What Do You Have In Your Heart - Deut 6
Has Your Love For Christ Grown Weak?[1]
INTRODUCTION:
1. When my love to Christ grows weak, When for deeper faith I seek, Then in thought I go to thee, Garden of Gethsemane!
(1) It is possible. That’s why we sing about it. That’s why Scripture warns about it.
(2) How can a person’s love for God / Christ grow weak?
2. You know that God loves you. (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 4:10; Rom. 8:38-39; Eph. 2:4.
3. Now, what reasonable response is deserved by God? From me? From you?
(1) We love Him, because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19).
(2) Loving God is a logical response to heaven, salvation, Christ…. To His loving us!
(3) If you asked Jesus what greatest commandment is, He would say there are two…
4. Notice Deut. 6:1-12.
5. There is only ONE true God, and there is but ONE true response – LOVE!
6. How many of us can say, “All my strength goes towards loving God?
(1) Countless can say, “I really want to love God!” How many can say they do?
(2) Many can say, “I’m trying to love God,” But if honest, they must admit that they are guilty of loving someone or something else as well. Watered down.
7. Some of us are guilty of erecting idols in our hearts. Stumblingblocks of iniquity.
8. How can you determine what or who you love? ANS – by amount of time, resources you spend with that person, place, or thing.
(1) Americans spend more of their disposable income on automobiles than anything else except food. Avg. American spends $241,000 – 350,000 on autos in lifetime.
(2) Average American will spend nearly $1,000 on holiday gifts.
(3) Average household spends approx. $1200 on electronics each year.
(4) Average household makes $54,453 per year and spends $43,395.
9. How can you determine what and who you love? ANS = amount of time/resource.
(1) If you love sports, your thoughts will center on sports.
(2) If you love to travel, your thoughts will center on travel.
(3) If you love yourself, your thoughts center on self.
(4) If you love money and physical possessions…
10. IF YOU LOVE GOD, He will be at the center of the decisions you make. If you don’t then He isn’t. Instead of thinking about spending time with God, with God’s word, time in worshipping God, talking to others about God, prayer to God, etc.
11. May I add, that if you do not have steady nourishment / refreshing from God’s word love of God will not be possible (cf. Gal. 5:22-25).
DISCUSSION:
I. IF You Love God, You Will Fear God (V. 2).
1. Fear = respect / reverence, and feeling bound to obey His will. Maybe we could say it this way, “Fearing you will disappoint or disrespect God.”
2. WHY? Because He can destroy both body and soul in hell (Mt. 10:28)? NO. That’s part of it, but mainly because I’m afraid not to… He’s so right!
3. Yes, afraid to displease God because I could go to hell, but mainly because it makes no sense to displease God. He’s right!
(1) Fully deserving the reverence of praise / worship.
(2) Fully deserving respect as I approach in the name of Jesus Christ.
(3) Fully deserving of my always speaking well of Him. Guarding His name, honor.
(4) If I love God, I will realize disobedience/transgression breaks His heart.
4. Some folks flat out need to reorganize their to-do lists and revive within themselves a healthy fear of and love for the Great I AM!
5. We all struggle to maintain balance and godly priorities, and take notice what Moses indicates it (balance) must be tied to… ANS – Word of God.
(1) The obligation / command to fear God doesn’t come from the pulpit.
(2) The commitment you have to it, doesn’t come from the pulpit either. From heart.
(3) God’s word will awaken respect for God Himself. If you do not fear God… ???
II. If You Love God, You Will Obey God (v. 2).
1. It is a natural progression from previous point. If I fear God, I will obey God.
(1) Why was Israel instructed to listen? ANS – To awaken respect. R U Awake?
2. It is here that we sorta begin chasing the monkey around the mulberry bush of logic… faith… grace… works… gift. Salvation by works?
(1) Ultimately, I’m saved by the grace of God. If He doesn’t offer salvation, I can’t be.
(2) BUT the gift of God’s grace must bear fruit in my heart. Faith! Love!
3. If you love me (you will) keep my commandments (Jn. 14:15).
(1) Jesus didn’t say, if you keep my commandments it means you love me.
(2) Jesus didn’t say, if you love me you will obey the gospel and be baptized.
(3) Jesus said, “the true test of your love for Him = in the keeping of His commands.
(4) Perhaps greatest commentary is found in Jn. 15:9-16
4. It is not uncommon for people to start out strong, but lack endurance, and begin loving lust of flesh, lust of eye, and the pride of life instead.
III. If You Love God, You Will Remember What He Said (v. 6-9).
1. Valuable words, worthy of all effort to remember. (Psa. 119:11; Psa. 1:1-2)
2. It may be somewhat evident to the rest of us, but only you and God know just how important His word is to you. It is important. How important?
(1) Find all time, priority, and energy for recipes, but little for remembrance…
(2) Memorize how to maneuver through facebook, but by comparison, little effort exerted to maneuver through and memorize God’s book.
3. Someone will say, “Well, my memory isn’t what used to be, I can’t remember…” I’m with you, I’m not getting any younger, but are you with me?
(1) I bet I could list a thousand different foods and you not only could tell me immediately if you like them or not, and you probably could remember their taste.
(2) Do you remember your shoe size? How to get home?
(3) Illustration – Man and wife went to a memory improvement seminar ($75) and men was excited to tell others about the techniques he learned and improvements he made. A friend asked him, where the seminar was conducted, and he said, “Oh, lets see now, what is the name of that flower, red, pink, has thorns, long stems…? His friend said, Oh you mean a rose? Yeah! That’s what I was trying to think of, then man turned to wife and said, “Rose” where exactly was that seminar we attended?
4. You tell me. If you were relaying life and death information to someone and they appeared detached / disinterested, how would you feel towards?
5. Remembering God’s word will much be determined by your attitude / effort.
IV. If You Love God, You Will Be Careful To Remember God (vv. 10-12).
1. If you draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
2. Ever been forgotten? Left behind? (Embarassing, shocking, scary).
3. Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet, my people have forgotten Me days without number. (Jer. 2:32).
CONCLUSION:
1. Notice Deut. 6:13: You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name…”
2. Fear is a matter of the heart. Serving a matter of the hands. What do you have in your hands?
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[1] Outline by Jack Peters, www.expositoryechoes.org, additions and adaptations by Toby L. Soechting for preaching at Howe, TX – July 27, 2008.