The Greatest Thing - Love God First

Notes: The Greatest Thing
October 5, 2014
Pastor Jeff Lesseigne
Harvest OC
Matthew 22

Tonight is Harvest America in Dallas.

Pastor Jeff put an ad on the screen about a man hiring someone to back in time with him. The ad says you will get paid at return.

If you could accomplish one great thing in your life what would it be? 

Pastor Jeff gives many answers that he thinks people would have. He is asking what you as a Christian's great achievement would be?

He is talking about the movie City Slickers. How the actor tells Billy Crystal there is just one thing that is the most important thing in life and he has to figure that one thing out.

Jeff is talking about how the Pharisees and then the Sadducees were trying to trick Jesus Christ, and they couldn't do it.

Matthew 22:34-38 NKJV
[34] But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. [35] Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, [36] "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" [37] Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and great commandment.

Jeff says on the surface it doesn't appear to be a trick question. But they were trying to complicate it on Jesus because, Jeff says there are 613 laws that the Jews have got out of the Old Testament. They call it the Mitzvah.

Jesus Christ says the greatest thing we can do in our lives, supremely, is to love God with our heart, souls and mind.

Many people ask the "what ifs" but Jesus Christ does not change his answer. No matter what the other important things are, loving God comes first, it helps with all other things.

Acts 1:3 NKJV
[3] to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Peter made the biggest mistakes prior to seeing Jesus Christ before he saw him resurrected. Peter denied the Lord. Yet Jesus Christ only brought it up one time after.

John 21:15-17 NKJV
[15] So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." [16] He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." [17] He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

The key to understand that passage is to know the love that Jesus Christ had said. Jesus Christ said agape love and Peter responded with a love of a lesser sort, that is not unconditional as Jesus Christ had asked.

Jeff says it sticks out to him all the questions that Jesus Christ could of but didn't ask Peter. He didn't ask him about his actions. He asked him the same question three times, Jesus Christ never brought up Peters failures again after that.

1. Even when we fail.

Jesus Christ still loves us even when we fail, no matter how great the failure.

Jeff is talking about as kids how we would use the term "no take backs" as with God there is no take backs. God's love has no take backs. 

God can take the place of anything but nothing can take the place of God!

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV
[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

The key phrase in all these statements is "but have not love" the real issue was doing things without love. 

Speech without love. (v. 1)

Spirituality without love (v. 2)

Sacrifices without love (v. 3)

There will be plenty of opportunities to do any thing, but it all needs love.

2. Even as we serve and sacrifice 

The one who has been forgiven much, loves much.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
[13] And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

How is love greater than faith and hope? 
Jeff says when Jesus takes us home will we need faith and hope.

Yet we will always love Jesus Christ.

Augustine said, love God and then do what you like.

1 John 2:2-6 NKJV
[2] And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. [3] Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. [4] He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [5] But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. [6] He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

If we are living according to the Word of God then we will be perfected in God.

We can't love God and not obey His word.

3. Even as we obey

In Revelation Jesus Christ is addressing 7 churches. 

Speaking to Ephesus:
Revelation 2:2-5 NKJV
[2] "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; [3] and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. [4] Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. [5] Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent.


Jesus Christ had many great things to say about that church, nevertheless He says they have left their first love.

God will not let anything be a substitute for loving Him.

You can like the good old days, but love God today.

It's been said the good old days is a combination of a bad memory and a vivid imagination.

Time for a self check up. We don't want this all to be just an old routine.

The easiest person to deceive is yourself.

Jeff has given us a list of questions to ask ourselves if we have left our first love. He said to examine ourselves and not try to note the questions. They were good questions.

He says there is all kinds of great things that we can do. But loving God is the key to living for God and longing for his return.

Who initiated the love between you and God? 100% of the time, it is God who initiated this relationship. 

Romans 5:8 NKJV
[8] But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God's love is the greatest gift you will ever receive.