The Bryce Crawford Podcast - God's Greatest Commandment (EP 43)

Episode Date: September 3, 2024

In this video, Bryce talks about loving your neighbor. Filmed By; Josh Rodriguez @whitehorse.studios MERCH👉 https://www.jesusinthestreet.com subscribe for more! Sow Into My Ministry One-Time or Monthly! Visit 👉 https://www.equipnet.org/missionaries/bcrawford (all donations are tax deductible) Download Our FREE Bible Plan https://growinfaith.readytoconnect.com/join-the-one-year-bible-challenge follow me on other platforms! Podcast Instagram 👉https://instagram.com/brycecrawfordpodcast Personal Instagram 👉 https://instagram.com/brycecrawford Merch Instagram 👉 https://instagram.com/ilovejesus Tiktok (main) 👉https://www.tiktok.com/@brycecrawford Tiktok (2nd) 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@adventuresofbryce Snapchat https://snapchat.com/add/brycecraww Twitter 👉 https://twitter.com/ibrycecrawford #christianity #christian #Jesus #BryceCrawford #christiantiktok #christianvideos #holyspirit #Jesusheals #viral #christianvideo #venicebeach #evangelism

All right, what's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I am Bryce, and today my dog is choking on a bone right now. Moses, he has a cone on, the cone of shame. I had to take him to the vet last week. He has an eye infection, and he has to wear the cone of shame. But he is snacking on a bone right now. But today's episode is going to be a great day.

Guys, listen, by the topic of the episode, we're going to be talking about the greatest commandment. What does Jesus say? The greatest commandment is in the Bible. We're going to be talking about that. Before we get into it, got a few announcements. All right.

First thing I want to talk about is this thing above my left shoulder right here, Renewal Rain. Renewal Rain. Renewal Rain is seriously one of my favorite companies on the planet right now, and it is one of my favorite drinks. I drink about two or three of them a day.

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They're an amazing company. And so if you were someone that was drinking liquid death and then stopped because of the whole witchcraft thing and you were looking for a mineral water company or something to drink, Renewal Rain is it. and if you guys go to renewal rain.com, get Renewal Rain, and you guys can use code BC25 at checkout, and you guys can get a percentage off of your order. It's super dope. I love Renewal Rain. Go check them out.

And second thing, guys, we just got done with the Burning Man Festival. We got to share Jesus at the Burning Man Festival. It was amazing. Y'all stay tuned. Be on the lookout for that. It's going to be awesome. But let's get into Matthew 22, and what Jesus talks about, the greatest commandment.

being. Here we go. Let's set the scene here. All right, we're not just going to read the greatest commandment. We're going to read this portion of the passage to determine what's going on. So here's what happens. You've got the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees that like to pray on Jesus's downfall. They want to trip him up. They want to stumble him. And I believe that this passage right here is like one of the most pivotal moments for the Pharisees because I believe that they thought that they had Jesus tripped up for a second. It says, but when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had Jesus had silence to the Sadducees they gathered together and one of them a lawyer asked him a question to test him teacher which is the great commandment in the law now here's a crazy thing about Jesus hold on

I just really feel this in my spirit before I keep going on the greatest commandment the number one persecution that Jesus Christ went through was people misjudging his character the people were like chaff in the wind and one moment they would be praising at his feet crying Hosanna and laying palm leaves at his feet while he rode in humbly on a donkey. The next week they're the same people screaming, crucify him, and getting his back lashed 39 times with a cat of nine tails, nailing him to a cross. And so these people looked at Jesus and they said, oh, you're not the Messiah.

You don't care about the Old Testament law. You're a blasphemer against God. All of these things misjudging his character. So now you have the Pharisees here who think they can trip him up with a test, asking him what the greatest commandant is. They're trying to get Jesus to say that one commandment in the Old Testament law is greater than another here. But Jesus isn't phased by the test here. Instead of Jesus saying one law is greater than the other.

Jesus is going to summarize and unify all of the Old Testament laws together. The entire law, he's going to bring it together under this single commandment. Unify it. Jesus says, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Very powerful moment here.

The Pharisees think that they've got Jesus stripped up here and they say, oh, if we can get Jesus to say one commandment is better than the other, we got him. He's a blasphemer or all this other stuff. But no, Jesus doesn't entertain their foolishness. Jesus actually brings the whole law together and says, the whole law is summarized under this one truth. We must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mine,

and strength. And then he says, love the neighbor as yourself. It's a very interesting thing here. And I want to mention something here. A lot of people in today's society are loving their neighbor as themselves. They just don't love themselves. And so they're actually treating everyone around them like crap. But if we don't understand that we're valuable and we're made in the image of God and that is why we are valuable and that every human being is valuable because they're made in the image of God, then we would tend to have more of a respect and reverence for other. other people. You know what it means to love your neighbor as yourself? Loving your neighbor as yourself is when you see yourself the way that God sees you, then you realize that he sees the value in you

