Taking the ‘Mis’ out of Misunderstanding | Mike Teixeira

‘mis’… signifies error or incorrectness

“mis-understanding”

“ASSUMICIDE”

• To assume means to believe something without proof
• Assumicide is when we attach motives to someone’s words or actions

Big Idea: “Assess BEFORE Assuming”

Assess before assuming, because…

1. It’s how we handle hearsay .

Joshua 22:10-12 (NLT)

¹⁰ But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.

¹¹ The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River. 

¹² So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. 

2. The pathway to understanding is to before acting

Joshua 22:13-16 (NLT)

¹³ First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ¹⁴ In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel.

¹⁵ When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ¹⁶“The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him? ¹⁷ Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the Lord. 

John Maxwell

“It’s hard to listen and learn when you think you already know everything.”

Proverbs 18:13 (NLT)

¹³ Spouting off before listening to the facts
    is both shameful and foolish.

James 1:19 (NLT)

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

Danny Silk

“Our first goal in a conversation is to understand one another”

Joshua 22:21-26, 28 (NLT)

²¹ Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel: ²²“The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. ²³ If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself punish us.

²⁴“The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ The Lord has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the Lord.’ So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the Lord.

²⁶ “So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, ²⁷ but as a memorial.

²⁸ “If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the Lord.’ 

3. It’s how we cknowledge, less and arry-on!

Joshua 22:30-31 (NLT)

³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of Israel—heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. ³¹ Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, “Today we know the Lord is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the Lord.”

Joshua 22:33 (NLT)

³³ And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad.

“True Biblical unity is not the absence of conflict. It’s the presence of a reconciling spirit.”

Matthew 18:15 (NLT)

¹⁵ “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)

²³ “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Assess before assuming, because…

1. It’s how we handle hearsay wisely.

2. The pathway to understanding is to ask before acting

3. It’s how we Acknowledge, Bless, and Carry-on!