Finding your Mark

We live in a time that people redefine everything including what it means to be right or wrong. We live in a time that say’s if you love me you will except me for who I am and stop judging me. We live in a time that people are constantly trying to trip others up to show that they are wrong and we are right. We live in a time that our own perspective is the only one we can see but yet we claim to think out side of the box. This list goes on and on but this is not something new. This has been going on for thousands of years. For instance, people have been questioning God’s authority even before he physically descended to Earth and manifested himself as the God-man Jesus the Christ. Even when Jesus walked the Earth and did all kinds of miraculous signs and wonders, people were still always trying to trip him up.

The term soul is difficult to define, but it seems to refer to the source of life and vitality, or even of one’s ‘being’

Thompson, J. A. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 5. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1974. Print. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries.The term soul is difficult to define, but it seems to refer to the source of life and vitality, or even of one’s ‘being’

The necessity to have the law of God upon your heart rather than on tables of stone is here declared The man who loves gladly loves with his whole being

8, 9. What was given originally as a metaphor became for later Jews a literal injunction. The present passage, along with , ,

We live in a time that people redefine everything including what it means to be right or wrong. We live in a time that say’s if you love me you will except me for who I am and stop judging me. We live in a time that people are constantly trying to trip others up to show that they are wrong and we are right. We live in a time that our own perspective is the only one we can see but yet we claim to think out side of the box. This list goes on and on but this is not something new. This has been going on for thousands of years. For instance, people have been questioning God’s authority even before he physically descended to Earth and manifested himself as the God-man Jesus the Christ. Even when Jesus walked the Earth and did all kinds of miraculous signs and wonders, people were still always trying to trip him up.

Thompson, J. A. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 5. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1974. Print. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries.

We live in a time that people redefine everything including what it means to be right or wrong. We live in a time that say’s if you love me you will except me for who I am and stop judging me. We live in a time that people are constantly trying to trip others up to show that they are wrong and we are right. We live in a time that our own perspective is the only one we can see but yet we claim to think out side of the box. This list goes on and on but this is not something new. This has been going on for thousands of years. For instance, people have been questioning God’s authority even before he physically descended to Earth and manifested himself as the God-man Jesus the Christ. Even when Jesus walked the Earth and did all kinds of miraculous signs and wonders, people were still always trying to trip him up.

is a perfect example of people trying to trip Jesus up and test him. First, the Pharisees tried to get Jesus to entrap himself by asking him if he thought it was lawful to pay taxes. You see if Jesus said no, he would have been breaking the Roman Law but many of the Jews felt that paying any tax to a pagan contradicted God’s Lordship over them. But Jesus didn’t fall for their trap. He said “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” ().

After that the Sadducees - who didn’t believe in a resurrection (which is why their names are sad u c’s) - they tried to trip Jesus up with what they thought was a contradiction about the resurrection and a married woman who’s husband died. But Jesus using Scripture proved them wrong. As a side note If God used his own scripture to defend his word how much more should we be studying his word to do the same.

Now after they were put in their place the Pharisees and Sadducees got together and sent their disciples to test Jesus one more time asking him: “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 first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt.22:36-40).

“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 first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt.22:36-40).

Now what can we learn about this?

We can see what Love and patients looks like as people are constantly trying to redefine what we stand for.

We can see how to defend our faith - namely with Scripture.

But did you notice Jesus wasn’t quoting the N.T. as a matter of fact Jesus never quoted the N.T. As a matter of fact Paul never quoted the N.T Peter never explicitly quoted the N.T. either. I say explicitly because he did implicitly quoted it when he said: “count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” ().

But the questions have to be asked:

What does it look like to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind?

What are some of the distinguishing marks that define who you are?

Both of these question can be answered

To answer these question I want to look in the O.T. - at the passage that Jesus was quoting. So if you have a Bible or the Bible app on your device would you turn to Deuteronomy’s 6:4-9. That is the 5th book in the O.T. which was called the Torah (Hebrew) or the Pentateuch (Greek) they both mean the five books of the Law.

Background:

After Moses and the Israelites defeated Og, the king of Basan, which is modern day Syria. Moses recalled how God gave the Law to the people. He reminded them of their covenant with God and of the 10 Commandments. Then Moses reminded them of what the Greatest Commandment was (which was called the Shama). And this is the verse that Jesus quoted. Now your going to see in a few minutes that there is a command to do here. And in typical Pharisaic nature the Pharisees of Biblical time took this command to the extreme and missed the point. Likewise, many of us do this today as well - it just looks slightly different than what the Pharisees did.

fre Now as your turning there, let me briefly fill you in on the background.

BackGround Now as your turning there, let me briefly fill you in on the background.

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The people of Israel have left Egypt with the guidance of the Lord and Mosses. The Israelites heard the voice of God and it scared them. They asked Mosses to speak to God. In other words Mosses was interceding for them. They were in the Land of OgIt was at this time that God gave Mosses the ten commandment and God told Moses to teach all his people the words that God told him.

4“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

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

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

6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

7You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

We could talk about how the 10 commandments are still relevant to our lives today. We could talk about discipleship; we could talk about finding time and a place to teach our children things; We could talk about what it means to Love with all our heart soul and might

We could talk about how the 10 commandments are still relevant to our lives today.

