Love the Lord With All Your Heart
Good morning. Happy New Year. My name is Dave Winters on the new equip Pastor or lead Pastor Josh iowa-minnesota tomorrow. Keep them in your prayers. 20/20 and gold people would you say if I said my my sermon for today was 20 goals for 2020? How to say snake in the eye. That would be very painful for me for you number 19 just was curious to know how pastors are men on pastor. And just so I Googled it's like 20 goals for 2020 sermons. It's okay. But what Google brought back leave it there was not a single at least this morning. There's not a single message that that passed was preaching with that title. But I did find some this is very catchy that were several 2024 twenty20. What do you think of that? That was pretty pretty Snappy and I would never I would never probably think of that. I did see a a 20 reasons to have hope in 2020. Probably a long sermon to though. I'm sure it's very good in the pasture. I listen to I was it look pretty good at his goals for 20/20 part 2 nothing about that December 8th 2020 that Pastor was so ramped up for the new year that let's forget about Christmas series. I just want to like load by church with with goals December 8th. So know that Pastor kept on with that this very Sunday, he's on part 6 of goals for 2020. So I just thought that was kind of funny. But this morning I prayed about it. And so I felt led just to to talk about the first and great commandment to to love the Lord the Lord Our God with all our heart with all your soul with all her mind with all our strength as we sang this morning and that that is always first and foremost that Christianity our faith unique leave. All the religions is a checkbox checked the box, but it's it's uniquely powerful. It's at its deepest root. It's about love. It's a love relationship are primary approach to God first and foremost is always a heart a soul a mind of love for him so its prey Lord I just pray that you've work and each and every one of our hearts today. No matter where we are at in a relationship with you today.
No matter how long that we have walk with you that you would work in each of our hearts today that we would be renewed that we've be deepened. And grow in our love for you is we start this New Year. We pray this in Jesus name Amen to have your Bible. You can open up to Matthew The Book of Matthew. Your Bible chapter 22 beginning with verse 34 talking about encounter that Jesus the son of God has with a group called the Pharisees and you're familiar with the Bible the Pharisees come up quite a bit. If you're not from the Pharisees were a mixed religious leader part mayor Town Council city council. They had a religious bearing about them. They also had political Authority. And so this true Jesus was an unofficial popular leader, but he was not an official official it so these guys look stupid and so they can't they come to him with a in their mind a trick question and verse 34 Who won the Pharisees heard that he Jesus had silenced the Sadducees a different group, they gather together and one of them a lawyer asked you a question to test him teacher, which is the great commandment in the law. And Jesus said to him you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first come in. The second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself on these two Commandments depends on the profits, but start back with verse 37 you shall love the Lord your God. The New Testament was written in the Greek language. And when you talk when you think about Greek and in the definition of Love is talking about a preference a choice affection affection emotional affection are Webster's dictionary English says an intense affection for another person based on personal or family ties to tell get as I said to start off our primary Barry to God. It's not to approach him in fear. Like I might I might mess up. I might screw up I might get zapped. What's what's the laws? What's the rules? What do I have to do?
What must I do? What do I have to do with this job description our primary approach. The God is one of love. a relationship a friendship and how what must die in order for us to have a close friendship? That's our first and foremost approach to God. It's All Coming Back to the scripture says teacher which is the great commandment in the law and Jesus said to him with all your heart, let's talk about heart is the inner self means our will heart means for our desire our decisions that establish who we really are to love God with all of our we'll talk about heart think about You're having a hard day. Unless you exert your will. Okay. So the day you show the work and more is required me to stay. I might have to exert myself. I can lay down and fail have to get up to get more energy. Do you think of an athletic contest where the other team or the other the race you're in it? Well as it's hard and if I'm going to win or if I'm going to be competitive in that game, I'm going to have to exert myself. I have to stretch out unexpectedly might have to get more my heart. That's what we're talking about. Our heart is exerted. I will I'm going to get my heart my will to it. It's going to be in exertion. I'm going to push that's what we're talking about. You don't love God with all your your heart.
