Loving and Serving God
Matthew 22:36-40
Part 1
Introduction:
It is impossible for us to love and serve others, until we have experienced the love of God in our lives. If we truly know and love God, we will serve God. If we are serving God, we will be busy serving others. This is one of the great needs of the hour, if we are going to experience Biblical Christianity.
I. WE MUST EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE IN SALVATION.
A. He that does not know God does not love Him, 1 John 4:8-10, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 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.”
1. Not knowing God, 1 John 2:4-5, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
2. God is love, v. 9; Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
3. The way His love was shown to us, vs. 9b-10:
a. God sent his only begotten Son, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
b. That we might live, John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
c. God sent Jesus to be a propitiation for our sins, Romans 3:24-25, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”
Note: Christ is “the propitiation,” because by his becoming our substitute and assuming our obligations he expiated our guilt, covered it, by the vicarious punishment which he endured. —Easton’s Bible Dictionary
B. He loved us first, 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
1. He loved us when we were both unloving and unlovely, Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
2. His love is our incentive to love…
a. The brethren, vs. 20-21.
1) If we do not love our brother, how can we love God? 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.”
2) That love ought to be unfeigned [genuine, sincere], 1 Peter 1:22, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:”
b. The lost, Mark 12:31, “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
1) Love him enough to witness to him, Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
2) Love him enough to be testimony of God’s grace, Titus 2:11-13, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
C. His love is poured out in our hearts, Romans 5:5, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
1. He has given us light in our hearts, 2 Corinthians 4:6, ”For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
2. We have the Spirit of God indwelling us, John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
3. The love of God in salvation has been sealed in us by the Spirit of God, Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
a. This is the Lord guarantee of Salvation, John 10:28-29, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
b. It is good until Jesus comes to receive us to Himself, John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
CONCLUSION
Next week we will go on to the next point about loving and serving God.