Sermon Central
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Love God With All Your Heart Series
Contributed by John Dobbs on Oct 3, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: One person asked Jesus a question that I think is one of the most important questions one can ask. He was a teacher of the law. His question was one that should concern all of us: What is the greatest commandment?
LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
Introduction
If you could sit down with Jesus and a cup of coffee, what would you most like to ask him?
-Why is there suffering in the world?
-What happens after death?
-Why do bad things happen to good people?
-What is the meaning or purpose of life?
-Is there life elsewhere in the universe?
-How can I truly forgive others? (These might make a good sermon series!)
One person asked Jesus a question that I think is one of the most important questions one can ask. He was a teacher of the law. His question was one that should concern all of us: What is the greatest commandment? Important because…
-It reveals the foundation and purpose of Christian’s life.
-Provides clarity about what matters most in faith.
-The answer is a key to personal holiness, healthy relationships, and a purposeful life.
3. Jesus responded to this question by quoting a verse with which the lawyer was very familiar. It is not unusual for Jesus to quote what we call the Old Testament - it is the only Bible he knew. It was the resource from which the lawyer expected an answer.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
This event is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In each of those cases, there is a different setting - perhaps Jesus spoke this teaching many times in his ministry. We are going to focus on Mark’s account.
Mark 12:28-34 (NLT)
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” 32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” 34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Jesus calls us to love God with everything we are. This is called the Shema - which simply means “Hear”. Scot McKnight says that Jesus essentially turned the Jewish Creed - the Shema - into the Jesus Creed.
What does it mean to Love God with all our heart? What are the qualities of heart that we need to be able to love Him with all of our being?
1. A Humble Heart: Where Love Begins
Loving God starts not with what we do for Him, but with what we admit before Him.
Isaiah 66:2 (NLT): “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.”
Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”
The expression of repentance of King David in Psalm 51 is unparalleled. Humility and contrition are expressed:
-The search for MERCY (1-2)
-The CONFESSION of sin (3-4)
-The desire to be WASHED (5-9)
-The joy of RESTORATION (10-12)
-The renewal of PURPOSE (13-16)
-What God is looking for in us (17)
Loving God doesn’t start with what we do for Him, but with what we admit before Him. Isaiah 66:2 (NLT) “I will
bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.”
2. An Obedient Heart: Surrendered Will
The heart is the command center of our being, our will. God made humans distinct from the rest of living beings in that we can exercise our will (animals are essentially preprogrammed and operate out of instinct). We are free beings who can choose between alternatives.
The Constant Battle: His Will vs. Ours. No one makes a decision to follow Jesus without wrestling. Coming to Christ always involves wrestling of wills — ours vs. God’s. Even once when we are in Christ there is a constant need to align our will with his desire. To love God with all of our heart is to seek to obey all of his commands and live under his authority. David (Acts 13:22): “a man after my own heart” — not because he was perfect, but because he returned to obedience after failure.
