9/1/13  KINGDOM LIVING - Hear and DO

    Judging others, one of the favorite pastimes of many people.  They look at someone and immediately put them in a category and “know” all about them.  Let me give you two stories.
Seattle Group Believes Alcoholics Can’t Change
    Can alcoholics overcome their addiction? Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Services Center doesn’t seem to think so. It’s spending $11 million on permanent housing for homeless alcoholics.
    Some in Seattle were fed up with spending $50,000 per alcoholic, every year, on recovery programs, prison, and emergency room visits. Their solution is a housing complex that accommodates 75 alcoholics. The residents are allowed to drink all they want, and they don’t have to be in a recovery program, as long as they’re off the streets.
    Bill Hobson, the program’s executive director, believes most alcoholics can’t change. “Once you’re an alcoholic, you’re always an alcoholic,” he says, citing the example of an alcoholic who got drunk 10 minutes after leaving a detox facility he had been in for two months. [So one failure means all are failures.] Hobson and his group reject the transforming power of Jesus Christ and believe some people are beyond hope and help.
Chuck Colson, “Bottoms Up: Is Change Possible?” Breakpoint newsletter (12-15-06)
    Judging these people and leaving them with no hope.  They are doomed, let them go.  That’s their attitude.
    Bank Snubs Millionaire Based on Appearance
    To John Barrier, it wasn’t the 60 cents, it was the principle. Barrier walked into his bank to cash a $100 check and then asked the receptionist to validate his parking ticket. Even after mentioning that he was a “substantial depositor”, Barrier’s request was refused. The receptionist explained that validation was only given for transactions involving a deposit.
    Barrier felt his appearance, dirty construction clothes, contributed to his treatment. He thought the bank manager looked at him like he’d “crawled out from under a rock”. Barrier contacted bank headquarters with his complaint. When no one returned his call, he started emptying his account, $1 million at a time.
    According to Barrier, “If you have $100 in a bank or $1 million, I think they owe you the courtesy of stamping your parking ticket.”
Elisa Tinsley, “Bank gets $2M Lesson,” USA TODAY (2-21-89, p. 1A)
    I wonder if he had come in with a suit on and identified himself, if they would have treated him differently.  Just a thought.
    As we conclude our Kingdom Living series, we look at a few more points Jesus made in His teaching.
Matthew 7:1-5 NKJV
1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
    Jesus taught against the practice of criticizing others without looking at our own shortcomings. It is so easy to always put someone else down.  We need to submit to God’s righteous standards of the Bible before trying to appraise and determine the actions of others.  Judging in an unjust way includes condemning or rejecting someone who is sinning without earnestly wanting to help the person repent and receive forgiveness.
    Many misapply this passage.  “Oh, we’re not supposed to judge.”  They allow anyone to do anything because “we’re not supposed to judge”.  That is not what it is saying.  It is speaking against a condemning judgement.
    These verses are often taken out of context to defend sinful actions.  Jesus is not saying we should not exercise discernment or make value judgments when others sin.  There are times when we have to speak out against sinful behavior that defies God and corrupts society.  We must not compromise and allow sin to become accepted in the church.  Some say that if you really love as Christ loves, then you accept everyone just as they are.  Again, this is missing the point.  Jesus came to change people.
    Jesus expects believers to study how a person’s character compares with the standards of God’s truth.
John 7:24 NKJV
24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
    There is a right and proper judgement.  It must be according to God’s standards.  God is totally for righteousness and totally against sin.  Too many people, and even Christians, don’t understand that any more.
Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
    God’s truth will never change.  Righteousness is righteousness, no matter the time or location. Trying to change that brings God’s judgement.
    God expect us to never tolerate consistent sin in our own lives or believers.  It will destroy the move of the Holy Spirit’s work in and through a local church.
    Verse 12 is what we commonly call the Golden Rule.  An amazing guideline for how we treat others.
Matthew 7:12 NKJV
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
    Just think about the concept that if the whole world would apply this one truth, what a different world it would be.
    Question for discussion: How would the world be different if everyone practiced the Golden Rule?
    We have been calling these chapters the Constitution of the Church.  This is the declaration of the Sovereign ruler.
    The wrap up of this series on KINGDOM LIVING.  Hear and DO.  It is never a matter of just having a series or a sermon, but a matter of taking what we hear and APPLYING IT to daily life.
Matthew 7:24-29 NKJV
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
    Doing righteousness.  That must be a description of our lives.  This is the outgrowth of what we are.  And, because we ARE believers, we DO right.
Hear Jesus.
Apply what He says to our lives.
Do what He says.
The people were astonished at His teaching,
    When people really hear Jesus, they are amazed.  Jesus is above anything or anyone else we can hear.  Jesus impacted their lives.  We can have the same impact when we:
Are/Become a real believer
Apply the Bible in our lives
Live and share with God’s anointing/empowering
Then:  We make an impact that changes lives through God’s power.
    Discussion/Review
What stands out from this Kingdom Living series?  (Include Sunday School and the Beatitudes)
What changes have your seen or expect to result?