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[00:00] All right. Well, we're back in James
[00:02] What's your somebody tell me what they think so far James? What like what are you what are your thoughts?
[00:08] Go ahead. He's very direct about any
[00:12] He's like do this or do that there's not another option good point land is very good good observation
[00:20] anybody else
[00:22] feel better and bruised every time
[00:26] Oh, that's exactly how I feel too. So, uh, I was telling my brother this morning I go well
[00:33] Another sunday another time he's sitting up there as a hypocrite going here's what you got to do
[00:38] Knowing that after you know preparing and stuff going what are we doing?
[00:44] There is yes, you know last week and um, who did I text that to oh ethan me and ethan were chatting about this
[00:55] Uh this passage and the texting and I said, you know, I said I fail at this passage so often
[01:00] But there is more grace, right? It gives more grace. It's grace upon grace
[01:05] And so that's good to remember, you know, because otherwise you do you start thinking man, you know, we can't do it
[01:11] And you know some of that is to is good realization
[01:16] Right, but we'll talk more about that
[01:18] So I mean i'm still going to rehab because my knee, you know
[01:21] It's not fully healed and so I go to rehab twice a week for an hour
[01:25] And over the last couple weeks i've i've been getting to know this lady. She's about 80 81 years old
[01:30] I think she said she's 80 turning 81 something like that. Um
[01:34] And she's I mean she is spunky, right?
[01:37] I mean she tells the therapist like you know what she's gonna do what she's not gonna do what he needs to do
[01:43] You know and she's not like hey, can you do this for me? She's like, hey pick that up for me here
[01:47] You know, she's very like very direct
[01:50] Um, and you know, but i've had some fun with her right the one time I was like gonna jump on a machine and she's like
[01:55] You can't use that machine. I'm jumping on that machine and I said, okay, that's fair
[01:58] But you didn't bring me she brings a mcdonald's coffee every time and she didn't I said you didn't bring me a coffee
[02:03] So i'm sorry, but these are the rules. You don't bring me a coffee. I use whatever machine I want
[02:06] And so then she started laughing. That's kind of how we got, you know, um
[02:10] You know getting to know one another and so
[02:13] Last this past week when I went on friday
[02:16] When I walked in and her you know, some of the people said hey, you know your your friend's here
[02:20] And she was like, you know, she was like, oh, you know, and she gave me a hug and everything. She's on this machine and
[02:25] Um, and it was it is sad because she lives by herself and she she's a sibling of six
[02:31] And they all died all her brothers sisters have died and she's not the youngest and so you know
[02:36] She's lost them and she was living at home by herself
[02:38] She got up on a chair fell down broke her leg and she was hours just laying there in pain and nobody knew and so it
[02:44] Took her a while. So, you know, she's telling me that story. I want to almost start crying
[02:47] I'm like, I could just imagine her laying there by herself
[02:50] With nobody to come help her
[02:52] But anyway all that to say she was like, you know, but I don't want people to feel sorry because you know
[02:56] I know what i'm doing. I shouldn't get up on that chair all this
[02:58] So anyway long story short i'm on this machine and she's like on a bench and they're kind of you know
[03:04] Doing the thing with her whatever and she's facing me now
[03:06] There's a lot of people out and i'm on this machine and i'm like
[03:09] I'm struggling every week. I struggle with it because it really hurts my knee
[03:12] I have to lift weights with it and it might have no muscle in my knee
[03:15] And so it's you know, and i'm like i'm fighting it i'll put you right and she goes hey
[03:18] All right, and i'm like in the middle she goes you need to lose weight
[03:21] And i'm like
[03:26] Are you right? I do I said i'm working on it. I said but you know, thanks for reminding me
[03:30] And everybody's like now that you know the ppt people are all like you can't say that you know
[03:35] I guess she could say that when you're 80 you say what you want to say. I like so
[03:40] So, you know, she let me have it and then later on when she's leaving
[03:44] She's like, I guess I shouldn't have said that a lot. I go. No. Hey, you're right
[03:46] I said truth shouldn't truth shouldn't make me mad. I said so as if you're 100 right. I do need to lose weight
[03:51] um
[03:54] But what you know, so that was just kind of a funny thing that happened, right?
[03:56] And she said something that probably most people would think is not nice
[04:00] But in her world as I talked to her more she's had a lot of people die of heart attacks and all that stuff
[04:05] And so she said that to me according to her anyway
[04:09] Because she's you know, she doesn't want to see me die of a heart attack because i'm fat
[04:12] All right. So she has a point right? Uh, she has a point
[04:16] and
[04:18] But the thing is right. She said it to my face
[04:20] Maybe she could have done a little bit better. Whatever, you know, it didn't really didn't bother me because she's out there
[04:25] It's not like it's not like
[04:27] People don't know right? Right. It's out there for the world to know like yeah, this dude needs to lose weight. Okay. Everybody knows that
[04:33] um
[04:34] And so
[04:36] But I got me thinking right on this passage that we're going to look at today
[04:40] Right. Those things are okay because you know, she's older and she spoke truth and she spoke it to my face
[04:46] But what happens if somebody says that to me behind my back?
[04:49] All right, a christian brother or sister and says man, not right man. That dude is a fat slob
[04:53] right, uh, like
[04:56] right
[04:56] Not the best
[04:58] And and james has some stuff to say about that
[05:00] Right how we kind of talk about others, right?
