Loving God; Loving God's People

Loving God; Loving God’s people

Matthew 22:37-40

Matthew 22:37-40

Loving God, Loving God’s people- that is a command from the Lord. It is not a suggestion. It is a commandment. He says that is the first commandment- love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and body. The second is like that- love your neighbor as yourself. Love God love people. So, if you are here this morning and you feel like you don’t know what God wants you to do with your life. You know two things. Love God. Love people. In that order. We get this right, all the other things fall into place. Get this wrong, most things will go wrong for you.

Let’s start with loving God. James 4:8- “Come near to God and He will come near to you”

Illustration-

4 year old Martha, hugging a doll in each of her little arms, looks up at her mother. “Mama, I love them and love them, but they never love me back”

Question- could this be a bit of our problem? God loves us and loves us, but we never love Him back. Perhaps we don’t have time for Him. Maybe we just never love Him back the way he deserves. To love God the way we should, we have to acknowledge Him for who He is- God, Creator of the Universe, maker of our souls, redeemer of our souls.

Psalm 19;14

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes into all the earth, their words to the ends of the earth.”

• We worship God because of who He is.

• His handiwork and His creation is everywhere.

• There is none like Him- He is the beginning and the end.

Most don’t love God- They tolerate God. God will not be tolerated. This world thinks they can just ignore God.

I am not a prophet, but these things I know about God, and the world better get on board.

1. God’s Word- The Bible- still has all the answers that man needs.

2. Prayer is still the most important and powerful communication with God in this world.

3. Holy Spirit will still move in the world.

4. People will praise the Lord

5. God will continue to pour out His blessings upon His people.

6. As long as you have breathe still in your body, there is still room at the Cross for you.

7. Jesus loves you He will do anything He can so that you can be saved.

Society teaches by example that we don’t need God. He doesn’t much care for us. That He doesn’t care what you do. They say to build bigger fences to keep people out and keep God at a distance. The life that God calls us to is craziness to them. The world has not understood how much God loves us. People give excuses- “I believe in God, just not organized religion. That is a cop out It is a way to not be committed. It is a way to rob God by not bringing what is His into the storehouse of God. It is a way that they can turn the channel of the t.v. if they do not like what the preacher is saying. That was not the New Testament church. They loved God with their whole heart, mind, soul, and body. They loved people the same way. If the church got it right. They would have to say, I cannot deny what they do, and how they act. They would have to admit that they just don’t believe in their God.

Looking at what God has made.

•Average Elm tree has 6 million leaves on it. I know because I think I raked them last year.

• your body can pump blood if squirted 30 feet.

• 300 different trees in a one mile square are in the Amazon Jungle.

That is amazing Ever been to an I-max and they do a panoramic view of the oceans. Plural, because He has made several. I have a hard time ignoring God. Gal 6:7- “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked.” The world will one day reap what it sows. There is a lot of spiritual amnesia. If God does something good for you- you acknowledge Him (Sometimes). If He does something good for you for a while, we take advantage of Him. If we go through a hard and tough time- we call out to Him. If He does not answer the way we believe is right or not quick enough, by our actions, we tell Him, we don’t need Him.