When a person becomes a child of God, he now has the Holy Spirit living within him. The Holy Spirit will enable that person to have the power to live the Christian life. Nevertheless,
God’s Spirit does not act independent of God’s Word.
In order to overcome sinful habits, grow in godliness, and obtain guidance for everyday living, we must read and act upon God’s Word. Whenever God requires anything of His children, He provides instruction and power to meet those requirements through His Holy Word.
I. The Importance of God’s Word.
1. We must understand what the Bible is and what it can do in our lives.
a. Approximately thirty-nine men of God wrote the Scriptures under special inspiration over a period of 1500 years. According to 2 Tim. 3:16, Who specifically inspired these men? God
b. The word “inspired” means “God-breathed”. Although God used men as His instruments, who is the author of the Scriptures according to 2 Pet. 1:19-21? The Holy Spirit.
c. Read 2 Tim. 3:15-17. What is the most important thing the Scriptures teach us? (v15) They give us instruction leading to salvation. Because the Scriptures are God-breathed, they are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. What does God’s word enable us to do? (v17) Be equipped for every good work.
d. From the following verses, note the attitudes we should have toward the Word of God.
Psalm 119:35 Delight
Psalm 119:42 Trust
Psalm 119:62 Thanksgiving
Psalm 119:117 Respect, regard, focus
Psalm 119:164 Praise
Psalm 119:167 Love
2. We must understand the importance of obeying God’s word.
a. What will prove our love for Christ? (John 14:15, 21, & 23) Obedience
b. Read John 15:4-10 and list three requirements that are necessary for bringing forth fruit.
#1. Abiding in the Vine – vv. 4 – 8
#2. Abiding in Jesus’ love – v. 9
#3. Obeying God’s commands – v. 10
c. According to Gal. 5:22 & 23 what is the “fruit” of the Spirit?
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,
d. What is commanded in James 1:22? To be a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only.
e. When we show a willful desire for obedience, God enables us to obey. Read examples of this in Mark 3:1-5 and Luke 17:12-14.
II. How to Use God’s Word.
There are several ways we can develop a deeper understanding of God’s Word, and through the application of Scripture, develop lives that glorify and please God:
1. Listen to the Word of God as it is being taught.
a. Read Eph. 4:11-16. What obligation does God give pastor-teachers and evangelists today? Equipping the saints and building up the body of Christ.
b. Timothy was a pastor in the early church. What instructions does Paul give to him in 2 Tim. 4:1 & 2? To preach the Word of God, convince, rebuke, and exhort.
2. Reading and studying God’s word.
a. By reading God’s Word we can obtain an over-all knowledge of the Bible. A few minutes each day reading and underlining can greatly aid in your knowledge of the Scriptures. You may want to make it you goal to read the Bible in a year. In order to do so you would have to read three chapters a day and five on Sunday.
b. After we have an understanding of the overview of the Bible we need to begin a more detailed study of God’s word. Note the content of the following verses:
Heb. 5:12-14 Our understanding of God’s Word should progress from the “elementary teachings” to those that would characterize the knowledge of a teacher.
1 Pet. 2:2&3 Growing in our knowledge of God’s Word is a process that is similar to that of a child. He starts with milk, but as he matures, he moves on to other foods.
2 Tim. 2:15 God’s Word needs to be handled with precision. c. We must study in order to “handle accurately” the Word of God.
As we study, we should apply some basic principles of interpretation:
1.) Keep Scripture in its context. In the same way poetry is different from a newspaper article, Proverbs is different from Galatians. The Bible has several types of literature in it, which affects interpretation. The author’s purpose in writing is part of the context. These concepts will almost always throw much light upon its meaning.
2.) We must interpret the Bible as we would any other literature. This is known as “normal” interpretation. We do not try to read into, allegorize, spiritualize, or explain away what we read. Rather we take the words of Scripture at face value trusting God is communicating what He wants to communicate.
3.) Scripture interprets Scripture. The Bible does not contradict itself, therefore, an interpretation of a passage must agree with the teachings of the rest of the Word of God. When a passage is difficult to understand a basic rule is that obscure passages must give way to clear passages.
4) The Bible has only one meaning in one passage. A passage does not mean one thing to one person and another thing to someone else. The question is not,“What does this passage mean to me?’ but “What did God intend for it to mean?” It is the purpose of Bible studies to discern this meaning.
3. Meditating on and applying God’s word.
We can meditate on the Scriptures by memorization (Psalm 119:9 & 11), by praying over what we have read, or carefully and quietly considering its impact. Whatever method we use the ultimate purpose is to apply God’s truth to our lives.
a. What does God promise if we delight in His commandments? Psalm 1:1-3 We will be fruitful and immovable
b. What four actions are mentioned in Psalm 119:15 & 16? 1. Meditation 2. Regarding (look, consider, pay attention) 3. Delight 4. Remember (not forget)
c. What is the commandment in Col. 3:16? To allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly.
d. What is the principle in James 1:22-25? We need to be doers of the Word, not hearers only. If we do this, we will be blessed.
Meditation: Transforming God’s Word from head knowledge to heart knowledge by making concrete applications to bring about conformity to Jesus Christ.
Use this chart as a guide for Bible study, meditation, and application of the Word. Passage being Studied: James 1:22-25
1. What does the passage say? This is explanation.
2. What does the passage mean? This is interpretation.
3. What does the passage look like? This is illustration.
4. What does the passage mean to me? This is application.
As we study God’s Word we should do so in order to discover and apply truth to our lives for God’s glory. We should not go looking for an emotional lift, or some great experience that will immediately change our lives. The Word of God is not a magic wand that when read will erase all of our problems – rather, it is God’s instructions given to us to teach us how to live life. If we go to God’s Word for an “upper” or “zap,” we will grow weary of reading the Scriptures when these things don’t happen consistently. But when we go to the Word to learn how to live life God’s way, we are coming to a well that never runs dry.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Idol of Control
The Idol of Control
I’d like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to John 18. Last week as we continued to study idols of the heart, I shared with you the five specific idols we all tend to worship. Let’s see if we can name them by remembering the acronym C-R-A-C-S. That stands for control, respect, appreciation (recognition), comfort, and success. After we identified them, we took the time to look at their biblical connection. Each of these idols is rooted in scripture. They have a legitimate source. But then we saw how our adversary uses these legitimate desires to his advantage. He twists the good just enough to make us think what we are doing is fine, when in reality it’s off the mark. And then we finished our time together by considering two critical questions. We know that there is a very fine line between worshipping an idol and the legitimate expression of God’s good, so how does one know when he has crossed the line? The first question is, “Do I sin to get what I want?” The second question is, “Do I sin when I don’t get what I want?” It doesn’t matter how noble the objective is, if I sin to obtain it, or if I sin when I don’t obtain it, it is a manifestation of an idol. How many of you became very familiar with those questions this week? The challenge was to ask them at least once a day, and I want you to continue with that objective.
What we are going to do this morning and for the next several Sundays is take a closer look at each of the five idols. I want to do four things with each of them. First of all, I am going to give you a definition. We need to know what the idol is, or what it looks like. That question is answered by a definition. Secondly, we will look at a biblical example where we see the idol in action. Again, this will help us identify it in our lives. The third point we’ll consider is what biblical principle is at stake every time the idol is being served. I want us to do this because I think it will help us appreciate the magnitude of idolatry. And finally, we will finish by considering examples of what the idol looks like in our everyday life. So as we are going through the study of the idol, I want you to be thinking of ways you can share with us of what that idol looks like in real life. I want you to talk to us this morning. I think one of the keys to identifying idols is to see how they are manifested in everyday life. So let’s jump right into it this morning and start with defining the idol of control.
As far as a definition, here’s what I want you to write down. The idol of control is when I am unwilling to let go of my agenda and let God do His work. And remember, it doesn’t matter how noble or defensible your objective is, if it is contrary to God’s agenda, I am worshipping at the idol of control. The idol of control is when I am unwilling to let go of my agenda and let God do His work.
Let’s look at several biblical examples. We will start in John 18, and this example may be debatable, but when you really look into it I believe you can see the elements that identify the idol of control. These events take place right at the end of Jesus’ life. He has just prayed a beautiful prayer in chapter 17, and if the disciples were listening, they knew His time left on earth was short. In this context we read starting in 18:1,
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, into which He Himself entered, and His disciples. 2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place; for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth, and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" 5 They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am He." And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 When therefore He said to them, "I am He," they drew back, and fell to the ground. 7 Again therefore He asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." 8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the word might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom Thou hast given Me I lost not one." 10 Simon Peter therefore having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus. 11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"
How many of you see the idol of control here? At first glance, we might be tempted to say this was simply an example of coming to the defense of your master, that this was a legitimate act of protection on the part of Peter. I would contend, though, that the disciples knew Jesus was destined for death. He had told them that He was going to be hauled before the High Priest and suffer many things. In John 12 He had been anointed with perfume by Mary and told his disciples that she was doing this in preparation for his burial. In John 13 He told them one of them was going to betray him. In John 14 he told them he was returning to his Father’s home to prepare dwelling places for them. In John 16 he tells them explicitly that in a little while they would no longer see him. In John 17 he tells them that he is no longer going to be in the world. So in John 18 when a bunch of Roman soldiers show up with official representatives of the High Priest, it seems to me like Peter would have put one and one together. But even more significant than that is what Jesus says in verse 11. Regardless of Peter’s noble intentions, Jesus says, “Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?” Jesus was basically telling Peter to let go of his agenda and let God’s work be carried out. It was God’s will for Jesus to suffer, and circumventing that plan by armed resistance was not a good thing. So even though we might excuse Peter here on the grounds of ignorance, all the elements are in place that indicate the idol of control.
Let’s turn next to a much more obvious example of the idol of control, and it is found in the life of Rebekah. Turn with me next to Gen. 25:19.
Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." [Remember this statement from God to Rebekah.] 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 And afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Now let’s skip over to chapter 27 and pick up reading in verse one.
