The Greatest Commandment Bible Study #3

We have seen so far in this study

The Greatest Command is to Love God and Love Others.The Motivation of Love to God and Love to others is God's Love (Demand, Declaration, and Demonstration of God's Love)Today I want to talk about - What it is to Love God -

So Jesus has said the greatest commandment is to Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

And our motivation to love Him is because He first loved us -

One important thing we can infer about this command that I think is worth sharing -

Since God commands us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind & strength - we must be able to do so.This Loving God is a choice, an act of the will, a commitment not just an emotion. A basic purpose in the Holy Spirit's ministry is to impart to us the ability to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind & strength.

But what does it mean to love Him?

Richard S. Taylor in his book Understanding Ourselves defines what it is to Love God like this:

"To love God is to attach ourselves to Him as the central and supreme Presence in our lives. It is to enter into a personal relationship with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, which becomes a literal day-by-day walk with God. This becomes the primary, all-encompassing reality of life.

This walk means

--Uninhibited communication

--Unshadowed communion

--Unswerving loyalty

--Unconditional trust

--Unlimited Subjection to His will, as revealed in the Bible.

To love God is to love His ways, His work, and His Word. This means that the person who supremely loves God does not quarrel with His ways, is not bored by His work, and seeks to know and obey His Word. This one-on-one relationship is profoundly and wonderfully satisfying. There is no emotional satisfaction which can equal it. So powerful is an intense and growing love for God that those who enjoy it would rather lose all else than to lose the close, intimate relationship with their Father-God." (p25-26)

In his little booklet "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" John Wesley tells of a conference on Entire Sanctification or what he termed "Christian Perfection" On Monday, June 25, 1744 the question was asked -

"What is implied in being a perfect Christian?

"The loving God with all our heart, and mind, and soul. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

12 years prior to that...

John Wesley a year or so before his trip to America preached a message titled "On Love" Feb. 20th 1732. Actually several years before his confessed conversion May 24th 1738. In this sermon Wesley gives us a definition of what it is to love God.

Listen to this:

"what is it to love God, but to delight in him, to rejoice in his will, to desire continually to please him, to seek and find our happiness in him, and to thirst day and night for a fuller enjoyment of him"

He gives us several things of what he believed it is to love God.

To delight in HimTo rejoice in His willTo Desire continually to please HimTo seek and find our happiness in HimTo thirst day and night for a fuller enjoyment of Him.

Dr. Phillip Brown at GBS printed a Sunday School study several years ago where he took Wesley's definition and added a little more Biblical content and context. I want to adapt Dr. Brown's definition for this study.

So…To Love God is:

To commit oneself in a self-sacrificial mannerTo Delight in HimTo Continually Desire to Please HimTo Rejoice in Serving HimTo Find One's True Happiness in HimTo Thirst day and night for a fuller enjoyment of Him.

For these next two days I want to delve into each of these and try to explore just a little bit of what it is to Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind & strength. I am not teaching as one who has mastered these principles I am teaching as one who is learning - Who I love Jesus with all of my heart and as was preached last night by Brother Stettler - WHATEVER IT TAKES I'm going to the marriage supper. !!!

To Commit Oneself in a self-sacrificial manner

There is an old song that talks about how a person started seeking God with "less of self and more of Thee. by the time they really began to Love God - it had changed to None of self and All of Thee." We see a self-sacrificial commitment implied in this passage By the "alls" All your heart - speaks to our emotions, the real me on the inside All your soul - speaks to the spirit, the self-conscious life All your mind - speaks to our intelligence and thought life Only Mark includes "all your strength." - Speaks to our bodily powers- perhaps even the will While there is a list of different parts (heart, soul, mind, strength) I think the message that the Holy Spirit is trying to convey is that we "LOVE GOD With ALL OF US" I like how Michael Card translates it, "all of our muchness" Kent Hughes says, “It does not take much of a man to be a believer, but it takes all there is of him!” Sinclair Ferguson says, “God is never satisfied with anything less than the devotion of our whole life for the whole duration of our lives”The Apostle Paul says it like this -

Romans 12:1-3 (KJV)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Notice the motivation Paul Appeals too - "I BESSECH (or urgently appeal) by the Mercies of God or as I have been trying to tell us our motivation is the LOVE of God or our DEVOTION!

Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, former president of Asbury College, used to tell his students that the motivations that prompted unbelievers to come to Christ were largely based on self-interest and gain.

People come to escape hell, gain eternal life, put their broken lives back together. Kinlaw was not surprised or upset by this “selfish” motivation of new converts.

But Kinlaw would go on and tell his students, that the believer, should and can come to God and offer himself or herself to God, not for what can be gained, but rather as an expression of pure devotion, in view of God’s mercies.

Notice Paul calls them BRETHREN - You look the entire book of Roman's over he never calls the church to repentance to salvation - but he does call them to a life of complete surrender Present a sacrifice that is holy and acceptable unto God - this command again we infer we can fulfill - (only a born again believer can present this)Not conformed but transformed (Whether we like to admit it or not - not everything is instantaneous there is maturing a walking in the light a growth in grace)I think we can picture this transformation or renewing of the mind like this. Airplane are some of the most sophisticated electronic pieces of machinery in the world today. They have all kinds of gizmos and gadgets on their dash board and I don't have a clue what they mean (Perhaps brother Albert could tell you.

I do know they have the ability at times to push a button and that plane will nearly fly itself. | But even with all of that amazing sophisticated electronic equipment - every airport I know of in the world still has runway lights.

Those lights aren't just for a display - they are there so a pilot can look at his dials and gadgets and radar and line them up with the reality of those lights.

So it is with us - we get so many ideas, opinions, judgments and we better be looking at the runway lights - the WORD of God and lining ourselves up to it - being renewed by it being transformed by it.

This only comes by a surrendered and fully surrendered a totally committed person.

Perhaps we might be more committed if someone prayed over us like: A Salvation Army officer prayed over some of the first salvationists to leave England for America with these words: "Lord, these ladies are going to America to preach the gospel. If they are fully given up to Thee, be with them and bless them and grant them success. But if they are not faithful, drown 'em, Lord, drown 'em!"

Loving God with all of our "muchness" is done in two ways; By complete loyalty All your heart & soul This is perhaps illustrated best by Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - It's part of the "Worship Rules" that span 12-18 But in this particular passage it shows how important complete loyalty to God is

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (KJV)

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

A couple of things to point out:

Our Love to God is shown by our loyalty to God Our loyalty to God is shown by our Shema (hearing and obeying) His Word Signs and wonders (no matter how impressive or accurate they are) that don't agree with His Words are sent to test this loyalty The greatest guard for disloyalty is by maintaining and cultivating a relationship with God - Knowing God in a real way. Verse 2 Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, Known speaks of an experiential knowledge - to have a relationship with God Adam Clark put it this way, " he who experimentally knows God cannot be drawn away after idols. He who has no experimental knowledge of God, may believe any thing"

We not only show our love for God by complete loyalty

We also show our Love for God by Complete Obedience to God's Word

By complete obedienceAll of your mind & strengthDeuteronomy 13:4

4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

The First part of our Love for God is shown in our Commitment which we have talked about - now I want to help us see the Sacrificial aspect of the commitment. We are called in the New Testament to a sacrificial life - Loving God involves sacrifice This is demonstrated by God through Jesus laying down His life as a sacrifice to redeem us: Hebrews 12:2 (My life verse)

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus calls us to the same type of sacrificial love for Him

Luke 14:26-27 (KJV)

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 10:37-39 (KJV)

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:24-26 (KJV)

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

"deny himself' — say "no" to what you want

"take up his cross' cross is an instrument of death. When we die to our desires we are

taking up our cross

"follow me" — dying to self's desires must always be following by living to Christ's

desires.

This includes:

Ambitions

Material gain

Time

All that interferes or conflicts with loyalty to God must be placed on the altar

I love the song "I Can Trust Jesus" and the songwriter got it right when they penned those words in verse 2:

"My wants and God's desire don't always agree…"

Any time my way is contrary or different from what God want's love for God means I must give in to His way

Have you ever heard someone remind God or everyone what they had to give up in order to serve Christ?

It's kind of like the fictional story of the man who was getting married. He stood in the front of the little country chapel as his bride to be came down the aisle to the wedding march.

Suddenly he turned his gaze to all of the young single women in the congregation, there was Suzy, they had been great friends in high school - they could have had a nice relationship.

There was Belinda a really nice and beautiful young lady she was in his Sunday School class and Bible Study group

There was Sally a spirited and fate tempting girl who liked to live on the wild side he had met her in college they had a couple of classes together.

He sighed as he looked them all over and sadly told them goodbye, he was marrying the quote love of his life.

I'm afraid so many approach their commitment to Christ - their love is lacking a bit.

The groom is supposed to be so committed to loving his bride than any sacrifice he must make is not worth mentioning in comparison to the joy and delight he has in his bride.'

Paul models real self-sacrificial love in seeking joy in Christ

Philippians 3:6-8 (KJV)

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

I want to point out that Paul is "sacrificing a lesser 'gain' for the most excellent 'gain'

"This is not disinterested self-sacrifice, but sacrifice motivated entirely by the desire to

gain for himself the most happiness through knowing Christ, being found with

His righteousness, and participating in His sufferings. "

·

Loving God totally means loving everything and everyone less than we love Him. In

other words, our commitment to God must take precedence over any other

relationship in our lives.

I want the woman at Simon's feast in the "To Delight In Him" Section !!!! Get info from Stowell's bookTo Delight in Him - What does it mean to delight in God? Delight is the emotional and mental response we have to something that pleases us. Merriam Webster defines delight as: to take great pleasure or to give keen enjoyment. In his original dictionary Noah Webster differentiates between "joy" and "delight" by saying: "Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement." Longman's Web Dictionary defines it as "feelings of great pleasure and satisfaction." Delight is a response emotional, volitional (of our own free will) and can be intentional when we focus our minds and attention on the pleasing aspects of whatever or whoever pleases us. Think Roses, Waterfalls, Rainbows, an excellent meal Your Spouse (hopefully brings you delight!!!) I like to delight in different artistic forms Music - Paintings - My parents had in the home I grew up in a replica of Michelangelo's Last Supper - I would stand there sometimes and just look at the picture, notice how realistic the faces were, think of the stories each person represented, think of what happened just a few hours after the meal, the hours, the thought, the work, the detail that went into the picture. Some people take great delight in hunting or fishing, or other things. Reading - But lets take those thoughts and turn them into delighting in God - what does it mean to delight ourselves in the Lord? Look for example at Psalm 37:4 - "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desire of thine heart." To "Delight yourself in the Lord" we choose to focus our minds and attention on the aspects of God and His Character that give us pleasure and delight. God's care God's Shepherding God's Unchangeableness The more I think and contemplate on God and who He is, the more I love Him. TO LOVE GOD IS TO DELIGHT IN HIM!

I think a story from the Life of Christ - Luke 7:36-40 records one of the most extreme and awkward emotional displays of love and devotion DELIGHT in God, found in the Bible contrasted with standoffish, lukewarm (if not cold) love of God. A Pharisee, who Luke later names as Simon, invited Jesus over for dinner probably after Synagogue. The divide between Jesus and the Pharisees was already far advanced but Simon seems to still be an undecided voter. He seems to respect Jesus, maybe even consider him a prophet. What little affection and respect Simon has for Jesus stops pretty short as he doesn't even extend the most common courtesies to Jesus. They gathered at his house, Pharisee Simon's most honored and distinguished guests. The Rich, Famous and Powerful of Galilee and surrounding Judea

It was common for the poor, outcasts, and the uninvited to come and stand or linger in the shadows of a feast like this. They at times would receive the left-overs. They would also be able to hear (but not normally participate) in the discussions covering the current topics of the day.

No doubt with Jesus being invited, theology was at the top of the list. From the outskirts of this dignified, rich, powerful crowd stands a woman. This woman remains unnamed and silent throughout Luke's story. She is identified only as "a sinner" speculation abounds as to what that means - by the context of the story it was probably an immoral sin. The way the story reads - this woman though had already been touched by the grace of God. I wonder how long she had been following and listening to Jesus. Luke records for us earlier in this chapter - how John the Baptist's disciples had come to Jesus asking if he was the one or if they should look for another - Jesus responds -

Luke 7:22-23 (KJV)

22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

We don't know when, but sometimes this sinner woman, heard the "gospel preached to the poor" and must have been moved. She no doubt heard Jesus would be here and is looking on from the outside of this great feast, as she scans the crowd looking for Jesus an alabaster box clutched tightly in her hand, her gift to the Master.

