What Does God Value Most?
Mark 12:28-34
Common Questions About Faith (Series)
The search for what God values most. Exodus 20:1-3 1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me
The first of the Ten Commandments
(Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
Mark 12:28-31 28
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Do to others, what you would have them do to you. The golden rule has been misunderstood.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”— but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
Mark 12:32-33 32
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
It’s not enough to do the right thing. God wants your heart.
Mark 12:34 34
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Close to your destination isn’t far enough.
Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
How can we have a Godly love (Agape Love) for others? By having a love that doesn’t love others for a response.
We love God, by loving our neighbor! What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through these scriptures?
