You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
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I'm really looking forward to jumping back into John's Gospel with you next Sunday.
As we pick up our study there in the middle of chapter 6.
It's been a while.
But I wanted to take this first Sunday of the new year to do a little heart check.
About why we're here.
What we're living for.
That topic, this passage we're going to look at have been on my heart for a while.
Because it is always important to remember what is most important.
As you've heard me say often, the main thing is to keep the main thing.
The main thing.
That's what those letters remind you of.
Got that from my dad.
You'll figure it out eventually.
But I've realized especially at the beginning of this new year.
How loudly we are told by voices both inside us and around us.
What the main thing is.
Multiple experts and media outlets summed it up this year as love yourself more in 2024.
That's the thing.
In most lists of New Year's resolutions, you have to get past the top 10 best New Year's resolutions to find anything that doesn't fit under love yourself.
The top three almost always are looking out for your physical fitness, your mental health, and your financial stability.
Some combination of those three in some order.
And there are a lot of good ideas out there, okay?
Diets and exercise.
Saving.
Getting out of debt.
Self-care and counseling.
All of those things can be so helpful.
Neither God's word nor this sermon is telling you to hate yourself.
Okay?
Please don't hear that.
But it is striking that when the greatest man who ever lived tells us what the greatest commandment ever given is.
When Jesus tells us what the main thing should be focusing our lives.
What should be the priority for how we live this year.
He points us in a very different direction.
Listen to what he says and then let's do a check up on our hearts.
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 22, at verse 34.
This is God's word given to direct our hearts and lives.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
And one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him.
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
And Jesus said to him,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
Let's pray together.
Father, we have heard love God and love neighbor before.
Don't let our comfort with those words make us complacent.
Would you come, Father, and so work by your Spirit that our hearts would not grow cold to this,
but that they would burn with love in a fresh way.
Bring your Spirit powerfully.
Change our hearts as you would do.
Shape them after the image of your Son, our Savior.
We ask it in his name.
Amen.
One of the first things that struck me when I was reading this passage this week
is that Jesus actually answers this question that's asked to test him.
He so often reframes or ignores questions asked to him by religious leaders.
Even twice, in fact, earlier in this very chapter he's done that.
But this question, a seeming puzzle, he takes head on.
What's the main thing for how we are to live, Rabbi?
Out of hundreds of laws in the Old Testament, which one stands out to you, Jesus?
And not only does he answer, but he also does so without downplaying any other laws or commandments.
In fact, he says, upon loving God and loving neighbor hang the whole law and prophets.
Just as we heard Jesus say in our Christmas series, part of why he came was to fulfill the law and the prophets, right?
So here, with authority that is really remarkable.
I mean, think about that.
To pick a single main law from hundreds of laws given by whom?
God himself.
Just pick one.
Tell me which one's most important.
Jesus doesn't hesitate.
Jesus affirms them all here and says you can organize them all.
You can pursue faithful living by focusing on two basic directives.
Focus number one.
Start here.
The great commandment.
Love yourself more.
No.
No, that's not what he says.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Notice, not merely obey the Lord your God.
Not merely sing to the Lord your God.
Not merely claim the name of the Lord your God, but love.
It's a relational word, isn't it?
Getting to know him more.
Growing in appreciation and value of who he is.
Understanding and then treasuring more of his heart.
That's why we talk about our relationships with God as the very first of our three key relationships that impact eternity.
We exist to love God.
Not just a little.
Not just occasionally.
But with all our heart.
And all our soul.
And all our mind.
Elsewhere, Jesus adds all our strength.
What he's saying is focus number one is loving God with all we are and have.
All our faculties.
All our resources.
All our relationships centered on God.
Our affections and our commitments.
Our plans and our decisions.
Our energy and our will.
All of them always toward what?
Loving God.
Brothers and sisters.
Please hear clearly what Jesus is saying to us this morning.
Nothing is more important than loving God.
It's the main thing.
That wasn't hard to figure out, was it?
I doubt it surprised anyone in here to hear that.
It's a pretty familiar verse.
In fact, I found as I examined my own heart and as I've been wrestling with this in recent months.
