The Greatest Commandment

Odom's love always I got worse but it going to be in Matthew chapter 22 today, this greatest commandment to Great Commission and it is going to be a look between now and Easter at the the Patrick teachings of Jesus were going to be looking at it all that takes place at

In a 7-Day. The world is changed dramatically and in the seven-day period of of the passion week not just dramatically for people who have faith but you're mad at me for the whole world is it it's a historic changing event in calendar is shifted because of this one week, right? I mean it is crazy to think about these sorts of things, but this is what happened in and so it starts actually and Matthew chapter 21.

And then it goes into until Matthew 28. And so there's these these chunks of scripture here that are that are vast and in so much there is I was prepping this weekend, going over and and thinking about where to go is like my goodness. I'm I'm reading chapter 22 is that's why I was going to charge to me to bring forth everybody in Mike. There's there's like five sermons in chapter 22 Matthew alone, and y'all are going to eventually get hungry and so I'm going to slow down and figure out where we need to go and what are we going to look at? And so it just kind of laid on me to get to stick with the greatest commandment and that's where we're going to be. Let's go ahead and turn Matthew 22 vs 34 through 46 or finish out the chapter there. I don't think it's yep pop up on the screen for you as well. So sick of luck verse 34 the Pharisees and heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they gathered together. And one of them a lawyer asked him a question to test him teacher. What is the greatest commandment in the law?

And he said to him you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself on these two Commandments depend all the law and the prophets.

But while the Pharisees were gathered together Jesus ask them a question saying

What do you think about the Christ whose son? Is he? And they said him the son of David and he said to them, how is it then that David in the spirit calls him Lord saying the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. If then David calls him Lord, how is he son? He his son. And no one was able to answer him a word more from that day. Did anyone dare ask him any more questions with me, please? Father. We thank you. We thank you for your son. Thank you for Jesus. We thank you for The Redemption that comes to us through him. We thank you for the teachings. He gives us during this last week. He's here on Earth and just how deep those are how meaningful they can be in our lives father. I pray that is we get ready to dig into the scripture we get to get ready to look into this that you put me aside. You let these words be from you that you would speak to the hearts of those that are here in spite of me and that you would just challenge the Salk Invictus all to live a life where we love you with all of our heart soul and mind and we love our neighbors as ourselves. This in Jesus name I pray amen.

So I said chapter 22 is huge and chapter 21 is vast as well. And so we kind of need to understand what what prompted Jesus to have this kind of last little conversation here with what was happening in chapter 22 what had gone on up to this point well in chapter 21 Jesus enters into Jerusalem in any interest in a sense disciples Isis go get a Colt go get a donkey. Where do this in his he's entering and this is like they refer to as the triumphal entry and he comes in a people shot at Hosanna Hosanna and he comes in and they're they're treating him like the king he rightfully is

the moment I ain't any enters into to Jerusalem and he rides in and he gets to the temple. This is all within all this time. He gets into the temple. He sees the money changers there. He starts knocking tables over getting out the bullwhips chasing guys that you will not make my father's house. And in a prostitute, you're not going to have this year get it out get it out. This is not what this is supposed to be. You runs those guys out. When he kills The Lion and the lamb and heals the blind and any starts to get the Pharisees these religious rulers in Jerusalem a little hot under the collar by doing all of this there like who is this? Died from Nazareth. It's coming in here and upsetting our Apple carts. Like what is going on there starting to get a little bit. hot under the collar they actually invert in chapter 21. They actually asked him about his own authority who gives you the authority to do these things. Where do you get off doing this and it starts to show their true nature of who they really are to the Pharisees have this desire to look holy and righteous but really they have a fear of what people will say. and in Jesus teaches them with Parables and he starts doing this in chapter 21, and it's kind of manner of rebuking the Pharisees and so the parables in chapter 21 that he hits are our Grady talk about the parable of the two sons where one son is sent out in the other one is not it is kept in and then there's some things about the text. I was thinking about the parable of the tenants and any kind of gets to this idea of the parable of the wedding feast in all three of these parables are interconnected. Tennessee starts with the parable of the wedding Feast I said it's a continuation from chapter 21 and all these emphasize the fact that these religious institutions. Write the Pharisees the Sadducees the Sanhedrin all these guys they have missed.

