The Devil has a Plan - 3
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Idolatry
Idolatry
Welcome back!
(MENTION RESPECTING SMALL GROUPS AND LEADERS)
This week we are jumping back into our series “The Devil has a plan” we started this about three weeks ago and to quickly sum up how we got here, I have to say that we can’t be so immature, naive and honestly just dumb, to think that Satan does not have a plan for us. We hear all the time about God’s plan for us, which is good and true, but it is also very true that Satan has a plan too.
Last time we met we talked about how Satan’s plan for a lot of us, can be to get us to a place where we feel alone. He wants to isolate you, maybe from people, but certainly from God.
This week we are going to jump into another way that Satan most definitely wants to attack us. And that is through something called Idolatry.
What is Idolatry?
Idolatry is a man made image or representation that is worshipped as a deity
Putting idolatry this way makes us think of maybe somethings that happened in scripture. The golden Calf the Israelites made, people worshipping false Gods and making statues of False Gods and then some.
But in our modern world, Idolatry is still a problem, but I don’t think we are out here carving out cows, painting them gold and praying to them.
I think a more “modern” explanation would be
Putting anything between the relationship of ourselves and God
What might Idolatry look like today?
Phones, people, relationships, substances, AMBITIONS etc.
that is more so what idolatry looks like today.
I would venture to say, that most all of us struggle with Idolatry, some way shape or form, we do. Whether its too much time on the tiktok, how much some of us may struggle with not having a substance or drug, or maybe even if you can’t seem to not be around your boyfriend/girlfriend. Every waking minute has to be with them.
That is all idolatry, and that is not good...
Exodus 20:3 says ““You shall have no other gods before me.”
That points out the problem with no question to be left.
Lets do this, I want us all to be honest right now. Raise your hand if you consistently struggle with an idol? an Idol of ANY form
We struggle. Maybe not every waking moment, but is a struggle too much?
I’ll be honest, I am a huge football fan. I am a huge STEELERS fan. and in the fall, I turn on that tv after Sunday church. I always tell Maddie, I got 17 games a year. 17 days. sometimes, we need to go to the store because our family has no food, but Maddie, we coulda done that yesterday. We got 348 other days every year to go to the store.
I would be absolutely lying to you if I said I never lost focus of the Lord during a sermon because my mind was not captivated by the game coming up. I admit this, but to be honest, that is sin. It’s not a sin to watch, enjoy watching or just think about football. But if I am letting that come between me and my relationship, and my growth with Christ, THAT IS A PROBLEM.
But Satan wants that, he wants that idol. And let me tell you this, he knows EXACTLY what your idol is. He is using it against you right now. He is tempting you already, even when you do not realize it.
The devil is crafty and knows how to take our mind captive and to take us away from our Lord.
1 Peter 5:8 says that the devil is our adversary, our enemy and he prowls around like a lion. Think about this,
A lion is sneaky, a lion hides in the tall grass, it stalks its prey. It watches for as much time as it needs and when does it pounce?
WHEN it is LEAST expected. The devil is watching you as you make your every move, he is figuring out your ticks and turns. He sees everything you do and watches you move at all times. He learns what you like, he learns what you dislike and he wants to know it all, because if he knows your every move, he can overwhelm you when he attacks, because you are not ready.
He doesn’t just prowl around, what does he do? He seeks to devour. He wants to engulf you when you can’t defend yourself. That is why it is SO incredibly dangerous to not be supported by God, to not read the word and to not study often, because we are not capable to defend ourselves from God. We need support and strength that only comes from God.
We are not strong enough, Our God is stronger
But here is a problem. These things that cause our focus to come off God can come in very quietly to our lives. They can be deceptive, things that look good or great and then they destroy us from the inside out.
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.
this verse in Jeremiah is saying that God has the ability to hold us, but we forsake him by 2 things.
Not trusting in him
Seeking to trust in ourselves
Think about this, this verse says hewed out cisterns for themselves.
Does anyone know what “hewed out” means?
It means dig out.
We dig the hole, we put the effort into it. We dig these cisterns, or wells that can’t hold any water. What did God just compare himself to? a fountain of living water.
These wells we dig, we may not realize how deep we are going. We may not understand that the hole we are putting ourself in is as deep as it has gotten, until it is too late.
and guess what.
you have 2 problems now...
You are in a broken vessel that holds no water, but now how do you plan to get out of this hole of darkness that has gone far too deep… YOU CAN’T
This idolatry can come to us in all those ways we said before. Lets use social medias as an example.
Its all fun, good, there is some good stuff there. People who share about who God is and then some right.
But there is also bad stuff on there. Things that we shouldn’t be looking at and things that shouldn’t even be shared or posted.
And we start off following the good stuff, but the bad creeps in, and algorithms change your timelines and pages to things you shouldn’t be watching slowly. It starts small, the devil is making sure you see it, but your in your right mind! You have done good so far and he knows if he shows you the worst of it now, you are strong enough to put it down...
So he waits, he’s that lion in the grass, he lets more come to you, it can take hours, days months, he’s patient. and when you are starting to see it more, it desensitizes you, you think of it as nothing, but it is rotting your brain and making you think of seeing that much skin on that girl, seeing those words, hearing those phrases. They mean less and less the more you hear it. And once he knows you’ve seen too much, he pounces and you are engulfed in his darkness.