[05:04] um
[05:07] Another another thing that's kind of funny is that a couple months ago holly texted me or tried to facetime me from michigan
[05:14] And uh, and I couldn't take it. But many times she facetime me. I want to make sure she's okay
[05:18] I was on another meeting and I texted her, you know, or she texted me because i'm okay because
[05:21] That was a big thing for a while. I need to know like, you know, you're facetime me. Are you in trouble?
[05:25] I can't tell you she's like no, so she'll text me. I'm okay
[05:28] and uh, I mean, I think I have the text here I want to read it because um,
[05:32] No, it's not bad at all. It just it was good. Um
[05:37] Yeah, she said
[05:39] Uh, it's kind of funny. Uh, I know you're on meeting all time though. So let me know when you're done
[05:44] It's nothing bad or serious. I just have a lot of tea to spill and she put it in quotes
[05:49] And she has and she has the little uh, Kermit the frog sipping the tea
[05:52] I have a lot of tea to spill which I may have been one of the first times I heard that phrase
[05:56] and I was like
[05:58] He does and so I did a little google search, you know to make sure I make sure I was like
[06:03] And all you know, I know i've heard it and I didn't want to ever say what it is
[06:06] So i'm just coming out now before and so it's it's it's gossip. Okay
[06:10] That's basically when somebody says let's I guess I I want to hear what tea you got or I got tea to spill or whatever
[06:16] Usually it's got now in holly's situation
[06:18] It was it was all about her life
[06:19] And so she that's why she put it in, you know part of it in quotes because it wasn't gossip was just her telling me
[06:23] What's going on in her life?
[06:25] Um, and I think there's multiple meanings probably maybe you guys could tell me i'm wrong
[06:29] But I see it feel like sometimes when somebody says well, I have to spill it's about what's going on in your life
[06:33] Also, I mean am I wrong on that or is that never the case or is that little bit of the case?
[06:37] No, it's not. Okay. I'm wrong
[06:39] Everyone I don't know. What do you think? Okay. All right. She thinks
[06:43] But I say that because
[06:47] right
[06:49] Most of the time i'm guessing when somebody says I have tea to spill to their friend they're taught they want to talk about somebody
[06:56] A situation or they you know, we used to work just use the word gossip. Yeah gossip, you know, what's a good gossip, right?
[07:02] And we get excited. All right, what you got? Well, what you hear, you know, what's going on and
[07:06] And and it's just kind of become a thing and now it's you know now for us
[07:11] Older people, uh now we know right now. It's not gossip anymore. It's you know tea. Okay. What good tea do you have?
[07:19] Okay
[07:22] Um, but james has some things to say about not directly but almost well kind of directly but indirectly about how we talk about people
[07:30] And it's hard, right?
[07:32] I'm just gonna put it out there really just hard because we all have things that we've said and even maybe this morning about
[07:37] Somebody, you know or thought it doesn't always have to be verbal
[07:40] right, um
[07:43] And so this passage is difficult and what I want to do is it's just two verses
[07:46] We're going to read the two verses talk a little bit about that and then we're going to jump over to matthew
[07:51] Because jesus has you know, and you remember james is half brother of jesus more importantly
[07:56] Jesus is james savior, which is interesting because he's also his brother, right?
[08:00] But most first and foremost he's his savior
[08:03] And jesus had some stuff to say about this
[08:06] And so we kind of want to look at these two verses say a couple things about him and then jump over to see
[08:11] What jesus had to say because really james is probably just getting this from jesus, right?
[08:15] He's just you know, ultimately just remembers the words of jesus and he's kind of repeating some of this stuff. All right, so
[08:21] If you have your bibles turn to james chapter 4 and we are in verse 11
[08:26] All right verse 11
[08:29] um
[08:30] and
[08:32] Yeah, let's just read it we'll just read the whole thing it says this verse 11 and i'm reading from esb do not speak evil
[08:38] Against one another brothers you could add sisters too. It's fine
[08:43] Do not speak evil against one another brother sisters
[08:46] The one who speaks against the brother or judges his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law
[08:51] But if you judge a law you are not a doer of the law, but a judge
[08:55] There is only one lawgiver and judge who was able to save and destroy
[09:00] But who are you to judge?
[09:02] your neighbor
[09:04] All right. Now it's interesting because I would guess
[09:07] That in the 21st century it used to be john 316 as everybody knew that verse
[09:13] That was you know, everybody at least they had an idea what that verse meant even unsaid people
[09:17] All right, they may not have known the whole verse, but they got you know for god. So love the world
[09:20] They kind of knew that part
[09:22] Now that was the most popular verse, but now
[09:24] the most popular verse
[09:28] They don't a lot of people don't know where it is where it's found but they know it's in the bible and they know jesus said
[09:31] It don't judge
[09:33] Right, you'll hear that in the world all the time. You know that from people that don't know anything about the bible. They'll know that
[09:37] don't judge
[09:40] and so so we we want to talk about this because there's obviously
[09:43] There's jesus says don't judge james is saying don't judge and there's a form of judging that we don't do
[09:49] but there's also
[09:52] A form of judging that we do we should do as brothers and sisters
[09:55] It's christians and you know, um fellow believers
[09:59] um
[10:01] So, let me just ask
[10:03] How do you guys talk about this is you know, yeah, this is you don't have to answer this question for a question
[10:08] All right. How do you talk about people you don't like you don't answer that question
[10:12] But it's quite interesting because as I wrote that how do I talk about people I like I
[10:21] Immediately cringe. I'm like, oh
[10:23] And I can I be honest with you, you know, I mean all of what i'm speaking was hopefully honest and truthful. Uh, but
[10:29] You know when we talked about the tongue
[10:32] Right just a couple weeks ago. Um
[10:35] You know laurie and I really had a conversation about that
[10:37] More about me than her but you know, it was a it was a conversation that we had and you know as a husband and wife and just
[10:44] yeah
[10:46] This came up this idea of talking about people and you know
[10:49] Once in a while or saying things all throughout and it it was convicting then and and laurie and I have like i've said
[10:55] Hold me accountable
[10:57] All right, hold me accountable
[11:00] Because when I talk about people I don't like it's it's usually not good, right not that it ever is for most people
[11:05] But some people are like, you know, they'll they'll do the do the southern thing bless their heart, right?
