Title: “How Do You Like To Be Treated”
Text: Matthew 7:12
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law & the Prophets.”
I’ve entitled my message, “How do you like to be treated?” Some of you are saying to yourself about now, “Well, pastor, I like to be Treated with;
-Love
-Respect
-Kindness
-Understanding
-Encouragement
But I’ve got to ask you a question, “do you treat others this way?” If we aren’t careful, we have a Tendency to say, “If people would show these Attributes towards me---I would treat them the same way.”
You see, that’s the Problem. Jesus didn’t say, “Treat people with the same Respect that they treat you.” He said, “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.”
This is where we have a Tendency to Drop the Ball. It’s easy to;
-Love others when they are Lovable.
-Forgive others when they Forgive you.
-Be Kind, when someone is Kind to you.
-The world can show that kind of Love.
John 13:35
“By this all will know that you are my Disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Matthew 5: 43-46
“You have heard that it was said, “You shall Love your neighbor & hate your enemy.”
“But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you.”
“That you may be sons of your Father in Heaven; For He makes His Sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust.”
“For if you Love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the Tax Collectors do the same?”
How will the world know that we are Christians?
-Not by the Sign over the Door.
-Not by our Beautiful Worship.
-But by our Love!
Someone said, “There is a Magnet in your Heart that will attract true Friends. That Magnet is Unselfishness, Thinking of others first....when you Live for others, they will Live for you.”
Andrew Murray said, “My Relationship with God is part of my Relationship with Men. Failure in one will cause Failure in the other.”
John Ashcroft said, “The most important thing my dad taught me is that there are more important things than me.”
Someone said, “A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae away from a kick in the pants, but it’s miles ahead in terms of Results.”
I. How Has Your Attitude Been Lately?
How has your Attitude been towards Life in General? How has your Attitude been Towards People? You say, “Well Pastor it’s been pretty good “IF”;
-People measure up to my Standards.
-People do things my way!
-People don’t rub me the wrong way!
-Friend, you had better wake up!
Hear me please. Jesus didn’t tell us to Love People & to have a good Attitude if people Conducted themselves a Certain way or If Circumstances always went our way.
He commanded us to Love People, even when they didn’t Live up to our Expectations. If you allow People or Circumstances to Dictate how you feel, then you’ll wrestle with your Attitude all of your Life!
What you Believe gives Rise both to what you Feel & how you Respond to Life. Your Attitude produces your Behavior. John Maxwell said, “Your Attitude determines your Altitude.”
And what you Feel on the Inside of you is Directly related to what you Become as a Person & what you Succeed at Accomplishing in Life. You say, “I don’t believe that!”
Proverbs 4: 23
“Keep your Heart with all Diligence, for out of it spring the issues of Life.”
Proverbs 23: 7
“For as he thinks in his Heart, so is he....”
What have you been Thinking about Lately? Because the Things that you dwell on are going to come out! If someone could Squeeze You----what would come out?
1. Would It Be The Fruits of The Flesh?
-Would it be Adulterous Thoughts?
-Would it be Unclean Thoughts?
-Would it be thoughts of Hatred?
-Would it be thoughts of Contention?
-Would it be Selfish Thoughts?
-Would it be thoughts of Dissensions?
I hope that you aren’t allowing these thoughts to eat away at you because they will not only Destroy you-----but they will Destroy others in your Path.
You can’t continue to Think & Dwell on these things without it affecting you & others. You see, in order for us to Treat others the way that we want to be Treated, we’ve got to Learn some things;
-How to Think Right.
-How to Talk Right.
-How to Respond to Life Right.
-And the choice is up to us.
-The 10 Spies never learned this Lesson!
-And it kept them out of the Promise Land.
Philippians 4: 8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are True, whatsoever things are Noble, whatsoever things are Just, whatsoever things are Pure, whatsoever things are Lovely, whatsoever things are of Good Report, if there is any Virtue & if there is anything Praiseworthy, meditate on these things.”
2. Would It Be The Fruits of the Spirit?
There is a Lie that is Sweeping our Country Today & that Lie is, “I go to Church & I walked down to an Altar when I was Younger & Repeated a Prayer, so that means I’m Saved.”
Jesus said, “By their FRUITS you will know them.” John the Baptist said to the Religious Leaders, “I want to see the Fruits of your Repentance.”
-We are Epistles known & read of all men.
-Does the World see “His Fruit” in us?
-Does God’s “Love” flow from your Life?
-Does God’s “Joy” flow from your Lips?
-Does God’s “Peace” reign in your Heart?
-Do you do “Good Things” for others?
-Do you show “Kindness” to all People?
-Do you show “Self-Control” in your Life?
-I’m asking you to take a good look at yourself!
II. The Key That Gives Rise To Success.
Jesus made a statement that is Perhaps the most important Key to Success that you will ever Encounter. It Frames an Attitude that gives Rise to Success.
It’s a Principle so Basic that a Child can Understand it. And yet it is so Profound that none of us acting in our own Strength Alone, can Live up to it Fully.
What is that Simple Principle? It’s the Principle that Jesus made in Matthew 7. Most of us Learned this verse as children. It is called “The Golden Rule”. But let’s Look at it in the right Context.
Matthew 7: 7-12
“Ask & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & it will be opened to you.
“For everyone who asks receives, & he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks it will be opened.
“Or what man is there among you who, if his Son asks for Bread, will give him a Stone?
