What Is Idolatry?

When I was a kid I was really into the sports that I competed in. I grew up in the Chicago area where there were a lot of immigrants so the most popular game to play was the globally popular game soccer! I played soccer and I played for the traveling team the represented the city. All I did in my spare time was played soccer or thought about it, I ate slept and breathed soccer. I even would read books about the greats and I wanted to be better then Pele who I thought was the greatest player of all time! Well, I got into trouble because I was not doing my work in school and my parents took me out of soccer and I was devastated. I was known as an exceptional soccer player and I put my identity and hope in Soccer so when I lost it I felt like I lost my identity.

Well I went through life putting my trust and identity in other things. But eventually I placed my faith and Identity in Christ, and He did not disappoint, He gave me purpose and fulfillment.

Soccer was an Idol to me because I placed it above God.

Today we are going to talk about what Idolatry is and what we should place our trust in.

Big Idea- We are to trust in God not His creation.

Take Aways

If you love it more than God then it is an Idol.

True happiness and fulfillment is found in a relationship with God.

All will bow down to God Either willingly or as the conquered.

Before we go into the main text, I have a question.

What is an Idol?

Yes its anything that you put as being more important or as important as God.

Ok, one more question. What is wrong with having Idols?

Ok, lets go into the text, Romans 1:18

Romans 1:18 NKJV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Ok, what is the wrath of God?

Yes the wrath of God is His divine punishment. Luke 12:5 and Revelation 6:15-17, gives a snippet of what it will be like.

Luke 12:5 NKJV

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Revelation 6:15–17 NKJV

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Who deserves the wrath of God?

Why?

Yes we all deserve the wrath of God because all have sinned, all have been unrighteous.

Ok, lets continue through the main text.

Romans 1:18–20 NKJV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

So here when it is saying because of what may be known of God is manifest in them it is saying that God put what we need to know to know that He is God in us and He has shown it to us!

Who can give an example of something that we see in nature that proves God exist?

Yes it is all around us, the trees, the birds, the animals, the mountains and valleys, mankind and the way he designed us. It all is a miracle that could only have been done on purpose by a creator.

Who is this creator?

Yes it is God.

Who is the created?

Yes everything outside of God.

So in the beginning God created everything, and He created mankind in His image and it was Good. When God created mankind he created them to rule over the earth taking care of the earth and serving God ruling the earth as his co-regents which are the people he placed to rule the world representing Him.

Since mankind was created to glorify God and to rule doing His will then who should mankind serve and worship?

Yes they should worship the creator, the only one who is worthy of our worship and praise.

Exodus 20:3 NKJV

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

Deuteronomy 6:13 NKJV

You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.

Yes so looking at the main text is says that God has created everything in a way that His existence and power is clearly seen and there is not excuse for us.

Back to our text.

Romans 1:21–23 NKJV

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

How many of you know what an atheist is?

Yes an atheist is a person who says there is no God, they deny the truth that is known.

Many times people obtain high levels of education and then they believe that they are too smart to believe that a God exist. But in fact they have become full of themselves and have become fools thinking that they are wise. That is what verse 22 is talking about.

But then verse 23 says that they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible created things!

What does incorruptible and corruptible mean?

Yes Corruptible means it can rot or fall apart etc., it is temporary. But incorruptible is something that last forever and cannot be damaged and cannot experience death or delay.

God is incorruptible, He is Holy and He is different then anything else and nothing can be compared to Him.

To change the glory of God into an image of a created thing means that they were worshipping the things that God created and not the creator Himself.

How many of you have ever loved something more than God?

All of us have. When we are not serving Him, we do what we can to please ourselves. Whether we place other things over God or if we love ourselves more than we love God than we are our own idols.

God is to be more important than anything else in the world to us.

Like my story earlier we look for fulfillment in all kinds of things when we are lost. Only God can give us fulfillment. True happiness and fulfillment comes from God and God alone.

Back to the main text. Romans 1:24-25

Romans 1:24–25 NKJV

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Here in this passage it is talking about those who were worshipping Idols instead of God. Since they did this God gave themselves over to their own desires.

This is not a good thing for the people, because what they want and want to do leads to death and sorrow, but what God wants leads to life and eternal life.

In the end all will proclaim Jesus as Lord. This will either be through serving Him and accepting His gift of salvation, or this will be those who went against the Lord and will be defeated with Satan.

Philippians 2:10–11 NKJV

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Does someone who has not placed their faith in Christ trust in the creator?

Can someone not put their trust in God and say that they trust the creator rather than the created?

How can someone trust in the creator, what shows that this is true?

There is only one way that we can put Idolatry out of our lives. There is only one way we can put trusting the creator in practice.

In order to trust the creator we must put our faith in Christ.

We all deserve the Wrath of God, but because of His love and grace He send Jesus to live a perfect life and die on the cross for our sins and to save us from the wrath of God and He gives us a chance to have relationship with Him.

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Our Take Away s

Take Aways

If you love it more than God then it is an Idol.

True happiness and fulfillment is found in a relationship with God.

All will bow down to God Either willingly or as the conquered.