Sunday
Morning Bible Study
July 29, 2001
Introduction
We’re going to look at one of the great foundation passages in the Bible.
In it we will see the greatest declaration about God and the greatest
commandment from God.
Deuteronomy 6
:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
dxa hwhy wnyhla hwhy larvy ems
(shmah yisrael adonai elohenu adonai echad)
This is what is known as the great Shema,
the basic cry of a Jew. Shema comes
from the first word, “hear”. This is to be recited by the Jews morning and
evening.
“On this verse the Jews lay great stress; it is one of the four passages
which they write on their phylacteries, and they write the last letter in the
first and last words very large, for the purpose of exciting attention to the
weighty truth it contains.” (Adam Clarke)
According to rabbinical tradition,
the Shema originally consisted only
of verse 4 but was later expanded to include verses 5-9; 11:13-21; and Num.
15:37-41. According to verse 7, it was to be recited morning and night.
There are two emphases in this verse.
1) Yahweh is unique, and the only God of the Jews.
The word “LORD” in your English Bibles (with all capital letters) is the
translators’ way of translating the name Yahweh. The translators do this to follow the Jewish
custom of saying the word “Lord” whenever they come to God’s Holy Name. The Jews will read “adonai” instead
of “Yahweh” out of respect to God.
But the underlying Hebrew text contains God’s name, Yahweh.
It could be translated, “Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone.”
2) He is one God.
He is one in nature and essence.
This doesn’t contradict the doctrine of the Trinity, which describes God as
“three persons in one”. The word for “God” (Elohim) is a plural word, and
the word for “one” (echad) can be used to describe a “compound unity”,
as it is also used of the union of Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:24) to describe two
persons becoming one flesh.
This also carries the idea that there is no other god besides Him.
(Deu 4:35 KJV) that thou mightest know that the LORD he is
God; there is none else beside him.
:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy might.
love – ‘ahab – to love;
human love for another, includes family; human love for God
Jesus said this was the GREATEST COMMANDMENT. (Mark 12:30).
Everything in life flows from this. God desires that we have a strong,
intense, love relationship with Him!
A.W. Tozer said, “We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with
God.”
heart – lebab
– inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding
soul – nephesh
– soul, self, mind, desire, emotion, passion
These two words are very close in their
definitions, yet in comparing other Scriptures where these two words are found
together, it would seem that the word for “heart” might indicate more things
like emotions and passion, while the word for “soul” might indicate things like
the mind and understanding. (Deut. 19:6; 4:9; Ps. 13:2)
Loving God isn’t the only thing
we’re supposed to do with our heart and soul, we are also to seek Him (Deut.
4:29), serve Him (Deut. 10:12), and put God’s Word into our heart and soul
(Deut. 11:18).
might – m@`od –
force, abundance, strength
While the other two words are talking about inner qualities, this word is
speaking of our outward physical person.
Lesson
Love Him with your heart
God wants us to have a passion for Him. He has a passion for us.
For some people, they just don’t seem to get passionate about anything.
What do you get emotional over? Is it your computer? Your football team? A
romantic movie? A famous person?
Illustration
AWESTRUCK
In 1990 a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs in the Kansas City
Plaza for an ice-cream cone. While she was ordering another customer entered
the store. She placed her order, turned and found herself staring face to face
with Paul Newman. He was in town filming Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. His blue eyes
made her knees buckle. She finished paying and quickly walked out of the store
with her heart still pounding. Gaining her composure she suddenly realized she
didn’t have her cone; she turned to go back in. At the door she met Paul Newman
who was coming out. He said to her, “Are you looking for your ice-cream cone?”
Unable to utter a word she nodded yes. “You put it in your purse with your
change.”
When was the last time the presence of God made you forget
what was going on around you? Made you forget the dishes? Made you forget the
ball game? Made you forget the bank account? Made you forget where...you put
your ice cream cone?