Again, the question which is the great commandment in the law.
What are we talkin about? We say love the Lord with all your soul. This is our distinct identity. You have a soul create an image of God that invisible essence of who you are as an individual person your personality what makes up you distinctly as a distinct individual unique in all creation.
You talk about knowing a person that having a deep friendship a deep relationship with the husband and wife. We can know each other just by your shoulders were by your voice at your spouse.
That you you can look almost right through each other, you know each other you have a history together a personality. So when we're talking about loving God with all your soul, it's it's person-to-person with God that your trance, you know that you're transparent with God and that you and in your your individuality person person that fits a person relationship that that you love God with all of you. With all of your distinct individuality all your distinct personality that person to person. I love you Lord. Do all that is in me. Play says you shall love the Lord your God with all your mind mind being our understanding our reasoning our intellect. Our Insight are figuring things out.
Where's the love God with our brains are to love God with our thinking. Comprehension World War II to look at a sunset or sunrise and say to fake. It's a reason that is beautiful and that it's not by accident and I love you for creating that got you designed me to think that that that Sunrise of that sunset is beautiful. That's exactly what you had in mind that you made the world like this.
Coming back if it's rewind just a moment says you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. And with all your mind. This is very profound means in any language. all means all any language deep thought for today means All Mine Heart all means all its needs when when you and I primarily are primary approach. The guy is is all it's your soul wide open your your heart wide open your mind wide open that all means all All of me to all of you Lord, but I love you.
It again.
You think it's like a piece of paper? It's got the check boxes that you might to fill out for a job or a test. and that Christianity is not I've got a bunch of boxes to check like for instance. I prayed the prayer to receive Jesus check I go to church Sundays every month check. I've usually put something in the in the tithe and offering as it goes by check. I'm a pretty good person. I think it's primarily To follow Jesus the matter of our friendship a relationship friendship of of knowing somebody that's that's our faith. That's what it is.
It is somewhat like you can think about a marriage again for better or worse till death do us part. It's not checking boxes.
What is a relationship for us to give ourselves to its performing tasks and duties versus a romance a falling in love? And I love to be with you. When we love someone, we don't really think about price or our cost or time. We love them. It's so we don't really think it doesn't matter how much it costs. I think about my own marriage been married a little over 25 years 25 and 1/2 and 1/2. My wife and I were talking about last night my wife. Felt like I knew her really well. But looking back today, I could say that I feel like I hardly knew her at all. In the ER over 25 years with sometimes better sometimes worse sometimes richer sometimes poor but that into all the various when we got married when I said I do to my wife and she said I do she said I do we had no idea. Of what the next 25 years were going to hold but the main point was that we were going to be together. And through thick and thin and we were going to continue to love to forgive and walk together whatever whatever comes. Jamaican today said that that is the primary thing about our faith. It doesn't matter if you're thinking about becoming a Christian or if you're brand-new Christian, or you better Christian for 50 years the adventure always continues in New Seasons in new circumstances.
Whatever my circumstances are whatever is going on in my life. No matter my age in each and every New Year. I'm going to say to love you. Is best I can with all my heart with all is in me and first commandment in verse 38 now in the word great there means it can be enlarged it can mean why'd you can take if you're driving down the highway and there's two or three slow cars and it's in front of you and maybe one of them's got got a wide load and it is no matter how much you would like to pass them hit the gas and get around them. So you can drive faster. You can't get around them. You're stuck. It's too large. And that's the meaning here. Is that this command? Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind. It's too wide. It's too large. If you're going to follow Jesus. You cannot get around it. This is always the why the large command to keep in front of us? And its first number one its Chief it's before everything else. It's the great in the first the love him.
How you start 20 20? Start this year with a fresh resolve in your heart just to love God and knew none of us. None of us is the master. None of us is the Ninja black belt after I love loving God with all our heart. It's always a pushing in it's always there's always something more and new to love God. This is the great first commandment and a second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself loving God means loving people everyone everyone else.
