WEBVTT 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:14.240 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.519 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.739 with dozens of nationalities worshiping together. 00:00:20.039 --> 00:00:22.940 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:27.140 you are through our website, ecb .asia, or our 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:30.980 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:36.560 by this week's sermon. Years ago, my wife Christine 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:40.780 and I attended a training conference. As part 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:43.159 of this training, they put us in small groups, 00:00:43.299 --> 00:00:48.119 separated us. I went with my small group to a 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:51.079 room. My wife Christine went to another small 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:53.340 group. And there were hundreds of people, I think, 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:55.880 many small groups in our room. And when we got 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:58.280 in the room, they announced, this is the bomb 00:00:58.280 --> 00:01:02.399 shelter exercise. And the facilitator took over 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:05.719 and said, You are now in a bomb shelter, and 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:08.120 we're going to pretend the nukes are falling. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:10.939 They haven't fallen yet. We have time to make 00:01:10.939 --> 00:01:13.359 a few decisions before we're locked in here for 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:17.060 a long time. We went through these exercises. 00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:20.060 I suppose the leaders were watching to try to 00:01:20.060 --> 00:01:22.500 figure out what kind of character we had, how 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:24.959 we could manage group dynamics and things like 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:29.079 that. Went through the exercises, finished. came 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:31.840 out. I returned to the main meeting hall, maybe 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.859 as big as this space here, and met Christine, 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:39.000 and she was sobbing. The tears were going down 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:43.299 her face because someone in her bomb shelter, 00:01:43.579 --> 00:01:46.859 not the facilitator, someone else kind of assumed 00:01:46.859 --> 00:01:49.900 leadership and wanted to vote her out of the 00:01:49.900 --> 00:01:52.640 room because she was only a nurse and there was 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:56.700 a doctor outside and they wanted to trade. And 00:01:56.700 --> 00:02:02.670 I thought, What kind of guy is that? And I thought, 00:02:02.790 --> 00:02:05.370 and she pointed out, there he is over there. 00:02:05.510 --> 00:02:07.590 I didn't recognize him. He was a stranger to 00:02:07.590 --> 00:02:12.870 me, but I studied his face. Memorizing features. 00:02:13.090 --> 00:02:16.530 And I said to myself, self, if that guy ever 00:02:16.530 --> 00:02:20.530 tries to work where I work, it ain't going to 00:02:20.530 --> 00:02:23.330 happen. I didn't have authority to make that 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:25.590 decision. I would just do whatever I could to 00:02:25.590 --> 00:02:31.729 keep someone like that. This was an incident 00:02:31.729 --> 00:02:35.689 for me that is a milestone because God dropped 00:02:35.689 --> 00:02:38.870 something on my heart. I had something I needed 00:02:38.870 --> 00:02:43.909 to learn to judge or not to judge. Because if 00:02:43.909 --> 00:02:46.990 there's one scripture, even people that do not 00:02:46.990 --> 00:02:50.469 go to church, one scripture many know, it's Jesus' 00:02:50.610 --> 00:02:55.860 words, do not judge. What many people don't know 00:02:55.860 --> 00:02:59.439 is that within about five breaths, Jesus also 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:04.759 said, do not give what is sacred to dogs. Do 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:09.099 not throw your pearls to pigs. And by context, 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:13.580 he was talking about people. What? Jesus called 00:03:13.580 --> 00:03:16.479 people dogs and pigs? He did call certain kinds 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.759 of people dogs and pigs. That's judgmental. Right. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:28.919 Do not judge, but you need to judge. What's going 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:33.560 on here? So as we get into our study for today, 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:37.719 to judge or not to judge, I want to break this 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:41.400 down into three driving questions. First of all, 00:03:41.419 --> 00:03:44.520 why is this not a simple question? Shouldn't 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:48.300 the answer just be, do not judge? Isn't that 00:03:48.300 --> 00:03:52.789 what we've said to other people? Second driving 00:03:52.789 --> 00:03:55.509 question, what kinds of judgment are there? And 00:03:55.509 --> 00:03:59.150 third driving question, how do we discern what 00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:03.509 kind of judgment to use and when to use it? All 00:04:03.509 --> 00:04:06.310 right. So to judge or not to judge. Why is this 00:04:06.310 --> 00:04:08.889 not a simple question? What kinds of judgment 00:04:08.889 --> 00:04:12.449 are there and how do we discern what kind of 00:04:12.449 --> 00:04:15.840 judgment and when to use it? Now, I'm sorry I'm 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.180 not doing fancy hand motions and certainly not 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:21.959 a dance, but you can engage in a new way today. 00:04:22.019 --> 00:04:24.459 We're going to do some sanctified imagination. 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:27.980 So in a moment, I'm going to ask you to close 00:04:27.980 --> 00:04:32.939 your eyes and picture your workstation. I call 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:35.920 it your workstation. For some of us, that's a 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:39.839 private study or an office desk. For some of 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:42.670 you, your workstation. involves more people. 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:45.069 You work mostly in group, maybe a conference 00:04:45.069 --> 00:04:49.009 table, maybe a service counter. Some of you work 00:04:49.009 --> 00:04:52.029 in an in and out place like a kitchen, a restaurant, 00:04:52.189 --> 00:04:56.949 whatever. I need you to choose your common workstation 00:04:56.949 --> 00:04:59.930 and I want you to go into your head right now. 00:04:59.990 --> 00:05:05.170 Close your eyes. Picture it. You're standing 00:05:05.170 --> 00:05:10.370 in it. This is the place you get stuff done. 