READ TEXT. ALL OF US HAVE HEARD THAT STATEMENT MADE OR PERHAPS WE HAVE USED IT OURSELVES. HOWEVER, SCRIPTURE MUST BE INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WHOLE BODY OF SCRIPTURE, AND NOT TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. As I HAVE SAID BEFORE, GOD EXPECTS US TO JUDGE, BUT TO JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY.
TONIGHT, I WANT US TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM OF CRITICISM. THE DEFINITION OF CRITICIZE IS TO ASSESS MERITS AND DEMERITS; FORMING AN OPINION AND GIVING A JUDGMENT. CRITICISM is EITHER "CONSTRUCTIVE" OR "DESTRUCTIVE" IN NATURE. USUALLY WHEN WE THINK OF CRITICISM WE THINK IN TERMS OF NEGATIVE REMARKS. THIS FORM OF CRITICISM TAKES MANY DIFFERENT FORMS.
1. SARCASM: HUSBAND'S COMMENTS TO WIFE THAT SHE IS AN ANGEL. WIFE IS VERY RELIGIOUS; OFFERS UP A BURNT OFFERING EVERY NIGHT.
2. NAME CALLING: GROWING UP WITH TUBBY, FATSO, AND FOUR-EYES.
3. CONTINUAL COMPLAINING.
4. IF LOOKS COULD KILL ...
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION FOR A BELIEVER TO USE DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM TOWARD OTHERS! THE DESTRUCTIVE CRITIC SEEKS TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS. IT PLACES THE CRITIC IN A SUPERIOR POSITION TO THE ONE BEING CRITICIZED. IT IS SELFISH AND IS MOTIVATED TOTALLY BY THE FLESH.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE SHOULD CONFRONT THOSE WHOM WE LOVE AND CARE ABOUT. LUKE 17:3, "...IF THY BROTHER TRESPASS AGAINST THEE, REBUKE HIM..." LEVITICUS 19:17 "...THOU SHALT ... REBUKE THY NEIGHBOR, AND NOT SUFFER SIN UPON HIM." CRITICISM MOTIVATED BY LOVE, WHICH SEEKS TO BUILD AND NOT DESTROY, IS ACCEPTABLE. THE BIBLICAL PRACTICE OF REPROVING A BROTHER OR SISTER IS NEARLY A LOST ART IN THIS DAY AND AGE. NOTE SOME GUIDELINES TO HELP YOU MINISTER TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS BY OFFERING THEM A WORD OF REPROOF RATHER THAN A HARSH CRITICISM.
I. EXAMINE YOUR MOTIVES. GALATIANS 6:1
A. GOAL OF REPROOF OUGHT ALWAYS BE FOR RESTORATION.
1. THAT MEANS TO PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS.
2. IF WE HAVE LOVE FOR AN ERRING BROTHER OR SISTER, WE WILL SEEK TO RESTORE THEM.
3. JESUS USED THE EXAMPLE OF THE SHEPHERD WHO WENT SEEKING FOR THE LOST SHEEP AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE FOLD.
B. OUR GOAL SHOULD NEVER BE SELFISH.
1. NOT TO EXPOSE ...
2. NOT TO MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR YOURSELF ...
3. NOT TO GET SOME OTHER PERSONAL REWARD ...
C. "...CONSIDERING THYSELF..."
1. WE MUST EXAMINE OUR MOTIVES, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT BEING HYPOCRITICAL IN OUR REPROOF.
2. JESUS CALLED THEM HYPOCRITES WHO HAD BEAMS IN THEIR EYES, BUT CONCERNED THEMSELVES WITH OTHERS' SPLINTERS. CF. MT. 7:3-5
II. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME AND WORDS.
A. SOLOMON SAID THERE IS " ...A TIME TO KEEP SILENCE, AND A TIME TO SPEAK." CF. ECCL. 3:7
1. WISDOM IS KNOWING WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT TO SPEAK A WORD OF REPROOF.
2. THE BEST TIME TO SPEAK IS WHEN THE OTHER IS READY TO LISTEN.
B. WHAT WE SAY IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHEN WE SAY IT.
1. NOTE: PROVERBS 15:28
2. IT IS NECESSARY TO INVEST TIME, EFFORT, AND THOUGHT IN SELECTING JUST THE RIGHT WORDS TO EXPRESS WHICH BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES HAVE BEEN VIOLATED.
