"Sin Posse" 7-2-23
Overview
Are We God's Sin Posse?
In the old West, when a sheriff couldn't keep the peace alone, he would deputize a posse to ride out and round up the outlaws. It's tempting to imagine ourselves as Christians in much the same role—a "sin posse" patrolling the dusty streets, ready to call out every sinner we encounter. After all, Scripture does call us to truth-telling: Paul reminds Timothy that the Lord's servant is to correct opponents 2 Timothy 2:25, Peter preaches repentance and baptism Acts 2:38, and Ezekiel urges Israel to turn from iniquity Ezekiel 18:30. So aren't we deputized to ride out against sin?
Jesus answers with a sharp warning in Matthew 7:1-5: "Do not judge so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make, you will be judged… Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye but do not notice the log in your own eye?" The picture is graphic and unflattering. While we hunt down specks of dust in others, we are walking around with a beam clogging our own vision. Jesus calls such a person a hypocrite—a pretender—someone playing the role of righteous judge while ignoring his or her own sin. Like the Pharisee in Jesus' parable who thanked God he was not like other people Luke 18:9-14, we are quick to condemn on brief encounters and quick to pretend our own sin isn't there. As 1 John 1:8-9 puts it, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive.
This doesn't mean Christians never speak truth about sin—courts exist for a reason, and so does God's law. The point is that we aren't appointed eternal judges over our neighbors. Jesus alone has the right and jurisdiction to stand in judgment over sin, and the wonder of the gospel is that the One who sits at the Father's right hand took the penalty we earned upon himself. We are judged not according to our deeds but according to his mercy. Every one of us is an outlaw before God's holy righteousness, and every one of us has been claimed by Christ's blood.
That changes everything about how we speak to one another about sin. Paul's full instruction to Timothy is that the Lord's servant "must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness" 2 Timothy 2:24-26. First we take the log out of our own eye—we examine our lives, repent of our own sin—and only then can we see clearly to help a brother or sister with theirs. We aren't called to ride as a sin posse, scanning the horizon for offenders to drag in. We are called as brothers and sisters to share the law that drives us to the gospel, and the gospel that brings eternal freedom in Christ alone.
Transcript
Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Texas as a whole is steeped in the old 3s
West. And in Western lore, we read a lot and hear a lot about bandits, about outlaws, 23s
riding the range. And we know that there were sheriffs. There were sheriffs who were called to 36s
keep peace in here, these here parts. And oftentimes it was too much for the sheriff alone 44s
to manage the peace. And so he would appoint a group of men that would help. This men or 56s
this group of men were known as a Pussy. And this Pussy would ride, making sure that 64s
the notorious bandits would be rounded up and dealt with appropriately. These men, this Pussy, 72s
is exactly what we're talking about today. As we think about the bumper sticker, sin, Pussy, 84s
aren't we all part of the sin, Pussy, part of God's appointed people as Christians to make sure 97s
that no one else is sinning? Do you see the imagery that conjures up or is conjured up when you think about the sin 109s
Pussy? You just can imagine this group of cowboys walking through the dusty streets, just looking, looking 120s
for the sinner to call out and to bring to justice. As Christians, we are called to show others their sinful ways. 130s
In second Timothy, it says the Lord's servant is called to correct his opponents. In Peter, or Peter in the book of Acts, 147s
he tells the people surrounding him to repent and be baptized. The prophet Ezekiel tells the people repent and turn from all your 157s
expressions, less iniquity, be your ruin. Do these verses, do these verses appoint us as God's sin Pussy? 170s
Those who are roaming the streets ready to call out sin every chance we get. Yes and no. Before we get to the yes, 189s
we're going to focus a little more on the no to this question. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story of two men, a tax collector and a 207s
business, robes, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a 237s
out all the sins of those around him, correcting them and showing them the path of righteousness 265s
or else. 278s
But this is the Posse that Jesus warns us about in our scripture text for this morning. 280s
He warns us as he teaches his disciples. 287s
If you would please open up to the gospel of Matthew 7, chapter 7, verses 1 through 291s
If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 6 of the New Testament. 301s
Page 6 of the New Testament. 308s