If we get emotional over anything at all, we ought to be more emotional
over our relationship with God.
Lesson
Love Him with your mind.
Our love for the Lord shouldn’t just be an emotional thing. It’s not just
about having “warm fuzzies” for God.
I choose to love Him with my mind, with my will.
I grow in my understanding of God as I read His Word. I understand how
awesome He is. I understand how loving He is. I understand how faithful He is.
And as a result I grow in choosing to value Him above all.
Lesson
Love Him with your actions
Our outward actions ought to match the things we claim to have on the
inside.
If your sweetheart says he loves you, but you catch them kissing another
girl, how strong is that love toward you?
Jesus said,
(John 14:15 KJV) If ye love
me, keep my commandments.
We aren’t supposed to love God with just one little part of us, but with
all of us.
Lesson
How to fall in love with God
It all starts with this – Let God
love you.
1 John 4:19 We
love him, because he first loved us.
I can only begin to understand how to love God with my
heart, mind, and strength when I begin to understand how much God loves me.
Rom 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
God’s love for me isn’t dependent upon me cleaning up my
life. He knows I can’t do it by myself. His love isn’t conditional upon me
being perfect. He loves me just as I am, a sinner.
1 John 3:16a
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us …
God’s love for me is demonstrated by the greatest act of
love the world has ever known. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, laid aside His
glory in heaven and chose to take on human flesh. He became a human for one
purpose, to be led to a Roman cross where He would die a cruel death in order
to lay down His own life as a sacrifice to pay for my sins. I should have been
the one on that cross. But Jesus took my place. He did it because He loves me.
He did it so that my sins could be forgiven. He did it so I could know God.
:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Illustration
Some men in a pickup truck drove into a lumberyard. One of the men walked
in the office and said, “We need some four-by-twos.” The clerk asked, “You mean
two-by-fours, don’t you?” The man said, “I’ll go check,” and went back to the
truck. He returned and said, “Yeah, I meant two-by-four.” “All right. How long
do you need them?” The customer paused for a minute and said, “I’d better go
check.” After a while, the customer returned to the office and said, “A long
time. We’re gonna build a house.”
Lesson
You’re building for a long time
God wants you to put His Word into your heart. He wants you to have it for
“a long time”. You’ve got a “house” to build.
(Mat 7:24-27 KJV) Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto
a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: {25} And the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:
for it was founded upon a rock. {26} And every one that heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built
his house upon the sand: {27} And the rain descended, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall
of it.
The purpose of having God’s Word in our heart is not to have large volumes
of Bible verses memorized, but to have God’s Word available to build your life
upon. The value of God’s Word only comes when it affects the way you live.
:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently
teach them diligently – shanan – to sharpen, whet (as in
sharpen a knife); when in the “intensive” form (as it is here), it means “to
teach incisively”. It’s not just running the knife blade a few times over the
pumice stone, it’s going over and over and over it until it’s razor sharp. The
idea is that we are to keep going over and over and over God’s Word with our
children until they’re “razor sharp” in God’s Word.
Lesson
Sharpen your kids with the Word.
It’s not about learning to be a great
Sunday school teacher at home. It’s learning to talk about God’s Word at home.
It’s making God’s Word a part of your vocabulary.
God’s Word isn’t going to be a part of
your vocabulary with your kids unless it’s a part of your life. You need to
spend time in God’s Word. You be sure to be hearing what God is saying to you.
In Paul’s teaching, he wrote,
(1 Cor
11:23 KJV) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you
…
Have you received from the Lord? Do you
have anything to share with the kids?
:7 unto thy children
Lesson
Parents raise children
Every once in a while I see a disturbing situation where it appears that a
child is raising itself. Instead of a parent setting the rules and teaching the
child to learn to obey those rules, the child is basically the one in control.
If a child pushes hard enough or cries loud enough, they can get the parent to
give them anything.
It is a parent’s responsibility to teach God’s ways to their children.
