OUR WHOLE HEART PT 3
(OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELF)
MATT 22 VS 34-40
Matthew 22:34-40 (NKJV)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
** I ASKED FATHER TO SHOW ME HOW COULD I POSSIBLY LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT HE SHOWED ME THAT HAS REALLY MADE ME THINK TWICE ABOUT MY NEIGHBOR(S).
1. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US ARE CREATED IN GOD’S LIKENESS AND IMAGE:
Genesis 1:26-27 (NKJV)
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
** YOU MAY LOOK DIFFERENT, ACT DIFFERENT- BUT NONE OF THAT CHANGES THE FACT THAT FATHER PUT JUST AS MUCH THOUGHT INTO CREATING YOU AS HE DID ME—YOU ARE A SPECIAL CREATION OF OUR FATHER.
Psalm 127:3 (NKJV)
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Psalm 139:13 (NKJV)
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.
Isaiah 44:24 (NKJV)
24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV)
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
2. FATHER CARES(LOVES) US ALL THE SAME, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO(WRONG) THAT CAN MAKE HIM LOVE YOU ANY LESS, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO(RIGHT) TO MAKE HIM LOVE YOU ANY MORE- GOD LOVES YOU, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE, BUT BECAUSE THAT IS WHO HE IS:
John 3:16 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
** JESUS WASN’T JUST LOOKING AT THE CROWD AT THAT TIME, BUT HIS GAZE TRANSCENDS ALL SPACE AND TIME, HE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE WHEN HE MADE SUCH A GREAT STATEMENT—HE NOT ONLY SAID THIS ABOUT ME, BUT ABOUT MY NEIGHBOR ALSO.
1 John 4:8 (NKJV)
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
3. HIS HAS CALLED EVERYONE TO BE A PART OF HIS FAMILY, NO EXCEPTIONS:
Romans 12:3 (NKJV)
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Ephesians 4:4-7 (NKJV)
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
**LET’S NOW LOOK TO JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF HOW HE DEMONSTRATED “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF- EVEN IN THE LIGHT OF BETRAYAL.
What would you do if you went to an activity or party, and there in the room was someone whom you knew that hated you, was trying to destroy your reputation, or even wanted you dead? What would you do? Would you confront the person, run and hide, pretend they were not there, or would you leave? In this portion of Scripture, we find the Lord Jesus Christ in this very situation. His response teaches volumes on how to deal with people
Mattoon's Treasures - Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from John, Volume 2.
John 13:1-17 (NKJV)
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.
5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"
7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."
8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"
10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
**NOW I DON’T THINK THAT THERE IS ANYONE WHO HATES ANYONE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GUILTY OF NOT LOVING EVERYONE AS WE DO OURSELVES**
**JESUS RAISED THE BAR ON THIS ALSO, LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID ABOUT US LOVING ONE ANOTHER:
John 13:34 (MSG)
34 "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another.
John 15:12 (MSG)
12 This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you.
**PLEASE TAKE TIME NOW TO PRAY AND ASK HOLY SPIRIT TO REVEAL TO YOU IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT YOU HAVE NOT LOVED AS YOURSELF,OR AS JESUS LOVED US. WHEN HE REVEALS THIS TO YOU I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONFESS AND REPENT SO YOU MAY BE HEALED!
James 5:16 (NKJV)
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
