1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:03,560 Matthew 22 is where you're going in your Bible. 2 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,079 We're spending time still on this day that the Holy Spirit 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,080 decided to devote a lot of time to as he guided Matthew still in 4 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:22,880 the middle of this day. We're still, uh, probably 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,400 Wednesday before the Thursday night where Jesus gives himself 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:27,680 over. And then of course, the Friday 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:32,119 morning where his torture and his sacrifice begins. 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,480 But we're in Matthew 22. Jesus is being tested again and 9 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:41,720 again and again. And now here we are in verse 34. 10 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,680 But when the Pharisees heard that this that he had silenced 11 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,000 the Sadducees, they gathered together and one of them, a 12 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,920 lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 13 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,480 Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law? 14 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,800 And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,480 your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 16 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,760 This is the great and 1st commandment, and a second is 17 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,800 like it. You shall love your neighbor as 18 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,960 yourself. On these two commandments depend 19 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:19,720 all the law and the prophets. God, we come to your word this 20 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:21,640 morning. I pray that you would fill us 21 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,280 with a great. I pray that we would first be 22 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,400 crushed by the weight of it, and then I pray we would be 23 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,120 resurrected by the life and power that comes only through 24 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:33,240 Jesus. Lord, grow us, build us, and 25 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,720 help us to love you even more. You are so worthy and it is the 26 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,520 purpose for which we were made. Help us to fulfill the destiny 27 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,240 that you had always planned. God, I pray this morning that as 28 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,640 Your word comes that it would cut to the heart, that it would 29 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,960 perform the surgery and it would find us soft and eager to 30 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,400 receive. Cut off any branches in us that 31 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,720 you don't want there. Take away anything that you're 32 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,160 that you don't, that doesn't serve you or serve us. 33 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,160 Heal the roots and produce the good fruits. 34 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,640 We humble ourselves before your awesome word this morning in 35 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:10,960 Jesus name, Amen. We come to the thing of all 36 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,920 things, the command of all commands, the teaching of all 37 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:19,120 teachings that your whole Bible is anchored on, and it just 38 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,440 seems to be surprisingly planted here in Matthew. 39 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,000 We have another occasion of the same event in Mark. 40 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,000 If we were just reading Matthew, we would think like we have for 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,520 these other tests. This guy's probably coming with 42 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,280 a bad attitude like everybody else has. 43 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,760 The Sadducees were clearly trying to mock the Lord. 44 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,360 The guys who didn't even believe in the resurrection said, Hey, 45 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:40,640 how, how's the resurrection going to work? 46 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:44,480 They were just sarcastic. They were fools, this guy. 47 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,880 We would be tempted to think the same thing as what's taking 48 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:51,080 place here, but it's not because Mark shows us more of what's 49 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,760 going on. So in Mark Chapter 12, I'll read 50 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,880 it to you so you don't have to go there. 51 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,800 You can if you want. Mark Chapter 12, we have the 52 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,800 same event. It's the same occurrence, but 53 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:07,520 it's recorded with other details. 54 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,800 Mark chapter 12, verse 28. And one of the scribes came up 55 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,840 and heard them disputing with one another. 56 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:19,280 And seeing that he answered them well, he asked him which 57 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,120 commandment is the most important of all. 58 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,040 Jesus answered the most important is here. 59 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:28,920 O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is 1 And you shall love the 60 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:31,480 Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, 61 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,200 and with all your mind, and with all your strength. 62 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,840 The second is this. You shall love your neighbor as 63 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,560 yourself. There is no other commandment 64 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,520 greater than these. And the scribe said to him, 65 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,800 You're right, teacher, you have truly said that he is 1, and 66 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:47,800 that there is no other besides him. 67 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:49,840 And to love him with all the heart and with all the 68 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,280 understanding, with all the strength, and to love one's 69 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,680 neighbor as one's self is much more than all the burnt 70 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:00,000 offerings and sacrifices. When Jesus saw that, he answered 71 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,560 wisely. He said to him, You are not far 72 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,160 from the Kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to 73 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,840 ask him any more questions. So Jesus was still being tested. 74 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,720 Here he is the Passover lamb who is being tested. 75 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,200 They're not conscious of what they're doing. 76 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,680 And yet still the Father in his perfect glory and perfect design 77 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,040 and in his sovereignty, he has set these things up and Jesus 78 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,640 has set these things into motion so that this would come about 79 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,000 this way. But now here we are. 80 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,680 Jesus is meeting with all these different people. 81 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,800 Remember the many thousands around him in the temple courts? 82 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,360 But here we have Jesus displayed back in Matthew 22. 83 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,280 Jesus is the chief Bible scholar. 84 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,280 If you thought the Bible meant something when it said 85 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,800 something, and then Jesus says it means something else, it 86 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,840 means what Jesus says it means. That's what the Scripture meant 87 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:49,480 and that's what was implied, and that's what we should have seen. 88 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:51,160 That's what he did with the Sadducees. 89 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,920 I would have said, I didn't think, I didn't know, I didn't 90 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,960 realize that that scripture taught that. 91 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,320 And then Jesus said he's not the God of the dead, but of the 92 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,160 living. He's the God of Abraham, Isaac 93 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,600 and Jacob. Jesus took their own scriptures 94 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,920 that they claim to believe. He fought them on their own 95 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,280 turf. He went into their into their 96 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:10,720 territory. So they thought, and he said, 97 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,360 I'll quote you the thing you claim to believe and I'll show 98 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,280 you the resurrection is even there. 99 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,080 And now Jesus is teaching us the Scriptures, showing us what's 100 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,120 perfect and what's right. He did what the Pharisees could 101 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,320 never do previously with the Sadducees. 