Judgment: Hypocritical or Helpful? - Luke 6:37-42

“Judge not” is one of the most quoted lines Jesus ever spoke, and one of the most misunderstood. We sit in Luke 6:37-42 and ask the uncomfortable question beneath the slogan: are we using judgment to condemn people, or to help them walk toward Jesus?

In this message, we start with real-life stories: church gossip that replaces honest care, assumptions about motives that reveal envy, quick social media outrage with zero context, and the rare friend who asks a humble question and opens the door to confession and healing. From there, we trace Jesus’ logic from mercy to discernment, because He does not erase accountability. He redefines Christian judgment through mercy, humility, and a deep memory of the gospel.

Transcript

Why Judgment Hits Home

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Uh, as Kyle said, we're going to be in Luke 6. So if you can turn to Luke 6, we're looking at 37 through 42. Uh, the sermon title for this is Judgment, hypocritical or helpful? Uh, this is a buzzword in the community, especially when they talk about Christians, is judge or judgmental uh in any kind of standard. So before we get started today, I want to talk about uh maybe what right judgment and wrong judgment looks like through a few stories. Before we do even to begin to find what Jesus means when he says, judge not, I want to kind of feel the weight of this passage. Right? This is not abstract theology. It's not something distant from our everyday life. This shows up in every conversation of ours, in our marriages, in our friendships, in our parenting, in our churches, and even in the way that we interact online. And this is about how we see people and how we treat people. So let me walk you through a few real life scenarios, stories that help us to kind of see the difference between right judgment and wrong judgment.

Stories Of Wrong And Right Judgment

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Emily had always been one of the most consistent people in church. She served faithfully, she encouraged others, and she was always present. But over the last month, she disappeared. At first, people noticed, then they started wondering, then they started talking. Jessica and Rachel stood in the lobby one Sunday morning, coffee in hand, quietly discussing her absence. I hate to say it, Jessica said, but I've seen this before. People just start drifting. Rachel nodded in agreement, but neither of them reached out. What they didn't know was that Emily had been spending every night at the hospital caring for her mother after a cancer diagnosis. She wasn't drifting, she was overwhelmed. Unbiblical judgment assumes the worst when love would seek truth. Or what about David? David noticed something similar in his friend Josh. David and Josh had been friends all throughout the year, growing up through the church. But then Josh all of a sudden began to get quieter. He began to get more distant and less engaged with the church. But David didn't assume, he just prayed. He examined his own heart first, and then he reached out and asked Josh to grab coffee. Sitting across from him, David said, Hey, I might be wrong, but I care about you. And something kind of seems off. How are you really doing? That simple, humble question opened the door for Josh to confess that he had been struggling with things that he was hiding, with sin and things in his life that he was hiding. David didn't condemn it in that, but he pointed to Christ and to the scriptures and he said he committed to walking with him. Biblical judgment moves towards people with humility, not away from them with assumptions. Or what about Mark? Mark received a promotion at work after months of hard work. But Tyler, who wanted the same position, responded with quiet criticism. Of course he got it. He just knows how to work this system. That's just how things work. But Tyler didn't know Mark's motives. He didn't know that Mark was working desperately behind the scenes extra hours. He didn't know that Mark was putting in an extra effort that Tyler didn't see on the front. See, unbiblical judgment often reveals more about our own heart than it does about someone else's. Or what about Lisa? Lisa, a mother, noticed concerning patterns in her daughter's life: distance from God, shifting priorities, subtle compromises. And she didn't ignore it, but she also didn't explode. She approached her daughter gently, saying, I love you too much to stay silent. I'm concerned about where this might lead. Her words were firm, but they were filled with love. Biblical judgment is not about control, it's about care. What about Chris? Chris scrolled through social media late one night and saw a short clip of a pastor that was taken way out of context. Within seconds, he reposted it with a harsh criticism of that pastor. No context, no patience, no humility. Unbiblical judgment reacts quickly but understands poorly. Finally, a man named Michael in a church was living in an open, unrepentant sin. The leaders met with him repeatedly, pleaded with him, and called him to repentance, but he refused. And when he refused, the church followed biblical discipline, not out of anger, but out of love for his soul, hoping to bring him back to Christ. You see, biblical judgment is willing to do the hard things for the sake of eternal good.

