For Those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four Scripture readings Prior to the Message. Today's readings are Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46.
It has been said .....that love...... may not make the world go around, .....but it sure makes the trip .....worthwhile.
A French Novelist and Poet, (Arsene Houssaye) wrote, ....."Tell me whom you love .....and I will tell you..... who you are
.
Jesus opened our eyes to the true nature of love..... in our Gospel Reading today: BIBLE "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." END
Even The first Book of the Scriptures.... Genesis speaks of Love ..... that God, ....in His love, .....created mankind.
(Slow) Life..... does not precede love ..... love precedes life! REPEAT
In His Love .... God Created Mankind.
In our text.... Jesus .....speaks of three directions of love:....love toward God.......love toward others....
....and love toward self.
Beloved Our love for God ....Must take priority..... over everything ....in life.
The amount of time you spend with God......being in his presence..... speaking with him in prayer ....is a reflection ..... (Slow) of how much .....you love him.
The amount of time you spend reading his Holy Word ..... is a reflection.... of how much .....you love Him.
Our lives should yearn.... To be in the presence of our heavenly father. (Long Pause)
A little boy ...entered the family room ....after dinner.
His dad .... weary .....from a hard day at work......had the recliner kicked back ......and was reading the paper.
The little boy ....inched up beside his Dad ...and said, ....."Daddy,.... I love you."
"I love you too, son," .....the father replied, ......... ..... Then He continued reading the paper.
But this didn't satisfy the boy, .....so he went around .... To the other side of the chair .....and began rubbing his daddy's arm...... "Daddy, .....I love you,".
And with the slightest amount of impatience in his voice, .....the father again said, ....."I love you, too son."
But still ....the little one .....was not satisfied.
Suddenly ....the little boy came crashing through the newspaper ....onto his father's chest, ......reaching his little arms as far around his dad.... as he could, .....and said, ....."Daddy, I love you ......and I've just got to do something ....about it." (Pause)
Sometimes..... we too need to be reminded ....how important ......that all giving love is ...... not only to those who receive it..... but to those who give it.
Beloved.....You're not living ..... if you're not loving.
Isn't it time to love our heavenly father enough... .....that we just have to do something .....about it.
It is time beloved... It is time to start loving.
The love of God .....is what ...gave us life.... in creation.
The love of God .....is what sought us out .....and offers us salvation ....through faith ...in Christ Jesus.
Jesus taught ....that if love is to be fully manifested .....we must love God first, .....Others second, ....and self Last.
Yet, ....Far too many of us .....have got it completely backwards!
Beloved ...... The Scriptures Speak with authority .....The Scriptures speak with Truth.
If we love God,..... then and only then .....will our love .....grow.
And this Love of God .....supernaturally produces a love for others ..... and also for ourselves.
(Slow) In fact, ....if we love God most, ..... we will love others best. REPEAT
The theologian .....C.S. Lewis put it this way, ......."When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, .... I shall love my earthly dearest .....better .....than I do now."
Our love for God..... inescapably motivates us ....to love others ...... to love our neighbors.
But, it can be hard .....to love everyone.... at times. (Pause)
An elderly couple .....had a neighbor across the street .....who would not.....for some reason.....give them ......the time of day.
But ....That did not stop them ......from cheerfully saying:"Hi!" .....every time the neighbor.... was in his yard.
One day a little boy asked the couple,...... "Why do you all bother to say "hi".... to that guy?
He never even looks your way. .....He never says "hi" back!"
The elderly couple answered...very matter of fact...no explanations .... no complaints:..... "Because we are Christians." (Pause)
We are called to love our neighbor ...... Even if they do not reciprocate.... in kind.
I am sure .....many of you have heard these words before.
They are burned into my very soul ....and make loving my neighbor ..... so much easier.
Make a Friend -- Be A Friend -- Bring A Friend To Christ.
Loving your neighbor .....is at the heart ....of making a Friend.
Beloved.....You're not living ..... if you're not loving.
(Slow & Loud) We are loved ..... We are Loved.
We are loved and cherished .......by the God ......who created the heavens .....and the earth.
Jesus overcame .....hate, evil and death .....through His sacrificial act .....of Ultimate love ....on the cross!!!
Just think .....how full this life would be...... if all of us .....practiced love!
Sandra Palmer Carr, ......in the devotional booklet ......"The Upper Room," .....told about rocking her younger son, Boyd, ........who was then four years old.
They were in a high-backed rocking chair, ......and Boyd was looking up at his mom ....as they rocked.
Suddenly, .....he lifted his little head, .....stared straight at his mother, ....and became very still.
Then he cupped her face in his tender little hands .....and said almost in a whisper, ....."Mommy, .....I'm in your eyes."
He had seen his own reflection .....in his mother's eyes, .....and it was a startling discovery.
Sandra stopped rocking ......and held Boyd in that same position ....for several long moments, .....then said quietly, ....."And I am in your eyes ....too!"
Then he leaned his head against her contentedly .....and she resumed rocking.
Occasionally, .....in the days that followed, ....Boyd would check to see if his discovery ....was still true.
