Study Notes

I.      When your heart beats like God’s you won’t want judge people, you won’t want to see people judged, you’ll want them to repent and get mercy-2 Peter 3:9

A.    Luke 12:57-13:9-Repentance is the key to not being judged

1.      57-You have to judge and personally decide what is right – Not WHO is right, WHAT is right and NOT for someone else but for YOURSELF

a.    You have to determine based on what you believe the Word says and the conviction of your own heart what is right and what is wrong, but that doesn’t mean you look down on people and pronounce them guilty and speak evil of them

2.      58,59-The way to not be judged is to judge yourself

a.    If you have done something wrong against somebody and they are on the way to take you before the judge, judge yourself and repent before them and get it settled so that it doesn’t get before the judge

b.    When they are in the process of pressing charges against you, you have a short window to get this fixed and if you are wise you will go to them and you will repent and you will judge yourself and prevent them from going to the judge then you are spared

c.     When you see tragedy happen you are wrong if you say it happened to them because they were bad people and the people who got spared are better people – That’s wrong

d.    The same thing can happen to you and something like that will happen if you don’t humble yourself, judge yourself, and repent

3.      The key to not experiencing this devastation is repenting or judging yourself and it’s the key to being safe

a.    If I’m kept and protected because of how good I’m praying and believing then it’s because of me and that’s not true

b.    I’ve missed and made mistakes and if that’s the case sin deserving of judgment so why did I get judged? Because I repented and the more I’m seeing this the better repenter I’m becoming because I realize it’s the only way to keep the door closed to the devil

4.      6-8-This is a perfect illustration of what we can be for people if we will stop judging them

a.    We don’t want to judge people, we want them to repent so they can get mercy

B.     If you want to see peopled judged and say things like they’ll get what’s coming to them and love judgment and love talking about people paying for what they have done you are off, you are not like the Father and your heart is not like his heart

1.      God gets no pleasure in judgment, but he delights in mercy (Micah 7:18)

a.    MSG-For mercy is your specialty. That’s what you love the most; GW-You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy; TLB-You cannot stay angry with your people, for you love to be merciful; GNV-Mercy pleases Him

b.    Faith pleases God and the prosperity of his people pleases God and in judgment there is no faith or prosperity-Heb11:6,Ps35:27

2.      Judgment is not God’s first move, it’s His last resort and it comes after many opportunities being given to repent and change and it only comes when people get to the place that they absolutely will not repent

a.    God will give people many chances, but in the end there is no remedy for an unrepentant heart-Proverbs 29:1

b.    2 Peter 3:9-The reason God is so patient with us and gives time is b/c he doesn’t want us to perish, he wants us to repent

1)       Willing-Desire, Purpose; His desire and purpose is not that people get judged and perish, but repent and get mercy

3.      James 2:12-14 (ESV)-In our lives mercy triumphs over judgment because we were shown mercy

a.    JBP-Anyway, you should speak and act as men who will be judged by the law of freedom. The man who makes no allowances for others will find none made for him. It is still true that “mercy smiles in the face of judgment.”

b.    Act like someone who got mercy and give mercy and have mercy triumph over judgment

4.      Say it: My heart beats like God’s and I don’t want to see people judged, I want them to repent and get mercy

II.     If want people to repent and get mercy then being kind and merciful to them is what you must do

A.    Luke 6:36-37-BE merciful, DON’T judge

1.      When God sees somebody being unkind and wicked and bad in nature he doesn’t turn hard, he stays mild, he stays kind and he doesn’t let their actions turn him sharp and hard because he knows it’s his kindness that will lead them to repentance

a.    When people get way off sometimes their sin we allow to make us sharp and hard and harsh, but it makes God release kindness

b.    The uglier people get and the more carnal they act that should just be like a trigger that causes you to release mercy over them

2.      This BE MERCIFUL is not encouragement it’s empowerment and you and I have the ability based on these words and have been empowered through these words to be merciful just like our father is merciful; We have the ability on the inside of us to look at people who have are filthy and dirty and have missed and made mistakes and done despicable things over and over again and not judge those people but be tender with them and compassionate to them and cry out mercy for them

a.    God’s words have power and these words BE MERCIFUL are power words, empowering words-Matthew 14:29

b.    The tendency of the unrenewed mind is to think, “I can’t be merciful to that person. What they did is too bad.”

c.     You can be merciful if you will; The problem is your flesh doesn’t like to be merciful and likes to judge and feel superior

3.      When you’re having all kinds of judgmental thoughts about people and feelings of anger are rising up with in you and people have just acted ignorantly and done dumb stuff you have the ability in the midst of all that to NOT JUDGE because Jesus empowered you when he said JUDGE NOT

4.      Say it: I have been empowered by God to BE merciful and to NOT judge and therefore I AM merciful and I DO NOT  judg

B.     Romans 2:4-Judging people doesn’t lead them to repentance, but the goodness of God will

1.      Goodness-Mild, pleasant, kind, as opposed to harsh, hard, sharp

a.    It’s not getting hot and being rough and hard with people that’s going to cause them to repent, but rather it’s goodness and kindness and gentleness and mercy that leads people to repentance

2.      They looked down upon the goodness and forbearance and longsuffering of God and thought that wouldn’t lead people to repentance, but judging would, not knowing that it’s the kindness of the Lord that leads people to repentance

a.    Despise-Think little or nothing of; Goodness-Kindness, Gentleness; Forbearance-Toleration; Longsuffering-Patience, Forbearance

b.    Often times when people are on a dark downward spiral of sin and carnality you will be tempted to think that that love of God won’t turn them but you’re coming down on them will and harsh judging will

c.     They are judging these people who are way off and being hard and harsh, NOT KNOWING that doesn’t lead people to repent

3.      Here’s something you need to know that will help you stop judging; It’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance

a.    You want people to repent because that’s how they get mercy, but people don’t repent because you judge them, the repent because you are kind and merciful and gracious to them

C.    This coming down hard on people and judging and hypocrisy actually will push people further away from God and destroy your witness

1.      Romans 2:17-23-They’re judging and harshness and hypocrisy is turning people away from God and destroying their witness; their coming down hard on others and judging others and giving people no mercy and lack of kindness is turning people away

a.    TLB-17-You Jews think all is well between yourselves and God because he gave his laws to you; you brag that you are his special friends. ¹⁸ Yes, you know what he wants; you know right from wrong and favor the right because you have been taught his laws from earliest youth. ¹⁹ You are so sure of the way to God that you could point it out to a blind man. You think of yourselves as beacon lights, directing men who are lost in darkness to God. ²⁰ You think that you can guide the simple and teach even children the affairs of God, for you really know his laws, which are full of all knowledge and truth. ²¹ Yes, you teach others—then why don’t you teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal—do you steal? ²² You say it is wrong to commit adultery—do you do it? You say “Don’t pray to idols” and then make money your god instead.^[d]23 You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. ²⁴ No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you.

b.    MSG-“It’s because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God,” shows it’s an old problem that isn’t going to go away.

2.      Judging and hypocrisy destroys your witness, but when you’re merciful and honest and don’t pretend like you don’t have any faults, it’s that kindness that will enhance your witness and turn people to the Lord

a.    Could our honesty and kindness and mercy draw people to God, to repent? Could our mercy enhance our witness? Could your soft eyes and loving heart turn somebody?

3.      Psalm 18:35, 1 Peter 3:4-This is what makes you great in the eyes of God; When his gentleness beings to flow through you

4.      Say it: It’s not my judging of people that will turn them to God, it’s the mercy of God that changes people and my witness is strong because I am strong in mercy