Thank you and good morning, church.
It's good to see you and thank you for this opportunity
to open God's word and let God speak to us.
So let's just pray now.
Heavenly Father, Lord, your word is a lamp to our feet
and a light to our path.
Lord, speak into our hearts now, Lord, and transform them.
Change our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh
that see the world the way you see it
and reach out then in love.
I pray this in your son's name. Amen.
Well, this is going to be a bit of a heavy one.
If you just saw the reading then, it's pretty full on.
And so I'm trying to...
I can't lighten it up, but I'm just letting you know
that it's going to be pretty full on.
I heard a story once about a preacher in a small town
who preached up a storm.
He started with this amazing illustration.
He led into opening God's word.
And then really by the end of it,
everyone was convicted of their sin,
their need to repent,
and their need to live for Jesus each day.
And so word got around town.
It was a small town.
And so everyone turned up the following week.
The church was packed.
Everyone from the town turned up.
And he started off with the same illustration.
And I went, oh, I heard it last week,
but that's a good illustration.
I like hearing it again.
And then launched into the same sermon, word for word.
And they all came out.
And because other people hadn't heard it that week before,
they went, good sermon.
Thanks very much.
And they went on their way.
And the following week,
they all turned up again.
And he preached exactly the same sermon, word for word.
And the following week,
they all turned up.
And he preached the same sermon, word for word.
They're starting to get a bit worried.
Is this, you know, what's it called?
An age moment?
I don't know.
Like, is he getting premature dementia?
I don't know.
Like, what was it?
And who's going to speak to him?
You know, has he just sort of turned up
and got the same folder?
And anyway, someone was brave enough.
And they went up to him.
And they said,
you seem to be preaching the same sermon every week.
We kind of like your style.
But, you know, we like your variety as well.
Can't you just, what's the reason?
You've got a reason.
He said, it's one thing to know it.
It's another thing to put it into practice.
Then he goes on to say,
I'll start preaching something new
when we all start doing it.
And not really a joke,
but just a case of put it into action.
This new year,
we have been working through the Sermon on a Mount.
One of the most famous pieces of teaching
in the history of the human race.
It's been heard of by a lot of people.
But at the same time,
it's a misunderstood piece of teaching.
Even though it's actually not difficult to understand.
Rather, it seems that those who know of
the Sermon on the Mount
actually haven't read it for themselves.
Oh yeah, I know of the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus was a good guy.
You know, he had some moral teachings, didn't he?
Something about loving people,
I guess, in there somewhere.
Some moral reflections or suggestions
on how to live.
Take it or leave it.
The Sermon on the Mount
is not like that at all.
It actually calls us
to make an extremely important choice.
Choose life.
Jesus came to give us life to the full.
This is life
and what it means to live life
according to being part of God's kingdom
and it's on God's terms.
Having been chosen by God,
we now have a daily choice
to live as followers of Jesus.
Jesus lays it out in the Sermon on the Mount.
What it means to live a life in him
and God has very high standards.
Jesus is not talking about
a better moral code
or burdensome new laws
that we have to achieve
to get a tick in God's good books.
Jesus is showing
what life can be like
if we follow him
and if we trust him.
Like the minister
who kept preaching the same sermon
until everyone decided to do it,
we can't walk away
from Jesus' words unaffected.
We need to hear them again
and again
and be reminded
there is a call to action.
Make a choice.
Live for God's upside down kingdom
each and every day.
As we come to Matthew 7,
we will see the important choices
we must make in relationships
and how we can call on God
to help.
Jesus shifts from
warning his followers
about their own personal temptations
concerning wealth and worry
to temptations that can surface
in their relationships
with each other.
Jesus has something to say
about our relationships
because following Jesus
should make a difference
to how we relate
to one another,
to our brothers
and to our sisters.
Matthew 7, verse 1.
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.
Our culture,
more than ever,
seems super judgmental,
hypercritical,
touchy,
easily offended.
Social media algorithms,
I think,
play into this a little bit.
People want to post images,
get likes,
get followers.
