REVIEW
FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Mt. 6:33a).
The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.
FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain: moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving). Key verse, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14).
FLIP CHART: John Stott’s outline of SOM.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)
HYMN: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
REVIEW:
OUTLINE FOR TODAY:
THE CHRISTIAN MUST JUDGE
I. Defining the word “judge”
II. The Christian is Commanded to Judge
III. The Christian is not Commanded to Abandon His Critical Faculty
AVOIDING JUDGMENTALISM
I. Definition of Judgmentalism
II. Marks of a Judgmental, Censorious Spirit
THE CHRISTIAN WILL BE JUDGED
I. God is the Only True and Righteous Judge
II. God’s Judgment is Both Present & Future
A. The Great White Throne Judgment
B. Judgment While in the Body
C. The Judgment Seat of Christ
GOD’S “STANDARDS” OF JUDGMENT
I. The Divine Law of Love
II. Lists of Ethical Guidelines in the NT
III. The Life of Christ, the Way He Lived
IV. Our Conscience
V. The Measure We Use to Judge Others
THE FINE ART OF SPECK REMOVAL
I. With Self Criticism First
II. With Humility
III. Without Bias / Not According to Appearance
IV. With Mercy
V. With Gentleness
OF DOGS, HOGS AND THE TOUGH WORK
OF DISCERNMENT
I. Defining Key Nouns in Mt. 7:6
II. Discernment in Sharing Divine Truth
OF DOGS, HOGS & THE TOUGH WORK OF DISCERNMENT (I)
DEFINING KEY NOUNS IN MT. 7:6
1. DOGS
Two words for dogs – kunarion which is used for a household pet, e.g. little dogs and kuon used for wild, mean ‘junk yard’ dogs.
When Jesus told the Canaanite lady that “it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” he was referring to household pets.
These ‘junk yard’ dogs were half-wild mongrels that acted as scavengers. They were dirty, greedy, snarling, and often vicious and diseased. They were dangerous and despised. (MacArthur, 437)
The term ‘dog’ was used for someone who was utterly reprobate: “Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said and he answered, “Am I a dog’s head – – on Judah’s side?” (II Sam. 8:3)
“The dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me . . .” (Ps. 22:16)
Paul warned the Philippians to “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.” (Phil. 3:2)
When describing heaven the Apostle John says, “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murders, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Rev. 22:15)
You could say that ‘dogs’ refer to those utterly hardened by sin, hostile, viciously opposed to the Gospel message.
2. WHAT IS SACRED?
A Jewish person who heard “what is sacred (holy)” would automatically think of the temple offerings. The altar itself is called “most holy” (Ex. 29:37, 40:10). In fact the utensils are referred to as “most holy” (Lev. 2:3). Any meat offered on the altar would obviously be sacred.
When Jesus is referred to as the “Holy and Righteous One” in Acts 3:14 in Peter’s sermon in the temple, he is using the same Greek word, hagios, that is used in the phrase “what is sacred (hagios).”
It would have been unthinkable for a Jewish person to take part of the “sacred” offering from the temple altar and throw it to junk-yard dogs. Some parts of the offerings were burned up, some were eaten by the priests and some were taken home by the family and eaten but none was ever thrown to the dogs. It may well have happened that the sacrifice / barbecuing of all this meat attracted dogs. But you don’t take something consecrated to the Lord and throw it to scavenger dogs.
3. PIGS
QUESTION: What are the characteristics of pigs?
Pigs were an unclean animal for the Jewish people. “And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.” (Lev. 11:7) Eating swine’s flesh is considered on a par with idolatry (Isa. 65:4, 66:22). God said that such people are “smoke in His nostrils,” e.g. abhorrent (Isa. 65:5).
“Swine were considered by Jews to be the epitome of uncleanness. That is the reason Antiochus Epiphanes’ sacrifice of a pig on the Jewish altar and forcing the priests to eat it was such an absolute abomination – and (some historians say that this touched” off the Maccabean revolt against Greece (Seleucid Empire) in 168 B.C.”) (MacArthur, 437-38)
One characteristic of pigs is that they are undiscriminating and will eat almost anything. We would pick up all of the rotten apples that fell from our trees in the fall and feed them to the pigs. They were thrilled to get rotten apples and vegetables etc.
Pigs are also “pig-headed.” Have you every tried to catch a pig or drive a pig into a pen? It is really tough to do. You can drive cows and sheep and horses but pigs are a different story, especially a lone pig. “Pig-headed” just means “stupidly obstinate.”
Also some wild pigs are vicious and that may have been the case with pigs in the ancient world.
It seems that pig is here referred to as a person who is totally incapable of discriminating between what is holy and what is common. Also he is stupidly and stubbornly obstinate. And it may include the idea of being vicious.
4. PEARLS
The pearl is considered an item of great value in the Bible. “Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Mt. 13:45-46).
The church in the first century thought the Lord’s command to “not throw your pearls to pigs” referred to the Eucharist (Lord’s Table) and therefore that this was a command to keep the non-Christian from participating in communion. The Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, a manual of Syrian Christianity dated around A.D. 100 says, “Let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord. It was concerning this that the Lord said, ‘Do not give dogs what is holy.’”
The early church started communion with saying “Holy things for holy people.” But most commentators doubt that “what is sacred” and “pearl” refer to communion although is true that non-believers should not participate in communion.
