No Graven Images
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I remember a few years ago spending some time in Asia. In that part of the world, idols permeated the culture.
Massive temples that reached to the sky with golden statues contrasted the dirty idols that were on the streets.
I guess I was naive, because when is saw the idols, I thought that they were relics to an earlier period of history. It unfortunately was not. I saw dozens of people bowing down to these little idols offering food, money, and possessions in the bowl. It broke my heart.
In our nation, idols are no less prevalent. The thing about idols is that they are deceptive. It is hard to see them.
Today, the commandment is to not make graven images.
What is the difference between the first and second commandment?
The first one tells us that we worship God alone, while the second, third, and fourth one tell us that we must worship Him in the right way.
The first commandment says no other God shall be worshipped.
The second commandment says that God is not of our own making.
CIT: The Christian shall not practice idolatry in any way.
Explanation
Explanation
// Exodus 20:4 ““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.”
God was telling the people of Israel how to relate to Him.
Can God be represented by an idol? NO!
God is bigger than any idol.
He cannot be contained by an image, and there is no image that fully describes him.
2. The nature of idolatry is usually misunderstood by modern people. Idolatry was not merely the practice of worshiping by means of statues and/or pictures as focal points for worship; it was rather an entire, elaborate religious system and lifestyle, all of it running counter to what God desired and desires true worship to be. The attractions of idolatry were very powerful and tended to draw even the Israelites away from true worship and covenant obedience to Yahweh in most generations. These attractions, or characteristics of idolatry, may be summarized as follows. (D. K. Stuart) How was it different?
A. The presence of the god was guaranteed.
a. A god was represented by an idol. Wherever the idol was. the god was.
b. God is not a genie. There is no formula that automatically allows his presence.
c. God is omnipresent, but his manifest presence is not everywhere.
B. The goal of the worshipper was selfish.
a. Prayers often centered upon crops or children or wealth, etc.
b. Prayers to Yahweh were God-centric. God is the center for our prayers. We ask and plead, but our ultimate focus is Him.
C. The requirements of the idol were easy, requiring sacrifices but little else.
a. You only had to give a little. No heart change was required.
b. We do this with Jesus. We make Him into the God that we we want Him to be, not the God that He is.
c. We have crafted a God in our own image who requires nothing of us.
D. The portability of the idols was convenient.
a. Idols are convenient.
b. It’s why we stare at our phones instead of reading our Bibles. It’s why 22 minutes of Everybody Loves Raymond is easier than 22 minutes of prayer.
E. The prominence of idols was normal.
a. Everyone is doing it. If everyone is doing it, it must be ok.
b. Idols are not ok just because everyone else is doing them.
c. There is a large gap between people who call themselves Christians and those who are true Christians.
d. You can always find a “Christian” who is doing less than you.
F. Many God’s (national, familial, and even individual) was everyday practice.
a. They became so normal that others forgot that they existed.
b. It became a fabric of everyday life. Uprooting idols sometimes meant going against family identity and customs.
c. Uprooting idols might mean upsetting your family.
G. Idolatry was pleasing to the senses and allowed the worshippers to be indulgent upon their every desire.
a. Idols feel good, and they are easy.
b. Jesus is better.
H. Idolatry often involves sinful practices.
a. When you worship something or someone other than God, you will do what that other thing requires.
b. Sometimes, that other thing is sinful.
Application
Application
Watchfulness: How do we identify idols in our culture?
Some of the common idols in our culture are:
Sports: Professional, college and local sports are a time and money consumer on epic proportions.
Are sports good? Yes.
Can a good thing be bad if it becomes too much? Also, yes.
Money
Entertainment:
Comfort: We consistently desire more and more and more comfort.
Humanity: I can do what I want. I can do what I feel. If I think it is right, it is right.
Mindfulness: How do we identify idols in our lives?
1. We identify by watching our lives. We can tell idols from our imagination, attention, finances, prayer life, relationships, emotions, and concerns.
2. John Piper // It is not sinful to desire the things of this world, but the moment that desire becomes idolatry, we have stepped into sin. How can we tell the difference?
Enjoyment becomes idolatry when it is forbidden by God.
Enjoyment becomes idolatry when it is not permeated gratitude.
Enjoyment becomes idolatry when it feels like a right, and our delight has become and demand.
Enjoyment becomes idolatry when it draws us away from our duties as a Christian.
Enjoyment becomes idolatry when its loss ruins our trust in God.
Holiness: How do we eliminate idols in our hearts?
We see that Jesus is better. The cross shows us that Jesus has a love for us that no idol can comprehend. While idols take, Jesus gives.
The greatest defense against idolatry is a love for God. When you love your wife, you forsake all others so long as we both shall live, as the vow says. That is what God asks of us.
We repent of our sin and ask for forgiveness.
We rid ourselves of the idols emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Conclusion
Conclusion
See that Jesus is better. His love for you is greater than you could ever conceive.
Lay aside those idols that destroy your life.