The People’s Court
Senior Pastor David Rose delves into Christ’s teaching in Matthew 7 on how the church can lovingly hold one another accountable. He unpacks what it means to lovingly correct one another without hypocrisy, while still distinguishing true faith from indifference. And he stresses the importance of doing so through continual prayer and dependence on God. As a church pursuing God’s kingdom, how can we encourage one another in righteousness, humility and grace as we each grow in devotion to Christ? Find out how the Gospel sets us free to have transparent, Christ-exalting relationships within the body of Christ.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus shows us how to judge others. (v. 1-6)
- Jesus shows us how to relate to God. (v. 7-11)
- Jesus gives us the rule for thriving. (v. 12)
Further Study
- Take a minute to read through Matthew 7:1-12 again. How can we ensure we examine our own lives with the same forgiveness, mercy and humility that Christ showed us on the cross? (Galatians 6:1)
- Verse 6 warns against giving what is holy to dogs or casting pearls before swine. How do we imitate Christ’s loving discernment in reaching out to unbelievers with the Gospel? (2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9)
- What does continual, believing prayer look like according to verses 7-11, and how is this an outworking of being complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)?
- How does living out the Golden Rule of verse 12 demonstrate to non-believers the sacrificial, selfless love of God made known in Jesus (John 13:34-35)?
- In what ways do verses 1-6 call us to guard against self-righteousness, and in what ways do verses 7-11 guard against passivity and spiritual laziness? (cf. Romans 12:3, Hebrews 10:23-25)
- How is dependence on God’s mercy and grace through prayer (vv. 7-11) the only way to faithfully hold other Christians accountable to God’s holiness standards (vv. 1-6)? (2 Corinthians 13:5-11)
The Gospel
If you have questions about what it means to be a Christian, we would love to talk with you about it.
Reach outBro. David made an important point about the gospel when he said, “Isn’t that the story of the gospel—that Jesus changes anyone who believes that He rescues us and takes us out of death, that we who were once rebels to His kingdom have now been adopted as His sons and daughters?”
The core of the gospel message is that we can only obey Christ’s teachings because of what He has done for us. It is only through His transforming work in our lives that we can fully surrender to His call to love our neighbors. If we are living righteously, it is because we realize that without Jesus, we are sinners bound for hell and deserve nothing. But through faith in Christ—who lived a perfect life in our place and died for our sins—we have been made righteous and empowered to obey His commands for His church. Jesus has rescued us, taken away our shame, and given us His honor.