There's a guy,
Mr Beast,
who's got millions of followers
and do perfect.
There's all these people
and they make a living
out of getting followers.
Instagram posts,
getting likes,
whether it's on home renos
or decorations
or I actually personally
follow a thing
called van life.
Van life's these people
who do up the interior vans
and they,
anyway,
they're nice.
So there's sort of,
sometimes it's a little bit positive
but it can also be a negative.
If you don't fly
a particular flag
or have a political allegiance
and it lies outside
popular culture,
expect to be vilified,
a media pylon,
face the wrath
of the cancel culture
who are judge,
jury and executioner.
But we judge all the time,
superficial judgments,
self-righteous judgments,
hypocritical judgments,
unfair and ill-informed judgments,
harsh, unforgiving judgments.
When we meet people,
before we've even opened our mouths,
before we go into a conversation with them,
we do a top to toe.
I like their eyes,
nice smile,
look at the shirt they're wearing,
oh they've had a haircut,
nice haircut,
all the way down to,
oh I wouldn't wear those shoes,
or all the accessories
that they're wearing
that they have.
This is before we even say,
oh hi,
my name is,
what do you do?
What are your hobbies?
Where do you live?
What are your thoughts on this issue?
That's how we relate to one another,
by judging each other,
compartmentalizing,
putting each other in a box,
assessing whether they live up
to a certain standard
or the right postcode,
if we have anything in common,
where they fit in the social standing
or pecking order of things.
And so we point the finger,
I've done this in schools,
and say,
every time you point the finger,
there's three pointing
right back at you,
to which you remember
a student saying,
I'm just going to point
like this now.
So obviously,
there's no wrong in them.
Do not judge.
No, no, I'll do it this way.
Do not judge.
In these words,
Jesus is saying,
don't set ourselves up
as judge.
That's God's job.
Don't be self-righteous.
Set ourselves up to judge
and to criticize.
If you find yourself doing this,
Jesus is saying,
there's no place for that
amongst Christian people.
Christians aren't to judge.
God is judge,
and he will judge one day,
and we'll answer to God.
We'll answer to God's standards,
not our own.
When it comes to Jesus,
Jesus uses the very graphic image
of a speck in someone's eye
and a plank in our own.
This is real,
but we don't like to think of it as us.
It's not me.
Preferably it's that person over there.
Surely not me.
But here's an opportunity right now
even to think,
where am I at with this?
Am I judging
and being judgmental?
Do you find yourself being a bit judgy?
What at stake here
is our attitude.
What does critical,
judgmental character look like?
It's self-righteous
and it's hypocritical.
We may tell ourselves,
I can afford to look down my nose
at my less disciplined peers
or my colleagues
because of their recurring sin,
some small deficiency
or inconsistency in their lives.
We may conclude
that their spiritual stature,
personal integrity
and useful service of others
are all vastly inferior to our own.
But it's condescending
and actually fails to recognize
our own sinfulness.
I can't help but think
of Jesus' response here
when there's a crowd of people
with stones in their hand
ready to stone the adulterous.
And notice if they're being consistent,
the man should have been there as well.
And Jesus stands up
and he says,
those who have not sinned
cast the first stone.
And he goes back to doodling in the sand,
whatever he's drawing or writing.
And they all one by one
drop their stones and walk away.
And then he gets up
and actually it's,
those who have not sinned cast,
Jesus can cast the first stone now
because he has not sinned.
And he goes on to say,
neither do I condemn you,
but go and leave your life of sin.
So don't keep doing it.
Leave your life of sin.
So if we're going to cast stones,
listen to Jesus' words,
that those who are without sin
cast a stone.
Do you find that the very thing
that you struggle with
is the thing that you actually notice
in someone?
So I think it's because
we're attuned to that sin
or we're so practiced at it.
Like if you're someone
who's used to concealing something,
you'll notice someone else
who's, oh,
they're looking the other way
when they're talking.
They must be lying or something.
And you notice
you can be attuned to this.
At which point we have a choice.
You can pounce and highlight it
and go, ah,
you're actually not telling
the truth right now.
