Love the Lord Your God With All Your Soul

Good morning.

Today, we are in part 3 of our Soul Activity series.

In Part 1, we learned that to love God with our everything means to give Him the place of Primacy in our lives. That means He is over everything, and He has the absolute and reserved right to tell us how we should live with the things and people that we are blessed with.

In Part 2, we learned that to love God with all our heart, we need to give our heart to Him so that our hearts are in His hands, so that when we follow our hearts, we are actually following Jesus.

Now, in Part 3, we will examine what it means to love God with all our soul.

Remember that the Greatest Commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we are learning what this means so that we can do so effectively as God leads us into the city of Bristol to reach people in His Name, to meet the needs of those who might not have anyone else to care for them, and to build each other up and care for each other as we are adopted sons and daughters of Christ Jesus.

We are going to be in , and invite you to turn there now, and as you do, let me tell you what it means to love the Lord with your soul.

Loving the Lord with all our soul means that everything in our entire lives gives glory to God

I know that that sounds super cliche, especially if you’ve been around church for a while. It may also just sound like another nice, Christian phrase that’s great for sharing on Facebook.

But its so much more than that.

Here’s another way to put that:

Loving the Lord with all our soul means that our entire life is one, epic praise song to God.

Loving God with all our soul means that from the biggest things to the smallest things, from the visible things, to the unseen things, our lives are actively giving glory to God.

The glory of God must be the Christian’s objective in everything.

Our goal in whatever we’re doing should be to give glory to God.

The only way our goal can be to give glory to God in everything is if we love God with all our soul.

Here’s another concept that seems obvious, but that, at least in what God has shown me, is so much more than I’ve understood in my life until recently.

If it seems obvious that in all we do we should give glory to God, why does it seem like that doesn’t happen as much as it should though the lives of believers, and by extension, through the church?

What’s the problem?

I suggest that the problem is that we have too often confused glory for credit.

We think that giving God glory, means giving God the credit.

But the reality is, that yes, God gets the credit, but credit and glory are two very different things, and furthermore, we are not commanded to give God credit in everything we do, but to give God glory in all that we do.

Webster’s Definitions:

Credit: An account balance in a person’s favor; an account deduction; a good name; noting a one’s contribution; something that adds to one’s reputation; trustworthy (i.e. a synonym for “believe,” “I find that person hard to credit”)

Glory: worshipful praise, honor, thanksgiving; great beauty and splendor; a state of great exaltation; to rejoice proudly in (i.e. we rejoice in the Lord)

Credit is received and largely passive

Glory is given and largely active

Credit influences ability/access

Glory influences behavior/action

We will certainly unpack this a bit further this morning, but let’s come to God’s Word and we will see a hypothetical situation illustrated by the apostle Paul that makes this point; that in whatever we do, we are to do it for the glory of God.

Let’s pray together as we open God’s Word

1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1 ESV

23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

This passage is actually referring to a broader conversation that Paul addressed in , wherein Paul said that, in Christ, believers do not have to worry about the meat that they eat, specifically whether it had been sacrificed to idols.

At the time, many believed that to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol was a sin against God. Paul explains in chapter 8 that everything belongs to God, therefore, since Christ has now paid for the sin of the world, the meat that we choose to eat is morally indifferent. It doesn’t matter. We can eat it, or not.

At the same time, Paul warns that a Christian should not exercise all matters of their freedom if it hurts or otherwise is to the detriment of either another believer, or it damages the credibility or reputation of Christ before a non-believer.

Finally, at the end of the passage, Paul connects the idea of giving glory to God in all we do to this hypothetical illustration.

Why would he do that?

I suggest that Paul connected this illustration to giving glory to God to demonstrate how giving glory to God can happen even in the most seemingly insignificant of events.

Think about it.

Paul set up a casual dinner between a mature believer, a less mature believer, and a non-believer - that doesn’t matter, we can eat with anyone we want to

With food - that ultimately didn’t matter

And the people who were there weren’t sinful to eat with

There was nothing about that situation that was sinful or even morally questionable

But Paul cared about the testimony that the unbeliever would receive if two believers did not appreciate each other appropriately.

And Paul said that it was the responsibility of the more mature believer to act in such a way that glory, that is, praise, honor, and splendor might be given to God.

It gives glory to God when those of us who are more mature do not exercise our Christian freedoms in ways that hurt less mature believers, and/or in ways that might confuse the testimony of Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know Him.

For example, alcoholism runs in my biological father’s side of the family. I have many relatives on that side who fell into the trap of alcohol addiction.

God has impressed it upon my heart that I am not free to drink alcohol, not because drinking alcohol in and of itself is a sin, but because I am predisposed to having a problem with it, and it is best if I simply do not open that door.

However, I do not mind when others enjoy a glass of wine or a beer or whatever around me. It doesn’t bother that others may have an alcoholic drink.

Certainly, being drunk is a sin, and I do not condone that in any form, but a glass of wine by itself is not sinful to drink.

Now, if it did bother me to have people consume alcohol in my presence, anyone with me who might be a mature believer is expected to respect the limit that God has placed on my life in that way, even though God may have not placed that same limit on their life. And Paul says that even a small choice such as this gives glory to God.