Through the righteousness of God, they've been looking at it. They've been trying to seek for it, but they they've missed it that they have rejected the truth of God's Messiah. And they have missed the righteousness of God in our lives and because of this. God's message is taken to those who will heat it and rely on him rather than being self-reliant the Pharisees and Sadducees the Sanhedrin all of these these leaders in the church at the time had become very self-reliant. They had stopped relying on God. They had started to kind of idolize the word in the teaching more than worship the god that had put it in place in the begin with and so in that they have missed the boat. They look good. But Jesus says they're rotting inside. So that's what it is. And so he he teaches these Parables about that. And in that these three teachings these three Parables. It's it's the one to rely on God who received the blessing of God and the self-righteous in these Parables receive no blessing at all. Venom versus 15 to 20 to the Pharisees or are there really steam at this point and now they're looking to try to trap Jesus with the herodians the herodians historically were these guys that would have been seen by the Jews and Jerusalem, especially as traitors you were okay with Roman rule in Jerusalem. That's just dirty. But they were okay. They were okay with Herod a non descendant of David being on the throne appointed by a Roman. governor

this is not not the kind of Jewish guys that especially the religious folks would have liked but the Pharisees are kind of taking this. The enemy of my enemy is my friend approached. And so they're teaming up with the herodians here. They were completely opposed to one another geologically as well as political, but they're going to they're going to team up for this one moment. in the Pharisees or even just kind of Stevie enough, I guess it's the right word to not it's not even send themselves are sending their disciples. Like they're not even work. I was a Pharisees body know we're going to send all the kids were teaching with the herodians to go see Jesus the young men that are there in our armed. It's we're going to send them instead of them in so

They're just tagged you about. This is not another way. I could I could figure out how to say it. So they're trying to catch Jesus in this politics versus religious trap religion trap asking about the lawfulness of paying taxes. I get it. I don't want to pay taxes either but it's what you got to do and it's so Verse 18. Jesus is well aware what's happening any calls him out on it and assess him. I loved this. Why you texting me you hypocrite.

Not pulling punches today guys. It's been a long day. Can it can you get me through this and he continues to tell them to Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's and making the statement. Jesus is letting people know that he is not here to establish a political Kingdom. that Was just flying in the face of what the Pharisees thought the Messiah was supposed to do. They expected the Messiah to come in and rescue them from Rome and establish this big Earthly Israel Kingdom like it was under David. And he saying that's not what we're about you've missed it. It's not who God has called this people to be. This is a spiritual Kingdom. Top of that. Jesus is even kind of insinuating here that followers of Christ should be obedient to civil law.

verses 23 through 33 then another group of Jewish ruling class shows up. These are the Sadducees now the Sadducees are an interesting group to altogether. They believe in only the pentateuch the first five books of the Bible. I don't believe in the Psalms. They don't believe in the Proverbs in a believe in the prophets. The histories are the histories and and they as far as what God has said and is given to the people they believe it was first five books of Moses and that's it. So in that they also don't believe in an afterlife. They don't believe in the resurrection. They don't believe in a heaven or a hell. They they just kind of we do what we're supposed to do here it pleases God and we're done. Kind of set up so they come to see Jesus because

they want to try to trick him again until they're going to ask him this question. There's a there's a concept in the Old Testament as special Finn the first five books of the pentateuch called The levirate Law of marriage or levirate marriage and levirate marriage is this

Concept we call it. I think kinsman-redeemer. So if a woman is widowed. And she has no children. Then she is supposed to marry the next brother in line in that family and he's supposed to have children with her and that first son born to her from the brother-in-law is the heir to the Dead Brother.

