INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED I
Moses preparing the people for the promised land
1 These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Deuteronomy 6:1-3 NLT
▪ Shema is a Hebrew word that means hear or listen.
▪ God wants us to listen and obey.
4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT
I. YOU MUST NOT HAVE ANY OTHER GOD BUT ME
1 Then God gave the people all these instructions: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 You must not have any other god but me. Exodus 20:1-3 NLT
When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God. Exodus 31:18 NLT
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT RIGHTLY ESTABLISHES THE PLACE OF PREEMINENCE AND THE PLACE OF PRIORITY.
● God is to be our only God.
● If there is no God, the rest of the commandments carry no weight
Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”… Psalm 14:1 NLT
● It’s a decision of the heart not the mind.
● Too often we spend our time in foolish arguments.
● The Bible never argues the existence of God.
3 “The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” 4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. Psalm 11:3-4 NLT
HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD?
● Scripture boldly declares it!
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 NLT
30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. 31 For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? Psalm 18:30-31 NLT
● All of creation declares there is a God
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Psalm 19:1 NLT
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:18-20 NLT
● Our faith reveals the reality of God.
1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see… 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen… 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6NLT
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT
There are three Persons in the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Next steps for me today…
● I choose to listen to God’s Word.
● I choose to obey His commands.
● I want God to be first in my life.