What does it mean to love God?

 What does it mean to love God? 

Mark 12:30 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.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

These are the words of Jesus, but what do they mean to us today?  Through the Bible we have been given many commandments. Rules to follow to live the Christian life. This commandment was given by God and  is the foundation of all other commandments. As we explore this we will see how they are all connected. 

Intro: As we consider loving God and what this means it is important to say that to love God, is to know God and knowing God you will love him. Psalms 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. God has placed inside of us the desire to seek him and to know him. Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD:  This is the heart of God, that we seek him and know him. He wants to have fellowship with is because he loves us, and created us in his image. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Also in, Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. But how can we know him? How can we seek him? These are the questions that Jesus answered in Mark 12:30 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. Once we know God and are called a child of God, John 1:12 We must believe on the Lord, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Receiving God and knowing God come from believing in God, for it is the fool that believes there is no God, Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. So once we know God and repent from our sins and accept God as our Savior, then can we begin to learn how to love God. Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 

1. With all thy Heart

1. We learn to love God through worship. 

1. Luke 4:8 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve

2. Psalm 150 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
   2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
   3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
   4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
   5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
   6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

2.  We learn to love God through our focus

1. I John 2:15 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 not in him. 

2. Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

2. With all thy soul 

1. As we focus on loving God our soul begins to see people as God sees people. 

1. Matthew 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

2. Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

3. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

2. Our Soul will thirst after the Word of God

1. Honey- Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

2. Mirror-  James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

3. Sword- Hebrews 4:12- For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

3. With all thy mind

1. Pure thoughts- Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2. Pure words- Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

3. Pure desires- 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

4. Pure focus- Colossians 3:2-5 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

4. With all thy strength

1. Through our obedience - 

1. John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

2. 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

2. Through our actions

1. Luke 7: 37-38  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Jesus said these words, Matthew 7:16-20 King James Version (KJV)
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

As we grow in our love for God and grow in the Bible, the Word of God, we will begin to love him more. Things of the world, the traditions of the world, the thinking of the world and the actions of the world will go away and will be renewed in our thinking as we become Christ-like and love Him more.