Yep. Okay, good yours confused as I am. That's great. But it's it's this whole thing. And so the Sadducees come to Jesus with this hypothetical woman. To bless her heart has been widowed seven times. And she's had to marry Seven Brothers. and then they ask so who's her husband in heaven smarty pants? Right. It's kind of kind of the approaching and if she's been wed seven times these who's that who's her husband in heaven what they're trying to do here in a minute, and I don't know that we see it very often. They're trying to say that there can be a heaven because if there's a heaven if there's a resurrection This Woman's an adulteress in heaven, and I can't be a perfect place. If she's had that many husbands, it just looks like he's not married or not married till death. Do you part you're not married in heaven? This is answer. None of those guys. Right. We are the bride of Christ. Focused on God in heaven. We're not married when I given the marriage and we're not taken in marriage. We're we're not there. There's no marriage in heaven.

And so he he kind of reminds me of ignored scripture too. By the way, even in those first five books of the Bible. There's some things about this and then Jesus reminds them that God calls himself the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. a god of the living Night of the Dead an Indian saying that he's letting them know by the way if Abraham Isaac and Jacob. You still there God that means they're still alive or still live in heaven in the resurrection. Please proving to them again through their own scripture. They love that there. Is that heaven Let me get to vs. 34 through 44 Jesus teaches about the greatest commandment love the Lord God with all your heart your mind with all your soul. Likewise. Love your neighbor as yourself, this is Artie passage today. This is what we're going to look at and we're starting with the greatest commandment. I'm going to end this series with the greatest commission or the Great Commission and we're going to dig into this and just a little bit. I'm going to get to vs 41 through 46 and we're going to come back to 34 through 40. 2 vs 41 through 46 then. Aspera seeds. I love this. They they while he sees what how is it they say

when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees like I love that feeling. Well if he got them quiet, let's go see what's going on. And so they kind of sneak in and he's like now I've got your attention. I taught you to the greatest commandment love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul file your mind and love your neighbor as yourself in a while. I've got you here you guys have been asking me these questions. All of this is probably happened within 24 hours of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem.

Think about that a second. We we probably not had a full day yet passed since Jesus rode in on that. Colt and people are shouting Hosanna and he's being challenged all these different times. 740-1246. It's my turn now. I've put up with this. It's my turn. Let me ask you this.

What is prepping for who they believe the Messiah is the Pharisees believe in a messiah, but he's wanting to see if they get the scripture well enough to know and recognize what God is doing in there and their presents. I think it's a rather sad really unfortunate answer here. Are these religious men men who devoted themselves to the study of scripture and they have missed. the spiritual implications of scripture

Timothy responded Jesus's question they respond back with what he's the son of David. They're looking for a physical Earthly are to the son of David to the throne of Israel.

It shows they have no real face. any spiritual Messiah

they have no real desire for a Heavenly Kingdom or spiritual Kingdom. They want an Earthly Kingdom. They want it now.

Then Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 and this is a song they would have known like this would have dug at them. This is David their beloved King. Coming back at them and they have nothing more to say when he says it the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your foot. They get caught in their own trap.

They can't really get out of it. They do not have a solid fundamental understanding of who God's Messiah is because they've been blinded by their own desires.

Their desires are for an Earthly Kingdom being restored Israel.

And it's interesting how when I think about that that takes us really back to 3440. All this is taking place. I can sit between everything from chapter 21, really through chapter 26 happens between Sunday and Thursday. And this week after 21 is Sunday chapter 26 of Matthew is Thursday after 26 is is the guys getting together in the upper room. They're going to have the Passover and Jesus establishes the Lord's Supper. And so this is a short. Of time and it's being chapter 22 were fairly early in the week. Tim Burton Pride 24 hours of all of this and and he's done all this stuff and he's he's a Jesus has taken all these accusations and he's questions and these traps from the Pharisees and the Sadducees and all these guys is one after another within a 24-hour. And he knows he's got work to do. He's here in Jerusalem for a reason. He's been ganged up on and they just Jesus knows what they have any knows what they lack and that's when his teaching takes place. Right? So sick about who these guys are to the Pharisees love the scriptures. They hold the scriptures in a huge high regard. They read and reread the scriptures regularly just so they can sit down and talk about the scriptures one another for hours and hours and hours at a time.

And the Sadducees loved the law of Moses. They love going through Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy. They love that stuff. They love to read that Moses was given by the Holy Spirit to them and There's nothing more honorable for them to know the law and to try to live Vlog the best they can. I mean those six hundred and some laws of shop in Leviticus. The Sadducees are doing those sorts of things are scrubbing the way that it's prescribed describe their avoiding all the stuff that's in Leviticus chapter 15, which is if you don't know Leviticus chapter 15, that's a whole chapter and scripture on bodily fluids and they they know what to avoid what not to avoid and how to prepare themselves and when to be clean when not to be clean these guys love that stuff. And they show off the fact that they know and love and try to live the law the herodians love the status quo.

They show up that they they do they they support this false King of the Jews and Herod there. They're okay with Roman rule. Let's just go with the flow to be smoother and easier this way so they kind of have it. What could be worse could be in Babylon. An attitude that's that's not good either. Do they have a real passion for the politics at the time. I'm over the politics Wham is where they're going to go.

See I think about this. All three of these groups have this love for something and it's a sadly misplaced love.

Even though it may look good at the Pharisees love the scripture while yeah, what's not to love about the scripture? Do you love the scripture more than you love the author of the scripture?

Sadducees love the law. But do you love the law more than you love the author of the law?

herodians

Isle of Man instead of the creator of me

This is the problem. Have a misplaced love their lacking a love for God. They're lacking A Love For Humanity. Jesus is Calling these people and US intern not to a new commandment cuz you're so an old one. That's an everlasting commandment. Right? He goes to Deuteronomy 5 5 love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind. Then the second thing he says shows people.

What we're supposed to do next right? So then we show them he says and you should love your neighbor as yourself, and he's quoting Leviticus 19:18.

For the Pharisees he's quoting scripture to him that they love. Right now, okay. Yes in the word. I get it.

and for the Sadducees He's specific enough that he's quoting their law of Moses. Those books of the pentateuch those first 5 Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

To this point they can make absolutely no biblical argument from either one or they're out of opposing theological viewpoints that Jesus is not right. He's got them. He's caught them in their own mess.

But their hearts are not ready to hear this teaching.

And then to top it all off. It just kind of that too. By the way, remember all of scripture all of it the Psalms the Proverbs the histories the prophets. All of it. Depends on these two things. This is what God is calling us to do. all of these two things scripture depend Church, we need to be really weary to not fall into the Trap of misplaced love right the Pharisees love the word of God. But they had forgotten to love God the Sadducees loved the law and Commandments of God.

But it was empty in their following of them because they had forgotten to love God.

The rodians love the things the way they were but they did not love. We have be cautious in our own lives and not misplace our love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart your soul your mind.

So we we can fall into these sorts of snares we can we can we can love Bible study and I have I have met some guys. Love Bible study. They did they did they did they dig, baby. This debate would be the over the more more more proper word. They don't really argue, but they they love to talk talk talk talk talk about scripture. But then there's never any fruit in their life. You don't follow through with anything. There's they're just there to talk it out.

Some of us fall in love with the busyness that can be in the church. We love all the activities at the church does wheel of all of the ministries of the church does we love to volunteer every time the church doors are open to volunteer, but we've forgotten to love. The God has given us a purpose behind why we do those things.

some of us

a kind of in love with a nostalgia what the church used to think we think the church used to be rather than what loving the god whom the church is supposed to serve.

We've got to be cautious of these things. How do we then? Show that we love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and soul. Have to do this by spending time in his word. I wait you just told me. The people fall in love with the word and forget to fall in love with. Right, it does happen. But if you're in the word of God, if you're studying and your purposes when you go into time, you're with the word of God to say God what your word bring me closer to God. Let your word teach me to love you more. Let me Delight in who you are through your word. And we will continue to fall in love deeper and deeper with the God who gave us this word. Anyway, we'll see the world for what it is. It's a revelation of God to us about how much he loves us. And therefore we should love him back.