Most evangelical scholars feel that the pearl refers to the kingdom of God and specifically the Gospel message. You see the Gospel message referred to with great value in the following verses:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven among men by which we must be saved” (Acts. 4:12)
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life . . . , but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (I Peter 1:18-19)
QUESTION: What are some other great verses that show the great value of the Gospel? Verses that you think about when you meditate on the great gift God has given us in the Gospel. (Write verse references on the Flip Chart.
ACTIVITY: Read the following stanzas first and then have Kris lead us in singing them.
Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no respite know,
These for sins could not atone;
Thou must save and Thou alone.
In my hands no price I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling (Rock of Ages)
He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me. (O For a Thousand Tongues)
Hail the heav’n born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth. (Hark the Herald Angels Sing)
Crown Him the Lord of love!
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his wondering eye
At mysteries so bright. (Crown Him with Many Crowns)
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus ‘tis now. (My Jesus, I Love Thee)
He washed the bleeding sin wounds,
And poured in oil and wine;
He whispered to assure me,
“I’ve found thee, thou art mine.”
I never heard a sweeter voice,
It made my aching heart rejoice! (In Tenderness He Sought Me)
Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood. (When I Survey Wondrous Cross)
He saw me plunged in deep distress,
And flew to my relief;
For me He bore the shameful cross,
And carried all my grief. (Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned)
5. WHO ARE BEING CALLED “DOGS” AND “PIGS”
QUESTION: In the beautiful “Sermon on the Mount” calling anyone a “dog” or a “pig” seems completely out of place. Yet these are the words that Jesus is using. When Jesus uses such harsh language who is He specifically referring to?
“The reference is at least to the fact that unbelievers, whose nature has never been renewed, possess physical or animal life but not spiritual or eternal life.” (Stott, 181).
”There is not a single statement in Scripture that gives a more awful picture of the devastating effect of sin upon man as this verse. The effect of sin and evil upon man as the result of the Fall is to make us, with respect to the truth of God, dogs and swine. . . . . Present the truth to certain people and they snarl at it. Talk about the blood of Christ and they laugh and make jokes about it, and spit upon it. That is what sin does to man; that is what it does to his nature; that is how it affects his attitude towards the truth, . . . . . they really are in a spiritual sense in the condition of dog and swine. They do not appreciate that which is holy; they do not attach any value to spiritual pearls; even God Himself is hateful to them” (MLJ, 190-91)
So then the ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs’ . . . are not just unbelievers. They must rather be those who have had ample opportunity to hear and receive the good news, but have decisively – – even defiantly – rejected it.” (Stott, 182).
“It ought to be understood that dogs and swine are names given not to every kind of debauched men, or to those who are destitute of the fear of God and true godliness, but to those who, by clear evidences, have manifested a hardened contempt of God, so that their disease appears to be incurable.” (Calvin as quoted by Stott, 182).
“In the Middle Ages one of the most decadent of the Roman Popes said of Christianity, “What profit this farce has brought us.” A Protestant king wishing to rule France by gaining the esteem of the populace once followed his own instincts and took a Roman mass saying, ‘Paris is worth a mass.’ In our time the same spirit makes light of the most holy and sacred teachings of the Bible. Thus in the name of wit they write, ‘Custer died for your sins,’ ‘Jesus is the answer (but what is the question?),’ or ‘Jesus saves green stamps.’ Don’t laugh. The words are the barking of dogs and the grunting of swine. . . . “ Boice, 233-34)
“. . . there are some people who cannot receive Christian truth. It may be that their minds are shut; it may be that their minds are brutalized and covered over with a film of filth; it may be that they have lived a life which has obscured their ability to see the truth; it may be that they are constitutional mockers of all things holy . . . It is often impossible to talk to some people about Jesus Christ. Their insensitiveness, their moral blindness, their intellectual pride, their cynical mockery make them impervious to the words of Christ” (William Barclay, 269).
One writer says, “Those who have knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ but scorn the truth because they love to wallow in the pollution and sin of this world.” (Quote from the web).
Peter in I Peter 1:17-22 describes the individuals that Jesus refers to as “dogs” and “swine.”
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” (II Peter 2:17-22)
An Old Testament example of such a person may have been Nabal, the husband of Abigail: Meanwhile, one of the young shepherds told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, what had happened: “David sent messengers from the backcountry to salute our master, but he tore into them with insults. Yet these men treated us very well. They took nothing from us and didn’t take advantage of us all the time we were in the fields. They formed a wall around us, protecting us day and night all the time we were out tending the sheep. Do something quickly because big trouble is ahead for our master and all of us. Nobody can talk to him. He’s impossible—a real brute!” (I Samuel 25:14-17)
What is unique here is that after our Lord spoke so clearly about not being judgmental and about removing specks from other’s eyes he speaks with great force that we Christians are not to be “judgment-less”!!! We are to know who those people are that we should not pursue with the Gospel message.
SO WHAT???
1. Our Lord Jesus did not have a high view of fallen human nature. He saw that some people had characteristics similar to dogs and pigs.
2. Do we have a high view of the Gospel? How precious is the Gospel message to us? Do we value it? Treat it as a pearl of great price?
3. Individuals who have once been exposed to the Gospel message and then turned against it are, in some cases, incapable of responding to the Gospel message.