In his sermon, Jason Dohm expounds on Luke 6:37-42, emphasizing the importance of dealing with sin through the lens of mercy and self-awareness. Jesus' teaching advises against judging and condemning others, urging forgiveness and generosity instead. Dohm highlights the critical spirit that often pervades human interactions, reminding that those who have received God's mercy should likewise extend it to others. He clarifies that while making determinations about others' conduct is sometimes necessary, it must be done with a gentle spirit, avoiding hypocrisy. The sermon also warns against following blind leaders, stressing the importance of aligning oneself with Christ-like influences. Practical applications include reflecting on God's mercy towards us, identifying and eliminating toxic influences, and prioritizing self-examination over critiquing others.

The title of the message this morning is the same title of the message 14 years ago when I was preaching in Matthew chapter 7, almost an identical text. This is a very different sermon, but the sermon title is the same. It's dealing with sin, dealing with the sins of others and the disposition that a follower of Jesus should have and not have, and dealing with your own sins, the disposition you should have towards your own sins. We're actually in the middle of a sermon from Jesus. Theologians call it the Sermon on the Plain.

So you have the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, Matthew chapter 5 through 7. Here we have the Sermon on the Plain. I'm convinced There are different sermons, though they have some similarities. We've actually already spent three Sundays in the Sermon on the Plain. We'll spend today and then we'll spend one more sermon.

I say that to say What we're taking four weeks to work through, Jesus probably preached in an hour or two. I don't know what the attention span in the time of Jesus was, but it was a much shorter period of time. It all hangs together. We should work hard to keep it together contextually because of course it all matters what came before and what came after each part of this as we split it into parts. So this is a new section And your Bible might also have an uninspired heading between last week's text and this week's text.

Mine has an uninspired heading. I like the headings, but they can be unhelpful if they put a break in your mind between what was just said and what's said now. But this is all part of a single sermon and this week's text belongs to last week's text. And the last thing that Jesus said was that we should love our enemies because God has loved His enemies. That God is kind to the unthankful and to the evil so we should be merciful just as our Father also is merciful.

So we should see this week's text as an unfolding of that. I want to argue for that. This week's text is an unfolding of the disciples of Jesus learning to be merciful as their Father in Heaven is merciful. This text is a commentary on what Jesus has just said. Hopefully you'll find me tying it back to that over and over again so that we keep these things together.

Let's ask God to help us. God help, please come. And don't leave us to our own thoughts, but I pray that your Holy Spirit would be working in the hearts of your people to press these helpful truths, necessary truths on our hearts so that we would have the disposition that you want us to have when we deal with the sins of others and when we deal with our own sins. Come and help us. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Alright, we're subdividing. Are you surprised? We'll start with verses 37 and 38. So hopefully your Bibles are still open to Luke chapter 6. Follow along as I reread verses 37 and 38.

Jesus says this in the middle of the sermon, Judge not and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you good measure press down shaken together running over will be put into your bosom For with the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you In these verses Jesus is teaching us about being merciful as God is merciful. What does it look like to be merciful, like God is merciful?

Here we get the description, we get the unfolding of what Jesus said. We get commentary on this command for us to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful. Here Jesus gives us two don'ts. Don't do these two things and two do's. Do these other two things.

Don't judge and don't condemn and do forgive and do give. Let's take these one by one. Jesus says, judge not. Don't judge. Listen to Robert Stein.

I continue to benefit from his commentary. Robert Stein says this, the use of the present imperative, so he's talking about the tense in Greek, the use of the present imperative in this and the next prohibition can better be translated stop judging and suggest that readers stop what they are presently doing rather than that they should guard themselves against ever doing this sometime in the future. In other words, if you're going to translate this Greek tense most properly, you won't say, judge not, though there's nothing particularly wrong with that translation, but that translation makes you think, beware of doing this in the future. But the tense in the Greek, most properly understood, is really indicating something slightly differently, which is you're probably already doing this, stop it. Those are different things.

What does what Robert Stein is saying indicate that human beings, even disciples of Jesus, so we're not talking about the unbelieving horde here, we're talking about the disciples of Jesus, have such a strong inclination towards this that we're probably doing it and need to be told, stop it. Even the disciples of Jesus, yes, even the disciples of Jesus have such a strong inclination towards this, that you're probably doing it and need to be told to stop. Now, does this mean that we are never to make a determination about anyone else's conduct? That we are never to speak to anyone about evident sin that we see in their life, that we are never to warn people about those who have gone off the rails and might be a danger to us all. You know, Judge not the favorite shield of everyone who wants to be shielded against an observation about sin that's lying there right on the surface.

