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Colin Smith: This message today is for Christians. It's not for everybody. But if you are in Jesus Christ, it is for you. If that describes you, I want to call you today to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Open the Bible Weekend with Pastor Colin Smith. And Colin, I've got so many questions that come out of that right there. First one. For non-Christians, they had to turn the radio off today? I mean, what's up?

Colin Smith: Oh, absolutely not. But here's the issue. We're talking about loving God with all of your heart. It's very easy to just blandly say, oh, yes, that's what we've all got to do. Oh, yes, we should love God. How in the world are you going to do that?

Guest (Male): That's question number two. So where you going with that? All right.

Colin Smith: All right. Here's the reality that loving God is a response to his grace in our lives. It's not some massive effort that you just have to work up from the inside and say, oh, I've got to do my duty to love God. That's not Christianity. And you know what? If you have thought that that's what Christianity is, don't turn off the radio. But stay with this program because you're going to get to the heart of what the gospel is, that it's God's grace in your life that produces a love for Jesus Christ because of his great love for you that comes first. That's the heart of the message today. And that gets us out of some massive effort to do what isn't really in us and gets us into the world of grace where we're responding to what God in Christ has done for us.

Guest (Male): Well, we are in Deuteronomy chapter 6. So whether you're a believer or not, I hope that you'll join us there as we continue a message called "Love God with All Your Heart." Here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Now, God's name is of great importance, especially as we are living increasingly in a pluralistic culture. Because pluralism wants a nameless God. And our culture is very fast moving from a consensus that there is one God, who has revealed himself in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, the Judeo-Christian view of God. Our culture is moving very fast from that consensus to a new consensus that not that there's one God, but that everything is one.

Our culture is moving fast from monotheism to monism. Monotheism is the conviction that there is one God, as is stated here in verse 4 of Deuteronomy in chapter 4. That's monotheism. Monism is the conviction that ultimately everything is one.

What do you have to get rid of to get from the word monotheism to the word monism? You have to take out what? Theos. You have to take out God. And that is why in our culture, religion will always be popular, but the name of God will always be offensive. That's why the name of Jesus Christ is always offensive. That's why the name of Yahweh will be increasingly offensive.

Because religion so long as it is undefined and vague, so long as it is nameless, becomes a sort of vague human search in which we're all trying to search after something which is ultimately one and we don't even know what it is. And into that breaks the creator of the heaven and the earth and he says, I am who I am.

Friends, that's why it's so important for us in the church to understand this. Our distinctive witness is not that we are people of faith. Not is it that we're somehow trying to hold the banner for religious values. That's too vague a language. Our witness is tied to the Lord's name. It is that we love Yahweh, and there is no one like him. Our witness is tied to the name of Jesus Christ whom he sent, by whom he is known, and in whom we he has reconciled us to himself. We love him, and our loyalty is to him before any other.

And so, all that's right here in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 4. So we've thought about the people. And we've tried to grasp a little more about the unique and glorious Lord. And let's now thirdly, look at this love that his own people are to have for him. Verse 5. Love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. You who know him, you who are being redeemed by him, you to whom his promises are given, love him with all your heart. That's the first thing.

Love him with all your affection. Don't ever as you go on as a Christian, slide into thinking of your salvation as some kind of business transaction in which Jesus does certain things and they were all such a long time ago. And now you've done certain things and now it's all just a done deal like it could be a handshake and move on from there. Listen, Christ redeemed you. Christ shed his blood for you. Christ did this because he loves you.

And the relationship into which he brings you is one in which you know him and come increasingly to love him. And heart is affection, but it is more than affection. Never less, but always more. In the Hebrew language, heart includes the mind, it includes the will, it includes the desire, it includes the intent, it includes the motive.

So you're thinking, you're feeling, you're desiring. All of these things for the Hebrews are are done in your heart. Now we tend to think of the head and the heart as two different compartments or departments that find difficulty in communicating with each other, you know? Well, am I going to go with my head or am I going to go with my heart as if these two were divorced from each other.

But for the Hebrews, the head is in the heart. That's very interesting. When our Lord Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy, you'll find this in Mark's Gospel chapter 12, he adds the word mind, which is so helpful for us because we don't think that the mind is in the heart. But for the Hebrews, the mind is in the heart. Love God with all your heart therefore means love him with everything that is within you. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.

Then Moses says, "Love Yahweh your God with all your soul." Now, this word soul could be translated life. And so it gives to us the spectrum of meaning. Love the Lord with all your energy. Love the Lord with all your talent. Love the Lord with all your ability. Love the Lord with all your years. Love the Lord with all your life. Make commitments that will deploy what God has given you in a way that shows you love him. See, people see that you love your family. People see that you love your work. People see that you love your sports. What are you doing that would make people see that you love the Lord?