It's so familiar that I often just assume that I'm doing it.
I assume that I live that way.
That I do love God with all my heart and soul and mind.
I've been hearing it since I was a kid.
I mean, I'm here at church, right?
What do you think I'm doing?
Loving God.
But see, Jesus is asking not what building are you in?
Not have you heard this before.
Jesus is asking, is God truly central in our lives?
Is God deeply satisfying to our hearts?
If I'm honest, here's how I function so many days.
Just imagine me sitting down with my wife and pulling out the calendar.
Say, I don't know, like a few weeks ago maybe.
Let's start with at the top.
With what's central to our lives.
And let's talk about the next couple of weeks.
I mean, we've got school and work.
And then there's dance, of course, and swim and soccer and PTA.
We've got to fix the house.
Somebody might be staying here soon.
We've got to deal with that.
And get the Christmas presents.
Yep.
You know, honey, I'd really like to carve out some time for our family just to be together.
You know, when can we do that?
Oh, and for Jesus, too.
I mean, Jesus is really important.
I mean, it's coming up on Christmas time.
He's really, really important.
I think I actually said those words about family.
And trying to carve out some time.
And I thought them about Jesus.
And it made me shudder a little bit.
But if those distorted priorities show up in conversations about my time and my money and my energy,
shouldn't I assume that those priorities are probably playing out often in my heart?
That they're revealing what I really most love and live for?
I talk with enough of you to know that I'm not alone.
That that conversation I just described is not a weird or strange one to most of you.
In those experiences, perhaps it would be more helpful to say in those idolatries,
that feel like a big jump to you?
I was just talking about something normal, right?
Idolatry.
Yeah.
We're talking about what our hearts love most.
I think we better use words like that.
Most of us, most days, feel a lot like what I described.
I'd picture it this way.
Functionally, practically.
Go back one.
There you go.
I myself am at the center.
And I want, what I want is to feel good about myself.
Don't you want that?
I want to look good to others.
I want to have a good life.
Right?
And so what I do is I take all of these other things,
my job and my money and my family and my free time,
and I manage all of those other things so that I can feel good about myself.
And Jesus, too.
You know, church, grace groups, maybe a Bible study,
because that fits for me.
Maybe not for everybody, but for me,
that fits part of what helps me feel good and look good the way I want my life
so others see me as respectable or successful.
Jesus is a part of what's important to us.
Probably that's somewhere on your radar you wouldn't be here this morning.
But can you relate to that picture of your life where all of it spins around me?
It may be part of why you don't feel the closeness to God,
the power of God,
the hope in God that you long to feel and feel like you should be experiencing.
But the reality is he's just kind of lingering out there when we need him.
When really a good day is when I am praised,
when I am successful,
when I am loved.
That's why we need to sing,
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
houses or lands,
worldwide fame,
anything this world affords.
Because we need our hearts
called back to the glory,
the preeminence,
the centrality
of God,
of loving him.
As Jesus does in this passage,
it's what he's doing.
He's calling us back.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and all your soul
and all your mind.
Bring him back to the center.
Right?
Jesus has to be there in the center.
See, it's not that you have to stop having a job
or a family
or hobbies.
Those things are still a part of what's going on.
But rather, you have a relationship with God
that comes first.
So the question changes for us.
From how does my job, for instance,
make me look or feel good
or make my name great?
To how does my job make God's name great?
How does my time with my family
deepen my love for God?
How do I spend my free time
in ways that help me long
for the kingdom of God to come here
and for me to be a part of spending my energy
working toward that end
so that it's all for Jesus,
not all about me?
That's the new question.
Y'all, it is nearly impossible
to ask those kinds of questions
moment by moment
when we're never stopping
to contemplate God
and make those priorities
when we just keep moving.
We can't expect a relationship.
You know what a relationship is, right?
You can't expect a relationship
with God to flourish,
love for Him to grow
if we're not spending time
listening to His heart for us
in His Word
and sharing our hearts with Him in prayer.
That's what Derek was describing earlier
when we talk about reading God's Word
and then being able to talk back with Him.
We have to make that a priority.
