The Sunday prior to Mother’s Day we closed out Romans chapter 1, with Paul going through a list of mankind’s sins, short comings, that all produce the wrath of God. Either you were on that list, or in the neighborhood of that list. If you didn’t make that list, maybe you can find yourself on this list…Galatians 5:19-20 says,
"People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. 20) They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are“
Galatians 5:19-20 CEV
"envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.“
Galatians 5:21 CEV
After reading that list, let’s just do the altar call and bring the worship team back up lol. WHY? WE’RE ALL ON THE LIST! This is why our big takeaway for that week was,
You’ll never appreciate the gospel’s GOOD NEWS, until you understand mankind’s BAD NEWS.
When it comes to mankind’s sins, and shortcomings, the Good News of the gospel is this—YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY THERE! Through Jesus Christ you can be a new creature.
Paul begins Romans chapter 2, as a continuation from Romans chapter 1, to serve all of us some humble pie lol. In response to mankind’s sins and shortcomings that closed out chapter 1, Romans chapter 2 begins with Paul saying,
"Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.“
Romans 2:1 GNT
"We know that God is right to judge everyone who behaves in this way. Do you really think God won't punish you, WHEN YOU BEHAVE EXACTLY LIKE the people you accuse?“
Romans 2:2-3 CEV
"You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?“
Romans 2:4 CEV
The New King James Version says verse 4 like this…
"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADS YOU TO REPENTANCE?“
Romans 2:4 NKJV
"But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God's anger and righteous judgments will be revealed.“
Romans 2:5 GNT
I want to preach a message this morning titled:
Today’s message: "THAT’S THE WRONG SEAT!"
Anytime you find yourself sitting in the judgement seat of God, judging others, I’m telling you right now…THAT’S THE WRONG SEAT!
This is what Paul was trying to convey in Romans 2:1 when he said,
"Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, WHOEVER YOU ARE. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.“
Romans 2:1 GNT
What Paul is essentially saying is, "Why do you judge others because of their list, and you clearly have a list of your own?”
"We know that GOD IS RIGHT WHEN HE JUDGES THE PEOPLE…”
Romans 2:2 GNT
In God’s Word we’re directed to love. In God’s Word we’re directed to forgive. In God’s Word we’re directed to share our hearts in grace, truth, and gentleness, BUT NEVER IN JUDGEMENT. We know that GOD IS RIGHT WHEN HE JUDGES THE PEOPLE. Anytime you find yourself sitting in the judgement seat of God, judging others, I’m telling you right now…THAT’S THE WRONG SEAT!
📝 Throughout this thing called life, I’ve learned that I can take a seat many a places—JUST NOT IN HIS.
Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7:1-2,
""DO NOT JUDGE, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.“
Matthew 7:1-2 NIV
Another translation says it like this…
"….AND WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE, it will be measured back to you.“
Matthew 7:2 NKJV
AND WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE…
QUESTION…
IN A DAYS TIME, HOW OFTEN DO YOU BREAK OUT YOUR MEASUREMENTS TO JUDGE OTHERS?
Be careful with that because….
"…and with the measure you use, IT WILL BE MEASURED BACK TO YOU.“
Matthew 7:2 NKJV
📝 • God sees THE MEASURE.
God sees how we measure peoples sins, and He says, "Be careful! With the same measure you use to judge others, that same measure will come back to you.” So here’s the thing about heaven…
📝 Heaven, and the Book of Life HAS YOUR MEASUREMENTS.
"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, AND BOOKS WERE OPENED. And ANOTHER BOOK WAS OPENED, which is THE BOOK OF LIFE. And THE DEAD WERE JUDGEDaccording to their works, by the things which were written in the books.“
Revelation 20:12 NKJV
HEAVEN KNOWS THE DEPTH, WIDTH, AND HEIGHT OF YOUR SIN.
While we’re running around doing this (measuring others), heaven sees this (our measurements).
This is why Paul says in Romans 2:1…
"Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE AT ALL, whoever you are..."
Romans 2:1 GNT
Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 7:3…
""And why worry about A SPECK in your friend’s eye when you have A LOG in your own? 5) How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when YOU CAN’T SEE PAST THE LOG IN YOUR OWN EYE?”
Matthew 7:4-5 NLT
📝 • God sees THE LOG.
How many times have I wanted to talk to God about other people’s specks in their eyes, and before I can get to it, THE HOLY SPIRIT REMINDS ME OF THE LOG IN MINE?
