Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
it's not hard-boiled so I can't put it in my pocket
and there's a reason for that you'll get to in a moment
let's look at our scripture passage this morning
Paul writes always be humble and gentle
be patient with each other
making allowances
for each other's faults
because of your love
make every effort to keep yourself united in the Spirit binding yourselves
together with peace
now the Greek word
for faults
is the idea of
cutting other people some slack
because of their imperfections
if you're old-school you know what is the word to forbearance
we're supposed to exhibit
a sense of forbearance towards one another
because
other people are imperfect
we're to cut them some slack we're to give them a break
why, should we
let's see
make allowances
for each other's faults
well the simple answer to that is that none of us are perfect
we all have our faults, don't we?
this is how Paul penned it
and an overarching way when it comes to
the faults of humanity
for everyone has sinned
everybody's imperfect
we all fall short of God's glorious standard
yet God with undeserved kindness declares that we are righteous
God exhibits towards us an undeserved kindness
and because God extends that
undeserved kindness towards us
because God gives us a break
we ought to give one another a break
how do we make allowances for others faults
I think two things
first it's about allowing
other people to be who they are we need to make more room
for other people to be who they truly are
what does that mean? that means well
we can't cancel people out
because of their imperfections
we have to allow people to make a contribution
and we must allow them to add
into what we're doing and as I mentioned last week well
we're all peculiar treasures
and yes you have to deal with that
peculiar part
to get to the treasure
but that treasure is
valuable
no matter the package
so to speak
what's on the inside
is valued
and that value
demands that it be allowed to to contribute
and often times because of the peculiar part we often
write people off with a politeness or a tolerance
it's not as though we wanna forcibly exclude them but we're not really doing
much to include them
because when it comes to imperfections well
everybody's got them
and it is much easier to see that
imperfection in someone else than us
and we have to move
past that imperfection to realize that everybody is gifted in their own
way is that what Paul says
Peter I mean I'm sorry
first Peter four ten
Peter says God has given each of you some special abilities
be sure to use them to help each other
passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings
so we're not all alike we all have different imperfections yet
well we have a hard time
dealing with other people's imperfections
and that comes out is a I kind of criticism or judgmentalism
and yes we're all pretty good at being critical
yes, some of you are very good at being critical
we're all good at being judgmental
out what is God's words say
Paul in the book of Romans he says
let us therefore no longer pass
judgment on one another
but resolved instead never to put a stumbing block or a hindrance in the way of
another
see a stumbling block or hinderance ahh
the image of keeping someone from making a contribution because of their
imperfection
now you know this is true it's way easier to find a fault in someone else
than ourselves
and I think
in society in general as well as in the
church society
I think
being critical and judgmental has become an acceptable sin
everybody's doing it, so everybody's doing it
and it's interesting that
the word of God says
exactly the opposite of that
Paul knows that everybody's doing it but he says stop it
now I think we all know that one of the reasons we're critical and judgmental
towards other people
is because that's one of the ways that we shore up our own
lacking selfesteem
and the way that you'll know that you're doing that in a profound way is you're
making a mountain out of a mole hill
and I want to liberate all of you today here's a great idea
the great idea is to realize yes there's more than one good way to do something
there is more than one good way to do something
you know oftentimes we think it's gotta be done our way and we have that on
good account
because when we do it, it's done right
but isn't it interesting
the way that we might do it right well for someone else to do it right they
need to do it
a different way
not everyone is right handed
some of the world are left handed
a few odd people are both handed
you can even write
the same way have you noticed
depending on whether you're right or left handed
you see there's more than one good way
to get something done
and when we think it can alway be done our way it shuns the idea that
we're all different that God has given us different special gifts
it's to negate the fact that we need
the difference
of other people
we need that treasure and yes
there some imperfection around that treasure there some peculiarity
about people
about them
and our judgmentalism and our criticism
pushes against the sensitive unity of the Spirit
and harmony of fellowship
that Paul is commending the church of Ephesus for
that doesn't mean that
everything goes
it does it mean that there isn't
some attitudes and behaviors that should not be
tolerated that shouldn't even be included
and God's word is very clear about that this is a strong passage
and for those of you that are on the grow
make an appointment with me I'll walk with you with this one listen to what
Paul says
he speaking for God really
but he, God, will pour out His anger
and His wrath
on those who live for themselves
who refused to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness
when I'm talking about imperfection and allowing others to participate
there is that person
there is a wickedness there is a sinfulness that should not be tolerated
no, that
that should not be include
in what we're doing
God wants
and has gifted everybody to participate
we're to
set aside our judgmental critical spirit
we should stop making mountains out of mole hills no, you'll never stopped the
moles by the way
you know mole hills there they are part of a life
you have a choice about whether you make up all mole hill into a mountain or not
and Paul simply says stop doing it
find some gentleness, some graciousness in you
that will set aside your judgmental critical spirit
and truly celebrate and include another person not just being polite to them
not just tolerating them
the truly celebrating them
yes, part of our job is
is to make room
for other people to be themselves as different as they are
the second thing that we
we need to do is
we need to see that
our job is to help other people grow
now here's a news flash for you everybody's under construction even you
we're all a work in progress aren't we?
