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This morning, we dive right back into our series, Experience the Difference, a series designed to help us obtain clear vision as we begin the 2022 year.
To be clear, the kind of vision we are talking about is not physical in nature, but is spiritual.
This kind of clear vision helps us to accomplish two very important things:
One, it helps us to see God and His attributes clearly.
It is guided by His truth and founded on His Word.
It dismisses the deceptions of this world and of the enemy and places our focus on Jesus.
In order to experience the difference in 2022, a person must realize that Jesus IS the difference!
Two, it helps us to see clearly where God desires for us to go.
God does NOT desire for His church to be passive or indifferent or without direction.
Our God is missional and He created His church to carry out said mission.
His redemptive plan is in motion.
Not only is God doing a redemptive work within believers today, He has commissioned believers to proclaim His redemptive message to a lost and dying world!
How we view God and how we view His plan will greatly impact the direction we will go in life.
If our view or focus of God is distorted or our understanding of His plan is polluted, you can bet that a person will have a hard time of knowing where God is trying to lead that person to go.
Last week we talked about the importance of having a Christ-Centered Focus.
Jesus is the difference this world has been looking for!
He is the One who made a difference in me, and I know He is the One who made the difference in the hearts of believers listening to me today!
Jesus is central in the redemptive plan of God.
He was sent to this earth to make the payment for our sins.
It is by His blood that we are forgiven, set free, and redeemed of ALL sin.
His blood has covered ALL SIN!
He is the answer the world has been looking for!
Last week, we talked about how people missed this truth because they didn’t have the right focus.
The answer sat right before them… yet they couldn’t see the Savior for their self.
In their testing of Jesus they asked a question, “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
These “experts” thought they could trap Jesus with their knowledge of the Scriptures.
What they failed to realize was… The Word had become flesh, according to John 1:14, and Jesus was that Word!
And in this moment, Jesus doesn’t scold these guys for their selfish tendencies.
In this moment, Jesus doesn’t shrug them off and tell them to get lost.
In this moment, Jesus gives them clear direction on how to get their vision back into proper focus.
Look at His answer with me in Matthew 22:37-40
Look carefully at Jesus’ answer.
We know this text as the Great Commandments… and look carefully at who or what is at the center of both commandments - God. Love is the action in both and Scripture identifies God as… love.
We’ll talk more about that in an upcoming message.
What I want you to see is what Jesus was trying to help the Pharisees to see that day.
They might have been “experts” in the law but they had completely missed the love behind the law.
They had a distorted view of God and of God’s plan.
Jesus had just instructed these guys to realign their focus and that realignment would impact their entire being.
Some things would have to change in order for that realignment to happen.
This morning, we are going to look at what it means to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”
This morning, we are going to talk about why it is so important that our heart be centered on Christ.
We are going to talk about what our heart is and what kind of an impact it can have on us physically and spiritually.
We often speak of our hearts in two different forms.
One, we know that our heart is a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
If all of us could place our hand on our chest, you can feel your heart at work right now.
If not, please let us know and we will get you medical help immediately!
It’s a powerful muscle that keeps our body in motion!
Two, we often speak of our heart as the center of a person's thoughts and emotions, especially love, compassion, or loyalty.
When we say, “Wow! that person has a lot of heart” it is not said of the size or strength of the muscle that is pumping within his or her chest, but rather it is spoken regarding that person’s character.
Jesus is speaking of the latter definition.
The command is given to love God with all of our emotional self.
And we are going to look at why that is so important today.
More Than Just a Muscle
Hearts can be full of joy.
Hearts can be full of sorrow.
Hearts can be hardened or softened.
Hearts can be be made whole… and can be broken.
And while these sensations might be hard to explain with words… everyone in this room and watching online know what these conditions of the heart feel like.
What I bet we don’t realize is… how much impact our heart has on the rest of our lives.
In my studies this week, I came across some interesting research that was presented in the book, “The God-Shaped Brain” by author and Christian psychologist Timothy Jennings.
First, I want you to see how he defines the “heart.”
“Now, what is the heart?
Neurologically speaking the “heart” is the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the part of the brain right between your eyes and slightly back from your forehead.
It is in this brain region where we experience empathy, compassion and love, and where we choose the right from the wrong.”
So when Jesus gave the instruction to Love God with all your heart, He was describing a very important part of our being that has a lot of influence in our decision making.
How many decisions do we make that are based on empathy?
How many decisions do we make that are based on compassion… or the lack thereof?
How many decisions do we make that are based on love?
And how many times do we find ourselves having to choose right from wrong?
With all that in mind… how important do you think it is for JESUS to be central in all of that decision making???
We make Christ central in these decisions when we choose to love Him with all our heart!
Let’s take a quick look at what it looks like to love God in this way.
To love God with all your heart is to:
Make God the source and object of your greatest desires and passions.
There are a lot of things a person can be passionate about!
There are a lot of things a person might desire in life.
The world has a way of trying to play to our desires to get what it wants from us.
God must become your greatest passion.
God must become your most heart-felt desire.
Everything else MUST come second to Him.
And as He becomes your greatest passion, the rest of your desires will follow.
Your desire for a good household moves to a desire for a godly household.
Your desire for a good marriage moves to a desire for a godly marriage.
Your desire for a good attitude moves to a desire for a godly attitude and so forth.
Your passions become centered on God.
Secondly, to love God with all your heart is to make sure the core of your affections are centered on Him.
You become attracted to that which is attractive to God.
Your heart comes into alignment with the heart of God.
You love what God loves… and hate what God hates (see Proverbs 6).
You become passionate about what God is passionate about.
You begin to love what God so loved…
How do we know what God loves and what He is passionate about?
By reading and knowing this book that tells the whole story!
Third, to love God with all your heart means that you are completely faithful and devoted to God and that His purposes direct every area of your life.
As your heart and your passions come into alignment with God and His plan, such becomes the direction and purpose in everything you are and in everything that you do.
You don’t hold back, and you are willing to give whatever God would direct you to give.
Self is left in the past as the Savior comes into clear focus.
Loving God in this way requires a willingness to do ANYTHING for Him.
Loving God with all our heart is a life-directing love.
And we need to understand something very important… Our love for God must be inspired by His love for us - a love that caused Him to give His Son for us.
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