The Greatest Commandment | Oshkosh | September 14, 2025

This message centers on Matthew 22 and the Greatest Commandment, set in the tense context of Passion Week as religious leaders repeatedly try—and fail—to trap Jesus using the Law. Jesus exposes the heart of God’s will by declaring that all Scripture hangs on two commands: loving God with one’s entire being—heart, soul, mind, and strength—and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. In contrast to the crushing weight of legalism and religious tradition, Jesus reveals that true obedience is not rule-keeping but wholehearted devotion expressed through action, service, and love. The sermon emphasizes that knowing about God is not the same as knowing God, that serving flows from salvation rather than earning it, and that believers are saved to serve as Christ’s ambassadors, primarily through the local church. Ultimately, the passage shows that no one can perfectly fulfill this command except Jesus Himself, which is why salvation comes not through the Law, but through faith in Christ, who calls people not just near the Kingdom of God, but into it.