How do we love God whom we cannot see we love the people all around us. Loving God means loving people. We can't separate love and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. What does that mean? You love a person like you love your own self if you're always sympathetic towards yourself. It means you're sympathetic to other people. If you're always very sure that your opinions on subject matter is very important if means that you value the opinions of others your kind and understanding toward yourself. It means that you're a kind and understanding toward other people. Think of a person that's hard for you to love.
have your thinking like
Stop to pick one. Way too many just take one.
I think about how you love yourself.
And that God has that person in your life for you to practice your loving. loving him or her loving God loving other people loving yourself are all tied up there that you can't undo that not. Loving loving loving yourself. You cannot undo it. We forgive people because God forgives. us we are patient with people because God is patient with Us we treat people kindly when they don't deserve it because God treats you and I kindly when we don't deserve it. We'll make a decision that will love other people not because their love for deserving because we love God and he is deserving of our love.
This is the first commandment in a second is like it you should love your neighbor as yourself. Now. Look at verse 40 on these two Commandments depend all the law and the prophets on these two commands depend every command a teaching the Bible to what's it say in the Bible. You want to find whatever command you find you shall not steal.
You shall meet together as a church that whatever command you find it dig down deep enough and it comes down to loving God or loving people. Vegeta says on these two Commandments loving God with all your heart and loving people as you love yourself any command you can find in the whole wide Bible its foundation comes back to here. Whatever how she might think of, you know, you're driving by house and you look you might see six inches to a foot of of the concrete or the other estimate the basement of the crawlspace the foot in the concrete pouring that supports everything above it. This is what these two commands are there the poured concrete there what supports everything else about the house loving God with all that is in you. 11 other people as you love yourself.
Alright, so what I want to do now is talk a little bit more about biblically. What are we talkin about when we love? Okay. I'm supposed to love God with all my heart soul mind strength, but love is it definitely needs clarification in 21st century America What is love?
Love is a decision revealed by sacrifice. We got to be clear as as far as of Jesus that but love is not a feeling. The love is a choice a decision and act of your will and heart. That love according to God's definition which is the real and true definition of love that love is a decision that love is deep resolve that love will always have some element of sacrifice. Leading the Deep joy and pride by everyday you see it. What is it? your love so when we say something fluffy or light or have a great day or you know, you're still love what we mean by you are loved.
but your life is worth blood But your your life the blood of Jesus Christ. You are loved you were suffering for. Experience incredible pain for you. That's what we mean. When we say that you are loved that's God's definition. There's always a cost in real love. The surest sign of Love is sacrifice and suffering underneath it. Love is revealed Shone forth and actions of suffering and or sacrifice. Where there is real love there's always real sacrifice suffering cost effort price of wrestling price to be paid real briefly. I mean I had so many Bible verses I could have chosen. I'm just husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her notice loved gave himself up since 2:20. I've been crucified with Christ. All right as long I live but Christ live who lives in me life. I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 1613 greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 3:16 forgot so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life that we have to go and stick to as far as a price is that love always include sacrifice? Love is always about giving up. a giving a suffering a sacrifice You said about every Great Character Christian or non-Christian Meyer is someone who imitate Christ someone who pays the ultimate price? What's the flag more than that that old veteran who's in a foreign war?
Love always includes a price is not a Feeling.
Long time ago I went as a pastor and in another state counseling. My wife Park partook in this particular situation to a couple that was their marriage was struggling. in the issue was the wife of That she no longer had feelings for her husband. And that was her. I tried a variety of of arguments and reasoning sin and pleadings with her about 2 to stay with her marriage. To stay with her husband choose to remain married. You no matter what I said, but I was done talking. There be a pause. And she repeatedly say after that pause, but I just do not have feelings for him. I just don't have feelings for him anymore. No matter what I could say. could not break that grip ending her marriage because she no longer had feelings of love toward her husband
I can't dismiss the power of feelings But they can seem all-powerful but I don't feel that I have love for this person. I don't feel that I could forgive them. I feel depressed or I feel angry or I feel I must buy.
