The 7 People that will Help You to Heaven, Part 1 by Justin Renton
November 5, 2023
Sermon summary:
Watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 44 mins).
We all need a prophet, someone who calls you back to the Word of God, proclaim the truth, and what you need to do; no matter how difficult it is. Good students make good teachers, and we are called to help others be learners and imitate and put into practice what we've learned.
A soulmate is someone with whom you have a special and deep affinity. It is a unique and special relationship. You need someone who will tell you without fear what you need to hear. It requires a deep sense of trust, a willingness to pay the price for friendship, not being afraid to show emotion or affection, and someone who will help you find strength in God. And, while you can have more than one encourager in your life, everyone needs that one person who knows everything about you. That person will encourage you to be more like Jesus. Practically, it means someone who will pitch up, meet, give, reach out when others don't, help you fulfill God's will for your life, and stand with you even when you stumble.
You can convince yourself that your point of view is the correct one when you want something to go your way. Spiritual advice has an eternal impact. Be humble enough to ask for help. Get an advisor and ask what you need to change. A mentor will help you to be like and live for Jesus. Don't under-estimate the power of having a mentor.
True righteousness is justice in practice: following Jesus by seeking what is right, defending the vulnerable, and restoring dignity to those around us.
Imagine you are at a neighborhood barbecue. Your new neighbor arrives late, dressed casually, and barely speaks. Someone whispers, “She thinks she’s too good for us.” You feel the quick sting of that snap judgment. Later, you learn she just lost her husband and is quietly grieving. In that moment, you sense the discomfort of judging wrongly, a rush to conclusions that harms relationships and reveals more about our own hearts than the other person. Yet, the same evening, when another guest makes a racist joke, you feel an inner nudge to speak up. Is that also “judging”? This everyday tension captures what Jesus presents in Scripture: a divine balance between grace-filled restraint and righteous discernment. The two commands in tension “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” – Matthew 7: “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” – John 7:24 At first glance, these seem contradictory. Don’t judge. Judge correctly. Which is it? Matthew 7 warns against a critical, hypocritical spirit that condemns others while ignoring our own faults. The context continues: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). Jesus then uses the vivid image of someone with a plank in their own eye trying to remove a speck from another’s. Notice the aim: “then you will see clearly to remove the speck.” Self-examination is not a reason to stay silent. It is how we become safe enough to speak (Matthew 7:3-5). John 7, however, shows Jesus defending his healing on the Sabbath. He challenges the religious leaders: stop superficial, appearance-based judgments and instead apply right, truthful judgment aligned with God’s character and Word. This is not a contradiction but a divine tension, two truths that must be held together. We are called to humility and self-examination (do not judge harshly or hypocritically), while also exercising discernment and moral clarity (judge correctly, according to truth). Christianity rejects both naive permissiveness (“anything goes, no one can say anything”) and harsh legalism (constant condemnation without grace).
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about next year’s trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro.