Who Are You To Judge?

To judge or not to judge? That is the question. At least the question I will attempt to answer. Several years ago I heard Mike Breidenbaugh, former preacher at Macon Church of Christ, speak on judging. It was a great outline! It was the best sermon on judging I had ever heard. Mike is a powerful evangelist and has a ministry called “Open Your Heart”. His web address is: http://www.openyourheartministries.com/

But before you go out and surf the web, lets run back through that outline on judging! In the New Testament, there are three types of judging that God condemns:

Do NOT judge according to appearance.
In John 7:24, Jesus says, ”Do not judge according to appearance”.
Don’t jump to conclusions. In order to make a proper judgment about something, we must not simply guess. Know the facts! Make sure you know things that were said or done! And never make a mountain out of a molehill. It is easy to do—just add dirt! We are not to judge a person’s motive or intention. So if we are going to make a judgment call on something—know the facts, not just what it looks like.

Do NOT judge lest you be judged.
In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus says, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you”.
What Jesus condemns here is judging hypocritically. We are not to judge in another what we are guilty of doing ourselves. This is the same thing that the Apostle Paul is referring to in Romans 2. We must clean up our own act before we try to clean up someone else's act. Jesus implies that after we remove our sin, there is a proper way to judge. He says, “then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). How can we take the speck out of our brother’s eye without some sort of judging? God's people must determine the difference between 'holy' and 'dogs', 'pearl' and 'swine' in this Matthew passage. This involves judging.

Do NOT judge in the realm of opinion.
In Romans 14:1, the Apostle Paul writes, “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”
What Paul is referring to is disputing over doubtful matters or matters of opinion. This is what the Apostle is referring to when he says, “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore” in Romans 14:13. Our opinions are not law. A person should not make their opinion Scripture. A lot of church problems could be avoided if church members would keep quiet in the area of opinion.

There is one judgment which God commands:

Judge righteous judgment.
John 7:24—”Judge with righteous judgment.”
How? By using the righteous standard - the Bible. II Timothy 3:16-17 says that the Scriptures are to be used for instruction in righteousness. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”.

When you use the Bible to make a judgment—that is righteous judging. If we, as Christians are not to make a “righteous judgment”, what did the Apostle Paul mean by “reproof, correction and training in righteousness”? All of those take a judgment call by someone. But the standard MUST be the Scriptures!

When people do that, don’t get mad at them. Jesus Christ commanded Christians to judge a righteous judgment. So please don’t hate or blame the messenger. They are there to help bring you back in line with the Scriptures. In fact, if someone comes to you and suggests that, according to the Bible, you should be doing things differently in your life, thank them for loving you enough to confront you. Maybe that person is like the person James was referring to when he wrote, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).

Two more thoughts—all things are to be done in love and with the purpose of bringing someone back to the Lord. Personally, I am thankful to all the righteous judges in my life who have helped keep me on the straight and narrow. And I didn’t have to go to a courtroom! All I needed was a Christian brother or sister who loved me enough in Christ to judge my actions, according to the Bible.

Thankless Jobs

Many people work where they never hear "thank you" for all their labors. It happens in ministry and it happens in the secular world. Today I have one big thank you to the Public Works - Solid Waste Management Department here in town.

We scheduled a BIG pickup. And when we said big, we meant BIG!!! This morning about 11:00 they stopped here at our home and took everything we put out! Now we worked hard getting it ready and making it where it would be the right size and weight - but there was a lot of stuff out there. They cleared it all out and only left the trash cans! Thank you for your thankless job. Your role in the city is very important and essential.

It reminds me in the church of just how essential each ministry is. We often think that our role is not important - but the Apostle Paul writes about how the whole body (the local church) works together as the human body does. And each role is important!

(Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4)

Great Lord's Day!

Preached on the Holiness of God! Challenged congregation to be holy as He is holy! Followed by an immersion of a young lady into Christ for the forgiveness of sins! Partook the Lord's Supper (as we do every week)! Shared in fellowship and prayer! Evening service with Ask the Preacher! God is great! He is awesome!

Catching up!

I am finally catching up on some computer hobbies, including this blog. Most of what you read here is what is published in the South Side Side Lites (the church's newsletter). We are dedicated to promoting the New Testament! Back to the Bible! Where the Scriptures speak . . . these are our themes!

Enjoy the blog!

Devoted to the Apostles' Doctrine

Somewhere in my teaching or preaching I am confident that most people have heard me refer to the Apostles’ doctrine or teaching (probably several times). You may have asked yourself: why do we focus so much on the teachings of the Apostles? I think I can answer that question by observing what Jesus promised the Apostles. For about three years Jesus taught the Apostles what they were to teach, preach and write. And if they ever forgot anything about the ministry of Jesus, He gave them a promise about that also. Let’s examine the Scriptures which teach the importance of the Apostle’s Doctrine:

The Apostles given Guidance in Speaking and Teaching
Matthew 10:19-20—But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Luke 10:16—The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.
John 14:26—But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
John 16:13—But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

Apostolic Message as Foundational
The Apostles claimed that these promises came true in their ministries. Their message, as it was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was foundational to what the church believed and practiced.

This concept was not foreign to the Apostles. Notice that they claimed it for themselves:
Ephesians 2:20—having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
Acts 2:42—They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Apostolic Message as the Authority
I Timothy 4:11—Prescribe and teach these things.
Titus 2:15—These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
II Thessalonians 3:14—If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.
II Peter 3:1-2—This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Apostles also claimed that their messages were prophetic. They claimed their writing were Scripture. And they claimed that their messages were from God.

Practice of the First Century Christians
Simply put, they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching or doctrine. That is one reason why I, personally, am committed to restoration—that is, the restoration of the foundational message of the church—the Apostles’ doctrine!

I believe that the church today needs to constantly contend for the faith once delivered by the Apostles! It is not the elders’ doctrine or the deacons’ doctrine or the evangelist’s doctrine or the ladies’ fellowship doctrine! It is the Apostles’ doctrine that the early church devoted themselves to. At South Side, lets do the same!