You don't have to use our reading plan.
It's not magical.
It is right here
and it's better to leave here this morning
with this plan
than no plan for being with God.
But if we are to find God
deeply satisfying,
to find Him actually
at the center of our days
and decisions,
we have to be with Him.
We have to be in conversations
with others who point us to Him.
You don't have to search
for input in your life
to urge self
toward the center of your heart.
Don't worry about it.
You won't have to go looking.
Every ad,
most media and social media,
our own sinfulness,
the air we breathe in our culture,
it will do plenty of that.
What's one decision you could make today
to make Jesus more central?
Commit to praying for His Spirit's help,
reordering the loves of your heart.
He loves to answer that prayer.
Put grace group participation
on your calendar first.
Start spending maybe 10 minutes a day
if you're not reading God's Word,
reflecting on His story in your life,
and writing just one reason
that you love God.
If you read His Word for five minutes,
talk to Him for even five seconds,
you're going to have a reason
to write down to love Him.
Imagine, y'all, someone you love
writing not just a letter,
but an entire book
about His relationship with you,
the story of His love for you
and what He feels about you.
And imagine that He explains all of that.
Wouldn't reading that
and contemplating it
and sharing it with others
grow joy in your heart
for that relationship?
Wouldn't sharing it with others
make you think,
oh, my love for Him is growing?
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom.
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb.
Are you stopping to taste it?
Are you actually saying,
not just I can sing those words,
but that's true for my heart.
I'm experiencing that
so that actually I can say
He's all that my hungering spirit needs.
Let His love satisfy you.
Stop and let it fill you up.
I'd rather have Jesus
and let Him lead.
He really is better.
What a gift His Word is, right?
For the very first place
we're told to focus
on loving the Lord our God.
But Jesus actually keeps going.
He's certainly not going to contradict that.
But He wants to add one other thing
that's connected to it.
Verse 39.
The second is like it.
You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.
Having focused first
on our relationship with God,
this verse now commends
the other two key relationships
that impact eternity
that we say here we exist for.
Loving neighbor here in this verse
means those in the church family,
that's what we call our relationships
with one another,
and those beyond our church family,
our neighbors.
And it doesn't just say,
be a generally nice person to everyone.
No.
Jesus says at the heart
of this second fundamental commandment
is to love our neighbors
as ourselves.
The question He's asking us is,
are your neighbor's needs
as important
as your own?
Think about that for a minute.
Honestly, it is hard to imagine
thinking and living this way.
It's really important to you,
isn't it,
that you have food to eat today
and a warm place to sleep tonight.
It should be just as important
that the same is true
for your neighbor.
Oh, come on.
I mean,
no, no really.
as yourselves.
What else do you long for
for yourself?
A listening ear
when you're hurting.
You probably long
for someone to celebrate Christmas with
and a present or two
to open.
Meaningful work
where you're treated
with dignity.
Jesus is saying,
good.
Long for that
for your neighbor
to work toward
their enjoying
those same things
the way that you do.
And by the way,
it will likely
cost you something
to love your neighbor
like that.
It cost
the Good Samaritan.
It cost Jesus.
As Irish missionary
to India
Amy Carmichael said,
you can give
without loving
but you cannot love
without giving.
Making your neighbors
needs
as important
as your own.
Not normal
for us.
Not natural
for us.
Only possible
if you've actually
moved self
out of the center
to that
outer ring
where something
has displaced
your love for yourself.
Where Jesus
is now first.
Where Jesus
is now central
and look what happens.
self
and neighbors
are equal.
If Jesus
becomes central
if we get
the first relationship
if we get
that first
then we're actually
able to love
our neighbors
as we love
ourselves.
Both self
and neighbor
love
are outgrowths
of love
for Jesus.
Both are ways
that I live out
that first
relationship.
will we
really sing
Jesus
I my cross
have taken
all to leave
and follow
thee.
Thou from hence
Jesus
my all
shall be
perish
every fond
ambition
the things
I've sought
or hoped
or known
even if that
happens
if I lose
everything else
yet how rich
God
in heaven
are still
my own
I'm rich.