The feeling of a crush or infatuation with none of us is human being just a feelings. At the same time as followers of Jesus. We have to know we have to know the feelings are not almighty God. We have to know as followers of Christ that many times we will have to do battle to do war with our feelings. It's like when we feel that that's spell coming on you you see that movie where the person is that fall under some evil magician spell that I must obey when they're not asking the right mind and you have another character who comes along the movie and slaps them or sit them over the head so snap out of it. Break the spell. It's like that with feelings that know it as human beings made in the image of God a heart and a mine.
No matter how strong powerful the feelings that God has given us a heart and a will to say no in my feelings. That what I followed up, but I love him but I cry out to him that he is greater than my feelings that has given us a heart and a will to resist and overcome in a not live according to our feelings. but a lot of people are even heart. The hardest people know the world to love that off and when we when we do Love people who are action story. Will the feelings come back?
Play example of a victory over or feelings. I'll give his a Corrie Ten Boom move. Some of you may know and Corrie Ten Boom was was a Dutch woman World War II she grew up in the Netherlands and when the Germans invaded and when that gets top of the Nazis the SS they start rounding up the Jews her and her family decide. We're going to hide Jews in our house. And eventually they were caught her or her sister Betsy were sent to a concentration camp. And after the war was over she learned powerful lessons about forgiveness and she would go around to various churches and talking about forgiveness until one day at the at the end of a service. I think the country was with Austria forgot to write it down here. It was Austria or maybe somewhere in in Germany at the end of the service she was approached. Bye man. Wanted to shake her hand. And she saw the man coming. She recognized him as one of the most cruel sadistic guards from her concentration camp. She says this but in her book, but I remembered him the guard the leather crop swing from his belt. I was face-to-face with one of my captors.
You mentioned in your talk. He was saying I was a guard there the guard did recognize her that she recognized him. But since I've become a Christian, I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear from your lips as well as his hand came out. Will you forgive me? And I stood there Corrie Ten Boom write I who sent it again again to be forgiven. It could not forgive that place. Could he raised her slow terrible death simply for the asking. Expectantly waiting for a Thing. I Never Had To Do I had to do it? I knew that the message that God forgives has a prior condition that we forgive those who have injured us standing there before the former SS man. Cory remember that forgiveness is an act of the will not an emotion Jesus help me she prayed I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling. Corey Thrust out her hand. And as I did an incredible thing took place the current starting my shoulder raise down my arm that are joined hands then is healing warm to the flat my whole beans bring tears to my eyes. I forgive you brother. I cried with all my heart. That's what God's definition of Love is nuts. What are ours needs to be love is always an act of the will a decision reveal by sacrifice and God supplies the feeling afterwards.
Loving God is not something fluffy or light or just emotional. It has it has meat and bones. It has power but has strength to it. John. 14:21 says does this It talks about love being connected with obedience.
Love is All Express by lay down my life by obeying him. Innovate it's not just a box to be checked. It's an expression of love. 1st John 4:20 says this Versus 2021 it says it says I love God. And hates his brother. He's a liar. He is not love God he who does not love his brother who me to send cannot love God whom he has not seen. We can't say at all. I'd love God so much. I can't stand that person. I hate that. I hate that woman.
Whoever loves God means we loved those around us. Why should we love God with all our hearts with all my soul with all my mind?
going to give you just five quick things just about that relate to all people then the end have fruits have to be personal to each one of you and I we should love God with all our hearts cuz he created us without him. There is no you or I every breath and thought it's actually a gift from God to love and God made. I love you because you created me. We say it again. I love you with all is in me because I without you there would be no me every moment every day is a gift from you.
My life. I love you.
Stanley would be he died for us. He shed blood for us. He suffered for us. He took our place in the cross he died so you and I would have to so why should we love him with all that is in it. I love you from my sins. Can you fail take about well, I'm not such a bad person compared to.
Said that you would you say I love you because you die from my stuff that you died from my personal you died for my sins. That's how we can love him. We love him because he forgives us keep forgive this over and over past present and future.
The understand he forgives us so why can we love him with all our hearts when we can say Jesus? Thank you that you forgive me you forgive me over and over and I can forgive all the people all around me over and over because you forgive me over and over.
