Pulpit Curriculum: Mirror Judgment: A Call to Self-Examination
August 25th – 31st, 2024
Sermon Summary
Today’s sermon continues our journey through Jesus’ Sermon on The Mount, and His call for us to perform radical heart surgery if we are indeed to be His “Image Bearers”. In the previous chapters, Jesus primarily dealt with themes connected with our inner spiritual life (attitudes in giving, prayer, fasting, materialism, and anxiety over material things). Now He touches on an important theme related to the way we think of and treat others. In essence, we are called to look inward first, before looking outward at others; what we can call “Mirror Judgment” — a way of looking at others that first requires us to examine ourselves. In a world quick to criticize and condemn, Jesus offers a revolutionary path of humility, self-awareness, and discernment. This is the path of the Believer’s journey to be more and more like Christ.
Verse of the Week
Matthew 7:1-2
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”*
Going Deeper
Review: Matthew 7:1-6
1) In verse 1-2, Jesus instructs His Disciples to not judge.
a) What does it mean to judge? What kind of judging is Jesus talking about in these verses?
b) Why does Jesus say we shouldn’t judge? Is there ever a time when it is okay to judge?
c) How do we balance confronting people with their sin and the fact that God is The Judge?
2) Matthew 7:3-5.
a) What is Jesus’ point in verses 3-5?
b) How does His use of the word “hypocrite” show us the problem He is speaking against here?
c) How can we avoid being a hypocrite?
d) How can we avoid the sin of judging others and instead truly help our brothers overcome sin?
3) Matthew 7:6. Citing scripture references discuss the following.
a) What is the difference between judgement and discernment?
b) What does “what is sacred” or “your pearls” refer to?
c) Who do “dogs” and “pigs” symbolize? Why does Jesus use these references?
d) Why is discernment and wisdom necessary in helping people?
Assess Your Life
The following questions are meant to encourage personal reflection and identify areas for spiritual growth in your relationship with God. Ask yourself the questions, respond honestly, write down your responses, and then prayerfully seek God’s conviction and guidance to move forward to repentance and restoration. In your Small Group, or in discussions with your friends and family, be open to sharing your responses with others in a spirit of accountability and transparency.
The preacher shared that, “judgments, often made in an instant, reveal more about the state of our own hearts than they do about the people we’re judging”.
• How often have you been guilty of “jumping to conclusions” and judging a person or their actions without attempting to assess or discern their situation or motive?
• Share / discuss the most recent occurrence of this
• Did you get a chance to hear or understand their “story”? Did it change your perspective? How did you pray for or assist them if your perspective changed? Did you confess your “rush to judgement”? What was the result?
• Are you living up to the standard you are holding others to?
Application
One key objective of this Pulpit Curriculum is taking God’s truth as exposed in the sermon and helping people apply that truth in practical and intentional ways to plot a course toward obedience and transformation. This section is intended to achieve that objective.
1 Make an inventory of any distorting effects of sin in your life.
a Did any patterns emerge and areas in need of change?
b Identify scripture references taken from The Sermon on The Mount that you can meditate on to effect that change.
What steps can you take to keep your heart in alignment with God’s desire?
2 Evaluate yourself in each of these areas above and journal how you are doing.
3 Share in the coming weeks how you are progressing.
4 This sums up today’s sermon. List some ways you can put this into practice.
I will ask_____ to hold me accountable in this.
Sermon Main Points
As we answer the call to self-examination, a call to align our hearts with the heart of Christ; we must:
Judge others with humility (Matt. 7: 1 – 2)
1. Start by examining our own hearts
2. Adopt a posture of grace
3. Remember the ultimate standard of judgment that Jesus set for us
Avoid the danger of hypocrisy (Matthew 7: 3 – 5)
1. Begin with self-examination
2. Be willing to repent
3. Approach others with humility and grace
Grow in discernment (Matthew 7: 6)
1. Be prayerful
2. Be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit
3. Approach others with love and humility
Sermon Reflection
What stood out for me in this sermon?
• The term “Judge” implies to analyze or evaluate as well as to condemn or avenge
• The second aspect of the term “Judge” – to condemn or avenge – is reserved for God
• Judgments, often made in an instant, reveal more about the state of our own hearts than they do about the people we’re judging
• We need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Am I living up to the standard I’m holding others to?”
• Pointing out someone’s sin doesn’t minimize
• When we see a brother or sister struggling with sin, our goal should be restoration, not condemnation
• When people deal with sin and its distorting effects in their own lives, they have the discernment to help others repent from sin
• Our job is not to force the truth on others but to prepare the ground
• Humility in judgment leads to authenticity in our walk, which in turn equips us with the discernment needed to share God’s truth wisely and effectively
What can I do to remember this?
5 Day Study Plan
Use the Inductive Bible Study method to study these scriptures this week and remember to share with someone else.
Follow these steps
1. Observe the text.
(What do you see in the text? Look for answers to questions like: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)
2. Interpret the text.
(What did God and the human author of the text want the original people reading this text to understand/do? Why?)
3. Apply the text.
(How do I need to change in my thinking, my affections, my attitudes, and/or my actions?)
Day 1 - Romans 14:1-12
Day 2 - John 8:2-11
Day 3 - James 4:11-12
Day 4 - Lamentations 3:40-42
Day 5 - Proverbs 9:7-9
For best results, this content should be read and prepared privately and then discussed in your small group or with family / friends. We were not created to do life alone - get connected with a small group and grow together.