Call to Worship

John 4:24 NKJV

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Giving

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV

18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

The Golden Rule

Matthew 7:12 NKJV

12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

1. Be who you say you are!

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, Do also to them,”

the hardest thing in the world is to live up to your own standard.

i say that and as I do, I can feel some of you saying to yourself, “I live according to my own standard perfectly… I really don't think so.

we try to but we fail. we are not as perfect in our own life.

our Lord is teaching us to be introspective here.

as we think through the a clause of this verse, what do I want men to do to me? how do I want to be treated when.... ? I wonder in our tick tok snap chat. high speed low thought world.

to make this a part of my life i’m going to have to spend some time in thinking about not just my high ideals.

i need to spend sometime thinking about my darkest hours. my lowest points, not so that I can feel condemned, rather so that I can remember what if fells to be wrong. to remember the person that needs grace.

2. When we observe the golden rule we fulfill the whole of the Old Testament

Romans 7:4 NKJV

4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

after all this introspection we know how to act.

as we act how we know we are a witness.

as we witness the Holy Spirit works in and through us to share love, hope, peace, joy, and all the fruits of the spirit in the world.

this is more than a mere mental assent.

the Holy Spirit guides and directs us through this process.

this is more than simple citizenship, this is bearing fruit of walking thinking living in the spirit.

you are a child of God.

bearing fruit like this is partaking (doing your part in the family business.