See there's
one other
important way
to think about
loving neighbor
as yourself.
Self
love
in this passage
not hatred
is taken
for granted
isn't it?
It
has to be
as you
love
yourself.
But remember
what Jesus
has just
said
what's
best
for you?
God
that's
what you
need
to have
your
relationship
with God
at the
center of
your life
is the
very first
thing
self
love
is taken
for granted
but it
is redefined
as being
fully
satisfied
in God.
So
love
for neighbor
as you
love
yourself
means
what?
Longing
for them
to know
that same
reality
that you
long to
know
for God
to be
central
in their
lives.
I live
now
to help
my brother
or sister
in my
grace group
be satisfied
in Jesus.
I live
to help
my
co-worker
my neighbor
next door
my friend
my classmate
taste
that true
life is found
not in living
for themselves
but in
knowing
God
and his
love
for them.
See what
that's love
for neighbor
is that I
want you
to know
this God
that I
long to
know
because
they're
in his
life.
What's
love for neighbor
going to look
like for you
this year?
I'm not
sure there's
so many
options
y'all.
It may
be committing
to pray
as long
every day
for the
needs and
hearts of
others
as you
do for
your own.
Maybe
volunteering
with jobs
for life
or our
youth
ministry
or our
missions
team.
Maybe
fostering
kids
to show
God's
love to
them
and to
their
families.
Maybe
gathering
a team
to minister
to people
battling
mental health
issues.
Maybe
taking the
time to
sit
regularly
with
someone
who's
aging
and
alone.
Maybe
talking
about
Jesus
with
the
person
you've
been
praying
for
over
the
last
year.
I
don't
know
exactly
all the
places
God
will send
you
to love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
but I
do
know
that
you'll
have
a lot
more
ideas
for it
if you
sit
with
Jesus.
If
you
talk
with
him
if you
ask
his
spirit
to
direct
you
because
you
want
nothing
more
than
with
everyone
everywhere
Jesus
show
me
today
where
are
you
sending
me
Jesus
tells
us
really
clearly
where
to
focus
it's
not
hard
to
understand
love
the
Lord
your
God
love
your
neighbor
that's
the main
thing
that's
what
we're
to be
about
not
just
to
say
it
sounds
nice
and
didn't
pastor
preach
a good
sermon
about
it
but
maybe
a little
long
no
actually
to
live
like
it
because
it's
what
we
were
made
for
and
it's
what
we
were
saved
for
kids
can I
tell you
some
good
news
this
morning
I
want
to
make
sure
you
hear
this
especially
if
you're
in
school
okay
school
aged
kids
what
Jesus
is
saying
means
that
the
main
thing
for
you
this
year
is
not
making
good
grades
at
school
I
hope
that
is a
relief
to
some
of
you
it's
not
making
bad
grades
either
but
sometimes
I've
felt
like
that's
all
that
matters
you're
not
just
little
test
takers
who
need
to
do
better
this
year
and
maybe
someone
will
love
you
if
you
do
the
main
thing
in
fact
is
not
that
you
be
the
star
player
on
your
team
or
that
boy
likes
you
it's
not
the
main
thing
God
wants
for
your
life
this
year
is
love
God
and
love
neighbor
it's
that
he
wants
your
relationship
with
him
to
grow
for
you
to
know
him
more
to
know
more
of
his
love
for
you
so
that
you
love
him
more
and
for
you
then
to
show
that
love
to
others
right
where
he
places
you
and
you'll
take
I
suspect
some
tests
along
the
way
you'll
have
some
hard
relationships
and
some
hurts
but
the
main
thing
is
to
keep
the
main
thing
the
main
thing
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart
all
your
soul
all
your
mind
and
love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
will
you
let
that
be
your
main
thing
this
year
well
pastor
there's
one
more
important
question
if I
do
who's
going
to
focus
on
me
if
I'm
focusing
all
my
time
and
energy
and
resources
on
loving
God
and
loving
neighbor
what
about
me
you
know
that's
why
everyone
tells
us
that
our
focus
should
be
loving
ourselves
right
