Introduction

Some of us walked in today with a spring in our step; others dragged in with weights we can’t quite name. Bills on the counter. Questions in the heart. News alerts that make us sigh. And right in the middle of it all, God meets us—not with a scowl, but with a smile; not with a list of hoops, but with a call to love. He comes close, like a Father tucking a child into bed, reminding us that life with him is not a maze to master but a relationship to enjoy. The God who made galaxies leans near, places a gentle hand on your shoulder, and speaks words that steady the soul.

J. I. Packer once wrote, “Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God) Is that what your heart longs for today—to know God? Not a rushed nod in his direction, but the settled, steady awareness that he is near, he is kind, and he is worthy of your full affection. What if the greatest relief you’re looking for doesn’t arrive by fixing every circumstance, but by fastening your heart to the One who holds every circumstance?

Jesus has a way of making the main thing plain. In a courtyard filled with clever questions and religious riddles, he gives a clear call that cuts through the noise: Love God with everything. Love your neighbor sincerely. And then he asks his own question that opens our eyes wider: Who is the Christ? Whose Son is he? The room quiets, the hearts listen, and the wonder grows. Wholehearted devotion. Authentic love. Christ the Son and Lord. Could it be that these three belong together like breath in the lungs—inseparable and life-giving?

Imagine your week shaped by this simple, sweeping call. What would change at the breakfast table, in the boardroom, on the ball field, in the back-and-forth of family life? What if love for God moved from the margins of Sunday to the middle of Monday? What if love for neighbor had names and faces—co-workers, classmates, the barista, the person who tries your patience? And what if recognizing Jesus as Lord lifted your fears and filled your feet with courage? Whole hearts. Warm hands. Wide-eyed worship. That’s where Jesus leads us today.

Maybe you’ve loved God in bursts—like fireworks on a holiday, bright and brief. Today, he invites you to a steady flame. Maybe you’ve loved neighbors in theory, but the names are blurry. He invites you to kindness that has a calendar. Maybe you nod at Jesus’ greatness, but you need fresh awe at his authority. He invites you to lift your eyes and see him as Son of David and Lord of all. This is not a summons to try harder; it’s an invitation to come closer. To receive love and then reflect it. To rest in his greatness and then respond with glad obedience.

Before we read, let’s quiet the noise inside us. Put your worry on the table for a moment. Lay your guilt and your goals before the Lord. He knows. He cares. He speaks.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:34-46 (KJV) 34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Opening Prayer: Father, thank you for your nearness and your kindness. Settle our hearts now. By your Spirit, kindle in us a whole love for you—heart, soul, and mind. Teach us to love our neighbors with sincerity and courage. Open our eyes to see Jesus as both Son of David and Lord of all, worthy of our trust and our obedience. Where we are distracted, bring focus. Where we are fearful, bring courage. Where we are weary, bring rest. Shape our thoughts, soften our hearts, and strengthen our hands to do your will. Speak, Lord; your servants are listening. In the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

Wholehearted Devotion to God

Love that takes up the whole self is what Jesus commands. He calls for love that moves through desire, breath, and thought. He names the deepest parts of us and invites every part to lean his way. This is more than a feeling. This is loyal affection that shows up in choices, words, and habits. It is love that includes worship and also keeps company with obedience.

The heart is where love begins to warm. It is the place where we attach value to someone. When God holds first place there, lesser loves find their lane. Desire starts to turn toward him. We begin to seek him early and often. We tell him what we want. We let him shape what we want.

The heart gives birth to habits. Love for God trains the tongue to bless his name. It teaches the hands to open in praise and to open in help. It changes the way we treat time. We set times to sing, to stop, to pay attention. We learn to say yes to what brings us near, and we learn to pass by what pulls us away.

The heart remembers. It keeps record of his works. It reheats thanksgiving. It calls back his promises to mind in the middle of the day. It speaks to itself. It says, “He has been kind,” and then it names how. It says, “He has spoken,” and then it repeats his words. This turns fear down and turns love up.

The heart needs guarding. Many small cares crowd and clamor. Love for God gives us a simple practice: present those cares to him. Speak them out loud to him. Hand them over with open palms. Ask for clean motives. Ask for simple devotion. Ask for love that does not get thin when days are long.

The heart learns to obey. This is not cold duty. This is warm consent. We hear his command, and we agree with it. We say yes to him again and again. Over time the yes gets quicker. Over time the yes feels lighter. This is love growing muscles.

The soul speaks of life itself. It is the breath in the chest. To love God with the soul means that our very lives say his name. It means our days point his direction. It means our deepest self is set on him.

Loving God with the soul includes our aches. We bring him our grief and our tiredness. We tell him when hope feels thin. We tell him when questions are loud. We read the psalms that lament. We let those prayers carry us when our own words feel stuck. This is love that stays present with him in pain.

This love includes our delight. We sing when grace is sweet. We celebrate when prayers are answered. We mark his faithfulness in simple ways. We tell the story to one another. We notice gifts we once missed. Gratitude becomes normal, and it sets the tone for the house.

The soul needs rhythms that keep it steady. Set a day to rest in him. Let the body stop so the soul can listen. Fast with a humble heart when you need focus. Sit in quiet for a few minutes and breathe his name. Keep a small prayer you say through the day. These simple moves anchor love in daily life.

