us to see. Here's what it looks like. Very specific example. So he says, you look at the speck in your brother's eye. Right? You do not notice the log in your robe. You look at the speckle in your brother's eyes. So that's what that face is.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:32

He says you look at. So it's hard to think about that. He says, first of all, he says you look at the speck in your brother's eye. You look at look at. So I was Thinking about that, what what what does that mean? What's that mean? What what what are you what are you looking at? When you when you see a picture, What is it that you focus on? So to the left of it, you should write focal point. Are we photographers we have here? Any photographers? What's focal point mean? So in a picture, it's not necessarily the center of the picture. True photographers really are saying, what is it is That is the focal point in this picture. So sometimes it could be the the something in the background, something in the foreground.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:24

Is it Person is at the surrounding. Right? The focal point needs a sense in what is the picture designed to bring to the to light. So the question is, as you go through life, right, so when a photographer pulls up a camera, they're looking for the focal point. So they're framing up, but they're looking for the full focal point. So he's saying that, generally, as you move through life, You are focal pointing on the speck in your brother's eyes, and that's what you see. And he says, you do not notice that you have a log in your o nine, A very visual picture. Like, you can't get the the camera to your own eye. You can get a log in your eye.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:12

You do not notice. So this is the idea of what are you looking at? So he says, what are you looking at on a general basis? This issue of do not judge, He's saying is, what are you looking at?

Speaker C [: 00:06:24

Right?

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:24

That's the first part. The second he said, you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your own eye. Right? You say your brother. And so I thought, what does that mean? I think But over volunteering. So the first issue is that you're focal point issue. The other is you are overvolunteering. You are regularly volunteering to help point out the speck In your brother's eye. And you not only are volunteering to to point it out, you're volunteering to take it out.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:02

Because he said what's he say? Let me take out this back out of Europe. So part of this issue is this idea of You've got the wrong focal point, and you're over volunteering. Let me take it out. Not just let me point it out. Let me take it out. So Jesus said here's the his response to this. He said, you Hypocrite. So he defines this is what it looks like.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:37

This is a hypocrite when it comes to judging. Or in other words, this is hypocritical judgment. You've got the wrong focal point, and you're overvolunteering. So Sam Storm said judgmental criticism that is self righteous, hypercritical, and destructive. It's an underlying destructive, so there's the the ultimate. So the space there is self righteous. So the very first thing he says is It is, right, a judgment that you're not to do is self righteous judgment. It's judgmental criticism.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:24

Well, Garth says the Pharisees became oppressive of it oppressively judgmental of other people. Right? There's a part in scripture where he says, you lay you lay up on the backs heavy loads upon the backs. Right? Laying up heavy loads. He says they can then condemned and they criticize. They were censorious. Right? Overcritical. They were unmerciful, unforgiving, unkind, Lacking grace. So the the side of this second description is unmerciful.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:00

They were self righteous, and they was unmerciful judgment. Todd said the censorious critic is a fault finder fault finder who's negative, destructive toward other people and enjoys actively seeking out their failings. So you can overlay that. Actively seeking out their failings. That has to do with focal point. He puts the worst possible construction on their motives. He pours cold water on their schemes and is ungenerous toward their mistakes. So self righteous, unmerciful, and hypercritical.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:47

Scott, sounds like social media. Well, so let's define it. Social media is not anything. Social media is just a media in which with with animosity Yes. You can become even more self righteous, unmerciful, and hypercritical. Thank you. Right? So when there's when there's anonymity, it allows us to be even more. Right? So the difference is, of course, people are that way, Not immediate.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:16

I mean, TV can be that way. You know? Newspapers can be that way. Verbal can be it's just harder to be that way to somebody's face. You know, when I when I put up, the, anonymity, then it's easier. So self righteous, unmerciful, hypercritical is what kind of judgments he's talking about. So the first thing he says is, you have a you have a way. He also says there is a standard. He says your standard of measure.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:51

So he said you have a way, and you also have a standard your standard of measure. This position is looking favorably on the character and action of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust and unlovely judgments upon them. So self righteous, unmerciful, Unfavorable and hypercritical. So he said he says in there so the point is as I go through here, Think about it. So courageous, so inversely, unfavorable, hypercritical. What I want you to do is bring to mind the person Who you need to call to account for this? Because this this lesson is about for you pointing it out in the life of others. So this is a We call it PTO and proper brother. This is a lesson for others.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:44

How many let's be honest. How many actually thought of someone else? Come on. You better raise your hand. You have a problem. I'm gonna have a problem with of course. Isn't it our nature? And and so it it is important that you go through here and say that is our our natural state. Go, oh, you know who this who this. Right? I hope he's recording this.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:08