Isn't that their favorite shield? You would think there was only one verse in the whole Bible. Judge not, lest you be judged. It's my shield to keep you off me and your observations about what I'm blatantly doing in rebellion against God. No, it doesn't mean any of those things.

How can I say that? Because I can easily stack up verses that clearly say that sometimes we actually have an obligation to make a determination about someone else's conduct. Not only is it not inappropriate, we are obligated by the Word of God to do it. I can stack up verses that clearly say that. That we actually have an obligation to speak to someone about evident sin that we see in their life.

Not only is it that not inappropriate, sometimes we're obligated to do it by the Word of God. I can stack up verses that say that. That sometimes we actually have an obligation to warn people about someone who has gone off the rails and is a danger to us. It would be neglecting your duty according to the Word of God not to do that. In fact, in the very next section, next week's text, Jesus speaks of good fruit and bad fruit.

Friends, that is a judgment and a determination about the conduct of others. In other words, what does good fruit and bad fruit even mean? At the conclusion of today's text, we're actually not even going to get out of today's text before Jesus speaks of removing the speck from your brother's eye. So that is not inherently an inappropriate activity. Never touch the speck in your brother's eye.

This is not being taught in this text. Actually sometimes it's very appropriate. It's what needs to happen first that Jesus is getting at. So then what does judge not mean? Don't judge mean.

Stop judging mean. It means that there is a critical, censoring, condemning spirit that is inappropriate for people who have been the lavish recipients of patience and mercy. I'm going to say it again because it's really the kind of the core of the whole sermon. There is a critical, censoring, condemning spirit that is inappropriate for people who have been the lavish recipients of patience and mercy. And yet we're so in kind towards it that we're probably doing it and need to be told stop it.

Have you needed the patience of the Lord? Then go and do likewise. Have you needed and been the lavish recipient of the mercy of the Lord? Then go and do likewise." Listen to what Paul says in Romans chapter 2 verses 1 through 3. The Apostle Paul, Romans chapter 2 verses 1 through 3.

Paul writes, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those who practice such things, and do the same that you will escape the judgment of God?" So Paul invites us to a thought experiment.

In the matter that you're judging, do you have any guilt historically? Do you have any guilt? Has God been patient with you in your guilt? Have you received mercy in your condition of guilt? And yet, you don't want to extend patience or mercy towards someone else, but you're guilty of the same thing, he goes on to say you hypocrite.

Now listen to this contrast also from Paul in Galatians 6, 1 through 3. So same category, but a total contrast. Galatians 6, 1-3, again the Apostle Paul. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." That's what we're doing when we're engaging in the kind of judging that Jesus is talking about. You're thinking of yourself as something when you're nothing, when you've done the same thing maybe in a different way and excused yourself in it. So according to Galatians 6, 1 through 3, we are to be the tender-hearted brother, helping him bear his burdens and restoring him in a spirit of gentleness. This is the exact polar opposite of what Jesus is condemning, and saying, you're probably doing this, stop it. We are to be the tender-hearted brother concerned for the good of our brother and sister.

Coming alongside. We who are spiritual coming alongside. Finally from Paul in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5. Listen to what he writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5. Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart, then each one's praise will come from God." Paul is talking about the same impulse and he says, hold that thought.

Hold that thought. The one who is actually going to render the final verdicts is coming, and he'll have better information than you'll ever have. He'll know the intents and motivations of their heart and the secret things, he'll know all that. And then he'll render the verdict. Wait on God to come and render final verdicts.

You may have heard of people who have made themselves judge, jury, and executioner. Have you ever heard that? That guy, he thinks he's judge, jury, and executioner. He's put himself in the judge's seat, but he's also the jury. And then he renders the verdict, and now he's the one who carries out the sentence.

He's the executioner. Off with his head. He's the judge and the jury and the executioner all rolled into one and he's appointed himself to all that. Jesus is saying stop doing that. You're not judged jury and executioner rendering verdicts and then carrying out the sentence.

That's God's place. After all, who are you to judge another servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed he will be made to stand for God is able to make him stand." That's Romans 14 verse 14 where it's told to us, don't you judge God's servant? It's God to judge His own servant.

And actually to God everyone stands or falls and God is able to make His people stand. Or listen to James chapter 2 verse 13. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Just listen to that again.

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Anyone want to sign up for that program? You never have to show mercy. You can just exact judgment, precise unbending judgment.

