Thursday, January 10, 2013
What matters: the most important commands
The elders at Southern Hills have asked Phil Ware and I to lead a study for our whole congregation on What Matters. I am trying to not just teach, but to learn what difference it makes to figure out what really matters. Personally, not just as a congregation.
Just take commandments. There are lots in the Bible: the 10 commandments, lots of New Testament things we are told to do. But two of them are more important that any of the rest.
1. Love God with all I have. That is absolutely the most important command to follow. I have got to be radical about God with everything I have.
2. Love my neighbor as myself. Jesus said this was the second most important command. This is the one that is easy to lose among programs and projects. Jesus did not say for my church to get this one right. It is personal. I must love the people I interact with as much as I love myself. Of course, if we all did this... well, we wouldn't worry about church projects and budgets.
So even if I nail a lot of the other commands, if I miss these two I miss everything.
We preach these, we read these, we sing these two commands. They are more important than any other commands.
And I think if I would just learn to obey these two, I would catch all the rest. Jesus said all the other commands hang on these two.
Learning to love God with everything I have. Learning to love everyone I meet (Good Samaritan application here). This could keep me busy the rest of my life.
And maybe that's the point.
