Love God
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Introduction
Introduction
There are millions of things we do during any given week. Things we like to do, things we don’t like to do, things we tolerate doing.
What do you love What do you spend most of your time doing?
When we get to do the things we love to do, there’s nothing like it, right? It brings excitement, peace, gratitude, energy, and most of all - L I F E. You could say it makes our heart beat.
If you had the choice to do what you loved to do or what you did not like to do, what would yoWhat you love, duh!
What you love, duh!
What do you spend most of your time doing? Have you ever wondered why?
Have you ever wondered why?
There’s a pretty good chance there have been times when you just could not wait til it was time to do fill in the bank. And if you could make the decisions, you would do that one thing all the time and nothing else.
Why?
We choose to do what we love to do. Think about it. Name a time you were thrilled to do what you didn’t like to do.
We always pick to do whatever it is we love. It’s the same thing with our relationship with Jesus. As we start a mini-series called “Love God Love People,” we are going to talk about the core of who we are. Here’s the truth I want us to see tonight as talk about Loving God:
TRUTH: Our devotion reveals what we love (Our love reveals where our heart is).
Where our devotion is reveals where our love is located.
God’s Word
God’s Word
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 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 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.”
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 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 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.”
Matthew 22:2
Matthew 22:34-
Situation
Situation
The ones that asked Jesus this question loved what they could religiously “do” instead of their relationship with the God. Matter of fact, it’s very likely that they did not have a relationship with God, but had a relationship with their religion. They loved living by the “do’s & don’ts” lifestyle. Therefore - “What’s the greatest commandment, Jesus?” Their devotion was in their acts and self performance.
What these religious leaders were actually doing was trying publicly discredit Jesus. They thought,
What the Pharisees were trying to do was publicly discredit Jesus. They thought, "There's no way this 'teacher' can nail down the greatest commandment..haha!"
“If Jesus is the man he claims to be who He says He is, then He will strive to keep the rules of law just like us. If so, then we will know if He is trying trying to please God.” “There's no way this 'teacher' can nail down the greatest commandment..haha!"
In the time of Jesus, the religious leaders in the temple would attempt to prioritize the commandments. They would debate on which laws were "light" and which were "weighty." So..when they asked Jesus this question about the greatest commandment, all eyes were zoned on Jesus in seriousness, because all the religious experts of the law of the Old Testament were curious themselves. And most of them, without admitting it, did not think Jesus knew as much as them because Jesus did not have any "formal education” like them. In essence, what they were asking Jesus was this question, "What's the key to life?" Because if we can get that question right, then everything else in life can fall into place. If our key to life is right, then our life will be right.
Jesus explained that the greatest command of God was to simply love God and love others.
What does it look like to "love God with all your heart and soul and mind?"
1. In order to love God you have to know the love of God.
1. In order to love God you have to know the love of God.
We love because he first loved us.
You cannot love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength without ever experiencing the love of God. When you have experienced God’s love in your life, you know it. The apostle Paul said in ,
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
What is the love of God?
What is the love of God?
The love of God is displayed in Christ. It’s displayed in Christ by His sacrificial life on the cross so that we will not remain the same.
After encountering the love of God in Christ, you are controlled by it. It’s displayed in all that you do, in all that you are. It’s no “drag” to love God, because the love of God defines you who are. Our response to the love God has shown us in a real way is “Yes Lord I will love you with all of who I am.”
You cannot love God if you do not know God.
Do you know the love of God, students?
The word for heart means the physical, emotional and spiritual life of human beings. The heart represents the very core of a person. It is our motivations, our words, our actions, our very life.
The word for heart means the physical, emotional and spiritual life of human beings. The heart represents the very core of a person. It is our motivations, our words, our actions, our very life.
In the Bible, the word "heart" represented the controlling center of the person. Whatever the heart was like, that's who the person ultimately was. So...a lot rides on the condition of a person's heart. What we love communicates our heart. Our love tends to go towards many different places, things, and people. What's bad about that is that if we love the wrong thing, then it will have direct effects for our lives. God does not want parts of our love, God wants all of our love (devotion).
Rudder of a ship - Imagine your heart is the like the rudder of a huge ship. Wherever the rudder turns it leads the ship. When I love God it sets everything in order in my life and your life.
TRUTH: Our devotion reveals what we love
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:
So...a lot rides on the condition of a person's heart. What we love communicates our heart. But, our love tends to go towards many different places, things, and people. The bad thing is that if we love the wrong thing, then it will have direct effects for our lives.
If we’re honest, a lot of us hang out in the 50% love to God range. If you were asked, you would say “Of course I love God.” But in all actuality your love for God is temporary. It comes and goes when it’s not occupied with other things.
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”In the Bible, the word "heart" represented the controlling center of the person. Whatever the heart was like, that's who the person ultimately was. So...a lot rides on the condition of a person's heart. What we love communicates our heart. Our love tends to go towards many different places, things, and people. What's bad about that is that if we love the wrong thing, then it will have direct effects for our lives. God does not want parts of our love, God wants all of our love (devotion).
God does not want a part of our love, God wants all of our love (devotion). A person that knows the love of God in Christ will by default love God with all their heart.
Do you want that to be you?
A lot of the times we have the desire to love God, we just don’t. It might be because others things are way up “here” and God is way down “there.”
We do not love God, because we love other things - success, social media, popularity, etc. God gets the affection of those who know Him.
Do you know Him?
If you do, then your love will be towards Him.
We do not love God, because we love other things - success, social media, popularity, etc. God gets the affection of those who know Him. Do you know Him? If you do, then your love is towards Him.
TRUTH: Our devotion reveals what we love
2. Devote Yourself to God
2. Devote Yourself to God
You cannot love God if you do not know God.
You cannot love God if you do not know God.
Here’s the deal - A devoted life is a life that shows it. Whatever we love, that’s where our heart is, and ultimately is displayed.
People know what you love. It’s displayed in what you do and ultimately who you are.
TRUTH: Our devotion reveals what we love.
Love of and for God overflowed the early church to live out the gospel towards each other. They were truly known by their love for one another.
Love of and for God overflowed the early church to live out the gospel towards each other. They were truly known by their love for one another.
If we get the greatest commandment wrong, our entire life is wrong. But if we get the greatest commandment right, then our entire life will be right.