The Greatest Commandment

Introduction

Asking Staci to marry me after months of her indecisiveness - Her response, “Yes, yes, yes...” A diamond changes everything…

Been great to see how over marriage love develops - What was once indecisive is now confident.

Love is powerful, and in our faith it is foundational. : God is love. He’s not just love, but He is the essence of love. Not a Sunday goes by that we don’t talk about God’s love.

Love is powerful, and in our faith it is foundational. : God is love. He’s not just love, but He is the essence of love. Not a Sunday goes by that we don’t talk about God’s love.

Love is so foundational to our faith, yet so difficult to cultivate and grow. Easy to drift in our love for the Lord. Easy to “fall out of love” with God.

How do we grow in our love for God? How do we obey the Greatest Commandment that we’re so familiar with? So critical because this is so foundational, so critical because we all struggle so much with these words. Three ways to see sustained growth in our love for God:

Never stop being captivated by God’s love.

Questions trying to trap Jesus. 1. Should we pay taxes? 2. What happens after we die? (Sadducees who didn’t believe in life after death…) Not what you expect - eternal life is beyond your imagination.

Third question - a scribe - an expert in the OT Law. Spent their days tediously copying the Law and giving lengthy interpretations of it. Everyone depended on scribes. Ph.D. in OT - knew it forwards and backwards - scribes counted 613 laws. They were teachers - they were highly sought after.

This scribe has heard Jesus answer the religious leaders, and he comes with his question. Comes by himself. Perhaps he’s different than the others - maybe his heart is tender.

Logical question. “I know all 613 commandments - which is the most important? Don’t commit adultery? Don’t mix fabrics? Keep the Sabbath?” Rabbis constantly talked about which commands were the weightiest - and this was the debate of the day - what command is the essence of the Law?

A question that was undoubtedly debated among people who were so concerned about law keeping. Which one did they have to keep?

Jesus takes scribe back to most foundational command: the Shema () Pious Jews recited it every morning and evening. Jesus would have grown up reciting the Shema. Most pious Jews would tie phylacteries to their foreheads as a reminder to love God (). Jesus condemned this () because they made big phylacteries to show off their piety. If you were on your death bed and physically able you would recite before your death. Jesus’ answer didn’t shock the scribe. Made sense.

Jesus takes scribe back to most foundational command: the Shema () Pious Jews recited it every morning and evening. Jesus would have grown up reciting the Shema (sitting on Joseph’s knee). Most pious Jews would tie phylacteries to their foreheads as a reminder to love God (). Jesus condemned this () because they made big phylacteries to show off their piety. If you were on your death bed and physically able you would recite before your death. Jesus’ answer didn’t shock the scribe. Made sense.

The Shema begins by focusing us on God - and as you focus on God you can’t help but be reminded of why we should be captivated by God’s love:

Because of who God is: - The Lord is one! Our God! Words originally composed after God delivered Hebrews from Egypt - proving His love for them. The God of all creation set His love on them. - We love God because He first loved us.

Because of who God is: - “Hear” “The Lord is one!” - A call to loyalty! Our God! (What had the gods of Egypt done for them?) God delivered the Hebrews from Egypt - proving His love for them. God is loyal to His people - different than the other gods - one worthy of our praise. - We love God because He first loved us.

Know what God has done: Passover - Jesus in Jersualem about to give His life on the week that celebrated the Hebrews deliverance from Egypt - He would be the ultimate Passover Lamb - proving God’s love for all humanity.

Because of what God has done: Passover - Jesus in Jersualem about to give His life on the week that celebrated the Hebrews deliverance from Egypt - He would be the ultimate Passover Lamb - proving God’s love for all humanity.

Because of what God is doing: (What the scribes failed to see.) Ph. 1:6 - God is doing a work in you right now that He will complete. Using your experiences, circumstances, relationships to shape you. Right now, He is putting up with you in spite of you.

Because of what God is going to do: - Preparing an eternal home for you and preparing you for an eternal home. He will bring you into His glory forever.

Never stop being captivated by the love of God - His love for you is just as wonderful as the day He saved you. (Hudson captivated by father - “You’re a Dr., right?”)

