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Jesus was once asked by a man, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV) In a nutshell, Jesus' answer to this question was, LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE. And that is what we at Smokey Point Community Church want to do. We've taken these two phrases and searched the Bible to gain insight into what they mean in more specific terms. This search has brought us to the following conviction regarding what we want to be about...  THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS CHRIST Jesus is worthy of high honor above all else. Because of his supremacy over all things, he rightfully demands our allegiance and submission to his sovereign reign as King of the universe. His is the only name under heaven by which men may be saved (Isaiah 45:23; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 1:1-13; Rev 17:14; 19:6; Acts 4:12; John 14:6) CELEBRATING Joy is essential in our response to God's revelation of himself. This is the purpose that Jesus gives for the things that he told his disciples. "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)‚ It is not enough to know about‚ God-the devil knows more about him than any of us does. Nor is it enough to merely obey God's commands. We must also treasure God above all else. This is not a shallow sentimentality, a fleeting emotional high or spiritual goose bumps; rather, it is a joy deeply anchored in the sufficiency of Christ and his gospel for our lives. A GROWING RELATIONSHIP God adopts us as his children (Eph 1:5; John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). So our relationship with our Father is one of dependence (John 5:19; 15:5) and intimacy (Galatians 4:6-7). Every believer is on a journey of transformation, becoming more like Jesus through a growing knowledge of and faithful obedience to his Word, together with willing submission to His Spirit (Ephesians 4:15; Col 2:19; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18). LEADING PEOPLE The Bible invites people to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Once we have tasted the sweetness of Jesus, we will lead others to experience the only source of true satisfaction found in his infinite splendor. The most loving thing we can do for people is share the greatest treasure in the universe with them, which is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. |
