Matthew 22:34-40 “Heart Check”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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I'm really looking forward to jumping back into John's Gospel with you next Sunday.

As we pick up our study there in the middle of chapter 6.

It's been a while.

But I wanted to take this first Sunday of the new year to do a little heart check.

About why we're here.

What we're living for.

That topic, this passage we're going to look at have been on my heart for a while.

Because it is always important to remember what is most important.

As you've heard me say often, the main thing is to keep the main thing.

The main thing.

That's what those letters remind you of.

Got that from my dad.

You'll figure it out eventually.

But I've realized especially at the beginning of this new year.

How loudly we are told by voices both inside us and around us.

What the main thing is.

Multiple experts and media outlets summed it up this year as love yourself more in 2024.

That's the thing.

In most lists of New Year's resolutions, you have to get past the top 10 best New Year's resolutions to find anything that doesn't fit under love yourself.

The top three almost always are looking out for your physical fitness, your mental health, and your financial stability.

Some combination of those three in some order.

And there are a lot of good ideas out there, okay?

Diets and exercise.

Saving.

Getting out of debt.

Self-care and counseling.

All of those things can be so helpful.

Neither God's word nor this sermon is telling you to hate yourself.

Okay?

Please don't hear that.

But it is striking that when the greatest man who ever lived tells us what the greatest commandment ever given is.

When Jesus tells us what the main thing should be focusing our lives.

What should be the priority for how we live this year.

He points us in a very different direction.

Listen to what he says and then let's do a check up on our hearts.

Matthew's Gospel, chapter 22, at verse 34.

This is God's word given to direct our hearts and lives.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

And one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him.

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

And Jesus 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.

Let's pray together.

Father, we have heard love God and love neighbor before.

Don't let our comfort with those words make us complacent.

Would you come, Father, and so work by your Spirit that our hearts would not grow cold to this,

but that they would burn with love in a fresh way.

Bring your Spirit powerfully.

Change our hearts as you would do.

Shape them after the image of your Son, our Savior.

We ask it in his name.

Amen.

Amen.

One of the first things that struck me when I was reading this passage this week

is that Jesus actually answers this question that's asked to test him.

He so often reframes or ignores questions asked to him by religious leaders.

Even twice, in fact, earlier in this very chapter he's done that.

But this question, a seeming puzzle, he takes head on.

What's the main thing for how we are to live, Rabbi?

Out of hundreds of laws in the Old Testament, which one stands out to you, Jesus?

And not only does he answer, but he also does so without downplaying any other laws or commandments.

In fact, he says, upon loving God and loving neighbor hang the whole law and prophets.

Just as we heard Jesus say in our Christmas series, part of why he came was to fulfill the law and the prophets, right?

So here, with authority that is really remarkable.

I mean, think about that.

To pick a single main law from hundreds of laws given by whom?

God himself.

Just pick one.

Tell me which one's most important.

Jesus doesn't hesitate.

Jesus affirms them all here and says you can organize them all.

You can pursue faithful living by focusing on two basic directives.

Focus number one.

Start here.

The great commandment.

Love yourself more.

No.

No, that's not what he says.

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

Notice, not merely obey the Lord your God.

Not merely sing to the Lord your God.

Not merely claim the name of the Lord your God, but love.

It's a relational word, isn't it?

Getting to know him more.

Growing in appreciation and value of who he is.

Understanding and then treasuring more of his heart.

That's why we talk about our relationships with God as the very first of our three key relationships that impact eternity.

We exist to love God.

Not just a little.

Not just occasionally.

But with all our heart.

And all our soul.

And all our mind.

Elsewhere, Jesus adds all our strength.

What he's saying is focus number one is loving God with all we are and have.

All our faculties.

All our resources.

All our relationships centered on God.

Our affections and our commitments.

Our plans and our decisions.

Our energy and our will.

All of them always toward what?

Loving God.

Brothers and sisters.

Please hear clearly what Jesus is saying to us this morning.

Nothing is more important than loving God.

It's the main thing.

That wasn't hard to figure out, was it?

I doubt it surprised anyone in here to hear that.

It's a pretty familiar verse.

In fact, I found as I examined my own heart and as I've been wrestling with this in recent months.