3. THE TRUTH MUST BE SPOKEN, BUT IT MUST BE SPOKEN IN LOVE IN LOVE TO MEET NEEDS! CF. Ep. 4:15
4. IT ISN'T ENOUGH TO TELL FOLKS THAT THEY AREN'T DOING RIGHT.
a. SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIOR MUST BE GIVEN ...
b. AS WELL AS SPECIFIC REFERENCES FROM GOD'S WORD
c. THIS WILL AVOID OTHERS WHO MIGHT THINK IT IS JUST OUR OPINION OR PREFERENCE
III. HAVE A GENTLE SPIRIT.
A. COMFORT AS YOU CORRECT.
1. PAUL TELLS US TO GO "IN THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS".
2. IN SIX OF THE CHURCHES IN REVELATION CHAPTER 2, OUR LORD BEGAN HIS MESSAGE WITH PRAISE AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
a. PRAISE AND COMMENDATION SERVES TO ASSURE THE ERRING ONE OF YOUR LOVE AND SINCERITY.
b. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT EMPTY WORDS OF FLATTERY, BUT REAL EXPRESSIONS OF YOUR LOVE.
3. WHEN OTHERS SIN AGAINST GOD IT SOMETIMES STIRS US UP IN RIGHTEOUS ANGER, BUT WE NOT EXPRESS OUR RIGHTEOUS ANGER IN SINFUL WAYS
4. NOTE: PROVERBS 27:6 (0-
B. ALWAYS BE READY TO SUGGEST A BIBLICAL SOLUTION.
1. IT ISN'T ENOUGH TO POINT OUT WHERE A BROTHER IS WRONG.
2. WE MUST BE WILLING AND PREPARED TO SHOW THEM FROM GOD'S WORD HOW TO START DOING RIGHT.
3. WHEN THE LORD TOLD THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS THAT THEY HAD LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE, HE GAVE THEM A THREE-FOLD SOLUTION.
a. REMEMBER FROM WHENCE THOU ART FALLEN...
b. REPENT ...
c. RETURN TO DOING THE FIRST WORKS ...
C. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF REJECTION.
1. WE MUST DO WHAT IS RIGHT, EVEN IF IT MAY BRING REJECTION!
2. SOME WILL RESPOND WITH REJECTION BECAUSE ...
a. THEY WILL RESPOND OUT OF THE FLESH, AND STIKE BACK
b. REPROOF CAUSES THEM TO SEE THEMSELVES AS OTHERS SEE THEM, AND THIS IS, AT TIMES, VERY PAINFUL.
3. NOTE: PROVERBS 28:23
a. IT IS USUALLY AFTER THE REPROOF IS GIVEN AND THE RESTORATION HAS OCCURRED THAT GOD IS MOST GLORIFIED.
b. IT IS "AFTERWARDS" THAT THE REPROVER FINDS FAVOR IN THE EYES OF HIS REPENTANT BROTHER.
CONCLUSION: JESUS SAID, "JUDGE NOT THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED." THE CAUTION WASN'T AGAINST JUDGING, BUT WAS WITH WHAT KIND OF JUDGMENT WE OFFER. WE ARE ADMONISHED IN THE SCRIPTURE TO JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY. WHAT KIND OF JUDGMENT OR CRITICISM HAVE YOU BEEN OFFERING? WHEN WE JUDGE OR CRITICIZE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE
1) EXAMINE OUR MOTIVES,
2) CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORDS AND TIME, AND
3) COMFORT AS WE CORRECT.
WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE PROBLEM OF HOW WE CRITICIZE, BUT PERHAPS WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE WAY THAT WE RECEIVE CRITICISM. PROVERBS 10:17B SAYS, "...HE THAT REFUSETH REPROOF ERRETH." AND PROVERBS 13:18e SAYS , "...HE THAT REGARDETH REPROOF SHALL BE HONOURED." HAS GOD SPOKEN TO A NEED IN YOUR LIFE TONIGHT? WHY NOT COME AND LET GOD HAVE His WAY THIS EVENING?