WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.080 Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you very 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:07.320 clearly tell us how to live lives pleasing to 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:10.339 you. We also thank you that when we don't, you 00:00:10.339 --> 00:00:13.439 pull us up through hearing your word or convicting 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.920 us through your spirit. And that when we truly 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:19.460 confess what we've done, you forgive us and help 00:00:19.460 --> 00:00:22.280 us through the power of your spirit to live lives 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:26.300 pleasing to you. Please teach us today through 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:28.239 the power of your Holy Spirit as we encounter 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.579 your holy word. as to what it means when you 00:00:31.579 --> 00:00:35.960 say, do not judge, and to therefore stop passing 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:40.539 judgment on one another. In Jesus' name we pray. 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:50.799 Amen. Friends, at Bible College, we, I, we were 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:56.200 taught to be super discerning. We critiqued one 00:00:56.200 --> 00:01:01.250 another. We critiqued each other's sermons. We 00:01:01.250 --> 00:01:04.209 evaluated other people's views in our essays, 00:01:04.489 --> 00:01:07.969 other scholars' views of doctrine, and the list 00:01:07.969 --> 00:01:13.109 went on. And so whenever I went to a church, 00:01:13.150 --> 00:01:17.370 I found myself evaluating the preacher, the leader 00:01:17.370 --> 00:01:21.909 of the service, the service structure, and when 00:01:21.909 --> 00:01:28.549 and how they do the notices. pastor, whatever, 00:01:28.829 --> 00:01:33.370 wave his hand over the bread and wine. Am I the 00:01:33.370 --> 00:01:35.310 only one who finds themselves doing things like 00:01:35.310 --> 00:01:48.269 this? Yeah, Brendan knows what I mean. And then 00:01:48.269 --> 00:01:52.049 when I came to Edge Hill in 2000, that's 25 years 00:01:52.049 --> 00:01:55.810 ago now, almost 26, some people kept telling 00:01:55.810 --> 00:01:59.790 me, this very verse. Trevor, do not judge or 00:01:59.790 --> 00:02:03.950 you will be judged. I found myself regularly 00:02:03.950 --> 00:02:07.409 getting into trouble with some people because 00:02:07.409 --> 00:02:10.710 I made judgements on various matters and it was 00:02:10.710 --> 00:02:14.349 then that I realised how super discerning Bible 00:02:14.349 --> 00:02:19.389 College had made me, rightly or wrongly. But 00:02:19.389 --> 00:02:24.990 also, aren't we to make judgements and especially 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:30.520 So in leadership, part of leadership involves 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:34.020 making decisions. And good leadership usually 00:02:34.020 --> 00:02:38.240 makes wise decisions and makes decisions all 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:42.900 the time. So what does this verse therefore mean 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:46.900 when Jesus says, do not judge or you will be 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:53.000 judged? I can still clearly remember the first 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:56.189 time I led a Sunday service. It shows how some 00:02:56.189 --> 00:03:00.129 things leave a lasting impression, good or bad, 00:03:00.289 --> 00:03:02.889 on you. Yes, I can still remember the first time 00:03:02.889 --> 00:03:06.389 I led a Sunday service. It was a new family -style 00:03:06.389 --> 00:03:08.889 service, and so there were many things that needed 00:03:08.889 --> 00:03:11.469 to be planned and organised beforehand, so it 00:03:11.469 --> 00:03:15.449 was a little stressful. And the only feedback 00:03:15.449 --> 00:03:17.930 afterwards, yes, the only feedback that I got 00:03:17.930 --> 00:03:23.710 from the rector was... You shouldn't say thank 00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:26.229 you to the Bible readers because you are taking 00:03:26.229 --> 00:03:33.949 away the glory from God. And my response wasn't 00:03:33.949 --> 00:03:36.750 verbal, but I was thinking, what on earth has 00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:40.409 happened to simply being encouraging rather than 00:03:40.409 --> 00:03:44.990 supercritical? And maybe, maybe not even correct. 00:03:46.629 --> 00:03:49.409 Well, hopefully as we look at Matthew 7, 1 to 00:03:49.409 --> 00:03:52.060 6 this morning, it will shed some light on the 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:55.560 whole area of judging or evaluating one another 00:03:55.560 --> 00:04:00.159 as to what's okay and what's not okay. Firstly, 00:04:00.259 --> 00:04:02.259 up front, the Holy Scriptures, including these 00:04:02.259 --> 00:04:06.539 very words of Jesus in Matthew 7, do not teach 00:04:06.539 --> 00:04:12.979 that we are to never evaluate, criticise or even 00:04:12.979 --> 00:04:15.319 condemn the actions or teachings of another person. 