Love God, Love others

Introduction

Good morning Rivertree. It’s a joy to be with you today. Whetehr you are watching at south, here at the main campus or joining us online I want to say we are so glad you are here. Also if you are visitng with us today Thanks for being with us today

If you have your bibles go ahead and opening up to Mark chapter 12 and in a moment we will start in verse 28 as we conitnue our journery thorugh Mark together.

about a year ago a friend of mine shared a podcast with me from dave barnes. Dave is a muscian/communicator/comedian out of nashville and man I loved the podcast so much

It was about how Dav used comedy as a means to help people who were hurting.

It was in that moment I thought this is something I can do. so I pitched the idea to a few friends.....I told them how I felt like I was funny(which sounds wierd and somewhat arrogant when you are sitting in front of people who are your friends and say that

but I have pretty awesome friends and they all said yes.

I also told them if I pursued this I dind’t want it to be like american idol. Like I dind’t want that person who decided to do this and then all of a sudden find out all the laughs over the years were just pitty laughs

people started getting wind I was interested in this and sure enough I got my first 2 gigs.

One was in front of a group of engienners at thier Christmas party.....and it was so bad.

The other a group of school teachers which went better but was still super difficult

Here is what i learned in that process: I didn’t know how to be funny in that way

So I tried to learn......I wanted to understand what it meant to be a better comendian. I read books, listen to podcast, started writing more and watching more stand up

because ultimently I wanted to understand how to be got at stand up comedy

and it’s something we might all have in common

maybe it wasn’t stand up comedy but there was something new in you that you wanted to learn, or understand, or soemthing you just wanted to be better at

So you took a class, you found an expert, you listened to podcast with the hope of mastering this

that’s why people sign up for master classes online from time to time

and while we might all have that in common when it comes to a new trait, talent or abilty

I will offer you this. Maybe it’s more true when it comes to things of a spirtual nature

I remember when I first started going to church in high school how I really enjoyed youth group, loved the idea of God and Ultimently wanted to become a better person

So I started looking for answers.

I started attend church more, I started reading my bible more hoping that would help me live a better life. Hoping that would help fix the void in my life. I started asking questions. But none of that seemed to help me with what was going on inside of me

and maybe it’s something we have in common. If you have ever wanted to know you were write with God, If you ever wanted to know that you are ok. You seek understanding.

because if there really is a God. And there really is life after death. And there really is this void in our lives that we can’t fix on our own we cannot afford to get the spirtual wrong

It’s what we have in common with the scribe we met in the bible today.

In the midst of people trying to trap Jesus, to trick him, to ask questions that aren’t sincere

we are introduced by Mark to one guy. A relgious man who has a sincere question

Let’s read

English Standard Version Chapter 12

28 uAnd one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?

Let me paint the picture for you a little. They are in the temple. Thousands of jewish people have made the pilgramage for the passover and Jesus in in the temple area.

thousands of animals are being bought to be sacrificed

and relgious people are coming up trying to trap Jesus

One ask who do we pay our taxes to? ANd Jesus answer goes deeper then the relgious leader had even considered

Then another comes up trying to trick Jesus about the reserection but Jesus brillantly qoutes the book of Exodus and shares with this person who was skeptical about the resereciton that the God they both long to serve is the “god of the lving not the God of the dead”

and as this is going on and there is this disputing another relgious leader came up to see what was going on.

This guy is impressed by Jesus so he asked a question.

The question is a great quesiton

“Which commandment is the most important of qll?”

It’s a great quesiton right? Like instead of trying to trick jesus with a riddle or to put Jesus up agaisnt the roman goverment. The scribe asked a quesiont any person who condders themsleve relgious at all would want to know the answer to

and I think this comes from a pretty sincere place in his heart.

He has this desire to be right with God. He has committed his life to studying the Bible. To making sure how he appeared on the outside was good enough.

He had gone to great leanghts to make sure his good outwieghed his bad. He had Devoted his entire life to God and to Gods commandements

Yet he still had questions. He sees the amazing ways Jesus has been answering the questions Jesus had been asked so he shares what’s on his heart.

Most likely he looks around and he sees all the effot, all the sacrifice, all the religous acitivate in his life and the life of others that day and knows there has to be something more.

There has to be a “most important of all” way of life

There has to be a commandment he could keep that would fix the brokness he is expirenceing in his own life and his own heaert.

and not only that for this guy it was important for him to understand. Because as he understood what the most iportant commendment was he would appear as the expert

This mans whole identiy was wrapped up within the law and if could understand the answer to this quesiont maybe his understanding, his knowledge, his expertise would fix the utter bankruptcy that he was expierencing.

