Sep 7, 2021
Luke 10:25-37
Today we begin a new sermon series entitled, “We Are Crossgate.”
Have you noticed that we all want to know who or what is the greatest? It even goes back to the time of Jesus, when a Jewish scribe/lawyer asked by far the ‘greatest of all time’/The GOAT question of Jesus.
The question was this, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Let’s look at Jesus’s response, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” The scribe answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
1) LOVE GOD SUPREMELY
Jesus commands us to make God the highest passion in our heart, the one we think about first and most; the undisputed champion of our affections.
2) LOVE OTHERS GENUINELY
We should care about our neighbor’s needs as much as we do our own; rejoice in their happiness, worry about their futures and weep about their sorrows just as much as we do our own.
3) WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR
Jesus taught something radical. We are to help those, especially those, with whom we have little in common; even those who might have wronged us. Which could mean:
- The person you barely know.
- Those on the other side of the political aisle.
- Those whom you feel are suffering because of mistakes that they, or their family, have made.
- The boss at work who has taken advantage of you.
- Muslims fleeing Afghanistan.
“Do not withhold good from your neighbor when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27)
The weightiest part of the law is to love your neighbor as yourself! If we want to evaluate our walk with Jesus, look at how much of our resources and time are poured out for others in Jesus’ name?
4) WHY WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS
You see, if we understand Jesus’ life, we are the ones saved by radical grace by a God who had every right to regard himself our enemy. And when we embrace that we to will become givers of radical grace.
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
5) HOW WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS
Here at Crossgate Church we Love our city. We’re on a mission to share the kingdom of God in every corner. We believe Jesus is King of it all, so we are not content to live in the safety of our Christian subculture.
So in closing, how are you doing in loving those around you?