October 18, 2015
Evening Service

Matthew 7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Vs. 12: The Golden Rule. I remember well this being taught in school, a forbidden thing in today's world. A form of this verse was known long before Jesus spoke it but it was used in the negative sense…"You should not do to your neighbor what you would not want him to do to you." Jesus simple spoke it in positive form…Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them. One commentator puts it this way…"it's the difference between not breaking traffic laws and doing something positive like stopping to help a stranded motorist." It is going from a neutral stance of not doing something wrong to being proactive and doing something good.

Matthew 25:31-46 (31) "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. (32) All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. (33) And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. (34) Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35) for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; (36) I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' (37) "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? (38) When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? (39) Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' (40) And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' (41) "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; (43) I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' (44) "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' (45) Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' (46) And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Under the previous negative form of the rule the goats of this passage in Matthew would be innocent. They saw someone in need and did nothing which was basically the rule of the day. But under Jesus' updated positive form they are declared guilty. When they saw someone in need they were obligated to help. This should change our outlook on things around us considerably. Well known British Baptist minister Charles Spurgeon had this to say… "Oh, that all men acted on it, and there would be no slavery, no war, no swearing, no striking, no lying, no robbing; but all would be justice and love! What a kingdom is this which has such a law!"

Alas no one has ever consistently done unto others as they would have others do unto them. Certainly this is a worthy goal to strive to attain.

The Narrow Way… (13) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Vs. 13 & 14: Interesting to note that Jesus is not saying the gate is the destination but only the starting point to take us to the destination. He is not telling us that once we go through that gate we won't make wrong turns now and then. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Once we go through the narrow gate we are on the straight and narrow path. There are only two paths to follow in life, there is no middle ground. It almost seems to me that the narrow gate is Baptism and the start our Christian walk. The Bible very clearly lays out the path we are to take if we intend to make Heaven our home. There is good or evil, life or death, it's plain and simple. Going through life and just being a good person isn't the path that leads to life, there are guidelines to follow. This road set before us may be narrow and difficult but we have a road map to guide us along if we so choose to follow it, that being the Bible. It is so easy to choose the wide expansive gate and multitudes have and are doing it. Just stroll along and enjoy the journey with no obligations, no commitments and no rules to follow. The gate is broad, the path is wide and obstacle free that leads to destruction. The path to heaven isn't an easy one and the gate to go through is narrow but rest and reward await the traveler who journeys this route. God tells the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15 "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, He was telling them they had two choices, serve him and life would be their reward or turn away and follow other gods and death would be the result. We have the same choices today.

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (25) But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (8) Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. (9) Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.