1) In my younger days, I would often sit bored through Oneness messages
a) “Give me something I can live by, not just theological discourse”
b) I have since realized the foolishness of this thinking...
c) I would like to present to you that this Oneness message is the single most important doctrine of the church.
i) It is not just theological rhetoric; it is the very heartbeat of the church!
d) I want to let you know why it is the most important concept that you can grasp in life!
2) God thinks it is important!
a) Did you know God is Oneness?
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any (Isaiah 44:8)
b) Not only is He Oneness, He thinks it is important that we all are!
i) our text is the opening statement of the law.
(1) according to Matt 22:36-40, on this premise hangs all of scripture
c) Many think I am obsessed with this subject, that I harp on it too much...
i) “when thou sittest, walkest, liest down, risest up...”
ii) a lot more of us need to be “harping” on the Oneness of God
3) Believing that Jesus is God is a requirement to have eternal life
a) “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God...” (John 17:3)
b) Does a person have to understand everything there is to know about God?
i) No... but you must be able to locate Him!
ii) You must believe that He Is! (Heb 11:6) “But without faith it is impossible...”
(1) “He Is”... that is the meaning of the Hebrew tetragrammaton, “YHWH”
(2) Jesus said, “... if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24) – Notice “he” is italicized (in KJV, added for ease of understanding)
(a) 24 verses later (v58) “... before Abraham was, I AM...”
(b) these are the Greek words, ego eimi, which is the first person “to be” verb
(3) Jesus was equating himself with the God of the burning bush!
c) Nobody can be saved without confessing that Jesus is YHWH (Jehovah) of the Old Testament!
4) It is a requirement for true worship
a) In His conversation with the woman at the well, Jesus made this statement...
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:22-24)
b) It should be no surprise that nearly all Oneness churches are characterized by vibrant worship!
i) It is a worship that God can honor, in which God can move
c) (Psa 22:3) God inhabits the praises of Israel
i) we are spiritual Israel, and God inhabits our praises... Why? We know what we worship!
5) The power of God will work in our midst like no others
a) Daniel speaks of the last days, when the abomination shall come into the world
32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. (Dan 11:32)
b) The name of Jesus is more powerful with an understanding
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (Acts 3:16)
i) Notice it is not just the Name, but faith in the Name that is so powerful!
(1) No one can use the name of Jesus with as much power as can a Oneness believer!
ii) Illustration of the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16)
(1) they tried to use the name of Jesus without understanding or knowing Him!
c) speaking of casting out devils...
6) It is the most powerful tool that we have in our war against the forces of darkness
a) “Who do you say that I am?...” “Upon this Rock...” (Mat 16:15-18)
i) Jesus told Peter that He would build His church on the revelation of His identity!
(1) It is the church that understands who He is that will defeat Satan!
b) Why is this Oneness message so powerful against the forces of darkness?
7) The devil knows it is important!
a) Did you know that the devil is Oneness? (James 2:19) “Thou believest that there is one God...”
i) If the devil believes that there is only one, I believe it!
(1) in Eze 28:13-19, we read of Lucifer’s position before His fall
(2) if anyone knows how many Gods there are, he does!
b) He hates the fact that there is only One God! Because he wants to be one!
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? (Isaiah 14:12-17)
i) but he will never be one!
(1) He will not even get close! (v 15) “thou shalt be brought down to the sides of the pit”
(a) this is described in Rev 20:1-2
c) Look at the reaction of all those who see him in on judgment day
i) (Isa 14:16) “They that see thee shall look narrowly upon thee...”
ii) Why do they see clearly now, where as before they were deceived?
(1) because they now see the One on the Throne!
(a) when you know Him, the devil is no threat...
(b) as a matter of fact, you are a threat to him
d) Some have said that the devil is the first one in church and the last one to leave...
i) that may be true in some churches, but he avoids our services like the plague!
8) For this very reason the devil has always tried to confuse the issue
a) The first temptation involved a question regarding the number of Gods... (Gen 3:4-5)
b) The last great temptation will involve the same question
i) the anti-christ will set himself up as god
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thess 2:3-7)
c) The mystery of iniquity doth already work...
i) how do you avoid being caught up in it?
(1) understand the mystery of Godliness!
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Tim 3:16)
d) Why will men be deceived?
i) because they did not receive a love for the truth
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thess 2:8-10)
e) The Spirit of Antichrist is already working in our world
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:7-9)
i) If the devil can confuse people about the identity of Jesus, then it will be easier for the world to accept him as God
(1) he has worked for centuries to convince men that there can be more than one
(a) he couldn’t get Christians to say that there was more than one
(i) so he convinced them that there were three persons, or some kind of division of power
(b) confusing the issue again
ii) read the Athanasian Creed (attached)
9) What the devil fears the most is people that know their God
a) We have the weapon that will ultimately defeat him
b) It is this revelation that will keep people from bowing to him
c) he cannot stand before the One God principle!
i) (Mat 4:4-11) He tempted Jesus until he proclaimed the One God message!
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matt 4:10-11)
(1) do you want to defeat Satan?
(2) do you want the ministry of angels around you?
ii) Fall in love with the message, “Hear O Israel...” (Deu 6:4)
10) The last, and not least reason that we need to believe this oneness message
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Cor 5:18-21)
a) the scriptures that we use to defend it compel us to proclaim it
b) we have what the world needs to hear!
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