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:16.680 Look to your left. What's there? Look straight 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:20.600 ahead. What kind of equipment is around you? 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:28.480 Look to the right. Remind yourself of this environment. 00:05:31.420 --> 00:05:35.560 You may open your eyes. We will re -enter this 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:38.660 workstation a few times during our talk together, 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:41.259 and I'm going to ask you to rearrange some things. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:45.740 So let's get into our ideas here. To judge or 00:05:45.740 --> 00:05:48.399 not to judge. Why is this not a simple question? 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:54.240 Jesus said it this way. Do not judge or you too 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:58.899 will be judged. For in the same way you judge 00:05:58.899 --> 00:06:02.959 others, you will be judged. And with the measure 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:08.139 you use, it will be measured to you. You see, 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:13.620 judgment invites judgment. In the same way you 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:16.439 judge others, it comes back. That can be positive. 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:21.699 If you're a kind person who practices charitable 00:06:21.699 --> 00:06:24.899 judgment, when you hear part of a story, and 00:06:24.899 --> 00:06:27.040 instead of constructing the rest of the story 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.019 with the worst possible scenario, you give them 00:06:30.019 --> 00:06:32.519 the benefit of the doubt. That's what love does. 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:35.980 It chooses to think the best until there's evidence 00:06:35.980 --> 00:06:40.550 to say otherwise. Old church doctrine called 00:06:40.550 --> 00:06:44.189 that the doctrine of charitable judgment. We 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:52.269 can judge well. And that infiltrates. Must be 00:06:52.269 --> 00:06:57.990 the beard. Can you still hear me? And that what 00:06:57.990 --> 00:07:01.610 we put out as judgment helps create the atmosphere 00:07:01.610 --> 00:07:05.089 because judgment invites judgment. And our example 00:07:05.089 --> 00:07:08.259 gives other people permission. To do the same 00:07:08.259 --> 00:07:10.879 thing. There's an English proverb that says. 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.939 What goes around comes around. There's a Thai 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:21.399 proverb that says. Do good get good. Do bad get 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:25.300 bad. What kind of atmosphere do you want in your 00:07:25.300 --> 00:07:29.660 workstation? Because Jesus is telling us. That 00:07:29.660 --> 00:07:32.600 there is a kind of judgment. That we should not 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:35.740 be practicing. It's what you don't want to get 00:07:35.740 --> 00:07:39.879 back. You don't want that harsh, they only heard 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:41.980 part of the story and then they decide they know 00:07:41.980 --> 00:07:46.319 your character. You don't want that final summary 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:50.379 portrait of you that they're going to carry around 00:07:50.379 --> 00:07:54.399 with bitterness for the rest of their life or 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:57.060 your life. You don't want that. There's a reason 00:07:57.060 --> 00:08:00.620 that judges are few and far between and most 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:03.259 of us are not allowed to bang that thing and 00:08:03.259 --> 00:08:05.660 declare people guilty. It takes a lot of study. 00:08:06.569 --> 00:08:09.170 To control your own emotions, to look carefully 00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:12.069 at a case, to decide what evidence is allowed 00:08:12.069 --> 00:08:15.189 and what evidence is not allowed, and to decide 00:08:15.189 --> 00:08:18.209 which laws apply and which don't, and who is 00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:22.709 responsible. That is a huge mental and emotional 00:08:22.709 --> 00:08:25.850 discipline to practice. So governments are careful 00:08:25.850 --> 00:08:28.670 who they appoint, and judges don't always get 00:08:28.670 --> 00:08:32.840 it right. But the idea that we can take someone's 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:35.000 character and say, I know all about them, therefore 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.159 they're this kind of person, and that's what 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:39.779 you imagine about them the rest of your life, 00:08:39.820 --> 00:08:45.360 that's not our job. God has a gavel, and it's 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:49.899 bigger than ours. So, imagine the gavel, and 00:08:49.899 --> 00:08:52.919 please enter your workstation. Close your eyes. 00:08:54.179 --> 00:08:58.659 See whatever your workstation is. Whether you're 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:03.820 right -handed or left -handed, if you look, you 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:06.220 didn't notice it before, but you actually have 00:09:06.220 --> 00:09:09.480 a gavel up in the corner by your dominant hand. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:18.240 It's just human habit. It's there. But, keep 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:22.139 imagining, God, your Heavenly Father, enters 00:09:22.139 --> 00:09:25.820 your workstation. He taps you on the shoulder. 00:09:26.429 --> 00:09:30.570 And he holds out his hand. Now you have a choice. 00:09:31.970 --> 00:09:36.330 Will you pick up the gavel and give it up to 00:09:36.330 --> 00:09:46.190 him? You may open your eyes. To judge or not 00:09:46.190 --> 00:09:48.289 to judge. Why is this not a simple question? 00:09:48.490 --> 00:09:51.110 Because the consequences of judging are real. 00:09:51.330 --> 00:09:56.100 What we give out can come back. That's not all. 00:09:56.580 --> 00:09:59.679 Jesus also said, why do you look at the speck 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.059 of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:08.559 to the plank in your own eye? Notice there's 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:10.620 really no action here. It's all just looking 00:10:10.620 --> 00:10:13.340 and judging. You got this and you don't notice 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:16.320 anything about yourself. Jesus actually does 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.139 not answer the question. He probably thinks we 00:10:19.139 --> 00:10:23.179 can figure it out, right? Maybe we're... Why? 