Do You Really Love God?

Do You Really Love God?

Deut. 6: 4,5

Let’s set the scene here. The people of Israel have just been liberated form Egypt. They’re between Egypt and Canaan, the Promised land. The Ten Commandments have already been given to Moses by God. The scene at Kadesh- Barnea has already passed where, because of their lack of faith, their unbelief, their flat out rebellion, the grawn up generation would not see Canaan except for Joshua and Caleb. Instead they will wonder around in the wilderness for forty years until all of the grown ups have died off.

So they’ve been freed from the chains of slavery and bondage and they’re on their journey to the promised land. And here in this particular chapter God has laid down the commandment to hear and obey to inherit God’s blessing on the foundation of the commandments that He’s already given them.

Now let’s bring this in to a modern day application. If you’re a child of God, meaning you’ve been born again, you’ve been washed in the blood of Jesus, you’re on your way to Heaven, then you’ve just been freed from Egypt. Your Egypt was sin and Satan. You’ve been freed from Satan’s grasp. He no longer owns you. You’ve been freed from the the chains, the slavery and bondage of sin and Satan.

But now you’re saved and you’ve been freed from Egypt this land of bondage and slavery and now you’re on your way to Canaan, or in other words to Heaven, your promised land, the land that flows with milk and honey.

But you’re not there yet. You’re still somewhere on your journey to the promised land. this journey is on a road that consist of mountains and valleys, highs and lows, bridges and bumps, trials and temptations, lessons and learnings with one mission. To lift up, adore and glorify Jesus Christ, The Lord of Lords and the King of Kinds. With one purpose. To draw all men unto Him. Jesus said, "And if I be lifted up above the earth, will draw all men unto me." Now we know of course that He was referring here to His death by crucifixion on the cross. But the principle is the same. If we’re living for Him, serving Him, lifting Him up in our lives, then the Holy Spirit can work through us to draw men to Him.

And here today where ever you and I are on our journey to the promised land, God lays before us this same commandment to hear and obey to inherit God’s blessings. On the same foundation of commandments . This foundation has a cornerstone, a sustainer and container. That cornerstone is God Himself. Because, you see without him there is no foundation.

For this simple reason is why His first and foremost command to us is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The Bible plainly teaches that a man cannot serve two masters at the same time. Either you serve Satan or you serve God. When we sin, whether it’s a life of sin or just one moment in time we’re serving Satan. When we’re doing what God wants us to do, serving Him and worshipping Him in and through our lives we’re serving God.

Now here in our text, in His usual manner, straight forward and up front, you can almost picture the profound, bold voice He uses here. "Hear me Israel. Pay attention. You shall love me with everything you’ve got. With all your heart, with all your mind and all your soul.

Do you really love God? Here He’s requiring the whole self-surrender of your whole being to God.

Everything about you.

Everything about your life,

Everything about your home.

Everything about your job.

Everything about your mind.

Everything is required right here and right now to be surrendered from you to God. Do you really love God?

I’m sure that if someone were to walk up to us on the street, on the job, in the grocery store, in the mall or somewhere out in public and asked us if we love God, I’m sure a lot of us, maybe even most of us would say, "Yes I sure do. I sure do love God." And that’s good and wonderful. We’re supposed to tell the world that we love the Lord our God. But you see, that’s only part of the plan.

What if that person that asked us that question were to walk on down the road just enough to get out of sight, lost in the crowd then turns around and follows us and watches us without us knowing it? In other words, do our actions speak as loud as our words?

What’s that person gonna see when he sees us get offended in some way or don’t get our way about something? Will he see us fussing and cussing, ranting and raving, acting ugly making a nasty scene? Or will he see us lovingly, in a Christ - like way diligently trying to make the situation right?