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:19.199 The entire thrust of the Sermon on the Mount 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:22.959 is to show the complete distinction between spiritual 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:29.040 truth and spiritual hypocrisy. If this, perhaps 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:31.759 the greatest sermon by our Lord, teaches us anything, 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:36.259 it teaches that his followers are to be discerning 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:39.920 and perceptive in what they hear, in what they 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:43.980 therefore believe and do. A follower of Jesus, 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:47.639 therefore, must discern what is truth and what 00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:53.620 is hypocrisy. So these words of Jesus in Matthew 00:04:53.620 --> 00:04:57.139 7 do not mean that one is to be an undiscerning 00:04:57.139 --> 00:05:03.000 blob and not think at all. Although at times 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:05.860 that would be nice, wouldn't it? Just to sit 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:11.399 there and veg. But to be undiscerning means you 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.009 let anything go. And in the end, because we are 00:05:15.009 --> 00:05:17.589 in a fallen world, you give licence to being 00:05:17.589 --> 00:05:25.329 amoral. Actually, immoral. Yes, we are told to 00:05:25.329 --> 00:05:28.250 pay attention to the plank in your own eye before 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:31.250 trying to treat the speck in your brother or 00:05:31.250 --> 00:05:35.149 sister's eye. That requires discernment, doesn't 00:05:35.149 --> 00:05:39.680 it? Of course it does. We are also told in verse 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:42.540 6 not to give to dogs and pigs what is sacred 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:46.079 and treasured. That requires discernment, doesn't 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:50.300 it? Of course it does. We are told in a few verses 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:54.139 later in verse 15 to watch out for false prophets 00:05:54.139 --> 00:05:59.620 who appear to be a shepherd but aren't. That 00:05:59.620 --> 00:06:02.800 requires discernment, doesn't it? Of course it 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:08.959 does. Elsewhere, John 7, 24, Jesus says stop 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:13.180 judging by mere appearances but instead judge 00:06:13.180 --> 00:06:18.339 correctly. That requires discernment, doesn't 00:06:18.339 --> 00:06:21.379 it? Of course it does. And still elsewhere we 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:23.639 are told to expel the wicked brother or sister 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:26.759 from among you and not even eat with them. 1 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:29.620 Corinthians 5. Test the spirits to see if they 00:06:29.620 --> 00:06:33.579 are really from God. 1 John 4. And then the whole 00:06:33.579 --> 00:06:35.680 book of Galatians is pretty much about watching 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:41.050 out for those who peddle a false gospel. And 00:06:41.050 --> 00:06:45.709 all of these commands require discernment. Don't 00:06:45.709 --> 00:06:50.850 they? Of course they do. So obviously wrong teaching, 00:06:50.949 --> 00:06:54.649 wrong doctrine is to be opposed. So obviously 00:06:54.649 --> 00:06:59.310 we aren't to become undiscriminating and undiscerning, 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:02.470 wishy -washy and not discerning between good 00:07:02.470 --> 00:07:06.420 and evil, truth and error. It's obviously the 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:09.319 scriptures are imploring us to use one's judgment 00:07:09.319 --> 00:07:13.860 and to refuse it to warn a person about serious 00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:18.019 ongoing sin in their life is actually unloving. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:23.699 But what does Jesus mean when he says, do not 00:07:23.699 --> 00:07:30.480 judge or you too will be judged? And for those 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:34.509 who are scholars, it's the same Greek word. In 00:07:34.509 --> 00:07:38.589 all cases. Now to judge can mean to judge judicially, 00:07:38.689 --> 00:07:44.290 to condemn, to discern or to be judgmental. The 00:07:44.290 --> 00:07:49.889 context here suggests do not be judgmental. That 00:07:49.889 --> 00:07:53.170 is, don't have a judgmental attitude like many 00:07:53.170 --> 00:07:55.529 of the church leaders back then did. Yes, what 00:07:55.529 --> 00:07:58.009 Jesus is talking about here is the self -righteous, 00:07:58.170 --> 00:08:01.949 egotistical, unmerciful, judgmental attitude. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.740 such as that practiced by the Pharisees and teachers 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:12.819 of the law, Matthew 5 .20. And he calls it hypocrisy, 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:24.800 by trying to make oneself look good. But if you 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:29.379 only look at yourself, well, if you only look 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:32.769 at others and make yourself look good, You don't 00:08:32.769 --> 00:08:36.330 discern the plank in your own eye. And so when 00:08:36.330 --> 00:08:38.730 we are making a judgment in thought or in words, 00:08:38.750 --> 00:08:41.309 are we doing so out of a desire to build the 00:08:41.309 --> 00:08:45.950 other person up, out of a desire to love them, 00:08:46.049 --> 00:08:49.970 out of a concern for them, as we want to see 00:08:49.970 --> 00:08:52.389 our brother or sister in Christ restored to where 00:08:52.389 --> 00:08:57.789 they should be? Galatians 6 .1. And if these 00:08:57.789 --> 00:09:00.950 aren't the reasons for my thoughts or words, 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:06.100 then I'm being judgmental, aren't I? And I will 00:09:06.100 --> 00:09:09.759 be judged for it by God directly or through others. 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:15.899 Jesus says that this type of judgment is like 00:09:15.899 --> 00:09:21.399 a boomerang. It will return to you. We do reap 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:25.899 what we sow. I don't know about you, but I think 00:09:25.899 --> 00:09:30.220 we can easily fall into being judgmental. and 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:35.200 usually by being too quick to judge. For example, 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:37.799 we can be too quick to judge that people who 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.779 attend other denominations or another church 00:09:41.779 --> 00:09:47.779 mustn't be a Christian at all. The funny thing 00:09:47.779 --> 00:09:51.639 is that sometimes they suggest the same thing 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:56.679 to me about us. Yes, we can be so quick to judge. 00:09:59.370 --> 00:10:01.629 Quick to judge that someone lying in the gutter 00:10:01.629 --> 00:10:06.789 or across the footpath must be a druggie or a 00:10:06.789 --> 00:10:10.769 blind drunk. And so don't even consider stopping 00:10:10.769 --> 00:10:15.429 and helping them. That was actually my wife one 00:10:15.429 --> 00:10:20.129 day. She went to St Vincent de Paul in Sutherland. 00:10:21.450 --> 00:10:26.929 Remember Troy? I can't believe such behaviour 00:10:26.929 --> 00:10:29.299 would even... Ever happened in the Shire, but 00:10:29.299 --> 00:10:35.120 it did. This was many years ago now. She went 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:38.500 there to purchase a pair of shoes for Troy, who's 00:10:38.500 --> 00:10:41.059 here today, our eldest son, who was a little 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:44.139 fellow at the time so that he could be the page 00:10:44.139 --> 00:10:49.940 boy at a wedding. She was carrying Glenn, our 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:52.639 second son, in her arms as he was a toddler at 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:55.620 the time. And Sue slipped on their quarry -tiled 00:10:55.620 --> 00:10:59.529 foyer as she left the store. She came crashing 00:10:59.529 --> 00:11:02.029 down and to protect Glen from the fall, took 00:11:02.029 --> 00:11:05.309 her whole weight on her arm and hurt it big time. 00:11:06.529 --> 00:11:08.850 She laid there for ages, well it seemed ages 00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:13.190 for her. Right across the entrance to St Vincent 00:11:13.190 --> 00:11:18.129 de Paul at Sutherland. And no one helped her. 00:11:21.129 --> 00:11:26.149 People had to walk over her and Glen and they 00:11:26.149 --> 00:11:30.519 all did to get into the store. In the end she 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:34.159 crawled to the car, put Glenn in his baby seat 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:39.000 and drove home with one arm. Thankfully it was 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:44.379 an automatic. We were about 20 minutes away and 00:11:44.379 --> 00:11:47.480 when she pulled up in the driveway I looked at 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:50.460 her, I was home at the time, and she was grey 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:53.039 from the pain and shock and could barely get 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:59.159 out of the car. She had broken her elbow. And 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:03.340 no one helped her. And yes, she was much younger 00:12:03.340 --> 00:12:07.139 back then. All they did was walk over the top 00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:10.360 of her. I'm guessing that perhaps they were too 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:12.759 quick to judge her and thought she might have 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:18.379 been off her face or drunk again. Jesus says 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:21.440 in verse 2 here, you might like to look at it 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:25.500 