River of Life Church VA
Sunday - October 20, 2024 - "The Golden Rule"
  • Good Grace
  • God So Loved
  • God You're So Good
  • Goodness Of God

      • Matthew 7.12NKJV

      • Luke 10.25-26NKJV

      • Luke 10.27-28NKJV

      • Micah 6.8NKJV

      • Matthew 7.1-2NKJV

      • Matthew 5.43-44NKJV

      • Matthew 5.45-46NKJV

      • Matthew 5.47-48NKJV

      • Psalms 51.1NKJV

      • Romans 13.10NKJV

      • Philippians 2.3-6NLT

      • Philippians 2.7-8NLT

      • Matthew 7.12NKJV

      • Romans 10.9-11NKJV

      • Romans 10.12-13NKJV

      • 1 Chronicles 29.11NKJV

      • 1 Chronicles 29.12-13NKJV

      • 1 Chronicles 29.14-15NKJV

  • Worthy Of It All
  • Your Name Is Holy

  • The Golden Rule

    Matthew 7:12 NKJV
    Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
    At our recent service, Nathan shared a story about a construction worker. This man had a career building homes and he was good at it. He had spent years in the profession and was on his final job before retiring. The boss came and asked him to build one more home. It took a lot of pressure but the man caved in and reluctantly said yes though he really didn’t want to. He built the house but not to the level and standard he usually did. Finally he finished. After the house passed inspection the man’s boss called him in. And he handed him the keys. The man’s heart sank because had he known that house was going to be his, he would have done his best work.
    We have been working through Jesus’ teaching in His sermon on the Mount. His topic is the kingdom of God and the righteousness we need to live with Him in it. We have come to a summary statement, what has become known as “The Golden Rule.”
    Acknowledge that this definitely is connected to the prior statements of judgment and especially prayer.
    If we can learn to apply this simple command to our relationships then we will find the kingdom of God very open to us.
    As with most things in the kingdom this command from Jesus is simple but not easy.
    Illustration: Gentile, Shammai & Hillel. There was a Gentile who came to the Rabbi Shammai and said, “I’ll become a convert if you can teach me the whole law standing on one foot.” Shammai ran him off with the staff in his hand. He then went to the Rabbi Hillel with the same proposition. Hillel told him, “That which is hateful to you don’t do to your neighbor. This is the whole of the Law. The rest is just commentary.”
    Did you notice the difference? He says, “If you don’t like it don’t do it to someone else.” But Jesus said, “If you would like it, do it for someone else.”
    One is about withholding. The second is about giving. If we want God’s best in our lives and relationships then we need to follow Jesus’ teachings on morality, righteousness, and the way of the kingdom.
    When we can live by the Golden Rule—whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them—we will be confident that we are on the road to righteousness.

    Fulfilling the Law and Prophets

    The solution for always keeping the Golden Rule is not found in avoiding people. Keeping this command requires the love of God. It demands righteousness in our judgment and view of other people.
    Our tendency is often to look for reasons to withhold or disqualify. We try to identify red flags and confirm our suspicions that this person is not good enough or worthy of our best. We seek ways to justify our bias and prejudice and sustain our own sense of superiority and worth.
    But treating others as you want to be treated is exactly how we fulfill the requirement of the Law and Prophets and leads to eternal life.
    Luke 10:25–28 NKJV
    25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
    Maybe what makes this difficult for us to practice is the reality of the sinfulness of humanity. People are broken. There is evil in the world. Selfishness abounds. People sin against each other.
    The government still has authority and responsibility to execute justice and consequences for breaking the law, but this particular commandment is for us to apply individually at each opportunity. We can’t redirect our responsibility to the rest of the world. We can’t use the fact that others may not, or probably won’t, follow the Golden Rule as an excuse for us not doing it ourselves. Macro vs. micro perspective and application.
    We live in a fallen world and therefore can’t impose this on others, but what we can do is testify to the righteousness of God’s Law by living by it.
    We need to learn how to love God and love others as ourselves and to treat them as we want to be treated ourselves. This is the simplest expression of the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus on how to do life with others.
    This is to be the normal practice of the Christian. In Christ, we have been born again and made new (John 3.6, 2 Corinthians 5.17). Through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in our soul we are transformed and conformed to Christ. We learn to love and live as He does. We learn to see people and engage them like He does. We learn to become kingdom people who walk with God along the way of life (cf. Genesis 3.8, John 6:63).

    Applying the Golden Rule

    The goal of a kingdom person is to live a good life. A good life is one that is well-pleasing to God. The Lord revealed what this life looks like through the prophet Micah.
    Micah 6:8 NKJV
    He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
    By applying ourselves to doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly we will fulfill the command of Jesus in the Golden Rule.