Now it came about, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, "My son." And he said to him, "Here I am." 2 And Isaac said, "Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. 3 "Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; 4 and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die." 5 And Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.' 8 "Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you. 9 "Go now to the flock and bring me two choice kids from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. 10 "Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death." 11 And Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. 12 "Perhaps my father will feel me, then I shall be as a deceiver in his sight; and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing." 13 But his mother said to him, "Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me." 14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob. 18 Then he came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" 19 And Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your first-born; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me." 20 And Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me." 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." 22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he said, "I am." 25 So he said, "Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son's game, that I may bless you." And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my son." 27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; 28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; 29 May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you."
I think you would agree with me that the idol of control is much more obvious in this story than the last. On a personal level, how many of you can really sympathize with Rebekah? Hadn’t God had told her that her younger son (her favorite) was going to rule over her older son. Can you appreciate her dilemma? Think about this. When her husband Isaac asked for the special meal to be made so he could confer the patriarchal blessing on Esau, Rebekah was at the crisis point. What is she going to do? Is she going to demonstrate trust and let God bring about what He had promised, or was she going to demonstrate a lack of trust and take things into her own hands? She has a choice to make. Is she going to let God accomplish His work His way, or is she going to insert herself into the formula and help God out? Well, we know she didn’t trust God and instead worshipped the idol of control.
And if you’d like to do some further study, take some time this afternoon to contrast Rebekah’s crisis with the same basic crisis Abraham faced in Gen. 22. Both of these parents faced the same dilemma with their children in that they had both been promised by God that certain things were going to be accomplished by their children. And when that promise looked to be in jeopardy, Rebekah responded very differently from Abraham.
Now how do we know this was idol worship? Remember our two questions? Did Rebekah sin to get what she wanted? And remember, what she wanted was something God had promised her. But did she sin to get it? Absolutely. What were her sins? She deceived her husband (27:9). This violates every rule of biblical communication there is. She circumvented her husband’s plans (27:10), which has to do with the whole head of the household issue. She caused her son to deceive his father and repeatedly lie to his father. This is the really scary part, especially when you evaluate it in light of what Jesus had to say about causing children to sin in Mt. 18.
Let’s think next about what biblical principle is at stake in worshipping the idol of control. What is at the heart of this issue? Human control, manipulating circumstances to get your desire or to bring about your agenda is the opposite of what? God’s sovereignty. Turn with me to Rom. 8:28. In this verse Paul lets us know that God is at work in all circumstances, even when you can’t see Him. “And we know that God causes (many things / most things / the really big things) all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Would this principle have applied to Rebekah’s dilemma? Absolutely! Would this principle have applied to Peter’s dilemma when he saw those soldiers coming to arrest Jesus? Absolutely! Every time we sin to bring about something we desire (no matter how good it is), we are worshiping the idol of control. We are saying by our actions that we don’t trust God to “cause all things to work together for good.”
And finally, let’s think about how this idol is demonstrated in our lives. Does anyone have an example for us? How have you seen the idol of control in action (obviously not in your life, but in the lives of people you know)?
Sometimes, it is part of God’s plan for people we love dearly, to experience hardship and even suffer! It would be similar to how God’s plan for His Son involved suffering to bring about the accomplishment of a greater work. And one of the ways we exercise the idol of control is by trying to shield those we love from harsh consequences. We have to learn how to let go of our agenda and let God do His work. This could be as small as the parent who lies to the policeman about the whereabouts of his son after there has been vandalism in the neighborhood, to something as large as the wife who lies to the jury to keep her pedophile husband out of prison. God has a plan for everyone’s life, and sometimes the only way that plan will be accomplished is through great difficulty.
Another particular application I want to share with you about the idol of control concerns wives with unsaved husbands or spiritually weak husbands [define]. If you find yourself in those circumstances, you have to exercise special diligence in this area because of the temptation to manipulate circumstances or control circumstances to bring about your desire for a saved or spiritually strong husband. And again, it is a noble objective – certainly on par with God’s promise to Rebekah that the older son was going to serve the younger. But how far are you going to go to reach your objective?
I was recently reading about a woman who had a saved husband, but he didn’t pray with her, or seem all that excited about spiritual things. He was a little bit socially awkward and wouldn’t go to church functions. She had to talk him into going to church with her, and then he’d leave as soon as he could, so she didn’t have lots of opportunities to just hang around after church and chat. And she longed for a spiritually vibrant husband who loved church and would spend time with her talking of the things of God and lead the family in spiritual matters.
Unfortunately, what she ended up doing was sulking, and giving him the silent treatment, and even withholding affection from him when he would not do the way she wanted him to; and when he would do what she wanted, she would respond very positively. Do you see the idol of control? How do you know it was an idol? Because of her sinful behavior. As noble an objective as it is to have a spiritually vibrant husband, a wife should never use a system of rewards and punishments to motivate him toward godliness. That is something God has to do. But even more telling is that her counselor, who was relating this story, said she eventually divorced him and married someone else who could “more fully meet [my] needs for a spiritually vibrant spouse.” What does that statement tell you? Who would like to respond to that statement?
Was her real concern for her husband to have a close walk with God? Is that what she was really after? Not at all? A spiritual husband was simply a stepping stone toward her personal fulfillment. A spiritually vibrant husband benefitted her in the long run. And as you think about it, there were two idols at work here, control and comfort.
Sometimes, we just have to step back and let God do his work! We have to let go and let God. Several years ago we were sitting around a campfire and Daniel was using the tip of his new knife to pry a piece of bark off a tree stump. I told him that knives weren’t made for prying and chiseling, that they needed to be used for cutting only – so he assured me that this knife blade was made of good steel and prying that piece of bark off wouldn’t hurt it. Instead of forcing him to put his knife away, I went back to what I was doing and just watched him out of the corner of my eye. So he immediately put the tip of the knife under the bark and pried again, and sure enough, the tip broke off. I glanced away quickly enough that he couldn’t see that I had seen it, and I didn’t say a word to him about it to him until I asked his permission to use this illustration! But that is a lesson he will never forget – and I could have circumvented that lesson by controlling the situation.
As a congregation, let’s focus on the idol of control this week. We know what it is. We know what it looks like. We have seen biblical examples. We have seen real life examples, and we have seen the bad results this particular idol brings about. Let’s ask God to show us how we worship this idol this week. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to convict us when we are at worship. And let’s ask God for grace to tear down the idol of control.
I’d like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to John 18. Last week as we continued to study idols of the heart, I shared with you the five specific idols we all tend to worship. Let’s see if we can name them by remembering the acronym C-R-A-C-S. That stands for control, respect, appreciation (recognition), comfort, and success. After we identified them, we took the time to look at their biblical connection. Each of these idols is rooted in scripture. They have a legitimate source. But then we saw how our adversary uses these legitimate desires to his advantage. He twists the good just enough to make us think what we are doing is fine, when in reality it’s off the mark. And then we finished our time together by considering two critical questions. We know that there is a very fine line between worshipping an idol and the legitimate expression of God’s good, so how does one know when he has crossed the line? The first question is, “Do I sin to get what I want?” The second question is, “Do I sin when I don’t get what I want?” It doesn’t matter how noble the objective is, if I sin to obtain it, or if I sin when I don’t obtain it, it is a manifestation of an idol. How many of you became very familiar with those questions this week? The challenge was to ask them at least once a day, and I want you to continue with that objective.
What we are going to do this morning and for the next several Sundays is take a closer look at each of the five idols. I want to do four things with each of them. First of all, I am going to give you a definition. We need to know what the idol is, or what it looks like. That question is answered by a definition. Secondly, we will look at a biblical example where we see the idol in action. Again, this will help us identify it in our lives. The third point we’ll consider is what biblical principle is at stake every time the idol is being served. I want us to do this because I think it will help us appreciate the magnitude of idolatry. And finally, we will finish by considering examples of what the idol looks like in our everyday life. So as we are going through the study of the idol, I want you to be thinking of ways you can share with us of what that idol looks like in real life. I want you to talk to us this morning. I think one of the keys to identifying idols is to see how they are manifested in everyday life. So let’s jump right into it this morning and start with defining the idol of control.
As far as a definition, here’s what I want you to write down. The idol of control is when I am unwilling to let go of my agenda and let God do His work. And remember, it doesn’t matter how noble or defensible your objective is, if it is contrary to God’s agenda, I am worshipping at the idol of control. The idol of control is when I am unwilling to let go of my agenda and let God do His work.
Let’s look at several biblical examples. We will start in John 18, and this example may be debatable, but when you really look into it I believe you can see the elements that identify the idol of control. These events take place right at the end of Jesus’ life. He has just prayed a beautiful prayer in chapter 17, and if the disciples were listening, they knew His time left on earth was short. In this context we read starting in 18:1,
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, into which He Himself entered, and His disciples. 2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place; for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth, and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" 5 They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am He." And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 When therefore He said to them, "I am He," they drew back, and fell to the ground. 7 Again therefore He asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." 8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the word might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom Thou hast given Me I lost not one." 10 Simon Peter therefore having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus. 11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"
How many of you see the idol of control here? At first glance, we might be tempted to say this was simply an example of coming to the defense of your master, that this was a legitimate act of protection on the part of Peter. I would contend, though, that the disciples knew Jesus was destined for death. He had told them that He was going to be hauled before the High Priest and suffer many things. In John 12 He had been anointed with perfume by Mary and told his disciples that she was doing this in preparation for his burial. In John 13 He told them one of them was going to betray him. In John 14 he told them he was returning to his Father’s home to prepare dwelling places for them. In John 16 he tells them explicitly that in a little while they would no longer see him. In John 17 he tells them that he is no longer going to be in the world. So in John 18 when a bunch of Roman soldiers show up with official representatives of the High Priest, it seems to me like Peter would have put one and one together. But even more significant than that is what Jesus says in verse 11. Regardless of Peter’s noble intentions, Jesus says, “Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?” Jesus was basically telling Peter to let go of his agenda and let God’s work be carried out. It was God’s will for Jesus to suffer, and circumventing that plan by armed resistance was not a good thing. So even though we might excuse Peter here on the grounds of ignorance, all the elements are in place that indicate the idol of control.
Let’s turn next to a much more obvious example of the idol of control, and it is found in the life of Rebekah. Turn with me next to Gen. 25:19.
Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." [Remember this statement from God to Rebekah.] 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 And afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Now let’s skip over to chapter 27 and pick up reading in verse one.
Now it came about, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, "My son." And he said to him, "Here I am." 2 And Isaac said, "Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. 3 "Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; 4 and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die." 5 And Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.' 8 "Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you. 9 "Go now to the flock and bring me two choice kids from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. 10 "Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death." 11 And Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. 12 "Perhaps my father will feel me, then I shall be as a deceiver in his sight; and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing." 13 But his mother said to him, "Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me." 14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob. 18 Then he came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" 19 And Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your first-born; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me." 20 And Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me." 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." 22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he said, "I am." 25 So he said, "Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son's game, that I may bless you." And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my son." 27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; 28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; 29 May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you."
I think you would agree with me that the idol of control is much more obvious in this story than the last. On a personal level, how many of you can really sympathize with Rebekah? Hadn’t God had told her that her younger son (her favorite) was going to rule over her older son. Can you appreciate her dilemma? Think about this. When her husband Isaac asked for the special meal to be made so he could confer the patriarchal blessing on Esau, Rebekah was at the crisis point. What is she going to do? Is she going to demonstrate trust and let God bring about what He had promised, or was she going to demonstrate a lack of trust and take things into her own hands? She has a choice to make. Is she going to let God accomplish His work His way, or is she going to insert herself into the formula and help God out? Well, we know she didn’t trust God and instead worshipped the idol of control.
And if you’d like to do some further study, take some time this afternoon to contrast Rebekah’s crisis with the same basic crisis Abraham faced in Gen. 22. Both of these parents faced the same dilemma with their children in that they had both been promised by God that certain things were going to be accomplished by their children. And when that promise looked to be in jeopardy, Rebekah responded very differently from Abraham.
Now how do we know this was idol worship? Remember our two questions? Did Rebekah sin to get what she wanted? And remember, what she wanted was something God had promised her. But did she sin to get it? Absolutely. What were her sins? She deceived her husband (27:9). This violates every rule of biblical communication there is. She circumvented her husband’s plans (27:10), which has to do with the whole head of the household issue. She caused her son to deceive his father and repeatedly lie to his father. This is the really scary part, especially when you evaluate it in light of what Jesus had to say about causing children to sin in Mt. 18.
Let’s think next about what biblical principle is at stake in worshipping the idol of control. What is at the heart of this issue? Human control, manipulating circumstances to get your desire or to bring about your agenda is the opposite of what? God’s sovereignty. Turn with me to Rom. 8:28. In this verse Paul lets us know that God is at work in all circumstances, even when you can’t see Him. “And we know that God causes (many things / most things / the really big things) all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Would this principle have applied to Rebekah’s dilemma? Absolutely! Would this principle have applied to Peter’s dilemma when he saw those soldiers coming to arrest Jesus? Absolutely! Every time we sin to bring about something we desire (no matter how good it is), we are worshiping the idol of control. We are saying by our actions that we don’t trust God to “cause all things to work together for good.”
And finally, let’s think about how this idol is demonstrated in our lives. Does anyone have an example for us? How have you seen the idol of control in action (obviously not in your life, but in the lives of people you know)?
Sometimes, it is part of God’s plan for people we love dearly, to experience hardship and even suffer! It would be similar to how God’s plan for His Son involved suffering to bring about the accomplishment of a greater work. And one of the ways we exercise the idol of control is by trying to shield those we love from harsh consequences. We have to learn how to let go of our agenda and let God do His work. This could be as small as the parent who lies to the policeman about the whereabouts of his son after there has been vandalism in the neighborhood, to something as large as the wife who lies to the jury to keep her pedophile husband out of prison. God has a plan for everyone’s life, and sometimes the only way that plan will be accomplished is through great difficulty.
Another particular application I want to share with you about the idol of control concerns wives with unsaved husbands or spiritually weak husbands [define]. If you find yourself in those circumstances, you have to exercise special diligence in this area because of the temptation to manipulate circumstances or control circumstances to bring about your desire for a saved or spiritually strong husband. And again, it is a noble objective – certainly on par with God’s promise to Rebekah that the older son was going to serve the younger. But how far are you going to go to reach your objective?
I was recently reading about a woman who had a saved husband, but he didn’t pray with her, or seem all that excited about spiritual things. He was a little bit socially awkward and wouldn’t go to church functions. She had to talk him into going to church with her, and then he’d leave as soon as he could, so she didn’t have lots of opportunities to just hang around after church and chat. And she longed for a spiritually vibrant husband who loved church and would spend time with her talking of the things of God and lead the family in spiritual matters.
Unfortunately, what she ended up doing was sulking, and giving him the silent treatment, and even withholding affection from him when he would not do the way she wanted him to; and when he would do what she wanted, she would respond very positively. Do you see the idol of control? How do you know it was an idol? Because of her sinful behavior. As noble an objective as it is to have a spiritually vibrant husband, a wife should never use a system of rewards and punishments to motivate him toward godliness. That is something God has to do. But even more telling is that her counselor, who was relating this story, said she eventually divorced him and married someone else who could “more fully meet [my] needs for a spiritually vibrant spouse.” What does that statement tell you? Who would like to respond to that statement?
Was her real concern for her husband to have a close walk with God? Is that what she was really after? Not at all? A spiritual husband was simply a stepping stone toward her personal fulfillment. A spiritually vibrant husband benefitted her in the long run. And as you think about it, there were two idols at work here, control and comfort.
Sometimes, we just have to step back and let God do his work! We have to let go and let God. Several years ago we were sitting around a campfire and Daniel was using the tip of his new knife to pry a piece of bark off a tree stump. I told him that knives weren’t made for prying and chiseling, that they needed to be used for cutting only – so he assured me that this knife blade was made of good steel and prying that piece of bark off wouldn’t hurt it. Instead of forcing him to put his knife away, I went back to what I was doing and just watched him out of the corner of my eye. So he immediately put the tip of the knife under the bark and pried again, and sure enough, the tip broke off. I glanced away quickly enough that he couldn’t see that I had seen it, and I didn’t say a word to him about it to him until I asked his permission to use this illustration! But that is a lesson he will never forget – and I could have circumvented that lesson by controlling the situation.
As a congregation, let’s focus on the idol of control this week. We know what it is. We know what it looks like. We have seen biblical examples. We have seen real life examples, and we have seen the bad results this particular idol brings about. Let’s ask God to show us how we worship this idol this week. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to convict us when we are at worship. And let’s ask God for grace to tear down the idol of control.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Growth In Christ
A group of tourists visiting a picturesque village walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man replied “Nope, only babies.”
A simplistic question brought a profound answer. There are no instant heroes - whether in this world or in the kingdom of God. No great Christians have ever been born. Maturity takes time, effort, and the power of God in our lives. The question we must address is “How do followers of Christ grow in righteousness?”
In Godliness through Discipline, Jay Adams states: “There are only two kinds of life: the feeling motivated life of sin oriented toward self, and the commandment motivated life of holiness oriented toward godliness.”
There are several basic things that you need to understand in order to grow toward godliness.
I. You Must Understand Your new Position in Christ.
1. According to Eph. 2:1-3, what are five descriptions of your life before you became a Christian?
a. You were dead in trespasses and sins – v. 1
b. You were following the course of this world – v. 2a
c. You were following the prince of the power of the air – v.2b
d. You were following the passions of the flesh – v. 3a
e. You were a child of wrath – v. 3b
2. According to Eph. 2:4-6, what are three descriptions of your life now as a Believer?
a. We have been made alive by Christ – v. 5b
b. We have been raised with Christ – v. 6a
c. We have been made to sit with Christ in heavenly places – v. 6b
3. How should we view ourselves as Christians?
II Cor. 2 Cor 5:17 He is a new creation Rom 6:11 We are dead to sin and alive to Christ
Romans chapter six teaches that we are no longer under the power of sin; nevertheless sinless perfection cannot be obtained in this life. The reason for this is that we still live in the “flesh” or “body” that has a sin nature (Rom. 6:12 – 7:25). While our inward nature has been changed (see 2 Cor. 5:17 and Rom. 6:11) and is dead to sin, our body is still alive to sin until it is changed at the resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15:42-44). Since the Believer still battles with sin, it is important that we understand the nature of temptation.
II. You Must Understand the Nature of Temptation.
1. Read the following passages and note the three sources of temptation.
a. James 1:13&14 Our own desires
b. 1 John 2:15&16 The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
c. 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Cor. 11:13 &14 Satan
2. Read Matt. 4:1-11. How did Jesus overcome temptation?
Unlike Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, Jesus quoted scripture to Satan. Eve had a working knowledge of what God said, but actually added to what God said. Jesus simply quoted Bible verses, word for word.
Do we have the same resources for overcoming temptation? Absolutely!
3. Note four ways in which God’s Word is useful for overcoming sinful habits in 2 Tim. 3:16 & 17.
a. It is good for teaching (what is right)
b. It is good for reproof (what is wrong)
c. It is good for correction (how to get right)
d. It is good for training in righteousness (how to stay right)
4. What is God’s promise in 1 Cor. 10:13?
God will not allow you to experience a temptation that is greater than your ability to resist it with God’s help. By virtue of the fact that you are facing the temptation, you also know you can resist it.
III. You Must Understand God’s Purposes for the Believer in this Life.
While there are many purposes for the Believer – there are three primary ones, and even these overlap.
1. What is God’s purpose for the Believer in Rom. 8:28 & 29? To become conformed to the image of Christ
2. What is God’s purpose for the Believer in 2 Cor. 5:9? To live a life pleasing to God
3. What is God’s purpose for the Believer in 1 Cor. 10:31? To bring glory to God in all we do
It is important that we understand what God’s purposes are for us, otherwise our priorities in life will be wrong and we will misinterpret what God is attempting to accomplish in our lives. When we understand these things, what will our goal be according to Matt. 6:33?
To seek God and His kingdom first.
A simplistic question brought a profound answer. There are no instant heroes - whether in this world or in the kingdom of God. No great Christians have ever been born. Maturity takes time, effort, and the power of God in our lives. The question we must address is “How do followers of Christ grow in righteousness?”
