> !! “Your Work

As Christ’s Followers”

\\ PPSM081026

•      OCTOBER 26TH, 2008  PENTECOST 25

•       

•      FIRST LESSON:  Psalm 1

•      GOSPEL LESSON:  Matthew 22:34-40

•      MESSAGE:  “Your Work As Christ’s Followers”

•      THEME:  Being rooted in God

•      —Putting the two great commandments into daily practice.

•      SPECIAL:

•      HYMNS:

•      Gospel Hymn:  #1 Grey “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”

•      Closing Hymn:  #284 Grey  “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”

\\ OUTLINE

•     Intro

•     Final Assault []

•     The Question [often debated]

•     The Answeràcut to the chase

•     The Additionàanother law of similar import

•     Pegs for 10 and pegs for the hundreds of laws

Outline cont’d

•     Psalm 1

•     The blessed vv the wicked

•     The illustration—tree replanted vs chaff

•     MattßàPsalm

•     Loving God means

•     whole life

•     Being transplanted

•     Being rooted deeply in the things of God

•     Drinking deeply of the Spirit of God

•     Not prosperity gospel—but stability and joy by anchoring our lives in Christ

•     closing

INTRO

•     Liver, Heart transplant amazing

•     Transplant fruit trees, vines

•     Transplant serviceberry, J. flowering dogwood

•     Roots go down into soil—re-establish lines of nutrition, stability against storms, health against infection  disease

\\ Matthew 22:34-40

•     3rd in series of testing of J.

•     Final assault by Pharisees

•     Brought forth one of their best

•     posed a question they hoped would show him up—a much debated question

The Question:

“Teacher,

which command

in God’s Law

is the most

important?”

Matthew 22:36

\\ The Consequences

Does Jesus belong to

    some radical fringe group or

    does He belong within

                the teaching of mainstream Judaism.

the wrong answer

ßcould have been used by the Pharisees

                                to get rid of Jesus.

The Answer

37 He said to him,

“ ‘You shall love the Lord your God

  with all your heart, and with all your soul,

                          and with all your mind.’

38 This is the greatest

                       and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love   

                         your neighbor as yourself.’

\\ The Answer

“the great and first commandment.”

ßIncludes the duty of obedience to

         the other commandments given by God,

ßa good answer for the Pharisees.

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ loving God means ….

To love God is not

to “have good feelings about Him,”

for true love involves the will as well as the heart.

Where there is love,

there will be service and obedience.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Mt 22:34). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

\\ Love for God

…

ßan acknowledgment that God is

                Creator and Redeemer.

ßa reflection of that reality in how we live our lives.

With this orientation toward God and others, the law and the prophets have reached their ultimate goal. Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

•     The first and great commandment is to love God with all one’s being: with heart, soul, mind, and whatever else one might care to add.

ßfrom Deut 6:5 ßan elaboration on the first of

    The 10 Commandments: “I am the Lord your God … you shall have no other gods besides me.”

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ loving God

•     a right relationship with God,

•     Means no problems with His commandments.

•     Love is the basis for obedience.

•     In fact, all of the Law is summed up in love (Rom. 13:8–10). If we love God, we will love our neighbor; and if we love our neighbor, we will not want to do anything to harm him.

•       Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Mt 22:34). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

\\ The Addition

(reflects the rabbinic practice known as gĕzêrâ šāwâ, “equal category,” [the association of bible passages on the basis of a common word),

ßa way of presenting a comprehensive picture

                of one’s duty to God and 

               to brothers and sisters of the human family.

[Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.]

The Answer

37 He said to him,

“ ‘You shall love the Lord your God

  with all your heart, and with all your soul,

                                and with all your mind.’

38 This is the greatest

                             and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love   

                         your neighbor as yourself.’

\\ loving neighbour

•     If we really love God, we must also love our neighbor (1 John 3:10–18; 4:7–21).

•       Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Mt 22:34). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

\\ The Addition

“you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” ßquotes Lev 19:18 (cf. too Lev 19:34).