[11:11] Right, that's a nice way of saying that person's itty
[11:15] Exactly when I heard it the other day in the restaurant, I think uh, somebody heard behind me right holly
[11:24] We were at the restaurant somebody goes bless his heart
[11:26] And we were like, oh, okay. Here it goes. They're about to throw down on somebody
[11:30] You know
[11:32] But when that when a person drives us crazy, right
[11:35] And they leave the room or they leave the area that we're in
[11:39] And I say drives me crazy. I don't mean they're just you know, I mean
[11:43] They really rub on our last nerve, right?
[11:46] They just are you know, or they just do really things that we just feel are just not good
[11:52] They're just stupid. You know, like
[11:54] What are the what are the words? What are the words that come to your mouth? What are the words that come to your mind?
[12:00] Right. How do you speak?
[12:02] About people who may see things a little different
[12:07] And not necessarily right and i'm not talking to scriptural either. I mean, you know, just kind of like in the world, right?
[12:14] Here we go, man
[12:18] What a moron. What an idiot. What a stupid, right?
[12:20] How do you speak about someone who has hurt you
[12:25] in the past
[12:28] Our words as james has told us
[12:31] Elsewhere
[12:34] Are very powerful right talked about the tongue
[12:36] How very powerful and then remember what jesus said in luke 6 45 he said four out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
[12:43] That's what we talked about when we talked about the tongue, right?
[12:46] That's how we can we can know what our heart is where our hearts out by what we say
[12:51] And what we say about others
[12:54] We talk negatively about other people
[12:57] right
[12:59] It's it kind of stays doesn't it and here's what I mean by that
[13:03] I think when we when we call somebody a name whether it's you know, after they leave or you know
[13:08] If I say let's say I think somebody is a complete idiot because of what things that they've done
[13:14] Man, they're just it. I tell other people this person's an idiot and i'll tell you and I don't sit here to say
[13:20] Oh, you know raise so on and on. All right, it's sin. It's always sin. And so i've said this person is an idiot
[13:27] And what happens is it stays meaning that no matter what else they do
[13:31] They're always in my mind going to be an idiot even when they you know, so if they do something else, that's may not be great
[13:37] I was oh, of course they did that because they're an idiot
[13:39] Right, you see what i'm saying? Like it sticks with us, right? We don't ever like it's it's why it's so bad because
[13:45] Well, one of the reasons why so bad because it's not just uh one time. Oh that person is a moron, which is still bad
[13:52] But then we kind of box that person in now what they've done and what they're doing
[13:56] It's just they're idiots and or morons or whatever we call them and they always will be
[14:00] Enforcement to this box and we don't want to let them leave or we never let them leave
[14:06] um
[14:09] And I remember what
[14:12] James said right we praise god with you know, kind of one hand then we curse our
[14:18] You know fellow brothers and sisters with the other meaning like and his creation
[14:22] And so that's what i'm saying like james has said this already right but now he's kind of amping it up
[14:28] And then you know remember last week
[14:32] James starts off in the passage and I have it here
[14:35] Um, what causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this that your passions are at war within you?
[14:42] And part of what causes the quarrels within the church among brothers and sisters, right? Is this idea that we judge?
[14:49] Others that we feel are inferior to us
[14:53] in some way
[14:55] And so james comes comes back to that theme and says listen do not speak evil
[15:02] Or what's the other word some of you have niv?
[15:04] What does it say if you have an niv?
[15:07] Maybe no way has an iv. I have a slander. Yeah
[15:11] No, that's slander
[15:13] Do not slander one another
[15:18] Right that word is almost like speak evil you're like oh evil because that gives a connotation like right you're really saying bad things
[15:27] but
[15:28] But god says slander is evil any kind of slander
[15:31] And to prove it look at if you want you can turn to romans. You don't have to but rome is 129
[15:38] There's 31 129 through 31
[15:40] I want you god is giving a list paul's giving a list here of sins
[15:45] That of people who have turned away from god and all this stuff, right?
[15:48] And i'm not going to get into the whole passage, but I want you to get this list of sins that he gives
[15:52] He says they were filled with all manner of right unrighteousness
[15:56] evil
[15:57] covetousness malice
[15:59] You're like, okay. Yeah, those are all pretty bad. They're all full of envy murder strike deceit maliciousness
[16:06] Pretty bad. They are gossips
[16:08] slanders haters of god
[16:11] Insolent haughty boastful adventures of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless
[16:18] That's
[16:21] Right, but in the middle of those things the middle of faithless heartless ruthless, which we would say man has bad
[16:26] Right and unrighteousness evil and malice
[16:30] Right and right after murder
[16:35] Is gossips and slanders?
