“Just say No!” and “Just Do It!”

1. Two of the most successful marketing phrases ever had just three words each, and shared the first word: “Just say No!” and “Just Do It!”

2. And we’ve all heard that • “Brevity is the sole of wit.” • But, I’m not trying to be funny, or to “sell” anything in this lesson. • But there are pointers to be gleaned from these very successful mantras: • For many years now, we’ve lived in a sound bite, bumper sticker, and tee-shirt world where brief and pithy statements of sentiment, wit, or philosophy catch people’s attention and, to some degree at least, influence their thinking and activity. • While such may indeed be a sad commentary on our breadth of mind and depth of thought, it also means that one well-devised and constructed mantra can change a person or even a society.

3. So what’s the phrase… • That can change a person or mold a society? • Though there are several such statements in Proverbs, the one that comes to my mind is a combination of a couple of somewhat obscure phrases in Acts 10: When speaking of Jesus, Peter said, “He went about doing good”in v.38; and When speaking of acceptance with God, Peter said the man who “does what is right” is welcome to Him in v.35.

4. With apologies to the Spirit, • Let’s kind of scrunch Nancy Reagan’s, Phil Knight’s (Nike head man), and the apostle Peter’s words together: “Just Do the Right Thing.” Seriously, let’s re-examine Acts 10:35. • Two requirements are made for acceptability with God: • Fear Him; and • Do what is right. Since the second one won’t be done without the first one, the first is implied by doing the second. So we’re almost there already.

5. Now consider again, • Acts 10:35and realize three important considerations: • Jesus was/is the perfect example of being pleasing to God, cf. Matt.17:5. • You and I are not“anointed with the Holy Spirit and power” by God in the same way Jesus was- therefore, we cannot miraculously “heal all those oppressed by the devil” the way He did. • But we can“go about doing good” in the ways and opportunities God provides us! “Just Do the Right Thing!”

6. We’ve talked about this before, but think: Of the sins we commit, what percentage of them do we know to be wrong before we commit them? “Almost all of them,” right? So what does that tell us? • Lack of information wasn’t the problem, obviously. • We probably also knew what the “right thing to do” was, but chose not to do it anyway, cf. 1Cor.10:13. • We didn’t “Just Do the Right Thing!” Put another way: How many of our sins could we eliminate if we would “Just Do the Right Thing” which we already know to be right? 2Cor.13:7

7. “But it’s not that simple!” Why isn’t it? If it worked to help get kids off of and keep them away from drugs to “Just say No”; And if it inspired millions of athletes to accomplish what they may have thought impossible to “Just Do It”; Then why can’t “Just Do the Right Thing” inspire and enable us to overcome temptation and do what we already know to be the right thing(s)?

8. Keys to “Just Do the Right Thing” from 1Peter: • You can “Just Do the Right Thing” even when it hurts, 1Pet.2:20; 3:17. Doing the “wrong” things hurts now and later, Gal.6:7-8; doing the “right” things may hurt a little now, but will feel great for eternity, 2Cor.4:17! • You can “Just Do the Right Thing” without being afraid, 1Pet.3:6. Overcoming our fears is perhaps the single greatest impediment to true accomplishment, Rom.8:31; Heb.13:6; 1John 4:17-18. • You can “Just Do the Right Thing” if you really trust God, 1Pet.4:19. Trust Him when He says, “Yes, you can overcome temptation,” 1Cor.10:13. And trust Him when He says, “I will repay” Heb.11:6 and 10:30.

9. So…. “Just Do the Right Thing!”