Living the Great Commandment, pt. 6

Alan wrapped up his series on Living the Great Commandment by teaching us how to love our neighbor as ourselves. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to Scriptures Alan references. 😊

Living the Great Commandment, pt. 6

Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:36-40

Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself

The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)

Four Questions About Loving Your Neighbor

1. How is the first part of the Great Commandment connected to the second part?
   • You cannot carry out the second part of the commandment without first carrying out the first part. Only loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength can sustain us in loving others.
   • If we are always in a state of discontentment, we are never going to love people like we should.
2. How does the whole of the Law and the Prophets hang on keeping the commandment to love our neighbor?
   • Keeping the Great Commandment is relational, not just an ethical/moral duty. Just being “right” is not the only thing that matters — that’s leaving out relating to your neighbor.
   • Matthew 12:9-14
   • Matthew 12:1-8
   • Key words to loving your neighbor:
     • mercy
     • compassion
   • All that you read about the Law & the Prophets is more about relational love between God & His people than it is about obedience.
     • This doesn’t mean you don’t obey God, but you obey out of love, not out of a sense of duty.
     • “The most boring person is the person who tries to live Christianity without Christ.” -Maj. Ian Thomas
3. Who is my neighbor? And how do I love my neighbor as myself?
   • John Piper – What Jesus Demands from the World
   • Who is my neighbor?
     • Luke 10:25-37
       • Don’t ask “Who is my neighbor?”, ask “What kind of neighbor am I?”
       • Key phrase: “He had compassion”
   • How do I love my neighbor as myself?
     • As you love yourself, so love your neighbor.
       • As you long for/seek/desire sustenance, shelter, mercy, etc. for yourself, long for the same things for those around you.
       • “Make the measure of your own self-seeking the measure of your own self-giving.”
4. What keeps us from loving our neighbor?
   • We really aren’t loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
   • Think of the two who passed by the man in the story of the Good Samartian:
     • Put religious beleifs above compassion
     • Their time was too important to them
     • Way too concerned about reputation
5. Conclusion
   • John 13:34
   • How did Jesus love us?
     • Galatians 2:20
   • Without Jesus, we could never love the way we are supposed to love.
   • Love our enemies – the ONLY way we can do that is if Jesus is living in us
   • Major Ian Thomas:
     • I can’t; He can. He never said I could. He always said He would. And He always will.