Balance In Relationship

Date: 26 August 2007
Speaker: Pastor Kong Hee
Venue: City Harvest Church

Matthew 7:1-12
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

1) The danger of being judgemental.

a) To be judgemental is to be censorious. "Censorious" is the eager inclination to criticize, disapprove of, find fault with people. It is to be harsh and condemning of others.

Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

1 Corinthians 4:4-5
For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 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 hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

b) To be judgemental is to be a hypocrite.

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

Matthew 18:15
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

c) A judgmental attitude betrays an unbroken spirit.

2) The danger of being undiscriminating.

2 Peter 2:22
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

3) The danger of lacking persistence.

Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Jeremiah 29:13
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

a) Prayer requires stamina.

b) Prayer needs to be specific.

James 4:2
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Mark 11:22-24
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

c) Prayer needs persistent trust.

Matthew 7:9-11
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

4) The golden rule- Whatever good you want others to do unto you, first do unto them.

5) If you have been praying for something but never received it, it does not mean that God did not hear it. Instead, it means that either He has something better prepared for you or, the thing you asked for is not good for you.