[16:37] That's why this passage is is crazy difficult because we all do it we all have gossiped we all have slandered
[16:48] right
[16:51] And god puts that
[16:53] in terms of
[16:54] Great evil, that's why in esb it says right do not speak evil against one another
[17:01] Meaning do not slander one another
[17:05] and
[17:07] It's painful i'm telling you man i'm telling you like over this week
[17:11] It has been very painful to read this passage over and over and over again
[17:14] Because I get I didn't there was never a time when I go
[17:18] Oh one of you or say i've heard this or one of you have said this
[17:21] No, all I could all god was kept bringing up tonight with times that I have done this
[17:25] And the words that I have used and the words the things that I have said
[17:28] And the things that I have said in front of my family about somebody too
[17:33] Right
[17:35] How sinful and evil that is
[17:39] I think
[17:48] But when we start to understand the seriousness of slander
[17:53] the seriousness of gossip
[17:55] In a way that when you know, we gossip when we gossip, you know, tear people down
[17:59] I don't know if it's gossip. I don't know what to try never to look up the definition
[18:02] But if you are telling somebody about how great somebody else is, you know and how wonderful I don't know if that's considered gossip
[18:07] But it that would be good gossip. I don't think that's considered gossip
[18:10] You know, that's okay, right? It's not just talking about people. It's slandering people. It's looking down on them, right?
[18:15] They are this they are that this person always does this so they are the worst
[18:20] And especially he's talking about brothers and sisters in christ here not that we should do that with anybody
[18:26] But just so you know, we're we're specifically speaking people brothers and sisters in christ
[18:31] you know
[18:33] Jame immediately connects slandering someone with judging them
[18:37] Do not speak evil against one another brothers
[18:40] The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks evil against the law. So right away
[18:46] He's he's taking slandering. He's taking speaking evil against somebody as judging them
[18:50] Right and this kind of judging makes sense doesn't it because the two go hand in hand if you're slandering someone
[18:59] Like it means you have judged them and found them wanting
[19:03] in some area
[19:05] If I judge, you know a friend of mine
[19:10] Good friend, um, because you know, I think he's not a good, you know, he's not a good employee
[19:17] And i'm like
[19:21] He's lazy
[19:22] Aesthetic at work, you know all this stuff. I've judged him why because I found I look at his work ethic and I go
[19:29] He's wanting he needs more he needs to be better
[19:31] The word for judge means to condemn
[19:35] right
[19:37] To proclaim someone else's value as below my own
[19:40] All right judge judge does not meeting necessarily mean just stating an obvious fact
[19:46] Right and we'll talk about this later
[19:47] But I want to kind of reiterate when the people are in sin james is going to talk about this in chapter five
[19:51] About going to get the wanderer. This was the question that ethan and I were discussing yesterday
[19:56] Well, how can you go get a wanderer unless you judge that they're wandering right unless you say they're they're you know
[20:02] They've stepped away
[20:03] Right. We used to call backsliding. I don't know what and it was backslidden christian
[20:07] It's kind of a weird term now that I think about it
[20:10] But I I don't really get it. Maybe somebody has a deeper meaning on that. I don't know but it was called backslidden christian
[20:15] You were just you were christian, but then you've decided i'm not living for god
[20:18] I walked away and I i'm gonna live my own life how I want to live it, right?
[20:21] um
[20:24] You
[20:26] But when we proclaim that when we when we
[20:30] And where I was going with that is that when we look at somebody and say man, you know
[20:35] I'll use a really crazy example somebody who commits adultery a brother or sister into church, right? It is our
[20:42] Job, it is our responsibility out of love and kindness to go and confront that person
[20:48] Right and say what you're doing is wrong
[20:51] That's sin, right? I'm not doing it because I think i'm better than them
[20:55] I'm not doing it because I think they're you know
[20:57] Lower a lower life form than me i'm doing it because I love my brother or sister christ, whatever and they they need to repent
[21:04] Right that there needs to be some something going on there
[21:07] So and we'll talk a little bit more about that, but I want you to make sure you understand there are two forms of judging
[21:11] Right and the judging that we're talking about right here in james
[21:14] Right is the intent kind of the damage reputation right to intend to make them look stupid
[21:21] Using them and their weaknesses to make yourself look better
[21:23] That's a that's a big one, right?
[21:27] We can put down people that we look a little better. I'm not that
[21:30] I'm messed up, but i'm not that
[21:34] well
[21:36] And just remember that we are talking not just about verbal
[21:40] Like me tell you know telling somebody this person
[21:43] Isn't it it's it's in the heart and in the thought process, right?
[21:47] too
[21:50] When I think those things about a brother or sister in christ i'm judging them
[21:54] And james is is taking us even deeper because look what he says
[22:00] He says the one who speaks against a brother judges his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law
[22:07] So
[22:10] Well, I didn't really think I was doing that
[22:12] And why does he say that?
[22:15] All right, james sees our attacks on our brothers and sisters
[22:19] Really as an attack on god's law
[22:21] Well
[22:24] If you go to james chapter two verse eight
[22:27] All right, I think I have that up james chapter two verse eight
[22:30] James says if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You are doing well
[22:37] All right. That's one law. There's more but let's let's use that one. For example
[22:41] james says if you're if you really fulfill the royal law because you remembered
[22:47] Jesus answered this right when they said what's the what's the
[22:49] You know most important commandment
[22:52] All right, jesus said to love god, right?
