#5 "Rules
For The Redeemed"
“THE GOLDEN RULE!”
TEXT: Matt.
7:12; 24-27
INTRO:
The
so-called “GOLDEN RULE” is not unique to
Christianity! But there is
something very unique about this golden rule as Jesus stated it, and this makes
Christianity's version of it above all others.
This Golden rule is found in many
religions around the world, and from many points in history. For instance, this golden rule is found
in Rabbinic Judaism and also in Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism; also there
is a form of this golden rule in Greek and Roman ethical teachings! What's the difference then between
Jesus' version and the others? In
all the others this "golden rule" is stated
in the negative instead of the positive as Jesus stated
it.
This difference might seem on the surface to be insignificant, but it is a MAJOR difference!
A. The
negative form is the appeal of LAW for CONTROL!
B. The
positive form is the appeal of LOVE for GROWTH!
ILLUS: This can
be seen in the Bible also. Notice
in the OLD TESTAMENT the Law of Moses, what we call the 10 commandments; they
are stated mostly in the negative: "THOU SHALL NOT..." They appealed to control the run-away
nature of fallen man, to keep human civilization from total corruption ... there
were tough penalties for breaking those laws. HOWEVER, notice that when Jesus came He
promises a new covenant of grace, when He states the law under the new covenant
of grace He does so in the positive rather than the negative, “Thou shall love
the Lord your God will all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself - this
fulfills the law.”
How does this difference come
about? By faith in Jesus Christ who
changes the heart and soul of man so that it is possible in grace to do what we
could not do under the law!
PROP.
SENT: Jesus' teaching on the "Golden Rule" goes far beyond any other religion's
teaching on the same subject because instead of trying to control negative
behavior it encourages behavior motivated by love. Christianity works from the inside out,
from Jesus' changing our heart; instead of man's systems which work from the
outside by only changing appearances.
I. DECLARATION OF LOVE'S
GRACIOUSNESS MATT. 7:12a;
24-27
A. Exceptions?
Matt.
7:12a
1. As Jesus is about to deliver the Golden Rule he frames what He is about to say by
stating that this new rule will apply to EVERYTHING!
a. This also demonstrates the law of
grace because it makes no exceptions to the rule!
b. Grace is to operate through our
lives in every way possible!
c. But you might say, "But some people
don't deserve..." Quite
right! That’s why it is called
grace! Grace by definition is "undeserved
favor."
2. Grace puts “us” at risk rather than
the “object” of our grace.
ILLUS: After the
U.S.S. Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans, the 82 surviving crew members
were thrown into a brutal captivity.
13 men were taken into a room and were made to sit in a rigid manner
around the table for hours. Hours
later the door was slung open and a North Korean guard walked in and savagely
beat the man in the first chair, but no one else. The next day the same thing happened,
they each were assigned the same seats so the same man was beaten again. The third day the same thing happened
again. These Americans knew now
that the same thing would happen each day and they knew their fellow sailor
could not survive another beating. As they sat down on the fourth day in the
same chairs, one American sailor got up and changed seats with his beaten
friend. The guard came in and beat
him up in the first chair and left, so each day they all took turns sitting in
the first chair and continued to rotate each day so someone different was beaten
up every day. Only one man had to
be beat, the one assigned the first chair, but love moved them to accept being
beat in order to save one another ... this is grace at work! Finally the North Koreans gave up the
beatings; instead of breaking the men it united them to become even stronger ...
love won against law! – Source Unknown
3. This is how grace operates, it
doesn't make exceptions to when it expresses itself ... it shows love even when
it is undeserved!\
4. This is evident in what Jesus
Christ did for us by dying on the cross.
The Bible says, “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Rom. 5:8
(KJV)
a. Jesus makes no exceptions to the
rule of grace, He died for all ... that is why it is so tragic when people
refused to allow Christ to save them, He will never turn away anyone who comes
to Him!
b. Paul said it this way, "Where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound."
Rom.
c. God grants us His grace even when
we don't deserve it! How can anyone
refuse the love and grace of almighty God!
B. Expression! Matt.
7:24-27
1. There are many people who know
about Jesus Christ, they even know quite a bit about what the Bible says, but
this doesn't count if it is not expressed in their life according to what Jesus
says here!
a. The foolish man only hears the
words of Jesus without practicing them!
b. The wise men hears and OBEYS the
Word of God ... this is building on a rock versus building on
sand!
2. "Storms!"
a. The storms are the troubles that
come our way in this life; both Christians and non-Christians will face
them!
b. All men and women will have to face
terrible times, it is part of life, but Christians can survive better because
our foundation is on a rock ... Jesus Christ, everyone else is on sand, a lousy
foundation!
3. The golden rule is not just a
wise saying it must be a regular practice!
a. God's Word makes it greatest impact
on others when it is seen in our lives!
b. The Bible says that Christians “… are our
epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:” 2 Cor 3:2
(KJV)
4. The "Golden Rule" has to be seen to be
believed!
ILLUS: A young
lady was going to be married; she was shopping for fabric in order to make her
wedding dress. She asked the owner
for a very unusual type of fabric, the kind that would make the most noise when
she walked, she wanted fabric that would rustle and scrape as noisy as
possible! The owner found 2 bolts
of material that would meet the request but was puzzled at the lady's motives
for such material. Finally she just
asked, "Why would anyone want several
yards of noisy material?" Her
answer revealed the expression of love for her young man, "You see, she said, my fiancé is blind, so
when I walk down the aisle I want him to know when I've arrived at the altar so
he won't be embarrassed." Love
found a way to express itself to meet the need! – Source
Unknown
5. It is nice to know God's Word ...
it is even better to practice it!
