We've seen it before. A group of friends from church go out to lunch after service. They are talking about how awesome church was and how mightily God moved, but before you know it the conversation changes. First someone critiques the worship team, then someone starts in on the pastor and before you know it they are all sitting around bashing everyone and everything they can think of.
For some reason I don't think this is what God had in mind when He started the church. Why do we do this?
Well, we could justify our actions and say that it is our human nature and we are a part of this fallen and sinful world. Or we could use the excuse that everyone does it. But what did Jesus tell us in Matthew 7:1-5? Don't we love to do this...point out someone else's speck (faults) instead of dealing with our own log (shortcomings)? Isn't it much easier to judge someone else's heart than to stare into the mirror and do a self-evaluation?
Many times I find myself seeing where others fail, judging or criticizing them, when my relationship with God isn't what it should be. Or, I do these things when my complete focus isn't on God. The problem is that we are spending way too much time focusing on others instead of God. During worship we are thinking more about the style of music, the selection of songs, than we are about God Himself. Even with other ministries we love to tell someone how to run them but we won't get involved ourselves. As long as we are focused on others it keeps the attention off of us. We should spend our time lifting our eyes towards God, if we did that we wouldn't have to worry about what people around us are doing.
When we are looking up and fixing our eyes on God, we should pray Psalm 139:24, "Point out anything in me that offends You". When we complain, criticize or judge we are part of the problem and not the solution.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 5 the Bible does tell us that there is a time when we should judge, not gossip or criticize, someone in the church. In the context of this scripture the Corinthian church was allowing a man in their congregation to sleep with his step mother, gross, but they were not doing anything about it. In Luke 17:3-4, we are told that if someone is sinning we should rebuke them, but also be willing to forgive and be patient with them. At the same time we should make sure that the sin they are committing is not rebellion against a man-made rule, petty church dogma, or a conviction we may have in OUR relationship with God.
When I got saved, I was discipled by some very religious Christians. I got to the point that I would judge believers who didn't listen to Christian music. If an artist didn't say Jesus in their lyrics I looked down on them. This is not good, why not? Let's look at Romans 14:21-23. We all have our own convictions in some gray areas. Take music for example. I listen to harder Christian music and I have been in many debates with other believers about whether the music is actually "Christian" or not. I had one customer in particular come into the Christian bookstore where I work. He said that he could feel the devil in the music I listened to. I told him to stop judging and asked him some questions and we got into a good debate. Later on, I felt God telling me to give him some free music that we had in the back of the store. I gave him some worship and gospel music. We talked things out, apologized and moved on. This last Thursday he came in and came straight to me and said thanks for the music. He shared with me that he recently lost his 21 year old son and that the music I gave him really helped him to heal.
Another good example of Romans 14 today is what we watch or what we wear. Those are our own convictions. If a person claims to be a Christian and is sexually immoral, lusting, into idolatry etc...we should confront them. But make sure you do it out of love and you have checked the log in your own eye before trying to get the speck out of theirs.
Read James 3:7-12. How can we lift our hands and praise God, say we love God, claim to be a follower of Christ and bash, criticize or judge another person's heart or character, especially if they are a believer?
We shouldn't, and we need to stop. Every single one of us is guilty of this. No wonder people don't want to come to church. Especially when we are claiming we love God with one breath and cursing our brother or sister with the next. We complain about them to our families, in front of our kids, to our friends, non-believers, co-workers and fellow believers.
I don't believe this is what God intended for His church.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:19-21. If Jesus were to come to your church or mine would He find these things going on? Just remember He doesn't need to come in physically. He knows if you do them or not. But James 4:11 tells us "Don’t speak evil against each other".
Many times it isn't the "BIG" sins in our lives, but the "little" ones that can destroy us. Things like gossip, judging others, criticizing and complaining. God wants us to experience His full glory and stop these petty things as we crave Him and His Word, 1 Peter 2:1-3.
We are told in Ephesians 4:29, "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."
If we are focused on God, we will please Him. Let God take care of the details of others' lives. Our AIM should be to live in harmony and build one another up as it says in Romans 14:17-19. Because as the Bible says the world will only know us by our love...
Be blessed,
Steve
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Good morning, sports fans! I am commenting on Steve’s sermon and my examples come from t he world of sports. The guys will dig it but I am not so sure about the gals, so here goes… (My comments have exceeded the Blog allowance so I have broken my response into two (2) parts.)
Coach John Wooden is a legend in college basketball. He led his UCLA Bruins to break records that many agree will never be matched. His philosophy was simple: "Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." His secret to success was basically, do YOUR best and not worry about the other guy or team.
Several years ago, I read the biography of John Wooden. He reverted to coaching when he figured out his own basketball skills were inferior to those around him. His early days as coach were somewhat less than successful. After a while, though, he developed into a great leader of unbeatable teams. The key was his teams were playing against themselves. Sure there was another team on the court but the UCLA teams were playing to reduce mistakes and play to the best of their capabilities. Wooden made his team better by having players focus on themselves rather than focus on the flaws of teammates!
On Wooden’s web site (http://www.woodencourse.com/index.html), I found a great story:
“It was an unusually hot summer day in the Seattle area. The Little League game was already one hour along and it was still in the second inning. Parents and friends knew this was going to be a marathon; unskilled pitching resulted in walk after walk. But the fans fanned and the players played and the Ump, well I guess he umped. He had to be the one suffering most from the heat, dressed in black and bloated with padding. But he called it as he saw it, even though the bases always seemed to be loaded.
Compounding the situation, one of the fathers was loud and disorderly. Each time the umpire made a call in favor of his son’s team, he confirmed it. But every time a call was made the other way, he bombarded the umpire with familiar contemptible clichés such as, “Hey Ump: Do you need another pair of glasses?” and “I’ve got a rulebook for you—in Braille.”