[22:54] And then to love others right to love your neighbor as yourself
[22:57] and so
[23:00] James is going here. James is looking up in
[23:04] James is saying here when he goes wait when you judge your brother or sister when you speak and slander them
[23:11] Your brother or sister you're speaking evil. You're basically slandering the law of christ because the law says to love others yourself
[23:20] And you're putting yourself above that I don't love the law you're basically saying of others this person is an idiot
[23:29] That's all I know
[23:31] And james is like no
[23:35] Because when we look down on our brothers and sisters in christ
[23:40] When we look down on them, we're also looking down
[23:43] on god's law
[23:46] Even if we are unaware and even if we don't really think that
[23:48] And james rightfully reminds us he says listen as long as we remain remain critics of god's law
[23:54] By speaking evil about others by slandering others. We cannot become obedient followers of god's law
[24:00] All right, we're never going to do how to how never think about that makes sense, right?
[24:05] I am slandering my brother's sister in christ
[24:10] But god says to love one another to love god to love others
[24:14] Can I love can I skip the second part of that command not love others, but love god?
[24:20] No, right can't do it
[24:23] James 4 11 he says but if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law but a judge
[24:35] That's exactly what it just said
[24:37] All right, you're slandering somebody
[24:41] And you're not following the law you're not following the law
[24:43] You definitely not you don't care what god thinks and you're setting yourself up as god
[24:47] I am now judge and jury
[24:50] This person's an idiot
[24:54] I've made myself the judge now of that person and of the law i'm determining what that person is
[25:00] Right, I think james sees judging as particularly evil
[25:08] Because of what lays at the heart of it
[25:11] And that's what I just said
[25:14] If i'm judging my brother or my sister
[25:18] Then it's also me judging god's law
[25:22] Because i'm finding it wanting into in of itself. I'm saying oh you said to love others
[25:28] But I don't think that's necessary god
[25:32] And i'm setting myself up but who wrote god's law?
[25:37] God so if I have a problem now with god's law, I have a direct problem with god himself
[25:43] And that's why james says in 4 12
[25:48] There's only one lawgiver and judge who was able to save and to
[25:51] And to destroy james tells us there's only one person who was qualified to judge
[25:56] And is the one who was able to save and destroy in other words
[25:59] It's not me. It's not you
[26:02] It's not me
[26:06] It's not you
[26:08] Right, and when we hear god's commands and we go, eh, I don't really care
[26:12] About what you have to say here. We're setting basically saying to god. We don't trust you
[26:19] And what you have to say is not worth our time right now
[26:22] Like and you say well, that's extreme. It is extreme because I think that's what that's why james is so direct about this
[26:29] As landon said he's not pulling any punches right landon. I mean he's as direct as anything
[26:33] You
[26:35] I think when I and I think that's where the core of this message has really got to me, right?
[26:45] Because at the end of the day i'm going
[26:47] Am I am I telling god that he doesn't know what he's doing?
[26:50] Am I telling people by thinking about people by telling others about somebody that I you know dislike or something about something?
[26:57] I dislike like who am I?
[27:02] And if we're honest we're all in this boat
[27:04] At some point in our lives, right?
[27:07] We've all been judgmental
[27:09] We all have that one person two people three people
[27:13] Our many that we look down and we just think that we're better than them. We wouldn't say it out loud
[27:18] We'd never say i'm better than that person
[27:19] But our you know out of the abundance, right?
[27:22] Of the heart the mouth speaks
[27:25] What were you saying people are you know putting when we're putting down people we're saying we're better than them
[27:32] And we're guilty of disobeying god and setting ourselves up as judges
[27:36] I mean even jesus and this is where we're going to turn to matthew chapter seven if you have your out turn there that's chapter seven
[27:45] Jesus says
[27:53] We'll start with verse one and two here. It says
[27:55] Judge not that you be not judged or with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged
[28:00] You will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you
[28:03] Just crazy verse really. All right. I mean think about this
[28:07] I mean this should stop us in our like I mean there are tracks from judging people i'm telling people that they're you know
[28:13] Or tell me they're idiots or whatever
[28:15] He's saying listen
[28:17] For the judgment you pronounce on others you will be judged
[28:21] With the measure you use it will be measured to you
[28:25] Think about that just for a second
[28:30] Right, right
[28:31] amen
[28:33] And so he I mean jesus is I mean he's even maybe even he's going even deeper than and than james
[28:41] Jesus is just telling telling us listen. Well, even if we keep going he says listen
[28:47] Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye?
[28:51] But do not notice the log that is in your own eye. I love this right because we all have we've all had a speck in
[28:57] Our eye right dirt eyelid something we have again. It's a worse, right?
[29:00] And then jesus just takes it to a whole other level
[29:03] He says why are you you were talking about the little speck in somebody's eye when you got a whole log in your eye
[29:08] Obviously, what is he talking about there? He's talking really about just your sin
[29:12] right
[29:13] You all all of us are sinful creatures
[29:17] He said and you're gonna look at this person
[29:20] There's there's speck and you got this massive log in your eye
[29:25] which
[29:27] still is I love that it uses that word picture because obviously there's no you know, you can't log in somebody's eye, but it's so
[29:34] like
[29:36] Vivid to me. It was like this massive log of sin in your eye
[29:40] And yet what do we do?