“Or if he asks for a Fish, will he give him a Serpent?
“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 & the Prophets.”
This statement is called “The Golden Rule”, of Behavior. It is a statement that Jesus made in context of getting our needs met & Accomplishing the Things that the Lord Desires for us to Be & to Do.
Jesus was challenging the People to ask the Lord for a Blessing;
-What is Your Will for my Life God?
-What do You Want me to do?
-What will make me a Success in Your Eyes?
Jesus encouraged the People to seek the Goodness of God. He said, “If you think that your Earthly Parents want to Bless you, how much more do you Think that Your Heavenly Father Desires to Bless you!
But then Jesus threw us a Curve Ball that we Often Miss! He said, “If you Live in a Right Standing with other People, Treating them the way that you want to be Treated, then you will be Blessed by the Lord & by Men.”
Please Hear me. The Lord, Evaluates us, Forgives us & Rewards us in Direct Proportion to the way that we Think & Act towards other People. That is Scary!
Too many people Like to Overlook & Try to Dismiss this very important Principle of God’s Word. Many Christians say, “The Lord Judges me solely on what I do in my relationship with the Lord.”
Please hear me, this isn’t what the Bible Teaches. The Bible teaches us that the Lord Judges us on the Basis of what we do;
-in regard to Him.
-But also in regard to Others.
III. How Do You Treat Other People?
It’s easy to come to Church on Sunday Morning & Put on Religious Faces. All of us have them, if we aren’t careful. But I’ve got to ask you, “How do you Treat other People?”
1. How Do You Treat Your Spouse?
Do you know what the Word says? It says that if we don’t treat her the right way, with Love & Respect that our Prayers will be Hindered.
2. How Do You Treat Your Children?
Do you Talk to them the way that you would want someone to talk to you? It’s just something to Think about.
3. How Do You Treat Your Co-Workers?
4. How Do You Treat Your Boss?
-Do you show up for Work on Time?
-Do you always give him your Best?
-Do you have a good attitude towards him?
-But Pastor, “You don’t know my Boss”!
-We forget that we are EPISTLES!
-We have Forgotten that we are the Light!
5. How Do You Treat Your Neighbor?
Oh pastor, “If you only knew my Neighbors”.
-They are Lost.
-They don’t want anything to do with RELIGION.
-They are really Wicked People.
-They don’t care about anyone but Themselves.
-Then Let Them See JESUS in YOU!
Philippians 2: 3-4
“Let nothing be done through Selfish Ambition or Conceit, but in Lowliness of Mind let each Esteem others better than himself.
“Let each of you look out not only for his own Interest, but also for the interests of others.”
If we would put this Scripture into Practice, I am Convinced that we would see;
-Marriages Transformed.
-Churches filled with God’s Love.
-A Lost World saying, “I want what they have.”
IV. What Attitudes Are You Sowing?
The way you Treat others is Directly related to God’s Laws regarding Sowing & Reaping. Every Morning when you get up, you began to Sow.
-We Sow in Our Minds.
-We Sow in Our Thoughts (Positive or Negative).
-We Sow in our Actions.
-We either Sow to The Flesh or The Spirit.
-And you are the one that does the Sowing.
Someone said, “If you cheat in Practice, you’ll cheat in the Game. If you cheat in your Head, you’ll cheat on the Test. You’ll cheat on the girl. You’ll cheat in Business. You’ll cheat on your Mate.”
Sow a Thought, Reap an Act, Sow an Act, reap a Habit. Sow a Habit, reap a Character. Sow a Character, reap a Destiny.
Every Farmer knows that he cannot Expect a Crop unless he plants the Seed.
Furthermore, a Farmer doesn’t expect a Harvest of Corn, if he plants a Harvest of Wheat. What Attitudes have you been Sowing Lately?
Let me say a few things in closing that I think will help you;
1. We Live In A Fallen World & All of Us Fall Short of God’s Glory.
-People will fail you.
-People will let you down.
-People at times can be Brutal.
-But Love them Anyway!
2. You Are Never Given The Privilege of Treating Others In An Ungodly Manner, No Matter How They May Mistreat You.
Little Chad was a shy, quiet young man. One day he came home & told his mother to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, “I wish that he would do that!” because she watched the way the other children treated him.
Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper & glue & crayons. For 3 whole weeks, night & day, Chad painstakingly made 35 valentines.
Valentines Day came & Chad was beside himself with Excitement. He carefully stacked them up, put them in a Bag & ran out the door. His mother decided to bake him his Favorite Cookies & Serve them up Warm when he got home.
She just knew that Chad would be disappointed. It hurt her to think that he worked so hard on all of those Valentines & he might not get any in return.
That afternoon when she heard the School Bus, she looked out the Window, waiting for Chad. Sue enough here they came, laughing & having the best time. And as always, there was Chad in the Rear.
He was walking a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst through the door with Tears because his Arms were Empty. When the doors opened, she chocked back the Tears.
“Mommy has some warm cookies & milk for you Chad.” But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face was aglow, & all he could say was; “Not a one...not a one.” Her Heart Sank. And then he added, “I didn’t forget a single person in my class mom.”
3. Nowhere in the Bible Does It Say That Obedience is Easy.
How do you Like to Be Treated, that a good Question. But a better one is, “Have you been Treating others the way that you want to be Treated?”
If this Lost & Hurting World is Going to Jesus in our Lives, then it is time that we begin Treating Others the way that we would Like to be Treated.
