May 21, 2023
Fix Yourself
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Luke 6:37 NIV
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
Judge = krinó. It means to pronounce someone as good or evil (like in a court of law).
Remember: "Context is king"
Loving my enemies means:
1) Lending to them without expecting repayment (Luke 6:27)
2) Blessing them instead of cursing them (Luke 6:28)
3) Returning their curses with prayers (Luke 6:28)
4) Doing to them as you want them to do to you (Luke 6:31)
5) Being merciful to them, as God is merciful to you (Luke 6:36)
6) Not judging them (Luke 6:37)
7) Not condemning them (Luke 6:37)
8) Forgiving them (Luke 6:37)
This kind of "love" is what sets the follower of Christ apart from those who do not follow Christ.
Luke 6:36 NIV
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
Jesus' assumption is that I already do these things for my loved ones. He is encouraging us to go ahead and do it for everyone.
Luke 6:38 NIV
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:39-40 NIV
He also told them this parable: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher."
The goal is to be more like Jesus Christ.
Luke 6:41 NIV
"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?"
Both planks and specs are from the same thing.
Luke 6:42 NIV
"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
The alternative to judgment is assistance in love.
Before you assist: first deal with your own stuff. "…first take the plank out of your eye".
Luke 6:43-44 NIV
"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers."
Before you assist: Earn the right to be close.
"…then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye".
Luke 6:45 NIV
"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Ask yourself:
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Is there any plank I need to deal with that I am ignoring?
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Is there anyone I need to show mercy to rather than condemnation and judgment?
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Is there anyone I need to seek forgiveness from for judging them in the past?
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Is there anyone with a "spec in their eye", that I am close to, that God is calling me to help them "clean out their eye"?