You get to do that the whole time, but then the same applies to you. You get judgment with no mercy. Anyone ready to sign? I'm not ready to sign either. Have you ever had someone decide about you in a negative way?

They've rendered the verdict on you. No matter how untrue it was, or no matter how much you changed, or no matter how long you were different than your bad moment that they rendered their verdict about. So you had a bad moment and they rendered the verdict, but then after that, you had a long time where you were radically different than your bad moment. But you could never escape. That is awful to be in that spot.

The verdict is in, so the sentence must be carried out on you in the mind of this person off of this head, off of their head, and there's no coming back from it even if it wasn't true to start with. You thought you knew the details, but you didn't know actually everything. So your verdict was wrong. Or it was right, but they've changed, but they can't get out from under your verdict or is just a bad moment and they haven't been anything like that and it's been years but they still can't get under out from under the cloud brothers and sisters God wants us to be a community of grace. God wants us to be a community of grace.

Having lavishly received his patience and his mercy and grace, we're supposed to be ready to lavish patience and mercy and grace on each other. Imagine that kind of fellowship. But imagine this other thing where you can't get out from under the cloud no matter what you do those are such radically different worlds and the kingdom of God is the one where we're where we understand the patience of God that we've enjoyed, and the grace of God that we've enjoyed, and the lavish mercy of God that we've enjoyed. And so, it makes it easy to give patience and mercy and grace to our brothers and sisters. Do you remember our study of Genesis 6 and the flood?

And do you remember we concluded that if God wasn't patient and full of mercy, He would be within his rights to send the flood any day in the time in which we're living. In other words, part of that study was to convince ourselves from the scriptures that there was nothing uniquely evil about that day that doesn't also apply in our day and that it's the patience of God, it's the mercy of God that doesn't have it raining right now to wipe us off the face of the earth like He wiped them off the face of the earth. If it wasn't for the mercy of God, it could start raining now. God is lavishly patient, and God is lavishly full of mercy. And if He is your Father, be like him.

Be like him. Now what happens if you judge not? What happens if you don't judge? What happens if you stop judging? You shall not be judged.

Wait, you can escape hell Just by not judging? No, that's not what it means. That there will be a judgment separating sheep from goats, the righteous from the wicked, those who are in Christ and those who have never repented and believed on Christ, and that there will be different destinations for them is so thoroughly established in Scripture. This is simply the very biblical principle of sowing and reaping. It is sowing and reaping.

When I sow patience and mercy, I'm just planting seeds of patience and mercy. I reap patience and mercy. Patient, merciful people often find that others deal patiently and mercifully with them. Imagine that! Now, we had a lively and productive discussion at Men's Bible Study considering the question, by who?

Judge not and you shall not be judged by who? You should not be judged by God? You should not be judged by other people. There were interesting and valid arguments on both sides. Here's what most of the commentators did with that question.

They said essentially, one is the result of the other. You will experience the patience and mercy of other people as a result of receiving the patience and mercy of God. God will use people in your life as channels through which His patience and mercy flow to you. I'll buy that. When I quench that critical, censoring, condemning spirit towards other people, God will often quench that critical, censoring, condemning spirit that other people have been nurturing towards me.

So that is the two don'ts rolled together. Judge not and condemn not. They're so closely related that I didn't break them apart for much. Now the two do's. Jesus says forgive, do forgive, and the basis is the same.

Disciples of Jesus your Heavenly Father is very forgiving so you should be forgiving you have lavishly received forgiveness so you should be so free with forgiving others. Understand this, Having been forgiven a debt that is beyond our ability to ever repay, if we then grab our fellow servant by the throat and insist on extracting the very small debt he or she owes us, it will be a sure sign that we were never really forgiven and that God is not our Father. So this is Matthew 18, the parable of the unforgiving servant. You have to do one of two things. You either have to say forgiving is a work by which you are saved, or you have to say, being forgiven all that by your master, if You then go grab your fellow servant by the throat to choke a few dollars out of him and extract justice out of him that it's a sign that you were never actually forgiven and God is not your Father.

I don't know a third option that you can make out of that text. We would just affirm no forgiving others is not a work that makes you righteous in God's eyes. It is an evidence of a new heart, a different heart, And if you can't do that it shows you don't have that heart. And when you are a person who is free with forgiveness, you will experience the forgiveness of God and that can include often inclining the hearts of others to be forgiving with you and that'll be a sign that You're enjoying the forgiveness of God because he'll he'll take people in your life and and make them forgiving towards you Wait, forgive when they repent, right? Well that question probably deserves a whole message to work through the nuances.