In Godliness through Discipline, Jay Adams states: “There are only two kinds of life: the feeling motivated life of sin oriented toward self, and the commandment motivated life of holiness oriented toward godliness.”
There are several basic things that you need to understand in order to grow toward godliness.
I. You Must Understand Your new Position in Christ.
1. According to Eph. 2:1-3, what are five descriptions of your life before you became a Christian?
a. You were dead in trespasses and sins – v. 1
b. You were following the course of this world – v. 2a
c. You were following the prince of the power of the air – v.2b
d. You were following the passions of the flesh – v. 3a
e. You were a child of wrath – v. 3b
2. According to Eph. 2:4-6, what are three descriptions of your life now as a Believer?
a. We have been made alive by Christ – v. 5b
b. We have been raised with Christ – v. 6a
c. We have been made to sit with Christ in heavenly places – v. 6b
3. How should we view ourselves as Christians?
II Cor. 2 Cor 5:17 He is a new creation Rom 6:11 We are dead to sin and alive to Christ
Romans chapter six teaches that we are no longer under the power of sin; nevertheless sinless perfection cannot be obtained in this life. The reason for this is that we still live in the “flesh” or “body” that has a sin nature (Rom. 6:12 – 7:25). While our inward nature has been changed (see 2 Cor. 5:17 and Rom. 6:11) and is dead to sin, our body is still alive to sin until it is changed at the resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15:42-44). Since the Believer still battles with sin, it is important that we understand the nature of temptation.
II. You Must Understand the Nature of Temptation.
1. Read the following passages and note the three sources of temptation.
a. James 1:13&14 Our own desires
b. 1 John 2:15&16 The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
c. 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Cor. 11:13 &14 Satan
2. Read Matt. 4:1-11. How did Jesus overcome temptation?
Unlike Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, Jesus quoted scripture to Satan. Eve had a working knowledge of what God said, but actually added to what God said. Jesus simply quoted Bible verses, word for word.
Do we have the same resources for overcoming temptation? Absolutely!
3. Note four ways in which God’s Word is useful for overcoming sinful habits in 2 Tim. 3:16 & 17.
a. It is good for teaching (what is right)
b. It is good for reproof (what is wrong)
c. It is good for correction (how to get right)
d. It is good for training in righteousness (how to stay right)
4. What is God’s promise in 1 Cor. 10:13?
God will not allow you to experience a temptation that is greater than your ability to resist it with God’s help. By virtue of the fact that you are facing the temptation, you also know you can resist it.
III. You Must Understand God’s Purposes for the Believer in this Life.
While there are many purposes for the Believer – there are three primary ones, and even these overlap.
1. What is God’s purpose for the Believer in Rom. 8:28 & 29? To become conformed to the image of Christ
2. What is God’s purpose for the Believer in 2 Cor. 5:9? To live a life pleasing to God
3. What is God’s purpose for the Believer in 1 Cor. 10:31? To bring glory to God in all we do
It is important that we understand what God’s purposes are for us, otherwise our priorities in life will be wrong and we will misinterpret what God is attempting to accomplish in our lives. When we understand these things, what will our goal be according to Matt. 6:33?
To seek God and His kingdom first.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Five Basic Idols of the Heart
Last week I ended the message by telling you that we were going to look at the five basic idols of the heart mankind worships. Before we do that I want to tell you a little bit of the history behind this study. About 18 months ago, I was reading a book on parenting teenagers called “Age of Opportunity,” by Paul Tripp. I highly, highly recommend it to you. In fact, I’d have to put it in my “Top Ten” list of books that have been the most influential in my life. It was in this book on parenting that I came across this concept of idols of the heart as Dr. Tripp illustrated how these five idols devastate a family and cause so much damage. And in the two or three pages where he deals with this matter I saw something that proved to be an absolutely life-changing discovery for me. Once I realized how the human heart works, so much of the human struggle became clear and that was when I decided we had to study this as a church. So understand that this concept is not original with me.
Now, there is another resource I want to recommend to you, and this is a book by Elyse Fitzpatrick called “Idols of the Heart.” I recommend this book to you because her focus is not on identifying various idols but on how we need to deal with our heart. The subtitle of this book is “Learning to Long for God Alone.” That is the crux of this issue. In our heart, we have competing affections. We love God, but we also love our idols. Paul talks about this struggle in Rom. 7 and I think we can all identify with his anguished cry when he says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” As I said last week, our heart is an idol manufacturing plant. So if we are going to deal with idols, we have to start with the heart, and that is what Fitzpatrick’s book focuses on.
So with that introduction, let’s talk about the five basic idols of the heart. There is an acronym we can use to help us remember them, and is the word “cracs.” It is spelled c-r-a-c-s, which isn’t a real word, but is sounds like a real word. It stands for the idols of control, respect, appreciation, comfort, and success. Control, respect, appreciation, comfort, and success. These are the five basic idols we all struggle with. We all like control. We all like respect. We all like
to be appreciated. We all like comfort. And we all like success. And as I shared with you last week, every sin mankind commits falls under one of these five basic idols.
Now, the first thing I want to share with you about these idols is that each of them has a biblical basis. Let’s look at some verses that show us this. We’ll start with the idol of control, and let’s turn to Gen. 1. In verse 27 we read, “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Our God is a God of control, as we see illustrated so magnificently in the natural world. And in addition to this, we are created in His image. Our desire for control is a God-given desire, it is a manifestation of God’s image in us. Let’s turn to Prov. 21:5. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” How many of you have heart that maxim, “If you don’t control your day, it will control you.”? That is a true statement, and the Bible teaches the importance of diligent planning. In the New Testament we the same concept taught in 1 Cor. 14:40. “Let all things be done properly, and in an orderly manner.” God isn’t pleased with disorder and slovenliness. So do you see that our desire for control has a biblical basis?
What about the idol of respect? Turn with me to Ex. 20:12. “Honor your father and your mother.” We are commanded in the 10 Commandments to respect our parents. Parents rightly can expect their children to respect them. Eph. 6:1-3 teaches the same thing, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Obedience is a tangible expression of respect. Heb. 13:17 says to “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.” Church leaders can legitimately expect the respect of church members. It isn’t a manifestation of pride for them to do this, it isn’t arrogance for them to expect it, it is a biblical principle. Rom. 12:10 teaches us to “give preference to one another in honor.” Paul is telling us to respect one another.
Appreciation is clearly taught in the Bible as well. The clearest expression of this is 1 Thess. 5:12, “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction.” We need to express appreciation for those who work hard in the church. Rom. 13:7 tells us to “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Expressions of appreciation are required for a follower of Christ. They demonstrate a heart of gratitude for the effort someone has expended.
Comfort is something the Bible teaches as well. Don’t take the time to turn to these verses, let me just read them to you and make some comments. In Eccl. 2:24 we read, “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it [eating and drinking after hard work] is from the hand of God.” There are two sources of instant, physical comfort for a human being. One of them is food. And God has designed us in such a way as to derive comfort from working hard, and then sitting down to eat and drink as the reward for your labor. In Eccl. 9:9, Solomon addresses the other source of instant comfort when he says, “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life, and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.” Sex is the other source of instant comfort for a human. Again, this is how God has created us, and there is nothing wrong with sexual gratification within the boundaries of marriage. But comfort for a human isn’t limited to food and sex, as we see in 1 Tim. 6:7. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” Paul goes on in 1 Tim. 4:4-5 to say that “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude, for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”
The final issue we will consider is that of success. When Abraham’s servant went on a journey (Gen. 24:12) to find a wife for Isaac, his prayer was, “O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today.” When God was speaking with Joshua right after he took over leadership of the nation of Israel, He said, “be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. In Neh. 2:20 we read Nehemiah’s assertion that, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build. In Eccl. 10:10, Solomon makes the observation that “If the axe is dull and [you do] not sharpen its edge, then [you] must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.” God does not want His children to be failures, He wants us to succeed. Of course, the critical element here is how we define success, but for our purposes we need to understand that when we set out to do something, we need to do it with all our might and for God’s glory. We want to be successful in our endeavors!
So the five idols all humans struggle with are control, respect, appreciation, comfort, and success. Now the reason I took the time to show you that all of these issues are rooted in biblical teaching is to illustrate the first lesson we learned from the life of Rachel. Does anybody remember what it was? Idols are very insidious. That means they are sneaky. They are sly. Doesn’t God’s Word command us “to be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth?” Sure it does. Is that what Rachel was after? Not really. And we can go through this whole list of idols and recognize that the line between idolatry and the legitimate expression of a God-given desire is a very fine line indeed.
As followers of Christ, we are engaged in battle with a very smart enemy. Satan is not stupid. There is a reason why he is the “prince of the power of the air.” He knows precisely how to destroy us, and he does it very surreptitiously. Generally speaking, he doesn’t present us with blatant, overt solicitations to fall down in front of some physical idol made out of gold or silver and start worshipping it. He specializes in the subtle twisting of God’s good. He perverts the legitimate. In simple terms, this means that we can be worshipping an idol and not even realize it because it seems so legitimate.
Turn with me to Mt. 16. I want us to see another example of how this works, this time using none other than Jesus’ closest ally, Peter. Starting in verse 21 we read, “From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 [How do you suppose this information sat with Peter? Not very well! Peter had left everything to follow Jesus. He had put all his eggs in the same basket, and now Jesus was telling him that He was about to be executed. Can’t you imagine what is flashing through Peter’s mind as Jesus says this? This is why Peter reacted the way he did.] And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him [can you imagine the chutzpa? That is a Yiddish word that means “shameless audacity], saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."
What is going on here? Satan, our clever enemy, was taking Peter’s legitimate devotion to Jesus and twisting it just enough to make it seem noble - when in fact it was diabolical! Can you imagine the tragedy that would have occurred had Peter succeeded in keeping Jesus from the cross? Which was precisely what Satan wanted. Which is why Jesus called his right-hand man “Satan.” And then Jesus labels Peter’s idol – “you are setting you interests on man, not God.” What was Peter the most concerned about? His personal agenda! Beneath the veneer of nobly protecting his Lord we see the real Peter. He had an agenda, and what Jesus was predicting threatened Peter’s plan. Remember our definition of an idol – it is anything we want more than God’s will. And it doesn’t matter how noble what you want is, if it isn’t what God wants, it’s an idol! It was God’s will for Jesus to die. That had been decided before the foundation of the world. There was no other way for mankind to be reconciled to God because there was no other sacrifice capable of meeting God’s standard for justice.
