January 24, 2021 Sunday Morning Service

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The Greatest Commandment  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  41:39
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Love With All Your Soul

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I've got this i got this so in case something happens and I'm prepared for.

Cuz you never know. What happens when you deal with PowerPoint.

we've been talkin about the Shimmer I'm talking about the two greatest commands and really focusing on the first greatest command. You should love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength. and we'll get to the second greatest command after we're done with this series of lessons, but as we consider the greatest command Jesus is actually quoting again from the book of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy in the old Covenant in the Old Testament. And as we think about this wonderful, I did in this wonderful command last week. We're discussing love with all your heart. Today, I will be discussing the second part love with all your soul. Now as we talked about last week with all your car. Your heart that's part of the inner man. That's always say the n-word man right to tell us in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 and chapter 5. You said the outward man is perishing our bodies. And we all know it hasn't get older. You'll things start to break down trying to perishing he says but the inward man is renewed day by day. What a blessing that is. Yeah, we're going to we're going to get rid of this body someday, but our inward man is what lives are and where person is what goes on. And so it's going to be some place in eternity. Until it meets up again. Was that outward piece of Flesh? number there is a resurrection and so the spirit goes to be with the Lord but there has to be a resurrection. You know, why because this outward thing causes me. But all of it together is me and God made it especially for me. This is my identity. I was hoping to look more like Brad Pitt when I get up there, but it's not going to happen. But I'm going to have some sort of a body that's going to be different. You just think about Adam and Eve, you know, Adam and Eve were created in the prime of their life. What do they look like?

We don't know. But as we consider our text this morning we're going to do what we did last week. We're going to have an interpretation. And so that's going to involve the context in which our text finds itself. So we'll deal with that as we go but here we want to focus our attention on what the Lord himself said You shall love the Lord your God with all we forget that little three letter word all your heart. With all your soul, that's what we're focusing on and with all your mind now Lux account include strength. Okay. So basically what Jesus is saying you need to love God with every fiber of your being. So I was asked a question this morning. Is that the way you love God?

Is that the way you love God Jesus not putting something out there just to you know, put words out there. He's telling us this is what I desire of every human being. Love the Lord your God with everything you have. You know that gets back to A. Jesus was talking about in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33 seek. First the kingdom of heaven. and his righteousness

and all these things shall be added unto you. So we're supposed to put God first. We're supposed to put the kingdom. First we're supposed to put his righteousness, which is spirituality first. Where is God where is his church and where is spirituality place in your life this morning?

Are you loving God with all?

your heart with all your soul with all your soul. So what's the context as we try to find out what the meaning is to what it what it means to love God with all our soul. If you go back to back to chapter 11 back to the beginning of the context and verse 27. It says then they came into Jerusalem and as he was walking in the temple the chief priests and scribes in the elders came to him and I said to him by what Authority you are you doing these things the chief priests and scribes in the elders. They comprise other groups of people. They comprise the Pharisees they they had also the Sadducees they had some of the zealots within that group some of the herodians. So what year was a mixture of people that belong to the send Hedren which was the Jewish Supreme Court. They judge. Remember the Jews had a theocracy. They had their theology intertwined. When their everyday life in their government, no in America is separation between church and state right there was bringing together church and state. Show the saint head Rinaldo supposably a spiritual facet to it also had the legal aspect to it. So they would try cases cases that would come to the Supreme Court and notice the question by what authority Jesus. Do you do these things? What Authority? The Jews understood that you had to do things by the authority of God and other words. Where can I find that in Scripture? You hear a lot of people say well we do this and we do that or I think this and I think that Well, why do you think this or why do you think that why do you do that or why do you do this? Where is your Authority for that? Where can I find that in Scripture? For those who love God. They are delighted to go to scripture to find that Authority.

Those people who don't care about God's word and don't care about whether it's authorized or not.