But let me caution you against holding tight to forgiveness until you get an acknowledgement of wrongdoing that you're satisfied with, and an I'm sorry that you're satisfied with, and a new established track record that you're satisfied with. You will never forgive a single soul. You'll never forgive anyone if you have to have an acknowledgement of the wrongdoing that you're satisfied with, and an I'm sorry that you're satisfied with, and then you prove that it's genuine by flying straight for long enough. Let me ask you this question. Is that how God deals with us in Christ?

Do you think you've ever really totally nailed the acknowledgement of the wrongdoing When you plead for mercy from Christ. You think you really understand the depth of it and have articulated with the right humility of heart that are you think that I'm sorry has been what it ought to be do you think that you've proven it out by a track record that's pristine I think when we do that when we hold our forgiveness until we have those things, that we're actually confusing forgiving with trust being restored in a relationship to require all those things and then have each of them be to our satisfaction. You can forgive freely actually without any of those things. I think actually scripture is calling us to. I think to withhold forgiveness until that is actually to keep yourself in a certain kind of harmful bondage.

You remain in a certain kind of harmful bondage when you hold on to forgiveness until you have those three things to your satisfaction. So should we instantaneously trust someone and relate to them as if nothing ever happened without those things? That's a totally different question. It's a totally different question. So brethren, forgive.

You've received freely, give freely. Finally, Jesus says, give. That's the other do. Do give. The disciples of Jesus should be open-handed with their time.

You can have my time. And with their help, I'll help you. And with their friendship, I'll be your friend. And with their possessions. I'll share my possessions with you because Jesus has been so open-handed with us in every way.

Who is the ultimate giver? Jesus, of course. Jesus gave up to and including His very life. Outgive that. So of course his disciples are to be givers.

And then Jesus says this, give and it will be given to you. Except there is added this description of absolute abundance. So Jesus is setting before us a mismatch in the giving. You give and then God gives and he presses it down and adds more and he shakes it down so that it settles into every nook and cranny and he adds more till it runs over. Now don't limit your giving to just the financial category.

There's more in view here. We should Be giving our time, we should be giving our help, we should be giving our friendship, and we should be giving out of our financial resources. Don't limit what comes back to you to just the financial category. There's more in view. God can give back to you, pressed down and shaken together and overflowing in so many more categories than just your possessions.

This is not Jesus giving us the lever to pull to get rich. Here's your lever. You give how many make you rich. He's obviously not teaching that at all and Jesus says this For with the same measure you use it will be measured back to you. We set the pace.

Give generously, receive back generously, give meagerly, reluctantly, Receive back sparsely. That is exactly what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 9 verse 6. Listen to 2nd Corinthians 9 verse 6. Paul writes, But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. It's sowing and reaping, and we set the pace.

I think we can safely apply this to the whole section. Suspend judgment and condemnation broadly and generously. Expect the suspension of judgment and condemnation broadly and generously. The more I quench that critical censoring condemning spirit, the more I can expect to find that critical censoring condemning spirit quenched in others towards me the more I forgive broadly and generously the more I can expect to find others forgiving me broadly and generously So that is verses 37 and 38, what it looks like to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful. Now let's reread verses 39 and 40.

Next subsection, verses 39 and 40. And he, Jesus, spoke a parable to them. Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

Will be like his teacher. These verses, Jesus sets before us, the blind leading the blind. So this is a parable, this is not literal blindness. This is figurative. 1 Corinthians 2 14, Paul writes this, 1 Corinthians 2 14, very important verse actually.

1 Corinthians 2 14, but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned a natural man an unregenerate unbelieving unsaved man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. They're just foolishness to him. They make no sense to him. He cannot know them because they're spiritually discerned and he can't spiritually discern things. Now, can someone who fits this description lead you?

Of course, Right into the pit. So there are alternate translations here. Ours is a ditch. Be led into the ditch. Some of the other translations that we like say pit.

They're both perfectly good, justifiable translations, but pit brings to mind the desperate condition that I think is called for here. When you follow a blind leader, you are in one desperate condition and should expect to find yourself trapped in a pit." Listen to these scathing words of Jesus from Matthew 23 verse 15. That is a scathing chapter actually, the whole chapter. Matthew 23 verse 15, Jesus says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you travel land and sea to win one proselyte. And when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

You'll travel to a distant island, an evangelist, to make a disciple. And then you disciple him, and he's twice the son of hell that you are. You turn him into a son of hell with your evangelism. The point is this. Be very careful who you're following.