But do you see how clever Satan is? This is the nature of idols of the heart. Let’s do another case study. The Bible teaches quite clearly that children are supposed to respect their parents. Let’s say a father is poking around in the living room looking for the remote. He can’t find it anywhere and is getting very vocal in his frustration. So finally he yells out to his 12 year old daughter in the other room, “Where did you say it was?”. She yells back, “If you’d look with your eyes and not your mouth you’d find it!” Scripture has been violated (Ex. 20:12 and Eph. 6:1-3) and the daughter has committed a pretty serious act of disrespect! What is the dad to do?
Here are two different responses. One response shows the father worshipping an idol, and the other response shows the father worshipping God.
Response #1 - “Suzy, how dare you talk to me like that! If I had spoken to my dad like that he’d have beat me black and blue. Don’t you know that the Bible says you are to honor your father? Nobody speaks to me like that! I work hard six days a week to provide for you and I am constantly giving, giving, giving. The least you could do is show me a little respect as your dad and answer a simple question without running your mouth and being sarcastic.”
Response #2 – “Suzy, could you come see me in the living room for a minute? You know, honey, one of the principles God has built into His universe is the principle of honoring and respecting the people God has put in authority over you. For the rest of your life you are going to be called on to graciously submit to and deal with unreasonable and even ungodly superiors. Your sarcastic response a moment ago shows a tremendous lack of respect for your father, and your behavior not only was offensive to God, but also to me.”
Which of these two responses was idolatrous, and which was godly? The first one was the idolatrous one. What idol was being worshipped? Respect. Maybe appreciation. As humans, we all want to be respected and appreciated. But why am I saying that first response was an idolatrous one? Because of the sinful response. What sinful responses did you see? The anger was pretty obvious, but in addition to that, the response was full of first person pronouns. “How dare you talk to me . . . ,” “nobody speaks to me like that . . . ,” “I work hard . . . ,” “I am constantly giving . . . ,” “show me a little respect . . .” To quote Jesus, this father “was setting his interests on man, not God.”
Contrast this with the second response, which was all about God. Did you notice how the father drew his daughter’s attention away from the personal offense (which is legitimate) and to the God offense? The second response was all about God, not man. In addition to this, the second response draws the daughter’s attention to large principles and away from temporal circumstances. Respect for authority is what is at stake here, not the father’s personal hurt. There is something much bigger at stake than the father’s feelings – which was exactly what Jesus did with Peter. God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was so much larger than Peter’s plan to protect his Rabbi.
Now, this leads us to a critical point. We know idols are insidious. We know our adversary is a master at twisting the legitimate into idolatry. But how does one know if his actions are legitimate or idolatry? How do we know if we are fulfilling the biblical principle of control, or if we are worshipping the idol of control? How do we know if we are appropriately expecting appreciation for something accomplished, or worshipping the idol of appreciation? There are two ways to figure it out. If I am sinning to get what I want, or if I sin when I don’t get what I want, then I am involved in idolatry. Does that make sense? If I sin to get my control, or appreciation, or comfort, or success, or respect – then I am worshipping the idol. Or if I sin when I don’t get control or appreciation or success, then again, I am worshipping the idol.
Peter sinfully exalted his agenda over God’s agenda. Rachel responded sinfully to her barrenness by blaming her husband and stealing the household idols. The father in our illustration responded to his daughter’s disrespect with sinful, self-focused anger.
Now that we know what the idols are and how we can identify them, let’s continue to ask God to do a powerful work in our lives this week as we deal with idols of the heart.
Now, there is another resource I want to recommend to you, and this is a book by Elyse Fitzpatrick called “Idols of the Heart.” I recommend this book to you because her focus is not on identifying various idols but on how we need to deal with our heart. The subtitle of this book is “Learning to Long for God Alone.” That is the crux of this issue. In our heart, we have competing affections. We love God, but we also love our idols. Paul talks about this struggle in Rom. 7 and I think we can all identify with his anguished cry when he says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” As I said last week, our heart is an idol manufacturing plant. So if we are going to deal with idols, we have to start with the heart, and that is what Fitzpatrick’s book focuses on.
So with that introduction, let’s talk about the five basic idols of the heart. There is an acronym we can use to help us remember them, and is the word “cracs.” It is spelled c-r-a-c-s, which isn’t a real word, but is sounds like a real word. It stands for the idols of control, respect, appreciation, comfort, and success. Control, respect, appreciation, comfort, and success. These are the five basic idols we all struggle with. We all like control. We all like respect. We all like
to be appreciated. We all like comfort. And we all like success. And as I shared with you last week, every sin mankind commits falls under one of these five basic idols.
Now, the first thing I want to share with you about these idols is that each of them has a biblical basis. Let’s look at some verses that show us this. We’ll start with the idol of control, and let’s turn to Gen. 1. In verse 27 we read, “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Our God is a God of control, as we see illustrated so magnificently in the natural world. And in addition to this, we are created in His image. Our desire for control is a God-given desire, it is a manifestation of God’s image in us. Let’s turn to Prov. 21:5. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” How many of you have heart that maxim, “If you don’t control your day, it will control you.”? That is a true statement, and the Bible teaches the importance of diligent planning. In the New Testament we the same concept taught in 1 Cor. 14:40. “Let all things be done properly, and in an orderly manner.” God isn’t pleased with disorder and slovenliness. So do you see that our desire for control has a biblical basis?
What about the idol of respect? Turn with me to Ex. 20:12. “Honor your father and your mother.” We are commanded in the 10 Commandments to respect our parents. Parents rightly can expect their children to respect them. Eph. 6:1-3 teaches the same thing, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Obedience is a tangible expression of respect. Heb. 13:17 says to “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.” Church leaders can legitimately expect the respect of church members. It isn’t a manifestation of pride for them to do this, it isn’t arrogance for them to expect it, it is a biblical principle. Rom. 12:10 teaches us to “give preference to one another in honor.” Paul is telling us to respect one another.
Appreciation is clearly taught in the Bible as well. The clearest expression of this is 1 Thess. 5:12, “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction.” We need to express appreciation for those who work hard in the church. Rom. 13:7 tells us to “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Expressions of appreciation are required for a follower of Christ. They demonstrate a heart of gratitude for the effort someone has expended.
Comfort is something the Bible teaches as well. Don’t take the time to turn to these verses, let me just read them to you and make some comments. In Eccl. 2:24 we read, “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it [eating and drinking after hard work] is from the hand of God.” There are two sources of instant, physical comfort for a human being. One of them is food. And God has designed us in such a way as to derive comfort from working hard, and then sitting down to eat and drink as the reward for your labor. In Eccl. 9:9, Solomon addresses the other source of instant comfort when he says, “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life, and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.” Sex is the other source of instant comfort for a human. Again, this is how God has created us, and there is nothing wrong with sexual gratification within the boundaries of marriage. But comfort for a human isn’t limited to food and sex, as we see in 1 Tim. 6:7. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” Paul goes on in 1 Tim. 4:4-5 to say that “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude, for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”
The final issue we will consider is that of success. When Abraham’s servant went on a journey (Gen. 24:12) to find a wife for Isaac, his prayer was, “O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today.” When God was speaking with Joshua right after he took over leadership of the nation of Israel, He said, “be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. In Neh. 2:20 we read Nehemiah’s assertion that, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build. In Eccl. 10:10, Solomon makes the observation that “If the axe is dull and [you do] not sharpen its edge, then [you] must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.” God does not want His children to be failures, He wants us to succeed. Of course, the critical element here is how we define success, but for our purposes we need to understand that when we set out to do something, we need to do it with all our might and for God’s glory. We want to be successful in our endeavors!
So the five idols all humans struggle with are control, respect, appreciation, comfort, and success. Now the reason I took the time to show you that all of these issues are rooted in biblical teaching is to illustrate the first lesson we learned from the life of Rachel. Does anybody remember what it was? Idols are very insidious. That means they are sneaky. They are sly. Doesn’t God’s Word command us “to be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth?” Sure it does. Is that what Rachel was after? Not really. And we can go through this whole list of idols and recognize that the line between idolatry and the legitimate expression of a God-given desire is a very fine line indeed.
As followers of Christ, we are engaged in battle with a very smart enemy. Satan is not stupid. There is a reason why he is the “prince of the power of the air.” He knows precisely how to destroy us, and he does it very surreptitiously. Generally speaking, he doesn’t present us with blatant, overt solicitations to fall down in front of some physical idol made out of gold or silver and start worshipping it. He specializes in the subtle twisting of God’s good. He perverts the legitimate. In simple terms, this means that we can be worshipping an idol and not even realize it because it seems so legitimate.
Turn with me to Mt. 16. I want us to see another example of how this works, this time using none other than Jesus’ closest ally, Peter. Starting in verse 21 we read, “From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 [How do you suppose this information sat with Peter? Not very well! Peter had left everything to follow Jesus. He had put all his eggs in the same basket, and now Jesus was telling him that He was about to be executed. Can’t you imagine what is flashing through Peter’s mind as Jesus says this? This is why Peter reacted the way he did.] And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him [can you imagine the chutzpa? That is a Yiddish word that means “shameless audacity], saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."
What is going on here? Satan, our clever enemy, was taking Peter’s legitimate devotion to Jesus and twisting it just enough to make it seem noble - when in fact it was diabolical! Can you imagine the tragedy that would have occurred had Peter succeeded in keeping Jesus from the cross? Which was precisely what Satan wanted. Which is why Jesus called his right-hand man “Satan.” And then Jesus labels Peter’s idol – “you are setting you interests on man, not God.” What was Peter the most concerned about? His personal agenda! Beneath the veneer of nobly protecting his Lord we see the real Peter. He had an agenda, and what Jesus was predicting threatened Peter’s plan. Remember our definition of an idol – it is anything we want more than God’s will. And it doesn’t matter how noble what you want is, if it isn’t what God wants, it’s an idol! It was God’s will for Jesus to die. That had been decided before the foundation of the world. There was no other way for mankind to be reconciled to God because there was no other sacrifice capable of meeting God’s standard for justice.