"Am I still in your eyes, Mommy?" he would ask ....as he reached up to take her face... in his hands.
Sandra thought about the love of God for her and said, ........."In life's uncertain moments, ....it is comforting to know .....I am still in my heavenly Father's eyes."
Beloved .....Opening your lives to others .....means ...that we also.... have them..... in our eyes.
In his first letter, John wrote, ..."We love.... because God first loved us." REPEAT
Maybe we could say, ...."Because God first had us in His eyes, we are able to have others.... in our eyes."
There are two extremely powerful.... Yet simple principles ......that can transform any relationship .....almost overnight...
(1 Finger) Here is the first: .....When it comes to love, say it.
We need to say it........we need to hear ourselves say it.
Others need to..... hear us say it.
And we need to..... hear it from others. (Pause)
Four-year-old Martha, ......hugging a doll in each of her pudgy little arms, ......looked wistfully up at her mother and said, ....."Mamma, I love them .....and love them .....and love them, ......but they ....never love me back."
Could this be our problem?
God loves us ....and loves us....and loves us.... but we never .....love Him back?
Or perhaps we never love Him back .....the way He deserves .....to be loved!
(1 Finger) When it comes to love, say it. (2 Fingers) And The second principle is this:...... When it comes to love, .....show it!
Love must not only be ....articulated ...but it needs to be....demonstrated.
In the great "love chapter" .....in, 1 Corinthians 13, ....the apostle Paul constantly says, "Love is....
...love does.... ...Love is not... ...Love does not."
Love is proactive......it is tangible......it is practical...... it is personal.
A simple touch ....can convey ....an incredible sense of love, ....of affirmation, .....of acceptance. (Pause)
A study ....conducted at UCLA several years ago found ......that to maintain physical and emotional health, ....men and women .....need 8 to 10 meaningful touches .....each day.
These researchers .....defined a meaningful touch..........as a gentle tap, ...a stroke, ...a kiss,.... or a hug, .....given by someone who was.... "significant in their life" .....like a husband, wife, parent, or friend. (Pause)
An old television commercial asked parents: ...... "Have you hugged .....your kids today?"
Good coaches .....high-five their players.
Good husbands hug their wives..
Good managers and executives give employees encouraging pats on the back...
And good Christians ....hug each other, .....smile at each other, .... laugh with each other.
You're not living ..... if you're not loving.
Beloved.....Love sets off ...... (Slow) a divine chain reaction.
Love is the spark ........that kindles the fire........ of compassion.
Compassion is the fire .......that lights the candle ......of service.
Service is the candle ....that ignites ......the torch of hope....
Hope is the torch ......that lights the beacon..... of faith...
Faith is the beacon .....that reflects .....the power of God.
And Beloved ......God is the One ....Who creates...... the miracle .....Of love! (Pause)
Jesus said .....that we should love our neighbors .....as ourselves.
On the surface,..... some might see this .....as a mandate ....for self-love.
But when we consider His words in context.....we see .....that the principle Jesus gave us .....is both radically new ......and wonderfully refreshing!
Essentially, .....Jesus has declared..... that when we love God ..... the way ....we ought to love God......
We will love others the way .....we ought to love others.
And when we love God and others as the Scriptures command us......we will find a peace and a love for self .....that passes ....all understanding.
Beloved ..the Gospel text begins .... You Shall love.....It requires you to do something... You shall Love. (Pause)
Evangenine (E-van-ge-line) Booth,.... the daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, ....sat in a squalid slum one morning, ....cleaning the sores ....of a drunk woman.
"I wouldn't do that for a million dollars," ....said a friend. ......"Neither would I," ....replied Ms. Booth. (Pause)
As Christians, .....we need to yield to the Holy Spirit ...and allow God ...to enable us ......to become better .....at loving.
Allowing God's love to flow through us to others ..... involves change..... it involves risk.
But it will bring a tidal wave of joy ......that washes and cleanses your very soul ....... even in the most difficult moments..... of life.
The winners circle ......is drawn .....with the ink ....of God's love.
Are you in relationship .....with the one true God?
Do you know Jesus.... Are you maturing..... in your faith?
Is your Passion for him ....bursting from your very soul?
BIBLE "You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength - and - you shall love your neighbor as yourself" END
You shall love. ...... And Beloved ..... (Slow) How can we not love?
How can we .....who have encountered the risen Christ..... do anything else ..... but love!
Only those who have encountered the Christ... will persevere to finish the race...( Slow) and to finish well.
Beloved.....Passionately .... Love the Lord your God with all your heart...
Passionately..... Love your neighbor as yourself. (Long Pause)
God knows your heart ....God knows ...... you desire that passion.
May each of us ..... be on fire with a passion.
A Passion to love the Lord your God ....with all your heart,.... with all your soul, .....with all your mind ...... and to love your neighbor as yourself.
(Slow Down) O' Beloved.....You shall Love. For You're not living ..... if you're not loving.
Amen! & Amen!
Much of this message was based off a Sermon by Kenneth Sauer titled "If You're Not Loving, You're Not Living" and I commend it to you.
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal donation: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Homily was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor - Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings Jeff