We're looking at verses 1 and 2 first. 312s
Jesus says, do not judge so that you may not be judged. 314s
For with the judgment you make, you will be judged and the measure you give will be the measure 319s
you get. 326s
Now this comes during that sermon on the Mount. 329s
Jesus has been teaching the people. 332s
He has been teaching the crowds and here we are and he is teaching not all. 335s
He is teaching his disciples. 345s
Those who know he is the Messiah, those who turn to him. 348s
So he's teaching those who follow him here. 352s
But he's also teaching his disciples of today. 356s
My brothers and sisters, we are the disciples that he is warning in this text. 360s
It's a warning and he's warning with these words. 366s
Don't look down your nose. 373s
Don't point your finger. 375s
Don't hold people to your standards of how you expect them to live. 379s
I had a neighbor in Charleston and she had gone to a church couple of times and then one of these 390s
Pharisees came to her and told her she must be going to hell because she didn't go to church on Wednesday. 400s
The standard was set. 413s
The standard was set by the Pharisee of that day. 416s
Jesus in these verses warns us. 422s
Warns us not to appoint ourselves or replace ourselves as the eternal judge. 427s
That is not our place. 434s
That is not who or what we are called to be. 436s
Don't judge so you may not be judged. 442s
For with the judgment you make, you will be judged. 447s
And the measure you give will be the measure you get. 450s
What is accomplished? 456s
What is accomplished in judging, in pointing, to the sinner after sinner after sinner and letting them know that they are condemned. 458s
What is accomplished but calling judgment upon one's self? 468s
And I don't know about you but I know that I do not want to be judged according to my standards. 473s
Daily, we have the opportunity to want to smite people. 481s
Daily, we are warned, do not judge according to your standards. 488s
Jesus continued. 498s
Why do you see the spec in your neighbor's eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? 500s
Or how can you say to your neighbor, let me take the spec out of your eye. 506s
While the log is in your own eye. 512s
Notice here, this very, very graphic example that Jesus gives. 516s
You think about a little spec, a little spec in an eye. 523s
It's a dust, it's a particle, it's a little piece. 528s
And he says, why are you pointing out these little sin, these little pieces within the people around you when you have your own sin that is clogging your vision? 531s
When you have your own sin that you really have not dealt with and cannot look past the person judging in this warning is the person who is stuck in his or her own sin. 545s
This is the person that is born just like you and I in the image of man. 562s
The image of man that is sinful, the image of man that is hostile and enemy to God, the image of man that is blind to God, blind to his word. 572s
This is our starting point. 589s
And Jesus warns us that we can't judge without looking at our own sin. 591s
The person judging is stuck in sin if you went back and you had the account of your entire life laid out before you. 604s
Martin Luther says it would make you shudder. 614s
And we are so quick, so ready to judge, to condemn another, on such brief knowledge, on such brief encounters. 619s
And we want to pretend that our own sin is not with us. 636s
We pretend we are pious. 647s
I had a conversation with someone not anyone from this church, so don't worry, not talking about any of y'all. 651s
And I had a conversation, just a casual conversation with someone. 658s
And this person, this person just mentioned, I know the Bible says you shouldn't judge anyone and that you're no better than anyone else. 663s
But I believe I am. 674s
I believe I am better than others. 676s
Do you see the log? 680s
Do you see the log that is sticking out of that person's eye? 682s
It's in that bravado that we try to judge our neighbor, that we try to condemn our neighbor. 688s
This is what Jesus is warning us about. 699s
Do not judge so that you may not be judged. 704s
For with the judgment, you will be judged. 707s
And the measure you give will be the measure you get. 711s
Why do you see the spec? 714s
Why do you see the sin in your neighbor's eye? 715s
But do not notice the log in your own eye? 719s
Do not notice the sin in your own life? 723s
Or how can you say to your neighbor, let me take the spec out of your eye? 728s
Let me let you know how you're a sinner. 733s
While the log is in your own eye, you hypocrite. 738s
That word hypocrite can also mean pretender. 744s
You pretender. 750s
First, take the log out of your own eye. 752s
A favorite saying in Lutheran theology that Martin Luther would talk about is naval gazing. 761s
Looking at your belly button. 769s
Now, what he means by that is that we are so concerned with ourselves that we forget or refuse to look up and see our neighbor. 770s
