The Best Downloads For The Ipod Of Life Part 2

The Best Downloads for the iPod of Life Part 2

Matt. 22:39-40

Oct. 2, 2005 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction:

A Reorient audience to what an iPod is

1 In New York, many people are mugging iPod owners for these little devices.

a According to the New York Post, one young man required 44 stitches as a result of an iPod mugging.

b Can you imagine wanting something so bad you’d attack the person who had what you wanted?

c Everyone wants to be loved, wanted, valued, appreciated, and will often do some pretty crazy things if they don’t receive these things.

2 C.S. Lewis once said, "When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now."

a Only after we get the first download, love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, can we begin our next download.

b "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 22:39-40 (NASB)

B ETS: Jesus gave the two greatest commands found in God’s Word.

1 ESS: Loving others works in partnership with loving God.

2 OBJ: I hope you’ll choose to show your love to someone who is difficult to love in the next seven days.

3 PQ: Who does God want you to apply the second great command to this week?

TS: Let’s look at two lessons that can help us apply the second great commandment to someone this week.

I The first lesson that can help us apply the second great commandment to someone this week is...we can’t go wrong loving someone.

A The Jews were scared to death about idolatry (worshiping creation over the Creator)

1 Jesus came to them claiming to be God (the Creator)

a He was being worshiped, honored, & adored by many people.

b Many Jews saw this worship as idolatry. Was it?

aa No. Jesus is God! Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. John 8:42 (NASB)

bb If the Law required them to love God & their neighbor (’You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Lev 19:18 (NASB)), then it would not have been wrong for the Jew, even if they didn’t agree with Him, to love Jesus.

2 The Jew accepted the authority of the Law, yet they refused to obey it in their lives.

a The Jew didn’t love Jesus, they were plotting to kill Him

b Jesus was saying, "Loving your neighbor is the LAW."

aa Jesus put the commandment on the same level as the Shema.

bb "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

B We can’t go wrong loving someone.

1 Loving others is the Will of God.

a Everyone wants to know God’s will for them.

aa Many look for a burning bush, talking donkey, pillar of fire: mystical, supernatural, & extraordinary.

bb The Bible is God’s written will for His people.

b v.39, Matt. 7:12, 1 John 3:10-11, 23; 4:7-21

2 If we really love God, we must also love the people in our lives.

a If I have a right relationship with God (1st commandment), we’ll have little problem with loving others (2nd commandment).

b We can’t go wrong loving someone.

C (IL) When I was a kid, my mom & I would debate which one of us loved the other the most.

1 I assured her I loved her more than she loved me & she’d say, "No, I love you more."

2 It wasn’t until I became a parent that I’ve realized that Mom was right, she did love me more.

3 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NASB)

a It’s no big news that we love God, but the big news is that our heavenly Father loves us!

b In spite of our flaws, impurities, unlovable & unsightly lives...He loves us.

c Just as our heavenly Father loves us (warts & all), we are commanded to show that love to the people in our lives.

d "Preacher, they don’t deserve it." Church, we don’t deserve it, either.

TS: God has not only given us the command to love, He has also given us the capacity to receive love as well.

II The second lesson that can help us apply the second great commandment to someone this week is...we can’t go wrong receiving love from someone.