## What About Love?

## Matthew 22:36-38

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. The history of the day is clouded with mystery, but it is a day that traditionally is associated with the concept of love. Cards, roses, chocolate, and jewelry will all be purchased and given in the name of love. But I wonder how many really have any idea of what true love is about?

As with all things, the source of real love is God. He is the creator and the architect of love. The Bible tells us that we love because He first loved us. Love is not an emotion, but is an act of the will. We are talking about commitment. When a couple stands before God and make vows to one another, they are committing themselves to one another. They are choosing to enter into a relationship with one another we know as marriage.

Love and commitment cannot be separated. We cannot truly love without a willing commitment. God desires for us to be committed to some things. His desire is for us to…

I. Choose to Love Him

(Mat 22:36-38) "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."

A. With all our heart.

1. To love Him with all the heart is to fix our affections supremely on Him, more strongly than on anything else.

2. To not be half-hearted…to not allow our devotion to be divided…

3. Isn't that what commitment is all about?

4. To be willing to give up everything else for Him…

5. Refusing to hold back…

B. With all our soul.

1. This means giving up our life.

2. Does that sound radical?

3. That is what Jesus Christ did for us!

4. And that is what He asks us to be willing to do.

1Jo 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

C. With all our mind.

1. Over and over in the Word of God we are directed to focus our mind upon the Lord.

2. When we are born again, we have a new life…and we have a new mind!

3. We are to think differently about everything!

Ro 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 4. God's desire is for us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind.

D. When we love the Lord as we should…the result will be obedience in our lives.

(John 14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.

(John 14:23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

1. Keeping His Word involves spending time in the Word of God

a. If we do not commit to studying and learning the Word of God.

b. We will not grow spiritually…If we do not grow, we cannot function as God desires for us…

c. We cannot fulfill His plan for our lives.

2. Keeping His Word involves spending time with Him in prayer

(Luke 18:1) "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"

a. Prayer is a vital link between a believer and the Lord.

b. He communicates to us through His Word and we communicate with Him through our prayers.

c. It builds and strengthens our relationship with Him.

3. Keeping His Word involves incorporating the principles of God's Word into our lives on a daily basis.

a. Living the Word is far superior to knowing the Word.

b. Allowing the Word of God to be so much a part of our lives that every decision is based upon the principles that we are taught through the Bible.

c. We show our love for God by our obedience to His Word.

II. Choose to Love Others

(Luke 10:27) "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." [5]

A. Jesus Christ lived His life on this earth with two motivating forces.

1. To fulfill the will of the Father

2. To serve and meet the needs of others.

3. What was and continues to be the greatest need of man? A Savior!

Lu 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

B. Who are the others? There are only two kinds of people.

1. Christians, believers, those who are saved.

2. Non-believers, non-Christians, the lost.

(1 John 3:14) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

C. How do we love 'the brethren' (other Christians)?

1. Love for the brethren is a thermometer of our spiritual health.

2. Christians express the love of God by opening their hearts to brothers and sisters in need.

(1 John 3:17) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

3. We also express our love for the brethren by encouragement in good times and in bad times.

(Romans 12:15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

D. How do we love the lost?

1. Share the truth of the Gospel, remember that is their greatest need.

2. God so loved this world that He sent His only begotten Son to die that we might have eternal life.

3. Jesus tells us that as the Father sent Him into the world, so send I you!

4. If we will love the lost enough to go, enough to share the gospel, enough to see them come to Christ…then we are in obedience to God's command to us as believers.

III. Choose to Love the Church

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

A. We love the church by making a commitment

1. By making a commitment to support our church and ministries with our faithful attendance and participation?

(Heb 10:25) "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

2. By making a commitment to support the church and ministries with our tithes and offerings?

(2 Cor 9:7) "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

3. By making a commitment to support the church and ministries with our labor.

(Luke 10:2) "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

a. There is much that needs to be done.

b. No contribution is too small…sitting in the nursery, teaching junior church, greeting people at the door, changing a light bulb, picking up trash…etc.

c. As we work together to accomplish God's will for our church.

(Eccl 4:9) "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour."

B. Are we committed to this local church?

1. If not I encourage you to come this morning?

2. Jesus loved the church and gave Himself…

3. What are we giving ourselves to?

4. Commitment will make the difference in our lives.

C. God calls us to be committed to…

1. Loving Him

2. Loving Others

3. Loving the Church

If you have never trusted Christ the invitation is for you come this morning and commit your life to Him? To the Christian, the invitation is for you to come and recommit your life to loving Him, loving others, and loving the church. Come whatever the need this morning.