Illustration
The late J. Edgar Hoover was once asked, “Should I make my child go to
Sunday school and church?” His reply was both Scriptural and practical. “Yes,”
said the former head of the FBI, “you certainly should, and with no further discussion
about the matter. You may be startled by my answer, but what do you say to
Junior when he comes to breakfast on Monday morning and announces he isn’t
going to school anymore? You know! He goes! How do you answer him when he comes
home covered with mud and says, ‘I’m not going to take a bath.’ Junior bathes,
doesn’t he? Why all this timidity, then, in the realm of spiritual guidance and
growth? You say you’re going to let him wait and decide what church he wants to
go to when he is old enough? Quit your kidding! You wouldn’t wait until he’s
grown up to choose whether he wishes to be clean or dirty, would you? Do you
let him decide for himself whether to take medicine when he’s sick? Do you? How
shall we respond, then, when Junior says he doesn’t want to go to Sunday school
and church? That’s easy! Just be consistent. Tell him, ‘Son, in our house we
ALL go to Sunday school and church, and that includes you!’ Your firmness and
example will furnish a bridge over which youthful rebellion will then travel into
many rich and satisfying spiritual experiences.”
:7 when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Lesson
Ready to share
In reality, this isn’t just about passing our faith on to our kids, but
passing our faith on to all those around us. God’s desire is that we be ready
to share.
Peter wrote,
(1 Pet 3:15 NIV) But in your
hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do
this with gentleness and respect,
Illustration
EVANGELISM
Josh McDowell shares the following story:
An executive hirer, a “head-hunter” who goes out and hires
corporation executives for other firms, once told me, “When I get an executive
that I’m trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a
drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk
about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he’s all relaxed. Then, when
I think I’ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say,
“What’s your purpose in life?” It’s amazing how top executives fall apart at
that question. “Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all
disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up
and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an
eye, ‘To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.’ For the first
time in my career I was speechless.”
:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between thine eyes.
The Jews took this literally, and developed “phylacteries”, which are
little leather boxes with a bit of scripture inside. They wear them on the hand
or on the forehead. They were originally intended as ways of reminding people
to think about God’s Word but eventually became a religious ritual kind of
thing, where you make a show of how spiritual you are to impress others.
:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
This too has been taken literally. When Calvary Anaheim used to meet that
the Jewish Community Center, you would see these little clay scroll things with
Hebrew lettering on them nailed to the doorframes. It is called a “mezuzah”
(= doorpost)
Lesson
Which Jesus lives at your house?
It’s not uncommon for us to be giving our kids the wrong idea about who
Jesus is or where Jesus lives.
We can give them the impression that church is where Jesus lives because
that’s where Mommy and Daddy are nice to each other. They can yell at each other all the way to church, but when they
get out of the car at church, everything turns “nice”.
Illustration
A priest and a nun were lost in a snowstorm. After a while, they came upon
a small cabin. Being exhausted, they prepared to go to sleep. There was a stack
of blankets and a sleeping bag on the floor but only one bed. Being a
gentleman, the priest said, “Sister, you sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep on the
floor in the sleeping bag.” Just as he got zipped up in the bag and was
beginning to fall asleep, the nun said “Father, I’m cold.” He unzipped the
sleeping bag, got up, got the blanket and put it on her. Once again, he got
into the sleeping bag, zipped it up and started to drift off to sleep when the
nun once again said, “Father, I’m still very cold.” He unzipped the bag, got up
again, put another blanket on her and got into the sleeping bag once again.
Just as his eyes closed, she said, “Father, I’m sooooo cold.” This time, he
remained there and said, “Sister, I have an idea. We’re out here in the wilderness
where no one will ever know what happened. Let’s pretend we’re married.” The
nun said, “That’s fine by me.” The priest yelled out, “Get up and get your own
stupid blanket!”
Your kids will learn most about Jesus not by how you act at church, but by
watching what you do at home when you relax in front of them.