It's so familiar that I often just assume that I'm doing it.

I assume that I live that way.

That I do love God with all my heart and soul and mind.

I've been hearing it since I was a kid.

I mean, I'm here at church, right?

What do you think I'm doing?

Loving God.

But see, Jesus is asking not what building are you in?

Not have you heard this before.

Jesus is asking, is God truly central in our lives?

Is God deeply satisfying to our hearts?

If I'm honest, here's how I function so many days.

Just imagine me sitting down with my wife and pulling out the calendar.

Say, I don't know, like a few weeks ago maybe.

Let's start with at the top.

With what's central to our lives.

And let's talk about the next couple of weeks.

I mean, we've got school and work.

And then there's dance, of course, and swim and soccer and PTA.

We've got to fix the house.

Somebody might be staying here soon.

We've got to deal with that.

And get the Christmas presents.

Yep.

You know, honey, I'd really like to carve out some time for our family just to be together.

You know, when can we do that?

Oh, and for Jesus, too.

I mean, Jesus is really important.

I mean, it's coming up on Christmas time.

He's really, really important.

I think I actually said those words about family.

And trying to carve out some time.

And I thought them about Jesus.

And it made me shudder a little bit.

But if those distorted priorities show up in conversations about my time and my money and my energy,

shouldn't I assume that those priorities are probably playing out often in my heart?

That they're revealing what I really most love and live for?

I talk with enough of you to know that I'm not alone.

That that conversation I just described is not a weird or strange one to most of you.

In those experiences, perhaps it would be more helpful to say in those idolatries,

that feel like a big jump to you?

I was just talking about something normal, right?

Idolatry.

Yeah.

We're talking about what our hearts love most.

I think we better use words like that.

Most of us, most days, feel a lot like what I described.

I'd picture it this way.

Functionally, practically.

Go back one.

There you go.

I myself am at the center.

And I want, what I want is to feel good about myself.

Don't you want that?

I want to look good to others.

I want to have a good life.

Right?

And so what I do is I take all of these other things,

my job and my money and my family and my free time,

and I manage all of those other things so that I can feel good about myself.

And Jesus, too.

You know, church, grace groups, maybe a Bible study,

because that fits for me.

Maybe not for everybody, but for me,

that fits part of what helps me feel good and look good the way I want my life

so others see me as respectable or successful.

Jesus is a part of what's important to us.

Probably that's somewhere on your radar you wouldn't be here this morning.

But can you relate to that picture of your life where all of it spins around me?

It may be part of why you don't feel the closeness to God,

the power of God,

the hope in God that you long to feel and feel like you should be experiencing.

But the reality is he's just kind of lingering out there when we need him.

When really a good day is when I am praised,

when I am successful,

when I am loved.

That's why we need to sing,

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,

houses or lands,

worldwide fame,

anything this world affords.

Because we need our hearts

called back to the glory,

the preeminence,

the centrality

of God,

of loving him.

As Jesus does in this passage,

it's what he's doing.

He's calling us back.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and all your soul

and all your mind.

Bring him back to the center.

Right?

Jesus has to be there in the center.

See, it's not that you have to stop having a job

or a family

or hobbies.

Those things are still a part of what's going on.

But rather, you have a relationship with God

that comes first.

So the question changes for us.

From how does my job, for instance,

make me look or feel good

or make my name great?

To how does my job make God's name great?

How does my time with my family

deepen my love for God?

How do I spend my free time

in ways that help me long

for the kingdom of God to come here

and for me to be a part of spending my energy

working toward that end

so that it's all for Jesus,

not all about me?

That's the new question.

Y'all, it is nearly impossible

to ask those kinds of questions

moment by moment

when we're never stopping

to contemplate God

and make those priorities

when we just keep moving.

We can't expect a relationship.

You know what a relationship is, right?

You can't expect a relationship

with God to flourish,

love for Him to grow

if we're not spending time

listening to His heart for us

in His Word

and sharing our hearts with Him in prayer.

That's what Derek was describing earlier

when we talk about reading God's Word

and then being able to talk back with Him.

We have to make that a priority.

You don't have to use our reading plan.

