Ron2011.5.22

Our world is sometimes a harsh place to live. Many people live a “dog eat dog” existence. This is an American expression. The way of the world is to put self first, love self, and provide for self and attack anyone who interferes. Some may display genuine love and concern for their fellow man, but most are genuinely wrapped up in self. That is the way of the world.

The Bible is clear that the way of the Christian is to be vastly different from the way of the world.

The Bible also teaches that genuine love will enable us to fulfill the commandments of the Lord.

The passage before us today in Matthew 22:35-40 reveals the truth that believers are to love each other in the same way that we love God. Matthew goes on to tell us that our love one for another is one of the strongest proofs that we are a Christian.

Matthew 22: 35-40

“And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him (Jesus) a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  And 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.'  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like unto it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Why should we love the God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Because He is worthy of all praise, and because of His love and His benefits to us.

Why should we love our neighbor as we love our self?

Because God loves them and He wants us to demonstrate that love to others.

We know these verses. We have heard them often, and we understand that they mean we are to love God with our total being and our neighbor as our self.

But, 1. Many claim to love God2. Many say they love God 3. Many say they love their neighbor

However, many do not really understand what it means to love God with our total being—and to really love our neighbor.

We need to understand what it really means to love God with our total being.

“You shall LOVE the Lord your God”

1. First notice that this is not a request or an option; it is a command, and it is essential.

2. We are to love (agape) - The highest form of love

Agape love - unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. This is the original and only true form of love. 

How is this different from Philo love?

The issue we have while forming relationships is that we tend to severely limit the capacity of the relationship to what we can get from the other or what we think the other wants to take from us.

This form of relationship stems from "philos" love indicates that you share a like mindedness (i.e. if you agree with me, I will love you).

A philos love relationship is a mutual, "give-and take" relationship that ends the moment one side either does not get what they want or is asked for something they do not wish to give.

This is human nature’s way to love. It is how we love without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Philo love is what we usually think of when we say that we love someone or something.

“Love the Lord your God with ALL Your Heart..”

We are to love God. This would exclude putting anything above God in importance.

There is to be no holding back with our love

Giving our best effort

Not settling for second best

“Love the Lord your God with all your MIND”

1. This has to do with the intellect or knowledge

2. To love God as we ought, it must be done through knowledge

Romans 10:3 - “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

Ephesians 4:18 - “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

John 14:15 - “If you love me, you will obey what I command.… How can one keep that which he does not know?”

Hosea 4:6 - “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”

To love God with all of our minds, we must study

Deuteronomy 17:19 – “It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees.”

John 5:39 - “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.”

Acts 17:11 - “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

2 Timothy 2:15 – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Our minds must be filled with truth

2 John 4 – “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

3 John 3 – “It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.”

We cannot love God as we ought if we are biblically ignorant.

“Love the Lord your God with all of your HEART”

1. This is loving God with emotion and affection

2. Out of our innermost being, we cry out to the Lord

3. An expression of our love for Him is also shown through our praise and worship

The Bible is filled with emotion

Luke 10:20 – “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Romans 12:15 – “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Philippians 4:4 -  ”Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – “Be joyful always;”

Matthew 9:36 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Psalm 84:10 – “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

“Love the Lord your God with all your SOUL”

1.This is loving God with our very life. The Greek word is translated as life in many verses. It can also be translated as breath.

2. This involves the willingness to give over our whole life to the Lord.

3. Loving God with all of our souls, requires us to live a sacrificial life

Romans 12:1-2 - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

“Love the Lord your God with all your STRENGTH”

1. This we do using our talents and abilities, our money, and our time.

2. We must use our talents and abilities for the Lord

a. So many talents are never used for the Lordb. Many talents are never developedc. Giving shows our true love for the Lord

'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 

“Love your neighbor as you do yourself”

1. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you apply the commandments in your conduct toward him as conscientiously (carefully) as you wish him to apply them to you.

a. You must not injure him or lie to him, or steal from him, or covet his success; you must treat him exactly as you in his place wish to be treated or ought to be treated by him.

b. The same principle of love underlies both the first and second great commandments.

How Much Love?What is particularly striking about this command is not just its demand to love our neighbor but the degree of love we must have toward him: "Love your neighbor as yourself.”He does not say that we must love our neighbor more than we love ourselves; he says we must love him as or in the same ways that we love ourselves.

In other words, the way we every day demonstrate our love for ourselves is precisely the way in which we are to demonstrate our love for others.

There is no one more careful than you to see to it that you are not hungry. No one is more concerned with your rights or your health or your wealth, or even what you wear.

Our love for ourselves is obvious! It is evident by the fact that we go to whatever lengths necessary to care for our every whim.

Jesus says, that is how you must love your neighbor. His concerns are to be your concerns. His burdens are to be your burdens. His problems are to be your problems.His joys are to be your joys. His needs are to be your needs--your needs to meet.

Your neighbor's happiness and welfare should be the object of our ambition.

"That's his problem.“ This is an attitude says that we don’t care.

