Love the Lord Thy God
December 17, 2006
Bro. Miles Crouse
Sunday School
Matthew 22:34-37
Introduction: Let me ask you a Question. Do you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ? Well if so, how would you describe your love for Jesus? Would you say that it is passionate, inconsistent, on fire or do you find your love for Christ wavering? Would you say it’s improving or declining, growing or fading?
Well, if you are a true believer I know I don’t have to tell you there is nothing in life that is more important than making sure that there is oil in that lamp of your love for Christ. So that it can burn brightly and consistently. A love so strong as the Song of Solomon puts it as coals of fire, which is like a vehement flame that many waters cannot quench.
In Fact when the Son of God, Jesus Christ himself was pressed on this very issue Jesus made it abundantly clear what our number 1 priority should be.
(Video)
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Mat 22:34-36
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. This is the first and great commandment. Mat 22: 37
And of course the apostles said precisely the exact same thing, only they put it in words like these…
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 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, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1 Cor 13:1-3
…love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom 13:10
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:7
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:1-5
And again if you are truly a child of God, I realize that I’m not telling you something new here. Because if you are born again you already know it’s impossible to be a child of His and not have a genuine sincere love for Jesus Christ. And it’s impossible to be and effective Christian without a strong vibrant love for Jesus Christ.
As Richard Baxter once wrote. (Video)
The person that has not made God his Chief Good, Ultimate End, Primary Happiness and Bottom-Line Security is (at heart and unbeliever and an idolater). So then, let me ask you: do you truly account it your chief happiness to be considered a redeemed child of God, (and bound for heaven, where you will enjoy the Lord forever)… or Not?
Can you sincerely say (with the Psalmist): “The Lord is my portion…whom have I in heaven but Thee… And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee?”
If you are truly born again… that is the cry of your heart! And even though your flesh (and its desires) will constanly plead for their desires, and the world will manage to creep its way into your affections, yet ordinarily, in you settled, prevailing judgment and affections… you sincerely prefer God before ALL things in the world. You make Him the very purpose of your desires, efforts and actions.
The very reason why you read your Bible, go to church, pray… and to live Life Itself… is chiefly this: that you may seek, find, and enjoy the Lord and to ensure that you will spend eternity with Him. And even though you do not seek Him as zealously as you should, nor strive as zealously to enter the Kingdom as such an important objective warrants…yet the pursuit of God and Heaven is your CHIEF desire and effort, to the point that nothing else is preferred above it. And (likewise) You consider no effort or suffering too great to obtain it (though you rely on the fact that Grace ALONE can merit it!) And even though the flesh may sometimes “cringe” and “shrink back” from the tasks and duties at hand, yet you are resolved and ready to go through ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that may be required. Likewise, your esteem for “obtaining the price of salvation” (if you are truly born again) will also so high, and your love for it so great, that you would never exchange your title to it, for ANY worldly good whatsoever!
If God should set before you an eternity OF EARTLY PLEASURE on the one hand OR, the opportunity to serve and worship God (in His presence) FOREVER… and bid you to pick your choice… you would REFUSE the WORLD, and TAKE the opportunity to serve and worship God.”
Richard Baxter
The Saints Everlasting Rest pp.115-116
(End Video)
There you have the heart of a true believer of Jesus Christ
But having said that I know this much is certain it is very easy in this fast paced, hurry up and get the kids to school, feed the dog, go to work, pay the bills, go to church, play eat, , and sleep wake up the morning, and do it all over again society to become a Martha in our walk with Christ.
Do you remember Martha, the one found in Luke’s Gospel chapter 10? A follower of Jesus Christ. Yet because of all her busyness and all here frantic running around she simply forgot to do the most important thing. The one thing needed. As Jesus taught: to spend time alone with Him. Just basking in His love and beauty, His glory and gleaning from His instruction. She forgot the one thing needed (to spend time alone with Him).
Here just to remind us lets take a look at that actual passage.
Video
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
END VIDEO
So the point is like Martha it is extremely easy for you and I to become distracted losing sight of the one thing most needed ...spending time at the feet of Jesus Christ, nurturing and fostering our love relationship with Christ. No one else can fill our need for love like Jesus. When we attempt to fill this elsewhere, we walk away disillusioned, disappointed, exhausted and defeated because man’s love is empty in comparison to the deep, spiritual love relationship with our King, our Lord, our Groom.
And like any other relationship our relationship with Christ needs time to grow.
Like any other relationship it takes time to develop and blossom. We must take time and stop and reflect upon the joys and beauties of who He is and what He means to us.