The soul also serves. Love for God does not stay hidden. It enters chores, meetings, and errands. It shapes how we work and how we wait. It keeps us honest when no one sees. It keeps us gentle when we could be harsh. It keeps us patient when delay hangs heavy.

Endurance belongs here too. To love God with the soul is to keep loving through long seasons. This love stays when the way is slow. It keeps the face turned toward him. It holds on to his word. It trusts his hand. It says, “You are worthy,” in every kind of weather.

The mind matters in love. God wants our thoughts. He wants the way we think to be shaped by his truth. This is not a call to turn the brain off. This is a call to offer the brain to him.

To love God with the mind means we give care to what we learn. We spend time in Scripture. We read whole chapters. We learn the story line. We see how his promises fit together. We memorize a verse and turn it over in our heads until it becomes part of us.

Questions can serve love. Ask them with humility. Bring them to the Lord in prayer. Bring them to wise friends. Search the Scriptures for light. Slow down when the topic is hard. Seek clarity more than heat. Let truth land before you speak it.

The mind also needs cleansing. Many messages press in each day. We decide what gets in. We weigh words by God’s Word. We test what we hear. We refuse to feed on things that twist our view of him. We fill the mind with what is true, honorable, and good.

Imagination can serve love too. Picture the goodness of God. Picture his promises fulfilled. Picture the day when all is made new. Let holy imagination warm your thoughts and steady your steps. Let it shape your plans and your prayers.

Wisdom grows when the mind loves God. We start to see patterns. We notice what leads to life. We notice what leads to harm. We make choices that match his ways. We speak with grace and truth. We think with humility and hope.

Jesus ties this command to his own identity. He asks a question about the king promised long ago. David calls this promised king “my Lord.” That means the promised king is greater than David. It means he carries authority from God. It means he stands at God’s side.

This matters for love. The one who commands love also stands above every power. He is heir to David and more than a royal heir. He shares in the rule of heaven. He sits at the right hand. Every enemy will bend before him. His place is secure and high.

So when we love God with heart, soul, and mind, we are responding to the Lord whom David honored with that title. We are meeting Jesus as the true king. We are loving the Father through the Son he sent. Our worship lifts his name. Our trust rests on his words. Our obedience follows his path.

This keeps love from being vague. Love takes a face. Love has a name. We look to Jesus. We listen to what he taught that day. We see how he handles questions. We hear the wisdom in his reply. We see the greatness hinted in the psalm he quotes. We give him our whole selves because he is worthy.

This also gives courage. If he stands at God’s right hand, then his command is good and strong. He does not speak with guesswork. His call matches his authority. He can hold our hearts. He can hold our lives. He can hold our thoughts. He can carry what we entrust to him.

Loving God like this will reshape priorities. We will plan around time with him. We will train our attention on him. We will treat his words as the measure of all other words. We will live awake to his presence. We will work and rest in light of his reign.

It will reshape desire. Lesser aims will become servants of a greater aim. Pleasure will find its place under his smile. Achievement will take its cue from his will. Recognition will matter less than faithfulness. Success will look like steady love in the same direction.

It will reshape trust. We will lean on his promise when pressure rises. We will keep our vows when it costs us. We will forgive because he has forgiven us. We will tell the truth because he is true. We will keep watch over our souls because he cares for them.

It will reshape attention. We will catch ourselves drifting and come back to him quickly. We will turn small moments into small prayers. We will make space to listen. We will slow the rush and give him the center. We will let his peace hold our thoughts together.

And it will reshape worship. Songs will carry more weight. Silence will feel sacred. Scripture will taste sweet. The Table will nourish deep. We will bless his name in the assembly. We will bless his name in the quiet place. We will bless his name when we rise and when we lie down.

All of this is possible by the Spirit he gives. The Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts. The Spirit helps us pray when words are thin. The Spirit opens Scripture to our minds. The Spirit keeps our souls steady in trouble. The Spirit points us again and again to Jesus, the Lord whom David honored.

So we ask for help. We ask for more love. We ask for a heart alive to God. We ask for a soul at rest in him. We ask for a mind lit by his truth. We ask to know Jesus as the greater king and to love him with all we are.

And then we step into simple practices. We set a time to read and to pray. We keep a short prayer on our lips through the day. We keep a list of thanks that grows line by line. We confess quickly. We forgive quickly. We seek help from brothers and sisters who can spur us on.

We keep watch over what we watch and what we read. We feed on what builds love. We give care to our bodies so our souls can serve. We bring our work before God at the start of the day. We bring our rest before God at day’s end. We place our plans in his hands and walk in them with peace.

We pay attention to small signs of grace. A verse that fits the moment. A word from a friend that lifts our head. A quiet sense that God is near. We write them down. We say thank you out loud. We mark them in memory so love can grow.

We welcome correction. When his Word shows us a crooked way, we turn. When his Spirit points to a hard heart, we ask for softness. When pride shows, we bow low. When fear shouts, we call on his name. These are the moves of love.

We keep going. Day after day. Simple steps. Honest prayers. Open hands. Clear eyes on Jesus. Love that includes the heart. Love that includes the soul. Love that includes the mind. Love for the Lord whom even David called his Lord.

Authentic Love for Neighbor

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO