Shema | Sunday, January 24, 2021

Good morning, Cross Connection Church, and welcome again to church online. In just a moment, we are going to join our worship team for a time of worship, hopefully to prepare our hearts and minds for the word that God has for us today from the Scriptures.

If you have your Bible or your Bible app, we're going to be back in the book of Deuteronomy this morning, so you might want to open that up to Deuteronomy chapter 6, a very important passage. As we prepare for our time of worship and for our study of the Scriptures today, please consider sending out a link to someone on social media or as a text message, inviting them to join us in the study of God's word. Send them that link: live.ccchurch.com.

Now, over to our worship team.

Oh God, we thank You, Lord, for this day. It is good to be near You, and just before our TVs, wherever we are, to worship You and to get into Your word. We thank You that You are in the midst, Lord God, where two or more are gathered, and we believe that. So God, would You minister to us as we minister to You? Would You just open up our hearts to Your truth and draw us close to You as we draw close to You? We thank You in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

Let praise be a weapon that silences the enemy. Let praise be a weapon that conquers all anxiety. Let it rise. Let us sing Your name in the dark, and it changes everything. We sing with all we are, and we claim Your victory. Let it rise.

Let praise arise! We will see you break down every wall. We will watch the giant fall with all creation inside of me. Let it rise forever. Lift Him high!

Oh Lord, this is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise You! We praise You! This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise You! We praise You! This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like.

This is what heaven sounds like. We praise You, we praise You. This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise You, we praise You.

Welcome, and thanks for tuning in to Cross Connection Church. We are glad that we get to bring you church at home today. I'm Pastor Garrett, and here at Cross Connection Church, we're all about living life in connection with God, one another, and the world through Jesus Christ.

Part of living life in connection is that I really do want to urge you, like Paul says in the Bible all throughout the New Testament, to be constant in prayer. We do that here at Cross Connection. That's part of stepping into life in connection with God—praying without ceasing. We want to be praying with and for you this week, so please, it is not a bother to us. We love praying for you, church. Every single one of you on the other side of this TV, we love you guys and pray for you all the time.

Go to prayer.lifeinconnection.com and let us know how we can be praying with and for you. We'd love to be locking arms with you in prayer and challenging God to see what He can do—not just for us, but for this world. We live in a broken world, and we are also broken people, so we need Him all of the time.

Please, we'd love to pray for you again. Visit prayer.lifeinconnection.com. Don't be shy; let us know how we can be praying with and for you, your family members, friends, neighbors—whoever it is. We love prayer, and God hears every single prayer and answers them. So let's see what God does this week through prayer. Amen.

With that, before we go back to Pastor Anthony, he will give us a song of worship.

A couple of quick announcements tonight: we have our service at four o'clock. Although we live in San Diego and it may be 70 degrees and sunny right now, it might not be on Sunday night. So, check out our website, lifeinconnection.com, around noon on Sunday, and we'll give you the thumbs up or thumbs down if it's going to be raining and we'll have to cancel that evening devotion.

Our mission this week is to ask you to be praying for the General Heart Children's Foundation in Kathmandu, Nepal. They serve underprivileged children and orphans, especially sexually exploited girls, giving them a loving family environment where the love of Christ can heal them. They are doing a phenomenal job, so please pray for all of those serving with the General Heart Foundation in Nepal and for all the kids, including the underprivileged, homeless, and orphaned children they serve. We ask that you pray this week that the Lord would shine His light on these kids' faces and that He would let them feel the love of Christ for each one of them.

With that, we're going to be going back to Pastor Anthony, who will be leading us in a song of worship. This song is a time we set aside in each service to worship the Lord with our giving. This is something we ask you to do if you consider Cross Connection Church your home church. There are three different ways you can give today. First, you can text the number 84321 on your cell phone. Second, you can go to our website, give.lifeinconnection.com. Third, you can mail your offering and tithe to the church address: 1675 Seven Oaks Road. If we're meeting again tonight, just bring it on in; we have an agave box to the right of the stage.

So, with that, let's go ahead and worship the Lord together. Have a great week, and God bless you. God is faithful through the ages, the God of Abraham, the God of government, faithful in promises. Time and time again, He has proven He does just what He says.

Storms may come and the winds may blow, but I will remain steadfast and let my heart learn. When You speak the word, it will come to pass.

Great is Your faithfulness to me. From the rising sun to the setting same, I will praise Your name. Great is Your faithfulness to me. Seasons change, but You remain the same, God.

Though the earth may pass away, Your word remains the same. Your history can prove there's nothing You cannot do. You're faithful and true. Though the storms may come and the winds may blow, I will let my heart learn.

Great is Your faithfulness to me. It never runs out.

My open firm foundation will never let me down. You are faithful, and we thank You, God, for how faithful You are. Lord, we thank You that when You speak a word, it will come to pass. We can hold on to that truth, Lord, and put our hope in You, no matter what may come or what we may face. You, God, are the same; You are yes and amen, and Your promises are true. We thank You for that, Lord, and we hold on to it. We are grateful for this beautiful time to worship You and reflect on how great You are. All this we ask in Your name, Lord. Amen.

It was January 1999. I had recently turned 19 years old and had one semester of college under my belt—the only semester of undergraduate work I ever did, in fact.

I was just starting out as a staff member at this church. What that means is that last January 4th, just a couple of weeks ago, was my 22nd anniversary on staff here. When I first showed up to work 22 years ago, I thought I was here to help out around the facility, to work on the phones and the networks, to handle IT issues, to build the website, and mostly to learn about ministry from the inside as a pastoral intern, instead of learning about it in theory in a Bible college classroom.

Just a few weeks after showing up on day one to help and to learn, one of the pastors at the church, my youth pastor, who is most likely watching this message right now, asked me if I would be willing to begin leading and teaching the junior high youth ministry at the church. Now, mind you, by that time I had only ever taught two or three Bible studies before, and those experiences made me pretty convinced that I wasn't called to be a teacher or a preacher, especially not to 11, 12, and 13-year-olds.

However, I didn't feel I could say no. "No" didn't seem to be the right answer when Pastor Tony asked me to teach, so I gave him that Christianese equivalent of no. I told Pastor Tony that I would pray about it. That night, so that it wasn't a lie when I told him I would pray about it, I actually did. I went home and prayed about it. I don't remember the exact prayer I prayed, but I'm sure it was a simple prayer like, "God, I told Tony that I would pray about this, so I'm praying about it. If you want me to lead and teach the junior high youth group, then you'll have to make it clear to me."

I had been taught from a young age, both in years and in my faith in the Lord, that God desires to speak to us and lead His people. I had also been taught, which I believe is still true to this day, that the primary way God speaks to and leads His people is through His Word, through His special revelation of Scripture in the Bible. So, I prayed that very simple prayer, and then I read the...

I was reading in two places during my devotional time. One was in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically in the book of First Samuel, and the other was in the New Testament, in the book of Ephesians. I remember it very well: First Samuel chapter 12 and Ephesians chapter 4. I want to share with you what I read in those passages some 22 years ago after I had prayed a very simple prayer: "God, if you want me to lead the junior high youth group, then you'll have to make it very clear to me."

First Samuel chapter 12 tells the story of Israel's history at a time when they desired a king to rule over them. At that point, a godly man named Samuel had been their earthly judge and leader, while God was their true leader. Samuel was the judge and ruler of the people, but as he grew older, he appointed his two sons to be judges and leaders. Unfortunately, they were not good judges or leaders; they sought dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. As a result, the people were not excited about having Samuel's sons rule over them.

Although Samuel had been a good and godly leader, his sons were not. The people demanded a king; they wanted an earthly king just like the other nations around them. This was displeasing to Samuel, and he felt broken over the fact that the people did not want his sons to lead as judges. He knew that God was supposed to be their king. Despite Samuel's displeasure, God told him to anoint a king over Israel, and Samuel did as God commanded. He anointed Saul to be the first king over Israel.

That is essentially the first 11 chapters of First Samuel, and it is what I had been reading at the beginning of January 1999, right up until the day that Pastor Tony asked me to be the junior high youth leader and teacher. So, I opened my Bible to First Samuel chapter 12 that night after Tony had asked me to teach, after I had prayed that very simple prayer for God to give me a word. I read First Samuel chapter 12, which deals with...