It helps me to forgive all the people around me everyday. Why can we love him with all our hearts because he actually gives meaning and significance to our days until we can see I can love you with all my heart because she has meaning in Eternal value. Meaning 10 years a hundred years a thousand years from today.
Lastly we can love him because he's coming back for us if we believe in him and one day he will right every wrong. He will heal every every wrong. He will make all things new. Why can you not love him with all our heart we can say I love you because one day you're coming back for me. And whatever you're going to make it. All right, you're going to set all things right I can cuz you're going to make everything right? You're going to make all things new.
Says we start 20/20. Let's pray and ask God to give us more love for him.
Same way you talk to another person. Simply coming before God with with a praise will take you help me. I need help. Psalm 18:1 says this I love you Lord my strength. We express we grow in love for God by expressing love for him. And imma give you a chance this very morning to memorize a versus is the whole verse does kids. We always love that. I can't remember where it's from but it was a lie. I said sent from John Legend says Jesus wept and when the Sunday school teacher said you need to memorize verses like the Jesus wept is to two words like Jesus wept, but here's another short one. I love you Lord, my strength Psalm 18:1. So let's say that together right now. I Love You Lord my strength again. I love you Lord, my strength one more time. I Love You Lord my strength. This week just look at those words. I think everyone here memorize it Psalm 18:1. Leave that on the on the line in 15 seconds. I want you just to silently just repeat those words and in your own heart and mind and just this week as you go about your day. You have an easy day. You have a hard day tomorrow. It's hard to get back to the rhythm of work. this simple prayer as an expression of your hearts love for God. I love you Lord my strength. Imma give you back 15 seconds of Science and just you want you can close your eyes if that helps you concentrate more, but see if you can memorize this. I love you Lord my strength go.
The say that prayer just let it run through. I Love You Lord my strength. I Love You Lord my strength silently to yourself.
MN Swan encourage you to memorize that Psalm 18 want to just use it to strengthen yourself? I love you Lord my strength. How do we grow love forever?
No, there's that expression talking out of both sides your mouth and it's usually a negative connotation that you don't you don't mean what you say. You're talking out of both sides your mouth both sides your mouth in that what I've done to tell me grow closer to God and out of In what aspect I ice. I'll say Lord. I love you.
Call you I express my will express my heart that I'm committed to you Jesus. I love you. I pray help me. Love you more. Lord help me to love you more cuz all of us are not got to I've got to work. I've got at work my heart. I've got exert my will to keep loving him. So that one side of my mouth. I'll say I love you Lord. I do love you. I'm committed to you. I choose you over and over again. I say Lord help me. Love You More love for you. it also works as as I pray for other people that you know, I'm going to
you said you say that out of one side of your mouth. I'm going to have a hard time loving them.
So let's practice at now again. This is good silence and we're going to practice expressing your heart your will your decision remember that love is a decision that we decide? We when you you decide to become a Christian you play once and for all Lord come into my art forgive my sins. But then after that you continue to express your will your heart that I'm going to love you Jesus. I choose you over and over and over again. So I just I'm going to give you a 15/22 years too. And if it get if you want to just bow your head close your eyes if that helps you but I want you just to pray in your in your mind. I love you. I Choose You I prefer you I commit with all my heart. I love you and just you're making a statement of your will your heart that I Choose Jesus. I love you. Go ahead.
And I'll just keep you more me more love for you. Help me to love you with all that is in me. Help me to love you. First to love. You most love you. Help me help me help me to love you more. Go ahead.
I'm just going to ask the worship team. Just come forth this time.
As worst team comes forward.
So just wrap it up today to take how by sacrifice so we start. This new year just maybe one goal one girl the first in the great command just to love him with all that is in us with all your heart all your soul and all your mind closing prayer Lord. I pray just help everyone of us Lord. Just to to grow and love you are worthy of all our love teaches this coming year.
Started today Lord, Jesus more deeply just how to love you with all our heart. lost soul lower mind to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Help us Jesus name men.