Sermon Central
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How Do You Like To Be Treated?
Contributed by Carl Kelleher on Feb 15, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: If we want the world to see Jesus in our Lives then we must learn to Live the Golden Rule. We are to Love not just the Lovable but also the person that is difficult to Love.
Title: “How Do You Like To Be Treated”
Text: Matthew 7:12
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law & the Prophets.”
I’ve entitled my message, “How do you like to be treated?” Some of you are saying to yourself about now, “Well, pastor, I like to be Treated with;
-Love
-Respect
-Kindness
-Understanding
-Encouragement
But I’ve got to ask you a question, “do you treat others this way?” If we aren’t careful, we have a Tendency to say, “If people would show these Attributes towards me---I would treat them the same way.”
You see, that’s the Problem. Jesus didn’t say, “Treat people with the same Respect that they treat you.” He said, “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.”
This is where we have a Tendency to Drop the Ball. It’s easy to;
-Love others when they are Lovable.
-Forgive others when they Forgive you.
-Be Kind, when someone is Kind to you.
-The world can show that kind of Love.
“By this all will know that you are my Disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Matthew 5: 43-46
“You have heard that it was said, “You shall Love your neighbor & hate your enemy.”
“But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you.”
“That you may be sons of your Father in Heaven; For He makes His Sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust.”
“For if you Love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the Tax Collectors do the same?”
How will the world know that we are Christians?
-Not by the Sign over the Door.
-Not by our Beautiful Worship.
-But by our Love!
Someone said, “There is a Magnet in your Heart that will attract true Friends. That Magnet is Unselfishness, Thinking of others first....when you Live for others, they will Live for you.”
Andrew Murray said, “My Relationship with God is part of my Relationship with Men. Failure in one will cause Failure in the other.”
John Ashcroft said, “The most important thing my dad taught me is that there are more important things than me.”
Someone said, “A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae away from a kick in the pants, but it’s miles ahead in terms of Results.”
I. How Has Your Attitude Been Lately?
How has your Attitude been towards Life in General? How has your Attitude been Towards People? You say, “Well Pastor it’s been pretty good “IF”;
-People measure up to my Standards.
-People do things my way!
-People don’t rub me the wrong way!
-Friend, you had better wake up!
Hear me please. Jesus didn’t tell us to Love People & to have a good Attitude if people Conducted themselves a Certain way or If Circumstances always went our way.
He commanded us to Love People, even when they didn’t Live up to our Expectations. If you allow People or Circumstances to Dictate how you feel, then you’ll wrestle with your Attitude all of your Life!
What you Believe gives Rise both to what you Feel & how you Respond to Life. Your Attitude produces your Behavior. John Maxwell said, “Your Attitude determines your Altitude.”
And what you Feel on the Inside of you is Directly related to what you Become as a Person & what you Succeed at Accomplishing in Life. You say, “I don’t believe that!”
Proverbs 4: 23
“Keep your Heart with all Diligence, for out of it spring the issues of Life.”
Proverbs 23: 7
“For as he thinks in his Heart, so is he....”
What have you been Thinking about Lately? Because the Things that you dwell on are going to come out! If someone could Squeeze You----what would come out?
1. Would It Be The Fruits of The Flesh?
-Would it be Adulterous Thoughts?
-Would it be Unclean Thoughts?
-Would it be thoughts of Hatred?
-Would it be thoughts of Contention?
-Would it be Selfish Thoughts?
-Would it be thoughts of Dissensions?
I hope that you aren’t allowing these thoughts to eat away at you because they will not only Destroy you-----but they will Destroy others in your Path.
You can’t continue to Think & Dwell on these things without it affecting you & others. You see, in order for us to Treat others the way that we want to be Treated, we’ve got to Learn some things;
-How to Think Right.
-How to Talk Right.
-How to Respond to Life Right.
-And the choice is up to us.
-The 10 Spies never learned this Lesson!
