Loving God

Loving God
			
 It is easy to forget that a love for God is the basic fundamental principle of the Christian faith.
				
     A.   "Love is the fairest flower that blooms in God's garden."
     B.   Matthew 22:34-40.
			
              "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? 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. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
		
 
		
This morning, we are going to talk about a love for God.
		
 I.   LOVING GOD.
				
     A.   Loving God involves the total person (Mark 12:30).
		
          1.   Heart -- Loving God with all your emotions (Deuteronomy 10:12).
		
 "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of   thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
		
          2.   Soul -- Loving God with all your life (Revelation 12:11). "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”      
		
          3.  Mind -- Loving God with all your intellect.
		
          4.   Strength -- Loving God with all your power. 
		
     B.   Loving God is a response to God's love.
		
1. God loved us first (1 John 4:10). "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
			
2.   God's love for us is that He sent His Son to die for us. (Romans 5:8; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16)       
		
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  1 John 3:16 – "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us.”           
			
               
		
     C.   Loving God involves:
		
          1.   Obedience (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3).
		
          John 14:15 – "If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
		
  1 John 5:3 – "For this is the love of God, that we keep His    commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”
		
          2.   Sacrifice (Matthew 6:33).  "Seek ye first the kingdom..”
		
          3.   Commitment (Revelation 2:10).
		
     D.   Loving God includes:
		
          1.   Loving the church.
		
a.      We will keep it pure, doctrinally sound, and 
			
     Christ-like in attitudes.
		
          2.   Loving the truth (Psalm 119:97). "O how love I thy law!  It is my    meditation all the day.”
		
         Men will perish if they don't have a love for the truth.
				
        (2 Thessalonians 2:10) "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
		
         3. Loving unity (Ephesians 4:3). "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
		
         Too many have loved a good fight more than loved unity.
		
                                                       
 How much do you love God today, this morning, right now?  Just think of what God has done for you!  Is it asking too much to love Him enough to be obedient to God and to love Him all the days of your life?  There is but one way to God and that is through Jesus The Christ. (John 14:6)  In Ephesians, chapter 4, the Bible speaks of the oneness of the church, the oneness of unity, the one God, the one baptism.  There is but one plan of salvation.  Hear God’s word and believe. (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6); Repent of your sins, Luke 13:3; Confess His name before men, Matthew 10:32; and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21; and Galatians 3:27.  How about you?  All things are ready, if you will make the choice today to come to God as together we stand and sing. 
 
Jimmy
Antioch church of Christ
11/27/10  AM
This is my last sermon as minister of the Antioch church of Christ.  Bro Steven Foster will be the new minister as of 12/01/10. God bless you all!