Emphasizes the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength as the essence of our faith and response to His love.
Good morning, beloved family of God. Isn't it a blessing to be gathered here in fellowship, in the house of our Lord? We are here, not by chance, but by divine appointment. God, in His infinite wisdom and boundless love, has drawn us together to share in His word and His presence.
Today, we are going to turn our hearts and minds to a passage of Scripture that is as profound as it is pivotal. These are words that have echoed through the ages, words that have shaped lives, families, and entire civilizations. They are words that cut to the very heart of our faith.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 declares:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
These verses, my friends, are not just a call to worship, but a call to a way of life. They are a call to herald the gift of God's Son, to honor God with all we have, and to heed the greatest commandment.
Matt Drayer once said, "There is a big difference between somebody who knows the Bible and somebody who knows the Author of the Bible. There is a big difference between somebody who studies the Bible for theological purposes and somebody who studies the Bible because he loves God." How right he was. For what is our faith if not a love story, a story of a God who loved us so much that He gave His only Son, and of our response to that love?
When we think about the gift of God's Son, we are immediately drawn to the image of the manger in Bethlehem. The birth of Jesus Christ was not just an event in history. It was the moment when God Himself entered into our world, taking on human flesh, to live among us and ultimately to save us from our sins. This is the gift we are called to herald, to proclaim to the world.
Its nature: Jesus was not just a man. He was God incarnate, the Word made flesh. This means that in Jesus, we see the fullness of God's character and love revealed. Every word He spoke, every miracle He performed, every moment of His life was a revelation of who God is.
Its purpose: Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. His life was not just an example of perfect obedience to God's law. It was a sacrifice, offered up for the sins of the world. Through His death on the cross, Jesus paid the price for our redemption, making it possible for us to be reconciled to God.
Its implications: Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are set free, not just from the penalty of sin, but also from its power. We are given a new nature, a new identity, as children of God. This means that we are not just saved from something, but we are saved for something. We are saved to live a life of love and obedience to God, to reflect His character in the world, and to participate in His mission.
Its invitation: Jesus did not just come to save us. He came to invite us into a relationship with Him. He calls us to follow Him, to learn from Him, to abide in Him. This is not just a call to believe certain truths about Him. It is a call to know Him personally, to experience His love and grace in our lives, and to become more like Him in our thoughts, words, and actions.
The richness of the gift of God's Son: It is a gift of love, a gift of grace, a gift of life. It is a gift that deserves our highest praise, our deepest gratitude, our fullest devotion. It is a gift that we are called to herald, to proclaim to the world. For in Jesus, we see the heart of God, the love of God, the glory of God. We see the hope of the world, the Savior of the world, the King of the world. And we are invited to share in His life, His love, His mission.
As we continue to reflect on the commandment in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, we find ourselves drawn to the second part of this divine mandate: to honor God with all we have ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
Sermon Central