The coronation, or shall we say the inauguration, of the first earthly king over Israel came after a couple of really bad leaders. At the end of First Samuel, chapter 12, Samuel says this to the people as he is commissioning them and their new king. First Samuel, chapter 12, beginning at verse 20, says, "Do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn aside, for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great namesake, because it pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all of your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king."

There is a lot in that passage that I could spend quite a bit of time discussing, but I only want to focus on two verses. Remember the context of why I am telling you this story. Back in 1999, I had prayed, "God, if you want me to lead and teach these 11, 12, and 13-year-olds, then you need to give me a word." Then I read those verses in First Samuel, chapter 12, verses 23 and 24: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all of your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you."

At the same time that I was reading through the Old Testament book of First Samuel, I was also reading through the New Testament book of Ephesians. I was in Ephesians, chapter 4, and I had just prayed that prayer, "God, give me a word about teaching this group." Then I read this in Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 11 and 12: "And He, Jesus, in this context, gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying or the building up of the body of Christ."

Twenty-two years ago this month, I was given an opportunity—the first real...

It was an opportunity for me to lead God's people by teaching His word. When I prayed that God would give me wisdom and direction regarding whether or not He wanted me to do so, I read these two passages. From them, I had the distinct impression that God wanted me to lead His people, to pray for them, and to teach them the good and the right way so that they would be equipped for the good works of ministry that God had for them, for the church, the body of Christ. This was so that His church would be built up and strengthened.

That is exactly what I have dedicated my life to for the last 22 years. I have not only felt that this was God's calling for me at the time, 22 years ago, but that this was His command to me. Samuel said, "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord and cease to pray for you and teach you." I took that word very seriously, even at that time, at 19 years old, all those years ago, right up until today. This is God's call and command to me; just what He wants me to be doing is to teach and preach His word. If I don't do it, then that is sin for me. Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord.

God said to me then, "You are to pray for, lead, and teach the people of God in the right way, fearing, honoring, and revering Him." To not do so would be wrong for me. This was not only God's command for me, which I believed at that time, but it is the command that God spoke to Samuel all those years ago, 3,000 years ago. It is also the command that God gave to Moses, the great lawgiver and leader of Israel, the one who brought them out of their bondage in Egypt and led them right up to the promised land.

God gave Moses a very similar command some 3,400 years ago. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses spoke to the people of Israel and said, "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you." The leaders of God's people are commanded to teach His statutes and judgments. Moses said, "These are the statutes and judgments which God has commanded."

I teach you because I sensed a command to do so more than 20 years ago. Samuel received that strong commission to do so, and so did Moses. In reality, I believe that every leader of God's people is commanded to do the same. Far be it from us if we cease to do so. If we cease to pray for you and to teach you the good and the right way of fearing and following God in devotion and reverence, we neglect an important responsibility.

So important was this commission to the earliest followers of Jesus that they told the early church in Acts chapter 6, "It is not desirable for us that we should leave the word of God, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Additionally, the Apostle Paul, in giving a strong commission and charge to his young pastoral disciple Timothy, wrote this in Second Timothy chapter 4, verses 1 and 2: "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word." That's a command. "Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and teaching."

In the exact same letter, just prior to that, in Second Timothy chapter 2, verse 2, Paul said to Timothy, "The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." There is a generational apprenticeship, if you will, that Paul is speaking of. The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these. I've committed these to you, Timothy, and you're to commit these to faithful individuals who will be able to teach others also.

For the last 2,000 years, this has been exactly what the church has been doing. The leaders within the church have been faithful to this command and commission to preach the word. This is an important commission given to all who will lead God's people. But why? Why do we have this commission? Why do we preach?

I preach because I've been called, commissioned, and commanded to do so. But why do we preach these words? Well, as I read in First Samuel 12 and in Ephesians chapter 4...

But also, as we're going to see here in Deuteronomy chapter 6 this morning, we preach and teach God's Word to God's people so that they will know and understand the good and right way of fearing and following God in devotion and reverence. This is so that the people of God will be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This is how Moses said it in Deuteronomy chapter 6. Looking at verses one through three, we read: "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, so that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess. So that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, so that it may be well with you and so that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord your God, the Lord God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey."

If you were following along carefully, then you may have counted five purposes in that passage. We lead God's people by preaching and teaching God's Word so that you may observe God's commands, so that you may fear and revere the Lord your God, so that you may have a long life, so that you may have a good life, and so that you may grow and multiply as God's people.

We do not teach God's Word for mere knowledge transfer but for life and world transformation. Let me say that again because I think it's really important: we do not teach these things just so that you get a whole bunch of information downloaded into your brain. We believe that God's Word is living and powerful, that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, that it pierces even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. We believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is useful or profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for...

Instruction and righteousness are essential so that the man or woman of God may be complete, mature, and perfect. This means that you may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I believe that God has commissioned me to preach His word, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect, complete, and mature in Christ Jesus.

This isn't a university classroom where we lecture so that you can know the right answers for a future written examination. We preach these things so that you can successfully navigate the twists and turns, storms, and challenges of life. Our goal is for you to pass the tests and trials of life successfully, to have a long life in this world, and hopefully to prepare you for the longest life eternally.

I want you to have a strong and adequate knowledge of the Word of God. I want you to know who Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are. I want you to be able to understand the story of Nineveh. It is important to know what happened during the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Habakkuk. I hope that you will remember what happened to Paul when he was in the Philippian jail in Acts chapter 16 with his friend Silas. It is also good to know the creation account and the fall account in Genesis, as well as the seven churches of Asia in Revelation and what they speak to us in our day.

However, it is a real problem that there are people—perhaps many people—who know these things, but these things don't affect or transform their lives. Jesus said, "If you know these things, you're blessed if you do them." This is super important, as stated in John chapter 13. If you know these things, you're blessed, but it's even more important if you do them. He ended His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount saying this in Matthew chapter 7, beginning at verse 24: "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them..." If you have a Bible, you might want to underline or highlight those words. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken that person to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall because it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them—both individuals hear the sayings, but one does them and the other does not. Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, I will liken that person unto a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.

I hate to say it, but in more than 20 years of pastoral ministry, I have interacted with a lot of fools within the church. I don't like it, but it is a reality that sometimes we meet people who know a lot about the Bible but do not do the things that it says. In the Gospel of Luke, Luke records the words that I just read in Matthew chapter 7. Jesus says, "But why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I say?"

It is one thing to know that the seventh commandment says, "You shall not commit adultery," but it is a whole other thing to not commit adultery or to not commit spiritual or emotional adultery by looking at things you ought not to be looking at on the internet. It is one thing to know the ninth commandment says, "You shall not lie," but it is another thing entirely to not bear false witness through gossip.

It is one thing to know that covetousness is wrong in the eyes of God according to the tenth commandment, but it is another thing to practically not longingly desire and covet after your neighbor's house, car, spouse, job, pool, big screen TV, or 401(k). We can know all of the truths of what the commandments say. The question is, are we walking in these things?

All of these commandments are given by God not just so that you will keep them and make God happy, but in keeping His commands, these things will make our lives better and the lives of other people around us better. They will make our lives far more happy if we follow in these things. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, says Jesus, and does them, I will liken that person unto a wise man who built his house on the rock. Life transformation.

As we apply the truths of God's Word, God promised His people long, good lives as they put into practice His statutes and judgments. God doesn't give His commands against things like lying, theft, adultery, covetousness, and the like because He is some cosmic killjoy up in heaven. He gives His commands against these things because they are the very things that will steal, kill, and destroy our joy and every other good thing about life.

As we observe God's commands and keep them, His commands lead us into a long and good life that brings glory, honor, and praise to Him. I would say that these things not only lead us into that experience in this life but also prepare us for salvation. Keeping God's law doesn't give us salvation, but it certainly begins to prepare us for it.

In Deuteronomy chapter 6, we have Moses giving this call to the people regarding the commands that were given to him to teach them. We now move away from the negative commands that we studied months ago. It's been a while since we've been in Deuteronomy, but months ago we were in Deuteronomy chapter 5, where we were given the commands mostly in a negative sense—what I would call the "you shall nots" of the Ten Commandments. You shall not commit adultery, you shall not lie, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, and so forth.

