The Duty of a Disicple: “Loving the Lord”

What is a disciple?

God didn’t call anyone to be a Christian. He called us to be disciples.

One of the major characteristics of a disciple of Jesus is that they love the Lord. Truly. Fully. Faithfully.

Matthew 22:36–38 (NASB)

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 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.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment…

We are to love God with our whole person.

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 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.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

Heart

Soul

Mind

That makes up all of who we are.

Isaiah 29:13 (NASB)

13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me…

The passage Jesus refers to in the Great Commandment is in Deuteronomy. And there, we see another descriptor of the whole person.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Might

Mark 12:30 (NASB)

30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

All of who we are and with all the strength and energy we have.

We have to put everything we are into loving God.

Romans 12:1 (NASB)

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

We are to love God through what we practice.

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 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.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

Loving the Lord is a commandment! commandments require obedience. The primary way we prove our love for God is through what we practice. What is our consistent habit? Do we practice loving obedience as a general rule or is our obedience the exception to the rule?

Joshua 22:5 (NASB)

5 “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Deuteronomy 11:1 (NASB)

1 “You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.

John 14:15 (NASB)

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

2 John 6 (NASB)

6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

1 John 5:3 (NASB)

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

We are to love God with all we possess.

Matthew 6:19–21 (NASB)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:24 (NASB)

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Luke 18:22–23 (NASB)

22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NASB)

7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Proverbs 3:9 (NASB)

9 Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce…

In closing:

Disciples of Jesus love the Lord.

How is your love for the Lord?

Are you loving God with all of who you are?

Is your love for God clearly seen through what you do?

Do you love God more than the things you possess?

There is no greater commandment than loving the Lord our God.

As we go to the Lord in prayer, let’s all ask Him to help us love Him more and more every day.

Let’s pray.

Memory Verse of the Week:

1 John 5:3 (NASB)

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.