(Japan Lutheran Church)
Okinawa Lutheran Church
362 Shimabukuro, Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa 901-2301 Japan
Tel/Fax 933-5535 Parsonage 932-6560
Pastor: Rev. Michael Nearhood
E-mail: okiluth@church.ne.jp
November 2, 2008 The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Church Picnic at Comprehensive Park
The Gospel according to Matthew 22:35-40 [The two greatest commandments.]
A lawyer asked Jesus a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he 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."
Sermon:
1. The two "Love Laws." Love God and love your neighbor.
2. Love God 100%, love your neighbor 100% too. Very hard to do completely.
3. This is Godfs demand on us. But when we read the Bible, we see that this is the same way that God loves us. God loves us 100%. He created the world. He gave us life. The whole plan of Creation was because he loves us. The whole plan of Salvation was because he loves us. His love is shown that even when we were sinful, he gave the life of his Son Jesus Christ.
4. God loves us more than as a neighbor. He loves us as his child. But our sin separates us from God. Rather than being in the family, it is like we are outside. If God were like us, but he is not, then God could cut us off. The neighbor is outside the family. But God loved us then, too. He loved us as he loved himself. He wanted us back in the family. And so he loved the neighbor, he loved us, and that is why he sent Jesus to be our neighbor, our friend, and then our brother, too.
5. When we see that wonderful love of God, it gives us power to love him and praise him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.
6. When we see Godfs love toward us, it is natural that we imitate that love and love people who are outside our family. We love the neighbor, the friend, the people around us.
7. This is the Christian life style, the Christian love style. Amen.
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Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church
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