The Golden Rule: A Sea Change

Greetings and Thanksgiving

I greet you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. Those of you in the house, those of you online — we give God thanks for you. Those of you in the country, those of you abroad, it's wonderful to have you in service today.

Before I go to the word, I'd like to say thank you to the church for your prayers, support, encouraging words, and visits over the last month that I have not been well. I really cannot remember being unwell with the flu in that way before. But thank God for his faithfulness — for all the medication and bitter bush and whatever came through.

Sister Hails, I had to drink it, because somebody was going to ask and I needed to say yes. I remember one morning Sister Douglas brought some up, and when I smelled the thing, I said, "Lord, if I perish, I perish." But I think it did the trick. Praise be to God.

Those of you who brought fruit and soups — thank you. This was the only thing the doctor picked up on when I went. He said, "Continue to drink that soup." I am really grateful.

Thank you also for covering my wife in prayer regarding the operation coming up. You would have heard that it was postponed from the last time — it is this Wednesday. Let us remain in prayer that the God who did it before will do it again. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

A Turn That Cannot Be Reversed

This morning we are praying about turning. It is important that when we turn, we remain turned. It is one of the problems with the body of Christ — we're good at turning, but somehow it's as if when we turn, there's an elastic that has been stretched, and as we relax, it snaps us back.

But in the name of Jesus, a turn is taking place. A turn is about to take place — a turn that cannot be reversed. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Text: The Golden Rule

From the scripture that was read this morning, I'll take the twelfth verse:

"Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them. For this is the law and the prophets."

I feel good. I haven't danced in church for a long time in the way I want to dance. Even today, I was a bit nervous. Somebody said, "When God turned again the captivity of Israel, Israel felt as though they were just dreaming." In other words — can this be real? But thanks be to God, I receive healing. I believe and I walk in it.

Three Rules to Live By

The subject matter I deal with today is one we call the golden rule. Eight billion plus of us — this is our favorite rule. For every child that is born, before they learn the rule, this is their favorite rule, because it is the verse we want our neighbor to practice. But often we are the last to see how important it is that I am the one who initiates the golden rule.

The Iron Rule

There is what is called the iron rule. If I were to demonstrate it, it would be like this: "He who has strength and might makes the rules." We know some bullies around.

The Silver Rule

The silver rule has been out there before Jesus spoke the golden rule. Pretty much all religions have got a version of it. It simply says:

"Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you."

If I were to demonstrate the posture of the silver rule — you fulfill it by doing nothing.

A story is told about a man who decided he didn't want to get himself in any trouble, so he did not leave his house. But he had to get rid of his rubbish. He loved coconuts. Somebody brought him a jelly, filled his stomach, threw it through the window, hit someone in the head — and I say no more.

The Golden Rule

But Jesus is saying the golden rule — I am the initiator. It starts with me. It is on the standard that I set, and that standard is about how I want to be treated. I am supposed to treat others that way.

The golden rule is not reciprocating. It's not something I do because you have done it to me. I do it to you because I would want somebody to do it to me. Whether or not you want to do it back is your business.

Another way of putting it would be: do unto others as Christ has done to you, because Christ is the initiator of the golden rule, and he practices it quite well. It's a call to Christ-likeness.

Out of Practice

We must admit that we are out of practice when it comes to practicing the golden rule. Hold your hand up in your heart. We're out of practice. We're not doing well. We have overlooked.

Jesus said, "I am asking you to do this because it is the law and the prophets" — because it is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. All that the law is trying to accomplish, the reason why the law was written, was so we would treat others as we would want to be treated.

Isn't it sad that things have gotten to the place where we fear the outcome of breaking the law more than we love the keeping of the law?

An Illustration: The Glass of Water

As I was preparing, something came to my spirit. I am told that:

• More than 50% of my body is water.
• Water causes my skin to improve.
• It lubricates my airways to reduce infection.
• More than 90% of my blood is pure water.
• It stabilizes blood pressure.
• It cleanses my body by working through my kidneys, bringing the toxins out.
• It reduces hangovers — that one doesn't concern us.

If all of this is true — and those are just a few things — then water is life. So when I walk past and see a bottle of water there, "If you want to drink it, it's your business" — that's not the golden rule.

