Text: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Theme: Believe in One God
Greetings: The Lord is good and His love endures forever.
Introduction:
In this Lenten season, we will meditate “The believe Series”.
We live in a nation where the religions believe in 33 crores of gods and goddess. Many religions in the world believe separate gods as one god for fertility, another god for utility, one god for wealth, another god for health, one god for beauty and another god for wisdom. One god for rain another god for draught.
This is believing in “polytheism”. We believe in Monotheism, “ONE GOD.” There were some who believed in the existence of many gods and goddesses, but adhere to one god or goddess was called henotheism Clan God (Kulatheivam).
The ancient Israelites believed in monotheism but accepted the existence of many gods and goddesses, who are venerated in neighbouring nations. I would like to share with you that we believe in one God: Who is the God of all ages, the God of all stages (platforms) of the universe, and the God of all pages of my life.
1. ONE GOD IN ALL AGES OF HISTORY
Psalm 90 says that the Lord have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. He is the God everlasting to everlasting.
Genesis 1:1 says that He is the God one who created the Heavens and the Earth.
Genesis 6:5-8 he grieved over his creation and spared Noah while wiping out the creation out of the earth.
Genesis 11:8-9 says the Lord scattered the inhabitants of the earth and created numerous languages of the earth.
He is the Father of lights, dwells in the lights (James 1:17). His declaration never been changed.
Deuteronomy 6:4 — Hear, O Israel: The LORD thy God is one LORD. Deuteronomy32:39 — See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
2 Samuel 7:22 — wherefore thou art great, O LORD God; for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
1 Kings 8:60 — that all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.
2 Kings 5:15 — And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
Isaiah 43:10, 11 — Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior.
Hosea 13:4 — Yet, I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me; for there is no savior beside me.
Joel 2:27 — And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
John 17:3 — and this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
He was the God Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob (Exodus 3:14-15). God of Moses (Joshua 1:5), God of Joshua, God of David (1 Samuel 13:14), God of Elijah (2 Kings 2:14), God of Esther, God of Jeremiah, and God of Nehemiah. (Hebrews 11:16). Ephesians 4:6 — “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”.
2. ONE GOD IN ALL Spheres (stages-PLATFORMS) OF THE UNIVERSE
He is the God of all spheres of the globe, all stages of the Universe. He is the God of Plains, God of the valleys, and God of the Mountains, God of the wilderness, God of the Oceans and God of the Heavens.
Psalm 139:7-10: “7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
1 Kings 20:23-31: The advisors to the king of Aram said, “Their god is a god of the mountains—we don’t stand a chance against them there. So let’s engage them on the plain where we’ll have the advantage. As the New Yearapproached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel. “Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, “This is GOD’s word: Because Aram said, ‘GOD is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,’ I’ll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you’ll know that I am GOD.”(The Message - MSG).
3. ONE GOD IN ALL PAGES OF YOUR LIFE
It is interesting to note that our God is the God of all age groups. Children can come to him, young people can come to him, and elders can come to him.
Psalm 139:13-16: You created me, you saw me in my mother’s womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I was made in the secret place. You saw my unformed substance.
Psalm 22:9-10: you took me out of the womb. You made me to hope when I was my mother’s breasts. You are my God from my mother’s belly.
Matthew 19:14: However, Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, don’t stop them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:22: “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
Isaiah 46:3-4: “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Psalm 37:25: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”
Deuteronomy 32:39: ‘See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from my hand.’
Job 14:5: “SINCE A MAN’S DAYS ARE ALREADY DETERMINED, AND THE NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS IS WHOLLY IN YOUR CONTROL, AND HE CANNOT PASS THE BOUNDS OF HIS ALLOTTED TIME.”
Psalm 8:4: “What are human beings that you are mindful of them.mortals that you care for them.”
Psalm 144:3: “O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them?”
Joseph:
God was with Joseph at the Pit, at the Prison, and at the Palace (Genesis 37:22, 39:2-3, 20-21). Genesis 50:20 “It is true that you planned to do something bad to me. But really, God was planning good things. God’s plan was to use me to save the lives of many people”.
David:
1 Samuel 18:14-16: “The Lord was with David, so he was successful in everything. Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him. But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.” He was with David when he was in the wilderness, when he was with caves, mountains.
Conclusion:
He is the only God. Psalm 144:12-15: Blessed are those who have this God as their God. (Psalm 144:15).