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:26.440 Let's see. Why do we do this? Why? Maybe we're 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:30.980 insecure. We don't think well enough of ourselves 00:10:30.980 --> 00:10:33.360 that we can admit what's not well about ourselves. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:39.259 Maybe we're afraid to admit that we have faults. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.320 If that's one of your whys, go watch Zootopia 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:45.679 2. There's a fantastic scene about oversharing. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:52.490 I recommend it. Maybe we know we're guilty. We 00:10:52.490 --> 00:10:58.129 know the log. My hair doesn't grow that fast. 00:10:59.990 --> 00:11:04.570 Maybe we know the log is there. And so we're 00:11:04.570 --> 00:11:08.470 deflecting attention to other people so people 00:11:08.470 --> 00:11:12.899 don't notice. Maybe we think we have the speck 00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:16.740 and they have the log. As Tim Pollard says from 00:11:16.740 --> 00:11:20.279 Peacemaker Ministries, you may be only 2 % responsible 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:23.799 for a problem, but you are 100 % responsible 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:28.960 for your 2%. If that's something worth thinking 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:31.559 on, consider taking the study Resolving Everyday 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:34.799 Conflict. We offer it live here once, sometimes 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:38.000 twice a year, but it's also available through 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.360 RightNow Media. a video Bible study library that 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.679 ECB can offer to you. So look up the slides later, 00:11:44.779 --> 00:11:47.899 scan the QR code. That will give a form where 00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:50.340 you submit the email, and the church will reply 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:53.720 to you and show you how to access this and many 00:11:53.720 --> 00:11:59.320 other studies. So, quick observation. Look at 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:04.700 the red boxes. Everything's about looking, noticing. 00:12:05.059 --> 00:12:08.379 No intention to actually do anything. What kind 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:11.799 of people are those? But it's a contrast to what 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:14.059 Jesus said next. He kind of sort of repeats himself, 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.700 but a little change. How can you say to your 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:20.100 brother or sister, let me take the speck out 00:12:20.100 --> 00:12:24.100 of your eye? Good. Now we have action. At least 00:12:24.100 --> 00:12:27.480 there's an intention to help, right? It's not 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:30.559 the best case scenario, but at least the looker 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:34.220 wants to help. And so Jesus is helping us realize 00:12:34.220 --> 00:12:38.139 that judging or not judging is complicated because 00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:44.480 motives matter. Why does your heart want to talk 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:50.740 about them? So take this to your workstation. 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:53.840 It's a hand mirror. And let's close our eyes. 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.139 And if you want to do some movement, you can 00:12:57.139 --> 00:12:59.580 move your hands as you and your Heavenly Father 00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:03.799 have some transaction to do. See where the gavel 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:09.080 used to be. I hope you gave it up. God taps your 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:12.600 shoulder and he hands you a mirror. Reach out. 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:18.100 Take the mirror. Put it in the place of the gavel. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:28.220 You may open your eyes. I'd like to invite my 00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:30.240 daughter Susanna up. She's going to help me. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:33.679 With this next text, as Jesus continues to help 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:36.059 us understand, this is not a simple question. 00:13:36.139 --> 00:13:39.159 It's just not all or nothing. Don't judge. It's 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:42.360 more complicated than that. Read for us. How 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:44.980 can you say to your brother or sister, let me 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:50.700 take the speck out of... Susanna! My goodness, 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:54.779 can you... Did you see that? That little bit 00:13:54.779 --> 00:13:58.159 in her eye? Here, wait, wait, wait, wait. Okay, 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:03.409 okay, look, look. My goodness, Susanna, you have 00:14:03.409 --> 00:14:07.710 a huge, like, like log, a tree. Are you not aware 00:14:07.710 --> 00:14:11.269 of the protrusion coming from your face? What 00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:15.950 are you talking about? I look fine. I'm better 00:14:15.950 --> 00:14:20.279 than fine, actually. It's so hypocritical. The 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:22.220 fact that you need a magnifying glass to point 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:25.980 out my flaws. It's huge. Girl, you need to get 00:14:25.980 --> 00:14:28.799 that checked out. You need to look at a doctor 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:32.379 or a plastic surgeon. Not just for your eye. 00:14:32.899 --> 00:14:36.659 You know what? You are always ruining everything. 00:14:36.860 --> 00:14:38.659 And your ego gets in the way of everything. I 00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:43.120 cannot get out. Can you believe her? She has 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:45.539 a log in her eye and she won't let me help. My 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:59.580 goodness. Jesus asks a question. How can you 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:01.779 say to your brother or sister, let me take the 00:15:01.779 --> 00:15:04.519 speck out of your eye when all the time there's 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:07.460 a plank in your own eye? How can you do that? 00:15:07.539 --> 00:15:12.480 Very, very poorly. You'll probably cause more 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:18.039 harm than good. Jesus also talks about when. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.539 You hypocrite, he says to his disciples and the 00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:24.559 thousands of people gathered for the Sermon on 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:27.200 the Mount, you hypocrite, first take the plank 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.899 out of your eye, and then you will see clearly 00:15:29.899 --> 00:15:33.759 to remove the speck from your brother or sister's 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:38.080 eye. Sequence matters. Take care of your own 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:43.139 issues, and then your ability to help will be 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:47.049 there for you. Makes sense. Did he really have 00:15:47.049 --> 00:15:49.570 to tell us this? We're an international crowd. 00:15:49.809 --> 00:15:52.730 What do they tell us on the airplanes? This is 00:15:52.730 --> 00:15:54.889 a seatbelt as if we've not seen those, right? 00:15:54.990 --> 00:15:57.210 But they have to do it. And then they go on and 00:15:57.210 --> 00:16:00.570 they talk about the oxygen mass falling. And 00:16:00.570 --> 00:16:07.070 what do they say? Yours on first before you help 00:16:07.070 --> 00:16:11.049 somebody else. And Jesus is saying the same thing. 00:16:11.250 --> 00:16:14.549 Why does he even have to say this? Because of 00:16:14.549 --> 00:16:17.090 what he gently called us. Or since he's Middle 00:16:17.090 --> 00:16:19.309 Eastern, maybe he very just blatantly said, you 00:16:19.309 --> 00:16:25.710 hypocrites. The word here means mask wearers. 00:16:26.049 --> 00:16:29.769 It's the word for Greek actors. Hypocrite means 00:16:29.769 --> 00:16:32.549 hippo means over. The crit is like the mask or 00:16:32.549 --> 00:16:35.110 face. You put something over your face so you 00:16:35.110 --> 00:16:37.990 can assume a character. And that's what you show. 00:16:38.129 --> 00:16:40.990 And in a theater, the audience takes a cue from 00:16:40.990 --> 00:16:43.350 the mask. Oh, he's that kind of character. But 00:16:43.350 --> 00:16:46.129 Jesus said, hey. I'm not talking to theater people. 00:16:46.289 --> 00:16:48.470 I'm talking to all of you. You're wearing masks. 00:16:49.610 --> 00:16:56.049 We don't show our true face very often. And sometimes 00:16:56.049 --> 00:17:00.230 we wear our masks so long, we begin to believe 00:17:00.230 --> 00:17:05.589 ourselves that that's our real face. Why? Is 00:17:05.589 --> 00:17:08.029 it not a simple question to judge or not to judge? 00:17:08.150 --> 00:17:10.150 Because the sequence matters. You can't even 00:17:10.150 --> 00:17:13.309 see properly if you haven't taken care of your 00:17:13.309 --> 00:17:17.130 own issues. So I offer you this for your workstation. 00:17:18.109 --> 00:17:21.890 Please close your eyes. Walk back into your space 00:17:21.890 --> 00:17:25.750 where you get things done. I know giving up the 00:17:25.750 --> 00:17:32.069 gavel is hard. Have you done it yet? You've replaced 00:17:32.069 --> 00:17:35.450 it with a mirror. Giving up the gavel makes space 00:17:35.450 --> 00:17:39.549 for the mirror. But now God, your Heavenly Father, 00:17:39.910 --> 00:17:43.990 taps your shoulder again and holds out the coach's 00:17:43.990 --> 00:17:48.549 whistle. Because we have a responsibility to 00:17:48.549 --> 00:17:51.769 help our brothers and sisters, but only after 00:17:51.769 --> 00:17:54.410 checking out yourself. So put the whistle. You 00:17:54.410 --> 00:17:56.609 can reach forward if you need to. Reach forward. 00:17:56.650 --> 00:17:59.930 Pick up the mirror. Slide the whistle underneath. 00:18:00.170 --> 00:18:04.059 Lay the mirror down. Maybe tie the whistle to 00:18:04.059 --> 00:18:08.859 the handle of the mirror so you'll remember the 00:18:08.859 --> 00:18:17.960 sequence. You may open your eyes. One more reason 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:21.180 why judging or not judging is not a simple question, 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.960 and this is what we started to look at before. 00:18:24.099 --> 00:18:27.839 Do not give dogs what is sacred. Do not throw 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:33.740 pearls. Your pearls to pigs. If you do, they 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:37.539 may trample them under their feet and turn and 00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:42.480 tear you to pieces. There are things that God 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:46.359 values so much. That's what sacred means. Something 00:18:46.359 --> 00:18:48.900 he values so much, he claims it for himself, 00:18:49.099 --> 00:18:52.420 and he only shares very carefully because it's 00:18:52.420 --> 00:18:57.630 a treasure to him. After the passage we're reading 00:18:57.630 --> 00:19:00.670 today, Jesus went on to talk about false prophets 00:19:00.670 --> 00:19:03.970 and how you could know who they are by their 00:19:03.970 --> 00:19:06.650 fruits. That's their patterns of behavior and 00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:09.569 the words they say. And Peter, we know, was listening 00:19:09.569 --> 00:19:12.509 to this sermon. He took a whole chapter in his 00:19:12.509 --> 00:19:16.109 second letter to talk about false prophets. And 00:19:16.109 --> 00:19:20.089 he describes their habits and the havoc they 00:19:20.089 --> 00:19:24.230 play in your life. groups that they join, and 00:19:24.230 --> 00:19:28.430 he ends the chapter by talking about false prophets 00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:32.630 as dogs who return to their vomit and pigs who 00:19:32.630 --> 00:19:37.349 go back to the mud. These are the kinds of people 00:19:37.349 --> 00:19:43.250 who have no value for what you treasure. And 00:19:43.250 --> 00:19:46.170 they don't care about you either. But they can 00:19:46.170 --> 00:19:55.119 put on a good mask. So Jesus, warns us, there 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:58.539 is a kind of judgment you must exercise to protect 00:19:58.539 --> 00:20:02.519 God's treasure that he entrusts to you. If you're 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:05.160 a pastor, a life group leader, an elder, a teacher, 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:09.059 a parent, your treasures are the people that 00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:13.440 you guard and guide. If you're lucky enough like 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:15.680 me to have four beautiful daughters, or however 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.470 many you have, you understand this. We've always 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:21.710 joked in our family, I'm going to make a T -shirt 00:20:21.710 --> 00:20:23.710 for each one of my