for yourself. We're on page 1475 in our church 00:12:25.500 --> 00:12:29.659 -provided Bibles or in the bulletin. For in the 00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:34.799 same way you judge others, verse 2, you will 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:37.980 be judged. And with the measure you use, it will 00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:41.860 be measured to you. That boomerang will return, 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:45.259 no doubt, either by God directly or by someone 00:12:45.259 --> 00:12:50.240 else indirectly. So the first of two points today 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.019 is this, friends. Please be aware of a natural 00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:59.519 tendency to be judgmental. And I think it is 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.960 a natural tendency that we all have and it's 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:05.919 expressed in many ways. It is not just expressed 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:07.500 in walking over the top of someone who might 00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:11.379 be in need. It simply can be the conversations 00:13:11.379 --> 00:13:15.580 we have about others. It's called gossip. It's 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:17.120 called commenting on something that you probably 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:20.519 don't know all the details about and giving your 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:26.570 confidence slant on it all. Well, that brings 00:13:26.570 --> 00:13:30.149 us to these verses just written for optometrists. 00:13:30.710 --> 00:13:36.889 Any optometrists here? And those who work in 00:13:36.889 --> 00:13:46.110 ED. Lucy does. In verses 3 to 5, we are told 00:13:46.110 --> 00:13:49.250 by Jesus a little story to help us understand 00:13:49.250 --> 00:13:52.919 what he's just said. Verse 3. Why do you look 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.240 at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:57.299 and pay no attention to the plank in your own 00:13:57.299 --> 00:14:01.240 eye? How can you say to your brother, let me 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:04.659 take the speck out of your eye, when all the 00:14:04.659 --> 00:14:07.840 time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite. 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:12.720 First take the plank out of your own eye and 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:16.659 then you will see clearly to remove the speck 00:14:16.659 --> 00:14:23.850 from your brother's eye. Plank and speck are 00:14:23.850 --> 00:14:27.330 used as an exaggeration to get across the point. 00:14:28.210 --> 00:14:34.549 We do need to be hit by a brick at times. But 00:14:34.549 --> 00:14:37.570 it's also true, isn't it? Sometimes we can be 00:14:37.570 --> 00:14:41.529 so blind to our own sin, and obviously sin is 00:14:41.529 --> 00:14:46.570 what Jesus is talking about here, that we need, 00:14:46.570 --> 00:14:51.500 therefore, to hear it in exaggerated terms. Take, 00:14:51.500 --> 00:14:55.820 for example, when David, King David, as we read, 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:59.879 as Johanna read to us in 2 Samuel 12, how David 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:02.600 himself hadn't realised when Nathan the prophet 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:04.799 was telling him a story about how a rich man 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:09.080 who had everything stole a man's only possession, 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:12.500 his one and only little ewe lamb that was his 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:17.360 pet, and just like a daughter to him, and had 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.809 it killed for food to be served up. For a guest. 00:15:23.250 --> 00:15:25.909 Yes, even though David couldn't believe someone 00:15:25.909 --> 00:15:28.970 would ever do something like that and was furious 00:15:28.970 --> 00:15:33.210 about it, he hadn't realised that he himself 00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:37.450 was the actual man that Nathan was talking about. 00:15:38.750 --> 00:15:43.909 Until Nathan said those very cutting words. You 00:15:43.909 --> 00:15:49.529 are the man. Imagine being told that. He was 00:15:49.529 --> 00:15:52.389 the man who stole the wife of Uriah Bathsheba 00:15:52.389 --> 00:15:57.230 and had Uriah killed to try and cover up Bathsheba's 00:15:57.230 --> 00:16:01.509 pregnancy to him, to David. Yes, David hadn't 00:16:01.509 --> 00:16:05.909 seen the plank in his own eye until then. He 00:16:05.909 --> 00:16:11.470 was incredibly blind. Incredibly blind, but so 00:16:11.470 --> 00:16:15.639 too can we. And so first things first, we need 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:18.360 to first examine ourselves and confess our own 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:21.720 sin. Then we'll see everything much clearer. 