[29:45] Right
[29:49] I'm over here
[29:51] Sinning right there and yet i'm have i'm criticizing somebody else
[29:55] And jesus saying man, you know, you have this log of sin what he's saying is you're all flawed and imperfect
[30:05] So you are no place to be making judgment on others
[30:10] Certainly no place to make judgments on the perfect being god himself
[30:15] And he continues right or how can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your eye
[30:26] Whether there's a log in your own eye
[30:28] Oh, we like to do that. Don't we? I'll help that person
[30:31] All right. Let me let me help them with their sin while you're over here sinning like it's you know
[30:37] your job
[30:39] When jesus knows that we all have
[30:45] Great sin. We all have the log of sin in our eyes all sinners
[30:49] That was a log of sin in my eye. I can't see well
[30:53] Not in position to make good judgments
[30:56] And if i'm riddled with sin, I am in no place to look down on a fellow
[31:01] struggling
[31:03] Sinner right if I am riddled with sin if I have a log in my eye
[31:07] But I want I want you to think about this because that's pretty happy, right
[31:15] Yeah
[31:17] All right
[31:18] The gospel think of the gospel because the gospel of jesus gives us hope
[31:23] Right people say well, I can get the log out if I if I read my bible more. I know i'm not perfect
[31:29] You know, I just got to read my bible more. I gotta pray gotta go church more
[31:32] Gospel says and for that log to be removed
[31:36] You need to be forgiven
[31:39] By the finished work of jesus christ on the cross
[31:44] Right bible tells us that our sins
[31:46] That if our sins are not paid for
[31:49] All right, we're in trouble. We spend eternity in hell away from god
[31:52] The bible also tells us there is no amount of good that I could do to get there
[31:58] Right to get to get to god to get that log out of my eye
[32:01] But god
[32:05] Who is rich in mercy has come come down to us?
[32:08] He has as colossians says delivered us from the domain of darkness
[32:14] And transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption the forgiveness
[32:20] of sins
[32:22] right
[32:23] What we are unable to do god did for us
[32:27] See we remember that at easter time, right?
[32:31] I said, man i'm a sinner. Anyway on good friday. Remember I remember I went through that whole list how god was like
[32:36] You know pouring out his wrath on jesus and it says he couldn't look at it because and then he just
[32:42] We listed all these horrific sins that were just nailed
[32:45] Would have put on jesus
[32:48] Why because he died for our sins he took him on he lived the life that we couldn't live
[32:55] Right. He didn't have a log of sin in his eye. He didn't have a speck of sin in his eye
[33:00] He lived the perfect life that we could not live
[33:03] And he died a brutal death that we deserved. God said it's coming. God said those who don't know
[33:09] Christ will die will spend eternity in hell
[33:12] The log is removed not because
[33:20] Of my greatness or my ability or my superiority. The log is removed because I
[33:26] Understand that I am a great sinner
[33:28] And i'm blind because of that log of sin and only jesus
[33:38] Octavius wilson is a 19th century pastor
[33:42] He said this oh blessed
[33:45] Oh blessed door of return open and never shut to the wanderer from god
[33:50] Before I continue i'll probably read this again at the end of chapter five because we're gonna talk about the literally the wanderer
[33:57] Okay, so don't be mad at me when I read it again because I love it. All right
[34:01] Oh blessed door of return open and never shut to the wanderer from god
[34:06] How glorious how free how accessible?
[34:08] Hear the sinful the vile the guilty the unworthy the poor the penniless may come
[34:13] Here too the weary spirit may bring its burden the broken spirit its sorrow
[34:17] The guilty spirit its sin and the backsliding spirit. It's wandering all are welcome here
[34:22] The death of jesus was opening was the opening and the emptying of the full heart of god
[34:27] It was the outgushing of that ocean of infinite mercy that have that he'd been planted and long for an outlet
[34:33] It was god showing how he could love
[34:35] a poor guilty sinner like myself
[34:38] And so what I want to do
[34:44] Because you know, I want you to look at this verse that I want that jesus said
[34:47] It says why do you see the speck that is in brother's eyes?
[34:50] But do not notice the log that is your own eye or how can you say to your brother?
[34:54] Let me take the speck out of your eye when there is a log in your own eye you hypocrite
[34:58] First take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly take the speck out of your brother's eye
[35:04] And the first thing
[35:06] That we should remember right
[35:09] Is that we are sinners?
[35:12] God has forgiven us. He continues to forgive us
[35:16] I think that when we ask what does a life or a community of believers like ourselves?
[35:23] right look like after they have received literally under and received and understand the gospel of jesus christ
[35:33] And I think jesus answers it right first take the log out of your own eye
[35:36] And then you will see clearly take the speck out of your brother's eye
[35:39] Jesus says we will always be more aware of our
[35:44] More aware of other sin before our other before our own if we don't right if we are not
[35:51] Believers in the gospel
[35:55] If we truly understand the gospel then it should cause us then to look at our own sin first
[36:02] And as such the log
[36:04] We all have logs jesus is very clear about that people have specs
[36:14] right
[36:17] But when I encounter someone who is doing something even sinful even people who need to be addressed
[36:23] Okay
[36:26] I should always be more aware of my own tendency my own history my own
[36:32] You know desire
[36:36] right of sin
[36:38] before
[36:40] I think about
[36:41] before I say oh
[36:43] you know
[36:44] That makes sense, right?