daughters, and before you 00:20:23.710 --> 00:20:25.750 date, you've got to wear the T -shirt. It's going 00:20:25.750 --> 00:20:28.269 to have a QR code on the front and back. It says, 00:20:28.390 --> 00:20:31.029 if you want to date me, fill out the form. Guess 00:20:31.029 --> 00:20:34.509 who gets the form? I do. Guess what kind of questions 00:20:34.509 --> 00:20:39.190 are on there? Who's your next of kin? Which body 00:20:39.190 --> 00:20:43.609 part are you afraid of losing the most? I have 00:20:43.609 --> 00:20:46.130 made the survey, and we've had one young man 00:20:46.130 --> 00:20:49.640 fill it out. I gave my daughter to him in marriage, 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:54.640 my first daughter, because he proved he treasured 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:59.579 her as much as I did. And God says to you, you 00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:04.519 have treasure. Things of value that you don't 00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:09.680 give to just anybody. Why is judging not a simple, 00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:14.259 just don't do it? Because the threats are real. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.339 The consequences of not judging when you should 00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:23.059 judge are just as real as the consequences of 00:21:23.059 --> 00:21:30.039 judging too harshly. So I offer you one more 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:34.400 object for your workstation. A key to a treasure 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.819 box. Would you close your eyes, please, and walk 00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:41.559 back in your mind to that place where you get 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:47.099 stuff done. The gavel is gone, right? That makes 00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:50.880 room for the mirror. The whistle is tied to it 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:54.019 so you can remember the sequence. God taps your 00:21:54.019 --> 00:21:58.640 shoulder and he hands you a key. And he says, 00:21:58.779 --> 00:22:04.319 I've trusted you with treasures. Keep the key 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:10.319 safe. In your workstation, please decide where 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:13.549 are you going to keep the key. Put it somewhere 00:22:13.549 --> 00:22:25.069 you can remember. So we see. You may open your 00:22:25.069 --> 00:22:28.450 eyes. We see. To judge or not to judge, it's 00:22:28.450 --> 00:22:33.930 not a simple thing. Consequences are real. Motives 00:22:33.930 --> 00:22:36.930 matter. Sequence matters. And threats are real. 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:40.180 But what kind of judgments are there? Jesus has 00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:42.700 kind of suggested it, but let me do a quick summary 00:22:42.700 --> 00:22:45.859 using education and sports, kind of two parallel 00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:49.599 domains here. I work in education. We talk about 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:52.319 judgment as assessment, and we talk about two 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.500 main kinds of assessment. There's summative assessment, 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:59.160 or you could call it final score keeping in a 00:22:59.160 --> 00:23:03.839 sports. Summative assessment is when the term 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:08.319 is done. The exam is graded. The homework's all 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:12.299 handed in. No more chances to improve your grade. 00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:15.559 We summarize. This is your performance on the 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:22.400 course. Done. When it comes to people's character 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:26.059 and destiny, we don't get to do that kind of 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:29.740 judgment. We don't get to say, When your life 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:32.259 is done, I know what kind of character you are. 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:35.759 That's why I asked you, give up the gavel. Not 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.740 our job. But there's another kind of assessment 00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:44.759 in education we call formative assessment. And 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:49.079 that means while I'm teaching, I'm watching faces. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:53.180 Are they tracking? I may pause in a lecture and 00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:55.839 have them talk to each other, and I go around 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.759 and listen to what they're saying. Are they getting 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:01.130 it? I may give a little quiz. And it's not just 00:24:01.130 --> 00:24:04.170 to get a grade for the grade book. It's so that 00:24:04.170 --> 00:24:08.829 I can see what do they understand. And the good 00:24:08.829 --> 00:24:12.049 teachers know to do formative assessment ongoing 00:24:12.049 --> 00:24:14.630 throughout the lecture, throughout the activities, 00:24:14.690 --> 00:24:19.690 constantly checking so that we are informed how 00:24:19.690 --> 00:24:22.390 we might need to change the teaching so it reaches 00:24:22.390 --> 00:24:27.240 the heart. And formative assessment also informs 00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:29.660 the student. How do they need to change their 00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:32.519 engagement so they can learn better? Formative 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:36.920 assessment. Or in sports, coaching. If you've 00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:39.240 ever been on a good team with a quality coach, 00:24:39.420 --> 00:24:42.400 you love the coach's whistle. I mean, you might 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:45.200 be irritated, but he does good things for you 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:49.420 and he makes you perform athletically or musically 00:24:49.420 --> 00:24:52.220 or theatrically like you've never performed before. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:56.559 You won. Formative assessment. The third kind 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:59.420 of, not assessment, but the third kind of judgment 00:24:59.420 --> 00:25:02.279 that Jesus, sorry, for formative and coaching, 00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:06.319 check the mirror, use the whistle. It's a good 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:10.400 thing. But the third kind of judgment is protective. 