Worship No Other God

Exodus 20:4-6

Acts 17:16-34

The Ten Commandments are often thought of as the core of civilized society.

Without the belief in God and without His guidance and and being told what His expectations for man are, there is no moral barometer that we can regulate our society.

We have heard the commandments so often, that we tend to think, “Oh, I know this already.”

But the Bible speaks more than once of the need to rehearse the truth, or to stir up the truth that is within us.

We need to take a good look at our lives and see where we have not been meeting God’s expectations, and we need to make changes.

Last week we looked at the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

We looked at what Jesus called the greatest commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy spirit and with all thy strength.”

I know I was challenged to love the Lord with all my heart this last week!

He has done so much for us, how can we not love Him more and more!

Today we look at the second commandment.

Exodus 20:4–6

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

I have always thought this might be two commandments since it says thou shalt twice, but of course it is talking about the same thing.

We can easily look at this verse and dismiss it because we don’t have any idols of stone or wood or metal.

But the truth is we will all, from time to time have idols of the heart.

In Acts 17, Paul is given a wonderful opportunity in Athens.

Every missionary would love the opportunity that Paul was given.

When Paul began to witness to the Jews in the synagogue there in Athens, some of the Greek philosophers heard him, and said, “ What will this babbler say? others said, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

Can I say, This world will never understand the gospel unless the Holy Spirit opens their hearts to it.

As soon as a man is willing too seek God, God is right there to teach them the truth.

Verse 19 says that they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, which was on Mars Hill.

This seemed to be a place where various philosophers would gather to discuss their philosophies.

There were idols setup to honor every god that was known to them, and they superstitiously setup one to the unknown God, just in case they missed one.

And of course they did, which Paul is quick to point out.

Acts 17:23

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

He began to give them reasons why they should see this Unknown God for who He is:

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Then when he tells them it is this God who came to earth lived and died, then rose again, all of a sudden there was quite a divide in the group of philosophers.

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

There is much the same reaction in our churches today when a preacher stands up and begins to preach against the idols of the heart.

It is a problem as old as time.

From the very beginning man has been trying to substitute what he thinks is best for what God has revealed is right.

Cain sacrificed what he thought was better, fruits and vegetables, rather than what God ordained.

When we begin to replace what God wants with what we want we are creating a god of our liking.

When you hear someone say, “Well I just don’t believe that God would....” you need to realize that they are describing an idol.

I want to look to day at a few points that might help us understand idols better.

I. The Characteristics of Idolatry

Jeremiah 2:13 KJV

13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

When we have an idol, we are placing something as a higher priority than God.

God condemns this, He deserves to be first place in our lives.

So an Idol is someone or something that we place first:

A. Instead of God

Idolatry is depending on some aspect of life or creation that you should depend on God, but instead you turn to this other thing instead.

Jeremiah categorized this behavior as broken cisterns.

Broken cisterns are man-made unreliable large pits dug in the rock covered with plaster used to gather rainwater.

When cracks developed in the cisterns, they would hold no water unlike the reliable natural springs of living water which always provided water no matter the situation

This of course is symbolizing God. (Bible Knowledge Commentary /The Book of Jeremiah)

When we replace God with something inferior, we may get a need met, but it is like comparing old kept underground, to natural springs of living water.

An Idol is someone or something that we place first:

B. Above God

Idolatry is dependence of some aspect of life that we hold even to a level of worship above God

We are treasuring it above God.

Idolatry is the dependence on certain aspects of life or creation at the level of worship above God making them the avenue of our satisfaction and holding it as the solutions to our problems.

It could be a job - if we are depending and looking to it to meet our daily needs.

It could be a spouse - if we are looking to him/her to fill a need that God should fulfill.

Thirdly, An Idol is someone or something that we place first:

C. Apart from God

Idolatry is the preoccupation with some aspect of life or creation apart from the Creator to bring some longing(s) of our hearts that have become the lusts of our hearts.

When we pull away from God, and to something or someone else we are worshipping an idol.

These are the characteristics of an idol.

II. The Creation of Idolatry

How are these idols of the heart created?

Idols are created when we no longer look to God as the...

A. Source of Our Satisfaction

What brings you satisfaction?

What do we look to in order to be satisfied?

People - best relationship,

Places - Disney World - happiest place on earth

Things - best car, biggest house

Positions - recognition, Pride, achievement

Power - be in control,

Politics - I don’t know how anyone could be satisfied with the state of politics today.

Money - just a little more - Rockefeller

Medication - Just take the edge off, dependent

Media - Help forget, Put me in a happier place

Ministry - satisfaction in God, or in what you are doing?

Idols are created when we no longer look to God as the Source of our Satisfaction,

Idols are also created when we no longer look to God as the...

B. Solution to Our Problems

The job is not the solution to your problem

The scratcher ticket is not the answer to your problem

The alcohol bottle is not the answer to your problem.

The illicit affair is not the answer to your problem.

Finding a wife/husband is not the answer to your problem

The nicer car, the bigger bank account, the different job,

Psalm 34:17 KJV

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, And delivereth them out of all their troubles.

God is the solution to our problems!

We just need to trust in Him

Proverbs 3:5–6 KJV

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.

III. The Consequences of Idolatry

The Bible has some very pointed things to say about idols of the heart.

for instance in:

Ezekiel 14:3–6 KJV

3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. 6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

We need to see four very important things here!