Well, we have to question their love. And we'll talk about that in just a second. So the context is that send Hedren is questioning Jesus and only going to chapter 12 verse 13. It says they sent him who's that they the same. Richard Henry then sent the Pharisees and the herodians to question Jesus they catch him in his words. And it's the word there is used to like throwing that out to catch a bird for the catch some animal. That's what it was. Like, that's what they were doing. What's the two groups of people that we also spoke about a little bit last time the Pharisees in the herodians the Pharisees were those group with a group of men? Who just love the traditions of their fathers, they love the traditions of their father so much that they would rather go by those traditions in Scripture. There's a lot of that today. They really just world. And that's why the question still stands. We asked by what Authority do we do these things or do we say these things? all throughout the Old Testament probably over 700 times. There's an expression use it says thus saith the Lord. That's what we got to do. This is what we say. This is what we do what bus say of the Lord. And just say if the Lord says this you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind with all your strength.

That's the authority so when someone says well, I'm not sure about that. But here's what Jesus says thus saith the Lord. So the Pharisees and the herodians the Pharisees again. They avoided God's word God's Commandments the scriptures with their traditions. And we looked a little bit about that last time but the herodians were different animal altogether. The herodians we got to go back in time. We got to go back in a little bit of History here in about 166 BC. Antiochus epiphanes he comes in he's a Grecian fellow and he comes in and he upset the applecart in Jerusalem, and he sacrifices pigs and and other dirty animals in the temple of the Jews. And so there's this man by the name of Matthias and he has five Sons.

Stop right there. That's Bible History that's not recorded in the Bible. Write a history. And when I consider history, I considered Genesis through me am I? You say well doesn't the Old Testament end with Malachi? Yes, it does. But actually the Jewish Bible ends with Nehemiah. It's Jenna sister Nehemiah. That's the history. And all those other books that are written there in Fall within some place between Genesis and Nehemiah.

So often times we read up into me Amaya and then we start reading what 1st 2nd Kings 1st and 2nd Samuel 1st and 2nd Chronicles. And we start reading the the prophet Isaiah and we have to figure out where does that belong in between Genesis and Nehemiah? That's what we have to do. That's the history of an afternoon Maya. There's four hundred years of prophetic silence no more Prophets. The rabbis said in the long ago. That that 400-year. Was the time that the Holy Spirit left Israel. Because it was the spirit that gave the words to the prophets and the prophets spoke of the same as the Lord. It's sort of like what Paul said in 1st Corinthians Chapter 14 verse 37. He just got done saying do all things decently and in order within the worship of Our Lord. And then he goes on to say the things I write to you. They are the Commandment of the Lord. You see Jesus was using the spirit to God Paul. Paul spoke, authoritatively. He wrote authoritatively and he made mention. God didn't leave him by his own, you know, that's why you kept people today. So well, you don't Jesus said one thing and Paul said another and I don't really care for popped because he was a he was a sexist and he was this and he was a vet know the Holy Spirit spoke through Paul because Jesus himself said I am going away. I will be leaving you talking to his apostles. He said therefore I will send you another comforter the Holy Spirit. He will guide you into all truth. I will not leave you on your own. I will not leave you as orphans.

But he will be another paraclete Ace another advocate. another go between another counselor is the idea. Install the Holy Spirit left Israel during the 400-year. Call the inter Testament intertestamental. So that's between will say Malachi in the Book of Matthew in the New Testament 400 years of Silence. Now within this. 166 BC. They are the Grecian Wars with the Jews and then this family of Matthias with his five Sons. He divides first. He kicks out the Grecian Army. And then he divided the kingdom after his death giving it over to his five Sons now, they're called The Maccabees. The hasmoneans is the family name, but they're referred to as the Maccabees now in some translations and some versions of the Bible. There is a book. I actually a couple books called 1st and 2nd Maccabees. And it's about those Wars. now someone in the family from a hasmoneans from The Maccabees one up into a jumia the non-jews. Any had a friendship with a family up there? a family from which a guy that you know, very well comes from his name was Herod. the Great and CARiD marries a Woman by the name of Mary him who comes from the lineage of The Maccabees or the hasmoneans? And so now there's this Jewish connection between Herod and the Jews. and Hilton Head Three Sons be had RK Elias and antifer

So here are the great was the guy the king who tried to kill Jesus and all the young children under the age of 2. Remember when the wise men painted looking for Jesus. Will he that's what he does hear the great. He died in 4, BC.