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ Importance of the Answer

ßthe fundamental ground

         upon which

              the ethical teaching

                      of the church is built.

ßwhen we show such love toward God and others,

         the law and the prophets

              have reached their ultimate goal.

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ true heart of religion

•     obeying God’s instruction and making sure we love God and others.

•     This is the true heart of religion.

•     no one can love God apart from knowing Jesus Christ as Savior (John 8:42).

•     when you know and love God, the love of God will be shared with others (Rom. 5:5).

Wiersbe, W. W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (81). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

•     She•ma n[hear, first word of Deut 6:4]: the Jewish confession of faith made up of Deut 6:4–9 and 11:13–21 and Num 15:37–41

The Shema

4 Attention, Israel!

   God, our God! God the one and only!

5 Love God, your God,

        with your whole heart:

   love him with all that’s in you,

             love him with all you’ve got!

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (MSG)

\\ The Omission: The Shema

•     “Hear, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.”

Matthew omits opening words since

    it is not essential to the argument and

    he can assume the readers’ association of the good commandment with the Shema, which his community probably continued to say twice a day. Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ RESPONSE TO ANSWER

ßMatthew’s abrupt ending suggests that

   the Pharisees had no particular problem                    with Jesus’ answer.

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary.

\\ Importance of the two together

Covers The Ten Commandments, every other command, and the teaching of the prophets

ßnone are possible apart from the twofold love commandment.

ßsuch love legitimizes

the commands and ethical teachings.

[Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.]

\\ Importance of the two together

•     cover the vertical (relationship with God) and the horizontal (relationship with others) dimensions.

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ Importance of the two together

The second is a logical consequence

of the firstßIf I love God

                     then I must love my neighbour.

the second depends on the first.

ßIf I am to love my neighbour,

                           I must first love God!

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

Love for God

means

reverence,

commitment,

and obedience

towards God.

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ love for neighbour

does not mean

an emotion

But rather, an action …

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

\\ love for neighbour

Such love is constant

and takes no regard of

the perceived merit or worth

of the other person.

Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28.

Psalm 1

(1) the solid foundation of the good [vv.1-3]

(2) the shaky foundation of the bad [vv.4-5]

(3) their outcomes [verse 6].

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50, adapted.

\\ Overview of  psalm 1

ßa literary and poetic composition, expressing with remarkable clarity

the polarity of persons and their destinies.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ Whisper day and night

But in the Lord’s Torah is his delight     

and in his Torah

will he muse by day and night.

ßindicates  “murmuring” or “whispering.”

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ A tree transplanted

So shall he be like a tree,    

transplanted by running waters,

which shall yield its fruit in its season,     

and its foliage shall not wither.

ßfed with a constant supply of water.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

Happiness …

… comes from

how we respond

to God’s commands!

\\ Finding happiness

ßnot given automatically by God,

ßbut a direct result of their activity.

Verse 1 says: àA person can be happy,

    [from a negative perspective,] by avoiding

          the advice, the life style and the fellowship

                                               of  bad persons.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ How to be happy

The ‘good’ person

avoids all the ways of the bad;

ßthis is the source of happiness.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ Importance of positive action

to be happy,

we must also

Do something positive,

ßv 2 “chew on God’s Word!”

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ How to delight in word

ßconstantly meditate on its meaning.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ Tree analogy

Happiness compared to the replanted tree.

A tree may flourish or fade,

depending upon

its location and access to water.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ Tree transplanted

A tree transplanted from some dry spot,

where the water runs only sometimes

to a location beside an irrigation channel,

where water never ceases to flow,

would inevitably flourish.

It would become a green and fruitful tree.

\\ more about lifestyle outcomes than reward!

•     The tree analogy implies the prosperity of the righteous,

•     also make a theological point:

The state of happiness is not a reward; rather,

it is the result of a particular type of life.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ more about lifestyle outcomes than reward!