Love him with all your life. Don't let the years slip away. Don't let your talent slide dormant and wasted. And then he says, "Love Yahweh your God with all your strength." Now, this word, in many ways, is the most fascinating of all. The literal translation of the word that's rendered here strength, literally translated is muchness, which isn't really a word, I know, but think about it with me.

Love the Lord your God, literal translation, with all your muchness. Now, it's speaking then of your substance, your possessions, all that God has given to you in this life. Now, do you remember an occasion in the New Testament where Jesus spoke with a man who had great muchness? And he had lived a moral life, and he had felt that he had kept all of the commandments, indeed. No murders, he never committed a murder, no adultery, no stealing, he cared for his father and his mother. This man thought that he had kept the law. But Jesus brings him to see he had completely missed the point.

And you remember the the story. The whole point of the law is this, you are to love God with your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength, and your neighbor as yourself. So Jesus challenges this man to love God and to love his neighbor with his muchness. And Jesus says, "Here's what you can do. You go, and you sell everything that you have and give to the poor. And then you come and you follow me."

You see, he was saying to this man, "Now you are living a model life, and you think that that fulfills all the commandments. You've completely missed the point. You love your muchness much more than you love God. Your muchness is actually the idol of your life. And until you get rid of that muchness, it will hold you back from devoting yourself wholly to the pursuit of loving God. So here's what you can do. Love God with your muchness."

And when Jesus said that, remember what happened? What happens so often with people who really want to keep the Lord Jesus Christ at a distance. He walks away. And he goes away sorrowful.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Open the Bible Weekend with Pastor Colin Smith. And we'll continue our message from Deuteronomy 6 in just a moment. By the way, if you joined us late, have to leave early, or you ever want to go back and listen to a message again, you can do that at our website. Come to openthebible.org. You can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. You can also listen if you have the Open the Bible app. It's free at your app store, and that's a great way to listen to Pastor Colin's teaching on demand whenever it fits your schedule. So again, go get the app at your app store or come and listen online at openthebible.org. Let's get back to the message. Again, here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Let me ask you this question. It's come as a fresh challenge to my own heart. What are you doing with your muchness? Because the way you use your muchness is a reflection of what you love.

See, heart and soul, but not muchness. What do you think of a man who says to his wife, "I love you," but is so stingy, he never really splashes out and spends any money on her? You say that man doesn't really love. He's selfish. He's selfish. Doesn't really know what love is. He thinks it's just words and feelings and activities.

Here's the question I want to challenge you with. What proportion of your muchness would you think would represent the depth of your love for God? What proportion of your muchness this year being released, will go on your tax form at the end of the year? And there'll be a proportion of my muchness that has been given distinctively for that which advances the cause of the name of Jesus Christ. I love that name.

I'm asking the question. What is that? Is it 10%? What is it? What proportion of your muchness do you think would be a suitable expression this year of your love for Jesus Christ? Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So love God with all your heart, and love God with all your soul, and love God with all your muchness.

Now, here's the very last thing. How are you doing? How are you doing as a Christian, with this whole business of what it means to really love the Lord? He's chosen you. He's redeemed you. He's vested his promises in you. And he calls you to love him with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your muchness. How are you doing?

Because this question really shoots all the way through the Bible, doesn't it? You remember after the resurrection, how the Lord Jesus meets with Peter and after breakfast, looks him in the eye and says, "Simon Peter, do you really love me?" And he asked Peter three times and and Peter said, "Lord, you you know that I love you."

I've tried this week to picture the risen Christ looking deep into this soul and asking that question, "Colin, do you really love me?" I ask you to try and picture that right now. The Lord Jesus Christ looking deep into your inner life, saying your name and asking this question, "Do you really really love me?"

There he is, the exalted Lord. He's saying to you, "I chose you, I redeemed you, I have gone to the cross for you. My body was broken for you. My blood was shed for you. I have awakened you, I have regenerated you, I have breathed new life into you. Faith and repentance, I gave them to you. I've made a covenant with you. I watch over you. Before a word is on your tongue, I know it completely. I have loved you with an everlasting love and I have said to you, I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. Do you really love me?"

And you know what I've concluded? That I would be saying with Peter, "Lord Jesus, you know that I love you." And I would be feeling so ashamed that my love for him is so small. Don't you feel that yourself? When you look at the immensity of all that he's done for you, I believe it was R.C. Sproul who read the words that we've been looking at today.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." And Sproul read these words and he said, "I haven't done that for five minutes." With all your heart? With all your soul? With all your strength? "I haven't done that for five minutes."