They would have probably been reclining in a U shape, with their heads toward the their host their feet out toward the wall. As she scans the crowd looking for Him, she spots Him, but she notices that Jesus' feet were dirty and dusty, they were unwashed, she was overcome with an overwhelming sense of love, injustice, devotion and gratitude. She breaks through the imaginary barrier and rushes toward Him the tears already freely flowing, sobs heaving from her chest, She comes up behind as Jesus is reclining she breaks the seal on her alabaster box and a rich and sweet perfume fills the air. She couldn't hold back the flood of tears that came bursting forth they began to drip down on to his feet, she kisses them and wipes them with her hair Simon is scandalized, he is aghast this man he thought might be a great prophet - there's no way - no real prophet of God would allow this to happen to them, why they would never even hardly be seen in the same room as this woman. Simon's mind is racing his thoughts coming faster than he can fully process - he is angry, then confused, then feeling of betrayal that a supposed man of God would allow this to happen at MY feast in My house. It is about this time that his thoughts are interrupted by Jesus calling his name. I love how Luke records this in an almost ironic way - "and Jesus answering…" Simon hasn't even said anything. I'm sure his face is revealing his disgust - but he hasn't said a word yet. But "Jesus answers Him." I love that. Its as if Jesus is saying - you don't think I'm a prophet - but let me show you I know what you are thinking… Jesus gives Simon a parable - about two men who owed money. The first owed five hundred pence this would have been about one and a half years wages. The second owed fifty - this would have been about two months' worth of wages. Neither one had the means to pay their bill. So their creditor "frankly forgave them both" "Simon" says Jesus, "Tell me, which one will love him most?" Simon has to answer, "I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most." "You're exactly right Simon." Jesus says. Jesus turns to the woman and says, "Simon, look at this woman, you didn't have anyone wash my feet or even give me water to do my own - but look at this woman - she has since the time I came not stopped kissing my feet" You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment I see Jesus turning lovingly back to the woman and saying in comforting tones, "I WANT YOU TO KNOW - Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little." Woman, thy sins are forgiven. - thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

She begins to anoint those feet, those feet that had traveled many a mile to preach the gospel to her, those feet that had endured so much scorn and ridicule and rejection. It is easy sometimes to read this scripture and say - "Boy those bad wicked sinners, who lived terrible lives, of sin and debauchery drugs, fornication, drinking, cussing, all of those wicked things when they get saved sure do love the Lord." We can almost give off the impression that in order to really love the Lord one has to do some really bad things. This isn't the message Jesus or Luke is trying to convey - they are trying to show the difference of attitudes that produces love. See Simon thought of himself as good, sinless, without reproach, spiritual, - See the woman - who stays unnamed and silent (I should say this is not Mary Lazarus' sister that is a separate event) she understood that she was a great sinner in need of God's help. She understood she was nothing without God. I have noticed in my own life - If I began to percieve myself as a self-made man. If I began to focus on all the things I never did, how good I have been in my life - my Love for God begins to wane. But when I recognize WITHOUT HIM I AM NOTHING - my love meter pegs out. When I began to realize all that Jesus has saved me from I am nearly overcome with love and devotion. When I began to look at life like this woman I too want to worship, fall at his feet,

Not only does loving God include a self-sacrificial commitment, a delighting in Him, but it also involves us Continually Desiring to Please Him! To Continually Desire to Please Him - Love Desires to Please God in everything One of the most frequent Scriptural statements about loving God is that it always involves obedience In fact Jesus declared, "If you love me keep my commandments - John 14:15He is saying - Love want to please God in Everything .

Jesus models this for us in John 8:29 John 8:29 (KJV)

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. I hope you are so in love with Jesus that you are willing to do whatever makes Him happy. You want to Continually desire to Please HIM!!!

There is a beautiful picture of this found in Exodus 21 that is so easy to look over. Its just about two verses but it contains volumes worth of information.

It gives us the example of what has been termed a "Love Slave"

We are given the laws of slavery. Now the KJV uses the term "Servant" but you didn't buy a servant you paid a servant. A slave was owned they were property.

There was strict command given that if you purchased a Hebrew slave they were only to serve six years and the seventh year they were set free. But God gave a caveat:

Exodus 21:5-6 (KJV)

5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

That man was forever marked not as a slave, but as a slave who made the statement - I love my master, I want to do what pleases him rather than have my own freedom. Rather than do what I want to do.

Think of this - the Lifelong enslavement of an Israelite to another Israelite could only happen at his own request.

Bruce, F. F.: New International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI : Zondervan Publishing House, 1979, S. 171

Today we have been marked, we have been bored through not in the ear but in the heart - We love Him and want to do whatever pleases Him!!!

So far today we have seen that Loving God includes

a self-sacrificial commitment,

a delighting in Him,

and a Continually Desiring to Please Him!

Tomorrow we will explore some other aspects of Loving God