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What We Are Not to Love

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audio/mpeg iconWhat We Are Not to Love
Sermon Date: 
Sun, 03/07/2010 (All day)

What We Are Not to Love

Mark 12:28-34 (NKJV)

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.

Introduction: I have brought you three messages on love this past month. The first was on “What Love Is,” taken from 1 Cor.13:4-8. We learned that love (agape: God’s unconditional love) is patient, kind, does not envy, is not boastful, is not proud, is not rude, is not self seeking, is not easily angered, does not hold grudges, does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth, and love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love goes on forever. It will be our entrance into heaven. The second message was on “Who Are We to Love:” God, our neighbor, ourselves, and our enemies. And last week, my third message was “Kinds of Love:” agape (love of choice; God’s unconditional love), phileo (brotherly love), storge (family love), eros (physical love), abounding love, fervent love, and sincere love. Today, I want to continue in this series and speak to you about “What We Are Not to Love.”   

What are we not to love?

1. Money. 1 Tim. 6:10 (NKJV) 
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (KJV: is the root of all evil), for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (MSG.- live to regret it bitterly).
• The desire to be rich leads people into temptation. What is condemned is the desire to be rich and not material things which people need.
2. The praise of men. John 12:42-43 (NKJV) 
Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him (Jesus), but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
• Approval, admiration, commendation, and honor.
3. The world or the things of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 (NKJV) 
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
• Vs.15- We are not called to reject the world per se, because “God, so loved the world” (Jn, 3:16), rather a world system that is opposed to God and His ways.
• Vs.16- the lust of the flesh: craving for sensual gratification, the lust of the eyes: greedy longings of the mind, and the pride of life: assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things.

Conclusion: We know that there are things that we are to love and now we know that there are things that we are not to love. We are not to love money (the desire to be rich), the praise of men rather than the praise of God, the world (a world system that is opposed to God and His ways) or the things of the world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life). If we will just love God in the manner that He commands: with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then the things that we are not to love will be taken care of. Love God, our selves, our neighbor, and our enemies and all will be well with our souls.

Close: 1 John 2:17 (Living) 
And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.