Matthew 7:7-11
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 66 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Good Morning church. Such a blessed time in the Lord this week in Clarkston. I can’t say with any more conviction how proud I was of our team and of our church. Only God could work out the details in the way he did. Moments we would need a translator, the timing would be perfect. Two kids that were friends in their home country … reunited at Cowee VBS picked up at two different appt complexes.
A reminder of just how blessed we are. Kids at VBS that hadn’t eaten all day.
Summer on the Mount - Truly a sermon that reminds us of our need for the Gospel. Only God can help us walk in this
Last week we looked at a popular verse the world may know… judge not.. missed that look back and catch up online… this week one verse referred to often... that when we follow it, we change the world. One rule that takes care of every rule. One rule that sums up the law and the prophets. Want to live in a way that pleases Jesus, lean in. maybe you say… I want to serve the Lord, but the Bible has so much… so many things, lean in today. SIMPLE
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
11 “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 what is good to those who ask Him!
12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
We have heard of the Golden rule. Fact is many would tell you that lots of religions have a similar teaching. But JESUS has a different spin on this rule. An only through Christ in us kind of statement… A KIND OF STATEMENT OUR CHURCH EMBRACES IN THREE WORDS> Love in Action
Pulpit Pages: New Testament Sermons The Principle of the Golden Rule # 22 (Matthew 7:12)
Hillel, the Hebrew rabbi, said, “Do not do to thy neighbor what is hateful to thyself.”
Socrates, the Greek philosopher, said, “What stirs your anger when done to you by others, that do not do to others.”
Confucius, the Chinese sage, said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
These statements are worlds away from what Jesus said. Their rules are negative and passive. Jesus’ rule is positive and active. In essence these wise men said, “Avoid doing to others what you do not want done to you.” Jesus said, “Think of something good you wish someone would do for you, then do it for someone else.”1
I will agree that many cultures may have adopted a similar teaching, but the principle our Lord reveals is unique. If you consider the similarity of other teachings, you also discover a profound difference.
I will agree that many cultures may have adopted a similar teaching, but the principle our Lord reveals is unique. If you consider the similarity of other teachings, you also discover a profound difference.
Hillel, the Hebrew rabbi, said, “Do not do to thy neighbor what is hateful to thyself.”
Socrates, the Greek philosopher, said, “What stirs your anger when done to you by others, that do not do to others.”
Confucius, the Chinese sage, said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
These statements are worlds away from what Jesus said. Their rules are negative and passive. Jesus’ rule is positive and active. In essence these wise men said, Avoid doing to others what you do not want done to you.” “Jesus said, “Think of something good you wish someone would do for you, then do it for someone else.”
1 Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
Avoid doing to others what you do not want done to you.” These statements are founded out of fear and selfishness. They are really based out of our love for ourself. Can do nothing and fulfill these don’t do’s…
Chris Benfield, “The Principle of the Golden Rule # 22 (),” in Pulpit Pages: New Testament Sermons (Mount Airy, NC: Chris Benfield, 2015), 137.
The Bible is so rich but in just a few verses we are getting a summary of it all. Other places Jesus said. Love God with everything. Love your neighbor as yourself.
The verses from this week and last sum it up. Jesus says don’t judge and condemn, use good discernment in relationships remember what God has forgiven and delivered you from and then do what you want others to do for you. Love is the heart of the matter. We don’t judge trying to make ourselves look good.
Don’t do this and that is out of fear. Red light. - Sent my picture. - actually my father in laws car! Follow the law out of fear of another 150, Not out of love for the LAW.
The golden rule requires that we seek to do good to others out of LOVE. It has the idea of “looking, seeking, and searching for opportunities to do good for other people.
“In the positive form propounded by Jesus it makes a very far-reaching demand for unselfish love in action.” RT France
As France says… it is a far-reaching demand.
Pastor Mike Roper at Valley Brook told me… he said I have never seen anything like your people. So enthusiastic so… so willing to work… almost like they are brainwashed. Wanted to tell him, there is more where these came from. Blood washed…
How in the world?? I can tell you how. Look back at the verses we read earlier.
We have a good father who gives freely to those that ask.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Present imperatives. Keep on asking! Keep on seeking! Keep on Knocking! This kind of prayer is from a life ordered around life with the father. We are asking and we are working. Trip - asking God to bless. We were seeking people to come, knocking on doors… we were working… we ask him in faith, but we work and we are persistent in prayer… and God grants our desires in accordance with His will. We recognize our dependence on Him and we are desperate in prayer for His presence and strength.
This promise is not a blanket promise to complete our wish list.
2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
When we ask for God to give us the ability to do his will, we can be assured He will meet us there and bless our efforts. MOTIVE means everything. When our motives are for His glory and because we love him, He responds abundantly. The process
heart of the Father.
9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
We have an example in the heart of the Father.
Not tricking us… Need some bread - how bought a rock. The suggestion is of a snake that is cooked to look like ordinary meat and would, unlike the stone, meet the son’s physical need. But because they were among the unclean animals (Lev. 11:12), snakes were not to be eaten by Jews. A loving Jewish father would not deceive and defile his son into dishonoring the Word of God by tricking him into eating ceremonially unclean food. Our Lord is simply showing that it is not natural for a father to ignore either the physical or the spiritual needs of his son.
11 “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 what is good to those who ask Him!
Even sinful man knows how to give good gifts to his children. How much more will our heavenly Father give… endless supply of abundance. - TURST HIM SEEING THE BIG PICTURE AND KNOWING WHAT IS BEST
We have an example in the heart of the Father.
We have an example in the life of Jesus.
Jesus taught us to live the Golden Rule and He lived the Golden Rule.
12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
How would people want to be treated. Treat them that way. How would you want them to treat you if you were in that spot? Do that to them.
If I was a child, I would want to be accepted. Jesus says suffer the little children to come unto me.
If I was a leper, I would want to be touched. Jesus touched and healed.
If I was the woman caught in adultery, I would want to be forgiven… to be loved. Jesus forgives and loves.
Jesus
I have heard it said… it is not what we don’t understand in the scripture that troubles us most… it is what we do understand. When we understand and apply this rule, we are representatives of the Lord in a way that pleases him. We truly put His love in action.
We have an example in the heart of the Father.
We have an example in the life of Jesus.
We have an enabler through the Spirit in us.
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
It is Jesus in us that they see when we live the golden rule. It is an overflow of the love of God that has been poured out within our hearts.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Flesh wars against the spirit. Selfish desires…
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
The flesh, if you are not intentional, will distract you from doing the golden rule.
intentional.
Golden rule living. One of the inflatables is A bear to set up. Maybe just put up the small one? What would I want to be done for me.
Wal mart lady … less than 30 sec. complete survey… would you? Could about guarantee the guy before me was not gonna do it. What would I want someone to fo