Now, we move away from the "shall nots" to a commandment framed not in the negative but in the positive. In this passage in Deuteronomy chapter 6, we have the most important commandment—the commandment that Jesus called the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus said that upon this commandment hang all the law and the prophets. This commandment is referred to by Israel even unto this day as the Shema.

If you ever go to Israel or to the home of an observant Jewish person here in the U.S., you will see a small container on the doorpost of their house. It's called a mezuzah, and inside the mezuzah is this passage, along with a couple of other passages.

Chapter 6 begins with the words, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." This raises important questions: Why is this the most important commandment? Why did Jesus refer to this as the greatest commandment in the law? Why is it the first commandment that every Jewish child was taught, going all the way back to the time of Moses?

The answer lies in the Hebrew word "Shema," which is translated at the beginning of Deuteronomy 6:4. This isn't the first time we have encountered this word in our studies of Deuteronomy. Several months ago, when we were in Deuteronomy chapter 4, we saw it as well. In Deuteronomy 4:1, we read, "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live and go in and possess the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving to you." The word "Shema" in that passage means "listen" or "hear." However, it also encompasses the meanings of "heed," "understand," and "obey." All of this is contained in this one word, and much more.

If you "Shema," if you listen, hear, heed, understand, and obey this commandment, then you will reap the benefits and blessings of God. Life and possession of God's blessings are dependent upon hearing and heeding His statutes and judgments. I want to clarify that I am not talking about inheriting the blessing of salvation. Hearing and heeding God's statutes and judgments do not bring you salvation. In fact, many times when you try to obey the statutes and judgments of God, you realize that you fail at these things.

It is an important aspiration, and I would suggest that it leads to a better life and a better existence for those around you as well. However, as you pursue these things, you will realize that you fail at them and that you need the work of Christ to bring salvation. Even though that is true, life—both long and fulfilling—depends on our response to God's commandments.

Life and a good life here in this world, enjoying God's blessings, are promised to those who commit to hearing and heeding these words of Scripture. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. This is the first and great commandment. Upon this hangs all the law and the prophets.

Jesus said we have looked at the negatives of the Ten Commandments: you shall not commit adultery, you shall not covet. But here we have this positive command: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. If you commit to loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—with your entire being—then it is certain you will not have any other gods before Him. You will not make any graven images to anything and bow down to them. You will not take God's name in vain because you love Him.

You will honor the things that God honors, like the Sabbath and your father and your mother. You will not take the life of another that is created in His image. You will not dishonor your spouse or the covenant of marriage that God instituted through adultery. You will not steal what is not yours. You will not dishonor the truth with lies. You will not covet what God has not given to you.

If you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, this is the greatest of all the commandments because all the other commandments are contained in this simple statement: you shall love the Lord your God with all of your being.

Will we ever fulfill this command completely? I don't believe that we will. But imagine a world in which all people are aspiring to love God above all. That is a wonderful world. It's not a world that we live in; it's a world that is promised someday. When you read the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, we see the picture of that world, and we hope for us moving closer to that world. That's the world that we followers of God should be expressing in our Christian faith and in our church.

I received an email this last week from someone who wanted to unsubscribe from my daily reading plan at thelistingplan.com. In the email, the person wrote that Pastor Miles is not who they thought would be giving...

Truth to me in a sea of lies. Storms are coming, and Pastor Miles is still navigating the waters like a politically correct HR representative. Honestly, I bring this up because that creative comment made me laugh, and I had a really good interaction with the person who sent it.

Let me say something that isn't politically correct but is biblically correct. The problems that we are constantly bombarded by in our nation, and not just in our nation but in the world, will continue. We live in a broken and fallen world. However, the world would be a whole lot better if we endeavored to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength—with all of our being. From that, if we worked to love our neighbors as ourselves, these are important words.

So important that Moses wraps up this section in Deuteronomy 6. After he gives the Shema, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord," he says, "You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Moses concludes with this exhortation, which we'll look at more in the future as we continue in this. He says, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart."

