"The Verse Everybody Knows... And What It Really Means" by Neal Pollard

August 30, 2026 - Sunday AM Sermon This episode features a sermon rooted in Matthew 7:1–6 and the wider context of the Sermon on the Mount, delivered during a service that includes youth-led worship and a brief announcement about three college‑age men preaching on the theme "Jesus the Master Teacher." Neal unpacks what Jesus meant by "Judge not, that you be not judged," showing how familiar words must be understood in context and tied back to Matthew 5:20 and the larger sermon. The message examines the process of unrighteous judgment — how judgment begins in thought, becomes a narrowed way of seeing, and then moves outward into speech and action. The sermon traces sin’s progression with biblical illustrations (Eve, Lot, Joseph’s brothers, Achan, David, Herod, Judas) and modern cultural examples of how "judge not" is often invoked in media controversies. Three principal problems with unrighteous judgment are identified: bias (we excuse ourselves and favor loved ones), hypocrisy (deflecting attention from our own faults and building ourselves up by tearing others down), and a distorted view (acting on incomplete facts or outward appearances). Neal uses concrete examples — including a baseball player’s ocular migraine and the story of Eliab and David — to show how limited perspective warps response. The sermon offers a clear prescription. Practical steps include practicing rigorous self‑examination ("examine yourself"), cultivating brotherly love and the Golden Rule, actively asking God for help, and intentionally looking for the good in others (becoming "sparkle detectors" like Barnabas saw good in Paul). Neal stresses that discernment and church discipline have a place — but must be exercised by God’s standard and in a spirit of gentleness and mercy (Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, Hebrews). The talk concludes with a reminder that righteous judgment is distinct from the unrighteous kind the sermon warns against: Christians are called to uphold God’s standard without becoming "hanging judges." Mercy triumphs over judgment, and the preacher issues an invitation to respond in repentance and obedience — a call to faith, baptism, and restoration that echoes the prodigal‑son picture of a merciful Father. Listeners can expect a theological, pastoral, and practical exploration of judgment: careful exegesis of Matthew 7:1–6, scriptural cross‑references (John, James, 1 Corinthians, Romans), real‑world illustrations, and specific, actionable steps for replacing unfair criticism with humble, compassionate discernment.   Handout:   The Verse Everybody Knows... And What It Really Means Neal Pollard Text: _____________________________ I. THE ________________________ OF UNRIGHTEOUS _________________________ A. "I _____________________________________" (1-2) B. "I _____________________________________" (3) C. "I _____________________________________" (4) D. "I _____________________________________" (5) II. THE ________________________ OF UNRIGHTEOUS ________________________ A. We Suffer From _________________________________ B. We Struggle With ________________________________ C. We Struggle With A ____________________________ View II. THE ________________________ FOR UNRIGHTEOUS ______________________ A. ____________________________________ B. ____________________________________ C. ____________________________________ D. ____________________________________ E. ____________________________________ Conclusion A. God Doesn't Condemn: B. But That's Not What Jesus Is Addressing In This Passage C. We Will All Receive ____________________ From _________________ (Js. 2:11-12)   Duration 33:33