The Real Question Is Christlike Judgment

SPEAKER_00 4:40

So here's the reality we must understand. The issue is not whether we judge, but whether we judge like Christ. Now, the context of this, if you were with us last week, remember Jesus is speaking here. It's the very same context and the same, whether or not it was the same sermon as he did on the Sermon on the Mount, it's a very similar style and very similar message he's bringing about. He's sitting in front of a bunch of people who were probably growing up in the Jewish faith who understood the context of that and saw the way that the Pharisees and Sadducees lived out, and they said, that is what it must look like to be the ultimate uh religious person, to live like them. And so we see here a lot of the things that Jesus is calling to is actually seems contradictory what the Pharisees would have lived. Like last week we talked about love. And in the style that Jesus says to love, the Pharisees would have looked at and said, that is not how we are called to love. To love your enemies. And so the things that Jesus was calling out here were radical callings for these people. Radical callings on the life of a believer. Before Jesus says judge not, he says something even more radical. Love your enemies, do good those that hate you, and bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Then he says, Be merciful, even as your father is merciful. You see, in the same style as last week, we looked at this radical love. Today we're going to look at maybe what we would call a radical or different judgment. You see, this is the foundation. Luke 6, 37 through 42 is not removing judgment, but it's redefining it through mercy. Just as last week we redefined what love looks like through mercy of Christ, today we're looking at what we're redefining what judgment looks like or judging looks like, redefined through mercy. And why are we called to live this way? Because of the gospel. Romans 5.10 tells us that while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through Christ. We were not neutral, but in fact, we were opposed to him, and yet he still pursued us. So why are we called to live like this? Why are we called to love our enemies this way? We love our enemies because Christ loved us when we were his enemies. So this brings us to today. I want to look at three points for the believer of what judgment looks like or judging looks like for us.

Reject Condemnation And Reflect Mercy

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The first point we see here through Luke 6, 37 and 38 is that believers must reject a condemning spirit and reflect God's mercy. Believers must reject a condemning spirit and reflect God's mercy. When Jesus says judge not, he's not eliminating discernment. But he is exposing a heart that is harsh, critical, and self-righteous. This is the kind of judgment that assigns motives without evidence, that delights in pointing out flaws, and that offers no pathway to grace or restoration. This is the judgment that oftentimes those who are not involved in the church will see and in that will be say that that is the reason they don't come to church. Because they see people that judge with assigning motives without evidence, that delight in pointing out the flaws of others, and that offer no pathway to grace or restoration. That is the incorrect way that he's calling us. This kind of spirit shows up in subtle ways. It shows up in how quickly we form opinions about people we barely know. It shows up in how easily we assume motives instead of seeking understanding. And it shows up in how we talk about people when they're not in the room. Jesus connects this to a principle. With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. In other words, the way you treat others reflects what you reflects the way you treat others, reflects what you believe about how God treats you and how you deserve to be treated. If you truly understand the mercy of God, it will reshape the way that you deal with others. But if your life is marked by harshness and unforgiveness, it may reveal that you have fully not grasped the gospel. If you truly grasp what Jesus has done for you, the gospel, the saving grace that you were undeserving of, just as we talked about last week, then it should not only radically change the way that you love people, but it should radically change the way that you judge people too as well. James 4, 11 through 12 warns against speaking evil against one another, reminding us that there is only one lawgiver and one judge. James 2.13 adds that judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Listen to this: a condemning spirit reveals a heart that has forgotten the mercy of God. A condemning spirit reveals a heart that has forgotten about the mercy of God. As John Calvin said, nothing is more consistent with grace of God than a harsh and cruel spirit. As believers, if we truly understand the gospel and we're brought back to it daily, then the way that we deal with others should be in the same way that Christ has dealt with us. In one of loving, and one of caring, not selfish or critical or harsh. So the question becomes, are you known more for extending mercy or delivering criticism? If I was to go maybe to your family or to your workplace friends, would they know you more for extending mercy to people or delivering criticism? What are the conversations happening in your life with those who are close to you? What are the thoughts happening in your mind to those around you? When you're on social media, when somebody has wronged you in a way, are you known more for extending mercy or delivering criticism? When people think of you, do they think of someone who reflects the patience of Christ or someone who quickly points out the flaws? As believers, we must reject a condemning spirit and reflect God's mercy.

Mercy Does Not Cancel Justice

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But I do want to give one important clarification. Mercy does not eliminate justice. Mercy does not eliminate justice. This is where we need to be very clear because this passage is often misunderstood. This is the passage that the world will use against believers to say, how dare you judge when your own words says you cannot judge? How dare you be critical in ways when your own word says not to be critical? Right? This verse can often be taken misunderstood. When Jesus calls us not to judge in a condemning, self-righteous way, he is not saying that sin should go unaddressed or that justice should be ignored. That's not what he's saying. So for us, when we point to a wrongdoing that's been done, or evil in this world, or rampant sin in this world that is affecting many people, and we say, hey, something needs to be done about this, that is not us being judgmental, but that's us calling out for things that are against God. This is not a call to ignore sin, excuse evil, or remove consequences. We know that God is both merciful and just. Scripture teaches us in Romans 13 that governing authorities are established by God to uphold justice. They're described as servants of God who carry out wrath on the wrongdoer. That means there is a legitimate place for justice, accountability, and consequences. If someone commits a crime, it is right and biblical for that person to face the justice system. Mercy does not cancel justice, it shapes our hearts towards the person. We can both desire justice to be done while desiring redemption for the sinner. Even God Himself does this perfectly. At the cross, justice was not ignored, it was fully satisfied. Christ bore the penalty for sin, and that means that the gospel upholds justice while extending mercy. So when Jesus says judge not, he's not calling us to abandon justice. He is calling us to abandon a self-righteous condemnation attitude. And so, believers, we must reject the condemning spirit and reflect God's mercy. I do believe this is one of the greatest struggles for us as believers. Because we are called and hopefully desire so much to live like Christ that we do look different than the world. We're called so much to desire to be like Christ that we should look different than the world. And so it can become very easy for us to point fingers at other people. Believer in the room, please. And I'm speaking to myself of this just as much. We must reject a condemning spirit and reflect God's mercy in the way that we treat others. When we look at people who are maybe doing things that just drive us nuts, when we look at people who just frustrate us in our workplace, we all know somebody who just drives us nuts. I bet you that person is on your mind right now, whether it be in the workplace, whether it be in your own family. Just as much as myself needs this, I encourage you to reject a condemning spirit and ask yourself or pray to God, how can I better reflect yourself in the way that I treat this person? Man, the things that frustrate me about this person, have I had a conversation with them about it? Have I even tried to reconcile the situation? Man, the frustrations that I have with this person, do they even really deal with me at all? Or am I just seeing it secondhand? We must reject a condemning spirit and reflect God's mercy.

Remove Your Log Before Helping

SPEAKER_00 15:10

Point two that we see in Luke 6, 41 and 42. Point two is that believers must examine their own hearts before correcting others. So the first thing, let's reject the condemning spirit. But then there is some times where correction needs to be made. If somebody has hurt you in a way, it is okay to go to them. If you see a brother or sister stumbling, it is good for you to go to. But believers must examine their own hearts before correcting others. Jesus now gives one of the most memorable illustrations in all scripture, and you've probably heard it a million times. He says, Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? The same teaching that he says in Matthew 7, 3 through 5, emphasizing how critical it is. I mean, picture the scene. A man is trying to carefully remove a tiny piece of dust from someone else's eye, but he has a massive beam sticking out of his own. It's absurd. It's almost humorous, but it is meant to expose something deeply serious. Self-righteous judgment is spiritually blind because it focuses on small faults in others while ignoring the great faults within ourselves. Let me say that one more time. Self-righteous judgment is spiritually blind because it focuses on small faults in others while ignoring greater faults within ourselves. We are naturally inclined to do this. It is a natural position, so much that we have to fight against it. We notice tone, behavior, and words in others, and immediately. But when it comes to our own hearts, we excuse, justify, minimize. I mean, we think about it in our own conversations we have with people.

unknown 17:07

Right?

SPEAKER_00 17:07

We are quickly to point out the wrongs in them, but when we act the same way, we try to justify it. Yeah, I'm just really tired, or man, it's been a really long day, or man, you know, we try to justify the way that we feel about this. We say things like, that's just how I am, that's just the person I am. I didn't mean it that way. You you just misunderstood me. But when others sin, we say, that was wrong. That's unacceptable. They should know better. This stubble, this double standard is exactly what Jesus is confronting. We tend to give ourselves grace and others judgment. But the gospel teaches us to reverse that. Jesus calls this hypocrisy, and then he gives us a clear command. First, take out the log of your own eye. That word first is important. It establishes a priority. Before you even address someone else's sin, you must take in your own seriously. It requires an intentional self-examination. It requires time with the Lord. It requires honesty, it requires humility. So when you're struggling with somebody else, instead of just ready to go at it, words ready, maybe take a moment and say, Well, why do I feel this way? Is there things in my own heart? Is there a selfishness in my own heart? It requires intentional self-examination. It requires time with the Lord, and it requires honesty and humility. Psalms 139, 23, and 23, and 24 says, Search me, O God, and know my heart, and see if there be any grievous way in me. That is the posture of a believer who desires to walk in truth. And here's what happens when you actually do this: your tone changes, your posture changes, your approach changes. You're no longer coming as someone who is all who has it all together, but you're coming as someone who knows their own need for grace. But don't miss this. Jesus did not say to ignore the speck. He says that after removing the log, you'll be able to see it clearly. You'll be able to see clearly to help your brother. It means clarity comes through humility. You are most helpful to others when you are most honest about yourself. You're most helpful to others when you're most honest about yourself. When you know your need for God's mercy on yourself, how much more helpful you'll be to others, how much more humble you'll be coming to others. Think about it in your own life. When you've seen sin that you struggle with, maybe there's something that you just know you struggle with. Amen, God has been just merciful in helping you to kind of combat that sin in your life. How much more are you merciful to others who deal with that same sin? Right? You probably are. If it's something you've dealt with in your life and you see somebody else dealing with the same sign, you know, sometimes you can you can be more merciful because of that, you've gone through the same thing. But a lot of times when we see somebody struggling with something that we just don't understand or that we don't deal with in any kind of way, we can quickly come to condemn them. And so sometimes we have to search our own heart. It's like, yes, maybe the say I don't struggle with the same things you do, and maybe I don't deal with the same things you do. But God, just as much as I need mercy for the things that I struggle with, help me to be merciful in the things that you struggle with. You are most helpful to others when you're most honest about yourself. Galatians 6.1 reinforces this. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. One more time, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual, so believers in the room, should restore them in a spirit of gentleness. Not of harshness, not of criticism, not being critical, but of gentleness. But keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted. Many times in this situation, we can be tempted to not come with a spiritual, I mean a spirit of gentleness. Well, they need to hear this now. They need they need the harsh reality of life to get out of this. Man, they need to hear the God's word on this. And we can we can come being very critical. It says, Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted. Notice the balance. Restore others, but watch yourself. So before you speak into someone's life, ask, have I dealt with my own sin? Am I approaching this with humility? Do I genuinely want to help, or do I just want to point out the flaws of someone else? Because your heart will determine whether your words heal or harm. So, believers, you must examine your own hearts before correcting others.

