Title: Just Do It!
Theme:
Text: Matthew 7:12; Mark 12:28 - 31
Opening Scripture
Isaiah 53:1-5 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (2) For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. (3) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. (5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Offering
Proverbs 11:24-25
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.
Context
Before
Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12 NKJV) cf. Luke 6:31
After
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Paul Emphasized in Romans 13:9 & Galatians 5:13, 14
Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving [58] that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' [59] This is the first commandment. [60] And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' [61] There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31 NKJV)
Introduction
Last week we talked about from John 17 where Jesus challenges His church to be not in the world but of the world. He never calls us to isolate ourselves but to separate ourselves.
We realize we are ambassadors of Christ. We represent Him. We must be different. It is not easy to be different.
So how should we interact.
Principle # 1: These words sum up all the words of the laws and the prophets
Average Old Testament has 677 pages. Over 330 commandments.
NLT 12 "Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
So what Jesus was saying that this one phrase “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the summary of the whole Old Testament.
Principle #2: These are words of Action
Words of Action – We take the initiative
Other Religions – Negative
Christianity – Action
Do G4160 - Original: ποιέω - Transliteration: Poieo - Phonetic: poy-eh'-o
- Definition: to make, to be the author of, to produce, bear fruit,
MSG 12 "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
3. The golden rule is concerned with true love and with positive, active behavior.
a. It is more than not doing wrong (lying, stealing, cheating).
b. It is more than just doing good (helping, caring, giving).
c. It is looking, searching, and seeking for ways to do the good that you want others to do to you. It is seeking ways to treat others just as you want them to treat you.
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Matthew I.
Isaiah’s Challenge
Isaiah 1:17-18 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; [1] Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. (18) "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
It is one thing to say we have faith, it is another to act on that faith.
Principle # 3 “Love is too busy to have time to hate.
When you practice the golden rule in action you don’t have to worry about how you will react when someone hurts you.
1 Peter 3:15-17 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
1 Peter 3:15-17 MSG Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. (16) Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. (17) It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad.
We need to be ready to do good to others so that when we are questioned people will know our character of love.
Chief Capers: “Love is too busy to have time to hate.
Love and doing for others keep our heart in check from prejudice, jealously, hurt, etc.
Principle # 4: This is not just to be practiced on Christians but all people.
Luke 10:29 Story of the Good Samaritan
Priests – Preachers
Levites – Layperson
Samaritan – the World
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
This is the action of true Christians. Those who love God and loves the world.
Principle # 5: We must love ourselves in order to love others.
Our Marriage
Ephesians 5:28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
Hindrances to loving self
Unforgiveness
Hurt
Guilt
I can’t tell you how many people I have met that have spoken harsh to me or to others and the Spirit would speak to me and say, “That is a reflection of how they feel about themselves.” It is a reflection of hurt. It is a reflection of guilt or jealously.
Conclusion
It is time to evaluate our behavior. Making us consider how we treat others. How we limit our love for others.
When we help others and do good it opens our self up to witness.
