Love God, Love People
Mark 12:28-31
Intro
As the craziness continues to unfold - it is important that we don’t allow the world to define who we are or what we stand for
I talked about taking a stand last week - and that’s what we need to do - but I want to follow that up with ensuring we know the way to stand that honors God
Hatred is being spread almost as fast as the COVID-19 - and it is very contagious which is why we must make sure we remember who we are and whose we are
In our passage today, we see Jesus is asked a question about which commandment is the most important of all and Jesus gives the answer
We will read it but I sum it up in four words which is the title of my message LOVE GOD; LOVE PEOPLE
Read Mark 12:28-31 / Pray
Loving God and loving people must be our mantra and mission in life personally and corporately as the church
Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:40 “All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands”
Imagine that! The whole Law, The Prophets, 39 OT and 27 New Testament books; 1,189 chapters; 31,102 verses; 783,137 words; all can be summed into these two commands; these two verses; 38 words
You say How? Jesus was telling us that if we will love God and love people, we will fulfill and keep all the other stuff - and really without a whole lot of effort
All of scripture is an application of these ultimate commands
But that is much easier said than done - especially when someone does something against us; hates us; persecutes us; desires to get rid of us
TRANS: Jesus wouldn’t say this if it weren’t possible, so understand it is possible but not easy. Jesus says first…
1. WE LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR BEING
Jesus is quoting Deut 6:5 here when he says “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength”
LOVE = Greek = Agapao - perfect love; God’s love
In other words Jesus is saying here to love God COMPLETELY with all of who we are
HEART = Greek = KAR-DAY-UH (kardia) - which literally means “the center of all physical and spiritual life (our modern day cardio when we talk about the heart)
SOUL = Greek = SUE-KAY (psyche) - the seating of feelings, desires, affections (modern day psychiatry when talking about mental health)
MIND = Greek = DYE-UH-NOYA (dianoia) - way of thinking and feeling; faculty of understanding
STRENGTH = Greek = IS-HOSE (ischys) - ability, force, strength, might
Jesus is saying that we should love God with all the vigor and energy of our physical life which is our heart and strength
As well as the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, and endeavors
We can do this because we see that He first loved us and saved us
We relate to God and express our love to Him through our obedience
We don’t obey to obtain His favor - we should obey because of His favor!
The more time you spend with Him and His word - the deeper your love for Him will be
TRANS: And then out of that Love for God, the second commandment is like it as Jesus says…
2. WE MUST LOVE OTHERS
It is impossible to know God and not love others -
1 John 4:8 “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love”
1 John 4:10 “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins”
1 John 4:11 “Dear friends, if God loves us in this way, we ALSO must love one another”
1 John 4:19 “We love BECAUSE He first loved us” You cannot love others without first experiencing the the amazing love of God for yourself
Jeriamiah 31:3 “...I have loved your with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you”
How do we know that we are born of God? It is LOVE
1 John 4:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, because LOVE IS FROM GOD, and everyone who loves HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD and knows God”
Jesus says Love your neighbor as yourself
NEIGHBOR = Greek = PLAY-SEE-ON (plesion) - thy fellow man irrespective of nation or religion
That means all races; nationalities; religions (Islam; Pagans; Athiests; all colors and creeds) from every nation and we know many of those hate us as believers of Jesus
TRANS: Why if they hate us does Jesus demand that we love them? Because...
3. LOVE IS THE GREAT AUTHENTICATOR
Love authenticates God’s call upon our lives.
In other words, love is what demonstrates to the world our faith in Jesus Christ, and that our faith is real.
Jesus said, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this (LOVE) everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 CSB)
He is saying Love is the the great authenticator that you are a true follower and believer
In today’s marketplace there are a lot of knockoffs, that is, cut rate manufacturers who make a living on replicating and duplicating original products lines
Even duplicating their logo in an attempt to make them look just like the original.
You see this especially in clothing lines and ladies purses.
You have ladies who carry on their arm Gucci knockoffs.
They look like Gucci purses, but there are differences in the design that allows them to continue this deception.
There are several shops that sell you these so you can have the look without paying the price.
The same is true when it comes to faith in Jesus.
There are many who look like Christians, but without paying the price.
They belong to this or that religion, this or that denomination, but have not love.
NO GREATER HATERS in New Orleans (Expound)
In other words they haven’t accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord, and they don’t have that love for God by loving one another.
They look good on the outside, but are still filled with dead men’s bones and all sorts of corruption on the inside as Jesus points out in Matthew 23:27.
What separates the knockoffs from the real thing?
When God looks for the true mark of a Christian, and when the world looks for the mark of a true Christian, that mark is love.
Paul goes on to say in the great love chapter 1 Cor 13:13 “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love--but the GREATEST of these IS LOVE”
If we love God - it should be a natural instinct to love people
CONCLUSION
I wanted to share this as reminder to myself and to us all that during these hard days ahead we must not forget who we are and whose we are
We have been bought with a price - He saved us by the shedding of His blood
He says he loved us and out of that love we are to love others
You want others to see that you are a true believer - the great authenticator is LOVE
It is the mark upon the Christian that people cannot and will not get confused about who you are and whose you are
Jesus says these two commandments summarize all God’s laws
Let them rule your thoughts, decisions and actions
When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others
Let us never forget and let it be our mantra LOVE GOD; LOVE PEOPLE
Pray