Then I look at his love for me, and I look at this love for him, and I see that I need a savior. That's what I see. And not only a savior who will forgive my many sins, my many shortcomings, the many manifestations of self-centeredness in my life, the many evidences of coldness of heart. Not only a savior who will forgive these things, but a savior who is able to constantly, progressively, and increasingly bring me into a greater love for God. For though this love for God in my heart is so small, compared to what one day it will be.

I would say as you would say, I'm sure from your heart today, and yet, I want to love you, Lord. Oh, light a flame within my heart that I may love you more and more until I see you as thou art. Light that flame within me, Lord. Fan it. May the little love that you have already planted in this heart, grow and may it increase. May it be with more of my heart and with more of my soul and with more of my muchness.

You say, "How can I love more?" We love him because he first loved us. That's the principle. So when I see more of his love for me, my love for him will be increased. That's one of the great reasons why we gather together for worship every week because we need to see more of his love for us.

And as we see more of this amazing love of God for you in Jesus Christ, that fans the flames of our love for him. Let me end with this story that struck me as I read it this week. Bishop Ryle tells the story of an Englishman who was traveling here in the States. And he met up with an Indian who was very enthusiastic in talking about Jesus Christ.

And the Englishman was somewhat reserved as they tend to be, you understand. And he said to the Indian after some time, "Well, now, you know, you are always talking about Jesus Christ. Why is it that you're making such a big deal of him?" And the Indian didn't say anything, but he knelt down. And he pulled together some leaves and some twigs and some moss. He picked up a live worm and he put the worm in the middle of the circle.

Then he lit the leaves. The flames began to burn. And the worm began to move one way and then another way and then another way. Of course, every way the worm moved, it was merely getting nearer to the flame. Until after a few moments, the worm curled itself up, preparing to die. And the Indian reached his hand into the center of the circle, pulled out the worm, and placed the worm over his heart. And he said to the Englishman, "I was this worm. Helpless, hopeless, and on the brink of an eternal fire. And Jesus Christ has saved me and brought me into the knowledge of his love. And that is why I make much of him."

Guest (Male): That is a powerful story, the Indian and the worm, isn't it? And how many of us can identify with that worm? You know, when we realize that we were helpless and hopeless, but Jesus reaches out his hand and rescues us. What a thing for us to be thinking about and to be grateful for as we wrap up this broadcast. But that's only true if you know Jesus. Maybe if you've been listening, you realize that you don't know him, at least not like Pastor Colin's been talking about, but you'd like to, or you'd like to talk with someone, pray with someone about that. I hope you'll contact us here at Open the Bible. You can reach us toll-free at 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365.

Well, today's message, "Love God with All Your Heart" is part of a larger series called "Take Two, The Power of a Fresh Start." And if you ever miss a broadcast in the series, come and listen online at openthebible.org. Well, Open the Bible is a listener-supported program. It's your generosity that allows us to bring you Pastor Colin's teaching each day, and as you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to send you a copy of Pastor Colin's brand new 30-day devotional book. It's called "Grow in Hope," and Colin, who is this book for?

Colin Smith: Well, this is for everybody who wants to have hope, and I think that's absolutely every person. We all need hope. And if you would like to have hope drip-fed into your life for 30 days, then "Grow in Hope" is a devotional that will do just that. It's full of the promises of God. It shows that hope comes from God. It comes to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, and it comes to us by his marvelous grace. So, 30 days of hope, I think that's something that everyone can use, and I hope it's going to be a blessing to everyone who reads it.

Guest (Male): Well, we'd love to send you a copy of this as our way of saying thank you for your financial support. You can give online at openthebible.org, or when you call 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365. Or again, the website is openthebible.org. For Pastor Colin Smith, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening, and I hope you'll join us next time.

Open the Bible Weekend is a listener-supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: This is Pastor Colin, and I love the story of the thief on the cross because it's the best story we have to help people understand grace. You know, many people have the idea that if a person was to get into heaven, they'd get there by living a good enough life. Well, the thief on the cross hadn't lived a good life, and he wasn't in a position to start living a good life either. But Jesus said to him, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." Well, if the thief could get into heaven, so can everyone you know and will ever meet.

"Heaven, How I Got Here" is a compelling 60-minute film in which Stephen Baldwin portrays the thief on the cross in a one-person play. We've seen God use this film to help many trust in Jesus as the thief did. So, who is there in your life who needs to understand grace? For more information, or to watch this film for free, visit openthebible.org/heaven. That's openthebible.org/heaven.