Or you can first take the plank
out of your own eye
before you go to take
the speck out of theirs.
It's hypocritical and double standards
to expect something from others
that we can't accomplish ourselves.
I can assure you,
anyone who gets up in the pulpit
and shares a message
from the scriptures,
they're convicted.
I'm not standing up here
and saying,
I don't struggle with anything
that I'm sharing with you,
the way you struggle.
We're all convicted.
There's nothing self-righteous.
You pour over the scriptures
and you go,
wow, I'm preaching on this.
I'm going to say,
this is what God says.
But at the end of the day,
I really struggle with this myself.
So I want to be clear about that.
But in the same way we judge,
we'll be judged,
and do we really want God
to use that measure against us?
Because I think humans
can be really merciless
and yet God shows grace and mercy.
We don't want him to judge us
the way we judge each other,
I think, personally.
Jesus is saying,
we shouldn't give up
any capacity to discern
right from wrong
and I'm going to get to that
in a moment.
It's not that we should
never help one another
or completely refrain
from pointing out
some wrongdoing.
But first,
be prepared to take
that plank out of your eye
and once that's dealt with,
then remove the specks.
This is about how we relate
to one another.
As Christians,
there needs to be a difference.
And if we go back
to Matthew 5, verse 7,
remember the blessed.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
What Jesus is saying here,
as we come into a relationship
with God,
kingdom living involves humility.
It involves self-reflection
and it involves repentance.
In God's upside-down kingdom,
our lives have to change.
We won't feel the need
to assert our rightness
all the time
because when we're
in God's kingdom,
we're secure enough
to recognise
that we've got faults
and everyone,
every one of us
are fully reliant
on God's grace.
We can acknowledge
our own faults
and at the same time,
if need be,
are able to encourage others
to turn back to Christ.
And I think here
in Galatians,
Galatians chapter 6,
we read,
Brothers and sisters,
if someone is caught in sin,
you who live by the Spirit
should restore that person gently,
but watch yourselves
or you also may be tempted.
Carry each other's burdens
and in this way
you will fulfil the law of Christ.
Restore gently,
but first,
take the plank
out of our own eyes
and then work
on the speck in theirs.
But be careful also
that whatever
they're struggling with,
you then don't get tempted
and drawn into yourself.
Jesus has been talking
about how Christians
need to relate
to one another.
Don't copy the hypocrisy
of the Pharisees.
And he's now addressing
how we relate
to non-Christians.
He goes from saying,
do not judge,
this is really tricky now,
I think,
and we're going,
what?
To requiring us
to actually make
a judgment call.
Jesus goes on
to talk about
dogs and pigs.
And they're his labels,
they're not mine,
they're his,
and so it's Jesus' words
and they're full on.
He's not talking about
non-Christians in general.
He's talking about
those who just,
like Pharaoh's heart
that hardened,
don't want anything
to do with this at all.
The sacred pearl here
that Jesus is talking
about here
is the gospel.
And if I could put it
this way,
in one hand,
we've got God's love
and God's compassion
and in the other hand,
we've got God's judgment.
That is the gospel.
God's judgment
is poured out
on his son
because he shows
compassion
and love to us.
You want to know
about God's love?
You've got to have
the full gospel.
What I'm hearing today
from society
is this.
I want to know
about God's love
and compassion
but I don't want
to hear about judgment.
I don't want to hear
that judgment's coming.
I don't want to hear
that I'm going to be judged.
But you don't get
the full gospel
if you don't bring
in judgment.
And when I say,
how do you know
God loves me?
Because
he took the judgment
for me
on the cross.
But people
don't want to hear
that today.
They don't want
to hear it.
So don't cast
your pearls
before dogs
and pigs.
In other words,
don't bother
sharing the gospel
with people
who have decisively
rejected it.
We need to
recognize them
for who they are
and this is
a judgment call.
When Jesus says
don't judge,
he's not saying
remove all our
critical faculties
or under no circumstances
can we hold
no opinions
about right and wrong.
Jesus turned tables
you remember.
He turned tables
at injustice.
