Author: My Computer

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?
Q: *What is the chief end of man?" A: "Man's chief end is to glorify God & to enjoy Him forever"
(A) Deuteronomy 6 says that ITS ALL ABOUT GOD "Hear, 0 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 strength" (v4,5)
(1)	OUR GOD IS THE LORD or Yahweh which is shorthand for "I am who I am" (Ex 3)
(a)	the eternally existing one: "I am who I am" but also "I am who I always was" & "I am who I continue to be" & "I am who I will always be"
(b)	the eternally active one: "I bring to pass what I bring to pass" &
(c)	the one who is eternally active for His people:
"I am the God who will be with & for my people at all times"
(2)	THE LORD IS ONE
(a)	there is only one God
(b)	H« it unique (i) He is the only real reality & all other realities are contingent & dependent on Him
(ii) He is unrivalled in perfection, majesty, power (Hi) He is not dependent on anything outside Himself 
(B) THIS GOD, THE ONE LORD. CALLS US INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH HIMSELF
"Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (v5)
(1)	HIS BEING MERITS THIS
(a)	He is God
(b)	He alone is God
(c)	He merits this to the exclusion of all else: this is to be my main thing (v6-9)
(2)	HIS ACTIONS MERIT THIS
(a) What he has done & will do for Israel (v20-25) (b) what he has done & will do for the church (Un4.io)
(3)	HIS WORD COMMANDS THIS "Fear the Lord your God, serve him only--. Do not follow other gods,-; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God" (vl3-15)
(a)	jealousy often has negative connotations (i) jealousy of another person (ii) the jealousy of insecurity
(b)	Jealousy can have positive connotations: God is rightly jealous when His people are committed to something else other than Him. God's passion for us is zealous & cannot tolerate competitors
(C) HOW WILL I KNOW IF THIS MY MAIN THING
(1)	LOVE WILL BE KNOWN IN ACTION
(a)	"Christian love- expresses itself- in implicit obedience to His commandments" (vine) (see Jn 14.15)
(b)	our love is to be Agape love: the self-giving love of God (Mki2:28-3i)
(2)	LOVE WILL BE KNOWN IN REACTION or how I respond to the various circumstances of life.
(a)	trials are inevitable (i) some are due to my living in a fallen world
(ii) Some are due to my own sinfulness or stupidity.
(b)	The Christian is not exempt from the trials of life. In fact, some are specific to the Christian:
"If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also-They will treat you this way because of my
name" (Jni5:20,2i): these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted" (iThess3:i-4)
(c)	some are permitted by God for a purpose & though this is is often hidden from us, they can produce good results (i) character is changed (see James 1:3, Rom 5:3-5) (ii) faith is proved genuine (see iPti:6,7)
(d)	2 types of trial are indicated in Deuteronomy 6 (i) the trial of difficulty (Massah: see vi6 with Exi7) & we may be called to acceptance of our circumstances & to perseverance in them even though cannot see their purpose while always looking to God for strength, (ii) the trial of prosperity (see vio-12)
"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 strength"