[36:46] I should be looking inward first the life should be looking at the log in my own eye before I go. Oh
[36:51] This person they're the worst. I mean, can you believe it?
[36:55] And before I decide to even confront somebody let me make sure let me check myself, right?
[37:00] And so here's some questions for you, right
[37:05] Let me know questions. Here's like three things that we can do
[37:08] think about
[37:11] One, let me just ask you this question. This is a question
[37:13] What captivates more of your attention more of your heart's?
[37:20] Wonder that god has freely forgiven you of your mountain of sin
[37:26] Or that so many people have specs of sin
[37:31] What captivates more of your attention and for me that is a question that I have to ask myself often
[37:39] Because I think my natural inclination is to be more concerned about what other specs are in other people's eye
[37:48] Then that god has freely forgiven
[37:50] My sin my great evil that i've done against him and others
[37:58] What captivates more of your attention more of your heart's wonder that god has freely forgiven you
[38:06] of your sin
[38:09] Or that so many people have specs of sin
[38:12] Someone who has trusted in the gospel of jesus christ is the one who is
[38:18] Constantly amazed that they are forgiven
[38:20] I am forgiven. We're just saying about it being free right i'm forgiven and free
[38:26] Man
[38:29] All right, we should always remember that's why like I love good friday
[38:33] I love easter because it helps us kind of refocus, but it kind of goes away quick, right?
[38:37] Then we forget and then we get back into like talking about people and thinking about it instead of saying no
[38:43] Man god has forgiven me freely forgiven me
[38:48] I
[38:50] Think jesus says also in this I think what he's saying is that we will practice
[38:57] repentance more
[39:00] Than we practice pointing out other people's flaws right when we truly understand the gospel when we truly understand right our sin
[39:08] Because he says if I he said I am to remove the law in other words be more aware of my sin
[39:16] I'm to remove the log from my eye
[39:18] So I am saved but I still sin. So now I still have things in my eye. So it's still continuing this idea of
[39:25] Forgiveness, right? What does first john 1 9 says if we confess our sins?
[39:30] It is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
[39:41] I'm to remove the log. I'm I I am to again be more aware of my sin
[39:47] Confess it turn from it and freely receive what god offers. What does god offer grace and mercy for the sinner?
[39:54] Now we sin and oftentimes satan is like that's it
[39:59] All right, you're worthless
[40:02] God has no use for you. You've been saying this you've been doing this song and dance long enough
[40:05] It's over for you
[40:07] And god says liar
[40:10] I think I would say liar
[40:12] I didn't die
[40:13] Right christ didn't die for so you can make one mistake and then be given up on and god says done
[40:20] No
[40:23] No
[40:26] There's more grace. There's more mercy, but shouldn't that in and of itself then say
[40:31] Okay
[40:33] My business is to focus on my own sin before
[40:36] I look at other people
[40:39] And again, there is a place for us to look at brothers and sisters. We should be you know what we see
[40:45] We we should be able to step into their lives and that brings me to my last one
[40:49] The first one is what captivate your thoughts the second one is you know
[40:57] We will practice repentance more than we practice pointing out other people's sins
[41:01] When we receive the gospel fully and three is
[41:06] After we've done that right after we focus on our own sin. We've asked for forgiveness. We receive god's grace and mercy from our sin
[41:13] now
[41:15] We can gently and lovingly come alongside our brothers and sisters
[41:19] And help them remove their speck as well
[41:23] We point them to this overflowing grace the same grace that god forgives me with
[41:35] Overflowing love overflowing mercy of jesus
[41:39] See if we really believe that we are saved by the grace of god
[41:46] I don't think we can truly look down on others
[41:50] I don't think when we truly get in we understand how evil our hearts are and how what god has done for us
[41:56] Through jesus christ then it becomes harder to slander other people
[42:03] Especially other brothers and sisters in christ
[42:05] It's harder to bitter or harbor bitter thoughts against people when we understand what god has done in our lives
[42:18] The grace that he's given us
[42:21] And if we do
[42:27] That we have forgotten the log in our own eye that jesus has pointed out
[42:33] And already forgiven us for
[42:35] We have a pattern I think of
[42:39] Remembering we talked about this last week a little bit like if we take our sin series if we understand what we do when we sin
[42:50] We have a pattern of remembering it and repenting of it
[42:54] right
[42:57] We should help them should we not help our brothers and sisters and experience that kind of freedom
[43:03] Right freedom because I know that god's grace covers me. All right. We said it chris says this morning. There is grace
[43:10] Grace upon grace book of john says
[43:14] I love galatians 6 1 and 2 one of my favorites passages
[43:22] It's his brother
[43:25] If anyone is caught in any transgression
[43:27] Right because we know we like to you know certain transgressions
[43:32] You're done, right?
[43:35] All the same brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression you who are spiritual should restore him
[43:42] Right
[43:46] In a spirit of gentleness
[43:51] This is this is the good judging right?
[43:53] That's what he's and I were talking about. There's a righteous judgment righteous judging and then your slander. This is righteous judging
[44:01] If anyone is caught in any transgression you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness
[44:08] Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted and bear one another's burdens
[44:13] and a
[44:15] Part of that is at least helping other people truly the physical realm, you know
[44:20] But a big part of that in bearing one another's burdens
[44:23] Is not to slander them
[44:27] Why because you love them you want to bear their burden? Yes, they may be making mistakes
[44:31] They may be doing stupid things that you think are stupid and they shouldn't be doing. Okay, check the log
[44:36] right
[44:39] Remember the gospel
[44:42] And they go speak to your brother or sister lovingly
[44:46] About things that they're doing it is not your job to turn their heart, right?