Be so careful who you're following. Many, many, many are there to thrust their leadership upon you. In person, sometimes yes, but also in what you're reading and what you're watching and in the songs that you're bebopping to. You're memorizing those songs. Just please at least concede that you're memorizing those songs.

So why be careful? Because you're becoming More and more and more like whoever you're following. And your conformity to them is often in very small increments that you don't even perceive. Friends, this is how it works. Whoever you're following with your time and attention, okay, that's who you're following, who's getting your time and attention, you're following them.

Whoever you're following with your time and attention is changing you in very small increments that you may not even perceive. In other words, you're not perceiving that you're becoming a different person. You can't even see that you're more like Taylor Swift and less like Jesus. You can't even see that You're more like Rush Limbaugh and less like Jesus, or more like Sean Hannity and less like Jesus, or more like Glenn Beck and less like Jesus, or more like Donald Trump and less like Jesus, or more like fan fiction Jesus. Are you following fan fiction Jesus?

You know that's all what you're watching on television, the episodes about Jesus, just fan fiction. This is not Scripture. Less like the real Jesus. I hope I touched all the sacred cows. I hope I touched one of yours.

More like the sports. I'll touch one of my own. More like the sports commentators. Sports talk radio, less like Jesus. Who is commended by Paul?

The Bereans in Acts chapter 17. Why does Paul commend them? Because they heard his preaching of the gospel and then they quote, search the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. They had apostolic preaching of the gospel. They weren't satisfied with that and Paul says, good for you.

It went every day. He's saying this, checking it against my Bible. He's saying this, checking it against the Bible. How can any other preacher object to that after the Apostle Paul commends them for it? So we've been warned we will not become like Jesus by following these other voices, which are contrary sometimes in very blatant ways, but more often than not contrary in very subtle ways.

And we don't even see that we're changing just by one degree at a time. Be very careful that you're following. That is verses 39 and 40, the blind leading the blind into a pit. Jesus is saying, stop following these people, follow me. Don't become like them, become like me.

Verses 41 and 42, last subsection. Follow along as I read verses 41 and 42. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye. Or how can you say to your brother, brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.

In these two verses, Jesus instructs us to turn that observant eye on yourself. Oh, you have such an observant eye. Okay, then you look at you. Jesus sets before us a ridiculous word picture. It's ridiculous by design.

It's designed to make us say, that's crazy! The pictures of a person with a massive piece of wood sticking out of his eye. So you're invited to imagine that. A person with a massive piece of wood sticking out of their eye. Now what would you expect that person to be doing?

You can see the person is before you, massive piece of wood sticking out of their eye. What would you expect them to be doing? Dealing with that! Who could be in that position without totally prioritizing dealing with that. But what are they actually doing?

Somehow, this person has located someone with a tiny speck in their eye, and they're focused like a laser beam on getting that tiny little speck out. It must come out! The speck must come out! How close do you have to be to even see a speck? You have to be right up on them.

This is close inspection. It defies explanation. This person with the massive piece of wood sticking out of his own eye is either totally insensitive to it or totally unbothered by it. Let's argue about which is worse. Is it worse to be totally insensitive to this massive thing that you should drop everything and prioritize right now or to have that and actually know it and did not be bothered by it.

But they are very sensitive to and bothered by this tiny little speck in this other person's eye. Oh, very sensitive, very bothered. What is Jesus teaching? That our very sensitive sin and problem detector should be turned on ourselves first. Oh, you have one.

Very sensitive. Very sensitive. Pee pee pee pee pee pee pee pee pee pee. Stan, problem. Turn it on yourself first and do the work there first and don't use it to nitpick your brother.

It exists to help you with you not to nitpick your brother. Listen to this devastating observation from Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry says, whatever such a one may pretend, it is certain that he is no enemy to sin. If he were, he would be an enemy to his own sin. So what is this desire to get the speck out of your brother's eye?

Well, I'm an enemy to sin. No, you're not! If you're an enemy to sin, you'd be an enemy to your own sin, especially if it was worse. So whatever it is, it isn't that. To quote Voddy Backum, if you can't say amen, say ouch.

I said this 14 years ago on my sermon on Matthew 7. So I'm quoting me. There you go. What kind of a narcissist do you have to be to quote yourself? Have you never found yourself excusing yourself but nailing your brother to the wall?

Have you never done that? Any excuse will do for my conduct. I'll accept them all. But your conduct, there's no excuse. Don't even bother explaining yourself to me.

