The Umpire

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to talk about a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

Are you the kind of person who watches sports? Maybe you watch baseball or football on the weekend. In a lot of these sports competitions they have umpires who make judgment calls based according to the rules and regulations of the game.

A lot of things have changed in the past few years because now they have cameras and instant playback. If one of the teams decides to refute the play, they can go to the instant replay and take a look at it. There are numerous occasions when an umpire called a base runner out when he was actually safe. The Judgment call that he made was actually wrong.

There have been even instances where people have been put in prison but released later because they found out that they never committed the crime at all. The same thing happened to Joseph who was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife.

Think about the Lord Jesus Christ, who created this entire world and everything we see. He didn’t do anything wrong to anybody, but they judged God falsely and put Him on a cross to be crucified in Jerusalem.

The Lord Jesus warns about standing in judgement over others.

Matt 7:1-5

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

² For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

³ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

⁵ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

There are people who like to stand in judgment over others while the truth is, they have numerous problems themselves. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In order to help people with sin issues, you first need to cleanse your own life of sin. This means you first need to judge yourself before others.

2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?⁶ But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

A reprobate is a wretch. The Apostle wanted the church people to really take a sincere look inside their hearts to see if they truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:31 – For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

God’s Holy Word teaches us the right path to take. Although we have forgiveness and Grace in the church, we have to first accept the truth that we are going the wrong way.

Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

When you stand in judgement over others you condemn yourself because the truth is we’re all equally guilty sinners in the eyes of God. None are righteous, no not one.

James 2:10-13 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

¹¹ For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

¹² So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³ For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Naught means to slight, to disregard or despise.

James 4:11-12

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

When we come together to partake of Holy Communion, each of us need to take a look inside our hearts and confess our faults to God. We need to judge ourselves if we are truly walking in the Christian faith.

1 Cor 11:28

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Instead of judging one another we need to help one another in the church and lift them up.

Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

Remember in the New Testament we are no longer under the law, but under grace. Be merciful and forgiving with one another.

James 2:12-13 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

I’d rather be judged by God’s forgiveness and mercy, wouldn’t you?

Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤

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