102 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,600 He silenced the Sadducees to prove the resurrection with the 103 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,680 Scriptures that the Sadducees had read. 104 00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:32,320 So the Pharisees are going to be happy that the Sadducees have 105 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,080 been proven wrong, but they hate that Jesus was the one to have 106 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,520 done it because remember, they've teamed up in this moment 107 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,960 so they can shut Jesus down. So in verse 34, this Pharisee 108 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:43,960 had heard he, he silenced the Sadducees. 109 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,040 They gathered together, he sent, he asks him this question, but 110 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,640 it is sincere. When Jesus tells this man, 111 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,040 you're not far from the Kingdom of God. 112 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,000 Notice he didn't say you're in the Kingdom of God. 113 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,120 This should give all of us pause. 114 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,560 The Kingdom of God is something you can be closer to or farther 115 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,960 away from. None of those are the same 116 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,120 though, as being in it. It's better to be closer than 117 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,760 farther away, right? And yet still being close is not 118 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,640 being in. So I can be farther away from 119 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,480 the Lord, or I can be as close to the Lord. 120 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:14,680 That looks like something, apparently. 121 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,360 Do you possess right knowledge? That's good. 122 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,920 Do you have affection for God in His Word? 123 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,360 That's good. But those things by themselves 124 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:24,960 do not mean that you're in the Kingdom. 125 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:29,040 Have you been born again? Do you have new life with new 126 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,080 desires, new convictions, and new fruit? 127 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,160 Those are real measurements you can use. 128 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,080 Don't be satisfied to adore the king and still sit outside his 129 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,560 house. He has invited you in, if you 130 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,600 will wear the garment that he provides. 131 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:47,000 This is an important message, an important message for southern 132 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,040 American Christians. You're not far from the Kingdom 133 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,000 of God. I thought I was in the Kingdom 134 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:53,560 of God. That might have been. 135 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,720 That might have been an alarming thing for this man to hear. 136 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:57,840 You're not far from the Kingdom of God. 137 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,600 That's a bit embarrassing. I am a Pharisee in front of 138 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,720 thousands of people. It'd be like me going somewhere 139 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,800 and, and, and, and engaging with some, some, some Bible scholar, 140 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,160 some person who loves the Lord, some person who has grapefruit 141 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:13,520 and I share something and they share something and I share 142 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,640 something and they say you're not far from the Kingdom I go. 143 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,600 That's a that's a bit alarming actually. 144 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,200 I thought I was in the Kingdom, thought I was all the way in the 145 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,160 Kingdom. I know stuff about the Kingdom. 146 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,120 I just answered rightly. I have warm affection for you, 147 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:29,680 but you're saying I'm not in the Kingdom. 148 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,560 To be in the Kingdom is to be born again. 149 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,480 The first time you were born, you came out of your Mama. 150 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:36,800 The second time you're born, you have to come out of the Spirit 151 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,800 of God, and He has to make you a new creation. 152 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,360 When He does that, you will be a new person with new desires, new 153 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,160 loves, and new hatreds. You'll love what he loves, and 154 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,720 you'll hate what he hates. You're not far from the Kingdom 155 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,320 of God, but we want to be all the way inside the Kingdom of 156 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,640 God. We come to verse 36. 157 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,760 Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law? 158 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,800 Whatever comes out of Jesus's mouth next. 159 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:08,680 Of course, you already know what comes out of his mouth, but 160 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,760 whatever, let's just acknowledge whatever he says next is the 161 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,680 most important thing ever, right? 162 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:15,600 What is the greatest commandment? 163 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,160 What is the greatest command? What is the greatest one say is 164 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,960 the greatest thing? We're literally about to hear 165 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,400 the meaning of life. Whatever comes out of Jesus's 166 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,440 mouth next. Pretend you don't know what it 167 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,240 is you're about to hear. The whole purpose for all of 168 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,720 human existence, all of planet earth, should bend around 169 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:38,480 whatever Jesus is about to say. All human civilization, every 170 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:44,400 man's life, every person's money, every marriage, every 171 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,600 thought, every single thing. Whatever he's about to say next, 172 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,000 if he says you're supposed to stand on your head, all 173 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,080 civilization should be built differently around that command. 174 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,760 Our chairs would look different, like everything, all of life, 175 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,080 all of world products, civilization would have been 176 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,200 shaped differently if that's what the Lord wanted. 177 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:06,320 And that would be right if he said it's all about it doesn't 178 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:07,720 matter. Fill in the blank with whatever 179 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,480 absurdity you would like. That's what we should bend 180 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,760 ourselves to. That's what we should pursue. 181 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,200 Every person, from the oldest to the youngest, from the dumbest 182 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,840 to the smartest, should run after the most important 183 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,120 command. Jesus is not about to give a 184 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,760 verse just fit for a coffee mug. The Son of God is literally 185 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,440 about to tell us the meaning of life. 186 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,000 And this is a moment where everyone would have leaned in. 187 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,720 Teacher, he saw, He answered the Sadducees rightly. 188 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,040 This was a common thing for them to do. 189 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,880 You would engage one another, rabbis, teachers, leaders, they 190 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,120 would engage with this kind of dialogue in this kind of 191 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,640 conversational, what does this say? 192 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:46,240 How do you read it? So this isn't a foreign concept. 193 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,640 That's why we can be more also confident that he's not coming 194 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,600 with sarcasm and heat. He's going, oh, he just put the 195 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,720 Sadducees in their place. So this might be a good-natured 196 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:55,960 guy. By the way, a lot of Pharisees 197 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:57,560 end up getting saved in the Scriptures. 