It is my knowledge of the benefit of the water that moves me to pour some in a glass and give it to you, because you may be neglecting yourself. They say you take the horse to the water but you can't force him to drink. But you can encourage in such a way that they see there is a vested interest — that you are interested in them.

Sometimes people just eat or drink something to please you — like me and my medicine the other day — because you would want somebody to do that to you.

In the Dry Seasons

Sometimes you sit under the weather, sometimes you are depressed. I was talking to somebody just a few weeks ago about one of my dry seasons. Drought. Minister, pastor — get in the pulpit and shake. Other times people say, "Good word, pastor," and I go out of the church depressed, because I was in a wilderness.

One day I went to a ministers' meeting and I broke down in tears. My district pastor said, "Devon, what's the matter?" I said, "Pastor, I cannot explain it, but I am in such a dry state. I am not enjoying my salvation." We went through that meeting having prayed for me, and he worked with me after that until I came around.

Sometimes you get yourself into some situation where you can't forgive yourself, you feel like you don't deserve the old state you had, and you can't get back there. Somebody is saying, "If it was me…"

Judge Not — Sentence Not

Verse seven said, "Judge not that you will not be judged. For the same standard you use to judge, you will be judged by it."

This is not "judge" as we know it, because we need to judge — we need to decipher wrong from right. That's not what the Bible is saying. Otherwise it would not have said the same standard you use will be used against you.

The word the Bible uses here is the Greek krino — to sentence. It's post-judgment. It's post-verdict sentence. It comes from the Greek krisis, from which we get "crisis." It has been so associated with the negative side of the verdict that when "crisis" comes into English, it's nothing good — when you have a crisis, you're in trouble.

So the Bible says: sentence not. You've arrived at a verdict — guilty. Now do unto this person what you would like to have done unto you.

Mercy Before Grace

Somebody says show mercy. Somebody says show grace. Which of them, in what order? Grace first and then mercy? I think you'll find it's mercy first, because mercy is about putting yourself in the person's place.

If you are unable to put yourself in the person's place, you haven't got the capacity to show mercy. You are above it. It couldn't happen to you, and therefore you will not show grace.

But Jesus — the Bible said — came in the likeness of sinful flesh. He became one of us. He was a man of like passion. He went through the things we went through. He understands why I did what I did. He understands why you did what you did. And so he shows you mercy, and his grace has come upon us.

We Have to Turn

Brethren, we have to turn. We cannot say that we love God and not love his children. How do you expect a child to feel if she comes to church and you're all over her, making her feel like there's nobody like her, but at the same time she knows you do not care for her child? How do you think God feels when we are in here worshipping?

A turn is necessary.

The Law and the Prophets

This is the law and the prophets. This is everything that is written, in two lines: love your neighbor as yourself.

Nomos — The Economy of Survival

The word "law" in the Greek is nomos. It's what we get the word "economy" from. The "eco" in front of nomos comes from eco, as in ecosystem — the sustaining system, the entire system that sustains the thing.

Economy — nomos — is about me. It's about you. It means distribution. It's distributing to you what it takes to sustain you. The economy is about me first — not about money and how much companies make. It's about whether I can live comfortably, whether I can pay my bills, whether I can buy my food, whether I can eat rather than heat.

So Jesus is saying, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," because everything about your survival is wrapped up in that.

Church of God, if Judge Street is going to survive, I need to do to you what I would want you to do to me — whether I know you would do it to me or not. This is how we are going to move, because in that behavior is the whole ecosystem of our survival.

Prophetes — Everything Famously Known

"Prophets" here — let's move it from the person. Prophetes is the word. "Pro" in the Greek is not "for" — it's "before," as in in front of. When you say you are pro-life, it means you put life before everything else.

The second half of the word is phemi, from where we get "famous." So all the famous, all the information you know so well, all the prophecies you can repeat off your lips — it's all revealed in this one verse: treat others as you would have them treat you.

Would You Have to Turn?

I don't want you to just do it in your heart this time. Hold your hand up. If starting to practice the golden rule would mean a sea change — would you have to turn to start practicing the golden rule, or are you doing it to a T at the moment?

If you would have to turn, hold your hand up with me. Look at that. Some people have two hands up and a foot.

Brethren, what are we going to do if Jesus is saying, "Don't bother with no more fasting, because it's not going to work"? He's saying, "Stay out of the throne room. It's not going to work because there is one key I give you and you keep leaving it at home." The fasting won't work. Get up off your knee — it will not work.