And what is your response?
Look at what SATAN DID! HE GOT ME! GOD WHY DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!
but wait. Satan was just sitting in the grass. He did nothing, you did it. You continued watching that. desensitizing your brain
Change it from Social media, you continued pushing the boundaries with your gf/bf you continued to do things behind closed doors and take that next step when you shouldn’t
you continued to hang out with those friends, who you know they abuse substances, but you weren’t going to right? But it was so normal! look at them, they do it all the time and they seem fine right!
And now you are dug into this deep hole where you can’t get out.
Question for you:
Who deals with the consequences? YOU DO.
Not satan, You.
This sin surrounds you and here is the thing, ANYthing can become an idol, not all sin is idolatry, but any sin can become idolatry. You fall into sin one time, okay, not good. lets fix it.
But if this sin becomes more important than God, idolatry of sin.
so really this is not a idolatry conversation it is a sin conversation right?
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
If you are with Christ, we are to seek things above earth, not on earth. Our life is with him, none of these things matter.
but read verse 5 and 6
Colossians 3:5–6 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”
Sexual immorality, is idolatry
impurity is idolatry
passion is idolatry
evil desire is idolatry
covetousness is idolatry
v6, in the CSB bible says this “Because of these, God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient
so how do you obey?
well what does it tell you to do?
top of v5.
PUT TO DEATH WHAT IS EARTHLY IN YOU
This does not say, do it less, just once in a while.
This does not say, do it but be sorry about it.
It says to KILL IT.
Simple question,
Does anything that is Dead breathe again?
NO.
the final question then is, How do I kill it?
What do we do to kill something that is of this Earth and that is sinful?
Lets go back to a common verse from a week or so ago
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
So how do we kill it. Through the power of God.
Now, raise your hand if that makes sense, now you know how to kill whatever your struggle is?
I think the church can struggle sometimes with this. Pastors and leaders tell you what to do, and we think, “That sounds great, lets kill sin”
Then you go home and sin is tempting and you do not know how to kill it.
Here are 7 Steps to kill your sin and the idols they become
First, you have to know your vulnerabilities...
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
you have to know where you stand, you have to be honest and say, Yup I suck at this. When I get in my room, alone, I look at things I shouldnt. So where should you take the first step?
GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM.
I get with my gf/bf and we go off alone. WHERE YOU SHOULD YOU TAKE THE FIRST STEP? Don’t go off alone, nothing good comes from that.
KNOW WHERE THE STUMBLING BLOCK IS
Step 2 is our reliance. We have to know we can’t do it alone and tahts where we can go back to Galatians 5:16
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
2. WALK BY THE SPIRIT
we have to walk by the spirit. how do we walk by the spirit? By being in the word, by cultivating our relationship with Christ who is within us so that he helps us stand guard against this sin.
Step 2 got us away from sin, while we are in it, but step three may be the hardest part of this whole thing, but it is by far the MOST NECESSARY.
3. RENEW YOUR MIND
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Change the way you think, YOU HAVE TO. THIS IS NOT A OPTION.
If you are a follower of Christ, if you want to have salvation and know Jesus as John 17:3 says, YOU MUSY RENEW YOUR MIND.
This world is so harsh in this. What so many of the people your age do not realize is that you are force fed content in this meme content, and guess what, it ruins your brain. The funny part is, ITS IN THE NAME AND YOU ARE NOT EVEN PAYING ATTENTION.
BRAIN ROT - its not funny, its degrading and allows you to become a walking talking machine of worldly garbage
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
DO NOT BE CONFORMED!!!
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Renewing our mind creates space for the word of God, our true shield and defense.
and that space needs to be used to hold the words and scriptures taht can truly help us defend our self from satan and his works.
this is all summarized here
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
This also says to put on the “new self”
4. PUT OFF THE OLD, BRING IN THE NEW
replace your sinful habits with righteous ones
Step 5 is a big one as well,
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
5. ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY
a lot of us do not want this, but Hebrews tells us that we can not neglect to see others and help others in life. it tells you to encourage others. how do you encourage someone without knowing what encouragement they need?!
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
6. FLEE TEMPTATION
this is actually one of the easiest if you take all these steps and avoid satan’s plan for you.
once you renew your mind, have that accountability, your not conformed to the world anymore, you got the spirit. This is a lot easier. right now, for many of you this is virtually impossible. that's why there is steps to this. it is not a overnight change
Step 7 is that
7. PRACTICE CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE
We have to know what that looks like and do it often. make it habit and anytime you fall it will be your nature to confess and repent.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you do confess, he is faithful, he will forgive and he will make you righteous. IF YOU CONFESS in repentance
This is not easy, Satan is after us. but step by step this becomes easier,
Kill the temptation, before the sin can Kill you
See we are talking about idolatry that leads to sin, but here is the thing.
any thing can become idolatry when we focus on it too much, because to idolize is to become captivated by something that it takes your focus away from God and what you should do.
and idolatry to Satan is simply an attempt to distract you from what matters.
Our focus must be on God, so we avoid the distractions of Idols