Here's what we find. When we're harder on ourselves than our brethren and prioritize searching out and forsaking our own sin, we so often find that we are so much more tender-hearted and useful with our brothers and sisters. So I prioritized doing heart surgery on me. That's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about heart level searching out the insidious sins of the heart like pride and self-righteousness and forsaking those sins, not just cleaning up the external sins.

So if you define it wrong, you end up at the wrong place. Don't just think about cleaning up exterior things that other people might notice and you'd be embarrassed if they notice. I'm talking about searching your heart for those insidious internal heart level sins and then doing the painful work of rooting them out. When you do that, you become so useful to your brethren. Because you actually understand the compassion you ought to have for them regarding their sins.

And you can be the spiritual one, according to Galatians chapter 6 that we read, you can be the spiritual one who comes alongside them in a spirit of gentleness to help bear their burdens. It makes you like that. Finally, J.C. Ryle Helpfully says this, the lesson must doubtless be received with suitable and scriptural qualifications. If no man is to teach or preach to others until he himself is faultless there could be no teaching or preaching in the world.

The airing would never be corrected and the wicked would never be reproved. To such a sense as this on our Lord's words brings them into collision with other plain passages of Scripture. So it cannot mean that. It can't mean until you're perfect you can't say a word to your brother about evident sin in his life. You can find and pile up the verses that say you actually have an obligation to do that.

So that is verses 41 and 42 and turning that also observant eye on yourself. Applications I'll give you three. Three subsections and application in each is obvious. I'm giving you those. Number one.

Get your mind fixed on the patience and mercy of God lavished on you. This will solve half our problems. Probably more than half our problems. Get your mind fixed on the patience and mercy of God lavished on you. This will solve half our problems.

Probably more than half our problems. Get your mind fixed on the patience and mercy of God lavished on you. How much patience? Oh my, so much patience. How much mercy?

Oh my, so much mercy. Now go do that with your brethren. You won't need nearly as much patience as God has had with you. You won't need nearly as much mercy as God has had with you, because He knows it all and you only know this much of your brother. Don't judge or condemn.

Forgive and give. This presupposes, of course, that you are a disciple of Jesus by faith. If you are not a disciple of Jesus by faith, this will just be another heavy burden that you can't carry and another law that you won't keep. Now Listen to me, this is very important. This is given, these exhortations in our text are given to a redeemed people.

And if you're outside the redeemed people but you try to pick up these exhortations as if you're part of the people of God, you will find them to be a heavy burden that you can't carry. And just another law that you won't keep. This is for the people of God. If you have received the patience and mercy of God, out of that you have this bottomless well from which to draw to give to your brethren. Number two, identify a toxic teacher and eliminate him or her.

Just one, I'm giving you homework. Here's your homework. Identify a toxic teacher. Someone who, if you follow them to the end and become like them, you'll be in the pit with them and fire them. I'm not following you any longer, you're not leading me any longer, you're not teaching me any longer, you're fired.

Someone who appeals to the worst in you and inflames that. Someone who appeals to the worst thing and that worst thing in you grabs onto it and says, yeah! Don't let them teach you anymore. That is not going to make you more like Jesus. That's going to make you more like you name the name and fire them.

Divert that time and energy to the ordinary means of grace. That's how you become more like Jesus, be a disciple of Jesus. How do I do that? Well, get really familiar with His words and then go have fellowship with Him in prayer and go be among his people. Take the time and attention you were giving this leader and you were following them and you were by imperceptible degrees becoming more like them and fire them and divert that time and energy to the ordinary means of grace.

You'll become more like Jesus. Number three, finally, ask yourself not, do I have an undisturbed plank in my own eye while I'm obsessed about the speck of my brother's eye, ask yourself where? Jesus is addressing these things because these are things that even with a new heart still come so naturally to us because we have these remaining corruptions. It comes so naturally. So please don't make this somebody else's problem.

You have this problem to a greater or lesser extent. Let's say you're the best one in the room among us we don't know who it is but let's say you're him or you're her you this is still a problem for you Jesus is addressing this because it's so common it's so easy to fall into these things. God, we do need help and we do want to have the right disposition towards sin. Sin in our brethren and sin in our own hearts. We find ourselves so insensitive to so many things that are so obvious to other people and find ourselves so focused on smaller sins and imperfections than others.

Oh Lord, have mercy. Continue to have mercy. You have been so lavishly patient with us thank you you've been so lavishly merciful towards us thank you help us to be that towards our brethren we pray in Jesus name amen