Small Acts, Big Impact

You see your sister looking sad. You don't know why, but you know it's an expression you've had before, and you would not want it to prolong. So you try to find out what's going on. She's a little bit reluctant to share, but she realizes you are really interested — because you would want somebody to check you out and ask you what is going on.

When you did not come last week, you would have appreciated:

• A phone call
• A text
• Something that tells you that somebody cares

Do you know that if we were practicing the golden rule, we wouldn't need any police? There wouldn't be any divorce court. Parents and children would get on well.

Jesus practiced the golden rule. When he looked at his sheepfold and noticed one was missing, he put himself in the place of the one that was missing. He said, "I would want somebody to find me. Let me go and search."

Nothing Changes Until…

Our church cannot change until the law and the prophets are fulfilled. The Bible said that not one jot or tittle of my word — it's the comma and the full stop in the Greek — never mind the characters, just the punctuations — none of the punctuations will pass before my word is fulfilled.

Until we love each other as we love ourselves, nothing will change.

• No change in Handsworth until we love each other as we love ourselves.
• No change until we stop waiting for somebody else to do unto me.
• No change until I stop doing so that you can do back to me.
• No change until I stop doing so you can talk about what I've done.
• No change until closet ministry takes precedence — nobody has to know about this.

Matthew 24 — the disciples came to Jesus and said, "What will be the sign of your coming?" It was not nations warring against nation. It was not earthquakes in diverse places. It was deceivers in the church. Today it's word scammers in the body of Christ.

The Altar Call: A Sea Change

I want to ask somebody to come to the altar. If you determine today on a sea change — you don't have to move from your seat — if you decide on a sea change today, come.

The Good Samaritan

A man was walking the road one day, and somebody who practiced the iron rule met him, knocked him clear to the ground. Another came who practiced the silver rule, and he crossed the road. Another came who practiced the silver rule — he too crossed the road.

Then another came who nobody counted — a half-breed. He walked up to him because he saw himself in that position. "Had it not been for the grace of God, this would be me." He took out his oil and his wine and poured it in the wound. He bandaged him up. He put him on his mule. He took him to the hospital. He said, "Look after him. I'm going to come back. And until he gets better, whatever it costs, spend it on him, and I will pay the bill."

The golden rule is costly, but it is the best way. Maybe Deverton is the only person that has to change. I'm not there. But I'm going to make the altar.

Last appeal. If you don't think the price of the golden rule is too much to pay, come and let's decide on a sea change. If it's not for you, stay at your seat. The Samaritans were in the minority. Even if it's a few of us that change, Handsworth will change.

A Compound Change

In chemistry they talk about a compound change — a change that is irreversible. Jesus is the catalyst. A catalyst is something or someone who can change something but cannot be changed by the very thing. So Jesus is the catalyst. Let him perform a change today.

Brethren, we have to put this in practice. This is not for your diary. What happened here today — it is Jesus.

Here I am, Lord, on your altar. Lord Jesus, teach me forgiveness. Let me do to her what I would like to have done to me if I was in her position. Lord, I confess that I have been guilty. I confess that I have failed. But help me to turn.

When we see each other again, we're going to practice turn.

• "Roger, you're not smiling. What's going on? I didn't see you last week."
• "Vaughn, I didn't see you for two weeks now. Are you all right?"

When the Lord laid it on your heart to go up to Tesco and buy something, it's because there is a need. Every time somebody brought that to me, I was at rock bottom.

No Passive Believers

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Let me say this before I pray: there are some of us who are happy to walk around with the label "Christian," "born again," "saved by grace," whatever it is — but we do not share the gospel. Do unto others.

There is no passive Christian believer. We must be active. The folding of the hand in the body of Christ achieves nothing. We must reach out.

Prayer: Can These Dry Bones Live?

Bow your heads with me.

Lord, here we are before you today. Father, you know where I am. Jesus, it was you that asked the question, "Can these dry bones live?" You know how long life left me. You know where my other limb is. Even if you want to blow breath now, you can't — it's so bad. There has to be a shaking, because limb needs to come to shoulder, and joint needs to come to bone, and I need to be connected up again.

