Heart, Soul, Strength: What Do You Do with Yours?

Deuteronomy 6:4–19 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

INTRODUCTION

A mother went to wake her son for church one Sunday morning. When she knocked on his door, he said, “I’m not going!” “Why not?” asked his mother. “I’ll give you two good reasons,” he said. “One, they don’t like me. Two, I don’t really like them.” His mother replied, “I’ll give you two good reasons why YOU WILL go to church. One, you’re 47 years old. Two, you’re the pastor!

I just thought it was funny - don’t read into it. In fact, thank you for not making your pastor feel that way. (P)

But if we're honest, we know that the reality around the world is that many people, including pastors, do feel that way about attending church. And it's not because they have a problem with God necessarily, but it has everything to do with how they've been treated by those who call themselves Christians, but don't always showcase that way of life as they should. 

And as all churches are full of imperfect people, there is probably not a church, ours included, that hasn't had somebody do something, intentionally or not, that made somebody feel that way.

But my job this morning is not to point fingers and to scold, but rather to encourage us to think about what our work should look like moving forward. (P)

As I indicated last week, we are beginning a series of messages that will examine our Mission and Vision statements that were adopted last year. And for us to be able to use them the way we should, in which they become the foundation behind everything we do and everything we say as a church, we must know what they say and what they mean. (P)

If you look at the front of your bulletin, there are three words. These are the action steps of our work, and you’ll see these in both statements as well.

Those words are: love, light, and living water. (P)

Now understand when I say that the mission and vision are the foundation of what we do as a church, that is not to put that above the Word of God, but these statements were put together using the Word of God, much of it surrounding the Great Commission in Matthew 28, where Jesus gives the instructions to do essentially what is called for in these statements. (P)

Hopefully, you have reviewed these statements often, so you can be familiar with them and use them. But I'm going to show them to you this morning. And as you hear these statements, you will see these three words: love, light, and living water, and that is what we're going to break down over the coming weeks, so we know exactly what these statements are calling us to.

Here they are: {CLICK}

Vision Statement (Where we are going):

To be known as a people who embody God’s love, who are a light in the valley, and a means by which His living water flows. [Matthew 22:37-40; 1 John 1:7; Matthew 28:19-20]

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Mission Statement (What are we doing to get there):

We are here to glorify and love first through our worship that enables us to live out Christ’s commands in our behavior, acts of service, and Christ-like redeeming relationships towards others, thus fulfilling the Great Commission. {CLICK}

We will abide and walk in the light of Christ, {CLICK}

Rapidly flowing with streams of living water from God’s Spirit, which empowers us to share His love and light in the valley and beyond. [John 15:4; Isaiah 58; John 7:37-39] {CLICK}

Today, we are picking up where we left off last week on this word called love.

We hear that word all the time, and we often pick it apart and try to figure it out. It's a word we've often said is not superficial, that real love involves a lot more than what we make of it nowadays.

Last week, we talked about the love that God has for us, which we discovered was incredibly deep, real love, the kind we should aspire to. And now we use Jesus's two Great Commandments in Matthew 22to pick apart what love means for us, using that same degree of love to the best of our ability, to love God and love others. And that’s what we’ll take the next two weeks to discuss.

Today, we look at loving God and ask the million-dollar question - how do we accomplish that? I mean, when we think about love as we often do today, it’s hardly sufficient. (P)

Well, when we read all of Matthew 22:37 and today’s text in Deuteronomy 6, we see some very strong words that tell us what exactly this love looks like, and that’s the direction of our discussion today.

Next week, we'll look at loving others, but we have to understand this reciprocal love between God and us before we can even think about that. (P)

So what does it mean to truly love God? (P)

Jesus gives an important answer to that in John’s Gospel, and we actually heard this in our Mission Statement, but it doesn’t always sit well with people until they understand what He is saying. {CLICK}

John 14:15 NIV

If you love me, keep my commands.

Now, why might this cause problems?

I have heard people ask: You mean love is dependent on following a bunch of rules? I mean, how exciting and meaningful is that?

Why shouldn’t this cause problems?

Because as Jesus says in Matthew 22, every law, and rule, and prophecy, and guideline, and suggestion hangs on, or is tied to the two Greatest Commandments that have their roots in love. And that’s what we will see play out as we go through the four components of loving God that are directly tied to the first four of the Ten Commandments that are about just that - loving God.