This is the point of this series. Lord willing, that is what we are going to do to take some time to stare intently into the face of Jesus drinking in His awe-inspiring attributes. Yes, and Lord willing, and by the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit this time we spend with Him, we will be able to say as the psalmist:
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend…
…My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God
…As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,…
Psa 104:33 Psa 119:103 Song 5:16 Psa 42:1-2
Does your soul thirst for the living God? Loved ones, Jesus Christ is as Solomon Himself put it, altogether lovely. He is uniquely worthy of our love and adoration in a way that no one or nothing else is. If you were to transcend all time to seek from one side of Heaven to the other and if you where to inquire of all men, from all parts of the earth you would find that there never was or never will be any person so lovely and beautiful, so awe-inspiring and in every way so deserving of your love as the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a matchless transcendent, incomparable beauty and excellence in Jesus Christ that will never be equaled by anyone else.
Although I am painfully aware of my shortcomings and for that matter, the shortcomings of any man or any words really to adequately be able to express the magnificent beauty and greatness of Jesus Christ. But I am also confidently aware of the ability of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to do so.
So with that in mind may the Holy Spirit do that what He so loves to do—may He reveal to your heart, mind, and soul as we study his awe-inspiring attributes the shear beauty and magnificence of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that when this series is finish your love for Christ will be rekindled to the point that you will fall in love with Him more deeply and more passionately than you ever have before. And so that for you: You will become that pearl of great price. That pearl of great price that is worth pursuing at any and all cost. So let me end this introduction with a word the Holy Spirit placed upon my heart as I meditated upon this subject:
Lord, let us Lift up our eyes and set your thoughts and affections upon You. Let us believe that You are able to do that which You have already spoke. Let us consider Your words and take our eyes off of one another. Lord meet with us and satisfy our desire. Remind us, one another of the words you have spoken to us. Remind us of the great things You have already done. Help us to encourage one another with these things. Help us to understand it is you who walks amongst us, who knows our heart and desires our devotion.
His Omnipotent Power
Have you ever stopped to think about what is so attractive about power and authority? Why evil men are so desperate for it that they will lie, fight, and steal just to have it? And why even godly men, if used properly, consider it a tremendous blessing or privilege?
Assuming that its is used properly what makes power such a good thing to have?
Well lets shed a little light on the subject by staring with a simple definition.
Power—(1) the ability to act or produce the effect desired. (2) the possession of control,
authority, or influence over others. (3) physical, mental, spiritual or moral might.
In short, power is the ability to get something done the way you want it to get done.
For example, if your goal is to lift a 4 ½ million pound rocket into orbit, well, the amazing power of the solid rocket boosters and engines harnessed in NASA’s space shuttle have the power to get the job done.
Or similarly If your goal is to provide massive amounts of electricity to the thousands of homes and businesses of let say the area surrounding Niagara river, well, the power of the river being channeled through hydroelectric turbines does the job very nicely. Power, when harnessed for doing good, has almost unlimited capacity for doing good. Similarly, the term authority is much like power. Which Webster dictionary defines as follows.
Authority—power to influence or command a thought, a person, a thing, an opinion, or a behavior.
So like power, authority is and ability of sorts. A power to successfully command or influence people, possession or things. Of course, the more authority and power a person has, the greater ability that person has to get a certain thing done.
You can see in human terms why power and authority is such and attractive attribute. And if when we consider power and authority we can see why it would be helpful and good to have a close friend like a judge, a restaurant owner, or president of a bank or and elected official. Obviously, through power and authority, a purpose or goal could be achieved more quickly. Like a gettng a table at busy restaurant or change a policy in your local community or a quick approval on a home loan. Knowing the right people who have power and authority surely has its advantages. Yes, this should be self-evident why power is so attractive. As the saying goes, “With power comes privilege”. In addition, if power is managed with mercy, goodness, righteous, and kindness, well, this can be very enduring quality in a person. And a good friend with a lot of power and authority can bring and awful lot of favor and blessing into our lives.
If you could know any one person on earth in power and authority as a friend, who would it be? The President of the United States? A Billionaire? A supreme court justice? Well, you can see having a close relationship with a person like that would obviously and significant impact on your life wouldn’t it? And what if this person was also tremendously humble and loved you and cared deeply about your wellbeing and cared about your concerns? It would be hard not to be affectionately drawn to someone like that. Imagine if the President called you regularly on a weekly basis only because he cared about you because he was concerned about you and wondered if he could help you in some way.
Such compassion from such a powerful person like that would certainly draw your heart and love out towards that person. Now, with all that in mind, I would now like to ask you to consider the incomparable power and authority of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Because of
Him and Him alone, it is written:
Revelation 22:13
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Think about that… Jesus Christ God incarnate said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him! Not merely some but all authority. And not just on earth but all authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Him. Jesus Christ is the King of all kings!
There is no one on earth or in heaven that has greater power or higher authority. Knowing this has serious impact on everything we believe. Just drink in that astounding Biblical truth. Understand its scope and magnitude and embrace it.
I just say this you can not and will not have a right perception of Jesus Christ until or unless you think of Him as all powerful. To think of him as any thing less will profoundly affect your understanding of salvation and evangelism and human suffering and prayer and really ever other aspect of who we are and what we believe as Christians. So it is vital that you understand what A.W. Pink so eloquently expressed.
