First Baptist Church Litchfield
chapel 2/18

      • Psalm 147:1ESV

  • Out of the Mud
  • Sovereign One

      • Titus 3:4–7ESV

  • Small as a Mustard Seed (Matthew 17:20)
  • Peace

  • The Kind of School We Are Becoming…

    Every school year begins with questions.

    What kind of students will we be?

    What kind of families will we become?

    What kind of culture will shape these hallways?

    Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” The direction of your heart determines the direction of your life. At the begining of the school year, we set a direction for us to go. A path for us to follow. This year the path we have walked is learning about the Good Life. Jesus has been instructing our hearts about how to live the good life, now, in this world.
    Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount by speaking about direction. He describes two ways to live. Two gates. Two roads. Two destinations.
    At the center of that choice stands one command that summarizes the whole law of God. Matthew 7:12 says, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
    You know this verse as the “Golden Rule.” The Golden Rule is obeyed with Golden Love. The Golden Rule answers our opening question. “What kind of school community will we be?”

    We will be a community shaped by Golden Love.

    Yet we must be honest about ourselves. Since Genesis 3, our hearts have bent inward. We think first about ourselves. James 4:1 asks, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you”
    We feel that war. In group projects. In friendships. In family conversations. In athletic competition.
    Jesus calls us into a different way of living. And because He first loved us, we can follow Him into that way.
    Today we will see three truths from Matthew 7:12 to 14

    Faithful disciples practice Golden Love Faithful disciples choose the narrow path Faithful disciples press on in Christ

    And as we walk through these truths, we will ask what they meant for us at LCS this year.

    Faithful Disciples Practice Golden Love Matthew 7:12

    Jesus says, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This is the Golden Rule. Why is it golden? Because it sums up the law and the prophets, or the two greatest commandments: Love God and Love neighbor. Your love for God should be experienced by your neighbor in how you love them. And in the same way you love yourself, the same intensity and intentionality, you must love your neighbor.
    That little word “so” gathers up everything Jesus has taught in chapters 5 through 7. He has spoken about anger, lust, truthfulness, generosity, prayer, anxiety, and judgment. Now He condenses it all into one golden shining command.
    The heart of the law is love. Leviticus 19:18 commands, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus affirms this in Matthew 22:37-40, when He says the entire law hangs on loving God and loving neighbor.
    The Golden Rule is to be obeyed with Golden Love. So, Golden Love begins with a question.

    How do you desire to be treated?

    When you fail a test, how do you want a teacher to respond? When you disappoint a friend, how do you want them to speak to you? When you sin, how do you want God to deal with you?
    Psalm 103:10 tells us that God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” That is the pattern of grace.
    Our fallen instinct moves toward self protection. We defend. We withdraw. We retaliate. Yet Jesus moves toward mercy. On the cross, He absorbed wrath so that we could receive forgiveness. Romans 5:8 “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Golden Love flows from the sacrificial grace saturated cross wrought love.
    Let me give you an illustration.
    Imagine a mirror in the hallway of this school. Every time you walk by it, you pause and look at yourself. Your hair. Your clothes. Your expression. Now imagine that instead of a mirror, there is a window. When you look up, you see someone else. You see their needs. Their struggles. Their fears. Self centered living is like staring at a mirror. Golden Love turns the mirror into a window.

    How should I practice Golden Love?

    Choose words that build up.

    Words have consequences, good and bad. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up.” Choose good words to build one another up in Christ.

    Complete your work with integrity and generosity.

    Refuse gossip.

    Proverbs 20:19 warns about spreading secrets.
    At home,

    Model forgiveness in your class and homes.

    Colossians 3:13 says, “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

    Speak about others with dignity.

    Practice hospitality and generosity.

    Golden Love creates a Christ honoring neighbor loving culture. It is stitched together through daily acts of faithfulness. One kind word. One apology. One prayer.
    Over time those small threads become something beautiful and warm. A community that reflects Christ.

    Faithful Disciples Choose the Narrow Path Matthew 7:13-14

    Jesus continues, “13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14
    Two gates. Two roads. Two destinations.
    The broad road requires little thought and effort. It is shaped by comfort, popularity, and convenience.
    The narrow road requires deliberate obedience. It’s intentional. It’s hard. Very few will walk it. Luke 13:24 says, “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” The word strive suggests effort and focus.

    Why is this path difficult?

    Because it involves self denial. Matthew 16:24 says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
    Self denial means that Christ’s will becomes greater than personal preference. Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
    Picture two students preparing for a major exam. One chooses the broad road of distraction. Hours disappear into scrolling on your and entertaining yourself on you Playstation. The other chooses focused study. The effort feels heavy in the moment, yet it produces growth and confidence.
    The same principle applies spiritually. Hebrews 12:11 says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

    How should I walk the narrow path?

    Pursue excellence in academics as worship.

    Colossians 3:23 teaches, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord.”

    Stand firm in biblical convictions even when classmates disagree.

    Order your schedules around worship and discipleship.

    Guard your habits at home from influences that shape hearts away from Christ.

    The narrow road also includes perseverance through opposition. 2 Timothy 3:12 reminds us that those who desire to live godly lives will face resistance.
    Christ Himself walked this road. Hebrews 12:2 calls us to look to Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him.
    The narrow path leads to life because Christ stands at its end.

    Faithful Disciples Press Onward in Christ Philippians 3:12-14

    Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
    The Christian life is forward movement. It is steady obedience fueled by grace.
    Jesus later describes two builders in Matthew 7:24 to 27. One builds on sand. One builds on rock. The storm reveals the foundation.
    Think of constructing a house. The foundation is hidden beneath the surface. No one applauds it. Yet when storms come, that unseen structure determines survival.
    Daily obedience may feel ordinary. Reading Scripture. Praying. Completing assignments honestly. Speaking kindly. Those habits form a foundation.

    How do I press onward in Christ?

    Develop daily time in the Word.

    Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

    Seek accountability and wise counsel.

    Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.”

    Encourage spiritual disciplines in your homes and classrooms.

    Pray for perseverance and humility.

    Pressing on does not earn salvation. It flows from belonging to Christ. Grace empowers endurance.

    What kind of disciple are we?

    At the start of this message, we asked what kind of school we are becoming.
    Jesus gives us the answer. A community shaped by Golden Love. A people walking the narrow path. A family pressing on in Christ.
    Every year sets direction. Every choice shapes culture.
    Golden Love turns mirrors into windows. The narrow path trains hearts for life. Pressing on builds foundations that storms cannot destroy.
    So as we begin this year at LCS, fix your eyes on Christ. Love as you have been loved. Walk the path that leads to life. Build on the rock.
    One day, the school year will end. The grades will fade. The trophies will gather dust. What will remain is the character formed in Christ.
    May this be a year when Golden Love fills these halls. May we walk together on the narrow way. And may everything we do point to the glory of Jesus Christ.
    Amen.

      • Philippians 3:12–14ESV

  • Empowered by the Spirit, Guided by the Word

      • Romans 15:5–6ESV

First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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