Glenn Robinson
May 5, 2002
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
MATTHEW 22:34-40
I) The Old Testament Law of God
A) What is the relevance of God’s Law to family in the New Testament
B) What are the benefits of following God’s Law?
II) The most important commandment - Loving God
A) The importance of loving God
B) The basis of our love for God
C) How to love God...
1) With all your heart
2) With all your soul
3) With all your mind
D) The result of loving God
III) The second most important commandment - Love your neighbor
A) 10 commandments that strengthen families
Family is very important to us at Bethany.
Today we will look at the N.T. Counterpart to the 10 commandments and God’s Law.
Family is the building block of society.
Whether you are married or not you probably have family - this applies.
Let’s begin with...
The Old Testament Law of God
A) What is the relevance of God’s Law to family in the N.T.
Moses law given on Mt. Sinai Ex 19 – The Torah, the Pentateuch.
Why teach on the law, isn’t it obsolete?
Then what is the significance of the 10 commandments ? Are they most important ?
Are the 10 commandments still in effect?
Yes, all of the moral law of God is in effect. The ceremonial is not.
9 are repeated in the N.T.
Jesus repeats and intensifies the Law (Matt 5:21-44)
B) What are the benefits of following God’s Law?
Psa 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Much trouble is self inflicted.
Does following the Law of God have an affect on the family ?
The Myth of Separation by David Barton.
"Following judicial rejection of natural law (i.e. Divine law) and the embracing of relativism, the United States has become number one in the world in violent crime, divorce and illegal drug use; number one in the western world in teenage pregnancies; and number one in the industrial world in illiteracy. Relativism has not produced national betterment or prosperity, but rather their opposites! The rejection of Divine law indeed had national repercussions."
Main point - The moral law of God applies to families today.
II) The most important commandment - Loving God
A) The importance of loving God
There are 613 commandments in Moses’ law.
The Pharisees debated which one was the most important ?
The O.T. nowhere states which law was the greatest.
Why did they ask this question ? Were they interested in the Law ?
Jesus answers with The Shema :
Deut 6:4,5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Why did Jesus choose this one? It fulfills all commandments.
Fulfill this one and the commandments concerning the family will be taken care of.
B) The basis of our love for God
Its easy for me to tell you to love God, but how do you do it?
Its based on relationship.
What is the difference between a legalist and a true believer?
A legalist is motivated to service out of OBLIGATION, a believer out of a LOVE RELATIONSHIP.
A legalist says – you earn -> you get.
you want -> you work.
One who loves God says – I work, sacrifice, obey because I want to.
The difference is :
One who loves God obeys because he want to, a legalist obeys INSTEAD of loving.
One who loves God says what is the maximum I can do for my love?,
a legalist says "What’s the least I have to do to make it?
How much bad can I get away with and still get to heaven?"
God doesn’t want us to build strong families merely out of obligation.
He wants our commitment to family out of a love response to Him.
C) How to love God... Vs. 37
1) With all your heart How do I love Him w/ all my heart....
i)By giving Him pure devotion - an undivided heart.
Andrew Murray Waiting on God P.43 "As a man’s heart is, so is he before God".
ii)Giving Him first place in everything
A.W. Tozer Man: the dwelling place of God P. 58. "The teaching of the Bible is that God is Himself the end for which man was created... The first and greatest commandment is to love God with every power of our entire being. Where love like that exists there can be no place for a second object. If we love God as much as we should surely we cannot dream of a loved object beyond Him which He might help us obtain".
2) With all your soul - How do you love God w/ all your soul ?
Many ways :
Surrendering your emotions, wants, and desires to Him
To make His wants mine.
To make His desires mine.
To have an experiential love for Him through PRAYER and WORSHIP.
Prayer being the place where I can pour out my heart to Him.
Worship being where I can express my love for Him.
3)With all your mind - How do you love God w/ all your mind ?
Many ways :
By renewing your minds :
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Having your thoughts align w/ His.
Not being influenced by the world but being an influence.
D) The result of loving God
Having a passion for His desires...
St. Augustine - 5th century theologian.
"LOVE GOD AND DO AS YOU PLEASE".
Was this easy believeism? - NO.
If you love God you will do what pleases Him.
The result of loving God is having a PASSION for what He wants.
He wants strong families.
III)Love your neighbor
Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Why is this the 2nd greatest commandment?
Our love for God is reflected in our love for others.
Our love for others begins with our love for our family
You might say "You don’t know my spouse, children, etc..."
It doesn’t matter. These guidelines will help strengthen the family.
A) 10 commandments that strengthen families
1) Compromise with your demands.
Phil 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
2) Communicate clearly.
#1 reason for breakdown in relationship is poor or no communication.
3) Express anger correctly.
Prov 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
4) Cope with conflict.
Put yourself in the other’s position.
5) Listen effectively.
Listen for feelings. Are they feeling anger, frustration, fear....
6) Trust and be trustworthy.
The virtuous woman is trustworthy
Prov 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her....
7) Respect one another.
If you want to be treated like a king, treat her like a queen.
8) Share your lives together.
Share time, activities, interests, ideas, concerns, thoughts, goals, etc....
9) Build up the other.
Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may EDIFY another.
10) Be patient toward others.
CONC :
I believe God is calling us to a deeper relationship with Him
that will be seen in our relationship to our families.
I want to love God and my family more.
Let’s take a time of prayer before communion to express our desire to love God more.