But do you see how clever Satan is? This is the nature of idols of the heart. Let’s do another case study. The Bible teaches quite clearly that children are supposed to respect their parents. Let’s say a father is poking around in the living room looking for the remote. He can’t find it anywhere and is getting very vocal in his frustration. So finally he yells out to his 12 year old daughter in the other room, “Where did you say it was?”. She yells back, “If you’d look with your eyes and not your mouth you’d find it!” Scripture has been violated (Ex. 20:12 and Eph. 6:1-3) and the daughter has committed a pretty serious act of disrespect! What is the dad to do?
Here are two different responses. One response shows the father worshipping an idol, and the other response shows the father worshipping God.
Response #1 - “Suzy, how dare you talk to me like that! If I had spoken to my dad like that he’d have beat me black and blue. Don’t you know that the Bible says you are to honor your father? Nobody speaks to me like that! I work hard six days a week to provide for you and I am constantly giving, giving, giving. The least you could do is show me a little respect as your dad and answer a simple question without running your mouth and being sarcastic.”
Response #2 – “Suzy, could you come see me in the living room for a minute? You know, honey, one of the principles God has built into His universe is the principle of honoring and respecting the people God has put in authority over you. For the rest of your life you are going to be called on to graciously submit to and deal with unreasonable and even ungodly superiors. Your sarcastic response a moment ago shows a tremendous lack of respect for your father, and your behavior not only was offensive to God, but also to me.”
Which of these two responses was idolatrous, and which was godly? The first one was the idolatrous one. What idol was being worshipped? Respect. Maybe appreciation. As humans, we all want to be respected and appreciated. But why am I saying that first response was an idolatrous one? Because of the sinful response. What sinful responses did you see? The anger was pretty obvious, but in addition to that, the response was full of first person pronouns. “How dare you talk to me . . . ,” “nobody speaks to me like that . . . ,” “I work hard . . . ,” “I am constantly giving . . . ,” “show me a little respect . . .” To quote Jesus, this father “was setting his interests on man, not God.”
Contrast this with the second response, which was all about God. Did you notice how the father drew his daughter’s attention away from the personal offense (which is legitimate) and to the God offense? The second response was all about God, not man. In addition to this, the second response draws the daughter’s attention to large principles and away from temporal circumstances. Respect for authority is what is at stake here, not the father’s personal hurt. There is something much bigger at stake than the father’s feelings – which was exactly what Jesus did with Peter. God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was so much larger than Peter’s plan to protect his Rabbi.
Now, this leads us to a critical point. We know idols are insidious. We know our adversary is a master at twisting the legitimate into idolatry. But how does one know if his actions are legitimate or idolatry? How do we know if we are fulfilling the biblical principle of control, or if we are worshipping the idol of control? How do we know if we are appropriately expecting appreciation for something accomplished, or worshipping the idol of appreciation? There are two ways to figure it out. If I am sinning to get what I want, or if I sin when I don’t get what I want, then I am involved in idolatry. Does that make sense? If I sin to get my control, or appreciation, or comfort, or success, or respect – then I am worshipping the idol. Or if I sin when I don’t get control or appreciation or success, then again, I am worshipping the idol.
Peter sinfully exalted his agenda over God’s agenda. Rachel responded sinfully to her barrenness by blaming her husband and stealing the household idols. The father in our illustration responded to his daughter’s disrespect with sinful, self-focused anger.
Now that we know what the idols are and how we can identify them, let’s continue to ask God to do a powerful work in our lives this week as we deal with idols of the heart.
Monday, April 12, 2010
How God Deals With Our Idols
How God Deals With Our Idols
Let’s turn in our Bibles this morning to Ezekiel chapter 14. Last Sunday we started a new series called “Idols of the heart.” If you missed last Sunday, let me encourage you to listen to the message on the internet, or pick up a copy of the manuscript on the table in the foyer. Our text for the series is 1 John 5:21, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” We defined an idol, or idolatry, as “anything, tangible or intangible, that we love more than God, that we honor more than God, that we pursue more than God, and that we want more than God’s will.” In a nutshell, idolatry is taking God off the throne of our heart and putting something else there.
Before we go any further in our study, let me take a minute and direct your attention to an outstanding resource. A book that has been very helpful to me, and from which I am drawing some of our material, is this book, “Idols of the Heart, Learning to Long for God Alone,” by Elyse Fitzpatrick. She doesn’t spend a lot of time going in the direction we are going, but the book is invaluable for its insight into how our hearts manufacture these idols we worship, and then she describes how we tear them down. I highly recommend this book to you.
Last week in our introduction to this topic, we analyzed a classic example of an idol of the heart. It was the story of Jacob’s wife Rachel and her intense desire to have children. Hopefully I made it clear that the desire for children, in and of itself, was not wrong. Rachel’s idolatry was in taking the legitimate and elevating it to the pinnacle, or the purpose of her existence. She wanted children more than she wanted God’s will. Several lessons we learned from this story are 1, idols are very insidious. 2, idols twist our perception of reality. 3, idols never satisfy. And 4, idols will destroy you. And because of the serious nature of what we are dealing with, I ended the service by asking each of you to literally take a stand and commit to dealing with the idols God reveals to us over the next few weeks. Do you remember what our three-fold prayer is?
1. That God would reveal our idols to us.
2. That the Holy Spirit would convict us when we are at worship.
3. That God would grant us the grace to tear down the idol and put God back in His rightful place.
I want us to start this morning by looking at Ez. chapter 14. Turn there with me and let’s consider how God deals with idolatry.
Then some elders of Israel came to me [the prophet Ezekiel] and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 3 "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? 4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."' 6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 "For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person. 8 "And I shall set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I shall cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
These are very strong words God utters in response to idolatry on the part of His children, and I want to show you five responses that illustrate how seriously God takes idolatry. The first response is found in verse four where we see that God focuses on the idol.
I. He Focuses on the Idol – v. 4
'Thus says the Lord God, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols.
What God is telling us in this verse is that there is a particular way in which He deals with the idols of His children. If you come to God with a particular request, and at the same time have an idol in your heart, God’s focus is going to be on the idol, not your request.
Let’s say you have a son who needs a car, and he has his eyes on a ’67 Camaro that needs a lot of work. You look at the car with him and advise him against it because of the time involved to make it run and the amount of money he is going to have to spend to get it on the road. And on top of that, the guy selling it is asking a ridiculously high price for it. But you son isn’t in a listening mood and he buys it. All he can see is a meticulously restored ’67 Camaro. Six months later the car is still up on blocks in your back yard, your son can’t find a transmission for it anywhere, he is still borrowing your car to get to work, and he is out of money. So he comes to you and asks to borrow a thousand dollars to buy a different car. What is the wise father going to do?
He is going to sit down with his son and say, “Let’s talk about why you are asking me for $1,000.00.” Do you see how that works? There is something more important than the son’s need of transportation that has to be dealt with. The thousand dollars really isn’t that big of an issue. The real issue that has to be addressed is the son’s refusal to listen to the counsel of his father. And because of that, the wise father knows that if the “idol” isn’t dealt with, this scenario will be repeated year after year. The specifics may change, but the core issue will continue to cause problems.
That is exactly what is going on in Ezekiel’s day. The elders of the nation wanted direction from God about the future of Israel, so they went to God’s man, Ezekiel, to get a word from the Lord. But God wasn’t interested in their specific request for guidance. Now, it was admirable that they were going to God for help, that is a good thing to do, but there was a bigger issue that needed to be dealt with. It was the idols they had in their lives. This is why God says, “I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols.”
So the first way God responds to idols of the heart is to focus on the idol. You want to talk to God about your finances, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about your unsaved children, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about your unreasonable boss, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about the economy, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about the election this fall, God wants to talk to you about your idols. Are you starting to get the picture? God focuses on idols. Your finances and children and boss and the economy and the election are all good things to go to God for advice about, but something even more important than those issues is whether or not God is the sole possessor of the throne of your heart.
Now, as an interesting little side note, I want us to go back to last week when I told you that idols distort our perception of reality. Did you see that truth in this passage? Look back at verses three and four and note the phrases, “before their faces” (v. 3), and “before his face” (v. 4). I have a little experiment for us. I want everyone to spread their fingers and hold their hand about one inch in front of their face. How clearly can you see? While it is true that you can see good enough to function, your view is distorted. Your depth perception is mixed up and a fair percentage of your field of vision is obscured. That is the significance of God describing an idol of the heart by saying they are “in front our face.” Idolatry affects every dimension of our life. No matter what direction you turn, when you have an idol in your heart, that idol is distorting whatever it is you are trying to do. An idol of the heart will affect how you raise your family, how you spend your money, how you worship, how you work, how you relate to your spouse, how you serve in the church, how you spend your free time, and the list goes on and on. That is why God takes them so seriously.
So the first way God deals with idols of the heart is that He focuses on the idol. The second way God deals with idols of the heart is found in verse five, and here we see that He deals with the heart.
II. He Deals With the Heart – v. 5
In verse five we read that God will “lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.” It is instructive that God does not say, “I will destroy the idols of the house of Israel.” He says, “I will lay hold of the heart of the house of Israel.” Dealing conclusively with idols requires dealing with the heart, because the heart not only generates idols, it also enshrines them. This is why the Bible is so full of teaching on the heart of man. It is mentioned over 700 times in over 600 verses, and I want to give you a brief synopsis of it. Don’t try to turn to all the passages I’m going to read, I just want you to listen to God’s assessment of the human heart.