Romans 2:1 again…
"Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.“
Romans 2:1 GNT
Jesus opens up with three powerful words in Matthew 7:3 that we must pay attention to, He says…
""WHY DO YOU look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?“
Matthew 7:3 NIV
Jesus starts this verse off with one powerful word that we must not ignore and that word is "WHY? Jesus said, "Why do you...?” That’s a question that cuts right to the heart. That’s a question that takes the focus off of your significant other, neighbor, co-worker and shifts the focus back to you. Jesus said, "Why do YOU...?”
Why do you focus so much on your neighbors speck and continue to neglect the log that’s in your eye? Why do you do this? Why do I do this? Why do WE do this? I believe it’s because….
WE OFTEN FEEL BETTER MAGNIFYING SOMEONE ELSE’S ISSUES AS IF THAT’S GOING TO EXPUNGE OUR OWN.
When I choose to magnify someone else’s sins or struggles over my own, I’m not magnifying my perfections or my strengths, instead I’m really magnifying my fears and my insecurities.
I choose to magnify other people’s speck, because I’m afraid that if you take a deep enough look at my life that you’ll really see that I’m no better than them.
Jesus asked the question, "Why?” the answer is because something is broken. Jesus asked the question, "Why?” it’s because we’re afraid that one day our "logs” will be exposed so we have to keep everyone’s attention on everyone else’s specks. I pray that from this day forward may we understand that…
📝 The way to BUILD YOURSELF UP, is not through TEARING OTHERS DOWN.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:5
"Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; THEN YOU WILL SEE WELL ENOUGH to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.“
Matthew 7:5 NLT
THEN YOU WILL SEE WELL ENOUGH…
Jesus wants you to see well.
Jesus wants you to see yourself well.
Jesus wants you to see others well.
Jesus wants you to see yourself, and others through His eyes.
"Then Jesus, LOOKING AT HIM, LOVED HIM, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.””
Mark 10:21 NKJV
He sees your measurements.
He sees your logs.
But the good news of the gospel is,
📝 God sees THE CROSS.
What’s so good about the cross? Colossians 1:19-20 tells us…
"For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. HE MADE PEACE WITH EVERYTHING in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on THE CROSS.“
Colossians 1:19-20 NLT
📝 Once you put your faith in Jesus Christ, heaven no longer sees your measurements. Through a lifestyle of repentance, God no longer sees your logs. God only sees THE FINISHED WORK of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Colossians 2:13-14 explains it even deeper…
"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14) He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to THE CROSS. 15) In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on THE CROSS.“
Colossians 2:13-15 NLT
Paul had it right when he said in Galatians 6:14…
"As for me, may I never boast about anything except THE CROSS of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.“
Galatians 6:14 NLT
📝 Before you judge your brother, before you judge your sister, before you judge yourself, TAKE A JOURNEY TO THE CROSS.
📝 At the cross, at the cross, I first saw the light that I have no right to JUDGE. At the cross, at the cross, I first saw the light that I have no right to CONDEMN.
All of our measuring tools, and all of our logs that we’ve collected over the years, belong at one place—AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS.
Instead of looking down on others to judge them, instead of looking down on ourselves to condemn ourselves, look to Jesus, look to Hebrews 12:2…
"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
What joy was set before Him? The thought of being with you for all eternity. For that very reason I Corinthians 1:18 says,
"For the message of THE CROSS is foolishness to those who are perishing, BUT TO US who are being saved it is the power of God.“
I Corinthians 1:18 NKJV
For the message of THE CROSS is foolishness to those who are perishing, BUT TO US THE CROSS IS EVERYTHING!
WHY??? Because….
📝 In spite of our measurements, in spite of our logs, HEAVEN STILL PROVIDED the cross.
📝 When it’s time to log out of this world, the only thing that’s going to eternally matter is that IT’S LOGGED THAT I BELIEVED.
It’s easy to fall into it—judging others. But from this day forward, may I quickly remember—THAT’S THE WRONG SEAT!
Who am I to point the blame at others and through Christ He calls me blameless? Who am I to point the blame at others and through Christ He calls me Holy? Who am I to point the blame at others and through Christ He calls me forgiven, righteous, free, and worthy?
HAVE YOU BEEN SITTING IN THE WRONG SEAT?
If I believe that He calls me BLAMELESS, then who Am I to judge you and to say that through Christ, He doesn’t call you BLAMELESS TOO?
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