Counterfeit Gods - Ch 5

Intro

Group intro -

Scripture

Hear God speak, not self help or opinions

Scripture transforms us

It is the foundation for the other two

Prayer

Us speaking back to God

Acknowledging the truth of scripture

Community

The context that scripture and prayer are effective

Not just socializing - ministering the gospel to each other

Review

Studying Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

The topic is identifying and dealing with idols

It is good, but not required to read through the chapter and make notes and questions

Starting applications - but Keller is layering in lessons that apply to all idols

Last lesson

Intro to lesson

Is it good to love your country and your people? What benefits does it have?

The Nazis pursued this in a way that was demonic and destructive

Is justice and equality good? What benefits does it have?

The French Revolution was founded on these principals, yet it was widely recognized as so unjust that it was called the Reign of Terror

What happened? Idolatry. When love of one’s people becomes an absolute, it turns into racism. When love of equality turns into a supreme thing, it can result in hatred and violence toward anyone who has led a privileged life. It is the settled tendency of human societies to turn good political causes into counterfeit gods.

How can power & politics become an idol?

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 98). New York: Riverhead Books.

Political leaders as messiahs

Political policies as saving doctrine

Political activism into a kind of religion

Read

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Power as an idol

Signs of power idolatry

Fear

We are dependent on an idol to such an extent that any attack on it is a personal attack on us

Any threat is not an inconvenience, but potentially something that will make life come crashing down

Rather than being disappointed, we panic - ‘This is the end! There’s no hope!’

This leads to extreme reactions

Look at the losing side of an election

This country is going to destroy itself! I am moving to Canada!

This was written ten years ago

When their political leaders are out of power, they experience a death. They believe that if their policies and people are not in power, everything will fall apart.

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 99). New York: Riverhead Books.

Demonizing opponents

Opponents are not considered to be simply mistaken, but to be evil

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 99). New York: Riverhead Books.

Nearly all of the past election was placed in combative terms

This creation is not the root problem

The main problem in life is sin, and the only solution is God and his grace. The alternative to this view is to identify something besides sin as the main problem with the world and something besides God as the main remedy. That demonizes something that is not completely bad, and makes an idol out of something that cannot be the ultimate good.

We look to part of creation as either villain or the savior

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 100). New York: Riverhead Books.

This is problem with this demonization - we look to liberals, or conservatives, or the 1%, or socialists, or the NRA, or environmentalists as the problem instead of root of sin in all of us

Root of power idolatry

The problem is that each of us feels insecure and wants to assert power to prove they are in control

The first sin was to breaking our trust in God’s goodness and seeking to be as God, knowing good and evil. This is seeking to be independent, to define right and wrong ourselves, taking power over our own destiny.

Keller says that it is now part of all our natures. Rather than accept our finitude and dependence on God, we desperately seek ways to assure ourselves that we still have power over our own lives. But this is an illusion.

Do you think of the first sin this way? Do you think of your sin as seeking to separate yourself as an independent person from God?

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 101). New York: Riverhead Books.

More follow up

Philosophy

Social idols

Intro to concept

Patriotism

Ideology

Nebuchadnezzar's First Dream

He was the most powerful person on earth at that time

He had conquered legendary kingdoms - Egypt and Assyria and built an empire.

The entire world was dependent on him for peace, security, economic needs, even down to putting food on the table

He had built a court that centered around him - the book of Daniel is full of stories about the seemingly unlimited power he had (exile, execute groups of people, fiery furnace, etc)

He had a dream that distressed him

Only Daniel could interpret it

i.e. the king could interpret it or force others to

This was the first assault against his power and pride

There was a statue

Had many parts of different materials which represent the different nations

Represented the authority and power of human cultures

But it was dashed to pieces by a stone cut not by human hands

And it grew into a mountain that filled the earth

Which represented God’s kingdom coming unexpectedly and in an ordinary way

Yet it will cover the whole earth

This dream predicted the future in way that showed God was the true power which should lead to humility. Those in power should see that they have not achieved power but have only been given it by God, and that all human power crumbles in the end.

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 114). New York: Riverhead Books.

Power as a personal idol

Insecurity & powerless

Illusion of control

Illusion of control

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

In his own words he was at ease and prospering in my palace.

Dream

There was a great tree representing Nebuchadnezzar

It covered the known world and touched the sky

It was strong and beautiful and had abundant fruit

All the animals depended on it for shelter and food

A great voice announced the tree would be chopped down, but the stump would be left

He would go crazy and live like an animal

This would show Nebuchadnezzar who was in control

till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will

This means that anyone who is successful is simply a recipient of God’s unmerited favor. Even the people at the top of the world’s hierarchy of power, wealth, and influence are really … no better than anyone else

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Keller, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p. 120). New York: Riverhead Books.

A year later, Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the deck of his penthouse suite and while looking over the city says Is this not great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?

Nebuchadnezzar was

He had not learned his lesson and still trusted in his power. And he was using it to oppress people.

He was immediately condemned and he was made to go insane

He lived with the animals and he was dirty and not groomed

Resurrection