The Best Downloads for the iPod of Life Pt. 1
Matthew 22:35-40
Sept. 25, 2005 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, " ’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, ’YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Matt 22:35-40 (NASB)
ETS: Jesus clarified what the two greatest commandments were in the Word of God.
ESS: When we truly love God our entire person is focused on giving ourselves to Him.
OBJ: I hope you’ll select one area of your life that needs to be given completely over to God.
PQ: What in your life needs to be given completely over to God?
TS: Let’s look at two areas that can help us download the best into the iPod of our lives.
I The first area that can help us download the best into the iPod of our lives is...desire. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
A The lawyer who asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment was apparently sincere about wanting to know.
a He was asking with sincerity/humble attitude what he needed to please God.
aa The Scribes had documented 613 commandments (248 +365)
bb Two categories: heavy vs. light (important vs. unimportant)
b This lawyer’s question was out of a deep-seated desire to please God.
c The question wasn’t meant to trip Jesus up, it was meant to find answers.
B Our download must start with the same desire of the lawyer in the text.
a We may desire many things in life, but the core desire must center on doing God’s will.
aa Money, power, sex, respect, authority=all desired for ourselves.
bb We must turn our desires inside out and ask, "What does God desire of me?"
b By the way, many folks take an approach like the lawyer’s to Scripture.
aa What is the most important thing for us to do in Scripture?
bb For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James 2:10 (NASB)
cc I go to church, tithe, give to poor=all good, but not good enough
dd There are no heavy/light, important/unimportant commandments to God-bust one, bust them all!
c Our desire must not stop with desiring to be a good person, it must go further & we must desire to be a godly person.
C (IL) Have you ever tried to feed a baby that doesn’t want to eat?
a The baby’s jaws become cast iron, and whatever you may get in that cast iron mouth is pushed out by that cast iron tongue.
b The whole body gets involved (slaps the spoon out of my hand, winds up in the baby’s ear, eye, on the floor).
c Unless the baby is willing to "yield", I can’t fill him up
d Unless we’re willing to have our desires focused totally on God, He will not change us.
e And it’s not God that isn’t palatable, it’s just that we fill our desires with so many lesser things that we’re full and we don’t allow God to fill our desires with what He wants for us.
II The 2nd area that can help us download the best into the iPod of our lives is...direction. And He said to him, " ’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, ’YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (Both downloads start with the first line, "You shall love...").
A Jesus answered the lawyer’s question using the Jewish Shema. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deut 6:4-5 (NASB)
a The Shema to this day is recited twice daily by orthodox Jews...mantra (no) life purpose (yes).
b Love with heart, soul, mind: in the Jewish mind these aren’t mutually exclusive.
aa They’re overlapping categories
bb Consisted of everything about themselves-their entire being.
cc Their entire consciousness was directed at loving God.
B When we truly (unconditionally) love God with our heart, soul, and mind, our entire person is directed on giving everything about ourselves to Him.
a Folks say, "Oh, I just love God."
aa When we really do, it’s more than just emotional attachment.
bb We understand that’s God’s will for us, which is what God desires for us to accomplish, and is revealed through His Word.
cc We’ll gladly, eagerly obey it because we know that in doing so, we’ll be living life the way God intended for us to live.
b Loving God with heart, soul, and mind changes the way we look (image).
aa Augustine: "Love God, and so as you will."
bb When we fall head over heels in love with God, our whole person is directed on giving ourselves to Him.
C (IL) General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, is an example of this. When asked for the secret of his success,
a Booth replied, "From the day I got the poor of London on my heart and the vision for what Jesus Christ would do for them, I made up my mind that God should have all of William Booth there was; and if anything has been achieved, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life."
b All his faculties-heart, mind, soul, and strength-were obsessed with God. He refused to return God’s whole-hearted love half-heartedly.
Conclusion:
A Legend has it that a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean world looking for the Pharisee and Apostle Paul, encountered Timothy, who arranged a visit. Paul was, at the time, a prisoner in Rome.
a Stepping inside the cell, the merchant was surprised to find a rather old man, physically frail, but whose serenity and magnetism challenged the visitor.
b They talked for hours. Finally, the merchant left with Paul’s blessing.
c Outside the prison the concerned man inquired, "What is the secret of this man’s power? I have never seen anything like it before."
d "Did you not guess?" replied Timothy, "Paul is in love." The merchant looked bewildered. "In love?"
e "Yes" Timothy answered, "Paul is in love with Jesus Christ." The merchant looked even more bewildered. "Is that all?"
f Smiling, Timothy replied, "Sir, that is everything."
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Mike Fogerson