A. Idolatry Is Evil in the Sight of God

God is not OK with being second in our lives.

God is not OK with us seeking satisfaction from someone or something else.

He created us for His glory - He does not want us to go to the creation rather than the creator.

Romans 1:25 KJV

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

B. Idolatry Leads you away from Serving God to Serving His Creation.

By it’s very nature idolatry leads you away from God, and serving God.

The more we focus on these idols of the heart, the less we focus on serving God

On walking with God

On Loving God with all of our heart, soul, spirit and strength!

C. Idolatry leads you to stumbling into further sin.

The more our focus is taken away from God, the more we will struggle with sin in our lives!

Many have said that idolatry is at the root of all sin:

Envy worships things

Lust worships people (made in God’s image) as objects

Stealing worships self - I deserve to have this

Murder worships power to decide who lives or dies

Gluttony worships food and desires

Greed worships money

Laziness worships self, and desire for more rest

Every sin we commit we are placing something or someone in God’s place.

Idols of the Heart Chart

What we have is a conflict between What I desire, What I want, What I must have versus - God’s desire for us and What God wants.

Both of these focuses have a faith and a practice.

It is all determined if I am going to listen to MY WORD or GOD’S WORD!

But we need to remember that our heart is deceitful

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

When we try to take control of the throne, or put an idol in God’s place, we lose more than we gain.

Ezekiel 14:1-11, we read some of it earlier - The people of Israel were called out by God for having idols in their hearts.

God told them that He would set His face against them.

But if they would repent and place God back on the throne that they will be His people, and He will be their God.

The real question is What Rules Your Heart?

What you focus on will determine who sits on the throne of your heart.

It is a matter of My Word versus God’s Word

You may have a desire, by faith that you should have Obedient Kids - there is nothing wrong with this, but when we are focused on what we want -we yell and nag to get what we want.

But don’t blame God for your wrong tactics or wrong heart!

James 1:13 KJV

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

Remember what the Bible says about where wars and fightings come from:

James 4:1–3 KJV

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

They come from the lusts of your own heart - idols.

But God desires for us to have obedient Children!

But we must do it God’s Way:

James 1:19–20 KJV

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

We need to hear them, and teach them to hear us, but slow to speak and slow to wrath.

You may desire to have your own Space…And that may become an idol, and so you end up controlling everyone and everything around you so you can keep your space.

What God desires is for us to use our space for hospitality, and when He is on the throne, your home becomes a hospitable home.

Maybe you desire for your wife to submit - when you are on the throne, or those desires are on your throne, you end up yelling, intimidating and abusing her.

But God wants her to be a submissive wife as well, but when God is on the throne, you will realize that if you Love and Serve her she will be what you need.

Maybe on the flip side you ladies want a loving husband, and he’s not so you refuse him.

But when God is on the throne, you learn to serve him, as Christians are called to serve one another.

There are many types of Idols of the Heart:

A. Performance – especially for significant others – you try to please to get or to keep acceptance or approval. Example: for parents or spouse. When you please man rather than God, this is idolatry. If that is the case, then you are worshipping that person more than God. Fearful of what others think rather than obeying God – this is a problem.

B. Performance for Self (Perfectionism) – trying to perform up to our own standards that we have set. Can become a Pharisee. When I meet the standard, I feel good; when I don’t I feel bad. Making a personal list for myself to follow that is higher than what God says.

C. Performance of Others – I make a list of what others should do. Example: For my spouse to be a good husband / wife he / she must do… (1,2,3, etc.). If he/she doesn’t do these things, I become judgmental and unloving.

D. Good Health – My goal shouldn’t be this, but to glorify God. It’s OK to pray for healing but don’t let getting healed become an idol. God may want you to be sick in order to glorify Himself (see John 9).

E. Love of Money – I take a promotion just to get more money

F. Success – What’s a good day to you? Answering this question helps to reveal idols of the heart. What made it a good day in your mind? Usually it’s “I got a lot accomplished / done.” Or “I pleased significant others. “ Or “I got my way… Others did for me what I want them to do.” Etc.

G. Fairness - Life has to be fair! (Psalm 73) “I’ve been trying to please God; these others aren’t even trying and they prosper.” This can cause you to almost forsake the faith (Ps. 73:2).

H. Hurt-Free / Pain-Free Life – I don’t want to deal with problems. There shouldn’t be any difficulties. I shouldn’t have to go through anything unsettling… because I want peace.

I. Christian Marriage and Home – I’ll be successful if my children turn out right. That can become an idol. Or I want people to look at our marriage and think we have the best marriage in the world. I cannot serve God and have joy until my spouse changes.

J. Physical Appearance

K. Being respected / Admired

L. Being self-sufficient / Independent

M. A Material Thing – car, house, jewelry, etc.

N. Athletic Abilities / Achievements

O. Hobbies ~ sports, reading, whatever

P. An Ideal ("Pro-life movement, "Peace Movement," political party, etc.)

Q. Being Treated Fairly

R. Success / Position / Power

S. Worldly Pleasures (drugs, alcohol, food, sex, etc)

T. Being in Control

U. Meeting Goals / Achievements

V. A Child or Children

W. Getting Married

X. Having Your 'Needs' Met