    Do Justice

    Matthew 7:1–2 NKJV
    1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
    The Hebrew word mišpāṭ is used over 400 times in the Old Testament and the majority of the time it is translated as justice (like we see in Micah 6.8).
    Jesus began this part of the sermon with a warning about being judgmental. Unrighteous judgment for others will lead to us treating them wrong.
    Illustration: Judging Food. Have you ever judged a meal based on it’s looks or presentation? Especially if it looked bad but was actually good.
    When we don’t judge people with righteous judgment, we can assume things that aren’t true. Our judgments make it difficult to treat people right. Rich, poor, lovely, unlovely, stuck up, others-minded…there are so many ways we categorize people and put them in a box and as a result we struggle to treat them justly. We don’t do them justice.
    Before we judge others, judge ourselves. When we judge others do it with the righteous judgment of God. This will allow you to treat them in the way you want to be treated. Remember that the measure you use will be measured back to you.

    Love Mercy

    Matthew 5:43–48 NKJV
    43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 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, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
    The Hebrew word ḥesed is translated with words like mercy, kindness, loving-kindness, and loyalty.
    Mercy is not giving to people what they deserve. It is withholding judgment or vengeance and instead being kind and gracious. It is a commitment to the person in a way that doesn’t ignore their actions but covers them (Proverbs 10.12).
    Psalm 51:1 NKJV
    Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
    Living by the Golden Rule is an exercise of mercy. It is allowing love to cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4.8). It is being quick to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6.14).
    Illustration: Mother Petitioning Napoleon. A mother petitioned Napoleon for pardon. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a crime twice and justice demanded death. She said, “I didn’t come to seek justice. I plead for mercy.” Napoleon response, “But your son does not deserve mercy.” She replied, “Sir, it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all I ask for.” “Well then,” the emperor said, “I will have mercy.” And he pardoned her son. <cite>Luis Palau, Experiencing God's Forgiveness, Multnomah Press, 1984.</cite>
    Everyone needs mercy. There are no perfect people (Romans 3.10). If would practice mercy we would receive it. So give mercy. Be gracious. Treat others as you want to be treated. Be compassionate and loyal to others.
    Romans 13:10 NKJV
    Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

    Walk Humbly

    Philippians 2:3–8 NLT
    3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
    The attitude that Jesus had was humility. He choose us instead of His divine privilege. He choose the will of the Father over His own rights. From this position of humility, He lifted up the poor, lowly, broken, and lost. He gave dignity and value to every human being, not just those that the culture celebrated (1 Corinthians 1.26-31).
    When we consider others as better than ourselves, or positionally higher, or excelling us we will treat them well. We will consider them worthy of honor and of our time and attention. Therefore we will honor them.
    This is how Jesus looked at people. It is what made Him stop and listen to everyone from the poor to the wealthy. It was what caused Him to deviate from the path to have a conversation or to perform a miracle. He didn’t elevate Himself above others. Instead, He prioritized them.
    Throughout the Sermon, Jesus points to denial of self and judgment of self so that we can see God, ourselves, and others differently. When we do this and walk humbly with God, then we will treat others right.
    We would know how to reflect their worth and value in a way that they feel seen and appreciated.
    Illustration: Speak Their “Love Language.” I tell my wife I love her all the time. But I often do it in the way I speak love. What best tells her I love her is when I speak her language. She knows I’m making the effort and beyond that she knows I truly know her.
    Like Jesus, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5.6). He will exalt you as you lift up others and reflect the character of Christ.

    Conclusion

    The theme of the final part of Jesus’ sermon is judgment. It began with judging yourself before you get judgy with others. Then it moved to prayer and evaluating what is truly good and right, asking for the right things leading to the Golden Rule.
    Matthew 7:12 NKJV
    Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
    So now we need to judge ourselves according to the simplest expression of civil righteousness. Do you treat people, talk to people, do for people what you want them to treat you, talk to you, or do for you?
    Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God and man. This is how we fulfill the righteous standard of the Law and Prophets.
    If you will practice these things, you will discover that the quality of your relationships will increase. And you will find the joy of the Lord as you walk rightly with Him in the kingdom of God.

      • Matthew 7:12NKJV

      • Luke 10:25–28NKJV

      • Micah 6:8NKJV

      • Matthew 7:1–2NKJV

      • Matthew 5:43–48NKJV

      • Psalm 51:1NKJV

      • Romans 13:10NKJV

      • Philippians 2:3–8NKJV

      • Matthew 7:12NKJV

River of Life Church VA
mason@rolchurchva.com
(703) 221-2674
https://www.rolchurchva.com
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