Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: RSS
You might think that the number 7 is the most important number because it’s God’s perfect number – however, we see many of the same numbers repeatedly throughout the bible. One is the most important number because there is ONE God, ONE mediator, ONE atonement for sin, and there is only ONE name that can save us – Jesus.
Twenty twenty ONE – One
Welcome everyone to Redemption Church in Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt and I also need to welcome you to a new year!
Happy New Year
We pray that you have a blessed 2021. I believe God wants to bless you this year.
I want to encourage you to seek God for this New Year. I encourage you to read your Bible more this year… to more than ever, understand God’s Word & His plan for you. I encourage you to be a person of prayer this year.
In fact, I think we should pray about it right now. (Pray)
As we begin this New Year and this first sermon of the New Year, I have a simple question…
What is the most important number in the Bible?
You might be surprised that there is some debate about this question. There are people who devote great time & effort to studying numerology in the Bible. The Hebrew language is a mathematical language, and each letter of the Hebrew language actually holds a numeric value. There are endless books on the complexity of the numeric value patterns in scripture.
Have you ever noticed that as you read the Bible the same number patterns show up often? Some of these numbers even hold symbolic revelation.
The number 7 seems pretty important in scripture. I have heard more times than I can count that 7 is God’s perfect number. The world was created in 7 days. There are 7 candles on the lampstand in the temple. There are seven letters to the churches of Revelation. There are seven years of tribulation. There are even 7 Hebrew words in the first verse of your Bible…
The number 6 shows up a lot. God created man on the 6th day and we know the man of sin – the anti-Christ’s name will be a numeric value of 666.
The number 40 shows up frequently. It rained 40 days & 40 nights. The children of Israel wandered in the dessert for 40 years. Jesus prayed & fasted 40 days in the wilderness.
12 tribes & disciples seems important.
4 gospels, 4 corners of the earth, 4 angels and 4 living creatures play a major role in Revelation.
Every 50 years brings the year of Jubilee, and 50 days after Passover is Pentecost.
There is a depth of number study in scripture that seems endless… but what is the most important number in the Bible?
There is (not really) a growing support among ever learning scholarship that the most important number is 867-5309. It is oft disputed that this was the Lord’s cell phone number. I’ll let the Bible scholar’s debate that on their own time…
Today I want to tell you that the most important number in your Bible is the number 1. In the year 2021, I believe that the key for your success, your family’s success, your career & financial success, your Church’s success can be found in the number 1.
Why is the number 1 of great importance?
There is 1 God
The concept that there is 1 God is an essential Bible Truth! If you want to make God happy and see His favor show up, just begin to declare that there is One God!
There are not 2 Gods. There is not a collection of Gods that control the world. There is only one God.
One of the most important scriptures in your Bible declares God to be one. Jesus Himself was asked “what is the most important command in scripture” and here is what Jesus said…
Mark 12:28-30 (NIV) One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Hear, O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
Shema – Hear Deuteronomy 6:4
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4 to an audience who was very familiar with that verse. This command is known to this day as the “Shema.” The word Shema is the Hebrew word for “Hear.” They were so familiar with this command that they would reference the entire command by simply saying the first word of the command.
By simply saying “Shema,” by simply saying “Hear,” they understood that what was being declared was…
Hear, O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength!
The greatest command is there is ONE Lord God and that this ONE LORD GOD deserve all of you.
We would do well to remember there is One God and to reserve all our worship, our devotion, and our Love to the ONE LORD GOD.
[Scriptures for study on the one God]
1 Chronicles 17:20 (NIV) “There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”
Isaiah 43:10-12 (NIV) “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.”
Isaiah 46:9 (NIV) “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.”
James 2:19 (NIV) “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.“
On and on scripture declares this most important truth – There is one God! When we are talking about the Father, the son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, scripture is clear that these 3 are 1.
1 John 5:7 (KJV) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
There is 1 God
And in order for this one God to save a humanity that had fallen into sin, God sent one mediator.
1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
There is 1 mediator
A mediator is someone who intervenes between parties in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation. Mankind is in a dispute with God, but there is a mediator who has shown up to reconcile us.
In order to mediate, the mediator must represent both parties. Jesus is the only ONE who can represent both parties!
Jesus is God! (John 1:1) Jesus is without sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus is man. (John 1:14)(Galatians 4:4)
Jesus is fully God. Jesus is fully man. Jesus is the 1 mediator.
There is 1 sacrifice for sin
Jesus died 1 time for all of humanity.