The great news. He is standing in front of the only person in all of human history is can answer this question

Jesus looks passed the traps and tricks of the day, he looks past this mans religious appearnce and speaks right to the mans heart and hopefully our hearts today

English Standard Version Chapter 12

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, v‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, wthe Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 xThe second is this: y‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment zgreater than these.”

Hear, O Israel,” the opening sentence of every synagogue worship service, taken from . It was also repeated by every pious Jew morning and evening every day

In fact, it was worn by the devout in a tiny leather box, called a phylactery, on the forehead and on the wrist while in prayer. Godly households also hung the Shema on their doors in a small round box called a Muzuzah.3 Everyone knew this part of Jesus’ answer. It was the creed of Israel

and then Jesus says to Love god with heart, sould, mind and strenght.

In other words Jesus is saying that everything about a person should be devoted to loving God.

To love God for his goodness, his kindneess, his steadfast love, his power, his might, grace, his forgivness, his greatenss, his faithfulness

To love God as creator, sustianer,

To love him for his beuty, his majesticy, his glory

The list could go on

But this is what the most important commedment is accoridng to Jesus

In other words we should love God with all we are Because of all he is

In other words we should love God with all we are Because of all he is

but the second part to Jesus statement is the radical part.

He says the second is like it to love one nieghbor as himself

Jesus is going back to the book of Leviticus where God said

“17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

he is connecting these to truths, these two commandments for the first time.

Other teachers had said it was improtant to love God

they had said it was improtant to love your neighbor

but they had never connected the 2

what Jesus is doing is showning love for God and love for people cannot be divided.

Jesus says simple love God and love people

He says there is nothing greater then this

and it’s in this moment something happens inside of the scribe.

HIs response is so different then others on that day.

When Jesus answered about who to pay taxes to the people marveld(v17)

When Jesuws answered the riddle about teh resurection they had no response

but when Jesus answers on the greatest commedment something happens within the scribe

English Standard Version Chapter 12

32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that whe is one, and athere is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all bthe understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, cis much more than all dwhole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

This is so interesting. he looks at Jesus and it’s almost like he is saying good job Jesus, well done. You got it right

and then he repeats Jesus words back to Jesus but adds somthing

He says what you just declared Jesus is greater then all the burnt offerings and sacrifices

Which wouldn’t have been that signficant if they were just in someones hosue, or in the wilderness, or even in the syangouge but think about where this is taking place

This is taking place in the temple courts. Thousands have made the journey to make burnt offerings and sacrifices all in an attempt to be ok with God

and this guy who has spent his whole life doing the same thing, encouraging people to do the same thing. Looks around and says

YES, Jesus what you just said is right. It’s better then all of this. Because this guy knew as much as the Jewish people had the law, as much as they had expierenced the lvoe and grace of God over and over

there was still something wrong. There was still a spirtual poverty that the people were expierencing. Something about the way the worshiped, The way they lived, the way they loved was empty

becuase the reality is this. If they truly Loved God they would lvoe people

but instead of loving God they were focused on religious activety. They were busining themselves with doing more instead of loving more

As we’ve seen thorugh the gospel stories, there are still people huritng, still people who are lonely, still great suffering, and yet it’s often the relgious people of the day

the moral good people of the day

who were passing people by. The pepole who claimed to lvoe God, who recitie the shema every single day who had lost there concern for Really loving god and really loving people

This is something God had let be known before

English Standard Version Chapter 6

6  For kI desire steadfast love1 and not sacrifice,

lthe knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Yet for the first time in this guys life things seem to be finally coming together

and after this response

34  Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” eAnd after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The scribe is close but not in

Jesus let’s him know you are on the right track, you are so close but your not in yet.

IN fact the kingdom was standing right in front of him.

When Jesus says this it’s like what else does this guy have to do to get in right?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Isnt’ this the very reason Jesus came?

and it is the very reason Jesus came. Becasue in all our human effort, In all our trying, in all our doing we could never love God without him first loving us.

See friends it’s not until we realize just how much God loves us are we able to love him back

Tozer in the pursuit of God siad this

“We pursue God becasue, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit”

Jesus said in

English Standard Version Chapter 6

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me qdraws him

The very reason we love God is becasue of what 1 john 4:19 says

English Standard Version Chapter 4

19 eWe love because he first loved us.

