The Golden Rule Golden Rule and the Good Samaritan

Transcription

1 Introduction Introduction Sermon The Golden Rule Golden Rule and the Good Samaritan How do we, followers of Christ, respond when the world around us changes in ways we would not want? Jesus gave us the Golden Rule treat people the same way you want them to treat you (Matthew 7:12) and the negative flip-side Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged The Golden Rule is still golden it is the word of our Master for us to live by, always, in all situations (even when our cultural no longer accepts or appreciates God s standards) Why is the Golden Rule golden? Because it encapsulates or is the outworking of the greatest commandments. Let s look at the story of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:30-37 Story of the Good Samaritan Luke 10: Jesus replied and said, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. Jesus replied = keep note of that, we ll come back to it down from Jerusalem to Jericho = {picture}; descent of over 3500 feet in 17 miles (compare to Sunshine Skyway = NBC to bridge x 9 in height) went away = towards Jerusalem or towards Jericho 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. priest was going down = same road and direction has passed or will pass robbers himself priest = matter of uncleanness he s leaving Jerusalem so his service in the temple is done 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. passed by on the other side = went out of his way not to help 1

2 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, Samaritan = reasons not to get involved racial conflict, on a journey compassion = love is the key (doesn t change the racial conflict but does guide his actions) 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. Love is an action = came to him, bandaged up, put him on, brought him to, took care of 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you. Love is sacrifice = two denarii (two days pay), whatever more 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers hands? proved to be a neighbor = it s not what you say, it s what you do 37 And he said, The one who showed mercy toward him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do the same. mercy = a readiness to help those in trouble Go and do the same = Golden Rule Moral of the story, if negative Golden Rule (world religions) is applied = don t be a robber Moral of the story, if positive Golden Rule (Jesus) is applied = be the Samaritan, do good But the context of Jesus telling the story tells us why we should observe the Golden Rule or why it is golden Remember Jesus replied in verse 30 Look at verse But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? who is my neighbor = the story of the Good Samaritan, teaching the Golden Rule (Go and do the same), is from a lawyer asking Jesus who is neighbor was wishing to justify himself = but the man asks because he is looking to do the least instead of struggling to do the most 2

3 Question of the Greatest Commandment Luke 10:25-29 Lawyer 25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 And He said to him, What is written in the Law? How does it read to you? 27 And he answered, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. [Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18] 28 And He said to him, You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE. 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? o Focused on the result inherit eternal life (v. 25 and 28) o Commandment single intertwined reality = Lawyer conflates the 2 commandments into 1 because they share a unique relationship making them singular in reality you aren t really doing one if you are excluding or avoiding the other Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus 34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? 37 And He said to him, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. o Focused on the process in the Law (verses 36 and 40) o Commandment dual different obligations = Jesus keeps the 2 commandments separate because they have unique obligations you aren t really doing both if you are doing one of them Foundation of the Great Commandment(s) o Love the Lord foundation of truth The struggle that sin corrupted man finds in loving the Lord is loving the Lord in truth = loving Him for who He is and as He is and not who we want Him to be The struggle is manifest in false religions and in false teachings about God we change Him to be what or who we want to love o Love your neighbor foundation of love 3

4 The struggle that sin corrupted man finds in loving our neighbors is loving our neighbors in love = loving them, not merely liking them, accepting them or enduring them The struggle is manifest in the disconnect and dissonance of our words and actions we change love to be what we want to share with them Golden Rule and the Greatest Commandment Golden Rule is the practical outworking of the Greatest Commandment o Why keep the Golden Rule? o Because you are striving to Love God keeping His Word and making it real in your life o Because you are striving to Love your neighbor showing them the love of God that you have received and enjoy Golden Rule is built on the twin foundations of the Greatest Commandment o The Golden Rule is nothing without Truth = truth determines what you do or what you should do for another o The Golden Rule is nothing without Love = love determines why or how you do for another o Story of the Good Samaritan was told to Jews Jews, focused on Truth at the expense of Love, needed to be reminded to Love Christians, focused on Truth at the expense of Love, need to be reminded to Love Truth without Love is Brutality Warren Wiersbe Samaritans, focused on Love at the expense of Truth, would need to be reminded of Truth The World, focused on Love at the expense of Truth, needs to be reminded of Truth Love without Truth is Hypocrisy Warren Wiersbe Love without Truth is Carnality Truth and Love together is godly Next Week 2-week sections o Last week and today = Introduction to Series o Introduction = we are still to live by the Golden Rule o Introduction = we live out the Golden Rule because it helps us fulfill the Greatest Commandment 4

5 o Next 2 weeks = Put-off section of Series Golden Rule and the Woman in the Pharisee s House o Luke 7:36-50 = reread it this week Love and Hypocrisy o Luke 7:29-35 = reread it this week Application Call to examination Is your life a pure gold living example of the Golden Rule or have imperfections made their way into your life and living out the Golden Rule? Pray and ask God through the Holy Spirit to show you any area (your words, attitudes or actions) of your life that doesn t fit the Golden Rule Call to brokenness, repentance and confession If God shows you anything, accept brokenness for your sin If He doesn t, accept brokenness for the sins of others If you are broken over your sin, repent of it and confess it to the Lord for His forgiveness Call to commitment Pray and ask God to speak to you through this series Ask Him to show you how you can better live out the words, character and life of Jesus 5