Love the Lord with all your Heart

Matt. 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 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.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

First Commandment - Love the Lord with all your heart

What is love?  Is it a feeling, an emotion?

Real love was when God gave His only son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for your sins.

Would you be willing to give your son?

We first need to know how God defines “love.” It means to have affection for, desire, delight in, or be fond of. It implies a tenderness of affection, and denotes a strong emotional attachment for and a desire to be in the presence of the object of love.

If you love the Lord with all your heart you will love the people God placed in your life:

I.  Husbands will love their wives as Christ loves the church

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

One of the greatest examples of love is commitment. What better illustration of persevering love is there than a couple that keeps their marriage vows for fifty, sixty or even seventy years, despite the trials of life?

 II.  Love your friends - Jesus had friends he loved

John. -  John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

Mary, Martha & Lazarus  -  John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

 III.  Love your family

I John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Family love is a precious gift from God, and it is something to be cherished. Strong families are built on a foundation of selfless love and sacrifice. If you want your family to be strong, start with a foundation of love.

IV.  Love the people in the church 

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

You should have a sacrificial love - God wants us to offer ourselves wholeheartedly, living for him with every part of our being.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 We are not to love God with only part of ourselves, but are to measure every thought, emotion, feeling, word, and action in light of our desire to please and honor Him. We are to pursue our love for Him in every aspect of daily life, with all that we are.

If you love God you will keep his commandments (obey Him)  John 14:5 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Conclusion: Our love for God must surpass not only our love for other people, but also for the things of this world.

In I John 2:15 John tells us if we love the world, we do not love the Father.

How are you loving God today?