Loving Accountability Inside The Church

SPEAKER_00 22:24

And then point three, believers must practice loving accountability within the church. To fully understand this teaching, we must hold it together with the rest of Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 5, 12 through 13, Paul makes a critical distinction. He says that we are not called to judge outsiders in a condemning way, but we are called to care about holiness within the church. Believers are responsible for helping one another pursue holiness. It is our job to look at the brother or sister beside us and help them pursue holiness. That is the main goal of us as a church unifying. And so that I can look at one another and you can look at me and say, hey, we're in this together. I'm going to help you to pursue holiness. Christianity was never meant to be a solo act. And that's where there should be so much joy in coming to church together because we get to sip aside one another and know, hey, I'm flawed and you're flawed, but we're in this together to help us to desire Christ in a greater way. That hopefully when you're on your low day, maybe God's been merciful and that I'm kind of struggling or not struggling in this moment. And so I can kind of help you out as a brother or sister. And when I'm in my low day, you'll be able to come to me and help me out as a brother or sister. Man, that's the joy of the church. Is that we get to know one another. We get to know hopefully each other's flaws. We get to know that we sh the things that we struggle with. So that we can be honest with one another in a room and say, man, I'm really dealing with this right now. And instead of running and hiding in my own place, you can help me to pursue Christ in that. 1 Corinthians, Paul makes it a critical distinction. Believers are responsible for helping one another pursue holiness. This means accountability is not an optional thing. I know we have the buzzword accountability groups, but man, accountability within the churches is not an optional thing. That's why we should seek to be part of a church that knows us. Seek to be part of a church that, man, if I didn't show up for two months, nobody's going to know or care. Seek to be part of a church where I can be reunited with other believers. Hebrews 10, 24 and 25 tells us to consider how to stir one another up to love and good works. Hebrews 3, 13 tells us to exhort one another daily so that we are not hardened by sin. That means sin is not just a personal issue, but it affects the whole body. That's why I love on Monday nights when I get to gather with other men and sometimes just be honest, but man, I'm just exhausted in life right now. I'm just going through these things. That's why I'm glad, even though I've only been, we've only been in Knoxville for a certain amount of time. I already know that there's men who look at me and they can tell when I'm off because I get text messages all the time. Man, are you doing okay? You just you just looked off a little bit today when we talked. Man, those are good things that we should be excited about. I know it is not joyful sometimes to be called out in life. I know none of us are eager when we get a text of like, hey, are you doing okay? Or hey, I know the way you, I saw the way you talked to this person, or the way you acted about this. None of us are eager to get those things in life. But man, we should be joyous when there's our brothers and sisters in the church that know us well enough that they are doing what we've called to be do. They're saying, listen, brother, I care about you so much that I desire you to pursue holiness. So I've noticed this thing in your life. But on the other side, we need to know that in the midst of our sin, man, don't run and hide. In the midst of the things that you're going through in life, the worst thing you can do is to run away from the church. In the midst of your, of your, of maybe your darkest days, or maybe some of the deepest struggles you have of sin in your life, the worst thing you can do is run from the church. Man, I pray that there are people around you that you run to and say, Man, I need help in the midst of these moments. I need help. Because all I have is you and God right now. And I just am feeling weak and struggling. Sin is not a personal issue. It affects the whole body. When we ignore sin in the lives of other believers, we are not being loving. We're being passive. We're allowing something destructive to go to continue to go unchecked. But at the same time, we must be very careful not to swing in the other extreme and become harsh or critical or controlling. Biblical accountability is not about a harsh, controlling behavior, it is about a caring for the souls. Jesus outlines this process in Matthew 18. It begins privately with humility and love and it escalates only if necessary. But the goal always should be restoration. If you are coming to somebody, say, man, I can't wait to just call them out on their sin. Church, we need to kick this person out. Look what they're doing. If that is your desire to just remove them, then your heart is not in the right place. But man, if your desire is to restore them, God, I only pray that they be restored to you through this. And this is where the gospel must remain central in all that we do. Because when we confront sin, we are not saying be better. We're not in behavior control. We're saying come back to Christ. True accountability points people to Christ, not just away from sin. This is what makes Christian accountability different from the world. We're not trying to modify behavior. We're trying to point people back to Christ. This is what makes Christian accountability different from the world. It's not rooted in pride, but it's rooted in grace. So, brothers and sisters, we must practice loving accountability with the church. And it is a joy to have accountability in the church. But please make sure we are doing it from a loving way, pointing people back to Christ, not a prideful way that is just trying to control behavior.

A Practical Guide To Confront Sin

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So, with that, how should we confront sin then? If I could give you a guideline before we just, we are called to judge, not in this way, but we are called to judge in a biblical way. So, how should we confront sin? Not just in theory, but in real life. Well, before you ever go to someone, before you ever speak into someone's life, I'm going to give you a little preparation that I think that we should all take. First, you must examine yourself deeply, not quickly, not casually, but seriously before the Lord. Ask God to search your heart. Ask Him to reveal pride, to reveal selfishness, to reveal anger, to reveal hypocrisy that's happening in your heart. I'm going to be honest, there's times where I knew conversations need to happen with somebody in the church, but I had to ask a fellow pastor because I'm like, my heart is just not right with this person. And I just worry that conversations are just not going to go right. Maybe it has been a brother or sister who has done something to me in the past where it's like, man, I'm still working through that and I know my heart is not in the right place. And that's okay. That's okay for you to say, listen, I'm working through this and I know I'm still sinful in the way that I'm, but I'm working through that. So, man, can you or you, can you, would you be okay to go to this person? Because I know you're going to be able to bring it in a better loving way. You know them better. You can work through conversations better. So ask God to reveal pride, selfishness, angry, anger, or hypocrisy in you. Don't just assume you're right. You are not ready to address someone else's sin until you have honestly addressed your own. Second, you must remind yourself of the gospel. Rehearse what Christ has done for you. Remember that you were forgiven, pursued, and loved when you did not deserve it. You cannot extend grace well if you are not daily overwhelmed by the grace that you have received. Remind yourself of the gospel. Third, pray, pray and pray before you speak. Pray for your heart that you would be humbled. Pray for your heart that you that pray for their heart that they would be receptive. Pray for your words that they would be wisdom-filled and that they would be clear and gentle. Pray before you speak. Prayer gives you the opportunity to slow down and align with God. Pray. Fourth, and this is very important, check your motive carefully. Check your motive carefully. Why are you going to them? Is it because you're frustrated? Is it because you want to prove a point? Is it because you feel offended? Why are you going to them? Or is it because you genuinely love them and want to see them walk with Christ? If your goal is to win an argument, you've already lost the heart. Check your motive carefully. Fifth. You prepare to approach with humility and compassion. Remind yourself, I am not better and I am forgiven. That changes everything about how you speak. I am not a better person because the things that we do are look a little different. But I am forgiven. If you can confront sin without compassion, you're not ready to confront sin. Alright, if you're if you can confront sin without compassion, you're not ready to confront sin. And lastly, commit to walking with them after the conversation. This is not about dropping truth and walking away. It is about walking with them towards growth, healing, and restoration. Because biblical correction, it's not a moment, but it is a process. And so sometimes, again, that may mean that that that you're not the person who needs to have that conversation. That's okay. If it is somebody that has wronged you in a way that you're not ready to have that conversation, that's okay. Maybe go to somebody else who you know can walk with them in compassion. If somebody has wronged you in a serious way and you've tried to have that conversation, and you're like, listen, I'm ready to forgive them, but I just don't know if I can be the one to walk with, that's okay. But as you're going through this way, how should you confront sin? Examine yourself deeply, remind yourself of the gospel, pray before you speak, check your motive carefully, prepare yourself to approach with humility and compassion and commit yourself to walking with them after the conversation. Church,

