Mk 12:29 Jesus answered "The most important of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart decisions, with all your soul m/w/e, with all your mind discern-Eph, and with all your strength.'
31  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.

Loyalty: Obedience; Valuing; Exclusive 1st  to God.  Then 2nd  Loyalty; Other-centered; Valuing; Edification; Sharing/Serving to others.

1. Love is a decision (based on knowledge) and a commitment to self-sacrificially do what is in another's best interest regardless of response Jn 3

9. Edification Rm 14:19 15:2 each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification 3 as Christ did not please Himself Heb 10:24-25
Eph 4: 25 speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another cf Body  Rm 14:19  things wherewith one may edify another.

A. Self-Edification in Faith and Spirit-sensitivity prerequisite Jude 1:19 These are natural 1Cor 2:14, who separate themselves kjv Rm 16:17, not keeping fast the Spirit 20  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 23 convict the disputing, but others by fear save, pulling them out of the fire, hating garment defiled by the flesh 24..able keep you from stumbling...present faultless before the presence of His glory w/exceeding joy

See:TOYL Christian Career Path/Training Objectives; 7PASSAGES; Disciplines/Marks of a Disciple; Survey of  Discipleship; Disciplemaking

B. Proclaim-Teach?Edify=build up others by sharing Truth experiences that God has used to help you know and obey God better
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, acc to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 29 Let no corrupt/worthless word...but what is good for useful edification, that it may impart grace/power to the hearers

Acts 20:32 commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up,  to give you an inheritance among those are sanctified
Col 2:7  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
2Cor 12:19 we do all things, beloved, for your edification. 1Thess 5:11 encourage each other and edify one another, as you are doing.
1Tim 1:4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

C. Body Life Rm 14:19 pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.  1Cor 8:1 Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies 10:23 not all things edify 14:3 he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4...edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church 26 Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, teaching, tongue, revelation, interpretation. Let all things be done for edification

D. Our Love  expresses itself in serving real significant needs of the saints Teach/Admonish/Reprove/Restore/Rebuke/Reject Rev 3:19!!!
2Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness 17 equipped for GW
2Tim 4:2  preach the Word. Be instant in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching/doctrine

1. Teach-Admonish (warn; to put in mind) Rm 15:14 brethren...are full of goodness, filled w/ all knowledge, able also to admonish one another
Col 1:28  Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,
Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another cf Eph 5:21 filled/controlled by HS
1Th 5:12 we urge you, brethren, that you acknowledge those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you  13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, admonish  those who are unruly 2Th 3:6, incentivize the fainthearted, uphold the impotent, be patient with all. 15 See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

2. Reproof (bring to light w/ evidence)  Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke/reprove and discipline: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Mt 18:15 if  you brother shall trespass against you, go and show him his fault between you and him alone. If he shall hear you, gained brother.
Lk 3:19 Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
Jn 3:20  For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Jn 8:9  And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one
Jn 8:46  Which of you convicts/reproves Me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe Me?
Jn 16:8  He will reprove/convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment  Eph 5:11 have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them 13 all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever makes manifest is light.
Heb 12:5 you have forgotten the exhortation: "do not despise the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him;

3. Restoration (if Repentance-change of mind/actions)  Gal 6:1 Brethren, if one is overtaken in any fault, you who are spiritual restore Mk 4:21 such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
2Cor 2:14 the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

4. Rebuke (give what's due Mal 2:3 dung)  1Tim 5:20  Those who sin rebuke/criticize sharply before all, that others also may fear.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten/discipline: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Mt 8:26  And He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea
Mk 8:32  And Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him. 33  But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get thee behind Me, Satan; for you  are not thinking/seeking the things that are of God, but the things that are of men."

Lk 17:3  "Take heed to yourselves. If you brother trespass against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. Cf 2Tim 4:2
Titus 1:9  holding fast the faithful Word as he has been taught, that...able by sound teaching both to exhort and to convince those who speak against
Titus 1:13  This witness is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
Titus 2:15  These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you.

Jude 1:9...contending with the devil  and disputing...dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee!"

5. Reject   Titus 3:10 Reject a divisive person (chose own way/heretic) after the first and second admonition 11 warped/sinning/doomed
Rm 16:17 look out/note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the teaching which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

1Cor 5:7 Purge out the old leaven 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to associate with immoral 10 covetous, cheaters, isolators 11 But now I write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, who is immoral, or covetous, or who looks to anything other than the Creator God for their needs, or abusive person, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a person. Cf Holy Temple
Mt 18:17 if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; if he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen and tax collector.

2Thess 3:6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother

1Cor 15 33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."

E. Those who don't obey what they know (Ps 50:16 =wicked) are deceived (demonically), will believe lies, and are doomed to destruction
Dt 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,
2Cor 11:3  I fear...the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the singleness mindedness that is in Christ

2Thess 2:10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive/embrace the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

F. Our labor of love determines our eternal reward or loss
1Thess 1:3 We remember your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord JC

1Cor 3:8  each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 Acc to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation (JC Eph 2:20), and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles...destroy 18 deceive 19 worldly wisdom

10. Serving and Sharing Gal 5:13 called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but thru love serve one another.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:
1. Why do we have difficulty loving others when they don't love us back? Why is self-denial-purity/holiness a prerequisite to love 1Pt 1:22?
2. How can we misplace our loyalty? Why would we be tempted to be loyal to a person who isn't loyal to God?
3. Do you have to love yourself (consider yourself a person of worth and value) to love others? What can you do to boost your self-worth?
4. If you've denied yourself (very life-Lk 9:23) to follow Jesus, why would you pursue your own self-centered (demonically deceived) agenda?
5. Why is being other-centered difficult? If God meets our needs (esteem, worth, value, etc), why would we look to others to meet them?
6. What should be our goals in seeking to edify others? What should be our response is they don't “cooperate”?  Must you last before build?
7. What can we do to be better messengers so that people are more receptive to the message?  How does your answer compare to the prophets?
8. How has God used others in your life to help you grow? How has He used you to help others grow? What causes lack of reproductive growth?
9. What is the Biblical response to people who reject the Truth? Why are we often hesitant to obey God in sacrificially loving others?
10. What can you do to tap into God's grace and love so you can share it with others? How can you express your love for others?