I'm gonna send a copy. Anonymous. Yeah. So and so. Sorry. I heard something this morning. I did too. That was when I got up and went to brush my teeth.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:20

Yeah. So he says there's a way. So he's talking about the way in which right? Because he says, for the way you judge. So there's a way in which we judge. Right? And and I would suggest it's natural in our sinfulness. This is the way we tend to. It's just our nature. He also says there is a standard that you use, your standard of measure.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:45

Right? Because he says, And by your standard of measure, you it it will be measured to you. So McKnight said, if you judge cheerily, make proper allowances for the Real tears of your brother are ready to pity and pardon their faults. God and man will deal with you in the same kind manner. But if you always put the worst construction on everything that it will bear and are not touched with the feeling of your brother's infirmities that show no mercy In the opinions you form in their character and actions, no mercy will be shown to you. So I said, so if you think about yourself, Now it's we need to judge ourself. On the one side, I put okay. So no mercy. Right? So the the your Standard is no mercy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:33

Then I thought, well, so what's on the other side? What would be on the other side? Mercy. Mercy. In an issue, that's what I thought. Mercy. Right? Mercy. But I thought, no. That's actually not the case. Not the case.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:48

Over on the other side, right, the total opposite of no mercy would be no standard. Right? It would be no standard at all. Right? Because that would seemingly right? It wouldn't be all wouldn't be merciful like I have no standard at all. So the opposite of no mercy is no standard. So here's the question. Is no mercy the right standard? No. We would say no mercy. Right? There's no standard the right standard.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:22

How can you judge? Right? Right? Bible talks about, just weights. How can you judge if you don't have a weight? Right. The only way to judge a right weight is if you have an appropriate weight. So in the middle, right, would be an appropriate, right, appropriate standard with Mercy. So if we if we had no standard, it would be Out of balance here. If we had no mercy, it would be out of balance there. So in the middle, a balanced approach approach in the middle would be balanced with an appropriate standard, right, with with mercy. Because by its nature, to to go back up, to distinguish, to decide, to differentiate requires that I compare with something.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:15

The only way you can you can ask if if if a picture's out of level is if there is a level, if There's a level standard. If we have no standard, then and he says, here's what you should do, hypocrite. Verse 5. What's what what's Jesus say to do? Go and help your brother with the speck in his eyes. I don't know what he says. What's he say? 1st, focus on your own sanctification. He's saying if you can take the log out of your own eye, then you'll see Clearly, to help your brother. He doesn't say don't.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:55

He just says, first, focus on your own sanctification, Then take the log or take the speck out of your brother's eye. So the winter, I thought this is It's unclear. You have to be discerning. In order to be able to judge appropriately, You have to be discerning. So John 724, he says, do not judge according to Parents, right, would judge with righteous judgments. So judge righteously. Going righteous. So here's some guidelines.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:37

So we need we need to be able to think and evaluate appropriately In order to be able to judge appropriately. Right? And what's interesting is he is is he ends this in case it to be misunderstood that we are never to apply judgment. What do you say in verse 6? Somebody read verse 6. Do not give what is holy to dogs. Do not throw your Girls before swine, and they will trample them under their feet, determine the terror you interrogate you to pieces of them. So Jesus just said some people are dogs, but some people are like swine. Some people are like dogs. Some are like it's funny.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:32

Do not give what is holy to dogs. And let's get it up again. You go to Philippians Or, where's yeah. Philippians 3. May we read her soon? There there it is again. Beware of the dogs. Beware of the evil workers. So it's not it's not Without calling a spade a spade, if you will, we would say.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:57

Right? Calling a spade. So I put on there, use critical discernment. So at the end of that, in case You would say, well, it means never never never pass judgment on anybody or anything. Well, that would that would be inappropriate because he just says, By the way, know who are dogs and and don't give what is holy to dogs. Don't catch your pearls before swine. Use critical discernment. If you go to 1st Corinthians, he says, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with the moral people, first Stein chapter 5 of 1st great deals. By its nature, he's saying do not associate with immoral people, which would suggest okay.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:39

So How do I define immoral? I have to apply judgment appropriate judgment. Right? I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world or with the covetous swindlers idolaters, but then you would have to go out of the world. You have to leave the world. But, actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so called brother if he's an immoral person or covetous, Adopter, a violer, drunkard, swindler, not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders, Do you not judge those who are within the church? Those who are outside, god judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourself would suggest the need for judgment, those who are within the church, in the fellowship of the church. In the early 1st 100 years, I think it's called the The dash, the 9 act. What's it called? It's like the the from the early fathers.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:46