00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:25.779 We'll see God much clearer and others much clearer 00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:32.600 also. It's no wonder after this that King David 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:37.539 wrote in Psalm 51, create in me a pure heart, 00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:41.440 O God, before he's able to say, then I will teach 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.559 transgressors your way. Yes, in saying all of 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.320 this, ultimately it might still be necessary 00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:50.039 to help remove the speck from your brother or 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:55.840 sister's eye. There is a verse 5. But first things 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:59.960 first, examine yourself before you even consider 00:16:59.960 --> 00:17:04.819 someone else. Would you believe that one commentary 00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:07.299 I looked at, I do have some commentaries left, 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:12.839 I labelled these verses, mind your own business. 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:21.819 Is this what we are to always do? No. Sometimes 00:17:21.819 --> 00:17:23.980 a foreign body needs the help of someone else 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:29.359 for it to be removed. But only after we have 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:35.200 looked at ourselves first. To leave a foreign 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:38.220 body in someone's eye, if it is a serious ongoing 00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:42.759 sin in your fellow believer's life, is not consistent. 00:17:43.150 --> 00:17:49.690 with love matthew 18 15. it really isn't so what 00:17:49.690 --> 00:17:53.990 is jesus saying here he's saying don't be judgmental 00:17:53.990 --> 00:17:57.150 and self -righteous don't be a hypocrite blind 00:17:57.150 --> 00:18:01.750 to your own self examine yourself first and then 00:18:01.750 --> 00:18:04.349 if necessary be that loving brother or sister 00:18:04.349 --> 00:18:11.210 in christ willing to rescue and restore last 00:18:11.210 --> 00:18:14.750 verse verse 6. Please have a look at it with 00:18:14.750 --> 00:18:19.829 me. Do not give dogs what is sacred. Do not throw 00:18:19.829 --> 00:18:23.410 your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample 00:18:23.410 --> 00:18:27.630 them under their feet and turn and tear you to 00:18:27.630 --> 00:18:35.230 pieces. I'm beginning to think that, Jane, you 00:18:35.230 --> 00:18:40.569 should give this sermon. Near the beginning of 00:18:40.569 --> 00:18:44.779 this sermon by Jesus, He says that we are to 00:18:44.779 --> 00:18:47.599 love our enemies, to mirror God's graciousness 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:50.380 who sends rain to the righteous and to the unrighteous. 00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:54.700 Matthew 5 .45. And we've just been told not to 00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:59.200 be judgmental, yet now this. Although we've been 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.500 told not to be judgmental, we are told to be 00:19:01.500 --> 00:19:06.480 discriminating. Now that's a naughty word today, 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:12.900 isn't it? Yes, we are told by Jesus to... Discriminate. 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:19.519 Shock horror. And in what way? We need to identify 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:23.819 the pigs and dogs and not give them what is sacred 00:19:23.819 --> 00:19:26.440 or treasured. That is, don't give them pearls. 00:19:28.059 --> 00:19:31.500 And why? Because if you do so, they won't recognise 00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:34.599 how valuable they are and will trample all over 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:37.880 it. And as it doesn't satisfy them in any way, 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:46.440 needlessly attack you. In biblical times, bad 00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:49.759 choice of words there, in the time of the Old 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:51.779 Testament and New Testament, dogs were seldom 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:56.720 kept as household pets like today. Except for 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:02.799 those used to herd sheep. The dogs were mainly 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:05.880 mongrels, dirty, greedy, snarling, vicious and 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:10.140 diseased. Just like the dogs that usually greet 00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:16.470 me whenever I or Jane. Go door knocking. Yes, 00:20:16.470 --> 00:20:18.930 they were dangerous and despised. It would have 00:20:18.930 --> 00:20:21.130 been unthinkable for a Jew to have thrown to 00:20:21.130 --> 00:20:24.230 those dogs a piece of holy meat that has been 00:20:24.230 --> 00:20:28.329 consecrated as a sacrifice in the temple. Unthinkable. 