I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by a human court. Yes, I don’t even judge my own self.But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 sermons cite this verse
… standing, but I want you to be seated because I want to talk you into the Scripture today. So take your seat wherever you are and turn in your Bible, please, to 1 Corinthians 4, verses 1 through 5. 1 Corinthians 4, 1 through 5. Thank you for your word, Lord. Somebody say what Samuel said. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. We talked about Samuel last week and how he attuned his ear to the voice of God so that before he spoke for God, he had to learn to hear from God. Very important. The apostle Paul was another preacher who had to hear from God before he could speak for God. because there was a time in his life when he persecuted followers of Christ, and he thought he was serving God. He had to come to that all-important place that really measures your maturity in the Lord where he said, I was wrong. Try to say that one time. See how hard it is to say. I was wrong by a vowel. Wrong. He spent the rest of his ministry not trying to make it up to God, but trying to spread the message of the God who had saved him by grace after spending his whole life trying to earn God's favor through keeping the law. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul is well into his established ministry, and he's doing something we would never think that someone of his caliber would have to do. He's defending himself to the Corinthian church. …
… Secondly, and this we did as well last week, he was content to be judged by God. Verse 3, "'For to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself, for I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted. But the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God. content to be judged by God alone. He's not even an objective judge of his own heart. He says, even if I am conscious of nothing against myself, I am not acquitted, because there's enough remaining sin in me to confuse my own conscience and my own self-evaluation. Table desses biased and certainly ignorant. …
… In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself, for I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts. And then each man's praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brother, and I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sake, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? …
… I am what I am by the grace of God. He said in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3, but with me it's a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment. That doesn't blow me out of the way. You see, a healthy person is not shipwrecked by some criticism. As a matter of fact, he'll learn from it. Now, let me come to the third and the happy part of this thing. How do we, how do we get free of this? And friend, it's in all of us. Sometimes it's been put in by over-demanding parents. We get our concept of God from our concept of our parents. AND IF YOU WERE RAISED BY A PERFECTIONIST MOTHER, A PERFECTIONIST FATHER, OR IF YOU CAME OUT OF A VERY NARROW DOCTRINAIRE TYPE OF PREACHING, YOU MAY HAVE HAD A PERSON WHO HAS MOTIVATED YOU BY GUILT AND NOT BY GRACE. AND IF I HAVE EVER STOOD UP IN THIS PULPIT AND MOTIVATED YOU TO GIVE OR TO WIN SOULS OR, OR TO DO ANYTHING OUT OF GUILT, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE WAY GOD MOVES, THAT'S NOT THE WAY GOD WORKS. …