the same as he does everybody else. So you can love your neighbor as yourself by understanding your value and worth in Jesus Christ and understanding that they are valuable and made in the image of God, just like every other human being. So loving your neighbor as yourself, understanding your value the way God sees you and realizing he sees everyone else the same way and because of that truth you can love people as yourself it's not a selfish love loving your neighbor as yourself doesn't look like oh well I'm just going to love myself love myself let me get more money this is that no no no no no it's understanding your identity and value in the image and lightness of God and treating other people the exact same way now what is loving the Lord your God with all your heart with all your

soul with all your mind and with all your strength look like well let's look you your priorities. A lot of you guys love Netflix and food with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. A lot of you guys love your phone with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. A lot of you guys love your significant other with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And while a significant other, Netflix, and food can be great things. These things can become idols in your life.

And when something matters more than what matters most, then that's when we begin to have an idol in our life. Sorry, I got Moses jumping all over me. that's when we begin to have an idol in our life is when something matters more than what matters most. And God hears saying, let me sit on the throne of your heart. When Jesus says that the greatest commandment is loving the Lord

or God, with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, he's actually telling people today and the audience at that time to stop white-knuckling the law. Stop trying to do things out of your own power. Did you know in Romans 6, 7, and 8, it talks about how before Jesus Christ, the law was over our head, right? When the law was over our head before Jesus Christ, we're looking up at the law as if it's something that we have to chase. We have to push towards the law. We have to work for the law. But now that Jesus Christ has died and resurrected

and defeated death, the law isn't something that we're reaching towards. Rather, the law now is within our heart. And the law is something that manifests from within us. And why is it that the commandments and the obedience of Jesus Christ from us as a human standpoint now manifests through us? It's not because we're doing it out of our own willpower. It's because we love him. That's why Jesus says if you love me, you'll obey my commandments. He's not saying, I'm forcing you to obey the law. He's not saying you have to obey the law or else.

He's not saying, well, you have to reach up and work your way to the law. Jesus isn't saying that. Jesus is saying, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is how you obey the law. You listen to your father and mother, not because you have to, but because you want to. Why do you want to listen to your father and mother? Why is it that when you were a little kid and you wanted to eat ice cream for breakfast, your parents didn't let you? I got frustrated in the moment when I originally wanted to eat ice cream for breakfast,

but then I realized my parents have lived a lot more life than I have. They know what's better for me, and I love my parents. That's why I listen to them. That's why I weigh their words. That's why I care about what they say. It's important to recognize that. So when Jesus says, if you love me, you'll obey my. my commandments. He's saying, yeah, the fruit of your love is just your actions. Like, if you love me,

I'll be able to tell it. We all know nowadays that talk is cheap. Everybody's talk is cheap. That's why James I, he says, religion that is pure and undefiled before the Lord is visiting widows and orphans in their affliction. James one doesn't say, religion and undefiled before the Lord is this, those who talk about how much good they do for God. He doesn't say that. The prerequisite for heaven isn't how much you do for God. It's belief, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ. But we do things for God because we love Him. And so when we love Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength,

we will find ourselves naturally obeying the law. We will find ourselves growing in sanctification and holiness. We will find ourselves growing in conviction. We will find ourselves convicted from things about this week that we weren't convicted about things last week. Why? Because we love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But then again, what is love?

What is love? Well, we know in 1 John it says if anyone does not know love, they don't know God because God is love. But what is the definition of love? And I think this is a misconception a lot of people have in today's society because we don't know what love is. And I actually feel this really big in my heart. And this is something I fall victim to sometimes. So I'm not even putting a blame on here and there. But I feel like it's such an easy thing for us as Christians to listen to a podcast, listen to a video clip, listen to things on the internet or read books and say, oh, this sounds good, but we never apply it to our life. life. And so I actually want to challenge every listener or everyone watching this podcast. If you genuinely care about your faith walk, challenge yourself to live these things out. Because we get so frustrated at Christians and frustrated at people when they're not doing things. Why do you think Christians like are some of the most hated people on the planet?

Like so many people have a distaste in their mouth about Christians because so many Christians talk. We just talk and we don't do. We don't actually show it in our actions. Did you know in Luke chapter 3, John the Baptist looks at the Pharisees and he says, show me the fruit of your repentance. He says that. He's not saying that your works get you in heaven. No, but he's saying the outside of the cup looks great. The Pharisees were tithing the most.

They were the holiest people, the outside of the cup, but their hearts were far from Jesus. And so when he says, show me the fruit of your repentance, he says, what's going on on the inside? Because God doesn't judge the surface. He judges the heart. It's a powerful thing. we have to start walking this stuff out. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 13 and let's see what love is. Let's see what Paul writes as love being.

Love is patient and kind. That's convicting because I struggle with patience. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. Pride. Love isn't prideful. Love doesn't insist on its own way.