198 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,440 A lot of a lot of people eventually come to Christ after 199 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,400 the resurrection. But he's asking him what's the 200 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,200 most important thing. Everybody would have leaned in 201 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,480 and you should do the same thing right now and commit to 202 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,680 obedience to it. Even now, every nation, every 203 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:15,440 person, everything, every minute of our lives should come into 204 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,160 alignment with what he's about to say. 205 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,400 Next. Go to verse 37. 206 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,240 You he, he gives his answer. But before you go there, I want 207 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,360 to explain something to you. Though the egghead Pharisees, 208 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,720 This is all they do. So it's good to do this thing 209 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,000 from time to time. Their problem is all they do is 210 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,200 discuss and discuss and discuss not for the purpose of greater 211 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,880 obedience, but for the purpose of greater knowledge which we 212 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,720 know. Knowledge puffs up. 213 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:42,760 Knowledge makes me feel better than you. 214 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,160 But love builds up. What does that mean? 215 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,000 Love means it. It's, it's, it's an entirely 216 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,080 different perspective. Knowledge puffs up. 217 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,200 Knowledge is for me to puff me up. 218 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,520 Love for you will make me want to build you up. 219 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,920 My priorities shift entirely when I've got a Kingdom 220 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,560 perspective in my life. I want more knowledge so I can 221 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:03,440 be smarter and smarter. So the Pharisees were always 222 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,520 arguing and debating. They had counted all the 223 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,880 commands of God. Did God say count all the 224 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:09,600 commands or did God say obey the commands? 225 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:10,920 They're like we counted them. Lord. 226 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:13,920 It's been, I've heard a pastor say before, he's like, if I tell 227 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:15,960 my kids to clean their room, I'm not interested in them coming 228 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,400 back and going. Dad, we did a word study on the 229 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:20,800 word clean. It turns out here's where it 230 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:22,840 comes from, and here's the origin of the word. 231 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,320 Is that what a dad is looking for when he says clean your 232 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:26,840 room? Dad, we all like it's the 233 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,080 grammar of your sentence was quite fascinating. 234 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:30,440 Dad, if you really think about it. 235 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,160 Wow, kids, I'm so impressed. Is the room clean, though? 236 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,320 Is there the fruit of what I've commanded, or do you just know 237 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,680 stuff? So the Pharisees had determined 238 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:42,760 among themselves all these things with the laws. 239 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,480 There's 613 laws this many of them are negative, do not do 240 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,520 this commands this many of them are positives You should do this 241 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,440 commands and they also have determined what was the least in 242 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,680 the law. They had determined out of all 243 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:59,280 of all the laws that they had identified in this in the in the 244 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,160 law in the scriptures, they have determined there is one that is 245 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:05,240 the least. This is a law specifically 246 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,480 saying that if you're going to take eggs or young or young 247 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,720 birds out of a nest, you should not take the mother as well. 248 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,600 It was a command. The Lord saw that this thing was 249 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:16,360 not right. Why? 250 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,280 Well, it would be a mercy, it would be a kindness, it would be 251 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,000 a gentleness. You're getting these things for 252 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,440 food. So you find, you find a wild 253 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,720 nest, potentially you've got eggs or you've got birds or 254 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:26,800 you've got something that you can eat. 255 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:28,360 He says you should not take the mother also. 256 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:30,560 Why? So she can then procreate again. 257 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:32,760 So if this person took the mother. 258 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,800 So there's multiple reasons. There's multiple angles as to 259 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,440 why this might have been a law, but the Pharisees have decided 260 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:41,760 this is the least so if this is the tiniest command in their 261 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,080 minds, this man is now looking for the weightiest command. 262 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,400 Well, we we've identified the smallest one, Rabbi, but there's 263 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,760 still not a general consensus on what is the most important one. 264 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,480 But Jesus does not answer the man in a way that he was asking. 265 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,360 Jesus answers from a whole new paradigm. 266 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,840 He shows that God doesn't want us to rank his commands. 267 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:04,960 He wants a heart that actually fulfills his commands. 268 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:09,360 He said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your 269 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,160 heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 270 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:17,360 So they've determined they've got 613 laws. 271 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,440 But with this one statement, Jesus reveals you don't have 613 272 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,320 laws. You have one law. 273 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,680 There's only one law. And everything else that comes 274 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:31,960 after this law is just a practical application of the one 275 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,040 law. There's one law. 276 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,640 It's love God. The outflow of that is to love 277 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,960 others. And now you have an infinite 278 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,600 amount of possibilities to fulfill this thing. 279 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,920 Of course, love would never do harm to its neighbor. 280 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,640 So of course thou shalt not murder. 281 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:50,440 Why? Well, because you love. 282 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,120 Of course thou shalt not steal. Or why? 283 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,040 Because you love. Do we have to keep the 10 284 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,560 commandments? Well, of course, because we love 285 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:02,760 God and we love our neighbor. And those laws are loving God 286 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,280 and loving neighbor laws. This was his purpose. 287 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:11,040 This was his point. He says first, love God and 288 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,840 second, love your neighbor. But verse 40, if you'll skip 289 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,640 ahead, shows that he wasn't ranking them like we might think 290 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,480 it, like we might think it first because he says on these two 291 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:27,760 commandments depend all the law and the prophets, men of God 292 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,480 throughout time have taught this truth that there is only one law 293 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,040 and everything else is basically case law. 294 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,880 These are just the details that work out all the specifics of 295 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,520 what it's got to look like. In the 1800s, Charles Spurgeon 296 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,840 preached that love is the fulfilling of the law. 297 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,800 He called it. It is, he said, is the golden 298 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,280 nail on which all the precepts hang. 299 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,000 So it's not just another one of the precepts. 300 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,960 It is the thing that all the precepts depend upon. 301 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,720 Martin Luther, the great reformer of the 1500s, taught 302 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,200 that all commandments are summed up and fulfilled in this one 303 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,200 thing, namely love. He said that every prohibition 304 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,840 that's a don't do it command, or every command that's a go do it 305 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:16,360 command merely defines what love requires in each situation. 306 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:18,840 He did that. God did this in the Old 307 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,040 Testament because they didn't have God living inside of them. 308 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,520 They didn't have a new creation like you do and the new covenant 309 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,400 since Jesus has been raised from the dead. 310 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,600 So if he had just said love each other, they'd have been like, 311 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,200 well, where's the line and what might that look like? 312 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,640 And who's really to say what love is and what love isn't? 313 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,600 And God says, let me be more specific. 314 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:46,000 Do this, don't do this, do that, don't do that. 315 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,000 This is what it has to look like. 316 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,680 If you love your neighbor, you would put a railing around your 317 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,440 rooftop of your house because you love your neighbor and you 318 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,680 don't want them to fall off your roof and die. 319 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,080 So God gives all that. Why would God make this a law? 320 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,160 Why would God make that's a law? Because he's fulfilling the law 321 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,320 of love, and he's giving a particular people in a 322 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,360 particular time a particular guideline to fulfill the one 323 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,560 great command. Love the Lord your God with all 324 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,680 your heart and soul and mind and strength and love your neighbor 325 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,280 as yourself. So what's this command about 326 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:18,480 right here? It's about love. 327 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:21,560 What's this command over here? It's about love again. 328 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,560 Why can't I make an image or an idol if I call it Yahweh? 329 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:29,640 Because you love God enough to worship Him as He truly is, not 330 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,160 as you imagine Him. Why can't I take the Lord's name 331 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,200 in vain? Because you love His name and 332 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:42,360 you honor His Holiness. Why can't I offer a a flawed 333 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,320 sacrifice to the Lord? Because you love God and you 334 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:51,240 bring Him your best. 400 years after Christ, Augustine said 335 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,720 love God and do what you will. That's how he summed it up. 336 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,760 Love God and do what you will. You're free. 337 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,600 Meaning that genuine love for God will always lead to 338 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:07,200 obedience to God's commands. So you say that to the person 339 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,960 who's like, oh, that sounds pretty good to me, I love God. 340 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,599 Well, your love for God is always measured by your 341 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:16,160 obedience to God's commands. So to say that you love God 342 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,319 means that if you really love God a lot, that that means you 343 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,839 would want to be even more rigorous and displaying your 344 00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:24,240 love for Him. That would include the I'm not 345 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,520 going TOS, and that will include the I'm going TOS. 346 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,880 But here's the thing about love. It doesn't have a limit. 347 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:36,000 It is ultimately unfulfillable because you can never say I did 348 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,600 it and I accomplished it. You can say I did that thing and 349 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,480 I did that thing. These particular tasks in 350 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,880 particular details which we love because that goes on my 351 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,600 checklist. I did this command. 352 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,160 I did that command and as long as I've got and I and as long as 353 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,760 I've isolated a massive list of commands, I get to show my 354 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,120 progress over time and say, look at what I the good things I did, 355 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,520 look at the bad things I avoided and you're going, it's pretty 356 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,320 impressive. And the Lord said, those are 357 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:06,880 particular fulfillments of the one command to love the Lord 358 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,040 your God with all your heart. Well, that's massive. 359 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,520 I've already failed with all your soul, with all your mind, 360 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:16,360 and with all your strength. Well, that's a different 361 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:19,400 standard entirely. He's taking things to an 362 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,560 entirely new place. When you actually love God, you 363 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,320 can do whatever you want. Because when you actually love 364 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,640 God, you're going to want whatever He wants. 365 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,640 So yes, you're free Christian to do whatever you want. 366 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,920 That's a safe thing to tell a Christian who has trained their 367 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,840 heart to actually love the Lord. That's a safe thing to tell a 368 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,280 Christian who has trained, who has trained themselves in the 369 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,160 Word of God. Because a Christian who loves 370 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,920 God is full of God's word. A Christian who is who loves God 371 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,760 is spending time with the Lord and doesn't want to grieve the 372 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,360 Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit speaks 373 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:55,240 up to them, there's such a tender conscience and even 374 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:56,480 something that's not plainly written. 375 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:58,080 The Holy Spirit says, I didn't like that. 376 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:02,440 And you go, oh, oh, will you crush me, Lord? 377 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,440 The Lord can come with such a gentleness. 378 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:06,840 Hasn't he done that to you? If you've ever been tender, he's 379 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:08,480 done that to you, if you've ever. 380 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,680 And if you haven't, then you're not tender. 381 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,640 I can plainly tell you if you've never felt that, uh, that 382 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,600 bothered you, Lord, and that didn't move you to, to, to 383 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,800 greater submission, then you're not tender and you're not supple 384 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,760 and pliable in his hands. But as you have, you're going, 385 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,560 Lord didn't like that. Oh Lord, I'm sorry, forgive me. 386 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:33,120 And he's going, You're forgiven and move on, Knowing who I am, 387 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:35,240 what I like, what I want, and what I don't. 388 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,840 Because you love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul 389 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:43,160 and mind and strength. So the words that Jesus quotes 390 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:48,200 here are not new words. They are Deuteronomy 6 verses 391 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,600 4:00 and 5:00. Every Jew in that crowd knows 392 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,640 these words already. They recite them twice a day, at 393 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,160 least. They do it in the morning and 394 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,760 they do it in the evening. That passage they have named the 395 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:02,160 the Shema. It means to hear and obey, 396 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,720 