So that moves our calendar the birth of Jesus to somewhere in the neighborhood of four beasts, not 004 BC. So there's four years there between prior to the are common calendar. So that's when Jesus was born cuz he have the dates of those Kings Inn in who were in documented by those countries. So here it leaves the three boys in charge of the empire. And then there was anti-antifa. He's the one that put to death John the baptizer. And then RKO. Yes, he took over in Galilee for Herod just for a little while. And then there was a group of one Agrippa one was the one who killed James. You read that next chapter 12 and had Peter put in prison. And then Agrippa II was the one that Paul encountered. When Agrippa turn to Paul and said they'll almost make us or persuadest me to become a Christian. And Paul says not only you but everyone I come into contact with I want them to be a Christian notice. Come say I want you to become a Baptist Christian a Methodist Christian a Catholic Christian Church Christ Christian. Or whatever. He said up Christian. That's what we're here for. That's what we stand for because we want to be Christians and only Christians. No, hyphenated names. We want to be the people that we read about in the Bible. We want to do what those people did we want to practice what they practice. And become what they became no more. No less just do what they did. In fact. Jesus says you have me as an example to follow. The Apostle said you have us in our behaviors to follow as examples. So therefore we follow the pattern set out by the examples in the New Testament. Then we become the New Testament Church. There was only three religions at the time Judaism paganism and Christianity when Jesus said I will build my church. There is only one Church. That church you read about in the New Testament. What's happened? How come there's so many churches? Well, I would have gotten away from this. Just like the Pharisees got old gotten away from God's word and they started Living by their own traditions and they took those traditions and they said, you know, we like this better than God's word. Let me control people buy those traditions. Chris Paul talks about the futility of man-made traditions. so

You say all that to say this. The Sanhedrin just sent out the Pharisees who hate hearing. There's a lot of Jews who tried to kill Herod. There was a lot of Jews out there who tried to kill his sons and grandsons. Because they were on the side of room. But then you have the herodians and what's the name and the word herodian Herod?

They were followers of Herod who supported the Roman Empire. So these two groups go out to meet Jesus one opposed to Rome and one that supports room two vastly different groups. That did not get along. So the herodians part of the Hair Group, they were part of the Temple. Your officers in the temple the Sadducees the same way they know they did not believe in the resurrection, but the Pharisees did. And yet the Sadducees were part of the temple service. The Pharisees didn't belong to the temple except for some who are part of son Henry. part of that Supreme Court because the Pharisees were in charge and looked over all the synagogues. That's where their power leg. So now the herodians herodians coming to power and here's the question. Here's the question.

Benny said to him some of the Pharisees and herodians to catch him in his words and when they had come they sent him teacher. We know that you are true and care about no one for you. Do not regard the person of men but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? But what do you say? Do you know Jesus's response right render to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's But here you have two groups the Pharisees who despise wrong and actually hated giving taxes to Rome and Matthew who was a tax collector was also a person the Jews hated because he worked on the side of room collecting taxes from his brother. So the Pharisees hated roll, but now the herodians are there. They're like, hey, you need to give taxes and you better not say don't give taxes. So you can see them the horns of a dilemma right there. The Pharisees will say we got you if you say pay taxes. And the road is going to say we got you if you say you're not going to pay taxes. so Jesus imprecision form that says hey who's on the coin whose face is on the coin Caesar? Well, give to Caesar. What is Caesar's and to God? What is God and they looked at themselves and they said we weren't expecting that response.

So that's the context we go back to the verse. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind don't want you to think about that. It's just you now. This is interesting. Notice, he's talking to the crowd. That's what Moses was doing, right? But here it says you singular.

