READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l Wesley Methodist Church was founded in 1885. Dr James Thoburn preached the first Methodist service in Southeast Asia based on Zechariah 4:6 — Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord. Since then, the church has blossomed and grown. This is the work of God as we are only His instruments.
Today, we go back to the fundamentals, which is to love God. When a religious teacher asked Jesus which was the most important commandment, Jesus replied: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your souls and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this, love your neighbour as yourself.
Jesus answered the question in two parts. The first part provides the basis. The second part is the action. The basis is that “The Lord our God, the Lord is one”. These words from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, reflect the theme that if we love God, we will be blessed. But if we act to the contrary then be prepared for judgment. Our relationship with God is not an ordinary one. We are in a covenantal relationship with God. We belong to the Lord and the Lord is God of his people. The almighty God is the only God that the people must have. Today, there are many things that can take the place of God. We must not be so engrossed in loving these things, such that they become more important than loving God. The Lord must occupy the first place in our lives.
Once our position in Christ is established, then the second part of Jesus’ reply makes sense. If we have no relationship with God, then all our outward expressions of love for God are empty. The call for us is to love God. Is there something in our lives that prevents us from loving God fully with our heart, soul, mind and strength? Do we have time to wait upon the Lord, to pray and to read the scriptures?
To love the Lord with all our heart means that we must be totally committed and serve Him wholeheartedly. Scripture urges us to come to the Lord with sincere hearts. Secondly, we are to love God with our souls. This means loving God with our whole life. Are we ready and willing even to lay down our life for Jesus? We are also to love God with our minds and grow in our understanding of God. We are not to conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Rom 12:2) Loving God with all our strength allows us to act in doing the work of God. Doing the will of God and standing firm in the faith requires a lot of strength.
When Jesus saw that the religious teacher had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”. How far are we from the kingdom of God? Have we strayed from the Shepherd? Today, the call for us is to come back and draw near to the Lord.
We draw near to the Lord by loving Him with all our hearts, our souls, minds and strength. As we celebrate our 140th anniversary may we love God wholeheartedly and draw near to God. May God likewise commend us for not being far from the kingdom of God.
(Sermon notes by Denis Koh)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- There are many things that seek to usurp the place of God. Are we able to identify them?
- What are some practical ways to show we love God with our hearts, soul, mind and strength?
- What is keeping us from coming near to God?
