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MATTHEW 7:12

"THE GOLDEN RULE"

I. "THEREFORE."
        A. It forces us to immediately consider the context.
                1. Our prayer for grace.
                        a. Realizing our shortcomings, "Ask."
                        b. I desire people to understand my failures.
                        c. I want them to be patiently with my weakness.
                2. "Judge not lest ye be judged."
                        a. I want people to be merciful toward me.

II. "WHATSOEVER YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE EVEN SO TO THEM."
        A. This idea had been expressed many times in the negative.
                1. Confucius, "What you do not want done to yourself do not do to others."
                2. Stoics basic maxim. "What you do not wish to be done to you, do not to
                   anyone."
        B. Jesus was the first to put it in a positive form.
                1. It makes such a great difference.
                        a. You may spend your life not doing any mean things to others.
                2. So many justify their actions of cheating.
                        a. They forgot: "You have to live some way; you're going to die
                           someday."
        C. How do you want others to treat you?
                1. When you have made a mistake?
                2. When you are discouraged?
                3. When you are in need?
        D. What kind of things do you want people to say about you?
                1. Kind.
                2. Good things.
                3. I want people to be friendly, loving, understanding.

Ill. "FOR THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS."
        A. The law deals with our relationship with God and man.
                1. God first, man second.
                2. You cannot have a right relationship with God and a wrong relationship with
                   man.
        B. The law is set out in l0 commandments.
                1. Eight neg. prohibitions.
                2. Two positive demands.
                        a. Remember the Sabbath.
                        b. Hone thy father and mother.
        C. Jesus summarizes in one positive phrase.
                1. This statement by Jesus has been widely acclaimed, "The Golden Rule," "The
                   ideal rule of life."
                2. It was not meant to be praised but practiced.
                3. He means for you to put it into practice.