because that word, Shema's, the first word that's quoted in that 397 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,480 passage. So it means hear and obey. 398 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,400 And they quote it all the time. For ages. 399 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,600 They've heard it with their ears, but they have not heard it 400 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,960 with their hearts. Their love is mechanical and 401 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,120 their love is technical. I want to know the 402 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:21,080 technicalities. As a youth pastor, one of the 403 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,360 joys about pastoring teenagers in particular is that they are 404 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:27,640 honest with their questions. Adults are not, but teenagers 405 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,360 are adults. Like, they'll think it, but they 406 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:31,360 won't say it. Then we'll be hey, pastor, but 407 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:33,520 teenagers like, hey, how much can I do? 408 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,240 How much sin can I do? And like, that's like a common 409 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,800 question for like, for lukewarm teenagers or frankly, unsaved 410 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,080 teenagers, they're like, what can I get away with? 411 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,280 I'm just trying to, like, not burn forever. 412 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,480 I just would like to hit the minimums of like avoiding 413 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,680 permanent burning. And so if I, if you could like, 414 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,600 coach me and the avoidance. Shari's laughing because she's 415 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,680 had these conversations as well. Sherry and I served in youth 416 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,160 ministry together for years. So we were there. 417 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,480 We know, we we know what it was like, but we've all wondered 418 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,640 those things. The teenagers just say the thing 419 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,840 that we've all thought about like, am I OK? 420 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,360 Am I in the right spot? Am I doing the right thing? 421 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,800 Well, the answer is have I gone too far and am I really blowing 422 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,320 it? Well, the answer is, if I'm 423 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,840 asking that question, I am absolutely failing the greatest 424 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:25,600 command. I am not loving the Lord my God 425 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:30,000 with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with 426 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,040 all my strength. My question itself reveals that 427 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,800 I have fallen so far short of His glory, His worth, or what He 428 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,480 deserves. I'm going, what's the absolute 429 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,920 minimum I can give? And God has said the command is 430 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,160 to give the maximum. That's the command. 431 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,680 Give the maximum, maximum, maximum. 432 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,640 Well, how do I know if I've given the maximum? 433 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:55,880 Give more, and then even still give more all the time. 434 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,560 By the way, remember I prayed that the Lord would crush you 435 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,280 with His words so that He could then revive you. 436 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,000 This is the crushing time. If you're feeling crushed and a 437 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,520 little bit worried, everything's right on track. 438 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:10,880 Everything's going to be OK. They've heard forever with their 439 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,440 ears. But they are technical. 440 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,400 They are not wholehearted, even with the Sadducees. 441 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,720 We're just talking about, hey, in the resurrection he was 442 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:20,760 married to her. And they do. 443 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,560 And she and he died. He was married to her and he 444 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,000 died. He was married to her and he 445 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,040 died. Whose wife will she be in the 446 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,440 resurrection? They're, they're still missing 447 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,320 the point. The law is about love, right? 448 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,440 And they're all stuck in the technicalities of the command. 449 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:35,960 Hey, hey, we did the law perfectly. 450 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,240 We obeyed the law perfectly. That law is not about who is she 451 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,080 going to be married to forever. That law is about, let's love 452 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,360 and care for this widow who now doesn't have a husband. 453 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:46,560 That was the heart of God for that law. 454 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,320 And they're going, how can we? And you're going, you don't know 455 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,840 the scriptures or the power of God. 456 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,440 You don't know what you're talking about. 457 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,440 We do know the Bible. You don't know the heart of God. 458 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,480 So you don't know the Bible, which means you're, you're 459 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,560 unqualified to interpret the Bible. 460 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,000 I know the Hebrew. I know the Greek. 461 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,920 I knew the transliteration of the Aramaic to the Latin. 462 00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:12,400 That's not a thing, by the way. I'm just making stuff up to make 463 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:17,960 you think I'm smart. I know all that stuff. 464 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,880 And still you're unqualified because you don't love God and 465 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,520 you're not interpreting the scriptures through a lens that 466 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,720 says how, how will this love the Lord? 467 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:28,840 How will this help me to love others? 468 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,320 Of all that's focused on caring for and loving a widow, they 469 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,720 made it about themselves. Who's going to be married to 470 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,120 her? How's this going to work in the 471 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,320 long run? These are stupid and foolish 472 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,400 conversations and these are things that are very common in 473 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,120 the body of Christ. We miss the mark often here. 474 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:48,240 You can go find any blog post on any stupid and obscure argument 475 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,040 that you want to find. And it is missing the heart of 476 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,600 God's motive and God's purpose, which is why as your pastor, I 477 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,800 keep reminding you, wake up and follow Jesus. 478 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:02,600 Well, what about and what about and how come and why, if we're 479 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,880 going to be talking about end times here soon in the next 480 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,240 couple of chapters and interpretations on that and 481 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,960 different views on it. And I'm going to be woefully 482 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,240 unsatisfying to all of you because I'm not going to give 483 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,000 you guaranteed answers on everything that you want. 484 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:18,360 But you know what I'm going to tell you? 485 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:20,040 I'm going to say, you know what we should do? 486 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,280 We should love the Lord our God with all of our heart and soul 487 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:24,440 and mind and strength. We should love our neighbor as 488 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,600 ourselves because Jesus is coming back. 489 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,000 That's what we should do. Some folks think this, some 490 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,440 folks think that. I think more like this. 491 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,040 If we were certain, if the scripture was that crystal clear 492 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,960 on this particular thing, we probably wouldn't have much 493 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,960 confusion on it, would we? And yet we're going to focus on 494 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,640 what God wants us to focus on. We're going to prioritize what 495 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:50,280 the Lord wants us to prioritize on these two commands. 496 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,120 Depends all the law and the prophets. 497 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:55,720 Notice the Pharisee who comes though he only asks what's the 498 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,360 most important command in the law. 499 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:03,040 That's where he stuck the law, the first five books of Moses, 500 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,600 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. 501 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,560 This is the law teacher, Rabbi, what's the most important 502 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:11,960 command? But Jesus didn't say this is the 503 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:13,440 most important command in the law. 504 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:18,640 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. 505 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,680 What the prophets are about love as well. 506 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,480 Absolutely. All of your Bible, all of the 507 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,240 Scripture is emphasizing God's love. 508 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,240 Jesus is expanding the scope of everyone's understanding. 509 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:33,240 The whole Bible is about loving God. 510 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,880 Everything hangs on God. Everything hangs on then also 511 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,360 loving others. That's our purpose, to love God. 512 00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:43,480 That's why you exist, to love God and to enjoy Him forever. 513 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:45,960 Why am I here? You're here to love God and 514 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:47,960 enjoy Him forever. Well, that's why everyone else 515 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:49,320 is here too. Yes, it is. 516 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:51,280 Do you have particulars within that? 517 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,840 Can we get into subcategories and particular callings? 518 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,720 Of course, He built you in a particular way for a particular 519 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,880 purpose, always underneath the umbrella of loving God and 520 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,160 enjoying him forever. That's your purpose. 521 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,840 That's why you exist. That's why humanity exists. 522 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,760 And then in particular, we live that out as a man or a woman. 523 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,240 And then in particular within those categories, we can go, 524 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,760 well, I'm this person and God gave me this personality type 525 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,440 and God gave me these kinds of callings on my life. 526 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,200 And then we, we start to walk those things out. 527 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,840 You're, you're still unique, you're still an individual, but 528 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:27,920 your life purpose is the same as mine. 529 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:30,720 It's the same as every person who loves the Lord all over the 530 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:32,120 world. It's the same as every person 531 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:36,120 who hates the Lord all over the world to love God and enjoy him 532 00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:38,120 forever. This is the meaning of life. 533 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,040 Jesus answered it. Nobody has to go search for it. 534 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,160 Nobody has to be confused about it any longer. 535 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,760 And all of the Bible teaches it, all of the Scriptures reveal it. 536 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,960 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and 537 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:55,920 all your mind and all your strength. 538 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,880 It's a positive command. It's not a -1 He doesn't say 539 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,000 don't hate God because you could check that box, couldn't you? 540 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,280 I don't hate God. Mission accomplished. 541 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:09,560 He says love him. So there's a big difference 542 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,200 between avoiding sin and pursuing love. 543 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,600 Jesus does not leave us with only a negative command. 544 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,640 A negative command sets boundaries. 545 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:23,200 Don't do this thing. Don't hit your brother. 546 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,760 That's a negative command. OK, He didn't hit his brother 547 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:28,040 today. Wow. 548 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:30,840 Mission accomplished. Hey, Dad, I'm pretty amazing, 549 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,160 right? Well, you know what? 550 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:33,680 That's not that great of a standard. 551 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,000 I need to change this standard. Hey, treat your brother with 552 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,560 love. Well, what's that mean? 553 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,560 Well, it certainly means hitting his long gone. 554 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,840 That's out entirely. But what else does it mean? 555 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:46,240 Go love him. No. 556 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,440 I'll tell you what. Go love your brother with all 557 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:51,360 your heart. What's that mean, Dad? 558 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,440 A heart that actually loves will go. 559 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:58,000 Find some applications for it. A heart that actually loves 560 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,640 won't go. I don't know what to do. 561 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,640 I need specifics. A man who's in love with a 562 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,400 woman. He doesn't get stumped. 563 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,560 I don't know how to propose. I don't know how to propose. 564 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,120 No. He does all kinds of crazy and 565 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,560 elaborate things. He gets her mom and her friends 566 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,600 and her cousins and all the things and he sets up the date 567 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,360 and the time and the place and he didn't read a book on it. 568 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:17,400 Why? Because love was coming up out 569 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,440 of his heart and he just went and did those things. 570 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:21,880 They were, they were just out of the overflow of his heart. 571 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,400 Nobody had to tell him. I didn't do super crazy 572 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,040 elaborate stuff. So if you didn't know either, 573 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,880 wives take it easy. I don't want these wives like, 574 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:33,920 see, that's what love does. You heard him, You, you engaged, 575 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:39,400 you proposed to me was terrible. None of that but a heart that is 576 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:44,600 really loving finds application for the love a positive makes 577 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:48,400 the opportunities limitless. It's unlimited now what what you 578 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,880 could do with that love your brother well today is way 579 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:56,080 different from don't hit, don't fight, don't kill each other. 580 00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:02,640 We'll be back in 8 minutes like but love is far more powerful to 581 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:07,080 say love one another. Well, and now it's actually 582 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,160 going to take something that comes out of the heart, which is 583 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,800 what legalistic people never want. 584 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,080 I always want the rules that I can follow that I can accomplish 585 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,240 or not. Don't steal, don't commit 586 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,640 adultery, don't lie. But a positive command to love 587 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:22,920 would never do any of those things. 588 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,480 And the command love the Lord your God opens up the infinite 589 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,880 obedience possibilities. It's the difference between 590 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,000 don't cheat on your wife and love your wife. 591 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,080 Imagine if in my premarital counseling that I did with 592 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,760 people that that's what I said, Hey, here's the only thing you 593 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:38,720 really need to know as a husband. 594 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,600 Don't cheat on your wife. Like wives, Would that feel 595 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:43,840 comforting to you? That sound good? 596 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,880 You know, if I were to tell wives, hey, the only thing you 597 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:48,880 really need to know is like, don't cheat on your husband. 