And literally said, if they if someone hadn't been baptized, they don't the universe. So they were and they were they applied this verse, essentially. So in some application of what does that mean. Right? What does that mean? Certainly, to be within the context of the church and the leadership of the church for the understanding judgment occurs there. Good day, Scott. I put I put judge with a double edged sword, not a double Standard. Double edged sword. What would be the difference? So what would the double standard be? The word is the is the double edged sword.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:28

So in judgment, it would be, I I have a standard for you, Which is different than the standard for me. So it usually would look like I'm a lot more legalistic with you than I am with me, more gracious with aim or law with you. Right? So a double standard would be judged differently. The script scripture calls that differing weights. Right? Then I apply different standard to other people than I apply to myself. A double edged sword would understand that whatever sword I use to To to to judge others will be the sword at which god and I will be judged. It's a great reminder, right, that we judge with a double edged sword. Reminder, I am I applying the same standard to myself as I do to other people? And, of course, by implication, what would this suggest? It would be our nature to Apply a double standard, not the double edged sword.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:27

Just recognizing that that is the nature of sin, that I'm gonna call you to an account that I don't call my self too. Or at least I struggle with that. You may not take the photo. Then he says, Judge actions and leave motives to god. Judge actions and leave motives God. Let's look at 1st Corinthians 4 or 5. Yeah. So god knows things.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:59

The motives of the heart, only god can do that. Right? God knows the motives of the heart. So if you find yourself Either internally or in your your your language judging the motives of others, just recognizing I can't I can't really judge the motive of others. I'm really good at it, though. I'm really good at it. 412, because if if It's sanctification. If we are to focus on our own sanctification, it says, first, take the log out of your own eye. Let me read for, Hebrews 412.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:41

So if you say if if if you think about application, what he says, here's what you You first take the log out of your own eye. So the the way to go even below the surface here with motives are to be where In his word. It's his word because it's his word and his presence because he says in verse 13 of chapter 4, There is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do, which is why Daily face to face, 1 on 1 time with God in his word, where his word and his spirit can search And bring your motives to light is the best place to be because one of the the the the best antidotes to to judgment or at least, a standard of judgment, which is inappropriate, is confession of your own sin. Right. The DOD recognize your own sin. When you do that, it's it's hard to to wield a a heavy sword when you're regularly applying it first to yourself. So when you apply your standard first to yourself. So daily time sitting with the lord in his word when you allow it to search.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:03

Search me, lord. David Christ, search me and only. See the see see the evil way would see the hurtful way within me and lead me in the way everlasting. Regular confession of your own sin is a great antidote to The judgmental spirit, whose god will reveal the thoughts and intentions of your heart. And the scripture says, the heart is deceptively wicked. Not just wicked. It's Deceptively wicked. It's easy to deceive yourself, isn't it? It's easy to deceive yourself.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:43

That's why I say even even praying out loud Praying out loud because I can I can say stupid things in my head when I'm talking to God? When I just pray them out loud, I think, That just sounds stupid, but he has to. You know? When you listen to your own words, you go, that doesn't really make sense. And, You know, if you wanna write your judgmental spirit, lord, forgive me. Have mercy upon me. Right? Forgive me for the next guideline I put on there, stay away from the gray. Stay away from the gray. What do I mean? Secondary, irrelevant. Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:22

That's right. Stuff I have a personal conviction about, but it's gray stuff in scripture. But that's fun, though. It's really fun. What's wrong with that? Did you see someone's own drinking beer? Oh my. They smoke cigarettes. I think they need a story of, who is it? Moody is Spurgeon, I think the story goes. He showed up at at Spurgeon's house.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:51

He said something like, you know, who are you, a man of god smoking? And I yeah. This Cigar there, and he said, who who are you, a man of god so fat? Something like that. You know? Right? So firing away in the gray. You know? Stay away from the gray. Stay away From. The judging is so fun. Come on. So what is it about judging that makes it so fun? What is it? It's way better.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:24

I put you down, and I lift me up. Right? I figure out the standard that works to put you down and and pick Yeah. And even if I have to weigh it one side to the other. Right? Because oftentimes, I don't we're not talking about the same suit. I'll I'll pick an area where Where I had it more together than you, and then I go like, yeah. Yeah. So recognizing that, to core that, we wanna feel better about ourselves. We want to feel better about ourselves.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:53

So in Galatians 6 go to Galatians 6. And so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he's something and he's nothing, He deserves he deceives himself. At least one must examine his own work, and then he'll have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone and not regard to another. Examination, you said begins with yourself. Sanctification with yourself. Each one bears own load. So I put on there, Seek healing and restoration.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:29

Seek healing and restoration. Right. So he says restore 1 in a spirit of gentleness. Right? Seek healing and restoration. So, of course, judge false doctrines and false teachers. For sure. For sure. For sure.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:47