It is not irritable or resentful. that means that love is quick to listen slow to speak quick to understanding quick to grace it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with truth now here's here's the big verse here love bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things do you know what love does love hopes the best in people. And we live in a society today where one of the greatest diseases that's plaguing America is where we hope the worst in people. When we hear a situation, when our friend tells us a gossip about someone,

our minds immediately go to the worst possible scenario. Our minds tend to think the worst about people. But what if the epidemic wasn't us hoping the worst in people? But what if the epidemic was us hoping the best in people? What if we heard, oh, so-and-so was doing this thing earlier, but we actually believed the best in them? What if we heard, oh, man, Bryce didn't show up to practice today. Oh, he's just lazy and he doesn't care about a sport.

Well, let's hope the best in Bryce. What if Bryce didn't show up to practice today because he had a situation going on at home? He had a sick relative. A family member passed away. Something was going on at home. He didn't take his little brother or a little sister back home or something. Why don't we hope the best of people anymore?

Love is patient, kind, hopes all things, bears all things. Love perseveres through trial. Isn't it crazy that in today's society, when things get tough with friends or loved ones, we want to leave? But when things get tough for us, Jesus never left. He actually stays with us, promises to be the good shepherd guiding us through the storm, giving us peace. And then verse 8, love never ends. Love isn't conditional.

Love isn't determined what you can do for me. Love isn't determined on the weather of today. Love isn't determined on your actions. Love never ends. And thank God that Jesus gets to be the person. picture of love. Do you know why it can be an easy thing to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Because the picture of love is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is perfect and blameless. He became a servant. He didn't come to be served, but to serve.

Jesus Christ showed us how to live it. And he not only loved us with his words and actions, but he loved us unto death. Even death on. a cross, submitting himself willingly, saying, God, I will do this. If there's another way, let this cut past, but I will go through with this if I need to. That's why Hebrews 12 says, we look to Jesus as the author and perfector of our faith. We look to Jesus as the example of our love. We don't look to sex and drugs and money. We don't look to earthly relationships is love. If we look to earthly relationships as love, we would see that more than 50% of relationships end in divorce. If we looked at earthly relationships as love, then, man, we would be

flaking on everybody out of love today. Thank Jesus that we get to look at him as love. That's why it can be easy to love the Lord, our God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength. Because the example of love is perfect love. Jesus Christ, love that never ends. And when we love God with all of our hearts, soul, mind, strength. Then we see that perfect value the made and the image of God value that every human being carries and we can love our neighbor as ourselves.

A very beautiful thing. I personally believe that revival will strike any nation, any city when we become lovers first of people.

When we look at people, we say i mean i'm not going to see you for your junk i'm not going to see you for what you've been through what you've done i'm going to see you the way that jesus sees you do you know what love for humankind does love for humankind does this when humankind sins our heart breaks puts us into a posture of prayer puts us into a place where we want to come alongside our brothers and sisters, comfort them and challenge them, help them grow. Love for humankind also does this. It champions our brothers and sisters.

It encourages our brothers and sisters. It's there for our brothers and sisters when times get tough and when times are good. That's what love looks like. Jesus is the prime example of love. And you know what I've realized? the moments that I find myself glowing with the character of Jesus the most is when I'm loving him the most. When I'm loving Jesus with my whole heart, my whole soul, with my whole mind, with my whole strength, I find myself irradiating Jesus the most.

I find myself slow to anger, quick to speak, and these beatitudes and these attitudes and these characteristics and the fruits of the spirit is the goodness of God that brings man to repentance and scripture says these things are what bring people to know the love of God is when they see it and to me that's the appeal to Jesus Christ above any other religion is that every religion tells us what to do but Jesus shows us what to do Jesus humbled himself limited himself in power and became like one of us in the flesh, but lived a perfect life without sin, and then died on a cross. And when Jesus is the example of love, and we realize that he loved us unto death, then it actually gives us the strength to keep our life as a living sacrifice, living on an altar for God saying,

man, I'm going to go to the ends of the earth for Jesus. Loving the Lord, my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. it looks like loving God despite the adversity, despite the hatred, despite the persecution, despite losing friends, despite losing family members, loving the Lord of your God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Looks like that because all things work together for good for those who are in Christ, Jesus.

It's a great comfort. Jesus, I thank you for everyone watching and listening to this episode. God, I just pray that you will encourage them in the greatest commandment. Will you convict us with the greatest commandment? Will you convict us with love? and we convict us with your word. God, we just thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Guys, thank you so much for watching and listen to the podcast. If you guys enjoy, follow us on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Bryce Carford podcast. Guys, we are solely funded off of the radical generosity that you guys give.

And if you guys want to continue to see these podcasts and Street Evangelism videos, support us with a one time, our monthly tithe and offering to our nonprofit organization, Jesus in the street. If you guys want to give the link to our nonprofit tax deductible giving, link will be in the description of the youtube video love you guys see you guys next time