Chuck Smith emphasizes the significance of the Great Commandments in Mark 12:28, focusing on the necessity of recognizing and establishing a relationship with the true God. He explains that understanding God's purpose for our lives is crucial, as many live unfulfilled lives by prioritizing personal ambitions over their relationship with God. Smith highlights that loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is foundational, and this love must be developed through an intimate knowledge of Him. Furthermore, he stresses that loving our neighbor is a natural extension of our love for God, and one cannot truly love others without first having a right relationship with God.

"THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS" Intro: We are now in the final week before His crucifixion. The Sanhedren have determined He must die. Some charge must be created against Him to bring before the Roman court. Pharisees - tribute. I. "WHICH IS THE FIRST OR PRIMARY COMMANDMENT OF ALL?" A. Why should he be interested? 1. They were always enlarging on the commandments, seeking to interpret them. 2. On the other hand, they were seeking to make them more concise. a. Psalm 15. b. Micah 6:8 Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with thy God. 3. Recognizing that God exists, and creation shows design and purpose. a. How can I answer God's purpose for me? b. What did God have in mind for me? 1. This should be the primary question of every thinking man. 2. If I seek to save my life, I will lose it. i.e. If I live for my pleasure. 3. Many wasted lives today. They have accomplished great feats, built vast empires, fulfilled ambitions, died unfulfilled and bitter for they lost their own souls. 4. Their mistake was their failure to concern themselves with this question. B. "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is..." 1. The most important thing for any man is the recognizing of the true God. a. With so many religions, how can you be sure? b. Religions are man s quest for God. 1. Man creates his own idea of God based upon himself, "If I were God..." 2. Some fools seeking to make a religion out of Christianity. 3. Who by searching can find God? 4. If man by searching cannot find God, then religion is destined for failure and can only become an opiate for the people. 5. Does this mean our quest for God is hopeless? Only if we start with an earth base. C. God has revealed Himself to man. 1. The Bible is not man's speculation about God. 2. It is God's revelation of Himself. a. How can I be sure? b. If you were God, how could you vouchsafe? 3. Having recognized the true and living eternal God, you must now establish a relationship. a. God desires a loving relationship with you. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with every-thing. Heart, soul, mind, strength." 1. The only way you can love Him is to know Him. a. Should some stranger walk up to you in the mall and ask, "Do you love me?" b. Love develops by knowing someone intimately. 1. Many make the sad mistake of marrying someone before they really know them. b. Your relationship with God is primary, it is the vertical axis upon which your whole life revolves. II. THE SECOND IS LIKE THE FIRST, "THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF." A. The first is a primary prerequisite to the second. 1. The fatal flaw of the social gospel is the seeking to impose the second above the first. 2. You cannot have a completely right relationship with God and a wrong relationship with your brother. 3. You cannot have a completely right relationship with your brother until your vertical axis is right.