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Copyright June 19, 2022 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche
Kyle Idleman wrote a good and convicting book called GODS AT WAR.
The book is about contemporary idols.
In it Idelman says,
Idolatry isn’t just one of many sins; rather it’s the one great sin that all others come from.
So, if you start scratching at whatever struggle you’re dealing with, eventually you’ll find that underneath it is a false god.
Until that god is dethroned, and the Lord God takes his rightful place, you will not have victory.
(p.
26)
Over the course of our study of Isaiah, the Lord has railed against the people of Israel because of their idolatry.
This passage in Isaiah 44 is one of the longest rants against those who worship gods other than the Lord.
We all know idolatry is bad.
It is everywhere in the Bible both Old and New Testaments.
Any time we give our loyalty to something or someone other than the Lord we worship an idol.
We know idolatry is bad, but we don’t think WE are guilty of worshipping idols!
This morning we are going to look at Isaiah 44 and zero in on the issue of idolatry in the hope of seeing where we are guilty of doing the same things Israel did.
Our hope, of course, is that having seen the problem, we will decide to take action and root these idols from our lives.
In Isaiah 44:6-8 we read,
6 This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.
7 Who is like me?
Let him step forward and prove to you his power.
Let him do as I have done since ancient times
when I established a people and explained its future.
8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago?
You are my witnesses—is there any other God?
No! There is no other Rock—not one!”
Idolatry is bad because the Lord God is worthy of not just our worship, but our EXCLUSIVE worship!
The Lord is worthy of our worship because He is eternal!
He is the first and the last, the Creator and the Sustainer of life.
The Lord made us.
He fashioned us in our mother’s womb.
He gave us the talents we possess.
He is the One who made it possible for us to know joy, peace, love, satisfaction.
He is the One who came to rescue us even after we, as humankind, had rejected Him.
He pursued each one of us.
Jesus came to give His life for us.
He offers us the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us.
To spurn Him is to reject the One who demonstrated the depth of His love.
There is No Other Rock on which to build our life.
He is the only one out there.
He is our refuge and strength.
He is the One who can bring us through any circumstance.
His resources are endless and His power and wisdom is unequaled.
Why would we turn anywhere besides the Lord?
Suppose you needed to buy a new computer.
You look on Amazon and find out that there are all kinds of computers for sale.
The prices sound good to you.
But to be a good steward you go out to CCS Computers and ask Bob about a computer.
You tell him about the great deals you found.
Now suppose Bob pointed out that the discount computers were a good price, but . . .
they don’t come with a monitor, they won’t run any programs.
They connect to the internet but that’s all they will do.
If you go ahead and buy that “great priced” computer, don’t bring it to Bob when it doesn’t work!
He warned you.
This is the way it is with the idols Israel worshipped and the idols that we are guilty of worshipping.
God has warned us that they cannot satisfy.
We cannot blame Him for our misery if we turn to our idols.
The Foolishness of Idols
Starting in Isaiah 44:9 the Lord makes His case.
It’s a long passage and I will read just a part of it.
9 How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
so they are all put to shame.
10 Who but a fool would make his own god—
an idol that cannot help him one bit?
11 All who worship idols will be disgraced
along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
but they will stand in terror and shame.
18 Such stupidity and ignorance!
Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.
19 The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
“Why, it’s just a block of wood!
I burned half of it for heat
and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”
20 The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
“Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”
These people were making idols out of the same wood that was also used in their fireplace.
I bet they prayed no one would throw their idol on the fire!
As soon as a crisis came, they were undefended!
Some Contemporary Idols
We sometimes turn to things to satisfy us (temporarily) but much of the times are idols are more subtle and subversive.
It is always easier to see the foolishness of others instead of our own.
Author Paul Tripp wrote,
In the middle of trouble, when you are in the heat of the battle, you will run somewhere for refuge.
You will run somewhere for rest, comfort, peace, encouragement, wisdom, healing, and strength.
There is only one place to run where true protection, rest, and strength can be found.
You and I must learn, in life and ministry, to make the Lord our refuge.
Perhaps in trouble you run to other people, hoping that they can be your personal messiah.
Perhaps you run to entertainment, hoping to numb your troubles away.
Maybe you run to a substance, trying your best to turn off the pain.
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