1. Tom Rucker

2. The Shema 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Deut. 6:4-5

3. The Greatest Commands And one of the scribes came up and …. asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:28-34

4. Five M s of the Love Commands The M agnitude of the commands The M agnitude of the commands Our M otivation to love God and love our neighbor Our M otivation to love God and love our neighbor Our M eans to love God Our M eans to love God Our M ethods to love God Our M ethods to love God The M eaning of loving our neighbor The M eaning of loving our neighbor M

5. The M agnitude of the Commands There is no other commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:31There is no other commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:31 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love ones neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. –Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love ones neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. –Mark 12:33 1 st

6. The M agnitude of the Commands And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. – Matt 22:37-40 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. – Matt 22:37-40 1 st

7. The Ten Commandments You shall have no other gods before. You shall have no other gods before. You shall not make for yourself a carved image You shall not make for yourself a carved image You shall not take the name of the L ORD your God in vain You shall not take the name of the L ORD your God in vain Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy Honor your father and your mother Honor your father and your mother You shall not murder You shall not murder You shall not commit adultery You shall not commit adultery You shall not steal You shall not steal You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor You shall not covet You shall not covet

8. The M agnitude of the Commands Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. – Rom 13:8-10

9. The M agnitude of the Commands If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well… For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:8-13 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well… For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:8-13

10. Jews believed conflict between commands was Gods design And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out? – Luke 14:5

11. Conflict Between Commands Matthew 12:1-8 1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.

12. Conflict Between Commands 3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

13. Conflict Between Commands 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." - Matthew 12:1-8

14. The Rabbi's Yoke Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30

15. Seven Schools of Pharisees Rabbi Hillel – Progressive (but not liberal) Rabbi Hillel – Progressive (but not liberal) 1 st – Love God with all your heart, soul, and might 1 st – Love God with all your heart, soul, and might 2 nd – Love your neighbor as yourself 2 nd – Love your neighbor as yourself Rabbi Shammai - Conservative Rabbi Shammai - Conservative 1 st – Love God with all your heart, soul, and might 1 st – Love God with all your heart, soul, and might 2 nd – Keep the Sabbath 2 nd – Keep the Sabbath 7 th - Love your neighbor as yourself 7 th - Love your neighbor as yourself

16. Our M otivation – Gods Love In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - I John 4:9-10 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - I John 4:9-10

17. Our M otivation – Gods Love Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - I John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - I John 4:11 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. - I John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. - I John 3:16

18. Our M eans – Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength Dallas Willard – Renovation of the Heart Mind Heart Body Soul Soul - Entire Being Heart - Our Will Our Will Our Spirit Our Spirit Mind - Thinking Thinking Feeling Feeling Body - Physical Social

19. Our M ethods – Love Languages Gary Chapman – Gary Chapman – The Five Love Languages Quality Time - Prayer Prayer Study Study Meditation Meditation Touch and Closeness - Spirit Spirit James 4:8 James 4:8 Gifts - Possessions Possessions Self Self Rom. 12:1 Rom. 12:1 Words of Affirmation - Praise of our lips and life Praise of our lips and life Telling other about Him Telling other about Him Acts of Service - Toward Others Matt. 25:40

20. The M eaning of loving our neighbor - Luke 10:25-37 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

21. The M eaning of loving our neighbor - Luke 10:25-37 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him nearly dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.."

23. Who Is My Neighbor? Rabbi Shammai - Conservative Rabbi Shammai - Conservative Religious Jew - Yes Religious Jew - Yes Non-religioius Jew – Probably Not Non-religioius Jew – Probably Not Pagan Jew or Roman – No Way Pagan Jew or Roman – No Way Rabbi Hillel – Progressive Rabbi Hillel – Progressive Religious Jew - Yes Religious Jew - Yes Non-religioius Jew – Yes Non-religioius Jew – Yes Roman – Yes Roman – Yes Greek Priest in Pagan Temple – Yes Greek Priest in Pagan Temple – Yes Samaritan – No Way Samaritan – No Way

24. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. The M eaning of loving our neighbor - Luke 10:25-37

25. 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." - Luke 10:25-37 Go and Love Your Neighbor

26. Who Is Your Neighbor? Atheists? Atheists? Muslims? Muslims? Denominational Christians? Denominational Christians? Those you used to go to church with? Those you used to go to church with? The needy who dont The needy who dont meet expectations? meet expectations? Those who do not meet Those who do not meet your expectations in our your expectations in our own congregation? own congregation?

27. Go and Love Your Neighbor!