Idols or Alters
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Back from Idol Coast | Gold Coast | We stayed Sky Rise building | Rainforest | Turtle Beach Resort (With no Turtles) | Sowed into our Kids - Firstly - Thank you Church Family | Second - God really smacked me in face | While we where there - Idols everywhere | Everyone I asked “Why do you live here” - lifestyle | Beach, Sand, Pleasures evermore - Everywhere.
Tough mission ground - Some people think third world - I think about the Churches.
One church lady said “You’re at church on Holiday - Wow”
Being a Christian is not a Life Style
It’s a life Sacrificed.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Worship = Latreuo = Duty/Serve.
But tough with idols around - Money | Comfort | Success - What about Subtle ones?
Happiness | Perfect family | Perfect Kids
not uncomfortable enough? What about when idolise Christian things;
Being perfect Christian | Pastors | Miracles
begs question - what are Idols in our lives?…and what are called to put on the altar for God?
Brand New Series
Journey - In Transit (Talk that up) | Last series - worship on mountaintop - Now let’s tear down idols - not a series on simply saying replace idol with Jesus.
But want to talk about How what you’re longing for in your idol, God already has for you - How we can be come fully devoted..
Series: Idols or Altars
Todays Message: How to shift your focus
*prayer*
Where we going in series? | Journey through 1 Kings - Elijah and Ahab
Elijah - Put everything on altar for God
Ahab - Evil King bowed to Idols.
Today - Identify what idol is, set our heart right for series.
Ready to go?
Before definition - Let’s look at consequences of idolatry and why important
All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.
And if you think this is an old problem;
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,
If you are trapped worshipping idol - Grace for you today | Love | healing power of Jesus for you |
Maybe don’t know bowing to idol - Fresh relevation, freedom today.
So what is an idol;
Anything that becomes a priority above Christ or we trust for a blessing, help, or guidance in the place of a wholehearted reliance on the true and living God.
Our ability to bow to an idol, instead of sacrifice on the alter directly relates to how much we trust God, want to honour God and how much you feel loved by God.
Can apply statement to any situation
Happy Kids - Their desires start to conflict Bible…instead of offering them up to God, you sacrifice God and bow.
Happiness - God wants me to be happy - going to remove myself from any environment = stressful, hard. Called? Not there.
Here’s the kicker - You will never find more Joy, than the Joy found in God’s Will.
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Gold Coast - First week amazing - Sunday - Church.
being HOT - Get into Worship Service - First time 2 years - Surrounded by Chrsitian - First string - Tears.
Listen - You will never find more Joy, than the Joy found in God’s Will
In order to get into God’s Will - We need to move our focus | Need to identify our idols - So we can let Jesus destroy them and walk in freedom toward God’s Will.
Who wants to?
What ever your turning to, to fill void - is lie, We are going to tackle it together.
Let’s go.
Psalm 115 [Context]
Verse 2 ;
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Some of us need to read couple of times.
Part of the reason we turn to Idols is not because we don’t believe in God’s power, but because God’s Power is not obeying our Will.
Ahab, Elijah - Opposite beginnings.
Ahab introduced as Evil King - Marries foreign woman Jezebel | Name means Baal exists | Immediately servs baal - not only serves him;
He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Elijah on the other hand;
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him:
“Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.
What an intro - Go tell King, drought is coming - Then go where I say - She’ll be right.
Surely = “Why God” - Big complainig nope..
So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan.
Wanna know how long? 3.5 years.
Time and time again going to see Elijah be faithful - Why? he has super powers - no - Because there was a truth in his heart.
Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Elijah wanted to be a part of the plan - Do you want to be part of the plan?
Let’s keep going:
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
Biggest warning - Make them - become like them - and all who trust.
As you bow to idol - become more like it - mean in a practica lsense?
If Money is idol = When bank account goes down, so does your worth.
Success - Get that promotion, great - don’t get it, life not worth it.
If Bottle is your thing - more you drink, more empty the bottle becomes, the more empty you become.
You make it, then it makes you.
Made by God to represent likeness of God here on Earth.
or Made by your idol, to become the likeness of that Idol.
Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
I want to be clear - Your longing is not the issue.
You where created to be a worshipper of God
Born to have longing in heart
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
All want to feel secure | Protected | In midst of waiting for God to come through
In attempt to fill longing - We’ve stopped trusting in Him and Turned to idols
Then psalmist has an exaltation
O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
The Lord is your help and your shield.
You become what you worship.
Idols have no life… so what does it give you? No life
Idols have no worth - What does it give you? No worth.
God has life… so what does He give you? Life
But Jesus… has a name… what does he give you… a name!!
Jesus has worth and what does he give you… worth
What are we learning today? Don’t try and destroy the longing - We just need to redirect where the longing is going.
Too often i’ve heard “Kill your idol, read your bible” - But accept that you have been created to long for something- and that something…is God.
Let’s change our perception.
Wedge and Life Illustration
Water Illustration - As you fill up with Jesus - Your idols are just going to get Displaced.
Don’t say… replace your idol with Jesus.
Just focus on Jesus and Jesus will displace your idol
Next week - How we fall in the trap of idols
Week 3 - How to cut off idols for good.
Week 4 - When Christiants think their building an altar, but they are building an idol
Week 5 - How to lay it all on the Altar
What about today? set our heart right.
Can we as a Church - Come to place of admittance that we have idols in our lives.
Can we admit, we have a Lord and Saviour who has real power? (Gospel Message)
Admit that We want to be part of God’s plan - no devil, idol, gates of hell is going to previl today.
If we can admit those 3 things, we are on our way…to finding freedom from our idols for God’s Glory and our good.
The longing you are looking for is found in his presence.
*prayer*
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.