Love God and Neighbor Part 1

Love God and Neighbor   

Part 1

     

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”

Since you and I are followers of Jesus, we are his disciples. Jesus taught his

disciples to go into all nations and help more and more people become his

obedient followers. He told us that the way we should do this was by baptizing new disciples and by teaching them to obey everything that He commanded.

One time a man asked Jesus a very important question. He asked, “Teacher,

which is the greatest commandment in the law? Now there are many, many

commandments in the Law of Moses. But Jesus did not hesitate to give this

man an answer to his very important question about the most important

commandment. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and

with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest

commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All

the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love God and love your neighbor. There is nothing more important than this.

But for so many of us, these are very hard commandments to keep. When we

are born again, we express our love for God. We thank him for forgiving us and making us a new person. But loving our neighbor can be very difficult. All of our life we have been taught to protect ourselves and our family. We have

been taught that we cannot trust strangers. On many occasions we have been

hurt by the actions of others. People have cheated us. People have insulted

us. People have told lies about us and spread rumors about us. Some have

tried to destroy our reputation. People have stolen from us. Some may have

even tried to kill us. And now Jesus says to us, “Love your neighbor as

yourself.” It is not easy. We do not have the ability to carry out this command

of Jesus in our own strength. But God can help us.

So call out to Jesus to fill your heart with love for your neighbors. Meditate on

the example of Christ who came into our world only to be rejected and

despised. Remember how he loved sinners, how he loved tax collectors, how

he loved his friends. Remember how he was constantly making new friends.

Remember how he showed the full extent of his love by dying for you and me

on the cross of Calvary. Ask him to fill your heart with his love.

Then take action. With words and with actions, love your neighbor as yourself.

In simple ways, every day, demonstrate the love of Christ. This is how the

people of the village where you are planting a church will know that you are

one of Jesus’ disciples. You can do it. God will help you. So don’t give up.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

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