The Great Commandment

October 3, 2010

Introduction

When Jesus was here on earth, men had a great opportunity to find out what really mattered with God. With us, we have many differences with some of our religious neighbors. Can we have use instrumental music in worship? Can we have praise teams? Even, what is the proper use of Power Point in our worship service.

The concerns have changed, but there is still a basic issue: what is the most important part of our relationship to God?

Body

I. What is the first and great commandment?

(Mat 22:35-40 NKJV) Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, {36} "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" {37} Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' {38} "This is the first and great commandment. {39} "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' {40} "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

A. First of all, love God with your whole being.

B. Love is not easy nor cheap.

II. What about love?

A. Paul said it this way:

(1 Cor 13:1 NKJV) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

1. Speaking in tongues was very important to some of them, but Paul says without love, I am nothing.

2. Even if I know virtually everything, but don’t have love, it doesn’t matter.

(1 Cor 13:2 NKJV) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3. I can give for the wrong reason and gain nothing.

(1 Cor 13:3 NKJV) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

B. What is love?

1. Love is caring for a person.

2. Love will pay a price.

3. Love is giving.

a. Our knowledge

b. Our goods

c. Our time.

4. What is love like/?

(1 Cor 13:4-7 NKJV) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; {5} does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; {6} does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; {7} bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

III. Love can change the world.

A. God so loved that He gave His only Son.

(John 3:14-17 NKJV) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, {15} "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. {16} "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. {17} "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

B. And the world has never been the same.

C. Love requires something of us.

(1 Cor 13:4-7 NKJV) Love suffers long and is kind; love does . . . {5} does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; . . . {7} bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

IV. Caring & Sharing

A. The College church in Searcy has put together what they call s “Caring and Sharing” Team.

B. It has three parts:

1. A Reaching Out Team

2. A Teaching Team

3. A Nurturing Team

V. Don’t miss the main point.

(Mat 23:23-24 NKJV) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. {24} "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

Conclusion

Let’s conclude with this story from the life of Jesus::

(Luke 19:1-10 NKJV) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. {2} Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. {3} And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. {4} So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. {5} And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." {6} So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. {7} But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." {8} Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." {9} And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; {10} "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Where are we? Are we reaching out to save the lost? Do we really care?

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