That's one of the ways we do it. How do we do it? We also do it by loving God's people. You know, if you been in church long enough, you've met the grumpy guys, they loved the church. They love God that they don't love God's Church. They don't love that. They love the building Church write a lowercase C is a building. They love God, but they did they got a grump about everybody in the building right there by that shows up making they can name for Grumps about everything they do that's not love and God's people love and God's people is is reaching out following them trying to keep him on track to talk this morning. And then small group about is holding each other accountable telling them something that may be painful but doing so in love so that they can adjust what God would have them to be

I need those adjustments every once in awhile, but I used to call him a swift kick. He was good at them and I deserve them. I'm not saying I didn't but we need some of that kind of love in the church as well, but it's okay for Steve to come front me and say look Michael brother. It's not screwed on straight. Knock it off. I got a boot. You got a backside. It's going to work or get this taken care of not so you can do that with me. We got that relationship. I'm okay with Steve doing that with me cuz I know he's in love. That's the foundation of us loving one another within the church.

I am so so what our love for God Is So filled us up that we cannot help but love the people of God this way. We're going to care for them. We're going to pray for them. We're going to teach them we're going to we're going to teach them to love the Lord. We're going to teach them to serve the rumor teach them to truly invest all of their heart mind and soul to God to surrender it all to him and let that be his.

You know what other way that we show that we love the Lord thy God with all of your heart mind and soul is by showing Grace and kindness to the Lost. There are people out there who've never had time to make a commitment to Jesus. They just never understood that they maybe never heard the gospel. Maybe they just don't know. What's an even is I've never heard that phrase.

CIA I think about this I think man, we as Believers and followers of Jesus Christ. We have been given an immense Grace. huge amounts of Grace yet sometimes

We forget to give that Grace back to those who don't yet believe. Jesus says that or Paul writes that while we were still sinners Christ loved us.

They're still Sinners the Christ still loves. Where the hands and the feet of him now the shape that love to take that gospel message to them. And we've got to do that. We've got to have that Grace. We should extend Grace to those who don't know Christ. We should show them that even though they were Sinners God loves him and wants him to be reconciled back to him through Jesus Christ.

I think about these things and I think why is that how is it that we do those things and I think if we really love the Lord God with all of her heart all of her mind all of her soul. Then loving our neighbors as ourselves should be pretty easy. Let's just fall in line at just this is a piece of the puzzle in its goes in its in. It just snaps together so easily that we should be able to do that because if I'm really loving the Lord with all my heart my soul my mind then and I got this overflow. I got this abundance of love because when I love God with all my heart my soul my mind and he's going to start showing me his love back and I'm not going to know how to contain it. I'm going to have to do something with it. password goes to my neighbors

aspect

our love for God the love for his people the grace. We showed towards the law should flow out of us and we should show love. torn neighbors as ourselves by providing for their needs You don't we talk about providing for the needs of people and there are physical needs it. Definitely need to be met. Martinsville Community anymore, which there's almost more poverty than there is not and we need to meet some of that needs attention to when Jesus was was teaching and when he was preaching he was also realizing that if they have an empty tummy, they can't hear the word, you know, and in those things took place he met physical needs as well as meeting spiritual needs. When it's okay to do that, but we cannot neglect the spiritual needs of people. We cannot that's important while we're meeting the spirit or the physical needs. We've got to make sure we do not neglect the spiritual needs of our neighbors so much so that we look at them in love and we say the truth of the Gospel.

Someone had to love you so much. But they sure the truth of the Gospel with you if you're a believer in Jesus Christ.

Shouldn't you love somebody else that much too? Say look here's the deal. This is what I believe. That there is none righteous. No, not one Jesus that that's written to us in Scripture. That that while I try to do some good things in my life God's God's level of good. I'm never going to get there's none righteous. No, not one. And and I can't do anything that that if I have ever lied once I'm a liar in front of God forever. That if I've ever stolen once I'm a thief in front of God forever. I need to be cleansed of that. I need to be forgiven of that. I need to to seek out a God who created me and say forgive me.

And when I call out to him in that way he is good and faithful to do just that. And in that in that moment forgiveness that I cannot just forgive get forgiven of it. Then I say I'm going to turn from that. I'm going to turn away from the world of the ways of life here that are no good that lead to death for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And for the wages of sin is death. Death in hell that I got. I see that this is what the gospel messages and then I turn from that my back is to it physically spiritually emotionally. I'm away from that. I want to turn away from that. I turn to God himself and I Surrender. Toro warrior-king I Surrender this is great now you're on my side. See see that's that's the interesting thing. So. A face of Jesus Christ says I am broken. And messed up and Beyond repair.

