Love: A Matter Of Priority

Jn 15:13

In his book They Call Me Coach, John Wooden says, “It has always been my philosophy to follow our game plan. If we believe in it, we will wear the opposition down and we’ll get to them. If we break away from our style, and the commandments are our style, however, and play their style, whatever is going on in the world, we’re in trouble. And if we let our emotions command the game rather than our reason, we will not function effectively. I constantly caution our teams, play your game. Just play your game. Eventually, if you play, if you stick to your style, it will tell in the end. This does not mean that we will always outscore our opponents. But it does ensure that we will not beat ourselves.”

Pastor David A. Renwick sees the Ten Commandments as a game plan — principles for life. They “don’t ensure that we always act the same way or do the same thing every time, but they provide the principles, the parameters, within which we live our lives and play this game in many different ways: the parameters within which we make sure we don’t in the process ‘beat ourselves.”

—David A. Renwick, “The first commandment: The priority of God,” January 11, 2004, Second Presbyterian Web Site, 2preslex.org.

- God’s priority is love

- This is the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth

- Love is foundational to every command given us: Mk 12:31

- The world knows about the love of Christ through us

1 Cor 14:1 - Follow after love . . . KJV

“Let love be your greatest aim” TLB

Less than half of American Christians view worship as ’top priority’ in their lives. . (Foster letter 10/15/98)

Three Things We Need To Know

1. Life is Worthless Without Love

- Developing relationships seems to be no longer a priority

- We talk about finding time for our children

- Making time for our wife/husband

- Relationships IS what life is all about.

- Busyness is a great enemy of our relationship with Christ

- Being preoccupied with life (stuff) stifles life

- Purpose of life is love

- Life minus love equals zero

- Jn 15:5 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing

2. Love Is Forever

1 Cor. 13:13 - And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

The three things to do

Continually trust in God

Have unwavering Hope

Give extravagant Love

Our priority of all of these is love

- Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.”

3. Love Will Be Evaluated

Lk 10:25-37 - Good Samaritan

- At death the only thing that is eternal is my soul

- The Measure of my soul is my character

- Boiled all down to how I loved the Lord & others

Christ said follow me

We can’t go wrong here