You Carol a lot of people here today you Carol you are to love the Lord your God. With all your heart with all your soul. That's the point each of you here must do that. That's your responsibility. She's not saying collectively you all got to do this, but you individually out of all of you here you got to do that. Interesting, but he says you shall I got payroll? Do what it's best. That's the idea of agape love. To do what's best for someone else. Why because they're made in the image of God, that's why Jesus would say love your enemies why he's made in the image of God and who knows your good deeds could turn the heart of that wretched individual. Agape love is not other kinds of love. It's not storge love which is family love. It's not fillet a lot which is brotherly love. So it's it's it's it's that love that does things for people without the emotion. It's The Logical aspect of doing what is right and proper for someone else simply because they're made in the image of God. That's why Jesus could say love your enemies. We think about that. We think 100. How can I love an enemy like my son or my daughter you can You got to know the meaning of those words love.

You can like. I like my enemies, but I love my family, right there's a difference. That's basically understanding year.

And that's the love that God has for us for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. He love his son.

But he loved the world. without that emotion So you shall love the Lord your God the Pharisees needed to hear that.

You shall love the Lord your God. He's the authority. Not your father's not your Traditions that you hold two, but God. And so that means whatever God put forth as the Commandments. That's what you go to. That's what you live your life on the Commandments of God.

What is needed to hear that too? Because all they were about was their lineage that has moldy in lineage. They were the upper class or Society. They were the those fancy people up in Boston if you will. the people with all the money How do you say you need to love the Lord your God. Before that I said the Lord Our God. The God is one.

Don't put anything tradition or your lineage. The head of God. God is great. And he says with all your heart with all your soul with all your money. Basically what he saying is you're in a man. You have got to love God with every aspect in particle and fiber of the inward person. Which is comprised of your heart and your mind and your soul. the heart cardia

everything off all your heart.

Think about that. Because this applies to me today. With all I ask the question is begin. Do you love God that way?

You wouldn't struggle. What coming to church every Lord's day if you love God with all your soul suitcase? We got the words psychology study of the Soul. Ironically, most of Psychology today is atheistic humanistic. They don't believe in a soul. So what are you studying?

The study of the soul to shoot K If part of the inward man, it's the animating force that keeps alive me as an individual it sustains by anyone be my in the work van. as yet is distinct and sometimes referred to as the inward man. Princess two or three thousand Souls added to the church on the day of Pentecost talking about individual be people who obeyed the gospel.

They repented it was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins that day. They were added to them 3000. Soles and then we read about in 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 20 and 21 talking about hell, there were eight Souls saved by water eight people. Then it talks about the soul being distinct from the spirit talking about the the power of the gods word write. The word of God is living and Powerful sharper than any two-edged sword piercing piercing what piercing the soul and the spirit dividing it. That's how powerful God's word is that's how powerful this word is. We got to relive it. We got to rely upon it. We got to know it. That's our responsibility. That's all part of loving God. You cannot love God and say I don't like his word all that much.

So we have that we would not struggle with coming to church. We would not struggle with taking the Lord's Supper every first day of the week. We would struggle with all the only thing so we could think of You know what to send to miss church.

So what shall I don't know about that.

Well Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 tells us the reason that we come together for encouraging one another for worship. Annie sez those who forsake the assembling of themselves as is the habit of some they do that to their shine. Why? Because they're missing out on the power of God the power that saved the power that changes. The power that makes you and me children of God. The power that encourages us to love one another. And so it is that every first day of the week I didn't come in. The elders didn't come in. No one else in history come in and it but Jesus himself commanded it. He said every first day of the week you come and you worship. If that's too hard for you. question your love for God question your love for God

so

Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul to soul. There is a passage in the book of Acts Acts chapter 4 verse 32 says when they were all assembled together, they were bound together in one heart and one song.

One heartbeat, that's the church. That's the church congregation Elite locally. Right, you got churches here yet church is over by an you got church over in Tulsa and whatever those are congregations of the Churches of Christ those our congregations local entities, but even Still The One Church Universal also has to be of one heart and one soul and the reason we're struggling is because someone's heart and soul is not in it. That's the problem.

