Love God

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

We are Commanded to Love God

Matthew 22:37–38 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Everything that God requires of us is summed up right here. There are five expectations that are given. Fear or reverence or respect for God, walk in his ways, love him, serve him with all that you are, and keep his commandments. All five of these are found throughout the Old Testament. However two of them dominate the scriptures. They are the fear of the Lord and love for God. I believe that if anyone possesses these two attitudes then they will naturally follow in the remainder. The person who loves God will serve him and will observe his laws. No one can claim to love God while neglecting the law that God himself gave. This is why we say that worship and life are completely connected. If we are to live life well and to love well and to love right this means obedience to the law of God. And obedience will only come from a reverential love for the giver of that law.

Joshua 22:5 ESV

Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

To Love the Father You Must Love the Son

John 8:42 ESV

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

How Do We Express Love For God?

Delight in Worship of God and in the House of the Lord

Psalm 27:4 ESV

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

The very essence of the idea of worship is a preoccupation with God’s Person and His will. And here we see the single minded purpose, “One thing I have asked” this single-mindedness in purpose is our greatest defence against the distractions of fear, and worry, and anxiety.

This is the essential trait of a disciple of Jesus. Worship of the Lord must be central to our life.

However worship is not something that is biblically intended to be done individually. Can it yes. However the majority of examples that are given of worship of God are given in the context of the gathering of the people of God.

Acts 2:46–47 ESV

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The early church expressed their love for God by gathering together and doing life with those who also love God.

Church is not an option for the disciple of Jesus.

Through Love For God’s Word

Psalm 119:97 ESV

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 19:7–8 ESV

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

Through Self-Sacrifice

Luke 14:33 ESV

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Romans 12:1 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Through Giving

1 Chronicles 29:3 ESV

Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Through Obedience to God

1 John 5:3 ESV

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Through Our Love for One-Another

This is not simply about loving other people. It is specific to showing love towards the church and those within the church. Again we show love to our Lord by also loving that which our Lord loves most.

1 John 4:21 ESV

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

John 13:35 ESV

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So What?

I first began our series Love Well Love Right by discussing what love actually likes look.

Love causes us to give everything to the those that we truly love.

So if we truly love God how well are we giving all that we are to Him?

The whole sermon, just about, was about how we love God. So I am simply going to list those ways for us and then close in prayer.

Are we loving God by delighting in our worship of Him.

Are we loving God by gathering together regularly with the saints.

Are we loving God by spending time in His word.

Are we loving God by giving to His church

Are we loving God by loving those within His church?

Are we loving God by being obedient to His law?

Finally,

Are we loving God by giving all that we are to Him in worship and love?

Amen

Prayer

Benediction

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