Absolutely. 781s
We need to always be aware of our neighbor. 782s
But here, here, we can use this same thing and say, we need a little bit of naval gazing. 784s
We need to look at our own sin. 793s
We need to examine our own lives before we look up and condemn the sinners around us. 795s
Because the sin that we are most familiar with is our very own. 806s
The sin that turns in our heart, the sin that we are tempted to, by looking and seeing with our eyes. 814s
Without curving in on our self, we are called to take stock. 825s
To examine our own lives before we determine to examine someone else's. 832s
In first John, he writes, John writes, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. 840s
And the truth is not in us. 848s
If we say that we are better than anyone or everyone else, we are lying to ourselves. 852s
We deceive ourselves. 861s
We cannot be honest with another. 864s
We cannot be honest about sin with another until we examine our own. 867s
Until we repent of our own sin. 878s
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. 883s
The truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and forgives our sin. 886s
The point that Jesus makes in these verses, the point is not that we are never to judge someone. 900s
We have courts for a reason. 911s
We have secular law and order for a purpose. 914s
We have God's law for a purpose. 918s
His warning is that we don't get caught up in false piety. 923s
We don't jump at the chance to appoint ourselves as the sin posse ready to reign judgment and justice down on any sinner that we see. 929s
We are all outlaws. 945s
We are all outlaws when it comes to the holy righteousness of God. 947s
We all deserve to be rounded up and we all deserve to be brought to justice. 953s
And Jesus is the only one. 964s
The only one with the right, with the jurisdiction to stand in judgment. 969s
Jesus is the only one who has the right to stand in judgment over our sin. 980s
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, 989s
God is the only one who can give us justice, pay us the penalty for our sin. 994s
And what is the penalty for sin? 1004s
Death, separation from God eternally. 1006s
Cast out into outer darkness where weeping and gnashing of teeth is this. 1013s
This is what we deserve. 1022s
This is what we have earned. 1027s
Yet the one who sits in judgment. 1033s
The one who sits at the right hand of the Father. 1038s
He is the one who took what we deserve. 1042s
He took that penalty upon himself. 1049s
And instead of judging us justly according to what we have earned, 1054s
we are judged according to his mercy. 1061s
We are judged according to what Jesus has done has earned for you, 1066s
which is righteousness, which is forgiveness of sins, 1074s
which is eternal life with the Father's Son and Holy Spirit, 1080s
and the communion of saints. 1085s
It's out of this mercy, out of this judgment that we are called, 1089s
not as a sin-possy, ready to round every sinner up, 1097s
but we're called as brothers and sisters to correct and guide others in paths of righteousness. 1103s
Jesus said, you hypocrite. 1113s
First take the log out of your own eye, 1116s
and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbors eye. 1118s
When we first repent of our own sin, 1126s
when we repent of our sin, we are able to lovingly judge, 1129s
to lovingly correct the sinners around us, 1135s
because we know that we are no better than them. 1143s
I told you earlier, in second Timothy, 1150s
we are told, indeed, that the Lord's servant is called to correct his opponents. 1154s
But when I read that verse to you, I omitted a few of the words. 1162s
So I'm going to read it to you again with everything back in there. 1167s
It says the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, 1172s
but kindly to everyone, 1175s
an apt teacher, patient, 1177s
correcting opponents with gentleness. 1180s
God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, 1184s
and that they may escape from the snare of the devil. 1189s
We are called to judge, 1195s
but we are called to correct, to judge with gentleness, 1199s
with kindness, with patience. 1205s
It's through this kind and gentle correction 1209s
that people can hear the fullness of God's law. 1212s
We aren't to shy away from the truth of God's law. 1216s
But we know that with the truth of God's law, 1223s
we can also bring them the full truth of the gospel, 1229s
that we are all born as sinners, 1234s
and yet Christ has redeemed us all. 1236s
Christ's blood paid the price for each and every one of us, 1240s
of all time and all places. 1246s
We are called, 1251s
we are called not to be a sin-possy. 1253s
We are called to be brothers and sisters to love one another, 1258s
to share the law that leads to the gospel, 1262s
that leads to eternal life. 1267s
This is what we are called to, 1274s
not to be a part of the wild west, 1279s
but part of the eternal freedom, 1284s
in Christ and Christ alone. 1288s