Diedrich Bonhoeffer
stood up
against Hitler.
It actually
saw him imprisoned
and later executed
because he stood up
and spoke against evil.
Evil prospers
when good people
do and say nothing.
Christians must have
a voice in society.
What Jesus is saying
is that we must
recognize those
in the world
who have so rejected
Christ
that there comes
a point
when we're not
to waste our time
any longer
casting the pearls
of the gospel
before them.
We have to discern
when we're speaking
pearls to those
who have ears to hear
and when the pearl
of the gospel
is being trampled
underfoot.
But how can we know?
I think it's hard
to know.
You don't know
people's hearts
or you can't
read their thoughts.
But there probably
are occasions
when we're
proverbially
shown the door.
I don't want
to hear this anymore.
So there's no point
carrying on with this
and it always
blows me away.
It's an amazing
message of forgiveness,
hope,
and love.
And people don't
want to hear it.
The intent
of the Sermon
on the Mount
is to listen
to Jesus' words
and to act
upon them.
Our relationship
with our brothers
and sisters
in Christ
should be different.
Jesus has presented
us with two
difficult tasks.
One,
a standard
in the way
we relate
to one another
and if we're
honest,
we know
how difficult
this can be.
Do not judge.
And two,
he's actually
set out
that we need
to discern
and recognise
those who are
the dogs
and pigs
which can be
too tricky
and it might
be too quick
to actually
write people
off
because you
hear of
amazing
conversion stories
of total
Christopher Hitchens,
brother Peter Hitchens,
Christopher Hitchens,
total atheist,
Peter Hitchens
was as well,
Peter Hitchens
now just loves
Jesus and
shares the message
of the resurrection.
So how can we
know?
Come to our
heavenly father
and ask.
Let's take out
all the verses,
Jesus didn't have
verses.
What follows
on from this
is Matthew
7,
verses 7
to 11.
Ask
and it will
be given
to you.
Seek
and you
will find.
Knock
and the
door
will be
opened
to you.
For
everyone
who asks
receives.
Those
who seek
find
and to
those
who knock
the door
will be
opened.
Which
of you
their son
or daughter
asks for
bread
will give
them a
stone?
or if
they ask
for a
fish
will give
them a
snake?
If
you
then
though you
are evil
know how to
give good
gifts to
your children
how much
more will
your father
in heaven
give good
gifts to
those who
ask him?
Ask
seek
knock.
these
words
are often
used
in
sermons
to
give
the
impression
that
God
is
our
personal
vending
machine.
I
actually
know
someone
from a
different
denomination
and I
don't want to
make a
judgment call
here but
I think
they're
wrong in
this.
I'm not
judgment about
the
denomination
but what
they believe
is that
you can
demand
things from
God.
I demand
a new
surfboard
or I
demand
a new
car.
I
don't
read that
here.
But if
you want
stuff
just
ask.
I
want
more
money
or I
want
success
in my
relationships
or business
just ask
and God
will dispense
our every
wish.
Now I
actually do
believe it
doesn't hurt
to ask.
Ask
sure.
But God
isn't the
cosmic
Santa Claus
and we
need only
bring our
Christmas
wish list
and God
will tick
it off
for us
or give
us a
hunk
of
coal.
What I
actually
believe
there's
no harm
in asking
and God
knows the
difference
between our
needs and
our wants
we need
to look at
the context
of ask
seek
knock.
Followers
of Jesus
will find
it difficult
to not
judge
on the
one hand
and on
the other
hand be
wisely
discerning
able to
assess
someone's
willingness
and openness
to the
gospel.
It's a
difficult
ask
so ask
God.
To ask
naturally
indicates
prayer
but seek
and knock
are also
metaphors
of prayer.
Ask
seek
knock
seems to
suggest
an
escalation
a rising
scale
of intensity
in our
prayers
and points
to the
persistent
manner in
our lives
of asking
our heavenly
father.
Ask
indicates
how we
come to
God
with
humility
conscious
of a
real deep
felt
need
like a
child
asking
for something
from their
parents.
seek
links
prayer
with a
responsible
action
of
pursuing
God's
will
a bit
like
praying
for a
job
and also
actively
pursuing
work.