598 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,200 Like that's it. That's kind of the basics of it. 599 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:56,480 Like that seems like like maybe not high enough of a bar, but 600 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,040 scripture doesn't stop there. Scripture doesn't say wives, 601 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,960 don't be disrespectful. He says respect your husbands 602 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,160 and submit to your husbands. Well, what's that mean? 603 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,720 Ah, careful, little legalist. Go make it mean something great. 604 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:10,560 Go make it mean something beautiful. 605 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,440 Go make it mean something incredible. 606 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,840 Go make it mean something profound. 607 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,640 You've got freedom to love, you've got freedom to honor the 608 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:20,920 command now, and you've got the power of the Holy Spirit to do 609 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,400 it, my brother. Go love your wife. 610 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:25,960 What's that mean though? Exactly though? 611 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:29,160 Like you go make it mean something, man, go love your 612 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:30,760 wife like Christ loves the church. 613 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,320 Go go match the bigness of that. You've got infinite 614 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,720 possibilities. There's there's some best 615 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:39,320 practices. I recommend this. 616 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,960 I recommend that Bob recommends this. 617 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,200 Jeff recommends that. We've seen some good practices 618 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:45,840 with these things. Probably ought to consider 619 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:49,000 those. But love is an expansive command 620 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,640 that doesn't have a limitation. We don't just say don't hate 621 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,960 your wife, but he says be gentle with your wife. 622 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,600 So he does give extra commands beyond love and beyond respect, 623 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:01,240 but they're still fulfilling the law of love. 624 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,000 They're still fulfilling loving God. 625 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,920 So the negative command 11 command restricts a positive 626 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,280 command inspires one tells you what not to do. 627 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,560 The other calls you into a life of devotion and delight. 628 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,560 I want maximum now. I don't want a participation 629 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,560 trophy. I want the gold medal at the 630 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,200 Olympics. That's the difference. 631 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,960 Jesus is saying get a gold medal at the Olympics and loving God 632 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,400 instead of like, hey, I would like to just attend the Olympics 633 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,600 and watch. That would be satisfactory to 634 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:32,240 me. He's going well. 635 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:35,800 That's not satisfactory to God. He wants you to run and He wants 636 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,840 you to run the race to win. He wants you to fight, and He 637 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:44,240 wants you to fight to win. The command to love God is 638 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,200 unlimited. There is no point where you can 639 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,760 say I did that. It reaches into every moment, 640 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,960 into every motive, into every decision, into every desire. 641 00:31:54,480 --> 00:32:00,920 And we're closing. And that's what makes it 642 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:07,480 impossible for sinners like us, people who cannot love the Lord 643 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,960 their God with all their heart and soul and mind and strength. 644 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:16,040 We break all the commands because we've broken all the 645 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:19,680 commands flow from there's just one law. 646 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,200 And when you violate that one law, you violated them all. 647 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,880 That's why if you break one law, you're guilty of the whole law 648 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:31,800 because you've all broken the one law of not maximally loving 649 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,920 God maximally at all times and maximally loving your neighbor 650 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,200 at all times. Well, I've never killed anybody. 651 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:45,040 Oh, OK, so you you picked one particular thing, but that flows 652 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,560 from the source. Did you love everybody? 653 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:51,560 Well, all the time? Well, no, of course I haven't. 654 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,480 Right. Have you loved God with all of 655 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:56,840 your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your 656 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,400 strength? Well, no, but I've never hated 657 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:04,160 him. So you have failed then, and 658 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,320 because you're guilty of breaking the law, you're guilty 659 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,880 of the weight of the whole law, and it's as though you have 660 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,680 broken every particular command along the way. 661 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,520 I have failed miserably my entire life to love God with my 662 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:19,200 whole heart, and we have not for 5 minutes even given the 663 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,440 fullness of our souls to loving Him. 664 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,320 You have not applied your mind fully to loving God. 665 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:27,680 You've wasted it on sinful thoughts and you haven't loved 666 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,480 God with all your strength. You've been lazy and you've 667 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:34,680 chosen comfort instead of prayer and worship and devotion that 668 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:38,920 actually needed effort from you. You failed in every category to 669 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,840 love God. It's the greatest command. 670 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:43,880 It's what He demands, it's what He requires. 671 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,240 But you failed it. The command to love God is 672 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,960 beautiful, but it's devastating. It commands never ending 673 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:59,880 goodness, but it crushes us, it humbles us, it convicts us, and 674 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,040 if grace didn't intervene, it would condemn us. 675 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:07,240 But it is designed to draw us to the cross. 676 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,760 Because there was one who loved. The Lord is God with all of his 677 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:22,679 heart, with all of his soul, with all of his mind, and he 678 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:26,120 gave every bit of his strength as he climbed the hill, carrying 679 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:31,360 his own cross. When we say Jesus paid it all, 680 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:35,280 we mean it. He actually loved God all the 681 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:39,360 way all the time, and he loved his neighbor as himself. 682 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,280 Jesus is so perfect. He is so good. 683 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:49,639 He is so flawless, not because he kept all the commands in 684 00:34:49,639 --> 00:34:54,000 particular, although He did, although he he handled the baby 685 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,280 nest of birds correctly or he built the roof around, he built 686 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,000 the railing around his roof of his home. 687 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:04,160 He did all the things maximally good, but he didn't just stop at 688 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,280 loving his neighbor at the minimums of what the law 689 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,920 required. He went all the way and said, 690 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,640 I'm going to give my life. The law doesn't require you to 691 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:16,480 go die for the whole world. There's no command in the old 692 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:19,080 covenant that says you've got to go sacrifice yourself. 