But the Christians in the first century, they had it together. Maybe because it was so new. Maybe they saw the power of the Miracles. Maybe they saw that and yet we haven't here written for us. And it's the power of God's word. That's even powerful more powerful then the Miracles. So why are we the same with one heart and one soul? Just think about what we can do for the community and for the world. if we gave Game of our be used with all our heart and with all our soul. I know you don't want to hear that this morning. We're going through some tough times. but even still when you consider That we'd old lady that walked up into the Temple when she gave all that she could. She was poor we can give we can give we not might be able to give what we used to give but we can still give.

So it is with our worship. We have the songs up here on the screen and we look at the songs of the in the words on that that screen and it's talking about worshipping this Creator to go to love this so much and then he says sing with all your heart with all your soul and I look out in the audience and I find myself doing the same thing.

What am I doing before the creator of the world's Another Universe I'm yawning. I'm not giving all. Friends, that's just the bottom line.

So I'm guilty to but we need to know what it means to love God. It means everything. I know a lot of preachers don't like the priests just because they might not get a good following. Was not about following about following him. This is what Jesus said. That's what the demands of the Gospel are. Now if he thought it was impossible. He wouldn't have said it. So it's not impossible to love God with everything that you have. and so the clothes out with this will skip some of these slides but as we consider these four words associated with The Sol Revere we need to Revere God.

Do not fear Him. Who can destroy the body but not destroy the soul fear Him who can destroy both the body and the soul that Revere has an element of fear of all of respect for God that way with all our soul and here do what he says do what he says we go back to the to the Shimmer and Deuteronomy don't have time to do it. Go back and read Deuteronomy chapter 6 He talks about here's all the commands and then he says I expect you to follow all those commands. And here's why it will be good with you and your family and your soul and your spiritual life. Here's what's going to happen. You'll be abundantly Blessed John other. If you do this for me, you will get this and return if then proposition.

So at the end of the summer. At the end of verse 9, he starts changing the subject. You start saying. Okay. This is what you do. This is what you going to do to your family now, I want you to share it with others.

Share it with others.

Now that gets back to what Jesus would follow up with. Okay, here's how you are to love God or are you so all your heart soul mind strength and love your neighbor as yourself. What do you love your neighbor with all your heart soul mind and strength. How about this? Can you love yourself? With all your heart soul mind and strength. I think it's proper to know. If you don't love yourself You'll Never Loved Someone Else and you certainly won't love God but isn't love yourself to know that you want to save yourself. You're going to love God and you're going to love others. That's what this whole world's about and what we call Christianity loving God and loving others God comes first. And I know a lot of people have a hard time with that. We all understand it. We have family we have why do we have husband? But especially we have our children. They are the grandest gift in our lives and yet God comes along and says,

Do you love them? More than me.

I think whenever we love God with everything that we have and we do all the things that he desires rest do not perfectly.

Don't do them. Nonetheless.

That all things will follow all things will fit in their place. All blessings will flow and there will be an abundance of peace in your life. It all flows from that promise. Call the Shama. It all begins. Loving God loving others. Jesus said it this way. he goes If you deny that I am here you will die in your sins If you deny that I'm your savior you'll die in your sins But then Jesus comes along and says, it's okay. Here's what you got to do believe in me is your Messiah is your savior? And be baptized remission of your sins a very simple plan. You can have that piece today and know of your salvation and know that the love of God is in your heart and know that you continue to work loving God. I know it doesn't start out with you always on fire. You can't maintain that on fire living for God. That's just the way it is. Peter talks about times of stumbling. Oh you're going to stumble. But then he says well do those who stumble because you might not get back up and follow me. But here's a secret. He says if you desire to follow me deny yourself pick up your cross and follow me. Jesus says he that believes and is baptized shall be saved you believe that you can do that today, you know your salvation Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps that love of God is just waiting. Has just not been on fire. Jesus says repent all will be made new. You're subject to that imitation of Jesus Christ this morning when you come forward as Together We Stand and sing.

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