Scripture's really clear about that. Paul names them Aemeneus and Philetus. He names them by name, so he has no problem with that. So judge Paul's doctrine. And then, lastly, in Romans 12 Verse 3 says, through the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself Then he ought to think. But to think so as to have sound judgment as god has a lot of speech to measure. Okay? Sound Judgment. Well, I would say not only to think more highly of yourself, then it's equally inappropriate to think more Lonely of yourself.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:36

There's some people who are stuck in the lowly. Right? Right? I'm just Constantly berating myself, berating myself, berating myself. And I think it's equal, but it doesn't fill. So then you have to judge more. So that because it doesn't work. So I just I have to find it so weird. Explanation. That's right.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:57

So I put on there sound and balanced judgment. He said, vote for yourself. Start with yourself. Not too highly as prideful, Too lowly is prideful equally. Right? Too lowly is prideful equally. Have balanced Seek sound and balanced judgments. So he says do not judge so that you will not be judged. We're talking about the way in which you judge.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:22

Right? Way in which you judge and the standard of measure that you use. And then, fundamentally, we should begin with our own sanctification. Right? Balance judgment of our own self before we apply it to others. Judge righteously used discernment, critical Focus on a double edged sword, not a double standard. Leave the motives to god. Stay away from the Creation. So put an application down, and then share some. I assure you I won't judge you on your Insight.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:03

Next time you give us all the answers, can you also fill out that application chart? I'm happy because I'd rather have an application for you than it would for me. It's always much easier. Yes. You have trouble to ask your spouse. Yeah. So the comment on on the judge versus jury, I think that would be an the application would be the process. Don't come to quick judgment. But at the end of the day, it does say you have to come to a judgment.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:35

You do have to right? You do have to come to a conclusion. You have to distinguish. You have to decide. Yeah. So you still do. It's just don't come to hasty. Right? You know, be be be be be be have to have a process. Right? Of course, you hear it all, be quick to judge.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:54

Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of people that shot fired great shots at him. I I have no idea. You know, I always think, you know, I'm I'm that close to where Ravi Zacharias is. You know? That might not be my area. It it might be another area for someone else. That would be 1. Slow slow slow breath to, to bring judgment.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:20

Slow to cast stones. Jesus said to the Pharisees, you who are without sin, throw the first yeah. Because we could say, well, I'm just not gonna judge it all, Then I avoid any issue with it, but that would scripture is saying, no. Jesus saying you should, but as a as a help for us. Right? And even I think about Ravi Zacharias. So what's the lesson? It'd be good it's good to look at his life and say, what's the lesson rather than go, here's another leader that fell. Well, that's unhelpful. Well, You know, what what can I learn from Ravi Zacharias and that I can apply to my own self? Right? Did he not have, You know, appropriate, you know, accountability around him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:02

I mean, what what can we really learn from that in a in a positive, Yeah. The positive. When I when I get with God, it's not possible to not need his mercy.

Speaker C [: 00:32:14

Amen.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:15

You see him on his throne. You see him in his holiness and his righteousness to grab for mercy and to to wonder, here I am again. Like, here I am again, lord. Here I am again. We didn't were were we just on this, you know, 2 hours ago or yesterday or you know? Here I am again. Have mercy. Mercy. So if if when when you're crying for mercy, it's much easier to to, apply mercy Into the lives of others.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:46

All of that mercy triumphs over tempted. So at the end of the day, we're called to judge. Judge appropriately. Amen. And and judge righteously is what he says. Judge righteously. And his righteousness includes, his judgment and his mercy and weaving it all together, I'm grateful that he does it. So we start with he does it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:11

He does it appropriately. We have a god who is merciful, and for that, we're grateful. Well, Roger, if you would, close us, please, in prayer.

Speaker C [: 00:33:22

So father god, thank you for, again, reminding us that Your word is truth, and, your standards are firm. You give us direction here on how to make assessments, how to discern not only others, but more importantly, how to discern our own Motives, our own conduct, our own behaviors. So father instill these truths in our heart. May we be Careful in our judgments. May we be, discerning. May we be balanced. May we extend mercy Where it is needed, may we extend, criticism where it is needed. So, father, Show us our faults.

Speaker C [: 00:34:12

Show us where we need to go, where we need to, Be merciful where we need to be critical. Thank you for, Scott's teaching for the preparation. I pray blessing on those who are part of Our group this morning, be with us as we go about our day and our next week. Bring us, back together again. And and, father, just as we enter into this advent season, we pray, father, for a Christ centered Christmas celebration in 2021. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:51

Amen. And may the god of all grace, may he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance In great unison alone, deep in your soul this week that you walk in the power of his spirit. Amen.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:13

Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, and may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time. May god bless you and keep you.