It’s Gods love that woos us

It’s Gods love that wins us

and it’s a trusting and a resting in Gods love that allows us to love him for all he is

This is why Jesus came. Because even with all of the sacrifices, and the commandments, and the effort humans have without Jesus we would never truly be able to love God or love others

From this moment in the Temple Jesus was on his way to the cross. And it’s at the cross we see Gods utlimently love for us

Paul would say it this way in

English Standard Version Chapter 5

6 For jwhile we were still weak, at the right time kChrist died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but lGod shows his love for us in that mwhile we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

See Hebrews 1):3-4

these sacrifices zthere is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For ait is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

That’s why Jesus agrees with this guy and tells him he isn’t far from the kingdom

English Standard Version Chapter 10

when Christ1 came into the world, he said,

c“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

but a body have you prepared for me;

6  in burnt offerings and sin offerings

you have taken no pleasure.

a ver. 11

Jeus knew

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

English Standard Version Chapter 10

every priest stands hdaily at his service, ioffering repeatedly the same sacrifices, jwhich can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ2 had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ksat down at the right hand of God,

and we can rest in the finished work of Christ on our behalf.

We can realize that’s how much God loves us

that through Jesus he dealt with sin once and for all

this reality is fertile ground for love to grow from my heart

Here is what Jesus was teaching that day in the temple

“The greatest commandment is a commitment to great love”

and what that means is we rest in the faitful love of God and we love God with everyting we are

but it doesn’t stop there

Jesus didn’t serperate loving God and loving your nieghbor and niether can we

I am coming to learn this. When we love God with all we are; we will love otehrs for all they are

and the reason this is important is because people are hurting

We live in a world where people are lonlier and more discounnacted then ever before

Sure we have tik tok/facebook/Instagram/snap chate and there are probably more things being devolped

all with the hope of connecting people and a lot of times they can do this

but one things our social media platforms have in common

with every post someone is saying “DO YOU SEE ME?”

reasearchers today say 2/5 americans feel like their relationships aren’t meaninful and are lonely

Persepective 200 people gathered here could feel that way today

some reaserchers shared That Loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,

the reality is that people are hurting. They feel oucast/overlooked and forgotten.

They wonder if they really matter

and what Jesus is inviting us to do is show people just how important they are by loving them well

And he’s calling his church to do this

It is impossible to love God truly for all he is and not love others

becasue as we have recived the love of GOd and that cause love to be birthed in our hearts the only response can be real love

at Rivertree one of our core values is beleiving people matter and there is no greater way to show that you believe people matter than to Love them well

we love them well becasue we believe ever person

Has intrisisic worth

we believe ever indviduial reflects God’s image

When we see someone the way God sees them we love them becasue we see people with extrandionary potiel

and we beleive the gospel is personal. It’s not just good news for waht happens when someone dies

It’s good news for whatever sitiuation we ifnd ourselves in today

and the Gospel is personal

It became personal when Jesus became a person

when Jesus left the riches and the glory of heaven took on a human body and lived among us

He came to us so we can know how loved we are

He calls us to go to others so they can know how loved they are

That’s why as a church

we are in the cove

we are going downtown

we are going to the ends of the earth

To tell people and show people just how much they are loved by God.

so today let’s get personal

Stop and look around there is someone who needs you to see them

I could probalby qoute Bob Goffs entire Love does book but here is 2 qoutes that have mattered a lot to me

“I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them.”

“Most people need love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice.”

okay maybe 3

“...love is never stationary.”

SO I shared a story at the beginning of the talk about waiting to understand comedy better. But what I didn’t share is my real reason to do it.

I wanted to meet people who might not know Jesus. I knew I was kind of funny

but I also knew I worked with all Christians. This would be a risk worth taking

so in august I was checking our valley events(as I do every weeeknd)

andI saw stand up live was having a comedy class. It would cost time and money

But this was my chance. Not to be famous or have a netflix speical but to be with peoiple God dearly loved

went.

I hung out for 2 days

with people who were different then me. Different views/different comedy/ heard things I never thought I would hear

but I was with them.

and on day 2 one guy who was super funny but I could tell not a bleiver asked me to give him a hug. So I did. He said you are the most positve person I have ever meet

......What I wish I coudl say

but the reality is I said thanks.

Went the 2 days. Preformed on stage. Joined a facebook group.

And my intentions were good. But man. I got busy and forgot to stay in community with some of those people

but here is what I love abou tour God. He hasn’t stopped prusing these people and he’s not done using me.

so even in the midst of my failure and not following through his mericies are new and his love for me and his pursuit of me invites me to love others and puruse them

maybe it’s something we have in common

maybe Gods love has so transformed you and you have had a heart to love people well but maybe it didn’t go the way you planned.

That doesn’t mean you quite. That doesn’t mean you don’t try again

that just means your human

Loving people the way Jesus loved is supernatural and we need his help.

Let’s ask for it today