G.C.A.T.

PRAY

Who’s the greatest…?

What is the greatest commandment?…

Jesus and his disciples are still in Jerusalem for the Passover, remember He isn’t going back to Galilee from the trip. The religious leaders have been trying to trick Him and He keeps making them look bad and they basically give up.

read 12:28-40

We must love God and believe God in a way that makes us live for God.

All Out Love

We have to love God with every bit of ourselves. Last week we saw Jesus addressed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They were doing things to be seen, but not truly being obedient. Something was missing.

That’s what so many of these guys didn’t get, but here’s one who seems to get it!

28-30

This comes from Deuteronomy 6…

Moses tells the people to obey God’s commands and then starts with this…

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Then says everywhere you go, in everything you do, with everyone you are with, remember these commands because you love the one true God. This is how you love Him!

If you love Him with all you are, you will obey…

Not perfectly! But normally!

And part of the outworking of this, part of the affect it will have in your life, is the way you treat others. You will show them love like what has been shown to you when you love God this way.

31

The parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10

This is what loving your neighbor as you love yourself looks like.

And don’t miss that embedded in there is expectation that you love yourself…

There is a healthy kind of self-love that recognizes that we are the objects of both the “creating” and the “redeeming” love of our God. To hate myself is an offense to God and calls into question His wisdom and goodness.

I know some of us can struggle with this sometimes. If you ever need someone to talk to, please know that you can talk to us!

So Jesus answers this guy’s question and we find out that this fella is one of the good ones!

32-33

“More than burnt offerings and sacrifices”

What if I told Kristen I loved her, I bought her gifts, I wore my wedding ring, I told people she’s my wife, my only wife. I do all those things, all good things, right? But I don’t ever talk to her, spend time with her. I’m unfaithful to her. I don’t tell her she’s beautiful or take her out. Does that seem like I’ve really given my heart to her? Like I really love her?

Hosea 6:6 ESV

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

That’s what he means when he says this. And Jesus appreciates it!

34

Not far?

Believe in Jesus

We have to believe Jesus is who He claimed to be.

35-37

Liar, Lunatic, Lord

Matthew 1:23 ESV

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

We must believe Him and love Him. Then we will live for Him from the heart.

Live for Jesus from Your Heart

The scribes were hypocrites. They did a lot of the right things, but they didn’t do it from the heart, from love for God.

38-40

Obedience was just a means to an end for these guys…

Are you being obedient to Him? If not, why not? If yes, is it from the heart or is it a means to an end…?

You have to believe in Him and love Him with all you are…