Glynlea Grace United Methodist Chruch

Scripture

Matthew 22:34-40

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test 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 first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

 1 John 5:3-4

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.

Summary and Function

 

Summary: Love is the foundation of all Christian attitudes, opinions and thoughts. Everything we say or do must be based on love. Whenever we have to make a decision in tough circumstances, we should ask, “What will demonstrate love towards God, our others and ourselves?” Jesus makes this clear when he says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. “

This love starts with love towards God. Love towards others and self naturally flows from love towards God. What does it mean to love God? It simply means to obey God. We direct our lives to conform to God’s perfect will as taught in Scripture. This is not burdensome because it’s what is best for us. When we do this, we find ourselves loving others and self in ways we never dreamed of. 

Purpose: To help the congregation to focus on loving God.  

The Sermon

I. Introduction: The Army of Northern Virginia and the love for General Robert E. Lee

     1. A clip from the movie, “Gettysburg” is shown.

• Gen. Lee describes to Gen. Longstreet how a good commander must be willing to order the destruction of those he loves.
• Lee was referring to how he must order the men he loves into combat.
• Because Lee loved his men, the southern soldiers absolutely loved Lee

     2. The southern soldiers did anything Lee asked of them because they loved him

• Picket’s charge in Gettysburg: 12,500 southern soldiers unhesitatingly followed Lee’s order to conduct a futile charge. Over 50% causalties
• April 1865: When word spread through the surrendering southern armies that Lee did not want to see any guerrilla warfare started, no one attempted any significant guerrilla operations.

     3. In a similar way, we are to show love for God by obeying God.

II. Love is the foundation of Christian attitudes and behavior

• Love for God, others and self
• Whenever we have to make a decision in tough circumstances, we ask ourselves, “How can we demonstrate love for God, others and self?”

     3. What does it mean to love God with all our hearts, souls and mind?

• Loving God with everything we are and have. Using all our possessions to demonstrate love for God (Our intellects, skills, money, material possessions etc…)
• Loving God in every areas of our lives (home, work, recreation, social life, church life etc…)

III. Loving God is obeying God

     1. We should obey God even better than the southern soldiers obeyed Gen. Lee

     3. Let’s take a closer look at 1 John 5:3-4

IV. Taking a closer look at 1 John 5:3-4

     2. Obeying God is not burdensome: “And his commandments are not burdensome.”

• Not being burdensome doesn’t mean easy to do. God commands us to love our neighbors and that’s not always easy to do.
• Not being burdensome means: 1) God changes our hearts and creates, within us, a desire to obey God and 2) Obeying God is what’s best for us.
• People who love their work don’t find their jobs to be a burden, even when it’s difficult. People who hate their work will always find their jobs to be a burden, even when it’s easy. Following God is not a burden when you desire to be like Christ.
• People who work out consistently and maintain a high level of physical fitness don’t find the exercise to be a burden. They realize it’s good for them. People who don’t work out consistently and don’t maintain a high level of physical fitness find exercise to be a burden. They don’t see how good it is for them.

• Doesn’t mean we are going to rule the world with political or military power
• It means that we will overcome the sin and evil in the world with God’s love
• Last weekend at a KAIROS prison ministry I witnessed a testimony given by three men. One of these three men murdered his ex-wife. The ex-wife happened to be the daughter and sister of the other two men. The man who murdered his ex-wife testified how he received God’s forgiveness. He also explained how God enabled him to forgive himself. The other two men testified how God empowered them to forgive the man who murdered their daughter/sister. THIS IS OVERCOMING THE WORLD!!!
• Love of self and neighbor naturally flows from loving God

V. The time to start loving God is now!!!!!