WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.080 So Matthew 7, verse 6, a pretty strange verse. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:05.759 Do not give dogs what is holy. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:11.519 Do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:18.559 So perhaps you've heard this verse before, but what in the world does this mean? 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:21.679 Well, it's a line from the Sermon on the Mount. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:27.600 It's a line from the core of Jesus' teaching, which we've been talking about for the past couple of months. 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:35.759 And what we've been seeing is, as we've been studying the core of Jesus' teaching, we've been seeing that this teaching takes us into the core of who we are. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:42.560 And so this morning is how can thinking about pigs and dogs and pearls affect our life? 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:44.399 What does it mean for us today? 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.399 Well, all these thoughts are connected. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:47.840 All these thoughts are connected. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:50.159 So there's a context to this text. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:51.200 There's a flow. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:53.679 One idea is flowing into the next. 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:59.679 So the section before pearls and pigs and dogs is about this judgment and judging others. 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:20.959 And the section about that is what we talked about last week, about not worrying about possessions and food and bills, not worrying, have anxiety about all of that stuff, money and stuff and whatever that is, whatever the thing is in life, the practicalities that creates anxiety inside of you. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.519 Jesus comes into that issue and he says, hey, tomorrow will have enough trouble of its own. 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:29.120 Do you not realize how much worth you have? 00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:33.040 So he's a realist, he recognizes there's gonna be troubles, but you know what? 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:35.040 There's enough trouble tomorrow. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:36.400 What's going on today? 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.560 Like, can we bring it into today? 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:49.120 Because so much of anxiety is about what will happen tomorrow, what's gonna happen later, what will happen here, what will happen, what will happen, and we self-create all of this anxiety, and Jesus brings it and he says, Hey, tomorrow is enough trouble of its own. 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:50.719 Can we live today? 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:52.400 Can we live in today? 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:53.840 How are you today? 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:57.439 What about your where can you rest today? 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:01.840 You're worth more than more than the birds, and the birds are taken care of. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.719 So that's the context in Matthew 6. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:09.840 So what we see in Matthew 6 is we see Jesus saying, surrender yourself. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:17.759 Surrender yourself, surrender your anxieties, surrender your addiction to stuff and money, and rest in your secure worth. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:19.520 That's what we talked about last week. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:23.520 And then in Matthew 7, it moves into surrendering others. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:27.680 And so what we see is that we see this flow of this context, this teaching. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:32.960 You surrender yourself to God, and then you surrender others to God. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:37.120 And so we get chapter 7, verses 1 and 2 that Sam read. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.560 Judge not that you be not judged. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:47.120 For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use it, it will be measured to you. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:53.360 So this word judge can be for legal use or it can be used for just like decision making. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:56.400 So in that regard, we're all making judgment every day. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.680 We're making judgment just because we're making decisions. 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:08.960 But this passage is about a judging where we lower another person so that we feel higher. 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:10.400 So we feel, right? 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:18.479 Deflate somebody else, and then I'll feel smarter, and I'll feel bigger, and I'll feel like I have my life together. 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:20.400 I'm more with it. 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:22.000 And we all do it, right? 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:26.159 We all we all love, love to judge. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:27.520 I can mention two names. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:32.000 I can mention two names, and immediately we will all come to judgment. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:33.039 Right? 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.039 I don't even need to do it. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:40.639 You already know. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:42.479 Donald. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:44.080 Hillary. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:50.080 And it doesn't matter where you land, all we all have immediate judgment. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:51.120 And we're right. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.520 You know, we're you know, our view is the right one. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:57.360 Whatever the one is that you have, your judgment is the right one. 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:00.400 But I could have, I could have said other names. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:13.520 I could have said your coworker's name, or your boss's name, or your employee's name, or your neighbor who's difficult, their name, or your spouse that's difficult, or your child, or your parent, or your friend. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:20.240 I could have I could have mentioned any of those names because we love to judge. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:20.800 Right? 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:35.680 I mean we sort of walk around with a with a tape measure, measuring measuring people, and and then if we if we can just lower them a bit, it helps us feel bigger, smarter, more with it. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:37.439 Is anybody about six foot three? 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:38.480 Anybody six foot three? 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.000 Travis, how tall are you? 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:41.839 No, you're not. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:45.279 You're about come on, Travis, please come up here for just a second. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:46.879 Travis is gonna come up here. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:49.759 I'm guessing you're about six three? 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:50.160 No. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:51.439 I have on boots. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:53.040 Let's go back to back just for a sec. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:54.800 I got you, but I think it's because of the boots. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:56.879 All right, Sam will put a put a tape on you. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:58.879 Sam's gonna put a tape on you. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.279 Uh and so we're about the same height. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.680 You got on really low profile shoes, and I have on boots. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:04.160 I do that. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.639 It's a power move on Sunday morning for me. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:14.319 So we're about the same height, but judgment comes as as natural as breathing for all of us, really. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:17.439 And it's like, oh, you oh you don't you don't work out? 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.360 Oh you oh oh you oh you do work out. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:22.319 Three kids. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:25.600 Oh you oh you do CrossFit. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:28.079 Oh you do oh you're a you're a CrossFitter? 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:30.319 Oh you oh you run oh you run that far. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:31.759 Oh you run that often. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.000 Oh, you keep your house that clean? 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.000 Oh, you study that hard? 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:54.800 Oh, you eat gluten, sugar, you're you're friends with them, you parent like that, you act like that, you think that, you believe that, you go to that church, you don't go to church. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:02.959 You're that stubborn, you're distant, you're pretentious, and we go on and on and on with our judgments. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:03.839 Thank you, Travis. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:04.959 I know that was painful. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:06.240 Appreciate that. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:07.839 Appreciate that. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:09.600 We measure. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:11.920 And here's the thing, but here's here's the thing, right? 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:15.199 The measuring tape always comes back to us. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:20.480 The measuring tape always comes back and measures us. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:25.839 For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:30.240 And with the measure you use it, it will be measured to you. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:41.519 So the tape measure comes back on you and you judge yourself, because if you judge others, inevitably you will judge yourself because you're in a life of comparison, and so you'll judge others, you will you will create guilt. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.720 And whether it's legitimate or illegitimate, you will create guilt inside of yourself. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:57.759 And when you live with guilt, even illegitimate guilt, you cannot receive and you cannot give love because you're preoccupied with yourself. 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:02.160 This is the danger of perfectionism and comparison life. 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:05.040 This is the cycle of judgment. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:06.720 This is point number one. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:13.439 Point number one, you can't see your inner self if you are busy pointing out issues and others. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:19.120 You cannot see your inner self if you are busy pointing out issues and others. 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:28.560 Another way to say it is this we love to judge because we love to avoid our pain and our issues. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:29.680 Right? 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.319 Listen to Jesus teach on it starting in verse 3. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:38.879 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:46.240 How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye when there's a log in your own eye? 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:55.439 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.240 So it's examine yourself first. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:01.680 Start with yourself always. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:06.720 So this word hypocrite is an actor who wears a mask. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:07.839 Right? 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:12.000 We've all worn a mask, and you're gonna wear a mask tonight or tomorrow for Halloween. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:17.360 Yesterday there was a dinosaur walking down my street. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:19.759 You can't see who's inside the dinosaur. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:22.399 So Christy and I are sitting on the porch and we yell out. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:24.160 Who's inside the dinosaur? 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:25.680 And it's dear Meg over here. 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:32.080 She's walking down the street in her Halloween costume, full like seven-foot dinosaur, right? 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:32.799 It's awesome. 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:43.919 And so tonight, uh, tomorrow night we're having a Halloween party on our street, and all the little kids are gonna come and there's gonna be, and so many are gonna wear masks, and all the adults will walk around and we'll go, uh, who are you? 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:45.039 Who are you, who are you? 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:47.600 Like who's under there and who's under there, and who's under there, right? 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:48.879 Because that's what a mask does. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:54.480 A mask hides us, and we sort of, we sort of love masks because of that. 00:08:54.879 --> 00:09:03.759 We love this because when you can't take being seen or even seen yourself, the easiest path is to wear a mask. 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:07.440 Pretend somebody, to pretend you're somebody else, right? 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:14.720 Avoid your inner, avoid examining yourself or looking at yourself and pick apart everybody else. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:20.000 Here's a quote I ran into this week from the very wise Henry Nowen. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:25.200 We spend an enormous amount of energy making up our minds about other people. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:32.559 Not a day goes by without somebody doing or saying something that evokes in us the need to form an opinion about him or her. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:35.039 We hear a lot, see a lot, know a lot. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:42.000 The feeling that we have to sort it all out in our minds and make judgments about it can be quite oppressive. 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:55.279 The desert fathers, and so those were Christian kind of mystics and monks that lived out in the desert, the desert fathers said that judging others is a heavy burden, while being judged by others is a light one. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:03.440 Once we can let go of our need to judge others, we will experience an immense inner freedom. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.759 Once we are free from judging, we will be also free from mercy. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:13.039 Let's remember Jesus' words, do not judge, and you will not be judged. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:16.879 It's just such a waste of energy. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:23.360 And maybe you're here and you're just so tired of carrying judgment for people. 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:34.720 For your mom or your spouse or your neighbor or that group or that party or that family or that church. 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:42.159 Point number two, seeing your inner self creates confession and compassion. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.120 I read this week in a commentary this sentence. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:54.159 The remedy to a judgmental attitude is an understanding of one's own need for spiritual healing, for righteousness, and for mercy. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:56.720 So let me talk to you if you're married. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:10:58.080 I know a lot of you aren't married. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.080 Maybe you'll be married at some point. 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:02.960 Maybe you were married and you'll agree with all of this. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.000 So it may you're maybe you're working all day. 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:10.399 Say you're out working all day, you're in the office, you're pounding away, you're stressed, you're working, you're working. 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:14.320 Maybe you're at home and you're working, you're trying to keep it all together, right? 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:40.720 And you can't seem to keep it all together, but about six o'clock arrives, and everybody's finally back in the house, and inevitably it's not all together, and it's a little bit messier than you wanted it to be, no matter where you are on the side of whose job it was to keep it not messy, and the dinner's not quite ready, and the kids are a little crazy, and here's what everybody's thinking: not even here, not even here are things under control. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:59.279 And so you berate her, or you berate him, or you ignore everybody and you just pound away because you're gonna get it all done and make sure they see the fact that you can get it all done and make sure that your point is that they can't get it all done. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:07.759 Like, look what I can do, and I'm not gonna ask about you and what's going on inside of you or affirm anything in you. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:11.759 What I'm gonna do is I'm going to judge the speck. 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:15.759 And you never saw yourself. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:24.000 You never saw the log sticking out of your own eye, all of that fear and anxiety and self-righteousness that would create. 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:25.919 Why are you so stressed out? 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:28.960 Why is that even there? 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:30.960 Where is that coming from? 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.559 Why do you need it all under control? 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.039 What is that log? 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:47.360 And see, I know this because I know this story, because when we started the church four years ago, and there's eight people, and you're going, is this gonna go anywhere? 00:12:47.440 --> 00:13:06.159 And I left a secure job, and you know, how my runway is like six months before we run out of money, and so I'm asking for money and I'm putting myself out there, and you just start to feel no money's coming in at first, and that's a lot of pressure because no money's coming in, and then some money starts to come in, and by the way, you need money for church to work, and so that is important, it's a part of it. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:10.879 And so money starts to come in, you go, okay, we're gonna be okay, but now then there's this pressure like, are we gonna fail? 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:15.919 Like, okay, now we have the resource to try to try this, but am I gonna fail? 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:17.679 And and what would that what would happen? 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:19.039 What would that say about me? 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:21.440 What would that say about me if I failed? 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:25.519 And and what would that say about my value and people's view of me? 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:31.120 So everything felt out of control, and then I would come home and newsbreak. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:35.840 We had the time had a five-year-old and a two and a half-year-old and a baby. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.559 And Christy's working part-time. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.840 Newsbreak, it's not all perfect. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:47.919 And I'm on edge, right? 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:58.399 And so there was a lot of evenings where I'm stressed out and I'm distant and I'm not affirming, and I'm not helpful out of compassion, I'm helpful out of spite. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:00.399 Right? 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:01.519 And I'm on edge. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:03.919 And this took a lot of, this took some counseling. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:09.519 This took a friend of mine counseling me, helping me to see that I was not on edge because of that. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:15.279 I was on edge because of a problem in me, because of a log in my own eye. 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:17.519 Right? 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:43.440 I'm on edge because some addiction to other people's approval and a fear of failure, some anxiety that gets produced out of this, an expectation of myself, a moving of my value, of being secure in God's love for me and Jesus to my production in the world, and this creating anxiety and then carrying that into the home. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:45.919 And parents, let me tell you a secret. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:47.759 It took me seven years to figure this out. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:50.639 I'm no parenting expert, but I have figured this bit out. 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:55.279 Your kids will get older, and some of you can amen this if you've raised your kids. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:01.039 Your kids will get older whether your house is neat or your house is messy, and your kids don't care. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:02.720 They don't care. 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:09.759 Like they're one, they're the ones causing the mess, and they're like really happy until we go around trying to make sure it's all under control. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:18.320 What does matter is that in your home are people living in a spirit of judgment? 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:27.360 Or living in a spirit, a presence of non-anxious affirmation? 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:31.759 And your house may be messier. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:33.519 And it doesn't even matter. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:37.120 Your hearts and your family will be healthier. 