2. Seeking the Things of God 8 The Elephant in the Room

3. We have considered… Distinguishing between the secular and sacred Learning HOW to look The attitude of the true seeker God is worth the search Sacrifice is necessary One’s love for God

4. Don’t roll your eyes… And compartmentalize, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15 ESV)

5. Don’t roll your eyes… And compartmentalize, For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3 ESV)

6. Don’t roll your eyes… And compartmentalize, And rationalize, If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:20-21 ESV)

7. Don’t roll your eyes… And compartmentalize, And rationalize, And homogenize love,

8. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5] or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [6] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. [7] Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

9. Don’t roll your eyes… And compartmentalize, And rationalize, And homogenize love, Or naturalize godly love.

10. [14] But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. [15] This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. [17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. [18] And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:14-18 ESV)

11. At the root of every external failure is internal failure to properly love God At the root of our failure to love God properly is not inability, but unwillingness

12. Loving God is a core-issue for Discipleship [39] You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40 ESV) [42] “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11:42 ESV)

13. What does godly loving imply? A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34 ESV)

14. What does godly loving imply? Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 ESV) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10 ESV)

15. What does godly loving imply? 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.” (Luke 10:27 ESV) And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2 ESV)

16. What does godly loving imply? For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3 ESV) 1.We are to love as Jesus loves 2.We are to love with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength 3.We are to see the love of God beneath all acts of obedience

17. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. [3] I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. [4] You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:2-4 ESV)

18. not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 ESV)

19. Ultimately, if one is lost it is because he failed to love God in the way that God desired to be loved.