Jesus made a couple of interesting statements, and He said in John 5, Verse 30 and John 7:24; He made two interesting statements. He said: My judgement's not My own, it's what I hear from the Father. He said: I don't judge according to appearances, what looks to be, but what I see and hear, and so of all the mistakes I've made in assessing everything, most of it's been about judging by appearances. It's the most chronic thing. I think about the difficulties we've had in communication in our marriage. That could all be boiled down to just one problem: making assumptions. Well I thought you meant, or I thought, I thought, I thought. You never stop to enquire, you just come to a conclusion, which is a judgement. So one of the things that would help our lives, is to not jump to conclusions about anything; ask questions until you've found out. Just enquire - and listen to God, because things aren't always what they seem to be. What looks bad can sometimes be quite different in the light of God's presence on it. Whoever's firm in their own course seems right, so when someone comes to you and tells you how badly they've been treated by a leader, how bad they've been treated by this one and that one, remember they seem right because the first to speak up. Wait until you hear the other side of the story. Oh, different.
See, a neighbour comes and it's a different story when you hear the other side of the story. It's a huge discipline not to judge by what you first hear, but to keep calm, and wait until you've heard the whole story, and help people do what God wants them to do. That's learning judgement. Ooh, this is too deep isn't it really. Here's a simpler one then. I'll give you the last couple. [Laughs] The last couple that you could do, and then we'll finish. Here it goes. Generosity to the poor. That's got to be a response to Jesus being just, and being a judge. Is that our heart, we learn He is generous, and He loves generosity to people who are in need? He loves it. He actually demonstrated - He came to earth to people who hated Him, rebelled against Him, there's no one saved, and He came to all of them, and He showed generosity in extreme. That is the nature. Why? Because He's a just God. That's what justice looks like - but you say: that's not fair. That doesn't seem right to me. No, it isn't, but it's what God is like. He will give to people when they don't deserve it, and He calls that just.
You think ooh, this is hard for me to get a handle on. No, just be generous, and be kind, and when you see people in need, show generosity before anything else. Show kindness to them before anything else, and you'll extend the kingdom of God. They will see what the kingdom of God is truly like. Isn't that amazing? Aren't those great keys to learn, great and simple keys to learn? And here's the last one that you could do, the last one you can remember is this: whatever you do, serve the Lord passionately, and do it well. Why? Why would I need to do that? Why can't I just come and cruise? Why can't I just come and cruise, you know? That suits me more. It suits my lifestyle, you know, I'll come if I like, and don't come if I don't like. I'll do if I want, and don't do if I don't want, give if I want, don't give and if I go on the internet, and if I argue with them and disagree here - getting into all of that kind of - why? Why? Why? It's very simple.
Colossians 3:23; whatever you do do it fully, passionately, from the heart to the Lord. Why? Because you know something. What do you know? From the Lord, you will receive reward, inheritance, that it is eternal. Now this is one, this is the whole doctrine of eternal judgement. It's not about just doing things right. It's about God's justice in rewarding His saints. Now God has got every one of us here on an apprenticeship for eternity, so how are you conducting your apprenticeship? Who is speaking into you, to help you with that? How are you treating people? What are you harbouring in your heart, and are you serving passionately? Why? Because there is a day when I'll cross that line. If He hasn't come before then, I'll cross it into well done, enter into the reward I've prepared for you, because I'll leave everything else behind. It doesn't matter how fancy it is, you'll leave it all behind, but the things you've sown in the kingdom, oh, you carry on into eternity, for a reward that is everlasting. That's why we're motivated.