To Love God Series

Responsibility Of The Church

To Love God

Lesson #1

Text: Matt 22:36-38

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

I. Love the Lord thy God

Here is our first and most important task as a child of God

- Our most important task as a church

- Our most important responsibility as a church

- love the Lord thy God

What is it to love someone?

What does it mean to love the Lord?

What does this require from us?

Notice Jesus said to Love the Lord with

- All your heart

- All your mind

- All your soul

This speaks of a complete selling out to God

This means that our first responsibility as a Church is to completely surrender to God

- This means that we need to be of one mind

- Of one accord

- That we need to agree together

- That we need to be heading in the same direction

And that direction is one of complete surrender

How can you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul and not be completely sold out to Him and the vision He has placed before us

- The answer is simple “you can’t”

- There must be a complete surrender

The problem is we think we can serve God and serve our own interest at the same time

“There can only be one first in your life”

And if you choose to place God first in your life He will not share that position with anyone or anything else

- God must be first

He must be first in your marriage

For your marriage to work God must be first

- Your wife’s feelings can’t come before the will and purpose of God

- Your husband can’t come before you and God

Ex. I have seen men and women who place their spouse’s feelings above God

- It may solve things temporarily

- But it always cost them in the long run

- In most cases I have seen where a man or woman places their husband or wife above the will and calling of God in their lives it ends in divorce

He must come before your Job

- You can’t expect to be blessed in the long run if you place your job above faithfulness in the house of God

- It always leads to ruin

- You may prosper for a time

- The time always comes when you have to pay for your decision and choices

We have a responsibility to place God first in our lives and our church

- As a church we can not be diverted by every wind and doctrine that blows through

- We must remain focused on the task that God has set before us

- We must remain focused on the vision He has set before us

It all comes down to being completely sold out to God

Are you sold out?

Or are you just playing church?

Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation…

This word dissimulation means false, fake, or counterfeit

- Are you truly committed to the things of God

- Are you truly committed to the vision God has given this church and fellowship

Do you truly love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul?

- Or is your love fake

- Is it a counterfeit

- Are you a hypocrite

We are commanded by Jesus as our primary responsibility to love the Lord

What does it mean to love?

II. True love means commitment and loyalty

Are you committed to the things of God?

Many people are committed just as long as it doesn’t cost them anything

I will be faithful pastor

- Until family shows up before church

- Until the newness of ministry wears off and then it becomes like work

- Latter for this

- I didn’t know it was going to be like this

- I didn’t know putting your hand to the plow meant work

Pastor I thought ministry would be fun

Don’t misunderstand me

- Ministry can be fun

- Pastoring this church is the joy of my life but it doesn’t mean that it is not alot of work at times

- Serving God can be fun

- But will you still serve Him when it is not fun

- When you are having to face the strategies of hell

- When things are not going as you thought they should

- Ministry can be fun

- But will you be faithful when it is not fun

- Amazed me how many people wanted to be in the Christmas play until they found out it was going to involve some work and commitment on their part