00:20:29.609 --> 00:20:33.089 And pigs, well, pigs were regarded, still regarded 00:20:33.089 --> 00:20:36.150 by Jews, to be the epitome of uncleanliness. 00:20:36.710 --> 00:20:41.150 The epitome. And so just as Jesus uses a plank 00:20:41.150 --> 00:20:44.680 and speck to highlight, his point. So he also 00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:52.059 does here with dogs and pigs. I don't think dogs 00:20:52.059 --> 00:20:54.640 and pigs are references to Jews and Gentiles 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:59.240 or unbelievers. I think Jesus is referring here 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:03.519 to certain people who utterly and who outrightly 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:13.089 and utterly reject the gospel. And through the 00:21:13.089 --> 00:21:16.750 term dogs and pigs, Jesus let us know how they'll 00:21:16.750 --> 00:21:20.670 respond. They will either trample the pearl, 00:21:20.769 --> 00:21:27.529 that is the gospel, under their feet. Total and 00:21:27.529 --> 00:21:31.890 brutal stupidity is their response. Or they will 00:21:31.890 --> 00:21:36.990 turn and tear you to pieces. Attack the messenger. 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:43.980 Jesus' point here is that there will be times 00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:46.839 when the wonderful treasures of the gospel, 2 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:50.759 Corinthians 4, 7, are so absolutely rejected 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:53.319 and ridiculed that we must make the judgment 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:57.319 to turn away and speak no more. To shake the 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:05.220 dust off our feet. Matthew 10, 14. And try elsewhere, 00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:10.000 as did Paul in Acts 18, 6, when the Jews opposed 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:18.009 him. and became very abusive. For me, that has 00:22:18.009 --> 00:22:21.490 only happened three times in my life, when I've 00:22:21.490 --> 00:22:25.650 either had to just walk away from someone or 00:22:25.650 --> 00:22:29.410 had to stop taking a person's bait, knowing that 00:22:29.410 --> 00:22:35.049 they were only interested in mocking Jesus. Friends, 00:22:35.089 --> 00:22:38.740 it's a serious step to take that action. but 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:41.380 nonetheless commanded by our Lord Jesus for his 00:22:41.380 --> 00:22:45.420 holy word, for such a pearl as his good news. 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:50.440 Yes, the gospel, the good news all about Jesus, 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.960 the forgiveness of sins that he offers, the promise 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.980 of eternal life that he brings and the help of 00:22:54.980 --> 00:22:59.359 his Holy Spirit that he gives is far, far too 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:06.240 valuable to bring it out or keep bringing it 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:09.160 out. to an audience that is not in the slightest 00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:13.160 bit interested and would prefer to rubbish it 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:23.119 and rubbish you. Sadly, I feel that some Q &A 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:27.859 programs on the ABC were a bit like that to the 00:23:27.859 --> 00:23:37.019 gospel in past years. It is our second point 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:40.420 this morning and one I will finish on. We must 00:23:40.420 --> 00:23:49.079 be prepared to discriminate. It's hard. Just 00:23:49.079 --> 00:23:51.259 as Jesus tells his followers in the previous 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:54.319 verses to be aware of our tendency to be judgmental, 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:58.740 and don't do it, don't be judgmental, so too 00:23:58.740 --> 00:24:06.299 does he say here not to do something. Be prepared 00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:11.819 to discriminate. And can I finish by saying that 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:17.740 both of these actions require humility. Great, 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:23.240 a great humility. To be prepared to walk away 00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:30.160 from a fight. I in the flesh, in the flesh, would 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:40.140 like to fight. Yes, humility is required. A humility 00:24:40.140 --> 00:24:44.099 that will guard, look after, care for, keep holy, 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.539 both yourself and the glorious gospel of Jesus. 00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:57.940 In the name of our glorious Holy Father, who 00:24:57.940 --> 00:25:01.880 sent his glorious Holy Son and gives all who 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:07.180 receive him. His glorious Holy Spirit. Amen. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:08.579 Thank you all.