-a tree with a constant water supply naturally flourishes,

& the person who avoids evil and delights in Torah

naturally prospers,

ßfor such a person is living within the guidelines set down by God.

ßthe prosperity of the good reflects the wisdom of a life lived according to God’s plan.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ More about lifestyle outcomes than punishment

•     They are like chaff. ßwinnowing grain at harvest time. The grain would be tossed into the air with a pitchfork at the village threshing floor; the wind would separate the light chaff and husks and blow them away, while the more substantial grain fell back to the floor.

•     ßlack of stability, permanence

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ More about lifestyle outcomes than punishment

Chaff is light and useless, part of the crop

              to be disposed of by the farmer.

ßthe bad are thus lightweights,

        persons without real substance or worth.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ More about lifestyle outcomes than punishment

•     the bad have no place & no status.

•     They live for themselves & cannot participate in the affairs of those who live for others and for good.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ More about lifestyle outcomes than punishment

The doom of the bad

is the natural outcome

of their chosen way of life.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7).

Psalm 1 elaborates upon this principle with respect to human behavior.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

•     The good person is the one whose “fear” (or reverence) of God affects his daily living; àhe avoids evil and learns how to live from God’s Torah, and therein lies his wisdom.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ happiness depends on ….

v 2; the prosperity and happiness of the righteous depends upon their finding “delight” in the Lord’s Torah.

Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ Happiness depends on ….

•     constant meditation upon the Torah (v 2b), which is God’s instruction.

•     As instruction, it contains guidance from the Creator as to the meaning of creation.

•     Life has meaning if its fundamental purpose is discovered.

•     The meaning of human existence which is enshrined in the Torah, and it is the discovery of that meaning which flows from meditation upon Torah.

•      Craigie, P. C. (2002). Vol. 19: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50.

\\ Getting water that satisfies

Water for drinking is a picture of the Holy Spirit of God (John 7:37–39).

The Christian is here compared to a tree that gets its water from the deep hidden springs under the dry sands.

This world is a desert that can never satisfy the dedicated believer.

We must send our “spiritual roots” down deep into the things of Christ and draw upon the spiritual water of life. See Jer. 17:7–8, Ps. 92:12–14. Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament (Ps 1:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Importance of roots

•     There can be no fruit without roots.

•     Unless we spend time daily in prayer and the Word, and allow the Spirit to feed us, we will wither and die. The believer who draws upon the spiritual life in Christ will be fruitful and successful in the life of faith. When Christians cease to bear fruit, it is because something has happened to the roots (Mark 11:12–13, 20; and see Luke 13:6–9). What kind of fruit are we to bear? See Rom. 1:13 and 6:22, Gal. 5:22–23, Heb. 13:15, and Col. 1:10. Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament (Ps 1:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

\\ daily surrender

•          How to practice Ps. 1:1–3?

1.  It begins with surrender to the Lord,  a daily surrender of all that we are and all that we have (Rom. 12:1–2).

•          It involves spending time with God’s Word, reading it and meditating upon it.

•          It means living a life separated from the world (not isolated, of course, but separated from its defilement).

•          It demands a life with roots that draw upon the hidden resources of God.

ßWhat a blessed life, one that gives satisfaction here and hereafter.Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament (Ps 1:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

HOMEWORK

Practice Psalm 1:1–3

1.   Daily surrender to the Lord (Romans 12:1–2).

•           Daily time with God’s Word.

•           Daily separation from the world’s evil

                                       (not isolated).

•           Daily root growth.

•           Daily fruit—loving our selves & our neighbour.

This day God calls you and calls me to

“ ‘Love Himself—the Lord our God with all our passion

and our prayer and our intelligence.’

And to ‘Love others

as well as we love ourselves.’

\\ Sisters and brothers, happy shall we be if these things we do!

LET US PRAY:

Loving God, by drawing us to Yourself, You have replanted us in the rich soil of Your love and care.  Help us to become rooted in Your love that we may share that love with others and gladly follow Your ways all our days.  In Christ’s name we ask it, Amen and Amen.