1 Peter 3:18 (NIV) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Hebrews 10:12 (NIV) But when this priest(Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
There is 1 name
There is one name that can save. Scripture is clear that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. That one name is Jesus!
Acts 4:12 (NIV) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
The most important number is your Bible is the number 1.
ONE title
In the year 2021 I want us to start the year focused on…
One God
One Mediator
One Sacrifice
One Name
I think the Apostle Paul would like this sermon series… check out his letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 4! Look at all these ‘ones’!
Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Look back at verse 3!
Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
1 in Unity
Because we have 1 God, 1 mediator, 1 sacrifice, and 1 name, we ought to be 1 in unity. Because there is 1 body, 1 Spirit, 1 hope, 1 Lord, 1 faith, 1 baptism, One God and Father of every -‘ONE’… We ought to be 1 in unity!
John 17:20-23 (NIV) “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Jesus has prayed for us that we would be one in “complete unity.” Do you realize that Jesus prayed for us to be one?
You need to become one with God through Jesus Christ.
We need to become one with each other through Jesus Christ.
1 in Unity
We need unity! We need to become 1 in the year 2021.
We need to be 1…
-in our home.
-in our marriage.
-in the Church.
-within ourselves.
There is something wrong when Christianity has 1 God, 1 mediator, 1 sacrifice, and 1 name… yet the Church is completely divided into over 30,000 denominations/organizations.
If we have 1 God, 1 mediator, 1 sacrifice, and 1 name in our home, then why aren’t we experiencing the ONE complete unity that Jesus prayed for? Why is there stressful bickering and anxiety in our homes?
Husbands & wives, if you have 1 God, 1 mediator, 1 sacrifice, and 1 name… then why is there so much divorce? Why are we lacking ‘oneness’ in our marriages?
If you have 1 God, 1 mediator, 1 sacrifice, and 1 name… then why is there no unity within you? Why are you being torn apart by depression & fear?
Do you have 1 God, 1 mediator, 1 sacrifice, and 1 name? If you are honest will you admit that you are divided?
Jesus prayed that we would be one. In a few minutes we are going to pray together for the 1 God to make us ONE. Get your hearts ready to pray.
There is an enemy who wants to divide us.
Watch out for those that cause DIVISION Romans 16:17
There are forces in this world that seek to cause division.
Romans 16:17 (NIV) I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
Watch out for those… The King James says “MARK those who cause division & offences.”
I feel like, in the original context of this verse, Paul is warning the Church about those in the Church who are causing division by speaking contrary notions – contrary to what unites us. They divide and put obstacles in the way of the teaching that should unite us.
There is an unprecedented amount of false teaching in the world today and it is all readily available through google, Facebook, and YouTube. Keep away from this. It will divide you. False teaching will divide your faith.
It could be someone in the Church who has trouble with gossip. Words can divide. We need to be one.
It could be a philosophy that someone picks up somewhere else and tries to bring into the church…
Mark those worldly philosophies that bring division.
Colossians 2:8 (NIV) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
Can I mark a few things that can cause division…?
Politics…
Social media…
Covid19…
Anything you honor in the place of God (idolatry)… (The attention you give to that TV, sports, news, materialism)
Anything you won’t allow to be covered by the blood of Jesus…
Romans 16:17 (NIV) I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
1 in Unity
Jesus prayed that we would be one. Let’s do it this year. Let’s be one!
In our home.
In our marriage.
In our church.
In ourselves.
How important is it that we seek unity with each other? Jesus tells us.
Matthew 5:22-24 (NIV) But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Imagine a Hebrew who has traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem with a sacrificial gift at the brazen altar. Think about how important the sacrificial gift is that makes atonement for sin. If you realize you are not ONE in unity with your brother or sister you are to LEAVE YOUR GIFT AT THE ALTAR and go to your brother or sister.
WE DO NOT DO THIS ENOUGH. We need to repent of this today. Jesus says we should make reconciliation a priority!
Is there someone in the room right now you know is angry with you? Go to them.
Is there someone in this room you are angry with? Go to them.
We have 1 God, 1 Mediator, 1 Sacrifice, 1 Name… Lord make us One!
I am about to ask you to come… but first I want us to remember the Shema command Jesus spoke of
Mark 12:29-30 (NIV) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
I want to see brothers & sisters praying as one in this altar today.
I want to see families praying as one in this altar today.
I want to see a church praying as one in this altar today.
I want you online to pray as one with us.
Let’s start this New Year in unity… through repentance. As I pray I want you to come.