You don't
just have
it fall
in your
lap
necessarily.
Knock
includes
perseverance
if one
is asking
and seeking
like you
may spend
a lifetime
persistently
praying for
a family
member
or a
friend.
I've
got a
friend
that I've
been
friends
with
since
year
seven
and I
pray for
him
regularly.
He's
not a
Christian
and I
know
that
at one
stage
at
university
he really
told me
in certain
words
don't ever
talk to
me about
Jesus
again
but then
his
father
got
cancer
and he
said
is there
any
Bible
verses
that
could
help
him
and so
he's
not a
Christian
yet
but I
got him
a
Bible
and sent
it to
him
and I
got him
a
study
and he
actually
put
together
a
set
of
Bible
verses
for
his
father
to
read
and so
he still
hasn't
committed
his life
to
Jesus
but I
still
am
persistently
praying
and I
do think
even then
of my
daughter
when she
was three
the one
who did
that amazing
painting
anyway
I remember
I was working
in the study
and dad
dad
and she
was just
knocking at
the door
I'm busy
but at
some point
you've got
to answer
that door
and I
answer
the door
and knock
pray
persistently
in the
sermon
on the
mount
Jesus
makes it
clear
what it
means to
live as
life
as a
member
of God's
kingdom
if we
want to
live
God's
way
loving
your
enemies
persevering
when
persecuted
giving
to the
needy
being salt
and light
in the
world
not worrying
about
tomorrow
storing up
treasures
in heaven
forgiving
others
not
sitting in
the seat
of judgment
yet
discerning
decisively
who have
rejected
Jesus
if we
want to
live God's
way
in God's
world
then we
ask
we seek
and we
knock
like the
persistent
widow
in Luke
18
she kept
going to
that unjust
judge
until she
got a
result
don't give
up
bring it
all before
God
in prayer
and trust
if we
are going
to be
at all
serious
about
living
the life
Jesus
offers
on the
Sermon on
the Mount
then we
have to
ask our
heavenly
father
to strengthen
us by
his
Holy
Spirit
to enable
us to
live this
life
the life
God
intends
for us
and what
Jesus
says here
if humans
who are
naturally
evil
and you
notice that
he calls
us evil
in fact
remember the
rich young
ruler who
tries to
tick off
the Ten
Commandments
yes all
I have
things I've
done sell
everything
and follow
me but
when he
comes to
Jesus
as good
teacher
what must
I do
to inherit
eternal
life
and Jesus
says why
do you
call me
good
only God
is good
so let's
be clear
you who
are evil
give good
gifts to
your kids
and I hope
we do
how much
more will
God give
good gifts
to those
who ask
Bono the
lead singer
from U2
was once
asked do
you pray
and he
said yeah
of course
I pray
and he
said well
what sort
of things
do you
pray
and he
said I
pray that
God's
will will
be done
then it's
more likely
to happen
in Matthew
7 verse 12
Jesus sums
up all
of it
he says
so in
everything
do unto
others
as you
would have
them
do
unto
you
this
sums
up
the
law
and
the
prophets
ask
and you
will
receive
seek
and you
will
find
knock
and the
door
will be
opened
unto
you
throughout
the
sermon
on the
mount
Jesus
references
the
old
testament
the
law
and the
prophets
and he
says here
it could
pretty much
be summed
up
in this
golden rule
severus
reputedly
had it
written on
his wall
in gold
do unto
others
as you
would have
them
do unto
you
there's a
misconception
people said
oh that's
just common
to all
religions
or all
philosophies
and faith
traditions
this is
actually not
the case
the parallels
to Jesus
teaching
appear in
the negative
one example
is Confucius
he wrote
do not
inflict on
others
what you
yourself
would not
wish done
to you
it's subtle
but it's
different
to refrain
from hurting
others
so you
don't get
harmed
it's not
the same
as doing
good to
others
even if
they don't
deserve it
the difference
between
for example
deciding not
to punch
my enemy
in the
nose
and deciding
to build
my enemy
a hospital