Bring It Back To The Gospel

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before we leave this passage, we need to bring all this back to the gospel because of what we because of, if we don't, then just because another list of things that we try harder at. And that's not what Jesus is calling to. Because the truth is, let's just be honest, every single one of us has failed here. We've judged wrongly, we've assumed motives, we've spoken too quickly, we've been harsh when we should have been merciful. We have specks, we see the specks in others while ignoring the logs in ours. And if this passage only leaves you thinking, I need to do better, then you've kind of missed the point. Because the passage is not first calling you to fix yourself, but it's calling you to look at Christ. Jesus is the only one who saw sin perfectly and responded perfectly. He saw every sin clearly, he understood every motive fully, and he had every right to condemn, and yet he didn't. John 3 17 tells us that God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Jesus had every right to condemn us, but he chose to save us. Think about that. You were distant, you were sinful, you were living for yourself, but he didn't stand at a distance and criticize you. He moved toward you, he pursued you, he looked, he took your sin upon himself. And at the cross and at the cross, Jesus didn't ignore your sin, but he paid for it. At the cross, your log wasn't minimized, but it was nailed to Christ. Every ounce of your pride, every harsh word, every wrong judgment placed on him, paid in full. And because of that, you're forgiving, not partially, but completely. You're not just tolerated, you're loved. You're not condemned, but you're justified. So now everything changes. We don't pursue mercy to earn God's love, but we extend mercy because we already have it. That means when you look at others, you're no longer standing above them, but you're walking beside them. That means when you see sin, you don't respond with pride, but you respond with humility. And that means when you speak truth, you do it with tears, not with superiority. So here's the challenge for us as a church. What if we actually lived out like this? What would it look like if we were slow to assume and quick to pursue? If we were quick to examine ourselves before speaking, if we were known more for mercy than for criticism, if we cared enough about each other to speak truth but did it with love, what kind of church would that look like? It would be a church where people feel safe to be honest, sin is taken seriously, grace is experienced deeply, and Christ is seen clearly.

Challenge And Closing Prayer

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Let us pray. Father, we are thankful. We are thankful for your mercy upon us, God. God, I pray for the moments, even in my own life, God, where I have acted harshly and criticized, where mercy was not my first thing to jump to, God. I pray for when I've judged in the wrong way, for when I criticize in the wrong way, God. I pray when I've not pursued mercy over everything else. God, I pray that you would daily remind me of the gospel in my own life, just as much as everyone else. That every conversation we have, God, would be filled with the gospel. God, that maybe there are brothers and sisters that right now that, God, there's sin in their life that does need to be called out. Hey God, maybe you place that person on our hearts that we're to go to them. But God, I pray that we would first be re your mercy would be renewed in us first. That we would just bask in the mercy that we've received for our sin. That through that that you would lead us with gentleness. God, it's even in first Peter, you've called us to give an account for our word, for the gospel that we hold to with gentleness and respect. And in the same way we do that. God, that we would desire justice in this world. That we would desire justice for the evil and the wrongdoings that we see around us. But God, we would desire for the brothers and sisters to know you. To know your mercy. We don't condemn, but we bring people to to the foot of the cross, to know the saving grace of Christ who has died for their Father. We love you so much and we are so thankful. For Jenning, we pray. Amen.