And this is how we need to love God with our soul.

I know that many of us pray before a meal, we give thanks to God.

We give Him credit for providing all that we have.

But do we also give Him with our souls in and by the choices we are making as we enjoy our meal?

Do our conversations with our families give God glory?

If we are upset for one reason or another, do we retreat from our families in silence?

Maybe we’re at the table, but we’re not in the conversation?

Do our children see their parents giving glory to God by their choices in those small moments?

Giving God the glory is not just acknowledging that He is the reason for thus and so.

Giving God the glory is praising Him because He is the giver.

Giving God credit is saying that He contributed to our lives in a positive way.

Giving God the glory is reflecting His awesome splendor through our lives by the choices that we make, whether big or small.

Having God’s glory on our minds and hearts will influence our actions toward God and others.

Giving God glory is an active praising of God

Giving God glory is recounting His mighty works throughout our lives, and throughout the history of the world.

Here’s another biblical example of what it means to give glory to God.

You can turn to Acts chapter 7 right now, and to set up the scene, we are going to read a little bit about a man named Stephen.

Stephen was one of seven men chosen by the disciples to care for Greek-speaking widows. So Stephen was a member of the first deacon team. And not only did care for the needy, but he proclaimed the Gospel as well. The religious leaders of the day hated him for this, and we will read just a little bit of his story.

Acts 7:8–15 ESV

8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,

Acts 6:8–15 ESV

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 7

From verse 16 - verse 53, we read an amazing speech that Stephen gave. And this speech was Stephen giving glory to God. Stephen did not plead for his life, but He recounted the works of God through the Old Testament.

Isn’t that a peculiar thing to do when you’re about to die?

What would you want your last words to be?

Most of us would want our loved ones to know how much we love them.

And that is perfectly fine.

But is there room to give glory to God even when we do not see a victory in sight for us, as is the case with Stephen?

Let’s pick up Stephen’s account in chapter 7.

Acts 7:54–60 ESV

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:54-

Giving God glory influences you to act like Jesus.

Stephen’s last words are very reminiscent of Jesus’ last words on the cross.

I would submit to you that a key oversight we make as Christians in trying to be more Christlike is we neglect to give God glory in everything we do.

Instead, we give Him credit for a meaningful and important contribution to our lives.

But thank you for our food, while good, is different than I praise You because You provide.

Stephen loved God with all his soul. His soul was inclined toward the Lord.

And Stephen stood in the same place Jesus stood, before the same tribunal, and was, like Jesus, killed. Yet that did not stop him, Stephen, from giving glory to God. He couldn’t help it.

We might say a prayer and thank God for giving us the life He gave us, but will we praise Him?

Do our lives praise God?

Or do we depend on a songwriter to do that for us?

And we don’t even give God credit for worship songs, let alone glory.

One of the hardest things about giving glory to God is not that we do not want to, its just that we forget to.

That doesn’t make it right, but that’s usually the case.

We don’t see each moment as an opportunity to give glory.

Some moments seem to small and insignificant, like the example Paul gave us in 1 Corinthians, and so we might give God credit for the food, but not glory.

Other moments are intense and scary, and we may not know what to do.

Other moments are exciting and wonderful, and giving God glory gets lost in our exuberance and enthusiasm.

And because its also easy to confuse giving God Glory, with giving God credit, we may go on for long periods of time without loving God with all our souls.

We have to remember that you don’t have to love God to give Him credit.

After all, plenty of people give God credit for creating the world, but they don’t love Him. Do you see?

But you have to love God if you are to give Him glory, because if you didn’t love God, it wouldn’t matter to you whether He was glorified by your life or not?

Does your life glorify God?

Does your life praise God?

Does your life reflect the wonder and splendor of God?

This is what it means to love God with all our soul

Here’s a quote about what it means to love God with all your soul by giving God glory

“I don’t believe there is one great thing I was made to do in this world. I believe there is one great God I was made to glorify. And there will be many ways, even a million little ways, I will declare His glory with my life”

-Emily P. Freeman, A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live

Giving God glory in all that we do is how we love God with all our soul

And to give God glory, we proclaim who He is actively, with the choices we make and the things we do.

As we close today, I want to offer you this example.

Many of us are probably familiar with athletes giving God the glory after a big win.

But you know what gives God glory?

Not that they said that, although, their boldness in doing so is a good thing.

But God was glorified in how the athletes practiced, in how they prepared, in how they treated their opponents, in how they respected the officials, in how they played with their utmost excellence on the field, and so much more.

Take a look at this example of what it looks to give God glory, love God with all our soul, by what we do.

Video

I suppose you might say that God isn’t as much glorified when we win with our whole selves, as He is when our whole selves serve to worship Him.

Practical App

This is one of those message where its difficult to give you a specific way to apply God’s truth to your life, other than the examples and teachings that we have in Scripture.

So as you endeavor to apply these truths, I would suggest that the best way to love God with all your soul is to always be sensitive and available to God’s direction for your actions, especially in the small actions.

Its easy to hear God when He’s loud, but when its something small, something even routine, that’s when its easy to forget that God is worthy of much more than credit, God is in fact worthy and deserving of glory.

Glorify God with your life.

That’s what it means to love God with all your soul.