And then after Moses shares those commandments in Deuteronomy 5, he devotes the next chapter - today’s text - to breaking that down further so we can see exactly what loving God looks like. So let’s examine those four Commandments and components this morning. First:

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1. HONOR GOD’S PLACE.

If you know any Jews or you’ve studied enough of that culture, you may have heard the word Shema. It is defined as their basic confession of faith. And it’s not just for Jews, Shema is the word they use, but it’s an important verse for Christians, as well.

The Shema is what you hear in the first verse of today’s Deuteronomy passage: {CLICK}

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. {CLICK} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. {CLICK}

It is the essence behind the first of the 10 commandments in:

Deuteronomy 5:7 NIV

You shall have no other gods BEFORE me.

God is one - He is the One, love Him first.

And it is what Jesus says is the first and greatest commandment in:

Matthew 22:37–38 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. (P)

So what does it mean to love something with all of your heart, soul, strength, or mind? (P)

I’ve often heard it said, and I was taught this way, that when you go after something important, a big goal or something you aspire to, a career, a health decision, your marriage, raising your children - anything meaningful, that you go after it with everything you have. You put your whole self into it. (P)

That’s not a bad piece of advice at all. That’s how you know you’re committed and that you intend to let nothing stop you from achieving that goal. (P)

The question becomes, then, how often we have allowed our faith and relationship with and LOVE FOR God to be approached with that much drive? (P)

But that’s exactly what this command is calling us to do - to love God with everything you have. Nothing should stop you. Nothing should get in your way. Nothing should come before Him. (P)

Think of it this way: How protective are you of your children? I’ve seen Mama Bear come out of cute, quiet, meek Rhonda many times. And that’s wonderful! That’s how we are for people we love.

We just have to figure out how to make sure our first love [POINT TO GOD] gets that same consideration. (P)

There’s another indicator of those things that have people’s devotion. I love it when I walk into someone’s home and see trinkets that share their story and their loves: Pictures of family and memories, sports memorabilia - I know I’m in the home of a wise family when I see Pittsburgh Steelers decorations. Sometimes I see flags, mascots, or other pieces that show where they or their children went to college. All kinds of things like that can show up inside and outside our homes, and become solid topics of conversation. (P)

Those are all wonderful things. They tell people a bit about your story and the things that mean something to you.

The Bible just asks that we consider having the same meaningful display of our love and devotion to God. (P)

Verses 6 and 9 of today’s text in Deuteronomy list what that might look like when God and His commands carry the same meaning in our families:

They may be on our hearts. We’re always thinking about them.

They’re taught to our children. And it’s intentional.

They’re a constant topic of conversation, as important as the day’s activities or news.

We wear them.

And we decorate our homes with them. (P)

The point is, just like our other precious trinkets, they are always in view and in mind, and something we cherish and honor. I mean, if we truly love God like those other things, why wouldn’t we want to?

It certainly isn’t something we should be ashamed of or bored with. {CLICK}

Mark 8:38 NIV

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.

(P)

The second commandment builds upon the first, and is described in verses 10-12 of today’s text. We are to:

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2. HONOR GOD’S PRIORITY.

He’s not just the one and only and above all other “gods”, but He is to be above all other stuff we have as well. The second commandment in Deuteronomy 5 talks about idolatry - not worshipping or letting anything get in the way of God. Now it isn’t just about other gods, it’s about anything that we allow to take God’s place. (P)

Moses explains this to the Israelites, starting at verse 10 of chapter 6, by giving them a preview of what they were about to receive when they entered the Promised Land. (P)

Remember, Moses was writing this virtually in view of Jericho, the gateway city of that Land. He would never enter it, but he spent much of the 40 years writing these first Old Testament books that would be a guide for the Israelites when they did get to enter, not too far in the future.

They would be driving their enemies, and more importantly, God’s enemies, out of the territory God had already set aside and promised the Israelites, and at the end of a long journey and several tough battles, they would be able to possess lands, cities, houses, and food that they never had before. And these things would be the biggest blessings and prosperity they have ever had.

But what Moses is trying to get across to them here is that they must make sure that these gifts and blessings from God do not take the place OF God. The Jews were not to become so focused and dependent on these amazing gifts that they actually forgot the God who gave them. (P)

That was David’s shortfall in 2 Samuel 11.

David was living the good life. God had given him strength and victory that was not found among any other member of the Jewish army, the epitome of which was seen when he slew Goliath. He earned so much favor with God because of his faith and his unprecedented worship through song, and his obedience through all of that, that God wanted him to be the king, so that he could lead his people in the same direction.