they're
dramatically
different
two different
ways of
living
one
is
negative
and one's
proactive
it's
positive
it's
affirmative
action
and that's
how we're
to live
there's no
parallel to
Jesus teaching
Jesus call
to love
is premised
on God's
love
his call
to love
enemies
doesn't
make sense
without
Jesus
repeated
emphasis
that God
is merciful
and gracious
to the
ungrateful
and the
wicked
and then
proving it
as Jesus
dies on the
cross for
his enemies
words
accompanied
with actions
why love
enemies
why be
gracious
why not
judge
show mercy
to the others
who don't
deserve it
because God
loves his
enemies
and shows
grace and
mercy to
those who
don't deserve
it
God's
judge
that's
his
job
the logic
is important
and we
get the
heartbeat
of Jesus
teaching
here
and I
want to
put this
in a
sentence
what we
think
lies at
the heart
of reality
shapes
what we
think
is an
authentic
human
life
what we
think
lies at
the heart
of reality
shapes
what we
think
is an
authentic
human
life
with
Jesus
now
and
forever
is
reality
Jesus
offers
life
can we
imagine
a world
where we're
all living
like
Jesus
where we're
not thinking
of our
own
needs
seeking
the best
for number
one
but actually
looking out
to help
others
sharing
the hope
of Jesus
Jesus
came into
this world
to make
that life
possible
the sermon
on the
mount
is a
glimpse
at the
relationships
of those
who follow
Christ
and what
the relationship
they'll find
themselves
engaged in
noticeably
transformed
by the
gospel
and living
for God's
upside down
kingdom
the rest
of the
chapter
I'm finishing
up here
is about
how gospel
can impact
our life
with warnings
to be
wise
and reminders
judgment
is coming
verse 13
enter through
the narrow
gate
wide is the
road that
leads to
destruction
verse 15
watch out
for false
prophets
wolves in
sheep's
clothing
by their
fruit
you will
know them
verse 21
not everyone
who says to
me
lord lord
will enter
the kingdom
of heaven
but
only the
ones who
do the
will of
my father
who is
in heaven
verse 24
everyone
who hears
these words
of mine
and puts
them into
practice
is like
a wise
person
who built
their house
on the
rock
you know
what happened
when he
finished
teaching
they were
amazed
there was
no one
taught
with such
authority
the preacher
who gave
the same
sermon
every week
week in
and week
out
was waiting
to see
if those
who listened
would respond
and take
action
we can't
walk away
from the
sermon
on the
mount
unaffected
we must
take action
in our
lives
it's one
thing to
know it
it's another
thing to
put it
into practice
and jc
ryle's got an
amazing quote
here about
this
doctrine is
useless
so it's one
thing to
know it
doctrine is
useless
if it's not
accompanied by
a holy
life
it is worse
than useless
it does
positive harm
something of
the image of
christ must
be seen
and observed
by others
in our
private life
and habits
and character
and doings
so church
ask
and it will
be given
to you
seek
and you
will find
knock
and the
door will
be opened
to you
for everyone
who asks
receives
those who
seek
find
and to
those who
knock
the door
will be
opened
let's pray
heavenly
father
we thank
you
that
you
knock
at
our
hearts
and you
say
let me
in
lord
open our
hearts
to you
to your
message
to your
word
heavenly
father
we ask
now that
we can
have the
beautiful
attitudes
outlined
in the
sermon
on the
mount
we pray
that we
can love
our
enemies
lord
we pray
that we
can
hunger
and thirst
for
righteousness
lord
we pray
that we
can
seek
you
with
all
our
hearts
lord
we
pray
that
our
eyes
will
see
the
need
in
this
world
our
hands
will
reach
out
with
your
hands
our
feet
will
go
where
you
will
take
us
to
share
the
gospel
and
your
great
word
lord
we
knock
and we
ask
that
you
answer
these
prayers
your
gospel
will
go
forth
your
kingdom
will
grow
in
each
of
us
and
your
amen