It's not magical.

It is right here

and it's better to leave here this morning

with this plan

than no plan for being with God.

But if we are to find God

deeply satisfying,

to find Him actually

at the center of our days

and decisions,

we have to be with Him.

We have to be in conversations

with others who point us to Him.

You don't have to search

for input in your life

to urge self

toward the center of your heart.

Don't worry about it.

You won't have to go looking.

Every ad,

most media and social media,

our own sinfulness,

the air we breathe in our culture,

it will do plenty of that.

What's one decision you could make today

to make Jesus more central?

Commit to praying for His Spirit's help,

reordering the loves of your heart.

He loves to answer that prayer.

Put grace group participation

on your calendar first.

Start spending maybe 10 minutes a day

if you're not reading God's Word,

reflecting on His story in your life,

and writing just one reason

that you love God.

If you read His Word for five minutes,

talk to Him for even five seconds,

you're going to have a reason

to write down to love Him.

Imagine, y'all, someone you love

writing not just a letter,

but an entire book

about His relationship with you,

the story of His love for you

and what He feels about you.

And imagine that He explains all of that.

Wouldn't reading that

and contemplating it

and sharing it with others

grow joy in your heart

for that relationship?

Wouldn't sharing it with others

make you think,

oh, my love for Him is growing?

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom.

He's sweeter than honey from out the comb.

Are you stopping to taste it?

Are you actually saying,

not just I can sing those words,

but that's true for my heart.

I'm experiencing that

so that actually I can say

He's all that my hungering spirit needs.

Let His love satisfy you.

Stop and let it fill you up.

I'd rather have Jesus

and let Him lead.

He really is better.

What a gift His Word is, right?

For the very first place

we're told to focus

on loving the Lord our God.

But Jesus actually keeps going.

He's certainly not going to contradict that.

But He wants to add one other thing

that's connected to it.

Verse 39.

The second is like it.

You shall love your neighbor

as yourself.

Having focused first

on our relationship with God,

this verse now commends

the other two key relationships

that impact eternity

that we say here we exist for.

Loving neighbor here in this verse

means those in the church family,

that's what we call our relationships

with one another,

and those beyond our church family,

our neighbors.

And it doesn't just say,

be a generally nice person to everyone.

No.

Jesus says at the heart

of this second fundamental commandment

is to love our neighbors

as ourselves.

The question He's asking us is,

are your neighbor's needs

as important

as your own?

Think about that for a minute.

Honestly, it is hard to imagine

thinking and living this way.

It's really important to you,

isn't it,

that you have food to eat today

and a warm place to sleep tonight.

It should be just as important

that the same is true

for your neighbor.

Oh, come on.

I mean,

no, no really.

as yourselves.

What else do you long for

for yourself?

A listening ear

when you're hurting.

You probably long

for someone to celebrate Christmas with

and a present or two

to open.

Meaningful work

where you're treated

with dignity.

Jesus is saying,

good.

Long for that

for your neighbor

to work toward

their enjoying

those same things

the way that you do.

And by the way,

it will likely

cost you something

to love your neighbor

like that.

It cost

the Good Samaritan.

It cost Jesus.

As Irish missionary

to India

Amy Carmichael said,

you can give

without loving

but you cannot love

without giving.

Making your neighbors

needs

as important

as your own.

Not normal

for us.

Not natural

for us.

Only possible

if you've actually

moved self

out of the center

to that

outer ring

where something

has displaced

your love for yourself.

Where Jesus

is now first.

Where Jesus

is now central

and look what happens.

self

and neighbors

are equal.

If Jesus

becomes central

if we get

the first relationship

if we get

that first

then we're actually

able to love

our neighbors

as we love

ourselves.

Both self

and neighbor

love

are outgrowths

of love

for Jesus.

Both are ways

that I live out

that first

relationship.

will we

really sing

Jesus

I my cross

have taken

all to leave

and follow

thee.

Thou from hence

Jesus

my all

shall be

perish

every fond

ambition

the things

I've sought

or hoped

or known

even if that

happens

if I lose

everything else

yet how rich

God

in heaven

are still

my own

I'm rich.

See there's

one other

important way

to think about

loving neighbor

as yourself.

