Adapted from a Perry Greene sermon series https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/1-greatest-command-1-to-the-core-perry-greene-sermon-on-love-for-god-186158?ref=SermonSeriesDetails

2. The “Shema” ( ) is
packed full of meaning and depth.
No wonder Jesus quotes it in regard to the
greatest command!
In this lesson we consider God speaking and
whether or not we are listening (i.e., obeying).

3. The famous Eddystone lighthouse off the coast
of Cornwall, England, was first built in a fanciful
way, by the learned and eccentric Winstanley.
On its sides he put various boastful
inscriptions. He was very proud of his structure,
and from his lofty balcony used boldly to defy
the storm, crying, "Blow, O winds! Rise, O
ocean! Break forth, ye elements, and try my
work!" But one fearful night the sea swallowed
up the tower and its builder.

4. The lighthouse was built a second time of wood
and stone by Rudyard. The form was good, but
the wood gave hold for the elements and the
builder and his structure perished in the flames.
Next the great Smeaton was called. He raised a
cone from the solid rock upon which it was
built, and riveted it to the rock; as the oak is
fastened to the earth by its roots.

5. From the rock of the foundation he took the
rock of the superstructure. He carved upon it no
boastful inscription like those of Winstanley, but
on its lower course he put, "Except the Lord
build the house, they labor in vain that build it;"
and its keystone, above the lantern, the simple
tribute, "Laus Deo!“ (praise (be) to God) and the
structure still stands, holding its beacon light to
storm-tossed mariners.

6. Several lessons can be gleaned from this
lighthouse.
God, through his Son is the hope of the world
and He must be declared!
Taking the word of God for our foundation, let
us build our structure upon its massive, solid
truth, and on every course put Smeaton's
humble inscription, and then we may be sure
that the lighthouse will stand.

7. Jesus was asked the greatest command ( )
and he responded with the Hebrew declaration of
God from
NIV 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?"
answered Jesus,

8. NIV Hear, O Israel: The LORD
our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength. These commandments
that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them
when you sit at home and when you walk along
the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind
them on your foreheads. Write them on the
doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

9. Focus on the uniqueness of God alone.
This is the key to real success.
NOT the trappings of success in the "stuff" we
accumulate to appear successful.
Consider two key questions:
God is Speaking,
Are We Listening?

10. At and Through Creation
NIV And God said, "Let there be
light," and there was light.
NIV For since the creation of the
world God's invisible qualities—his eternal
power and divine nature—have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been
made, so that people are without excuse.

11. At Sinai
God spoke to & through Moses giving the law to
Israel.
NIV The LORD said to Moses,
"Come up to me on the mountain and stay here,
and I will give you the tablets of stone with the
law and commandments I have written for their
instruction."

12. Through His Son
NIV In the past God spoke to our
ancestors through the prophets at many times
and in various ways, but in these last days he
has spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, and through whom
also he made the universe.

13. By his word, God is Speaking Clearly
Hear, to hear intelligently (Strongs)
To hear, listen to, obey (BDB)
ONE, 1 & only, not "Other" or "Another
Clarity produces Loyalty to the LORD, our God.
Are We Hearing?
Elijah at Mt. Horeb --

14. NIV The LORD said, "Go out and stand
on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the
LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful
wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks
before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD
was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake
came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after
the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it,
he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and
stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to
him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

15. We are to have Ears to Hear.
NIV
Not Hearing:
NIV And though the LORD has
sent all his servants the prophets to you again
and again, you have not listened or paid any
attention. They said, "Turn now, each of you,
from your evil ways and your evil practices, and
you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you
and your ancestors for ever and ever.

16. Understanding that Leads to Obedience.
NIV He replied,
The day is coming.
NIV The LORD will be king over
the whole earth. On that day there will be one
LORD, and his name the only name.

17. Loving God is Intentional
More than emotion, intentional action
A full commitment to Him
= Thoughts+Feelings, Emotion
= Life -- willing to give up life for God/to
God
= conscience dedication to obey/serve
= All our Ability, Force, Might, Power

18. Example of Josiah
NIV Neither before nor after
Josiah was there a king like him who turned to
the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with
all his soul and with all his strength, in
accordance with all the Law of Moses.
Loving God is Internal (in Effort)
Internal Effort to love at ALL times, good or bad
Prosperity is harder

19. NIV When the LORD your
God brings you into the land he swore to your
fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give
you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did
not build, houses filled with all kinds of good
things you did not provide, wells you did not
dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not
plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,
be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who
brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of
slavery.

20. NIV When you have eaten
and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for
the good land he has given you.

21. In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln
said, "We have been the recipients of the
choicest bounties of heaven; we have been
preserved these many years in peace and
prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth,
and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God.

22. We have forgotten the gracious hand which
preserved us in peace and multiplied and
enriched and strengthened us, and we have
vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our
hearts, that all these blessings were produced
by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have
become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity
of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud
to pray to the God that made us."

23. Loving God is Inspirational
Promise as well as a Command
May not fully love God right now,
Don't quit, believe the promise.
We can get sidetracked in tradition or even in
the actions we declare to God and miss the
point.

24. When the congregation of an old eastern European
synagogue recited the Shema prayer (
), half the congregation stood up and the other half
remained seated. The half that was seated started
yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones
standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up.
The rabbi, learned as he was in the Law and
commentaries, didn't know what to do.
His congregation suggested that he consult a
housebound 98-year-old man, who was one of the
original founders of their temple.

25. The rabbi hoped the elderly man would be able
to tell him what the actual temple tradition was,
so he went to the nursing home with a
representative of each faction of the
congregation. The one whose followers stood
during Shema said to the old man, "Is the
tradition to stand during this prayer?" The old
man answered, "No, that is not our tradition."

26. The one whose followers sat asked, "Is the
tradition to sit during Shema?" The old man
answered, "No, that is not our tradition."
Then the rabbi said to the old man, "Please help
us! The congregants fight all the time, yelling at
each other about whether they should sit or
stand." The old man interrupted, exclaiming,
"THAT is our tradition!"

27. Things to keep in mind:
This is a declaration of the ONE God.
Mystery of the Godhead
3-N-1?
One of my favorite illustrations is an egg. There
are 3 distinct parts that are found in an egg.
Yolk+White+Shell. If one of these is missing
there is no functional egg! It takes all 3!

28. This is a declaration of intent to carry out the
words of God.
Something NOT said -- “You shall love the
worship activities of God.”
It says to LOVE GOD.
Loving God is relational -- God has always
wanted relationship with us.

29. The reason Jesus came was to teach/show us
how to walk with the Father; and prepare the
way for us to follow
Stand and read Deuteronomy 6:4-9 together
NIV Hear, O Israel: The LORD
our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD
your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength.

30. These commandments that I give you today
are to be on your hearts. Impress them on
your children. Talk about them when you sit at
home and when you walk along the road, when
you lie down and when you get up. Tie them
as symbols on your hands and bind them on
your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes
of your houses and on your gates.