And he started out great, but it was in his time of greatest prosperity that he forgot God and his commandments, and all that He had done for David. And with that distance that had been created, it took one glimpse of Bathsheeba on the roof next door in the bathtub, and everything went south from there - having an affair, conceiving a child through Bathsheeba, and taking her husband, Uriah, out of the picture on the front lines of battle to cover up his indiscretion. (P)

It was later that his son, Solomon, perhaps in learning a little lesson from his dad, made this his prayer in: {CLICK}

Proverbs 30:7–9 NIV

Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: {CLICK} Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. {CLICK} Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (P)

That doesn’t mean we need to go home and burn everything we have, but we'd better pay attention to what place those things take in our hearts. Jesus says in: {CLICK}

Matthew 6:24 NIV

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

It’s interesting how much weight this statement from Jesus carried because of His ability to overcome this very temptation not long before He said this. It was in Matthew’s fourth chapter that Satan took Jesus into the wilderness and tempted Him with this very thing - everything He could ever want in Kingdoms and food and power - if He would just worship Satan.

And Jesus held true to the very lessons He taught. {CLICK}

Matthew 4:10 NIV

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

(P)

There’s a third component to loving God that is found in the third commandment and verses 13-15 of today’s scripture passage.

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3. HONOR GOD’S NAME.

The third commandment in Deuteronomy 5:11 reminds us: {CLICK}

Deuteronomy 5:11 NIV

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. {CLICK}

And yes, that does include those times where we throw out the phrase, Oh my god, like it’s an English staple. We all have let that slip, and perhaps sometimes it’s more than just a slip.

Our girls at the school would often use that expression, and they would get kind of frustrated with us when we asked them not to say it because they were so used to hearing it at home, they couldn’t understand what the big deal was.

So I said to them, Well, you’ve seen Mr. Ritenour upset sometimes, haven’t you? And they would be like, Oh, yeah.

Well, I would say, how would you like it if, when I was upset or angry, I started throwing your name around as a way to express that frustration, or your mom's or dad’s name? Would you be okay with that? Would that help you to feel like I respected you?

And they would answer right away, Oh no way, that would really upset me.

So why do you think God feels any differently about it when we do that to Him? Of the hundreds of thousands of words in the English language and all the things we could say when we are frustrated, why is His name the one that gets used? (P)

But honoring God’s name means so much more than just that.

Remember how last week, despite how we misuse God’s name sometimes, He honors ours. We talked about how it is so honored that He derives our name from His, that is, we are a part of His family and He claims us, because that’s how much He loves us.

And so Christians carry that with them wherever they go. Listen to people who are critical of Christians, or people who refuse to go to church, and what do a lot of them say?

Why would I want to be a part of a group when their people say or do the things I have seen some Christians say or do?

And while it is not an acceptable reason to reject God, you can’t say they’re wrong for being concerned, confused, or even hurt. (P)

This entire Bible is about how we should love and honor God, but Moses really drills home this point in verses 13-19 - reminding the Israelites to follow God only, and live their lives as if they follow God - something they hadn’t done very well, which is why they were wandering in the wilderness while Moses was writing these words.

At one point, he refers to one of those rough moments when he recalls Massah in verse 16. That is the story in Exodus 17 when the Israelites were incredibly thirsty in an area with no water. The story ends with Moses pulling water from the rock, but doing it in frustration and a way that was disobedient to God, only making matters worse with an already grumbling Israelite community. (P)

There was nothing wrong with pleading with God for water. But to grumble, threaten Moses’ life, and dishonor God’s name in their lack of faith, and for Moses to mislead the people and dishonor God in his act of disobedience - it was not a good day for Israel. It’s a big reason they were in the wilderness, and it’s why Moses would never see the Promised Land.

Moses learned his lesson, and that’s why He’s writing these words. And here he says to honor His name so much that you are willing to take oaths in His name. You not only respect His name enough that you are willing to make a commitment that you will not break under that name, but those oaths of living godly lives should be something you are willing to do because you honor His name and don’t want to tarnish it. (P)

God’s name should be a name of honor, comfort, and peace.

