Are you Idol-ing?

God calls His people to worship Him alone, and anything that takes His place is idolatry.

Exodus 20:3-5

English Standard Version Chapter 20

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth

I. What is idolatry?

When someone puts someone else, or something else in the place of God. Its a heart problem. Our affections and priorities are all messed up.

In the O.T. we see the worship of golden calves, or carved images, or Baal, or Molech.

When we speak of idolatry, we are talking about anything that becomes more important to you than God!

God alone is worthy of worship!

God is not interested in being “first among many.” He wants to be our ONLY God. No competition. He wants sole ownership!

II. What are some things in our lives today that become idols?

A. Success - when our careers become what identifies us, then we may be guilty of idolatry. If we define ourselves by our success, and not by our Christian lives and values, we could be guilty of idolatry.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

Jeremiah 9:23

B. Relationships - when we look to other people for our ultimate fulfillment, we could be guilty of idolatry.

We just noticed in Jeremiah, we boast in understanding and knowing the Lord.

2. 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

C. Money - if our security is based on our bank accounts, we have our hope and trust in the wrong thing!

To trust in riches instead of God is not only wicked but foolish, as—(1) Riches are uncertain, and may soon and suddenly cease to be ours…

Job 31:24–28 “If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above.”

D. Entertainment - when comfort becomes our God.

2 Timothy 3:2 “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,”

v4)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

I’ve asked us to consider this before, but if we really want to see where our desires lie, if we want to know the truth about whether, or not, we are guilty of idolatry through our entertainment, just look at your bank accounts and see where your money goes.

I would say even if you think you haven’t been able to afford entertainment on large scales, you may have to look at your credit card statements.

We live in a world where pleasure is sought after more and more. People are bankrupting their lives and their spiritual lives to enjoy the pleasures of this life.

Think about your contribution. Look at it in proportion to what you spend on entertainment. Do you see a lopsided difference?

E. Can I be an idol unto myself? Absolutely. When we live for our desires, and not God’s will, we have become idols unto ourselves.

Ezekiel 14:3 ““Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?”

Colossians 3:5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

III. There’s dangers in idolatry and we must tear our idols down!

A. Idols enslave us.

When we become consumed by the things of this world, by other people, by our entertainment, we begin wanting more and more and its an endless cycle!

2. Psalm 115:8 “Those who make them (idols) become like them; so do all who trust in them.”

3. Idolatry warps our identity, misguides our decisions, and ultimately leads to judgment.

B. We must tear our idols down!

The first step is realizing what holds your heart!

Ask the question, “What do I fear losing most?”

When you determine your priorities are out of whack, when you realize your splitting your time between God and other things, repentance needs to happen! You’re bringing judgment upon your soul if you think you can split time between God and the world!

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Conclusion

Do you need to re-center your heart on Christ?

Are you ready for idol-crushing King Jesus to take over your life today?

Are you ready to surrender your life to him and stop letting all the gods of this world rule your life?

Joshua 24:15 “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””

Lay down your idols today and lift up the name of Jesus!