here's the Bible
learn to be mature isn't it interesting you're not automatically
mature you may be old
automatically
by the way I've just turned fifty nine
next year I turn sixty
put it on your calendars
you will be throwing me a party
you will be buying me a very expensive gift (laughter)
learn to be mature
second Peter three
continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our savior Jesus Christ
Ephesians two ten for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to
do good works
which God prepared in advance for us to do, wow
we're all on the grow and let me say something about
spiritual and practical maturity and growth
don't compare yourself
to other people
God does not grade on a curve
when you look at your growth and what you're learning your own maturity
only judge yourself against yourself
because you know some of us start a lot farther back in the race of life than
others
in fact, some of us got a pretty good head start
in life in terms of
maturity and spirituality
and it's not about
who's up ahead it's about the distance that we've covered in our life
because we are all work
we're all works under construction
we're all maturing none of us have arrived
and so
our job is to help
in the construction
of other people
let everything you say be good and helpful
so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them
remember last week
if I gave you ten cents for every positive affirming word you speak
and I deduct five cents for every critical
and unkind word you say would you be rich or poor
rich or poor
so encourage each other, that message is coming by the way
so encourage each other and build each other up just as you are already doing
whether you build another person up or not
has everything to do with how do you envision yourself
and other people
and when it comes to the construction
of other people
how do you see yourself
ahh now the egg I know you've been waiting
this egg is not hard boiled for a reason
because I think
people are like eggs
in fact I could have brought up
a great variety of eggs
a friend of ours has
about four different kinds of chickens and I'm a city boy
so it was interesting to note that certain chickens
dispenses certain colored eggs
in fact there not even all the same shape
she has one chicken lays kind of an oblong blue egg
and it always has a double yolk in it
isn't that funny
now, what is your job when it comes
to the construction of those around you
I would propose to you today
that your job
is to hatch the egg not smash the egg
your job is to hatch the egg not smash the egg
and we're going to hatch
the eggs around us
if we do what God directs us to do in His word
when we're willing to make some room
for other people's faults
for their imperfection
when we're willing to include
them instead of exclude them
when we see our job
in life
not only the build and mature in ourselves
but to take some responsibility for the maturity and the growth of those around
us
wow, isn't that what God's calling us to do
yeah I think it is
I think it is
actually
loving other people
means loving them enough
to help them
mature and grow because
they're under construction just like
like we are, like I am
and what will it take
I think the toughest of all the list humility, gentleness, patience
it'll take some patience
to make room for other people
it'll take some patience if you wanna come alongside somebody else
and build them up
first Thessalonians four
five fourteen
the patient with everyone first Corinthians thirteen four
Love is patient
patient
it does take some patience
to deal with the
peculiar element of those around you
that patients makes a difference on whether you're
around to be helpful to them
or your hurring off in some other direction
we're talking about what kind of relationships we ought to have
as those that are following this book
those that are following the leading of the Holy Spirit
what could the relationships around you
use
how would you like other people to address you
everybody wants
some slack cut in their direction
everybody wants to break for their imperfection
we all need to make some room
for the fault of other people because
we've got our faults too
so what do we do in the week ahead we make some room
for the peculiar treasures around us
and I think the insight there is we need to realize that the way they're going to
do it in the way I'm going to do it
because we're gifted differently
they're going to do a little bit differently than
we're going to do it and we need to be cautious
about saying that there are way is wrong and our way is right
because when we do that
whether it's a marriage
whether it's a neighbor
whether it's a co-worker
whether it's your children
if you
criticize and if you carry a judgmental spirit
looked behind you and see if you haven't made a few mole hills into mountain
because my guess is you have
in that mountian is there for everyone
to see
remember you're under construction too
and that God calls you to
help other people in their personal construction projects
and yes if you're like me and you're not a
highly patient person
that's one of the things you pray when you get up in the morning
Lord give me patience
more than I naturally have
because when we're patient with other people
we're almost always loving towards other people
and actually
it's all about love
let's pray
Lord, you know where we have a tendency to be more critical and judgmental
and Lord in those areas it will take some divine power for us to set that
aside
because it does come so naturally to us
it's almost second nature to us
yet Lord we can see that we've made some
mountains out of mole hills
and Lord as we are under construction
Lord help us remember that other people are under construction
it's alright as long as it's not you
Lord help us together
to build one of their up to be helpful to one another
and Lord that will require from us
a profound sense of patience
so Lord help us to walk with others at their pace
help us Lord fashion our words and our actions of encouragement
into messages that the another person
can easily perceive
for Lord that's what you do for us
yes, we admit it
we're all sinners and we fall short of your glorious ideal and Lord as you
do not hold that against us
Lord help us not to hold the imperfections of others against them
that Lord as you have lavished grace on us
help us extend grace to all of those that we meet to your glory
and to your honor we pray Amen.