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Good evening.
•We are continuing our study of the Baptist Catechism.
•More specifically, we are using the edition found in the white catechism booklets that we give away here at the church.
•And this evening, we come to Question 9.
•It’s a very basic question.
But it’s worthwhile to think on.
•Our question this evening is this: “Are there more gods than one?”
As I’ve already said, this is an incredibly basic question.
•This is Christianity 101.
•The most fundamental tenant of our religion is that God exists and there is only one God.
•We are monotheists.
That word means that we believe that there is only one God.
•Mono=One Theism=Belief in God.
•It’s not that we believe in one specific god among many gods.
But rather we believe that there is actually only one God.
•And anyone who worships anything or anyone other than that one God is worshipping an idol/false god.
•God is not one among many.
God is God ALONE.
It may seem silly to some of you that we should take the time to consider this truth because it is so basic.
•But I’ll tell you a story that reveals why we still need to review such a basic truth:
•I was having lunch with a man a few weeks ago.
He goes to a church around here.
He is actually fairly involved in that church.
•And during lunch, we began to talk about theology.
•And a question the man asked me was this: “The Bible tells us to only worship God.
But it also mentions other gods.
So are there other gods?
Like, God is the most powerful, but are there lesser gods that God created?”
I admit that I was honestly shocked that someone wouldn’t know how to interpret the Scriptures at those places.
•But that’s not a question to make fun of.
That is a question to answer.
•And there may be people among us who have questions like that.
•So this very basic catechism question is worth our study.
•More than that, as we consider that there is only one God, our hearts should be warmed to worship Him and serve Him alone.
•So, even if you already know everything I’m going to say this evening, it’s edifying for you to be reminded that God alone is God.
So with that said, I’m going to pray and then we’ll dive into our question for this evening.
•May God bless us as we consider His Word.
(PRAY)
Our Great God,
We thank you for this Lord’s Day that we’ve enjoyed.
And now, as we near the end of it, we’ve assembled to meet you once again at our Word.
And so, we ask that you would meet with us, teach us, reveal yourself to us, and sanctify us by your Word and Spirit working mightily in us.
Open our hearts to receive your Word.
And let us leave here this evening declaring boldly, “There is only one God.
And He is my God.”
Work in us for you glory and our good.
We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.
Amen.
Our question for this evening.
I ask that you would read the answer with me.
Q.
Are there more gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.
•(Let’s do that again.)
1.) How many gods are there?
Well, as we’ve already said, “There is but ONE ONLY…”
•The Scriptures declare this truth in more places than I care to read to you this evening.
It is declared ALL OVER the Bible that our God is the only God.
That there is “but one only.”
But I will read a few portions of Scripture that declare this glorious truth:
•Deuteronomy 6:4 may be the most famous verse that declares that God alone is God.
•“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
•This was the most basic doctrinal recitation in Judaism.
It was recited daily among them.
•And it is an affirmation that God IS ONE.
•There is only one God.
And the LORD (Yahweh) is His name.
•The God who chose Israel and saved them out of Egypt is the only God.
•The God who inspired the Scriptures, the God who made a covenant with Abraham, this God is ONE.
There is only Yahweh.
The Scriptures actually presuppose that God is the only God before it even declares it explicitly.
•Genesis 1:1 says this: “In the beginning, God…
•God alone was there in the beginning.
No one else is ever mentioned as being at the beginning with God, besides God.
•Everything that exists, exists because He spoke it into being.
There was no one there with God in the beginning.
•This is the foundational presupposition of the Bible: God is the Creator, and He alone is the only God.
Let me read you some more texts on this subject.
Some of my favorites that declare that there is only one God:
1. Isaiah 44:6 says, Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”
•God says that He is the beginning and the end.
He was there before there was anything or anyone.
And He will always be.
And so, He can confidently declare that besides Him, there simply is no god.
2. Deuteronomy 4:35 says, “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.”
•Moses is here telling the Israelites that God’s mighty work of rescuing them from slavery in Egypt was to show them that Yahweh is God and that there is no other God.
•When God rescued Israel from Egypt, it was a show of His power and sovereign rule over all.
•The Egyptians had their false gods.
They had their idols.
But God triumphed over them.
•They had gods that ruled the Nile.
God turned it to blood.
•They had gods that ruled over various aspects of nature.
God made the frogs, locusts, and flies to swarm.
•They had gods for healing.
God gave them boils.
•They had a sun god.
God turned off the sun.
•They had gods that would protect them.
God killed the firstborn in every house.
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