The Great Commandment Sermon Outlines

"The Great Commandment: Love God, Love Others, Love Yourself"

Introduction:

I. The Foundation of the Great Commandment

A. Mark 12:28-31 - "One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

B. Introduce the Great Commandment as the core foundation of Christian living.

II. Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength

A. Deuteronomy 6:5 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

B. Matthew 22:37 - "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"

C. Explore the depth and breadth of loving God with our entire being.

III. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

A. Leviticus 19:18 - "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."

B. Luke 10:27 - "He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

C. Discuss the practical implications of loving others as an outflow of our love for God.

IV. The Depth of God's Love

A. 1 John 4:9-10 - "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

B. Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

C. Reflect on God's sacrificial love as the ultimate model for our love towards Him and others.

V. Loving Yourself: A Balanced Perspective

A. Ephesians 5:29 - "After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church."

B. Matthew 22:39 - "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

C. Address the importance of having a healthy self-love that aligns with God's perspective.

VI. Practical Application of the Great Commandment

A. Romans 13:10 - "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

B. Galatians 5:14 - "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

C. Encourage the congregation to live out the Great Commandment in their daily lives through acts of love and compassion.

Conclusion:

Recap the significance of the Great Commandment as the essence of Christian living.

Inspire the congregation to embrace love for God, love for others, and a balanced self-love.

Encourage a life lived in obedience to the Great Commandment, reflecting God's love to the world.

Ref Bible Verses - Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28, Galatians 5:14, Deuteronomy 6:5