Off Topic Day – The Greatest Thing In All My Life

DAY 10

June 30, 2024

THE GREATEST THING IN ALL MY LIFE

Off Topic Day

Pray

Questions from the last lesson?

Any questions about Matthew?

On the sign of the Universal Church down the street – “Love is Love”

What do you think of this saying?

Do you see any problems with this saying?

1. Circular argument. Man’s philosophy, worldly philosophy. Anybody can make anything they want out of it, so there really is no real definition. (Not defined by God is the real problem.)
   1. See 1 Jn 4:8 (NIV) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
   2. Definition of love: 1 Jn 4:10 (NIV) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
   3. See also 1 Co 13:1-8a for more on love.

Pharisees – what was their problem?

Head knowledge without love. They did not love Jesus or God. They did not really know God.

See Jn 5:16;42

1. Jn 5:16. (NIV) 16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.
2. Jn 5:42. (NIV) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.
3. 1 Jn 4:7-8  (NIV) 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (This would EXCLUDE) the Pharisees)

What do the Pharisees love?

1. (NIV) 23:6-7 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

ONLY TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE – TWO CAMPS

Matt 7:24-27   (NIV) Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Only 2 types of people: Wise and foolish.

THE GREATEST THING IN ALL MY LIFE

By:  Mark Pendergrass

The greatest thing in all my life

Is knowing You

The greatest thing in all my life

Is knowing You

I want to know You more

I want to know You more

The greatest thing in all my life

Is knowing You.

The greatest thing in all my life

Is loving You

The greatest thing in all my life

Is loving You

I want to love You more

I want to love You more

The greatest thing in all my life

Is loving You.

The greatest thing in all my life

Is serving You

The greatest thing in all my life

Is serving You

I want to serve You more

I want to serve You more

The greatest thing in all my life

Is serving You.

What do you think about that song?

Have you heard it before?

Great song! 

But I have a question. 

What is the definition of the word “great?”

1. of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average. i.e.”the article was of great interest”
2. of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above the normal or average. i.e. “the great Italian conductor”
3. used to indicate that someone or something particularly deserves a specified description. i.e  “I was a great fan of Hank’s”

So, then, what does the word “greatest mean?”

1. as in highest – coming before all others in importance
2. adjective – the superlative of great
   

What is an adjective?

Adjectives describe or modify—that is, they limit or restrict the meaning of—nouns and pronouns. They may name qualities of all kinds: huge, red, angry, tremendous, unique, rare, etc.

An adjective usually comes right before a noun: “a red dress,” “fifteen people.”

So, then, by definition, there can only be one greatest, right?

Here is another question: 

In this song, the author lists three things that are the greatest thing – singular – in his life. If the greatest can only be one thing, why does he say that there are THREE things that are the greatest? How can that be? 

That can’t be correct, can it?

The three things – plural – that he lists as the – singular – greatest, again – singular, are:

1. Knowing God
2. Loving God
3. Serving God

How can there be three “greatest” things in his life when we have just seen that there can only be one thing – by definition – that is the greatest? 

Anyone have an answer? Or, is the author simply mistaken in his use of grammar?

My answer would be this:  

1. Knowing God IS the greatest thing – singular. And … 
2. Loving God IS the greatest thing – singular. And …
3. Serving God IS the greatest thing – singular.

See various verses to build the case…

(2 Pet 1:2-3; Rom 5:5; 10:9-10; 2 Cor 4:6; Phil 1:9; Col 1:9-10; Titus 1:1; Eph 4:11-13; Matt 22:37-39: Mark 12:30; Jn 5:42; Jn 14:15; Jn 14:23-24; )

Because, knowing God, really knowing Him, BOTH intellectually (in your head or your mind), AND experientially and affectionately, that is, in your heart, is the same thing as loving God. To know God is to love God. Knowing God, with BOTH your head and your heart, is the same as loving God with BOTH your head and your heart. I believe that you cannot really know God, both intellectually – that is, with your head or your mind – and affectionately – that is, with your heart, and not love Him. To know God, to really know who He is -with our minds AND our hearts, according to Scripture, is to love Him. A person may know about God – intellectually only, and not love Him. Or, a person may think he or she loves God in there heart, but if they don’t know who He really is, as revealed in Scripture, then they are really only loving an idea in there own head as to who He is. They are only loving what they imagine Him to be, or who they “want” him to be according to there own worldview or according to their own pre-conceptions. 

To know God, intellectually AND affectionately is to love God. 

And it is the same for serving God. If a person really knows God, with mind AND heart, then he will, naturally, out of gratitude for what He has done for us on the cross, want to serve Him. It is a natural outcome. Knowing God, and loving God, at some point in time with our walk with Him, will express itself in gratitude by serving Him, one way or another, with the gifts that He gives us. It is inevitable. 

And I also think the order is this song is important, and correct. 

First, we have to have heard the gospel. We have to know something – but not everything – about what the Good News is, and who it is about. We start with hearing and knowing.

Then God gives us the grace and the faith to believe. It is a precious gift. These first two things may happen simultaneously in some people. 

Then, when we truly understand – are confronted with fact that we are sinners, and that we are lost – eternally – without a savior, and when we understand what God did on the cross for us in Christ, we cannot help but love Him, and be overflowing with gratitude and thankfulness – and LOVE. 

Knowing, understanding and believing in Jesus Christ, and what He did for us on the cross can ONLY lead to love and overwhelming joy and gratitude, which, then, in time, leads to service. 

So, in this song, I believe, Knowing, Loving and Serving Him, collectively, IS, singularly, the absolute greatest thing in ALL my life. 

What Is The Greatest Thing in ALL Your Life?

Rom 5:5  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

 (NIV) Rom 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

(NIV)Phil 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Col 1:9-10  For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

(NIV) 2 Cor 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Every week close with SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: A QUESTION