Mark 12: 28-34 (ESV) And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him and to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. BIG IDEA: Love from God generates love for God. Love for God empowers love for others. 1. Love God SHEMA - ‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.’ The Bible Project Word Study: https://bibleproject.com/explore/category/shema-series/ LORD = the personal name of Israel’s covenant God. “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” - Deuteronomy 7:6–8 (ESV) LOVE = the eternal character of God expressed in affection and action. Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant, expressed in affection & action “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8 (ESV) 2. Love God And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Heart = core of our affections Soul = desires & feelings Mind = understanding Strength = energy & strength 3. Love For The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” LOVE OURSELVES = rest in our new identity given to us by Christ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (ESV) Counterfeits to Gospel Self Love Self-Indulgence – “Do whatever makes you happy, no matter the consequences.” Self-Promotion – “Build your brand, chase fame, make it all about you.” Self-Reliance – “You don’t need anyone, including God—just believe in yourself.” Self-Pity – “You're always the victim, so focus on what you lack rather than what God provides.” Self-Comparison – “Define your worth based on others, not on who God says you are.” The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” In a sermon, DA Carson encouraged us to examine the context surrounding Leviticus 19:18, showing that loving your neighbor as yourself means that you will: care for the poor (19:10), not steal (19:11), not lie (19:11), be fair in business dealings (19:14), care for the deaf (19:14), care for the blind (19:14), deal justly with all (19:15), avoid slander (19:16), not “jeopardize” the life of your neighbor (19:16), not “harbor hatred against your brother” (19:17), rebuke your neighbor when necessary for his and your good (19:17), and not take revenge or bear a grudge against others (19:18). Neighbor = Opportunity, not proximity or commonality (Good Samaritan) And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.