Never stop being consumed with love for God.

Love for God is to be consuming.

With all your heart - core of who you are. The essence of your being - recognizing that He defines the very essence of who you are - your whole identity is found in Him - your emotions.

Aren’t we all looking for a sense of identity? I’m defined by… Loving God with all your heart means you’re identity is found in who you belong to.

With all your soul - You’re life! No divided allegiance!

With all your mind - Intellect - You think deeply on the things of God. You want to know Him to the best of your ability.

With all your strength - Love is active. You give your best efforts to those you love.

Love for God is consuming - it encompasses every part of who you are - ever fiber of your being.

Love for God is consuming - (Not - just mind, or just heart - but every fiber of your being.

What keeps us from being consumed with God’s love is we’re consumed with self-love!

Ill. - Friday chores - didn’t get the right sunscreen - consumed with me

How? How do you remain captivated by God’s love? How do you stay consumed with love for God?

How? How do you remain captivated by God’s love? How do you stay consumed with love for God?

Remember - (Reason for passover/feasts) Constant call for us to remember where we were and what God has done. Never lose sight of the change. (Why you need weekly worship)

Immerse - Why you need the spiritual disciplines, the habits, the life connection groups, the D-Groups - We never grow in love because we never immerse ourselves in His love. We don’t put ourselves in a position to grow. Faith is all or nothing.

Relate - - You will not grow if you are not in relationship with others. I need to hear your stories, I need you to hold me accountable, I need your prayers.

Never stop being committed to love others.

The scribe doesn’t ask for a second command, but Jesus gives it because love for God and love for others cannot be divided. () While known commands, Jesus is the first to link these together!

Who is your neighbor? (Good Samaritan - everyone) You don’t get to pick your neighbors, but you have a responsibility to love. And, as you grow in love for God, he’ll give you a heart of love for others.

What does it mean to love my neighbor? Be kind? Not say mean things? To give the guy on the corner a couple of dollars? Yes, but so much more!

Serve - () - Serving others as unto Jesus. What if that was our mindset? Then - full of love, giving the best of our time, etc. Our service is an extension of His grace. (Willing self-sacrifice)

Speak - () the truth - not overlooking issues/conflicts but having the hard conversations to help someone see their sin or need for Jesus, to put a relationship back together, to warn, to encourage, etc. Is there a conversation you need to have? It might cost you relationally, but you know God is wanting you to say it in love and humility.

Stir - () - Speaking and challenging - pushing towards Jesus. Challenging your spouse to pray with you. Encouraging your friend to share the Gospel. Encouraging your friend to make that wise choice at work.

Love is self sacrifice, love expects nothing in return, love is tough, it’s messy, but love for others is evidence of your love for Jesus.

The Scribe’s Response:

“Good job, Jesus.” Jesus didn’t tell him anything that he did not know.

Extent of scribe’s knowledge - “All of this is better than sacrifices!” Yet, this scribe, like every other Jew, was tied to a system of religion and not the law of love! Love was not being taught in the temple! Oppression and hypocrisy was in the temple!

Jesus: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Jesus complimented the scribe - he knew theological truth - that’s a good place to start. But He also warned the scribe.

Scribe’s response should have been: woe is me! That should be our response!

We all struggle - You might be close to the Kingdom, but you’re not close enough if:

You don’t acknowledge your failure. We all fail to love daily. Admit it. Repent of it.

You don’t acknowledge your need. You need a Savior who has done for you what you cannot do - who loves perfectly. Loves the Father with a perfect love - and loves us with a perfect love. Jesus went to the cross and died for His neighbors - neighbors who had mistreated Him, scorned Him, rebelled against Him, and rejected Him. Then, He rose from the dead securing eternal life for His neighbors who rejected Him.

The words are easy, the life is hard without the help of the One who teaches us perfect love. This is why you need relationships, immersion, and most importantly, submission to the Spirit of God - a heart that always says, “help me!”

This morning, maybe love has been hard - it’s been hard to love God, a particular person. This morning, repent of lack of love, and cry out, “Help me!”

Or, you’ve never experienced love. This morning, surrender. Experience love for the first time.