00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:14.740 Keep the key safe. God has trusted you with treasure. 00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:18.819 There's other kinds of judgment too. Might make 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:20.839 an interesting discussion at lunchtime as you 00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:23.119 follow up. I'm not claiming to name everything, 00:25:23.339 --> 00:25:25.720 but I'm trying to frame what Jesus is calling 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:28.660 us to pay attention to. So let's move on to the 00:25:28.660 --> 00:25:33.000 final driving question. How do we discern? The 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:36.000 image up here, I did not pick it, but it worked 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:40.000 out great. There's an old preacher from the 20th 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:42.519 century for three decades. He preached at the 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:45.140 Westminster Chapel in London. His name was Martin 00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:49.700 Lloyd -Jones. And his ideas help me understand. 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:53.119 Oh, look at this. There's a road. The road has 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.460 deep places off the side. We call them ditches. 00:25:56.759 --> 00:25:59.559 And this passage we just looked at tells us, 00:25:59.579 --> 00:26:02.440 hey, on one side of the road is harsh, unfair 00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:05.960 judgment. And on the other side of the road is 00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:09.759 neglect, not judging when we should judge. And 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:13.599 humanity has a habit of walking the road like 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:19.609 a drunk. You got it, right? You fall in one ditch. 00:26:20.450 --> 00:26:23.130 Maybe you can crawl out staggered to your feet 00:26:23.130 --> 00:26:26.809 just to fall again on the other side. And Jesus 00:26:26.809 --> 00:26:30.789 knows this is our habit. So he gives us a way 00:26:30.789 --> 00:26:34.730 to judge, choose the right kind of judgment, 00:26:34.809 --> 00:26:37.390 know when to judge, but it's not a formula. It's 00:26:37.390 --> 00:26:39.730 not a step -by -step method. It's so much better. 00:26:39.809 --> 00:26:43.240 Watch this. Ask and keep asking. And it will 00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:45.900 be given to you. Seek and keep seeking and you 00:26:45.900 --> 00:26:49.019 will find. Knock and keep knocking and the door 00:26:49.019 --> 00:26:52.220 will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, 00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:58.140 receives. The one who seeks, finds. And to the 00:26:58.140 --> 00:27:00.559 one who knocks, the door will be opened. Now, 00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:04.180 let's get one thing off, out of our minds. This 00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:09.940 is not a formula for getting what you want. This 00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:12.160 is a description of a relationship with God. 00:27:13.269 --> 00:27:17.150 Asking admits we need things only he can give. 00:27:17.910 --> 00:27:22.690 Seeking means he gives us perspective and answers. 00:27:24.349 --> 00:27:27.329 Knocking means we need to make some effort. If 00:27:27.329 --> 00:27:30.210 he opens that door, are we going to walk through? 00:27:33.690 --> 00:27:38.430 Now, here we also see process and results. Asking 00:27:38.430 --> 00:27:41.589 is the process. Receiving is the result. Seeking 00:27:41.589 --> 00:27:47.210 is a process. Finding is a result. Knocking is 00:27:47.210 --> 00:27:50.269 a process. Having it opened is a result. And 00:27:50.269 --> 00:27:53.569 your father oversees both process and results. 00:27:53.890 --> 00:27:56.650 When my kids were little, in about eight months, 00:27:56.950 --> 00:28:00.130 they were learning to crawl. And sometimes we 00:28:00.130 --> 00:28:02.150 would take a toy and put it in front of them, 00:28:02.230 --> 00:28:06.980 just out of reach. Because when the baby's first 00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:09.160 learning the crawl, they're down on all fours 00:28:09.160 --> 00:28:11.680 and they're kind of rocking back and forth. And 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:13.380 then they lift up that one hand and they fall 00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:17.099 over. Right? And they do it again and they lift 00:28:17.099 --> 00:28:19.279 and they fall over. But with something out of 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:21.740 reach, they've got that little bit of motivation 00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:26.759 to get that hand up and hang in there. Right? 00:28:28.380 --> 00:28:30.420 Did we want them to have the toy and have some 00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:34.799 fun? Sure. We were half -decent parents. What 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:38.420 did we want more? Muscle development, endurance, 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:43.660 coordination. So we honored the process and let 00:28:43.660 --> 00:28:46.200 them struggle sometimes under our supervision. 00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:52.619 Your Heavenly Father oversees your process of 00:28:52.619 --> 00:28:56.960 asking, seeking, knocking. And if He's making 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:00.940 you wait for results, it means He knows the process 00:29:00.940 --> 00:29:05.839 is shaping you. Most important thing God wants 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:09.599 to give you is himself. And the second important 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:14.819 thing he wants to give you is a new you. So he 00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:23.259 oversees that process. How do we discern how 00:29:23.259 --> 00:29:25.220 to judge? Because that's the context of asking, 00:29:25.299 --> 00:29:29.460 seeking, knocking. How do we discern? Don't walk 00:29:29.460 --> 00:29:39.089 alone. Have an ongoing relationship. Jesus goes 00:29:39.089 --> 00:29:43.470 on. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, 00:29:43.809 --> 00:29:49.009 will you give him a stone? How's that work, kiddo? 