693 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:22,200 It says do the minimums, tie up your ox so he don't go kill 694 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:24,400 somebody. OK, Love your neighbor enough to 695 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,360 take care of your livestock so he doesn't destroy their life. 696 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,120 But Jesus goes beyond it and he actually loves maximally. 697 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,960 He loves God maximally when he prays in the garden. 698 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,720 Father, not my will, but your will be done. 699 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:42,320 I want this thing in my in in the the torment that I'm going 700 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:43,920 to feel. I wish this cup could pass from 701 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,000 me, but more than that, I do want what you want, because I 702 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,080 love you, Father, and I want what you want, and I want what 703 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:51,800 pleases you. Which is why it pleases the 704 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,920 Father to give the Son the name above every name. 705 00:35:55,240 --> 00:35:58,480 This is why Jesus is so worthy. This is why there is no other 706 00:35:58,480 --> 00:35:59,960 way to the Father except through Him. 707 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,400 This is why you should have all the boldness, all the confidence 708 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:07,760 to say there is no other name by which men can be saved. 709 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:10,960 Because if you, if one person can make it to heaven without 710 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,920 the name and the blood of Jesus marking their life, then the 711 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:15,960 name and the blood of Jesus are worthless. 712 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:19,440 And he is definitely not worthless. 713 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,880 He is the Pearl of great price. He is the treasure in the field 714 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,560 that you should sell everything and give yourself up for and 715 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:29,920 say, Jesus, I have not loved the Lord my God with all of my heart 716 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:36,600 and soul and mind and strength, but you have and I do want to 717 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,080 love you. And by your grace, I'm being 718 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,840 drawn to love you. And you're shifting my desires 719 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:46,200 and you're making me new. And I want to look more like you 720 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:50,240 and I want to love my neighbors, but I can't do this on my own. 721 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:55,120 And I need to be a new person. I need a new identity. 722 00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:59,200 You fulfill the great commandment perfectly, and then 723 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,680 you lay down your life for all of us who couldn't. 724 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:06,520 So Jesus, I come to you for forgiveness, for grace, and then 725 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,800 for empowerment to actually go live out this law of love, which 726 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,320 God does require his church. We really are supposed to be 727 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:17,560 ridiculous looking people with a ridiculous amount of love who 728 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:21,560 go, that's crazy. They even love their enemies. 729 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:24,440 We don't trust our enemies. There's plenty of things we 730 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:26,840 might not do with our enemies, but we do love them. 731 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:29,520 And that will actually have to look like something. 732 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:32,520 It will actually have to show up. 733 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:39,200 So we should still seek to pursue this great love for God 734 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,040 that we would devote our whole life to him. 735 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:44,160 Not a, not a life that's condemning, not a life that's 736 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:48,360 overwhelming, but a life that is shaped more and more and more 737 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,720 into the image of Jesus. You have to brush your teeth. 738 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:54,560 You have to get your oil changed. 739 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,320 All these things, the Lord knows they're not held against you. 740 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,080 They're not seen as insignificant. 741 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:05,960 You have a life to live. You have things to do. 742 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,160 You have shoes to tie, you have diapers to change. 743 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:10,960 You have phone calls to return, You have emails that need 744 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:12,680 answering. We all do right now. 745 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:16,640 I'm sure all this is a part of living, but all this is also 746 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:17,960 supposed to be a part of worship. 747 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,640 So, Lord, I'm devoting my life to you more. 748 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:24,520 I want to love you with all my heart and soul and mind and 749 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:26,760 strength. Lord, help me to embody the 750 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:29,040 greatest command in everything else that I do. 751 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:32,920 God, help me not to be a minimalist with my love and with 752 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:34,880 my obedience. Help me to be a maximalist. 753 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,400 God, I pray for your church. I pray that they would be 754 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,520 encouraged as they look to the cross, that they would be full 755 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,240 of courage and hope, that we would all be drawn to worship, 756 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:51,240 to see the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly loving His God with 757 00:38:51,240 --> 00:38:54,400 all of his heart and soul and mind and strength, and loving 758 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:59,640 us, his enemies, and doing for us what we couldn't do for 759 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:02,520 ourselves, taking the punishment for our sins. 760 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:09,400 Jesus, we apply the blood of the perfect spotless Lamb to our 761 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,640 hearts. We receive your grace, we 762 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:16,480 receive forgiveness, we receive strength, and we drink from the 763 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:22,840 cup again to receive hope, to receive empowerment. 764 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,600 God bless your people and send them out fully compelled by the 765 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:33,960 love of Christ, Soft and sweet and tender towards the Father, 766 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:39,240 soft and sweet and receptive to the Holy Spirit, eager to please 767 00:39:39,240 --> 00:39:40,960 you. God, quick to correct when we've 768 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:46,120 grieved you. God, make us a people of great 769 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:50,240 forgiveness. Make us a people of great prayer 770 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:53,720 and great devotion, especially for our enemies. 771 00:39:55,880 --> 00:40:00,560 Elevate our love, God, elevate our love as husbands that we 772 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,640 would love our wives not looking for minimums, but looking at 773 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:08,600 maximums. God, I pray for the wives that 774 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,360 they would not look for the minimums. 775 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:11,960 What is the what are the minimums? 776 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:14,360 But they would look for the maximums. 777 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:18,880 What are the maximums of respect to honor my husband, God, I pray 778 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,080 for our children that they wouldn't look for the minimums. 779 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:22,760 What are the minimums of obedience? 780 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:25,760 Did I get caught rolling my eyes? 781 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:27,800 But no. What are the maximums to honor 782 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:32,320 my father and mother? Not that we would become 783 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:36,880 legalists and not that we would become overwhelmed, but that we 784 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,080 would pursue love and the greatest commandment. 785 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:44,880 Holy Spirit, strengthen us. Now we receive the grace of God 786 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,600 fresh today. In Jesus name we thank you Lord 787 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:52,320 and now the Lord bless you and keep you. 788 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:57,440 The Lord make his face Shinedown upon you and be gracious to you. 789 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:01,880 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you great 790 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:07,800 peace in Jesus name, Amen. God bless you Church. 791 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,760 Thank you again for honoring me and for honoring Natalie. 792 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,400 I really is a rich blessing. I cherish it.