Self

love

in this passage

not hatred

is taken

for granted

isn't it?

It

has to be

as you

love

yourself.

But remember

what Jesus

has just

said

what's

best

for you?

God

that's

what you

need

to have

your

relationship

with God

at the

center of

your life

is the

very first

thing

self

love

is taken

for granted

but it

is redefined

as being

fully

satisfied

in God.

So

love

for neighbor

as you

love

yourself

means

what?

Longing

for them

to know

that same

reality

that you

long to

know

for God

to be

central

in their

lives.

I live

now

to help

my brother

or sister

in my

grace group

be satisfied

in Jesus.

I live

to help

my

co-worker

my neighbor

next door

my friend

my classmate

taste

that true

life is found

not in living

for themselves

but in

knowing

God

and his

love

for them.

See what

that's love

for neighbor

is that I

want you

to know

this God

that I

long to

know

because

they're

in his

life.

What's

love for neighbor

going to look

like for you

this year?

I'm not

sure there's

so many

options

y'all.

It may

be committing

to pray

as long

every day

for the

needs and

hearts of

others

as you

do for

your own.

Maybe

volunteering

with jobs

for life

or our

youth

ministry

or our

missions

team.

Maybe

fostering

kids

to show

God's

love to

them

and to

their

families.

Maybe

gathering

a team

to minister

to people

battling

mental health

issues.

Maybe

taking the

time to

sit

regularly

with

someone

who's

aging

and

alone.

Maybe

talking

about

Jesus

with

the

person

you've

been

praying

for

over

the

last

year.

I

don't

know

exactly

all the

places

God

will send

you

to love

your

neighbor

as

yourself

but I

do

know

that

you'll

have

a lot

more

ideas

for it

if you

sit

with

Jesus.