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:51.360 What would if you've family, single, divorce, doesn't matter where you're at, what would your relationships look like if you quit measuring everyone else in your life? 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:54.159 And maybe you're here and you say, hold on, hold on, hold on. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:16:00.000 Like if I if I start to look at the log of my own eye, if I face my own issues, doesn't that create guilt? 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.000 Doesn't that create pain? 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:03.200 No, no, no, no, no. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:05.759 That's already there. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:10.080 The guilt and the pain are already there. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.000 You're just not seeing it. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:17.039 So you're letting it have power over you and letting it create other stuff in your life. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.759 And you've got to remember this because this is good news. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:24.879 The passage here is in the context of Jesus saying, I've fulfilled the law for you. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:28.000 So he's saying, hey, before the law, you've failed. 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:32.720 Okay, you're not gonna be a perfect, non-anxious, affirming presence in your home. 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:33.759 You're not gonna be that. 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:38.080 You're not all of a sudden gonna be perfectly non-judgmental towards all of humanity. 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:38.960 You're not gonna be that. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:40.320 Jesus, that's what I was. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:41.600 I was that for you. 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:46.639 And all of your shortcomings and sin in that manner, I took upon myself. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:51.200 So yeah, even messy, judgmental, you. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:54.639 I love you. 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:56.320 That's what he that's what he's saying. 00:16:56.399 --> 00:16:58.159 I fulfilled the law for you. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:05.200 And he takes that on himself, and in Jesus, God gives us his righteousness. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:10.240 So we are his secure beloved wherever we are at. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:12.240 So here's the good news. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:18.559 Point number three, you don't have to measure and defend yourself anymore. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:25.599 You don't have to measure and defend yourself anymore because the verdict on you is already in. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:26.960 Right? 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:28.559 Remember the flow of this text. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:31.920 Back in Matthew 6, 26, look at the birds of the air. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:37.119 They neither sow nor read nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.559 Are you not of more value than they? 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:52.240 See, you and I are free from having to use our judgment of other people to feel better about ourselves because the verdict about us is already in. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:57.359 We can live as affirming people, not accusing people. 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:02.720 So now the pigs and the dogs and the pearls. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:12.079 Now, some people think this is sort of uh bringing up another issue that it's talking about, and first these pigs and dogs, it's not Wilbur and Lassie. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:16.240 I mean, these are nasty, unclean in the context of the history. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:18.720 Nasty, unclean animals. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:24.640 And now some people think this is about not wasting energy giving the truths of God to people who don't care. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.000 That could be it. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.319 That's definitely could be it. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:36.160 But but what if what if in the in the flow of this text, what if the pigs and the dogs are the way of judgment? 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:42.640 The exhausting, nasty, burdensome way of measuring others and yourself. 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:52.799 And what if Jesus is coming here at the end of this whole text and he's saying, you're worth more than living a life in the way of judgment. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:19:21.599 Your heart and your spirit are as precious as a pearl in any shortcoming you have before the law, before what you should be, whether it be that career you wanted to be, that perfect family, that perfect house, whether it be your religious striving and how good you thought are gonna be your moral standing and how you failed before that, whether it be any of this that we've read in the last couple months about the way we should be living, and you're going, well, I don't do that one, I don't do that one, I don't do that one really well. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:26.000 Whether it be any of that, God said, I fulfilled the law for you. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:32.480 All that sin, all that shortcoming, I take upon myself and give you my righteousness. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:34.559 You have so much worth. 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:37.279 And the verdict is in on you. 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:47.119 You are beloved, and you are precious, and you are free from having to walk around with a tape measure, measuring everybody else. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:56.160 You are free to live a life of affirming other people and living in the affirmation that you have in Jesus. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:06.559 So, my brothers and sisters, the truest thing about you is that while you are imperfect, you are deeply and perfectly loved by God in Jesus. 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:10.240 May we live in that great affirmation and judgment. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:11.599 Let's pray. 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:16.079 God, thank you that your judgment for us is in Jesus. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:23.200 It is in your humility and love, the act of the cross, that we need because we are judgmental. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:26.960 We are hypocrites, we wear masks. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:32.960 We will judge someone for being pretentious while we are pretentious. 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:38.240 We will judge someone for being anything while we are the very thing. 00:20:39.599 --> 00:21:10.960 And we confess this this morning, and we rest in your grace for us, and we trust that your spirit in us would cause great transformation, a humbling, that we would live in the affirmation of the security of your work for us, our standing with you, that we don't have to find worth in our comparison before other people, and therefore we're free of judgment of other people, and therefore we are free to affirm other people. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:13.279 Would you give us eyes to see? 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:21.680 Would you give us eyes to see the log in our own eye that we might live in confession and in compassion? 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.519 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:24.480 Amen.