OceanSide church of Christ




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I AM RESOLVED…

To Love God with My All

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Our theme for this year at OceanSide is:  “I Am Resolved…”

 

B.      In this lesson, we are going to be talking about

1.      The most important resolve that we should have.

2.      The resolve that will radically impact our lives.

3.      The resolve that will fill our Christian lives with peace and joy.

4.      The resolve that God knows must be first and foremost in our lives.

 

C.     This resolve is expressed in two passages of Scripture.

1.      Matthew 6:24

 

No man can serve two masters:  for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammom.

 

2.      Mark 12:29-30

 

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commands is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord:  and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:  this is the first commandment.

 

D.    Today, we will be discussing the subject:  “I Am Resolved…to Love God with My All.”

1.      This lesson needs to count.

2.      This lesson needs to resonate with all present.

3.      This lesson needs to make us reflect.

4.      This lesson needs to sober our spiritual man.

 

E.      In preparing this lesson, I brainstormed on a sheet of paper.  This is the organized result of that brainstorming session.

 

I.                   NO ROOM FOR DIVIDED AFFECTIONS OR ALLEGIANCE

 

A.    We opened with Jesus’ words that said:  “No man can serve two masters…” (Matt. 6:24).

 

B.      I John 2:15

 

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is no in him.

 

1.      We cannot long for God, and lust after the world.

2.      We cannot seek after God, and seek to please self.

3.      We cannot mentally acknowledge God, and physically deny Him.

 

C.     Examples:

1.      Two verses:

a.      I Timothy 3:5a

 

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…

 

b.      Titus 1:16

 

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

 

2.      Two examples:

a.      King Saul:  God vs. self

b.      The Jews of Jesus’ day (Matt. 15:7-8)

 

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

 

II.                LOVING GOD WITH MY ALL BEGINS WITHIN

 

A.    Jesus began the first commandment with heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12:30).

 

B.      Loving God begins with

1.      Knowledge

2.      Understanding that knowledge

3.      An appreciation of that knowledge

4.      An earnest decision about what is known

 

C.     Two examples:

1.      A challenging, well-disciplined teacher (many students do not like this teacher)

a.      We gain a knowledge of the teacher

1)      Difficult home life

2)      Dropped out of school

3)      Made some mistakes

4)      GED, under grad, grad school

5)      Teacher of the Year for 4 years

6)      Has written a text about Education

b.      Our understanding that knowledge grows

1)      Difficulties at home:  loss of parents, foster care, abuse

2)      Dropped out of school:  never enjoyed school

3)      Mistakes:  drugs, sex, arrested, child out of wedlock

4)      GED at 27, finished Grad School by 32

5)      Teacher of the Year 4 times

6)      Textbook on Education

c.       We grow to deeply appreciate this knowledge:  proper estimate and value of a thing

d.      We make a decision:  Instead of not liking the teacher, we appreciate her, defend her, and take all of her classes.

2.      God

a.      Some things to know about Him

1)      Who He is

2)      His love for us

3)      His desire to being good things into our lives

b.      We do this with God’s love all the time.

1)      The end (I John 4:19).

 

We love him, because he first loved us.

 

2)      We know God loves us.

3)      We come to an understanding of that love through what was done through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

4)      We appreciate what was done.  We understand the cost.

5)      We make a decision to love Him based on His love for us.

 

D.    NOTE:  Love has feelings, but it starts deep within the rational, sensible, components of man.

 

III.             LOVE GOD WITH “MY ALL”

 

A.    My all includes:  mind, talents, behavior, voice, example, time, money, activities, faith, and energy.  Whatever belongs to me and I use is part of “my all.”

 

B.      All of these things must act in such a way that our love for God is manifested.

1.      Voice

a.      Speaking the truth (Eph. 4:25)

b.      Kindness (Prov. 31:26)

c.       Encouragement (Heb. 10:24)

d.      Forgiveness (Eph. 4:32)

e.       Rebuke (Prov. 9:8)

f.        Counsel (Prov. 27:9)

2.      Activities:  music, games, TV shows, movies, blogging, texting, reading, exercise, and recreation

 

IV.             TO LOVE GOD, WE MUST

 

A.    Know Him:  Can we love someone we do not know?

 

B.      Communicate with Him:  Communication is the essence of a relationship.

 

C.     Be with Him:  Love at a distance is hard, if not impossible.

 

D.    Put Him first:  He is too great to be put second, or third, or last on our list.

 

E.      Obey Him:  This is the divine “test” of love.

 

F.      Be loyal to Him:  Devoted, true, behind one, on one’s side, unfailing

 

G.     Not be ashamed of:  There is no guilt, disgrace, or remorse in our heart over Him.

 

H.    Worship Him:  Love is expressed in our adoration of Him.

 

I.        Give:  Love always want to show the other how much it loves and is seen in giving.

 

J.        Serve others:  God’s love in us is expressed to others.

 

K.     Lose Self:  Self divides our loyalties with God.

 

L.      Be fervent:  Love is expressed with earnestness and with a whole heart.

V.                EXAMPLES OF LOVING GOD WITH ONE’S ALL

 

A.    Abraham (Gen. 22:10)

 

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

 

B.      Esther (Esth. 4:16b)

 

…and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law:  and if I perish, I perish.

 

C.     Three Hebrew youths (Dan. 3:18)

 

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

 

D.    The poor widow (Mark 12:42)

 

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites which make a farthing.

 

E.      Mary (John 12:3)

 

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair:  and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

 

F.      Stephen (Acts 7:59)

 

And they stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

 

G.     Dorcas (Acts 9:39)

 

Then Peter arose and went with them.  When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber:  and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

 

H.    Saul (Phil. 3:7)

 

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Resolving to love God with our all should be our most important endeavor.

 

B.      How do we develop the “want to” and the “wherewithal” to do it?

 

C.     How do we break the chains from all the things that keep us from loving God as we should?

 

D.    How would you respond to the Lord’s question asked to Peter in John 21:15?

 

So when they had dined, Jesus saith unto Simon Peter, Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?