“JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED”

“JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED”
By Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Delivered at Gilbert A.M.E. Church
Kansas City, Missouri
Rev. Brenda Smith, Pastor

Bible study is a wonderful thing. A good thing. A wholesome thing. A necessary thing.

Our discussion today arises from a wonderful Bible study held right here in this church, under the auspices of your fine pastor, my sister-beloved, Rev. Brenda Smith, which I attended several weeks ago.

In that Bible study, we covered the 38th chapter of Genesis. That account involved Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Who all was here for that Bible study? Raise you hands. Thank you.

If you didn’t raise your hand, you missed it. But, fortunately, today we’ll address it again, in Jesus’ name.

Let us pray.

In Matthew 7: 1-5, we find these words--

1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Our subject today is “JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.”

You know, self-righteousness can be a dangerous thing. A lot of times you can get caught up, swallowed up, in your own righteousness. You can find yourself in your own trick bag.

In Proverbs 11: 5-6, we find--

5The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
6The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.

“JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.”

Turn with me, now, to Genesis 38:1-26

1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
11Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
12And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
17And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.


(Talk to them directly for explanation of Judah’s hypocrisy and how he ended up judging his daughter in law and getting caught up himself in his own snare.)

Now, let’s look at another example of hypocrisy. This familiar passage of scriptures comes from John 8:

1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Notice, the eldest led the way, in sneaking away, for they, themselves were guilty of sin. They were convicted by their own conscience.

The word is true, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. So, before you point your finger, remember, you’ve got three pointing back at you, and a thumb pointed toward heaven.

“JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED”

Romans 2:21-24
21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

People talk about the waywardness of our youth, how do you think they got that way…pull from “young boy”: Poppa’s on the slip and momma’s on the slide, young black boys facing homicide. The adults are the ones who should lead the way, by word, by deed, by night. By day. That they have failed is evident. That inspired this poetic lament!

“JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.”

Thank you and God bless you! Amen.