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:5
Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. Ps. 36:1
"But My people did not listen to My voice; And Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Ps. 81:11-12
A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a false mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart devises evil continually, who spreads strife. Pr. 6:12-14
For a fool speaks nonsense, and his heart inclines toward wickedness, to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD. Is. 32:6
"The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it? Je. 17:9
This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Mt. 15:8-9
"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." Mt. 15:18-20
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Pr. 4:23
If you are serious about dealing with idols, get prepared for heart surgery, because that is how God deals with it. An idol is a manifestation of a heart problem. Let’s go back to the boy buying the ’67 Camaro. The immediate need, the surface need, or the visible need is for money and transportation. He needs some money so he can buy a car so he can get to work. Will giving him $1000.00 solve his real problem? Not at all. His real problem is a heart issue. Whether it is pride, or selfishness, or arrogance, his heart is the problem. He refused his father’s counsel. So to deal conclusively with the transportation problem, the deeper issue (the heart issue) has to be addressed.
If you had a basal cell carcinoma on your cheek, you don’t want the doctor to put a flesh colored band-aid over it to help it blend in and be cosmetically pleasing. You want him to shoot your cheek full of Novocain, get out his scalpel, and cut the thing out. And then you want him to take that piece of flesh to a microscope and analyze it to see if there is any more cancer cells in it, and if there are, you want him to come back, hit you with more Novocain, and cut some more of your cheek off. You endure this because you are dealing with cancer and you don’t treat cancer with band-aids. Nor do you treat idols of the heart with anything less than heart surgery.
Dealing with idols of the heart is not for the faint of heart - you need to be prepared for the pain. If you are serious about God revealing your idols, and if you are serious about the Holy Spirit convicting you when you are at worship, and if you are serious about tearing down the idols; it will be humbling and painful. But it is worth the ordeal because of what it accomplishes.
I want to close this morning by asking you a question? Is our loving, heavenly Father obligated to come to our assistance and deliver us every time we get into trouble? Not at all! The passage here in Ezekiel 14 teaches us this implicitly. The elders of the nation needed advice from God, so they went to the man of God to get it. But God did not give them the instruction they wanted, He gave them the instruction they needed. They wanted advice about some dimension of the country, God wanted to deal with idols of the heart. I believe the implied lesson is that God is not obligated to deliver us every time we get into trouble.
But there is another passage that teaches us this explicitly, and it is found in Prov. chapter one. Listen to these verses. “They will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me. Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be satiated with their own devices.” This is Solomon’s way of saying what Ezekiel said – God is not obligated to come to the assistance of His children whenever they call.
Let me tell you where I am going with this series of messages. Most of the people who are knowledgeable about history and the social sciences and political systems and economics believe that the United States is at a critical juncture. They believe that between now and the election in Nov. of 2012, we have a window of opportunity to bring our nation back from the brink of disaster. Right now, America is tottering on the edge of a cliff. What is at stake is the dismantling of the greatest political / social / economic / and religious system history has known. The United States of America is an exceptional country, unique in the history of humanity. But we are also being rapidly destroyed from the inside, and if we don’t fix our problems in this little window of opportunity, the damage will be irreversible. That is pretty much the consensus of opinion of conservative, knowledgeable scholars.
As a follower of Christ, and certainly as a pastor, I know that salvaging our country is impossible apart from Divine intervention. Civil reform is a band-aid being applied to a basal cell carcinoma. If our country is going to be salvaged, God’s people are going to have to lead the way. As I am praying for God to give me a strategy and direction for our church for the next 2 ½ years, there is a scenario that scares me to death. I know that part of the strategy is going to involve seasons of prayer and fasting, and I do not want us as a church to fall down before God and implore him to have mercy on our country, only to have God say, “I know that is what you want, but what you need is to get rid of the idols in your heart.” Can you appreciate the tragedy of being at this critical juncture in the history of our nation and God not delivering us because our hearts are full of idols? Let’s deal with the idols now. Let’s have God expose them now so we can deal with them.
How God Deals With Idols – Part 2
About a month ago we started considering the matter of idols of the heart. For a variety of reasons we haven’t been able to look at this for the last several weeks, so I want to take just a moment or two to get us back into the swing of things. Does anyone remember our definition of an idol? It has four critical elements. An idol is anything we love more than God, anything we want more than God’s will, anything we honor more than God, and anything we pursue more than God.
The first time we addressed this issue we considered the life of Rachel, and we learned four truths about idols. 1. Idols are insidious. 2. Idols twist our perception of reality. 3. Idols never satisfy, and 4. Idols will destroy you.
Our goal for this series involves three things. First of all, we are going to be engaged in a prayer effort that 1) God will reveal our idols to us, 2) that the Holy Spirit will convict us when we are at worship, and 3) that God will give us the grace to destroy the idols.
This morning we are going to be continuing in Ez. 14, and I want to finish up a message I had given the title “How God Deals With Our Idols.” The last time we were together we saw that when we take God off the throne of our life and replace Him with an idol, God becomes very focused on the idol. We come to Him and want advice, or help, or direction, or relief; but because He knows we need to deal with the idol, He focuses on the idol – not on what we want. We see this in the story of Ez. 14 when the elders of the nation come to the prophet of God to get some direction, and God says to Ezekiel, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? 4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart . . . and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols.”
The second thing we saw last time we were together was that when God starts to deal with idols, He goes after the heart. He isn’t interested in cosmetic surgery – He is going after the organ that produces the idols. Our idols are not the result of our surroundings or culture. We manufacture idols in our heart. This is why Solomon exhorts us to “guard our hearts with all diligence - because it is out of the heart that all the issues of life flow.” So when it comes to how God deals with idols, to use a wartime image, God is going to bomb the factory that produces the tanks, He isn’t going to bomb the airfield where the tanks are parked until needed.
Now when we get to verse six we see the third way God deals with idols. In addition to God focusing on the idol and dealing with the heart, God demands repentance when dealing with idols.
III. God Demands Repentance – v. 6
In verse six we read, “Thus says the Lord God, “Repent, and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.’” Repentance is a key factor in dealing with idols. Several weeks from now after we have identified the five main idols we worship, and we get into the nitty-gritty of dealing with them, this matter of repentance is going to come up again. God demands repentance. So, what is repentance? Is repentance feeling bad for what you have done? That is a legitimate element of repentance, but there is more to repentance than sorrow. Is repentance determining not to ever do the particular thing again? Again, that is an element of repentance, but there is more to biblical repentance than vowing not to ever commit the particular sin again. The key dimension of repentance is the mind. Let’s take a minute and see how this concept is developed in the Bible.
In the OT, the words “repent” and “repentance” comes from two different words. One of them means “to turn” or “return.” It can be used for something as general and non-religious as “returning” to your home, or for something as significant as “turning” to God. The other word translated as “repent” means to “feel sorrow for.” Gen. 6:6 says that the Lord felt “sorrow” for creating mankind because they were so sinful. The focus of repentance in the OT is on emotion and direction. You feel grief (נָּ֣חֶם) for what you have done and so you change direction (שׁוּב ).
Now, it is in the NT that we find the fullest expression of what biblical repentance involves because the word translated as “repent” means literally “a change of mind.” In Mt. 11:20 when Jesus “began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent,” they were in trouble because they were not changing their minds about who Jesus was. In Acts 2:28 when Peter was preaching and said, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,” he was exhorting his listeners to change their minds about Jesus. Instead of the people of Jerusalem viewing Jesus as a fraud and blasphemer, Peter wanted the people to see Jesus as the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. For them to do this was going to require a change of mind on their part.
So as we think about repentance, the picture that emerges from the whole of scripture is that repentance is a change of mind that results in sorrow and change of behavior. That is the definition I want us to remember. “A change of mind that results in sorrow and a change of behavior.”
To put this into the context of idols, when we are confronted with the awareness of an idol in our life, we have to first of all deal with it mentally. We have to view that idol the same way God views it. We have to bring our perception into alignment with God’s perception. Once we see it His way, our first reaction is probably going to be an emotional one – grief for how we have offended the God that loves us. But we don’t stop with sorrow, we change our actions. Remember our definition: “a change of mind that results in sorrow and a change of behavior.”
What would repentance have looked like in the life of Rachel? Let’s say someone had gone to her and said, “Rachel, your prayer, ‘give me children or I die,’ is the wrong prayer. Your prayer should be, ‘God, please accomplish your will in my life.’” If this person had gone on and said, “Rachel, you shouldn’t be relying on mandrakes and household idols for conception, you should be relying on God, the One who has power over conception.” Now that she has been confronted with an idol, what would a repentant Rachel have done? First of all, she would have dealt with it mentally. In other words, she would view the matter the same way God views the matter. She would have brought her perception of conception into line with God’s perception. Once she did that, she would probably be grieved by her pathetic attempts to play God. And that sorrow would manifest itself by a change of behavior. She would have “turned” from her desire for respect in the household, and her desire for personal fulfillment through childbearing – to a desire to be pleasing to God, with or without children! That is what repentance looks like.
And Ezekiel’s point in verse six is that God expects repentance from His people when they realize they have an idol in their life. Now in verse seven we see the fourth way God deals with idols, and that is that He deals with us immediately. Read along in your Bible as I read verse seven. “For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, [and here is the phrase I want us to focus on] I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person.”
IV. God Deals With Us Immediately – v. 7
Now the first thing I need to clarify here is that I am using the word ‘immediately’ in the technical sense, not the common way. The common definition of immediate is “without delay.” When a parent says to his child, “Get in here immediately,” he means that the child better not finish what he is doing before he starts to move – he better do it without delay. But the technical sense of immediate is different. We all know what a mediator is – he is a person who comes between two parties that are in conflict. Party “A” talks to the mediator, and the mediator takes that information to party “B”. Party “B” responds to the mediator, and the mediator takes that response to party “A”. In the technical sense, immediately means “without a mediator.” The prefix “im” negates the word “mediate,” just as the prefix “im” negates the word “potent.” “Potent” means “strong,” and “impotent” means “weak.”
To really appreciate this point, I want you to imagine that you have done something really bad, and you know you were in the wrong and fully deserve whatever the consequences may be. Furthermore, the person you have wronged is furious, and has a reputation for explosive outbursts of anger. Which would you rather do, meet with him in person; or have a mediator tell you what the consequences of your actions are going to be? I think we’d all appreciate a mediator. If the person you have wronged deals with you “immediately,” that means it is going to be a face-to-face meeting. Just you and him with no one to stand between you. No one to absorb some of the anger. No one to blunt the force of his words. Just you and him, face to face.
