Do You Really Love God?
Deut. 6: 4,5
Let’s set the scene here. The people of Israel have just been liberated form Egypt. They’re between Egypt and Canaan, the Promised land. The Ten Commandments have already been given to Moses by God. The scene at Kadesh- Barnea has already passed where, because of their lack of faith, their unbelief, their flat out rebellion, the grawn up generation would not see Canaan except for Joshua and Caleb. Instead they will wonder around in the wilderness for forty years until all of the grown ups have died off.
So they’ve been freed from the chains of slavery and bondage and they’re on their journey to the promised land. And here in this particular chapter God has laid down the commandment to hear and obey to inherit God’s blessing on the foundation of the commandments that He’s already given them.
Now let’s bring this in to a modern day application. If you’re a child of God, meaning you’ve been born again, you’ve been washed in the blood of Jesus, you’re on your way to Heaven, then you’ve just been freed from Egypt. Your Egypt was sin and Satan. You’ve been freed from Satan’s grasp. He no longer owns you. You’ve been freed from the the chains, the slavery and bondage of sin and Satan.
But now you’re saved and you’ve been freed from Egypt this land of bondage and slavery and now you’re on your way to Canaan, or in other words to Heaven, your promised land, the land that flows with milk and honey.
But you’re not there yet. You’re still somewhere on your journey to the promised land. this journey is on a road that consist of mountains and valleys, highs and lows, bridges and bumps, trials and temptations, lessons and learnings with one mission. To lift up, adore and glorify Jesus Christ, The Lord of Lords and the King of Kinds. With one purpose. To draw all men unto Him. Jesus said, "And if I be lifted up above the earth, will draw all men unto me." Now we know of course that He was referring here to His death by crucifixion on the cross. But the principle is the same. If we’re living for Him, serving Him, lifting Him up in our lives, then the Holy Spirit can work through us to draw men to Him.
And here today where ever you and I are on our journey to the promised land, God lays before us this same commandment to hear and obey to inherit God’s blessings. On the same foundation of commandments . This foundation has a cornerstone, a sustainer and container. That cornerstone is God Himself. Because, you see without him there is no foundation.
For this simple reason is why His first and foremost command to us is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The Bible plainly teaches that a man cannot serve two masters at the same time. Either you serve Satan or you serve God. When we sin, whether it’s a life of sin or just one moment in time we’re serving Satan. When we’re doing what God wants us to do, serving Him and worshipping Him in and through our lives we’re serving God.
Now here in our text, in His usual manner, straight forward and up front, you can almost picture the profound, bold voice He uses here. "Hear me Israel. Pay attention. You shall love me with everything you’ve got. With all your heart, with all your mind and all your soul.
Do you really love God? Here He’s requiring the whole self-surrender of your whole being to God.
Everything about you.
Everything about your life,
Everything about your home.
Everything about your job.
Everything about your mind.
Everything is required right here and right now to be surrendered from you to God. Do you really love God?
I’m sure that if someone were to walk up to us on the street, on the job, in the grocery store, in the mall or somewhere out in public and asked us if we love God, I’m sure a lot of us, maybe even most of us would say, "Yes I sure do. I sure do love God." And that’s good and wonderful. We’re supposed to tell the world that we love the Lord our God. But you see, that’s only part of the plan.
What if that person that asked us that question were to walk on down the road just enough to get out of sight, lost in the crowd then turns around and follows us and watches us without us knowing it? In other words, do our actions speak as loud as our words?
What’s that person gonna see when he sees us get offended in some way or don’t get our way about something? Will he see us fussing and cussing, ranting and raving, acting ugly making a nasty scene? Or will he see us lovingly, in a Christ - like way diligently trying to make the situation right?
What’s he gonna see when he watches us go on about our daily lives? Will he see us out on the job with a bad attitude and doing a sloppy job? Or will he see us anxious to please the Lord in every way possible, even to the point of doing our jobs with all we’ve got and with pride? Will he see us practicing Godly ways?
What about when we go home? Will he see us honoring our fathers and our mothers? Loving our brothers and sisters? Teaching and practicing Godly lives with our families? Or will he see more fussing and fighting, drinking and smoking, watching filthy trash on t.v. with not one concern about the world around us that’s lost and on a rollercoaster ride to Hell?
What about if he could see inside our hearts and minds? Would he see us thinking mean, evil, cruel, nasty, hateful thoughts? Or would he see us thinking on the things that God has taught us in His word?
What about the desires of our hearts? Do we desire the things of this world and plan out evil, dirty, underhanded, cheating ways to get them? Or do we desire the world that’s on the other side of Jordan, the Kingdom of God, Heaven? And are we diligently and earnestly listening to God to hear what He has to say, laying the cares and worries of this world at His feet and letting Him solve the problems, answer the questions, fix the situation, letting Him provide us with the desires of our hearts in His time and in His way?
Do we really love God?
Do you love Him enough to surrender everything about you to Him no matter how big or how small? You may say, "I turn the big stuff over to God, but I handle the small stuff. He’s not really concerned about all of that." Some years ago I was reading and article about Arnold Swartzneiger. Someone was interviewing him for and article to go in a magazine. This was back when he was a professional body builder and held the title of "Mr. Universe" and he had just begun his new career as an actor. The person conducting the interview asked him this question. "Do you ever pray?" His reply was, "Yes I do. Quite a lot actually." Then he was asked the question, "About what? What kind of things do you pray about? Do you pray about the competitions and their outcomes?" His answer to that was, "I pray about quite a few things but I don’t pray about the competitions. To me that’s not something big. That’s not big enough to bother God about."
I’m here today to tell you, my friends that there’s nothing too small to bother to bother God about. The Bible tell us to bring all of our cares to Him, for He cares about you. He’s concerned about each and every little detail of your life. What we consider large or small. God loves you so much. The Bible tells us that He loves you with an everlasting love. From on throughout eternity. His love is an agape love, an unconditional love. The Bible says, "For God is love." Love is not god , but God is love.
When you’re talking about love, within the realms of this love is an abundance, a never ending supply of grace, mercy, care, and provision. God’s love is so vast that the Heavens cannot contain all of Him, the earth cannot restrain or hold all of Him. God’s love is so direct that he placed no other creature on earth to have dominion over the human race. As a matter of fact He made us to rule over every living creature.
His love is so personal that in the Bible He says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. He knew you before you were ever conceived in you mother’s womb. He loves you so much that He takes an interest in each and every little detail in your life and mine.
The Bible says it better than I every could. The Bible says it this way. "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
He loves you and me so much that He gave Himself in our place. And all He ask in return is that we love Him in return. Love Him so much that we surrender everything about us to Him. He commands us to love Him with all of our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might.
Maybe you’ve never begun in this love relationship with my Heavenly Father. I would encourage you to do that today. You may say, "How do I do that?" Accept it. It’s free. There’s nothing you can do to earn it or deserve it. "Well, how do I do that?" First of all you have to realize and acknowledge that you have sin in your life and that makes you a sinner. That sin in your life is the barrier that prevents this relationship from developing. So you would first need to confess to God the sin in your life and acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner and ask God to forgive you of your sins. Then express to God your desire to love Him and serve Him by living for Him and that you need Christ to come into your heart and life and give you a new life so you can do just that. Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Do you really love God? Won’t you do that today? Make it complete with Jesus Christ. Surrender everything about you to Him. Then He’ll set you free. He’ll free you from the land of Egypt. In other words you’ll be free from the shackles and chains, the slavery of sin and Satan. Then your journey to the promised land, Heaven, begins.