The umpire bit his tongue for a little over three innings. Finally, he stood straight up, waved his arms, and said, “Time Out!” There was dead silence and, regardless of the heat, every player froze. The umpire took off his mask and walked soberly toward the opening in the chain-link fence that led to the bleachers. Jaws dropped and all eyes followed him as he began to ascend the weather-worn, wooden stands. The fans parted like the Red Sea leaving the father completely alone. The black-dressed Michelin Man casually seated himself next to the angry father and, for a long moment, said nothing. He only stared at the field.
Then he yelled, “Play ball!”
“What are you doing?” the father asked him.
“Well,” replied the umpire, “Apparently you think the game can be seen much better from here so I thought, ‘Maybe he’s right. In all fairness to the boys, perhaps I should call the game from the stands.’”
Instantly, levity ruled and everyone chuckled. Even the father had to laugh at himself as the two men respectfully shook hands. The game still lasted so long the grass needed mowing again, but somehow from that point on, no one minded. “
The father was critical of the ump. Just about everyone who has attended a sporting event at any level has probably made similar comments. What is unique and humorous about this story is the reaction of the ump. The ump sent the message to the father and the crowd, “This is my job. I am in the best position to make the call so let me do my job!”
End Part I
Part II
I remember playing soccer for my high school team. I was a fullback and the coach’s son was a halfback. Basically, I was right in front of the goalie and he was the next line forward. One game, we were getting beat pretty bad. So the coach’s son decided I wasn’t doing a good enough job and suggested we switch positions. I had nothing to lose so I agreed. The next time the team came down, they went through us like water through a sieve and scored. On the way back to set up for the kick off, the coach’s son said, very sheepishly, “Let’s switch back.”
If you have not been in the exact situation, under the same circumstances, do not criticize! Do us all a favor and keep your comments “inside” as Josh would say.
One of my favorite all time quotes in from Theodore Roosevelt. It encourages those who are the brunt of critics and chastens those condemn. He says, ““It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
I encourage you to stay in the ring! Keep fighting the good fight! Dare to do great things!
Roosevelt also said, “I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”
In the face of your critics, show character! Do your best not for the sake of other but for your own sake! In doing so, you will bring glory to God who has created you to be you!
There are small people who will find fault in you. It is their lot in life because they have not the courage to spend their energies on more noble deeds. Sadly, it is their loss and it grieves God. What great and mighty things could be done for the Kingdom if we were to channel this energy into something productive!
In Christ,
Alan
I feel that God has really been working with me on this for the past year and a half. I have been rather critical in my thinking of others, believing that what you wore and things like that, showed what's in your heart.
To be honest, if you had asked me what my ideal man was for my daughter, I would not have picked a guy with tattoos and gauged ears, and she would have missed out on a wonderful man of God.
I was so busy looking at everyone else, talking about this flaw or that problem that they have, I didn't have to look at myself and listen to what God had to say about my flaws. God has really worked on my heart through this church, to love Him and follow Him and to worry about the plank in my own eye.
The Royal Priesthood of Shimei
In 2 Samuel 16, we are introduced to a character named Shimei. Shimei was a relative of Saul’s and he pretty much hates King David. He hates him so much he throws stones at him and curses him (v. 5-8)
David’s men respond as good soldiers would: Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." (v. 9)
David’s response is incredible: “But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' “(v. 10)
There are three characters in this story worth looking at: Shimei, Abishai and King David. Shimei has a pretty good reason for hating David. David pretty much wiped out Shimei’s whole family. Abishai has a pretty good reason for wanting to retaliate against Shimei. Although beheading is a little extreme, I can understand his point. David steps up and does the right thing, accepting the abuse for what it is worth. He does not deny or confirm the allegations. He simply lets Shimei vent.
Is there a Royal Priesthood of Shimei in the modern North American Christian church? Are there people who insist on hurling insults and stones at God’s chosen leaders? If so, are you a member? I think it would be very arrogant of us to step into Shimei’s shoes. I imagine most of our criticism stems more from our own personal tastes or upbringing than being a true message from God. Perhaps the next time we pick up stones, we should consider the source of our criticism.
We all need accountability but unwarranted criticism goes beyond edification. It is hurtful and counterproductive. We need to temper pir comments with love and gentleness.
By the way, Shimei was held accountable for what he had done. In 1 Kings 2: 44-45, we read, “The king (Solomon) also said to Shimei, "You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the LORD will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed, and David's throne will remain secure before the LORD forever."
So let the critic beware: “Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him.
The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon's hands.” (v. 46)
I think I’ll turn in my membership to the Royal Priesthood of Shimei!!!
Thank you Steve for your amazing message. We ALL fall into the trap of judging others...usually by our own measuring rod and not God's.
I have actually been working on looking to God and not to others and have enacted some major changes in my life to make sure my focus is where it should be.
Sometimes I realize I am holding onto things too tightly...I need to hold everything I have with an open hand because God can and will take the things I value whenever He pleases...He is God after all. When my fingers start to tighten in any area, relationships, ministry, possessions...God reminds me that it is time to let go and refocus on Him.
When I'm gripping too tightly I tend to let my pride ooze out. A sure way to fall into the trap of criticizing others. Letting go is painful...but oh so freeing... and...it makes God smile when I freely give Him the things I love the most and trust Him to take care of them Himself.
If we all could remember that we are nothing apart from God anyway...why waste so much time pointing our fingers at others when we could be reaching up to our Father in Heaven...grasping His hands and doing His work.
Thanks for the reminder Steve. And in case I have offended anyone who reads this response...sorry. My focus is becoming clearer again...God is in control...He is the center and the ONLY One who matters!!!
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
Abraham Lincoln
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