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner writes about the holiest part of the ancient Jewish Temple -- a room so sacred that only the High Priest could enter, and then only once a year on Yom Kippur. The High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with a rope tied around his leg, so if he ever fainted or dropped dead, someone could drag him out -- because no one could enter that sacred place to retrieve the body. Once inside, the High Priest had only one thing to do, something he had prepared to do for months. He would say the ineffable four-letter name of God: Yod. Hey. Vav. Hey. Kushner says the reason God's name is unpronounceable is because the name of God is the sound of breathing. The High Priest would go into the holiest of rooms in the Temple and simply breathe.

Breathe. It’s the very best thing we can do at the sound of God’s name. To be still, and know Him, as Psalm 46 suggests. And to make sure we are honoring Him in everything we say and do, before we do any of that, we should breathe and pray, so we can get to a right, calm, and godly place in our spirits. (P)

God’s name is unpronounceable as it was originally given, yet He chose to reveal it to us anyway, and that wasn’t so we could defile it. How Christians portray the name of God in everything they say and do has everything to do with how people will respond when we take Him to the people around us. That’s why love has to come before the action steps of being light and living water. (P)

How much do we actually love God - in worshipping Him only, putting Him first, and honoring His name? That says everything about how our message will be received, because people will see that in us by how we live.

That’s why stopping and breathing the name of God is such an important step, and it actually brings us to component four of how we love God.

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4. HONOR GOD’S PRESENCE.

Stop. Breathe. Know that He’s there. And give Him more than just the fast-paced shrug we tend to give Him.

God knows that we are busy people - and that we would be as busy as we are today - and so He intentionally built in a day just for this purpose, and we find it commandment number 4 in Deuteronomy 5. {CLICK}

Deuteronomy 5:12–14 NIV

Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. (Not just a suggestion) {CLICK} Six days you shall labor and do all your work, {CLICK} But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work… {CLICK}

Yes, this looks different from what it once did. The Sabbath is Saturday, and today, many consider the Lord’s Day - Sunday - to be that day of rest, and still many can’t even do that because of their jobs.

The point is simply this:

Are you taking time for God, preferably a day?

Time for yourself is built in there, as well, but it is a time to breathe, think, enjoy God, and to refresh yourself so you can be valuably functional in the week of work to come. We can make all the excuses we want, but God would not have made that one of the commandments, knowing even our schedules, if it wasn’t important. (P)

John Stott recalls what this looked like for a Polish President.

When Paderewski became president of Poland and resolved not to give up public duties until his country was liberated, he had little or no time for music. [Later]he confessed that if he [had] stopped practicing piano:

for one day, he noticed [the] difference;

for two days, his family noticed [the] difference;

for three days, his friends noticed [the] difference;

for a week, the public noticed [the] difference.

It doesn’t just affect us when we find excuses not to take time for God or self, God being most important. (P)

I don’t know many people who wish to spend only a small amount of time with someone they love. And those who have loved ones that live some distance away, they can tell you firsthand how miserable that is.

Is that how miserable you feel when you don’t get enough time with God? Or doesn’t it make any difference to you, meaning that we need to examine the degree to which we love Him? (P)

CONCLUSION

Jesus said, If you love me, follow my commands. His commands weren’t about following a bunch of rules. It was about giving and receiving a lot of love.

It is a love so strong from God that it should move us to want to share it with others.

But this is something each person has to work out for themselves. I can tell you what God’s love for us looks like, as I did last week. I can tell you how to love God back, like we just did today. I can encourage you to sit still, breathe, take time for Him to get to know Him, and I can even offer my time if you need to talk or pray through anything in this endeavor. But I can’t make you make this a priority. (P)

But I will say, you can’t do His work effectively, carrying out our Vision and Mission, until you do. You have to take care of yourself first in this regard.

It’s like being on an airplane, and they show you how to use the oxygen masks should you ever need them. And what do they tell you every time?

Make sure yours is on and working before helping someone else.

I always thought that sounded so selfish - but now it makes sense. You can’t help others if you are passing out because you are unable to breathe. (P)

Yahweh [BREATHING].

Breathing His name - getting to know Him, and discovering the mutual love that should be there for every believer. It’s not selfish to help yourself first in this part of faith when you consider that you can do no good for anyone else until you discover what God’s love is, and how to love Him back. (P)

Next week we will move on to the last part of love - loving others - even the unloveable, and we all have examples of that - perhaps now more than ever before.

That doesn’t mean your journey of working on your relationship with God ends here; you need to keep exploring and figuring that out. We are always here to pray and talk to you if you need help with that. It’s a lifelong process, but one we must be willing to go through if we are going to serve Him the way we should and must.