He who cannot do whatever he desires, or perform whatever pleases him, CANNOT BE GOD. And Jesus, HAS BOTH THE WILL AND THE RESOLVE TO DO WHATEVER HE DEEMS GOOD AND THE UNRESTRAINED POWER TO EXECUTE THAT WILL.
A.W. Pink
So in our pursuit of loving Jesus Christ more, it is imperative that we have the right understanding of who He really is. Verses some God we’ve come up with to suit ourselves. We must understand the he is not merely powerful but He is all powerful.
So consider the power and authority of Jesus Christ of whom it is said:
Hebrews 1:3
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Jesus Christ is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of his being. In other words You can have no clearer view of God than by looking at Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ is God; God incarnate, God in the flesh.
Or as the Gospel of John 1:1, 14 describes it. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. So not only is Jesus Christ God but from Him and to Him are all things. In other words, He (that is God) and Jesus Christ is the source, channel, and the object of all things. Every thing that exist flow from Him and through Him for His glory and His purposes. You cannot get any more power and authority than that. No wonder He is able to say:
Isaiah 46:9b11
… for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isa 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
And as Stephen Chamock wrote:
The power of God (and, therefore, Jesus Christ), is the unrestrained ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will mayresolve to do! As holiness is the beauty of all God’s attributes, so power is that which gives life and action to all the perfections of the divine nature. How vain it would be for God to decree, and ordain things…if He had no power to bring them about!! Without power, His mercy would be little more than feeble pity! His promises, just empty sounds! His threatenings, mere scarecrows! Christ’s power is like Himself: infinite, eternal, and incomprehensible. It can neither be checked, restrained, nor frustrated by the creature!
(Stephen Charnock, 1628-1680)
Lets consider the unrestrained raw supreme power of Jesus Christ as it was openly and dramatically displayed time and time again when God became incarnate and dwelled among us in the form and person of Jesus Christ.
For example that incomparable power of Jesus was made manifest when to the sick, blind and maimed, regardless of the severity or incurability of the disease, Jesus merely spoke the Word and Miraculously and supernaturally, He healed them ALL.
Matthew 4:23
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good
news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Jesus went through Galilee healing EVERY disease and sickness among the people—
not just some diseases, not just psychosomatic diseases, not hard to prove sicknesses like many charlatan faith healers who claim to heal today—no, Jesus Christ healed EVERY disease and sickness like the deadly and incurable disease of leprosy.
Matthew 8:1-3
Mat 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
Mat 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mat 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
I want you to notice that the text says IMMEDIATELY he was cured, right then and right there, on the spot. That same, amazing power and authority was displayed in the man whose hand was so maimed and diseased that it literally shriveled into a state of lifeless incapacity.
Matthew 12:9-13
Mat 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Mat 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
We are so prone to believe anything. But I sure would like to see one of those so-called “faith healers” who claim to heal in Jesus name do that. I would like to see them take a hand that is totally dead, lifeless, and shriveled and before the eyes of hundreds of skeptical eyewitnesses, instantaneously and on the spot, transform it back to perfect health or to cure a real verifiable lifelong disease such as blindness since birth.
John 9:1-5
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
John 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
John 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mat 9:30 And their eyes were opened;…
Oh, the immensely, unrestrainable, divine, miraculous, healing power of Jesus Christ. What love that ought to engender our hearts. What hope it ought to inflame and give us when we are facing an illness. And what love and heart felt gratitude we should have if we are enjoying good health by his grace and power. Or if we’ve been cured of some past affliction. Of this, you can be sure if a man or woman is healed by divine mandate or even through a physician, it is only because Jehovah Rophe the God who heals. The Great Physician has been on the case.
(Exodus 15:26d for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”)
And when a person is not healed, which we will discuss in greater detail later in this series, it is because God has deemed it good and appropriate for that situation to be like that. Not out of mere punishment in every case but sometime its because he is bringing about some greater good. Although we do not fully understand His ways, can trust that He always has a greater good in mind than we can perceive. Through all things, we can trust and grow in our love and admiration for Jesus Christ and appreciate His immense power and authority as his grace sustains us every time in our hour of need.
Psa 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
If God chooses to heal through the hands of prayer, we must always remember that we are simply the instruments that He chooses to use. We are never the source.
As Charles Spurgeon once wrote:
God’s power is like Himself: self existent and self-sustaining. He needs no man to do for Him. Even the MIGHTIEST, SMARTEST and MOST SKILLED of men cannot add so much as a SHADOW of increased power to the Omnipotent One. He sits on no buttressed throne, and leans on no existing arm. His court is not maintained by His courtiers, nor does it borrow its splendor from His creatures. He is Himself the great SOURCE and ORIGINATOR of ALL power!
Charles Spurgeon