ILLUS: A husband
and wife were discussing with excitement the possibility of taking a trip to the
Holy Land. The husband said to his
wife, "Wouldn't it be fantastic to go to
the
II. DIFFERENCE OF LAW AND GRACE! MATT.
7:12b
A. Enforcement! Matt.
7:12b
1. The Law was given to try and keep
sin in check, to enforce good behavior since few are motivated within to be able
to be good enough!
2. Thus with The Law came some pretty
firm punishments, like stoning, cutting off limbs, heavy fines, imprisonment,
etc.
3. The nature of sin on the human race
is such that without law and order mankind would destroy itself eventually.
We need laws to keep sinful man in
check!
a. This is why it is dangerous for a
nation to proclaim everything as normal or permissible, that there are no wrongs
or absolutes anymore!
b. This over expression of
“freedom” will only create a wicked society without moral
underpinnings.
4. In a fallen world law still plays
an important role in keeping sinful man from the full expression of
sin!
a. This is why in heaven there are no
laws except that of love, there will be no sinful nature to rule us any longer,
so the law will be unnecessary.
b. Where Christ abides, love motivates
greater than law since our essential nature has now been changed in
Christ!
c. In Christ we respond better by love
than by decree; decree checks the fallen nature, love motivates the spiritual
nature!
ILLUS: The
Flagship Hotel in Houston,
ILLUS: Another
example of this principle can be found in the Susan B. Anthony dollar minted
several years ago. It has been one
of the biggest flops the Federal government has ever promoted! Literally millions of these coins still
sit in government vaults, unused and unwanted! Even when they were first issued no one
wanted them, and soon they were the brunt of jokes! However, one postal worker in one town
turned this around in a major way!
He put up a sign that read, "SUSAN
B. ANTHONY DOLLARS: LIMIT OF 2 PER CUSTOMER." Before putting up the sign he traded
about 2 or 3 coins a day, but after the sign went up his demand went up to 50 a
day! The law created desire beyond
normal levels ... the desire to break it! – Source Unknown
5. Those most able to obey the law are
those who are motivated by inward love, found only from a new relationship to
God through Christ!
a. This is why it is hard to get those
from broken lives motivated to obey, they are not motivated by love, but by fear
and hate!
b. The love of Christ however can
radically change them so they can become model citizens of this world as well as
the
6. Law then works on ENFORCEMENT,
which does have some limited benefits for society, but it cannot do what grace
can do!
a. Law may help keep some things in
check.
b. There are limits to what law can do
... we need something better than just law to radically change the planet; we
need a spiritual revival to do that!
c. With every great spiritual
revival in history came a renewed society ... there would be less law
breakers, less crime, less hatred, less evil; because the grace of God would
motivate people to live above the law, to love instead! This will never be legislated, it has to
be caught not taught.
B. Excellence!
Matt.
7:12b
1. The Golden Rule as Jesus gives it
here sums up the Law and Prophets because it is stated by Jesus in the
positive! It seeks to encourage
EXCELLENCE and not just containment.
2. It
doesn't just state the problem, it fixes
it!
ILLUS: Law is
like a plumb line ... it can prove a wall is crooked, but it can’t make the wall
straight! That takes a
carpenter! God's old law was
designed the same way, it was intended to show man how crooked he is, but God
sent His Son ... the carpenter to fix our crooked ways, this He did by dying on
a cross for our sins so that those who accept Christ will be given a new law,
the law of love and grace! – Source Unknown
3. If God's people
would be motivated by God's love to excel in our example to other people we
would see a revival the likes this country has not seen
before!
a. Basking in the grace of God will
move you into action!
b. God's grace cannot be accepted
coldly, it moves us to excellence, to love!
c. This excellence radicalizes our
behavior for godliness! The more we
come to know the grace of God, the more excellent will be our witness for
HIM!
ILLUS: A great
missionary by the name of Adoniram Judson was put into a filthy prison in Burma
where he suffered unspeakably!
Brought before the King of Burma one day he asked permission to go to a
certain city to preach the Gospel.
The king had an interesting response, "I am willing for a dozen preachers to go
preach in that city, but not you" said the king! He continued, "not with those hands ... my people are not
such fools as to take notice of your preaching, but they will take notice of
those scarred hands!"
Adoniram's ministry was one of excellence and example, God's grace would
be too evident in his life for the people to ignore! – Source Unknown
4. This is the essence of the GOLDEN
RULE … A DEMONSTRATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD IN OUR LIFE AS CHRIST LIVES THROUGH
US TO OTHERS, GRACE THAT CREATES EXCELLENCE IN OUR LIFESTYLE SO THAT OTHERS ARE
DRAWN TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIS GRACE THAT BROUGHT ABOUT OUR LIFE
CHANGE!
a. This is the meaning of the Golden
Rule, giving grace instead of law, exactly what we ourselves would
want!
b. You will notice that it is not
"SAY TO
OTHERS" but "DO TO OTHERS" ...
there is no substitute for action when it comes to the Golden Rule!
c. Are you summing up the Law and the Prophets by your
life?
5. God calls us to minister HIS GRACE
to others in everything, this will manifest His grace to a world that is
suffering under sin.
CONCLUSION: While this "GOLDEN RULE" exists in many religions it is always
stated in the negative. Jesus
states it in the positive because grace makes possible what law cannot, a
motivation toward excellence! The
Law was "THOU
SHALL NOT" ... the new covenant in Christ however is "THOU
SHALL" ... The difference isn't content, it is
motivation!