If

you

talk

with

him

if you

ask

his

spirit

to

direct

you

because

you

want

nothing

more

than

with

everyone

everywhere

Jesus

show

me

today

where

are

you

sending

me

Jesus

tells

us

really

clearly

where

to

focus

it's

not

hard

to

understand

love

the

Lord

your

God

love

your

neighbor

that's

the main

thing

that's

what

we're

to be

about

not

just

to

say

it

sounds

nice

and

didn't

pastor

preach

a good

sermon

about

it

but

maybe

a little

long

no

no

actually

to

live

like

it

because

it's

what

we

were

made

for

and

it's

what

we

were

saved

for

kids

can I

tell you

some

good

news

this

morning

I

want

to

make

sure

you

hear

this

especially

if

you're

in

school

okay

school

aged

kids

what

Jesus

is

saying

means

that

the

main

thing

for

you

this

year

is

not

making

good

grades

at

school

I

hope

that

is a

relief

to

some

of

you

it's

not

making

bad

grades

either

but

sometimes

I've

felt

like

that's

all

that

matters

you're

not

just

little

test

takers

who

need

to

do

better

this

year

and

maybe

someone

will

love

you

if

you

do

the

main

thing

in

fact

is

not

that

you

be

the

star

player

on

your

team

or

that

that

boy

likes

you

it's

not

the

main

thing

God

wants

for

your

life

this

year

is

love

God

and

love

neighbor

it's

it's

that

he

wants

your

relationship

with

him

to

grow

for

you

to

know

him

more

to

know

more

of

his

love

for

you

so

that

you

love

him

more

and

for

you

then

to

show

that

love

to

others

right

where

he

places

you

and

you'll

take

I

suspect

some

tests

along

the

way

you'll

have

some

hard

relationships

and

some

hurts

but

the

main

thing

is

to

keep

the

main

thing

the

main

thing

love

the

Lord

your

God

with

all

your

heart

all

your

soul

all

your

mind

and

love

your

neighbor

as

yourself

will

you

let

that

be

your

main

thing

this

year

well

pastor

there's

one

more

important

question

if I

do

who's

going

to

focus

on

me

if

I'm

focusing

all

my

time

and

energy

and

resources

on

loving

God

and

loving

neighbor

what

about

me

you

know

that's

why

everyone

tells

us

that

our

focus

should

be

loving

ourselves

right

I

read

it

this

week

if

you

don't

love

yourself

no

one

else

will

in

fact

if

you

don't

love

yourself

why

would

anyone

else

love

you

I'll

tell

you

why

grace

God's

love

for the

undeserving

the

unlovely

enemies

God

has

loved

you

so

completely

that

you

are

freed

and

sent

to

love

him

and

neighbors

with

all

you

are

and

all

you

have

with

no

fear

that

you're

going

to

be

left

out

he

will

keep

loving

you

let

give

you

a

picture

of

this

from

a

movie

that

didn't

win

any

awards

and

didn't

deserve

to

for

90

minutes

like

Mike

which

came out

about

20

years

ago

I

know

you

all

saw

it

is a

very

cheesy

utterly

predictable

movie

that you

don't need

to bother

seeing

it's the

story of a

13 year old

orphan named

Calvin

and he and

his friends

at the

orphanage

where he

lives

so desperately

long for

a family

to love

them

and nothing

seems to

go their

way

until Calvin

of course

finds magic

basketball

shoes

that make

him an

incredible

basketball

player

so he

starts

living

with

NBA

star

Tracy

Reynolds

and you

could write

the script

yourself

I promise

you

Calvin

loves to

bring his

orphan friend

Murphy

over to

Tracy's

awesome

house

and swimming

pool

and pantry

they go to

all the

NBA games

and of course

in the last

game

they win

and the season

is over

and it's

time for

Calvin to

go back

to the

orphanage

except that

what happens

Tracy

decides to

adopt

Calvin

you already

knew it

and you've

never seen

the movie

Calvin

finally has

what he's

most longed

for

not just

lots of

stuff

not just

fame

not just

money

a father

but this

one moment

is why I'm

telling you

the story

at this

climactic

moment

where Calvin's

greatest

needs

and his

deepest

longings

have finally

been met

he turns

to his

new father

and says

hey did you

know

today is

two for

one

orphan day

he turns

and hugs

his friend

Murphy

who is

now

his

brother

and Murphy

too

gets

a father

of

family

two

for

one

orphan

day

man I

like

that

maybe

this

year

could be

two

for

one

orphan

year

at

Southwood

I want

you to

listen to

me

brothers

and sisters

because I

love you

and I

want this

to sink

down

deep

into your

hearts

Jesus

doesn't

tell you

love

yourself

because the

main thing

for you

to remember

is that

that's

covered

that is

taken

care of

because of

Jesus

you have

been

adopted

as a

child

of the

king

you're

an

heir

of

heaven

in

Christ

God

meets

all of

your

needs

according

to his

glorious

riches

if

God

has

graciously

given

his

own

son

to us

how

will

he

not

also

along

with

him

give

us

everything

that we

need

if

God

clothes

the

grass

of

the

field

and

feeds

the

birds

of

the

air

will

he

not

much

more

care

for

you

are

you

not

much

much

more

valuable

than

they

even

the

very

hairs

of

your

head

are

numbered

he

has

loved

you

with

an

everlasting

love

he

holds

you

in

his

everlasting

arms

no

one

can

snatch

you

out

of

his

hand

nothing

can

separate

you

from

his

love

he's

got

you

he

won't

let

you

go

off

we

contemplated

that

every

day

make

delighting

in

that

relationship

with

your

gracious

and

loving

heavenly

father

the

main

thing

this

year

yeah

and inviting

others

into

it

too

two

for

one

orphan

day

the

streams

of

his

love

are

unending

you

can

keep

sharing

them

with

your

neighbors

with

full

confidence

they

won't

ever

run

out

for

them

or

for

you

the

main

thing

love

the

Lord

your

God

with

all

your

heart

all

your

soul

and

all

your

mind

and

love

your

neighbor

as

yourself

let's

pray

father

so

help

us

that

we

wouldn't

be

recognizable

you

so

transformed

us

that

our

love

for

you

would

so

fill

our

hearts

and

overflow

from

us

that

Huntsville

would

know

how

much

God

loves

them

how

amazing

is

your

care

and

provision

how

good

is

your

grace

how

comforting

is

your

faithfulness

work

in us

and

then work

through us

we pray

for the

glory

of

Jesus

amen

for more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org