The End of the Beginning – Week 1
January 4, 2026
The Greatest Commandment
Pastor Philip Harike
Sermon Notes
Mark 12:28-34
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall 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: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
I. Love God With Everything You Are
II. Love Others As An Overflow of Loving God
Wholehearted love for God naturally overflows into sacrificial love for people – this is the heart of true discipleship.
III. You Can Know the Right Answer and Still Miss the Kingdom
Knowing about God is not the same as belonging to Him; being near to the Kingdom is not enough — we must enter through faith in Jesus.
Next Steps
- I confess my sin and turn to Jesus as King for the first time.
- I commit to love God wholeheartedly and my neighbor sacrificially.
- I choose to replace religious substitutes with complete surrender to God.
Deep Dive
- How can we discern whether our love for others is genuinely rooted in love for God?
- What does it look like in our culture to be near – but not in – the kingdom of God?
- Where in your life might you be “close” but not fully surrendered to Christ?
Springboards
- What are the best seats you’ve ever had at a concert, sporting event, etc.? How did it make you feel?
- Read Mark 12:35-40. What do you notice about the “seats” mentioned in this passage?
- In what ways do people today still crave “the best seats”? How can we guard our hearts against this pride?
