July 9, 2023
SERMON SERIES: GOD’S WORLDWIDE PLAN FOR EVERY PERSON
BOOK OF ROMANS
Sermon # 3: DO YOU HAVE A JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE?
Romans 2: 1-16
Years ago, a phrase was coined that attempted to discourage people from drug abuse: Just Say No! This campaign was an attempt to help people look elsewhere when they were tempted…
· To escape from reality
· To feel good
· To experiment with their minds
· To go along with the crowd
· To project an image of themselves that was not true
· To push a personal life-style agenda
Did people stop abusing narcotics just because someone on television said “Just Say No! Perhaps the campaign helped some. But history notes that drug abuse continues to be a curse on people.
Unknowing to many, there have been a lot of people who have say no to drugs. These people are good people from all outside appearances. They obey the laws. They are the ones who write letters to the editor of the local paper, taking issue with the lack of morality in the community. They have the perfect family, the perfect resume, the perfect reputation---and yet, they are addicted to a habit-forming narcotic. What is this narcotic? It is pride or self-righteousness---the belief that they are good enough within themselves, good enough for God to accept them; the belief that God will accept them because of their own righteousness; the belief that God would never reject them, they are just too good, never bad enough for God to reject them.
We as Christians sometimes have a judgmental attitude, thinking we are “holier-than- thou”. Our lesson today will reveal to us three movements regarding a judgmental attitude.
I. IT REVEALS WE ARE PRIDEFUL v. 1-3
A. We judge others. The word judge means to criticize, to find fault, to condemn. Any time we judge another person, we are declaring that we…
1. Are living by some rule that another person is not living by
2. Are more moral than someone else
3. Are better than someone else
4. Are superior to someone else
5. Are more righteous than someone else
6. Are more acceptable to God than someone else
Judging others says, “I am right, and they are wrong; I succeed, but they fail.” Therefore…
· “Look at me but ignore them.”
· “Draw near to me but shun them.”
· Esteem me but put them down.”
· “Approve me but condemn them.”
· “Be my friend but withdraw from them.”
Very simply, judging others raises self and lowers others, exalts self and debases others; and in the eyes of God this is wrong. It is a sin. It is full of self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance. When we sit in judgment of another person, we are putting ourselves in the place of God, which is evidence of the sin of pride- self-righteousness, and arrogance.
ILLUSTRATION:
The truth be known, all of us have a tendency to judge others and try to free ourselves of sin.
“Several years ago, a young man dressed in overalls and work shoes entered an auto dealer’s showroom in Bodo, Norway, and inquired, ‘Have you got 16 cars on hand—all the same models?’ The proprietor, noticing the rather unkempt look of the stranger and concluding that he was poor, said gruffly, ‘I’ve no time for jokes, Mister! Turning on his heel, the man went directly across the street to a competitor in the same business. When he received considerate treatment there, he agreed to purchase an entire fleet of automobiles for $47,000! Later it was discovered that the crudely dressed individual was one of the 16-man crew from a Norwegian fishing vessel. Having caught a record quantity of herring that season, the sailors had decided to buy new cars; so, they sent him as their representative to secure the largest possible discount by getting all of their vehicles from the same place. One can well imagine the dismay of the first salesman who lost the biggest order of the year because he miscalculated a potential customer on the basis of a critical first—glance appraisal.
Have you ever lost out on something—a friendship, a personal relationship, a business opportunity, a compliment---because you were too quick to judge some else, to give someone a fair chance?
B. We are inexcusable, and we condemn ourselves because we do the very same things. We fail just as the ones whom we judge fail. In God’s eyes, sin is a matter of the heart and mind, not just an act.
Luke 6:41, “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in you own?” (NLT)
C. We think we will escape judgment v. 3. Our offense is much greater, for we are like all other men—sinful and short of God’s glory---yet we criticize and judge those whose failures are discovered and exposed, and we think we will escape judgment. We forget that God sees the inner being of the human heart. If we can see the sins of others, it leaves no doubt that we know right from wrong.
Matthew 7:2, “The way I judge others is how I will be judged.” If we judge others harshly---without love and mercy---God will judge us the same way. We can love people without approving of their sins!
We should not judge others because:
1. It reveals we are prideful (v. 1-3)
II. IT REVEALS WE DON’T APPRECIATE GOD’S FORGIVENESS v. 4-10a
A. We think God is too good to punish. When we judge others, we demonstrate that we despise the goodness and forbearance (tolerance) and long-suffering God has shown us (v. 4).
God’s goodness is to lead men to repentance, not to sin, the fact that God will forgive sin should stir us to seek forgiveness and to please God. When we have judgmental attitudes, we harden our hearts against the judgment of God.
1. Refuses to repent
2. Result: Stores up wrath against our selves.
B. Everyone will either be eternally rewarded or eternally punished, no one shall be exempt; no one will escape (v. 6-7). Now note: Judgment is to be Based upon a man’s deeds or works. This does not mean that faith is not necessary. What God demands is that we first believe and work for Him, reaching out to a world lost and gripped in desperate need.
1. The well-doer’s reward (v.7)
2. The evil doer’s severe judgment (v. 8)
3. Every evildoer is to be judged (v.9)
We should not judge others because:
1. It reveals we are prideful (v. 1-3)
2. It reveals we don’t appreciate God’s forgiveness (v. 4-10a)
III. IT REVEALS WE DON’T TRUST GOD TO JUDGE FAIRLY (v. 10b-16)
The judgment of God is without respect of persons: Absolute impartiality. God’s judgment is not based on our position, wealth, influence, popularity, or appearance. Because it is God’s nature to be just, it is impossible for Him to be anything but impartial. This means we can count on God to be fair (v. 11).
A. The man who sins without the law & the man who sins in the law will both be judged.
1. Those who have no knowledge of God’s law (Moral Law) will be judged accordingly (v. 12a).
2. On the other hand, those who sin in the law will be judged by the law (v. 12b). Those who have the law will be held more accountable.
B. The doers, not the hearers, of the law will be justified (v. 13). The law was not just given to sit on a bookshelf or on a table, not given just to be heard. The law was given to be obeyed and lived out.
C. The heathen has a threefold witness, a witness that is strong enough to them to God.
1. Their nature: An instinctive knowledge of right & wrong that produces guilt (v. 14).
2. Their conscience: Bears witness to what is right & wrong (v. 15)
3. Their thoughts: Accuse or defend their behavior.
D. God judges fairly because He will judge the secrets of men (v. 16). All secrets will be exposed, the secret thoughts and deeds done will be exposed.
God doesn’t grade on a curve, so let’s clean up our judgmental attitude!
Do you have a judgmental attitude?
1. It reveals we are prideful (v. 1-3)
2. It reveals we don’t appreciate God’s forgiveness (v. 4-10a)
3. It reveals we don’t trust God to judge fairly (v. 10b-16)
Responsive Reading: Romans 2:1-16
Comments