I need to call my dad and get it fixed. Tour of religion the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the herodians says I'm broken. I'm messed up. I need fix, please, please. Please. Don't call my dad.

See the difference. And loving our neighbors we want to say look dad wants to get this fixed for you.

It's okay. You can't fix it. I get it there times. You just can't and I remember.

Laying under a car in the garage just frustrated as I could be in trying to not have to call dad cuz I was too proud to stuck up.

whatever reason finally giving in I can't exit. You come out and it be fine. It would be fine. We forget that that's kind of how our God works had proud and stuck up and I can't fix it. Dania yes, my child has to be the answer. We share that the here is a God knows that we have sent he knows what her life is. He's counted the hairs or the lack thereof on my head. He knows what's happening. And he still looks on cuz I still love you turn to me.

Surrender it.

See, this is the thing about loving our neighbors as ourselves.

It's a love that tells the truth.

The truth sometimes hurts.

But when it's told in a manner that says I still love you. I want you to know this but you need to know this. This is important.

It's a it's a hurt that will eventually heal. Because it's a healing kind of heard. It's a surgical scalpel kind of hurts.

She the truth will lead us to change things that we sometimes I want to change. It's going to lead us to doing that love tells the truth and it tells the truth of the full word of God and that's important.

When you love your neighbor, you're going to share the full word of God with him.

If we say that, we love the Lord your God with all of our heart or mind or soul but we don't really show love to our neighbors.

There's a question. We're going to have to ask. Do I really love the Lord my God with all my heart my soul my mind. Am I really really doing that if I'm not loving my neighbors? I have to rethink how much I truly truly love the Lord if I don't really think I have love in my heart for my neighbors. Church, this is our call to action today. This is it. We're now where to spot between now and and an Easter where it where we need to start thinking about these things. We're in a spot where Ministry wise if their own congregation thinking about tonight with our Essentials Pantry. We need to be thinking about these things. But I love the Lord my God with all my heart my soul my mind. Do I love my neighbor as myself am I willing to share the truth of the Gospel? With am I willing to meet a physical need for them to know what is an arm's length from somebody? I know I shouldn't want to do that.

So I got to ask myself today.

What's blocking me from fully loving the Lord what what what am I putting in between me and God what it what have I put in a spot that keeps me on keeps me from loving him. What am I holding onto but I got to let go off.

What's keeping me from loving my neighbors? With the truth of scripture what's keeping me from loving people that my community. With the truth of scripture what's keeping me from that my afraid of man. Do I have a passion for the status quo like things the way they are? Do I like a little holy huddle? I like to be among the Believers.

I don't know if I want to associate with those who don't.

What's holding you back? What's keeping you from sharing the grace that was given to you with somebody else?

2 questions today We're going to go into our time of response. I don't know that we're calling it too much an invitation anymore cuz it's a timer spawn sit. The part of worship of God is is to respond to what you've heard in the word and it take time to do that. We we have a space on the front. We have chairs. You can pray wherever you want. But are we going to respond? How are you showing that you love the Lord your God with all your heart your soul your mind. How do you show that you love your neighbor as yourself? Maybe today was the first time you've ever heard somebody talk about the fact that even though you're a broken person. God still loves you. If you've never heard that before, I don't know. Today's the day for you to just talk to God In This Moment. She came out. Seek others out. I'll be up here for the Steve's willing to talk to anybody about spiritual matters ask somebody. I want to shoulder a new pew. Whatever you need to do. This is your time response. Father we thank you. Thank you so much for your word. We thank you for How powerful it can be we thank you for the truth of scripture. That that says that even though we fail you you still seek us out. To bring us back to you the father would we call out and say forgive me?

We turn our back to it.

You forgive us and our faithful to us father when we surrender to you you make us your child adopted into your family.

Father I pray today that is we enter into this time of just response to the word response to scripture that you would speak to our hearts. He would convictus you would move in us the father you would teach us to love you Oliver Hart Russell and remind us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to be sacrificial in that love.

challenges Lord In Jesus name I pray. amen