Dear God, the fragmentation in Handsworth is telling of our state. We shamefacedly cry out to you, Lord Jesus. Help us, because we do not have the care for each other that we should. Here we are before you.

God, can these dry bones live? Can we come back, Lord? Thou knowest. This is why you ask the question, isn't it? You have a plan for us. Jesus, we are determined on this sea change. We're not going back where we are coming from — however long it takes to reassemble me.

Isaiah said, "I am undone. Somebody dismantled me. I am in pieces." And I dwell among people of unclean lips to make it worse. Lord Jesus, thou knowest.

But here are your people at the altar. You know our hearts. Dear Lord God, minister to your people. Bring bone to bone. Join your people up again. Connect us again. Let us feel and sense one another again. Let the nervous system of the Holy Spirit start flowing through the body of Christ again. Let me not wait until I'm told. Let me sense that something is going on with my brother, something is going on with my sister in this fasting service.

An Announcement: We Are in the Hospice

Until the members of the body start functioning together, the body is under threat. I have an announcement to make: we are past restoration. Can't fix. We can only make each other comfortable.

Now we are in the hospital. This is destined to die. Hebrews 9:27 — it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that comes the judgment. We are in the exit ward, but we can make each other comfortable. The Lord has come and secured what he wants — the soul. But there is a curse on the body, the physical man. We must respond to one another in the hospice.

In this place we need to visit. We need to embrace. We need to let each other feel like somebody cares until the Lord comes. Yes, we know we are all going to die. But here, you don't have to suffer alone. You don't have to die of hunger. Here is some food. Here is some spiritual sustenance. Until such time that the Lord is ready, let us comfort one another.

We can't change it. Suffering is going to be here. But Lord, today we make a sea change.

"I will make that call. I will make that visit. I will stop for five minutes. I will embrace. I will tell somebody, 'You are worth waiting for. I will wait.'"

Thank you, Jesus.

A Story: "You're Better Than This"

Before I pronounce the benediction — a story. A young minister — you might have heard me say it before — was attending ministers' meetings on a monthly basis. I was always late. For some reason, I always turned up late.

About two years in, Sister Ellistan, the secretary for the district, met me as I turned up. She said, "Pastor Douglas, you're a bit late. That's not like you."

In my heart I'm thinking, "Sister Ellistan, you're having a laugh. That's very much like me. I'm always late." But that was the last time. She was saying, "You're better than this. That's not what we expect of you. Pull up your socks."

You're better than this. You fall down, and you fall down, and you fall down — but get up, because Christ is in you. I believe in you. Take my hand. Let's do this together. You can make it. Members of the cloud of witnesses did worse than you have, and they are seated with Christ in heavenly places. You have a place.

Liking vs. Loving

Hold your hand up with me, brethren. We're going to practice it.

You know the best way to deal with the people you don't like — I have a few. Liking is in my power. Leroy, I decide whether I like you or not. That's my decision. But love is not my decision. I have to love you. It cost me grief and pain, but I've got to love you. I've got to do what God intends for you.

If he uses me as a conduit toward you, I've got to position myself so when he starts to flow, he gets to you. I cannot be a stumbling block between you and God because I don't like you.

I said I don't like you, because I know you don't like me. You don't like a bone in my body. So I don't like you. But I love you, because in me is Jesus trying to get to you. I will not shut off the flow. I will love you, and you will experience my love, because it is love, and it's nothing to do with me.

Then we connect, and the flow starts, and I start to say, "Deverton, what sort of foolishness are you going on with? This is a nice brother. This is a nice sister." You just assumed they didn't like you. This misunderstanding — you just blew it up on the fan.

Forbear One Another

This sea change has to work. Let the Lord take away the heart of stone. The Lord said, "I prefer cold or hot. My problem is lukewarmness." I'm saved, but I'm doing nothing.

Push out your hand in front of you. Turn your palm up. When the Bible talks about "forbear," it's the most uncomfortable position to hold a load in. It says we must forbear one another. We must not just forbear but esteem others higher than ourselves. So when God is blessing me, it reaches you before it reaches me.

Benediction

Brethren, God bless you. Let this be a compound change — one that is irreversible.

Let me say to you now: when you see me behaving differently, accept me. I am just doing to you what I would like to have done to me. Maybe the message — why I'm changed — yes, it's the message, but it's the word of God. Take it home with you.

God bless you. Amen.