There is only one God
There Is Only One God-20 1-3
Exodus 20:1-3
As we take a look at the Ten Commandments
I want us to understand there is more than the Ten Commandments than we read on the surface
Right in the middle of the book of Exodus God gives us the Ten Commandments
But He spends the next several chapters explaining them
We looked at a return to the Ten Commandments last week and God’s Moral law that is those laws that God gives us that help us to conform to God’s character
The Ten Commandments really have three functions
• They serve like a mirror to convict us of sin
• They serve like a bridle to restrain us from doing wrong
• They serve like a lamp to clarify what is right
When we think about morality in our society
What is the basis of morality? Who can be absolutely sure what is right and wrong?
You know the world offers various opinions
And what we here is it is left up to you to formulate your own values, your own morals, your own ethics
And so we are encouraged with ideas of taking what a person wants, doing what a person wants, saying what a person wants, a believing in whatever a person wants
And these results have been tragic
We are losing control of society and the world
Sin and evil are sweeping the world and running rampant
We look around and some might say that sin and evil seem insurmountable. And humanly there seems to be no answer to the problems of society
But there is good news
See the solution does not lie with man, it was given thousands of years ago,
God gave man a plan for order within society
That plan the Ten Commandments
See the Ten Commandments will work within any generation-if man will just institute and enforce them
God’s Ten Commandments can bring order to the world.
How can you say that?
Because the Ten Commandments were given by God Himself!
See the Ten Commandments are not based upon
The prejudices and morality of men
The latest popularity polls
The worldly desires of people
The purposes of government
And this morning we begin our walk through the Ten Commandments looking at the first one
See the basis of the Ten Commandments had been set in Stone, in the Rock of Ages, in the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, who is the beginning and the End, the First and the Last
God Himself is that basis
And that is where we start with the first commandment
Read Verses
1) God’s Existence-vs. 1
a) The basis for the first commandment is God’s existence
b) I mean let’s be frank this morning if you do not believe that God exists then belief in the first commandment does not matter
c) But you know what God does exists
d) You know how I know Gen. 1:1
e) Gen. 1:1—“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
f) Vs. 1 says, then, some versions use “and”
g) Listen God created the world and gave His commandments to the people He had created
h) And God declares Himself it is not argued or debated
i) And because God exists He is bound to show man how to live
j) He is bound to give His commandments to the people He created
k) That is what the Ten Commandments are
l) They are the commandments of God Himself
m) The commandments that tell us how to live
n) The basic laws of society
o) The basic laws that govern human relationships and the relationship between God and man
p) See this was not a compromise between us and God…okay God we want these rules and we do not really like these
q) God Himself is the Person who worked out and spoke forth the Ten Commandments.
r) 1 Ki. 8:23—“He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,
s) God spoke and there were the Ten Commandments
t) What did God speak?
u) “all these words”
v) Men try to make false gods speak and sometimes even claim that they do speak, or claim that they have been given some revelation from God
w) Mormons and Joseph Smith-That his book of Mormon is some new revelation of God that is actually better than the Bible itself
x) Jer. 10:5—“Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.”
y) Ro. 1:19-21—“because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
z) The Lord God, who is the only true and living God, has chosen to speak to us.
aa) Moreover, He has chosen to speak in a way that can be clearly understood
bb) How did He speak to us?
cc) Through His written Word, Scripture
dd) Through the Living Word, Jesus Christ
ee) God did not leave us in the dark wondering how to live
ff) God has spoken to man and declared His Word to man, but more than just speaking, God has seen to it that His law is written down for man
gg) Here is a thought, God has spoken to us, telling us how to live notice what Scripture declares
hh) Rom. 15:4—“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
ii) 2 Pet. 1:21—“for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
jj) And God gave us the living Word of God notice what Scripture declares
kk) Jn. 1:1-5—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
ll) Heb. 1:1-2—“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
mm) The first basis of the Ten Commandments is seen in God’s existence
2) God’s Name-vs. 2
a) The second basis is God’s Name
b) “I am the Lord your God”
c) He is my God
d) God’s name is great
e) In ancient Hebrew times that name of God would not be spoke out of reverence and fear
f) He is Jehovah
g) He is Yahweh
h) God’s very name means that He is the source of all beings
i) that He created man
j) That He loves man that He saves, delivers and redeems man
k) That He reveals and unveils the truth to men
l) This is what God’s name is
m) The very name of God tells us this
n) God’s name is the basis, the very reason, the Ten Commandments are given to us
o) So what is in God’s name
p) You know God told Moses in Ex. 3:14—“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
q) So what does that mean “I Am”
r) It is one of the greatest declarations in Scripture
s) When God says, “I Am”
t) He is linking His holy name with historical events
u) He is associating His name with when He has done in the pat or plans to do in the future
v) He is defining His character, what He stands for and what He stands against
w) He is declaring His sovereign existence