"What does that have to do with me?" – This attitude says that we think of and treat others as if they irritate and interfere in our lives. We can’t be concerned.

"Love your neighbor as yourself.” This not just an "extra credit" assignment; it is the on-going obligation of us all.

For Us To do any less is to stand in violation of the second great command.

Love Whom? Who is your neighbor?

When Jesus demands that we love our "neighbor" it is immediately clear that He is speaking in reference to more than just those who live on your block.

Luke 10:25-37 - The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he

asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my

neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

31 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

According to the definition Jesus gives, your neighbor may be someone you don't even know. He may be someone who is unfriendly and unlovely and unable to repay you for whatever you do for him. He may be someone who requires your time and money and effort.

Your neighbor is anyone whose need you see and are able to meet. The parable of the "Good Samaritan" makes it just that obvious.

The problem with fulfilling this command is not found in the command itself, but in our own self-centeredness.

We are so absorbed with ourselves that there is little room left for those who need us.

Think how this would improve your marriage, your church, and every relationship! All of life would be made more beautiful if only we would crawl out of our own little worlds enough to obey this second greatest commandment.

Self vs. Others

We are told today that our greatest, most fundamental need is a greater love for ourselves.

Indeed, if we would but learn to love ourselves more, we are told, we would find all of life sweeter. "Self-esteem" has become our highest ambition.

It is abundantly obvious that our love for ourselves is precisely the problem, not the solution! If we were not already so in love with ourselves we would love our neighbor more!

"Love your neighbor as yourself" implies not that we need more love for ourselves but that we already love ourselves quite enough and that we should instead redirect that love to others!

It is precisely our self-love that ruins our relationships with others!

But Jesus has the perfect and so obvious cure for all that--"Love your neighbor as yourself!"

What we need, Jesus says, is a redirection of our love. We must turn it outward. We must focus on the good and help of others, not allowing our natural selfishness to get in the way.

BROTHERLY LOVE IS EXTENSIVE

Cain sets the biblical example of what self love is all about. Gen. 4:8. Jesus, on the other hand sets the standard for loving others. He loved us as much as is possible. He loved us so much that while we were still His enemies, He died for us, John 15:13; Rom. 5:8.

The Bible is trying to tell us that genuine God-like love knows no

boundaries and sets no limits. It draws no lines. True love is love without limits!

If I really love you then no sacrifice is too great. Genuine love knows no boundaries and no conditions. It is freely given and asks nothing in return.

Do you love others like you should? Genuine love is clearly described in 1 Cor. 13:1-8.

BROTHERLY LOVE IS EXPENSIVE

If we want to see what love will do, then look no farther than Calvary.

Look and see the Lord Jesus giving everything He had to save those He loved. Jesus showed us the truth that true love freely opens its hands and gives away everything it has to those it loves. He saw our need; He possessed the necessary resources to meet; and He met that need.

That is what love is all about. It does not hold anything back, but it meets needs wherever it finds them.

Now, if you do not know about a need and do not have the resources to meet that need, you are not condemned. But, when you know and you can do something, you are obligated to reach out in the name of Jesus and do all you can to help, James 2:15-17.

We need to remember that God has given us everything we have in life so that we might use it for His glory.

It might be money, materials, or moments of time. He can and will use it all, if we make it available to Him.

BROTHERLY LOVE IS EXPRESSIVE

Genuine love doesn’t just talk, it acts. Without Calvary, John 3:16 is nothing but empty words!

People who talk and don’t do really do not love. People who are insincere might talk about helping; but people who truly love like the Lord reach out to help a fellow believer.

Real love might be shown by meeting a material need. It might be seen in lending a helping hand or a listening ear. There are countless ways in which we can show the reality of our love for the brethren.

Real love does more than simply talk, it acts!

JESUS TEACHES US HOW TO LOVE PEOPLE “ If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen.” 1 John 4:20

THE BEST EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE ARE EXTENSIVE, EXPENSIVE, AND EXPRESSIVE

“We must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.” 1 John 3:18

THE BEST TIME TO LOVE IS WHEN WE SEE A NEED “Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone…” Gal. 6:10

THE BEST WAY TO LOVE IS BY TREATING OTHERS AS WE WOULD TREAT OURSELVES “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

JESUS PROVIDED THE CHURCH AS A PLACE TO PRACTICE LOVING PEOPLE “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.” Prov. 3:27-28

JESUS SENDS US INTO THE WORLD AS AN EXAMPLE OF LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE “Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire love. Make it your aim, your great quest…” 1 Cor. 14:1

So, how’s your love life?

As a church family and as individuals, we need to heed the message in these verses.

Can we honestly say that we love others as we should?

Can we honestly say that we are meeting needs, lifting burdens and loving like Jesus?

If we want to be all that He has saved us to be, then we must learn to love like He does.

Why should we love our neighbor as we love our self?

Because God loves them and He wants us to demonstrate that love to others.

Why should we love the God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Because He is worthy of all praise, and because of His love and His benefits to us.

Let everyone who has breath praise the Lord.