We could talk about discipleship.

We could talk about finding time and the best place to teach our children the ways of the Lord.

We could talk about what it means to Love with all our heart soul and might.

It is loving with all our heart soul and might that I want to focus our time together on.

Remember, I said I want two answer the questions:

What does it look like to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind?

What are some of the distinguishing marks that define who you are?

Now, I am going to answer both of these questions with one proposition from the text.

v.5 gives us a command, but its not the command I was talking about. It says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

So, to Love someone with all of your heart and soul

The heart was regarded as the seat of the mind and will as well as of a wide range of emotions

The term soul is difficult to define, but it seems to refer to the source of life and vitality, or even of one’s ‘being’

The necessity to have the law of God upon your heart rather than on tables of stone is here declared The man who loves gladly loves with his whole being

8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

9You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

There are many themes that we could pull out of this text that are very relevant for us today.

9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

We could talk about how the 10 commandments are still relevant to our lives today.

We could talk about discipleship.

We could talk about finding the best time and place to teach our children the ways of the Lord.

We could talk about is their a time and a place to talk about God and Not talk about God.

We could talk about what it means to Love with all our heart soul and might.

It is loving with all our heart soul and might that I want to focus our time together on.

Remember, I said I want two answer the questions:

What does it look like to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind?

What are some of the distinguishing marks that define who you are?

Now, I am going to answer both of these questions with one proposition from the text.

v.5 gives us a command, but its not the command I was talking about.

v.5 gives us a command, but its not the command I was talking about. It says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

It says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

So, to Love someone with all of your heart and soul

The heart is regarded as the seat of the mind and will, as well as a wide range of emotions.

These mindsets and emotions can be the driving force of you life. After all, the things that you say come from your heart, thus driving your actions. Jesus said: ". . . for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (, ESV)

The term soul is difficult to define, but it seems to refer to the source of life and vitality, or even of one’s ‘being’

We can all relate to this.

The person who loves gladly loves with his whole being.

In other words, the things you live for are the things you love - whether you admit it or not!

Is everything on your heart and mind The man who loves gladly loves with his whole being.

The person who loves football - eats sleeps and breaths football.

. . . Video games . . .Facebook . . .

And this is illustrated by way of saying: If you Love the Lord you will teach his ways Diligently. You should talk about them whether you sitting , walking, laying down, getting up, going to work, playing video games looking at Facebook ect. ect. Everything that you say and do should be rooted in the Love of the Lord. When everything you say and do is putting God first you bear the “Mark of God”

Do you bear God’s mark on your life?

Do you put God first in your life or do you make excuse? Or worse yet, do you just go through life at times without thinking about God and you just do life?

Do you have time for Facebook? - but not to study your Bible. Do you have time for video games? - but not time to pray.

Maybe you make excuses why you won’t participate in church events. Or why you don’t get involved as much.

Maybe you think there is a time and a place to talk about God. After all there are two things you don’t talk about that is religion and politics - Right? - No, that’ a worldly way of thinking. That’s not what God say’s.

If you look at v.8-9 you will see what it looks like to “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and might” and you will see that God commands you to “bear his Mark”

"You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (, ESV)

This is figurative language. When it says as a sign on your hand it is meaning the works that you do with your hands are a sign of the Love you have for God almighty. The frontlets between your eye: What is that? - your forehead. In other words, everything that is on your mind. A literal interpretation of this would be: Love the Lord your God and bear his mark on your life, that is, show everything that you think, say and do put God first. The necessity to have the law of God upon your heart rather than on tables of stone is here declared.

Now in there typical Pharisaic ways the Pharisees missed the point of this passage and turned it into a Law. What they did was: they took this present passage, along with a couple other passages (, , ) And wrote them down on little scrolls then placed them in two black leather boxes and placed them on their right hand and forehead. These little boxes were called Phylacteries (). What was given originally as a metaphor became for later Jews a literal injunction.

You might be laughing but we do this still to this day. It looks kind of different but we are still missing the point. Does this verse sound familiar at all. Maybe you never heard of the Mark of God but If I was a guessing man I would say that most of you have heard about this verse before but the opposite version of it. Which is found in chapter 13 of the book of Revelation. The Word of God says, all whose name are not in the book of the life of the Lamb who was slain will worship the Beast. And all who will worship the beast will have the mark of the beast on their right hand and forehead (). Does that sound familiar. You see we get all hyped up about end times wondering who the anti-christ is and what the mark of the beast is. We look for some ugly red beastly looking thing and we act like the mark of the beast is going to be a computer chip or a tattoo. Well you see these two passages tell you who the Anti- christ is and what the mark of the beast is. Just like the mark of God, the mark of the beast is the very driving point of your heart and soul, the very things that you do. It is not some yet to bee seen new technology. But yet we are so self deceived and look at ourselves but don’t see that ugly scary looking beast with a mark on his forehead and hand that says 666 which is the number of man. Preach the GOSPEL!

Finding your Mark

Seeking Your Mark

Seeing Your Mark

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Finding your Mark

Seeking Your Mark

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Seeing Your Mark

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