I. Why should we love the Lord?
A. It’s the supreme commandment of all time.
Everything else follows after this. Jesus said on this one hangs all the law and the prophets – all the rest of the Word follows or is a result this one commandment.
B. Benefits & blessings follow.
(We’ll get to that in a minute!)
C. Because He hears our cries.
He’s always there for us – faithful and true – He never fails…NEVER!
D. Because He first loved us.
The Father gave His only beloved Son – for us. Jesus gave it all…
E. God Almighty desires our love!
WOW!! Who are we that He should want OUR love? But He does!!
II. What does it mean to really love the Lord?
A. Obey Him
B. Honor Him
C. Worship Him
D. Keep His Commandments
E. Hate Evil
III. What are the blessings of loving Him?
A. He will abide with you.
B. He will manifest Himself to you.
C. He will hear & answer your prayers.
D. He will deliver you – out of trouble & from the wicked.
E. He will preserve your soul.
F. He will bless your children down to a thousand generations.
G. On and on and on….
IV. How do you know if you really love Him?
A. You love & keep His Word.
B. You hate to sin and confess it quickly to be restored to fellowship with Him.
C. You love your brothers and sisters in Christ.
D. You hunger & thirst for His Presence and sweet communion with Him.
E. You spend time with Him.
F. You want to know Him more.
G. You love to be with Him and His people.
V. What will hinder you from loving the Lord?
A. Sin
B. Getting Offended
C. Unforgiveness
D. Not loving your brothers or sisters – church people!
E. Lack of prayer
F. Lack of worship
G. Not reading the Word
Scriptures
Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
1Co 8:3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
1Jo 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jo 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
De 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
De 11:1 ¶ Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
De 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
De 11:22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
De 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
De 19:9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:
De 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
De 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
De 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Jos 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jos 23:11 ¶ Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. {yourselves: Heb. your souls}
Ps 31:23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
Ps 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Ps 116:1 ¶ I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Mt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mr 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Lu 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
(KJV)
De 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
De 10:12 ¶ And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Ne 1:5 ¶ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Ps 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Da 9:4 ¶ And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Mr 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? {of the: or, of that}
1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Ps 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Co 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!
Re 2:4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.
Just love Jesus…