[44:50] Ultimately, that's gone. The holy spirit is going to work in their lives, but he may use you in a gentle and loving way
[44:55] Right to your brother or sister in christ
[44:58] So i'd like to read it again, I know we can close and I want us to think
[45:13] Just really in regards to ourselves. All right again, james is a is a good book
[45:18] You know to kind of look
[45:21] Look over at somebody, you know and go
[45:23] You know, i've heard you do this
[45:26] All right. Thank you
[45:28] All right, we it's easy not a good book to do it
[45:31] We mean it's easy to do it when reading james because then otherwise we don't have to focus on ourselves
[45:34] All right, as we read this think lord it convict my heart that like let this be your prayer lord convict my heart on this
[45:43] If I do this
[45:45] All right, help me remove the log out of my own eye
[45:48] dame says
[45:52] Do not speak evil. Do not slander
[45:54] one another brothers
[45:57] sisters
[45:58] The one who speaks against the brother or judges his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law
[46:04] But if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law
[46:08] Which by the way is a great thing, right because that always when we set ourselves above people
[46:13] And we and we call them names or we talk bad about them. All right, aren't we trying to say like
[46:19] I'm just better at this the spiritual thing, right? I'm better at following the law
[46:23] Is that and james is making sure you understand and I understand no you're not right because there's nothing you're not doing anything
[46:31] You're worse, right?
[46:33] Amen
[46:35] But if you judge the law you're not a doer of the law but a judge
[46:39] And there is only one lawgiver and judge he who is able to save and destroy
[46:43] But who are you to judge your neighbor?
[46:47] All right, let us be a church let us be a people
[46:51] Right that really looks to say lord because it's hard. I I know this it's hard
[46:57] Right
[47:03] I was thinking of you know, just in the times that i've done stupid things even within here from this place
[47:08] you know
[47:10] I've I've you know made you know best feel this big, you know by lashing out on her one time
[47:16] It wasn't her fault and you know being out there arguing with I don't know what's always best. I love that
[47:21] A lot out there on one day of the campfire, you know and arguing with her about something stupid and chad called me out, right?
[47:29] I told you that he said don't listen to reg. He's just speaking and yelling into the wind
[47:33] um, and obviously that was months and months ago and I had a huge impact on my life because
[47:38] Like that's what I was doing. And so like since then I've really tried to say, okay. Why?
[47:43] You know, what am I saying? And why am I saying what i'm saying? Do I need to say it?
[47:47] Do I need to think it?
[47:50] And I would tell you my life more often 99% of the time. No, I didn't know I don't
[47:57] Let us be a people right that truly understands
[48:00] Love for one another within our church within even you know, because you know all the brothers sisters of christ outside of this church
[48:07] And when we say something the whole like hold each other accountable whether you're married whether you're single whatever find that somebody just hold it
[48:16] Say hey, if I if I start to say something about somebody
[48:18] You know, would you check me?
[48:21] Now that's hard because they're gonna check you because i'm telling you it's hard because lord and I have you know
[48:26] I asked her old man. I'm like
[48:28] All right, I didn't mean that time. Okay
[48:31] But oh, it's serious right check me. You know, it's hard. You know, they're like you're right. You're right. What am I doing lord?
[48:36] Why am I?
[48:38] And this log in my eye. What am I doing here?
[48:40] right
[48:42] Hold each other accountable by reminding each other that
[48:45] We have a log in our own eye
[48:47] right
[48:50] That we cannot speak evil of a you know of a person over here and say we love god over here
[48:56] Okay, we can't do it
[48:59] We love god we love others
[49:02] That's who we should be
[49:05] Let's pray father
[49:07] First just thank you for your grace
[49:11] We are all great sinners
[49:15] Yet jesus is a greater savior
[49:19] And so we thank you and praise you for that fact today
[49:22] Where would we be how lost would we be how blind would we be?
[49:30] Without the sacrifice without the love of jesus
[49:37] Father we often speak evil about others
[49:45] We slander and yet we read lord that you deem it a great evil
[49:51] Father convict our hearts, please today help us not to slander one another
[49:59] Help us to remember the log of sin in our own eye
[50:03] And if we see sin in somebody else's life lord
[50:11] Help us first to look help us look first look at our own hearts lord, but then help us to gently and lovingly
[50:17] Approach person that needs to be approached on let us not shy away from it
[50:26] Or let us please and let us start with me to be a person of grace and mercy towards others
[50:33] Help me not to speak evil about other people lords
[50:39] We love you we thank you for the honesty in your word
[50:45] I thank you for landin's direct comment about james this morning
[50:49] It reminds me
[50:52] That you are a good god
[50:54] It reminds me that you have set your word and you have made it easy for us to understand
[51:01] And we know your commands are good lord
[51:07] So be with us this week today
[51:09] Help us to remember this passage not walk out of here and just forget what we learned help us to be doers of the word
[51:15] Not just here
[51:16] And thank you for again for our church. Thank you for the people here today
[51:19] We just love them. We love you lord. We pray all these things in your son's precious and holy name. Jesus. Amen