00:29:49.009 --> 00:29:53.529 Go ahead, gnaw on that for a while. Or if he 00:29:53.529 --> 00:29:59.009 asks for a fish, do not be alarmed. Would you? 00:30:00.789 --> 00:30:02.730 Would you give him a snake? That's going to be 00:30:02.730 --> 00:30:09.039 distracting. Of course not. You know how to give 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:11.579 good gifts to your children, even if you don't 00:30:11.579 --> 00:30:13.259 have children. I bet you know how to give good 00:30:13.259 --> 00:30:16.359 gifts. And Jesus says, yeah, you know how to 00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:19.539 do that. But I left out part of the text here. 00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:22.400 We're going to contrast those of us who know 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:24.940 how to give gifts with another giver. Watch this. 00:30:25.299 --> 00:30:28.599 Jesus actually said, if you then, though you 00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:35.950 are evil. Ouch. If you then, though you are evil, 00:30:36.029 --> 00:30:37.910 know how to give good gifts to your children. 00:30:37.990 --> 00:30:40.849 Back up. Just stop there on the ouch. Jesus is 00:30:40.849 --> 00:30:43.750 being gently honest. He already called us hypocrites, 00:30:43.910 --> 00:30:46.890 mask wearers. He's going a little deeper and 00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:48.950 saying, let me tell you what happens with the 00:30:48.950 --> 00:30:51.730 mask. Because the word for evil here is the kind 00:30:51.730 --> 00:30:56.049 of corruption that actively causes corruption 00:30:56.049 --> 00:30:59.769 in others. Let me use a more familiar term. Though 00:30:59.769 --> 00:31:08.839 you are contagious. He actually already talked 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:11.960 about this, didn't he? Do not judge or you will 00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:14.519 be judged. In the way that you judge, you will 00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:17.059 be judged. By your sin, he's repeating himself 00:31:17.059 --> 00:31:21.079 but with a different picture. Our judgment done 00:31:21.079 --> 00:31:24.960 wrong is a contagion, an infection that we're 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:30.460 spreading. And yet, Jesus admits, we know how 00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:34.940 to give good gifts, not stones and snakes. But 00:31:34.940 --> 00:31:38.480 he draws the contrast. How much more? Read those 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:42.700 three words. How much more? Say it again. How 00:31:42.700 --> 00:31:48.220 much more your Father in Heaven give good gifts 00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:54.299 to those who what? Ouch! You mean the guy I want 00:31:54.299 --> 00:31:56.660 to judge because he really is an idiot? Oh no, 00:31:56.720 --> 00:32:03.059 I gave up the gavel. Yeah. Though we are contagious 00:32:03.059 --> 00:32:09.640 mask wearers, He gives good gifts to us. And 00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:12.099 though our opponents and the people we disagree 00:32:12.099 --> 00:32:15.559 with are also contagious mask wearers, He gives 00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:25.200 good gifts to them too. How do we discern when 00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:27.480 and what kind of judgment to use? Don't walk 00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:31.579 alone. Have an ongoing relationship with God 00:32:31.579 --> 00:32:38.220 as your Father. Now, we could switch that out. 00:32:38.299 --> 00:32:41.200 Jesus could have said judge. The problem with 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:45.000 a relationship with God where judge is the primary 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.019 role is that in your asking and seeking and knocking, 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:52.259 if judge is God's primary relationship with you 00:32:52.259 --> 00:32:54.299 and you're asking, seeking and knocking, you 00:32:54.299 --> 00:33:00.000 will get what you deserve. Pure, mechanical, 00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:08.880 unfiltered karma. But Jesus calls us to let the 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:12.420 primary relationship with God be one of Father. 00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:19.039 So in our asking and seeking and knocking, we 00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:26.099 get what we need. Personalized, tender mercy 00:33:26.099 --> 00:33:30.220 that shapes us to be the person he means us to 00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:34.400 be. Now, I didn't know how to picture this. You 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:36.019 can make your own picture. And if any of you 00:33:36.019 --> 00:33:38.119 come up with something, tell me or send me an 00:33:38.119 --> 00:33:40.519 email or just stop me downstairs. Scott, I got 00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:43.039 a picture. Use this next time you preach a sermon 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:47.240 or whatever. Judge your father. Jesus is the 00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:51.759 difference maker there because Jesus is the only 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:56.500 one who could submit to total life summative 00:33:56.500 --> 00:33:59.819 judgment and God the judge could look and say, 00:33:59.940 --> 00:34:05.900 good on you. Totally right. I am so proud to 00:34:05.900 --> 00:34:08.320 call you my son. You already were, but you've 00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:10.860 proven it. Everything you do, everything you 00:34:10.860 --> 00:34:14.519 said, Jesus, hey everybody, this is my son. I'm 00:34:14.519 --> 00:34:20.260 delighted with this guy. None of us can receive 00:34:20.260 --> 00:34:25.920 that kind of verdict if we go to God. And yet, 00:34:25.980 --> 00:34:30.300 Jesus offers a switch. He says, at the cross. 00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:40.619 I'll take your judgment. You take mine. That's 00:34:40.619 --> 00:34:45.340 where our confidence comes from. In discerning 00:34:45.340 --> 00:34:49.619 how and when to judge. We don't walk alone. We 00:34:49.619 --> 00:34:54.199 have an ongoing relationship with God as our 00:34:54.199 --> 00:34:59.260 Father, the example. And I say that because I've 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:03.949 learned As I see selfies, man, I'm looking more 00:35:03.949 --> 00:35:08.369 and more like my dad. That could be a good thing. 00:35:10.369 --> 00:35:12.989 The more time you spend with your heavenly father, 00:35:13.130 --> 00:35:16.190 the more you're going to look like him. The more 00:35:16.190 --> 00:35:19.250 time you're under his influence and fatherhood 00:35:19.250 --> 00:35:21.889 is the primary role he plays in your life, the 00:35:21.889 --> 00:35:26.170 more the family resemblance will grow. Confidence 00:35:26.170 --> 00:35:29.590 for you, friends. That's what he wants. That's 00:35:29.590 --> 00:35:32.769 what Jesus offers. So Jesus summarizes with another 00:35:32.769 --> 00:35:36.789 very familiar thing. We call it the golden rule. 00:35:36.929 --> 00:35:40.869 So in everything, do to others what you would 00:35:40.869 --> 00:35:47.110 have them do to you. That so could also be translated 00:35:47.110 --> 00:35:51.630 therefore. So let's use the therefore to review. 