What words? "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." These words shall be in your heart. That's my aim as your pastor: that the Word of God would find its way into your heart. The psalmist says that as we hide God's Word in our hearts, it guards us against sinning against Him. "Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you."

So, these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. Then you have a responsibility. Once these words are in your heart, you shall teach them diligently to your children. Now listen, you might say, "Well, I don't have any kids." It doesn't matter. Anyone who is younger than you in the faith or younger than you in life, you shall teach these diligently to your children.

How do you do that? You shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. These should be the things that are so in your heart and in your mind that you're constantly rehearsing them, that you're constantly talking about these things. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as between the...

Frontlets between your eyes, and you shall write them on the doorpost of your house and in all of your gates. Now, if you go to Israel, you'll see on the doorposts of people's houses the mezuzah. Why? Because that's exactly what this passage says: you shall put them on the doorposts of your house. They are taking it completely literally.

If you ever go to the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, I've been there many times. If you go there, you will see that there are Jewish men praying at the wall, and many of them have wrapped around their arm a leather strap holding a little box with the Scriptures in it. This passage, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," is contained in that box. Some of them have a leather strap on their head with a box, a phylactery, and in that is this passage as well. They take it very literally that these things shall be in your heart, on your head, on your hand, and on your doorpost. You shall teach them to your children because this is essentially important for the people of God to live as God's people and receive His blessing in this world.

If you want to live as God's people in this world and experience His blessing, expressing that blessing to others is exactly what God wanted His people Israel to do thousands of years ago. It is what He wants His church to do today. We need to apply this word in our lives: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Know it in your mind, hide it in your heart, teach it to everyone you come in contact with, and seek to shama this word—not just to know it, but to hear, listen, heed, obey, and walk in this word. The result is to experience God's blessing, which is certainly something that God wants us to be doing.

He says here that you shall talk of it while you sit in your houses, while you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you are with your children. You shall talk about these things all the time. What is it that dominates our conversation today? I think for a lot of people, the things that dominate our conversation are coronavirus and politics. It seems like there is not a lot of sports to talk about right now, and there are not many entertainment movies to discuss either. It has been a really weird time. Virtually every conversation I have had with people over the last eleven months has had to do with politics and coronavirus.

Good exercise for you and me to try is to talk more about the things of God in His Word. We should discuss the love of God, our love for God, and how we show our devotion to Him. I think this might change our outlook, our attitude, and even those around us a little bit if we take on the exercise of shifting our focus back to the things of God and His Word.

Hear, O people of God, people of Cross Connection Church: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. Upon these words hang all the law and the prophets. The second great commandment is like it; we will talk about it another time. You shall love your neighbor as yourself, but even that springs out of this love: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.

Father God, I pray that You would do a work in us, that we would be a people who aspire to do just what this passage says. May we endeavor to love You with total devotion of our entire being—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to be committed to this, and may we not only love You but also experience and express Your love to other people.

Lord, I encourage my brothers and sisters to reframe our conversations this week. Let us talk more about You than about coronavirus and politics. Use us to be bright, shining lights—beacons of Your love and grace in a dark world. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Sing a new song to Him who sits on heaven's mercy seat. Sing, "Holy, holy, holy."

Is the Lord God? With all creation, I sing praise to the King of Kings. You are my everything, and I will adore You.

Colds and rainbows, strength, and I will adore You. Filled with wonder, filled with wonder, I stand in awe at the mention of Your name.

Jesus, Your name is above all names. Oh God, God Almighty, who is and is to come, with all creation, I sing praise to the King of Kings.

God, we thank You again that You have revealed Yourself to us through Your Word. We pray that this week You would stir us to seek You in Your Word and to draw near to You through prayer and worship, through the study of Your Word. As we draw near to You, may You draw near to us, and may we experience the blessing of being in Your presence.

So God, would You pour out Your Spirit upon Your church? Bless them and cause them to be a bright, shining light in our dark community, that people would see our good works and glorify You, our Father in heaven. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

And now, may the Lord bless.

And keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

God bless you. See you online next week or tonight at four o'clock at the church, if it's not raining. Check the church website to make sure whether or not we'll be gathering today.

God bless you. You shall be swept away, both you and your king. You win.