Just Be GOOD

Introduction

B. Good Restaurant’s story

The idea came from the company’s founders: two best friends who grew up eating wholesome, flavorful, good-for-you food, lovingly cooked in their uncle’s kitchen. It was comfort food made with farm-fresh ingredients that left you feeling good inside and out (and long after you licked your plate). The same kind of food we happily serve today.

Our first location was in Boston, MA. But it didn’t take long for our roots to spread throughout the city (then the Greater Boston area, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine!) – bringing homemade, hearty meals to whomever had an appetite for great taste and good vibes.

Today, they are still serving up wholesome, honest food that makes people feel GOOD all across New England. We work with more farmers, bakers and growers than ever. We serve a whole lot more than just burgers and can cater and deliver it right to your doorstep.

What’s interesting about this restaurant is:

B.GOOD’S food

At B.GOOD, everything we do is driven by our food ethos, i.e. what we believe in when it comes to food. And our ethos is pretty simple: food should be good for you and good for the planet. Every single day we make decisions that prioritize the quality and taste of the food we serve while also protecting the environments within which it’s grown and raised. It’s better for our customers, our partners, our food system, and our planet.

Our Purpose…

To inspire GOOD in people.

When you eat good and feel good, you’ll be good. Because good food feeds your better nature. It inspires you to have better eating habits when you’re out and at home; it inspires you to change your relationship with food, and think about how what you eat impacts the environment; it inspires you to share that same goodness with your family and friends; and sometimes, it even inspires you to give back to the communities from where it came. But mostly, it inspires you to continue to put good in, and return, continue to get good out. So as long as we’re in the business of making good food, we’ll be in the business of inspiring good in everyone who eats it.

Our Mission…

Serving good in everything we do. Good food. Good for our families. Good for our communities. Good for our planet.

For us, it’s not just about the food we’re serving. But also about where it came from, how it was grown, the farmers and partners who help us source it, the friendly folks in our restaurants who proudly serve it up all day long, and the guests who eat. Because in our experience, those ingredients are just as important as the ones you can touch and taste. And when you can feel good about those, you can’t help but to feel good about the food.

The purpose of the church ought too be:

Serving good in everything we do.

Transition To Body- Worship with a renewed mind

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Gifts of Grace

Romans 12:3–8 ESV

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

So how we serve matters:

Body

Be Loving (Ro. 9-13)

Romans 12:9 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Let Love be Genuine

to being without pretense, genuine, sincere, lit. ‘without play-acting’

pretense- professed rather than real intention or purpose

Abhor what is evil

to have a vehement dislike for someth., hate strongly, abhor

Hold Fast to what is good

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. κολλάω

to be closely associated, cling to, attach to

Romans 12:10–13 ESV

10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Love one another

loving dearly

devoted to one another in brotherly love

Romans 12:11–13 (IVPBBC NT): Jewish people believed in taking care of needs in their community, and the Christians of Paul’s day no doubt agree (v. 13); the modern phenomenon of well-to-do and hungry Christians in the same city would have shocked the moral sensibilities of ancient Jews and Christians (though not pagans). In antiquity “hospitality” meant putting up travelers (without charge) in one’s home while they were in town; they would normally carry letters from those trusted by their hosts, attesting that they were to be accepted as guests.

Illustration: Love within the context of a family

Affection- Philadelphia

Love for fellow Christian’s

Honor

manifestation of esteem, honor, reverence

Slothful- (a state involving shrinking from someth., ‘holding back, hesitation. reluctance’)

Zeal- earnest commitment in discharge of an obligation or experience of a relationship, eagerness, earnestness, diligence, willingness, zeal

Fervent- maintain the spiritual flow

Enthusiastic/ excited/ on fire

Be Honorable (Ro. 12:14-18)

(Do What Is Honorable)

Romans 12:14–18 ESV

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Honorable- moral quality

good, noble, praiseworthy, contributing to salvation

Peaceably- keep the peace

Be Merciful (Ro. 12:19-21)

( Don’t miss the bigger picture)

Romans 12:19–21 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 5:38–42 ESV

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Ephesians 4:26–31 ESV

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Why be merciful?

Luke 6:37 ESV

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

Transition To Close

Illustration: Just Be Good To Me on The S.O.S. Band’s 1983 On the Rise Album

abbreviation for Sounds of Success

Friends tell me I am crazy

And I'm wasting time with you

You'll never be mine

It's not the way I see it

'Cause I feel you're already mine

Whenever you're with me (oh, oh, oh)

People always talkin' about

Your reputation

I don't care about your other girls

Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)

Friends are always tellin' me

You're a user

I don't care what you do to them

Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)

------------

Life is a game of chances

So I'll take my chance with you

And you, I won't try to change

We talk about it and I

Never had a piece of you

And to have all of nothing (oh, oh, oh)

But just be good to me

In the mornin'

Just be good to me

In the afternoon or evenin', oh, yeah

Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)

I'll give you love, I will smother you

I'll give affection, I won't bother you

I'll be good to you, you'll be good to me, yeah, yeah

Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)

I'm not the jealous type, I won't tie you down

When you need me, I'll be around

I'll be good to you, you'll be good to me

And we'll be together, be together

Close

Galatians 6:6–10 ESV

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

1 Corinthians 15:56–58 ESV

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Devote yourself to good works

Titus 3:8 ESV

8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Do not neglect to do good and...

Hebrews 13:15–16 ESV

15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Created in Christ for good works

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Stir up one another to good works

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Why?

1 John 3:1 ESV

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Jesus Christ the firstborn among many brothers & sisters

Romans 8:29–31 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

John 3:16–17 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.