Okay, we’re going to jump right in and hit this pretty hard.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (ESV)
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
We know this passage as the Shema. It is the start… The foundation of Israel’s relationship with God. Later, Jesus identified this as the Greatest Commandment (along with “love your neighbor as yourself.”)
So, here is my first thought. “True love is cultivated.” True or false? Why? What does this mean? Discuss.
How do we cultivate our love of God? (do we?)
How does God cultivate his love of us? (does He?)
The Israelites had never known God. Their forefather, Jacob (Israel) had something of a relationship with God, but it wasn’t a great one. And even that was long generations ago. Almost forgotten altogether.
But God had not forgotten, and when the time came, God made good on his promise to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham. God raised up a deliverer for his people, and you know the story. Moses rescued Israel from their enslavement in Egypt. It was an amazing progression, beginning with those ever-worsening plagues, and culminating with the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea on dry land.
Finally, after all these years, Israel was free from bondage. They were free from slavery. They were free to become the people, the nation of God. And, according to Moses, the first thing they did when realizing their liberation on the other side, they were filled with awe, they trusted God, and they sang a song:
Exodus 15:1–8 (NLT)
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!
3 The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and army he has hurled into the sea.
The finest of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep waters gushed over them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.
6 “Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power.
Your right hand, O Lord, smashes the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you.
You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw.
8 At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up!
The surging waters stood straight like a wall;
in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.
So, go back to that cultivation question. How does this show love cultivated?
Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT)
“‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
So, why do you think that loving God is something Jesus had to command?
On Sunday, I said that love is our response to God.
Does it have to be a command for us, or is it a response, an impulse from our heart?
Sometimes it is doing the acts of love that engender the feelings of love. Other times, it is the feeling of love that engender the acts of love.
What do you think about that? Is one way wrong, and the other right?
What has God done to cultivate love in me? In our church?
What have I done to cultivate my love for God?
It is that time of year… We have LOTS of things gearing up and getting started to help you scale up your life. Make sure you take advantage of them!
Also, you can partner with The Orchard Church for 2025. A Partner is someone who is committed to practicing the “Spiritual Growth Engine” in their life consistently for one year. Try it this year, and see how God works in your life.