3.5.12 "What's Really Important"

"What's Really Important"

Numbers 4:1-5:31
Mark 12:18-37
Psalm 48:1-14
Proverbs 10:26

In Mark 12 Jesus is fielding questions from the religious leaders, many of whom are trying to trap him. At one point he is asked by a religious teacher "of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"Jesus replied, 'The one that says, "Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only God. And you must love him with all you heart and soul and mind and strength." The second is: "You must love others as much as yourself." No other commandments are greater than these.'" (Mark 12:29-31)

We need to get these commands into the fiber of our being. To love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength is to live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. To love the Lord, we must obey his commandments. Every part of our being should be devoted to obedience.

One thing we need to understand is that love is a decision, and not an emotion. If I love the Lord when I "feel" like it, what kind of man of God would I be? When I decide to love him with my heart, soul, mind and strength, I guard all of those areas intensely. I don't want to allow anything in that would cause me to love him less. I don't want to put my self at risk of disobeying him. It is an active, aggressive decision to love the Lord. I don't sit around waiting to feel love for him, I DO it.

The second command is much the same. "Love others as much as yourself." What does that mean? We show love for self by meeting needs. When I'm hungry, I eat, when I'm tired I rest. We love others by considering their needs. Relationships Devoted to Unity are relationships that are devoted to meeting the needs of one another. This honors God.

I love today's Proverb. it says, "Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes." If we are living for self, there's probably an element of Laziness evident in our lives. We may work hard for what we want, but we tend to slack in the area of needs of those we work for. If we are following God's commands, we will intensely pursue the needs of our employers. To love our employers as ourself would be to put ourselves in their place. "If I hired someone, what would I want to see out of them?" And then out of biblical love, strive to meet the need with that intensity.

How important is it to Live the D & the R? Well, Jesus said "no other commandments are greater than these." I need to make it top priority in my life!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