Rev. David Holwick  R
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 21, 1995
                                                            Exodus 20:1-3

                               GOD IS NUMBER ONE  


  I. Competition for God.
      A. The story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

         A few weeks ago was the 50th anniversary of the death of
            Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
         Bonhoeffer is famous as a Christian martyr.
            He is one of the few Germans who stood up to Hitler.
            Actually, he went beyond this and tried to kill Hitler.
         The reason he did this is because Bonhoeffer took seriously
            the commandment to have no other gods.

         Nazism was heavily into the god business.
         Churches were encouraged to fill their sanctuaries with the
            symbolism of the Third Reich.
         Some churches went over completely and began teaching ancient
            German pagan beliefs.
         Almost all the churches accepted Nazi policies like persecution
            of Jews.
         The Hitler Youth even met on Sundays so the young Germans
            couldn't go to church.
         The Protestant church was silent to all this.

         Bonhoeffer's response was to begin a new church, called the
            Confessing Church.
         He preached against the persecution of Jews.
         He preached against Hitler and Protestants who compromised
            with him.
         After a few years only a handful of followers were left, and
            then the Gestapo closed him down.
         Six years later they arrested him.
         Two years after that, in April 1945, they hanged him, just days
            before the U.S. Army arrived and liberated the prison.
                                                                    #3174
      B. What would you do?
          1) Most of our decisions are not this dramatic.
          2) But strong forces are still presenting themselves as god,
                demanding to take our worship and attention.

      C. The Bible is clear - only God is God.
          1) He demands our complete and total worship.
          2) He doesn't share.

 II. How many gods are there?
      A. Polytheism is a primitive belief.
          1) Many gods, often in forces of nature.
          2) (If it moves, they'll worship it.  Same if it doesn't move.)
              a) (Walt Disney Pochahontas movie?)
              b) "Earth Day" has acquired some of these beliefs.

      B. Henotheism is more developed, but inadequate.
          1) There are other gods, but we will worship only ours.
              a) God is local.                              1 Kings 20:28
              b) Is your God just a "god of the hills"?
          2) "before" translation may reflect this belief.
          3) Incredibly, it is still found among Christians.
              a) Our "god" is a church god, but not a business world god.
              b) My belief is important to me, but it's not for everyone.

      C. Monotheism is highest belief.
          1) One God for entire earth.               Psalm 139:7-12
              a) "besides" alternate translation supports this.
              b) Others claim to be gods, but they are fakes.
          2) Not enough to believe in a god, must be true God.
              a) Personal God of Bible, not just general "Great spirit
                    of the earth."

III. God matters.
      A. The kind of God we believe in has a dramatic impact on our lives.
          1) If people believe in any god at all, they will necessarily
                wish to be like the god in whom they believe.
          2) The kind of gods we believe in determine the kind of
                life we will live.

      B. Contrast of Judaism with Baal worship.
          1) Baal is the power of growth, fertility.           Hosea 2:8
          2) Primal growth is sex.
          3) Baalism turned sexual act into sacred act.        Hosea 4:14
              a) Immorality became worship.
              b) Our society is getting dangerously close to this.

      C. Idea of God must be gotten right, because we will become like
            the God we worship.
          1) Immoral gods make immoral people.
          2) A hard, stern god makes hard, stern people.
          3) Christianity makes people like Christ.

 IV. What is God like?
      A. God is personal - YOUR God.
          1) Positive thrust:  he is the God of people, like Abraham,
                Moses, David, and Peter.
          2) He is the God who carries us through the valley of the
                shadow of death.
          3) He wants to love us and supply all our needs.

      B. God is a saving God.                                   Exod 20:2
          1) Ten Commandments begin with a blessing (20:2) rather
                than saying the Jews have to earn it.
          2) God's love is a given, the foundation for all else.

      C. God is unique.
          1) There is no other god.  Consistent testimony of Old Testament.
          2) Deut 6:4-5.    The Shema.
              a) The Lord is united, and supreme.
              b)  Quoted by Jesus.

  V. "No other gods" does not mean no God at all.
      A. Religious symbols being excised from our society.
          1) NY Times and deletion of religious phrases from Havel's
                speech.
          2) God removed from schools.

      B. Can we really make a "wall of separation" between God and life?

 VI. What does it mean to make God #1?
      A. We need to make a choice.
          1) If God our God?  Is Jesus our Lord?

      B. Evaluate the choice.
          1) At end of each day, ask yourself "Was Jesus my Lord today?"


[for documentation of illustrations, download Holwick's Sermon Illustration
       database at http://illust.holwick.com]


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  I. Barclay.
      A. Various "isms."
          1) Polytheism.
              a) Many gods.
              b) (If it moves, they'll worship it.  Same if it doesn't move.)
              c) (Pocahontas movie?)
          2) Henotheism.
              a) There are other gods, but we will worship only ours.
              b) "before" translation.
              c) (Christians who say they believe, but don't want to
                    impose on others.)
          3) Monotheism.
              a) One God for entire earth.
                  1> Psalm 139:1-12
                  2> "besides" translation.
      B. Theology and ethics.
          1) Cannot be separated.
          2) If people believe in gods at all, they will necessarily
                wish to be like the gods in whom they believe.
              a) The kind of gods we believe in determine the kind of
                    life we will live.
              b) Contrast of Judaism with Baal worship.
                  1> Baal is the power of growth.
                  2> Primal growth is sex.
                  3> Baalism turned sexual act into sacred act.   Hos 4:14
                      A> Immorality became worship.
          3) Idea of God must be gotten right, because we will become
                like the god we worship.
              a) Licentious gods make licentious people.
              b) A hard, stern god makes hard, stern people.
              c) Christianity makes people like Christ.
 II. Briscoe.
      A. What does it mean to make God #1?
      B. The Competition.
          1) Romans 1:18-20.
              a) God has revealed himself in nature.
              b) We suppress what we know about God.
              c) The Fall perverts us, and our religion.
          2) Example of Baalism.
      C. What is God like?
          1) God tells us about himself in Ten Commandments.
              a) He does not accept less than first place.
          2) Deut 6:4-5.    The Lord is one.
              a) God is unique.
              b) God is a unity.
          3) God is God.
              a) Authoritative.
          4) God is gracious.  (a saving God)
      D. Opposition to the Commandments.
          1) Syncretism.
              a) Israelites married into paganism.
              b) We listen to our society more than God.
          2) Sensualism.
              a) Our senses can dominate us and push aside the truth.
      E. What's the Choice?
          1) We need to make a choice.
              a) Is God God?  Is Jesus Lord?
          2) Evaluate the choice.
              a) At end of each day, ask self "Was Jesus my Lord today?"