x) God the Father said I Am your shield and your great reward in Gen. 15:1—“
y) God the Father said I AM the Lord in Ex. 7:5—“
z) God the Father said I Am the almighty God in Gen. 35:11—“
aa) God the Father said I Am the Lord your God in Lev. 18:4—“
bb) Several times God the Father said I Am the Lord who heals you, who sanctifies you, who makes you holy, who has made all things, who teaches you to profit and what is best for you, who leads you and directs you in the way you should go and is one who does not change
cc) God the Father said I am your God in Is. 41:10—“
dd) God the Father said I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley (beautiful, sweet, fragrant, worthy to be sought, cherished and desired, easily accessible in Songs 2:1—“
ee) God the Father said I am He who blots out your transgressions and remembers them no more in Is. 43:25—“
ff) God the Father said I am the Lord and there is no other in Is. 45:22—“
gg) God the Son said I am with you always in Matt. 28:20—“
hh) God the Son said I am the Bread of Life in John 6:48—“
ii) God the Son said I am the Light of the World in Jn. 9:5—“
jj) God the Son said I am the Resurrection and the Life in Jn. 11:25—“
kk) God the Son said I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last in Rev. 22:13—“
ll) God the Son said I am the same yesterday, today and tomorrow in Heb.13:8—”
mm) That is just a few names that God gives us in His Word that He spoke to us
nn) No other authority on earth can make those claims
oo) God’s name is the basis of the Ten Commandments
3) No Other God’s-vs. 3
a) When it comes to morality our moral values depend on what we worship
b) This is the very heart of the first commandment
c) It concerns us with the sanctity of ultimate allegiance
d) It focuses on the internal worship of God
e) The first commandment assures the foundation of all true morality, because true morality is conformity to the will and character of the one true God
f) See the first commandment rules out atheism-we must believe God exists
g) It rules out false gods-we must have YHWH as our God
h) It rules out polytheism-we must have YHWH alone as our God
i) The great tragedy is not all of us will live with God eternally
j) Why?
k) Because many do not live with God now
l) We cannot go from ordinary to extraordinary if there are other gods before the one true God
m) Let me ask you a question
n) Who is to obey this commandment?
o) YOU
p) It is a personal commandment to us
q) We ourselves are responsible
r) I am responsible for my relationship with the Lord and where He is in my life
s) I believe that there are some here playing the game with their relationship with the Lord.
t) You like to talk the talk but you do not want to walk the walk
u) You stand and sing about God but you do not have Him first
v) How because you have other things in your life that are coming before your relationship with Him
w) Last week I said Jesus came to fulfill the moral law that is the Ten Commandments and those laws that drive us to live like Christ
x) Christ lived this out when he chose not to put anything before His relationship with God the Father
y) So then how has this commandment be broken
z) We are to have no other gods, none whatsoever
aa) Well I don’t have any statues that I pray to…that is being to narrow
bb) Cause many times creating other gods is done mentally as well as manually
cc) The proud man idolizes himself and makes himself a god
dd) The ambitious man pays himself homage to popular applause makes those ambitions his god
ee) The greedy man who hoards his possessions makes possessions his god
ff) The immoral person who craves sex makes sex his god
gg) The glutton who craves food makes eating his god
hh) YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME
ii) What is a decision required by this commandment
jj) They actually can be stated positively
1) We must acknowledge that there is only one living and true God and serve Him with our whole hearts
(1) Deut. 26:17—“You have today declared the LORD to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice
2) We must turn to the Lord and be saved, for He alone is God
(1) Is. 45:22—“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
3) We must sanctify the Lord in our hearts, set Him apart as holy and fear Him
(1) Is. 8:13—“It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.
kk) I want to really quickly give you each week a few consequences and a few benefits
ll) So What Are The Consequences Of Having Other Gods Of Believing In Other Gods
1) The person who does not follow God cuts the heart of God, causes pain and hurt for Him
(1) 1 Sam. 8:7—“The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.
2) The person who does not follow God causes the name of God to be blasphemed
(1) Rom. 2:23-24—“You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.
3) The person who does not follow God follows after dumb, lifeless idols, man-made gods that can never help him
(1) Jer. 16:20—“Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods!
(2) 1 Cor. 12:2—“You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
4) The person who does not follow God experiences the most illogical life that can be lived, the life of a fool
(1) Ps. 14:1—“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good
mm) So What Are The Benefits Of Keeping The Commandment
1) The person who believes God, genuinely believes God, will be saved, through Jesus Christ, God’s Son
(1) Rom. 10:9-10—“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
2) The person who believes God will live in perfect peace, assurance and confidence as he walks throughout life as he trusts God and keeps his mind upon Him
(1) Is. 26:3—“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
3) The person who believes God will be looked after and taken care of by God
(1) Matt. 6:33—“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
4) The person who believes God overcomes the world
(1) 1 Jn. 5:4-5—“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
There is to be no other gods before our God
Where is God in your life