I
read
it
this
week
if
you
don't
love
yourself
no
one
else
will
in
fact
if
you
don't
love
yourself
why
would
anyone
else
love
you
I'll
tell
you
why
grace
God's
love
for the
undeserving
the
unlovely
enemies
God
has
loved
you
so
completely
that
you
are
freed
and
sent
to
love
him
and
neighbors
with
all
you
are
and
all
you
have
with
no
fear
that
you're
going
to
be
left
out
he
will
keep
loving
you
let
give
you
a
picture
of
this
from
a
movie
that
didn't
win
any
awards
and
didn't
deserve
to
for
90
minutes
like
Mike
which
came out
about
20
years
ago
I
know
you
all
saw
it
is a
very
cheesy
utterly
predictable
movie
that you
don't need
to bother
seeing
it's the
story of a
13 year old
orphan named
Calvin
and he and
his friends
at the
orphanage
where he
lives
so desperately
long for
a family
to love
them
and nothing
seems to
go their
way
until Calvin
of course
finds magic
basketball
shoes
that make
him an
incredible
basketball
player
so he
starts
living
with
NBA
star
Tracy
Reynolds
and you
could write
the script
yourself
I promise
you
Calvin
loves to
bring his
orphan friend
Murphy
over to
Tracy's
awesome
house
and swimming
pool
and pantry
they go to
all the
NBA games
and of course
in the last
game
they win
and the season
is over
and it's
time for
Calvin to
go back
to the
orphanage
except that
what happens
Tracy
decides to
adopt
Calvin
you already
knew it
and you've
never seen
the movie
Calvin
finally has
what he's
most longed
for
not just
lots of
stuff
not just
fame
not just
money
a father
but this
one moment
is why I'm
telling you
the story
at this
climactic
moment
where Calvin's
greatest
needs
and his
deepest
longings
have finally
been met
he turns
to his
new father
and says
hey did you
know
today is
two for
one
orphan day
he turns
and hugs
his friend
Murphy
who is
now
his
brother
and Murphy
too
gets
a father
of
family
two
for
one
orphan
day
man I
like
that
maybe
this
year
could be
two
for
one
orphan
year
at
Southwood
I want
you to
listen to
me
brothers
and sisters
because I
love you
and I
want this
to sink
down
deep
into your
hearts
Jesus
doesn't
tell you
love
yourself
because the
main thing
for you
to remember
is that
that's
covered
that is
taken
care of
because of
Jesus
you have
been
adopted
as a
child
of the
king
you're
an
heir
of
heaven
in
Christ
God
meets
all of
your
needs
according
to his
glorious
riches
if
God
has
graciously
given
his
own
son
to us
how
will
he
not
also
along
with
him
give
us
everything
that we
need
if
God
clothes
the
grass
of
the
field
and
feeds
the
birds
of
the
air
will
he
not
much
more
care
for
you
are
you
not
much
more
valuable
than
they
even
the
very
hairs
of
your
head
are
numbered
he
has
loved
you
with
an
everlasting
love
he
holds
you
in
his
everlasting
arms
no
one
can
snatch
you
out
of
his
hand
nothing
can
separate
you
from
his
love
he's
got
you
he
won't
let
you
go
off
we
contemplated
that
every
day
make
delighting
in
that
relationship
with
your
gracious
and
loving
heavenly
father
the
main
thing
this
year
yeah
and inviting
others
into
it
too
two
for
one
orphan
day
the
streams
of
his
love
are
unending
you
can
keep
sharing
them
with
your
neighbors
with
full
confidence
they
won't
ever
run
out
for
them
or
for
you
the
main
thing
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart
all
your
soul
and
all
your
mind
and
love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
let's
pray
father
so
help
us
that
we
wouldn't
be
recognizable
you
so
transformed
us
that
our
love
for
you
would
so
fill
our
hearts
and
overflow
from
us
that
Huntsville
would
know
how
much
God
loves
them
how
amazing
is
your
care
and
provision
how
good
is
your
grace
how
comforting
is
your
faithfulness
work
in us
and
then work
through us
we pray
for the
glory
of
Jesus
amen
for more
information
visit us
online
at
southwood.org