00:35:52.070 --> 00:35:56.550 Therefore. Because fatherhood, not judge, is 00:35:56.550 --> 00:35:59.769 the primary role God wants to fill for you as 00:35:59.769 --> 00:36:02.050 you ask, seek, and knock. Therefore, because 00:36:02.050 --> 00:36:05.510 Heavenly Father gives you good gifts even to 00:36:05.510 --> 00:36:09.250 contagious mask wearers like us. Therefore, because 00:36:09.250 --> 00:36:13.349 we have the opportunity to coach others to be 00:36:13.349 --> 00:36:16.090 better people in God's family. Therefore, because 00:36:16.090 --> 00:36:19.329 we have the duty to protect our treasures. Therefore, 00:36:19.389 --> 00:36:22.030 because in the same way we judge, it will come 00:36:22.030 --> 00:36:26.679 back. Therefore, in everything, do to others 00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:30.519 what you would have them do to you. There's actually 00:36:30.519 --> 00:36:34.039 more to the golden rule that we often miss. For 00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:37.980 this sums up the law and the prophets. He's talking 00:36:37.980 --> 00:36:42.039 about scriptures, the law. God is still judge. 00:36:42.280 --> 00:36:45.679 He wrote the law. That is his standard of measure. 00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:50.699 He holds the gavel. Which is another reason we 00:36:50.699 --> 00:36:52.940 can have confidence because when someone hurts 00:36:52.940 --> 00:36:55.579 us and it looks like they get away with it, no 00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:59.699 they didn't. God is judge. Their time is coming. 00:37:01.119 --> 00:37:04.800 Prophets sent by the Heavenly Father to invite 00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:10.400 us to receive the fatherhood role. But if people 00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:14.780 reject the fatherhood role, God is still judge. 00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:24.070 And that's what's left. So how to discern? Click 00:37:24.070 --> 00:37:29.550 for me, please. How to discern? Don't walk alone. 00:37:30.449 --> 00:37:35.449 Have an ongoing relationship with God as your 00:37:35.449 --> 00:37:43.269 father, example, and judge. So back to the bomb 00:37:43.269 --> 00:37:48.650 shelter. It was later, maybe not that day, but 00:37:48.650 --> 00:37:52.070 within the training conference time, I was walking 00:37:52.070 --> 00:37:55.389 and getting some exercise, and God brought that 00:37:55.389 --> 00:37:58.329 incident back to my mind, and he made me learn 00:37:58.329 --> 00:38:01.110 something. Because the message that landed on 00:38:01.110 --> 00:38:05.429 my heart was this, Scott, Jesus' cross was good 00:38:05.429 --> 00:38:08.510 enough for you, but not good enough for him? 00:38:11.720 --> 00:38:14.300 Jesus' cross was good enough for this infectious 00:38:14.300 --> 00:38:18.119 hypocrite and not for a guy honestly doing an 00:38:18.119 --> 00:38:22.079 exercise in a training conference. I understand 00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:26.619 now that if I held on to my planned punishment 00:38:26.619 --> 00:38:30.300 for him, I had the gavel and I didn't trust God 00:38:30.300 --> 00:38:35.019 to use his. But that day, God, my Heavenly Father, 00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:39.079 saw my contagious mask and he gave me a good 00:38:39.079 --> 00:38:42.059 gift anyway. He led me to the cross where I could 00:38:42.059 --> 00:38:50.679 repent. One more visualization. And actually, 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:56.639 it's... Sorry, back one. Go to your workstation. 00:38:56.659 --> 00:39:00.739 Close your eyes, please. This time, imagine your 00:39:00.739 --> 00:39:04.639 workstation on a screen. This is a photo editor, 00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:08.500 and I'm going to ask you to change it. I want 00:39:08.500 --> 00:39:10.880 you to take your finger, whichever tapping finger 00:39:10.880 --> 00:39:12.880 you use. You can do this physically right now 00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:16.000 if you want. Reach forward, tap the workstation 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:19.360 so the workstation is activated so that you can 00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:23.900 edit the workstation. Now take two fingers, grab 00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:27.940 the workstation in the middle, spread sideways, 00:39:28.420 --> 00:39:32.280 stretch it sideways so it's big enough to add 00:39:32.280 --> 00:39:39.190 another person. Now walk into that stretched 00:39:39.190 --> 00:39:42.469 workstation. This is your new spot. Turn to your 00:39:42.469 --> 00:39:45.369 Heavenly Father and invite Him to take His place 00:39:45.369 --> 00:39:52.710 next to you. You can trust Him. Some of the gavel 00:39:52.710 --> 00:39:54.909 giving up, the mirroring, the whistling, some 00:39:54.909 --> 00:39:57.469 of you are not used to that. You can trust your 00:39:57.469 --> 00:39:59.929 Heavenly Father. He can tap your shoulder when 00:39:59.929 --> 00:40:03.309 you reach for the gavel. He can say, hey, what 00:40:03.309 --> 00:40:06.900 are you doing? When you reach for the whistle 00:40:06.900 --> 00:40:09.059 and forget the mirror, he can give you a little 00:40:09.059 --> 00:40:13.619 elbow. When you have the whistle but you're afraid 00:40:13.619 --> 00:40:18.420 to blow it, he can assure you he is with you. 00:40:19.820 --> 00:40:23.260 And he gave you that whistle for a purpose. And 00:40:23.260 --> 00:40:25.920 when someone else comes in your workstation and 00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:32.619 they want your treasure, God can nudge you and 00:40:32.619 --> 00:40:37.400 say, hey. Where's your key? You may open your 00:40:37.400 --> 00:40:41.699 eyes. We've had three driving questions. Why 00:40:41.699 --> 00:40:45.860 is it not so simple? You got it? It's complicated. 00:40:45.940 --> 00:40:49.519 It's not just do not judge. Three kinds of judgment. 00:40:50.739 --> 00:40:54.199 Summative, not your job. Formative, your job. 00:40:54.360 --> 00:41:01.019 Protective, your job. How do we discern? I can't 00:41:01.019 --> 00:41:05.519 give you. a checkbox of criteria, but I can offer 00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:07.679 you the fatherhood of God because he gave it 00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:17.199 to me and he wants you there too. Thank you for 00:41:17.199 --> 00:41:20.960 tuning in to the ECB Sermon Podcast. Whether 00:41:20.960 --> 00:41:23.960 near or far, if you are looking for community 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:27.900 or are in need of prayer, we welcome you to engage 00:41:27.900 --> 00:41:32.760 by sending us an email to office at ecb .asia. 00:41:33.300 --> 00:41:36.400 If God is calling you to support our ministries, 00:41:36.440 --> 00:41:39.099 you will find giving options on our website. 00:41:39.920 --> 00:41:43.360 And remember to join us next week. God bless 00:41:43.360 --> 00:41:43.599 you.