That is what verse seven says about God dealing with idolaters. He deals with us immediately. “I the Lord will . . . answer him in My own person.” The prophet of the Old Testament is not the one who conveys God’s anger. The pastor does not convey God’s feelings about the idol to the idolater. “I the LORD will . . . answer him in My own person.” God deals with the idols immediately.
I think one of the reasons we tend to have idols in our heart is because we can’t see God. We understand that He is transcendent, that He is far above us. And it is that distance that lulls us into a false sense that He really doesn’t care all that much. The message of Ez. 14:7 is that God does care, very much, and He will deal with idolatry in a very personal way.
The final point Ezekiel makes in this passage has to do with why God takes idols so seriously. Why does He demand repentance? Why does He go after the heart? Why does He deal with us in person? It is because God is very serious about preserving His glory. Look with me at verse eight where we read “And I shall set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I shall cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.”
V. God Preserves His Glory – v. 8
One of the truths about God is that He is a jealous God and will not stand for anything to share His glory. Six times in the Old Testament, God makes the point that He will tolerate no competition. That is the essence of the first commandment – “You shall have no other gods before me.” Another example is found in Deut. 4:23 – 24. "So watch yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God . . . and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. 24 "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
One of the ways the Old Testament conveyed a person’s character was by his name. For example the name Daniel means “God is my judge,” and his character certainly exemplified his name. The reason he was willing to go into the lion’s den was because he knew God was his judge, not Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was nothing but the king of the land with power of life and death. God, on the other hand, was THE judge of all humanity, so when it came down to obeying the king or God, it wasn’t a hard choice for Daniel to make. So with this understanding of how names convey character in the Old Testament, it shouldn’t surprise us to read in Ex. 34:14, “You shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
The point here is that God will not share his glory with some other idol. He takes this matter so seriously that if the idol isn’t taken care of, God will do three things to protect His role as the exclusive sovereign of the universe. Look at the text with me and note that 1) God will set his face against the idolater, 2) God will make the idolater a sign and a proverb, and 3) God will cut the idolater off from among His people. Without taking the time to look in depth at each of these three dimensions of God’s reaction, let me just say that these responses are reserved for only the most egregious of offenses - things like offering your children as burnt offerings to the god Molech or engaging in witchcraft and demonic activity. God will preserve His glory – He will not share it with anyone or anything.
So to summarize how God deals with idols, we have seen that God focus on the idol, He deals with the heart, He demands repentance, He deals with us in person, and He preserves His glory. Is it safe to say that God takes this matter seriously?
Let me encourage you this week to continue in prayer as we travel this road together. Will you ask God to show you your idols, to convict you when you are at worship, and to give you the grace to deal with them? Next Sunday we will try to cover two major elements. The first will be to expose five basic idols we all struggle with, and the second will be a formula to determine whether or not an idol is being worshipped.
Let’s turn in our Bibles this morning to Ezekiel chapter 14. Last Sunday we started a new series called “Idols of the heart.” If you missed last Sunday, let me encourage you to listen to the message on the internet, or pick up a copy of the manuscript on the table in the foyer. Our text for the series is 1 John 5:21, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” We defined an idol, or idolatry, as “anything, tangible or intangible, that we love more than God, that we honor more than God, that we pursue more than God, and that we want more than God’s will.” In a nutshell, idolatry is taking God off the throne of our heart and putting something else there.
Before we go any further in our study, let me take a minute and direct your attention to an outstanding resource. A book that has been very helpful to me, and from which I am drawing some of our material, is this book, “Idols of the Heart, Learning to Long for God Alone,” by Elyse Fitzpatrick. She doesn’t spend a lot of time going in the direction we are going, but the book is invaluable for its insight into how our hearts manufacture these idols we worship, and then she describes how we tear them down. I highly recommend this book to you.
Last week in our introduction to this topic, we analyzed a classic example of an idol of the heart. It was the story of Jacob’s wife Rachel and her intense desire to have children. Hopefully I made it clear that the desire for children, in and of itself, was not wrong. Rachel’s idolatry was in taking the legitimate and elevating it to the pinnacle, or the purpose of her existence. She wanted children more than she wanted God’s will. Several lessons we learned from this story are 1, idols are very insidious. 2, idols twist our perception of reality. 3, idols never satisfy. And 4, idols will destroy you. And because of the serious nature of what we are dealing with, I ended the service by asking each of you to literally take a stand and commit to dealing with the idols God reveals to us over the next few weeks. Do you remember what our three-fold prayer is?
1. That God would reveal our idols to us.
2. That the Holy Spirit would convict us when we are at worship.
3. That God would grant us the grace to tear down the idol and put God back in His rightful place.
I want us to start this morning by looking at Ez. chapter 14. Turn there with me and let’s consider how God deals with idolatry.
Then some elders of Israel came to me [the prophet Ezekiel] and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 3 "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? 4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."' 6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 "For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person. 8 "And I shall set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I shall cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
These are very strong words God utters in response to idolatry on the part of His children, and I want to show you five responses that illustrate how seriously God takes idolatry. The first response is found in verse four where we see that God focuses on the idol.
I. He Focuses on the Idol – v. 4
'Thus says the Lord God, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols.
What God is telling us in this verse is that there is a particular way in which He deals with the idols of His children. If you come to God with a particular request, and at the same time have an idol in your heart, God’s focus is going to be on the idol, not your request.
Let’s say you have a son who needs a car, and he has his eyes on a ’67 Camaro that needs a lot of work. You look at the car with him and advise him against it because of the time involved to make it run and the amount of money he is going to have to spend to get it on the road. And on top of that, the guy selling it is asking a ridiculously high price for it. But you son isn’t in a listening mood and he buys it. All he can see is a meticulously restored ’67 Camaro. Six months later the car is still up on blocks in your back yard, your son can’t find a transmission for it anywhere, he is still borrowing your car to get to work, and he is out of money. So he comes to you and asks to borrow a thousand dollars to buy a different car. What is the wise father going to do?
He is going to sit down with his son and say, “Let’s talk about why you are asking me for $1,000.00.” Do you see how that works? There is something more important than the son’s need of transportation that has to be dealt with. The thousand dollars really isn’t that big of an issue. The real issue that has to be addressed is the son’s refusal to listen to the counsel of his father. And because of that, the wise father knows that if the “idol” isn’t dealt with, this scenario will be repeated year after year. The specifics may change, but the core issue will continue to cause problems.
That is exactly what is going on in Ezekiel’s day. The elders of the nation wanted direction from God about the future of Israel, so they went to God’s man, Ezekiel, to get a word from the Lord. But God wasn’t interested in their specific request for guidance. Now, it was admirable that they were going to God for help, that is a good thing to do, but there was a bigger issue that needed to be dealt with. It was the idols they had in their lives. This is why God says, “I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols.”
So the first way God responds to idols of the heart is to focus on the idol. You want to talk to God about your finances, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about your unsaved children, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about your unreasonable boss, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about the economy, God wants to talk to you about your idols. You want to talk to God about the election this fall, God wants to talk to you about your idols. Are you starting to get the picture? God focuses on idols. Your finances and children and boss and the economy and the election are all good things to go to God for advice about, but something even more important than those issues is whether or not God is the sole possessor of the throne of your heart.
Now, as an interesting little side note, I want us to go back to last week when I told you that idols distort our perception of reality. Did you see that truth in this passage? Look back at verses three and four and note the phrases, “before their faces” (v. 3), and “before his face” (v. 4). I have a little experiment for us. I want everyone to spread their fingers and hold their hand about one inch in front of their face. How clearly can you see? While it is true that you can see good enough to function, your view is distorted. Your depth perception is mixed up and a fair percentage of your field of vision is obscured. That is the significance of God describing an idol of the heart by saying they are “in front our face.” Idolatry affects every dimension of our life. No matter what direction you turn, when you have an idol in your heart, that idol is distorting whatever it is you are trying to do. An idol of the heart will affect how you raise your family, how you spend your money, how you worship, how you work, how you relate to your spouse, how you serve in the church, how you spend your free time, and the list goes on and on. That is why God takes them so seriously.
So the first way God deals with idols of the heart is that He focuses on the idol. The second way God deals with idols of the heart is found in verse five, and here we see that He deals with the heart.
II. He Deals With the Heart – v. 5
In verse five we read that God will “lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.” It is instructive that God does not say, “I will destroy the idols of the house of Israel.” He says, “I will lay hold of the heart of the house of Israel.” Dealing conclusively with idols requires dealing with the heart, because the heart not only generates idols, it also enshrines them. This is why the Bible is so full of teaching on the heart of man. It is mentioned over 700 times in over 600 verses, and I want to give you a brief synopsis of it. Don’t try to turn to all the passages I’m going to read, I just want you to listen to God’s assessment of the human heart.
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:5
Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. Ps. 36:1
"But My people did not listen to My voice; And Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Ps. 81:11-12
A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a false mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart devises evil continually, who spreads strife. Pr. 6:12-14
For a fool speaks nonsense, and his heart inclines toward wickedness, to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD. Is. 32:6
"The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it? Je. 17:9
This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Mt. 15:8-9
"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." Mt. 15:18-20
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Pr. 4:23
If you are serious about dealing with idols, get prepared for heart surgery, because that is how God deals with it. An idol is a manifestation of a heart problem. Let’s go back to the boy buying the ’67 Camaro. The immediate need, the surface need, or the visible need is for money and transportation. He needs some money so he can buy a car so he can get to work. Will giving him $1000.00 solve his real problem? Not at all. His real problem is a heart issue. Whether it is pride, or selfishness, or arrogance, his heart is the problem. He refused his father’s counsel. So to deal conclusively with the transportation problem, the deeper issue (the heart issue) has to be addressed.
If you had a basal cell carcinoma on your cheek, you don’t want the doctor to put a flesh colored band-aid over it to help it blend in and be cosmetically pleasing. You want him to shoot your cheek full of Novocain, get out his scalpel, and cut the thing out. And then you want him to take that piece of flesh to a microscope and analyze it to see if there is any more cancer cells in it, and if there are, you want him to come back, hit you with more Novocain, and cut some more of your cheek off. You endure this because you are dealing with cancer and you don’t treat cancer with band-aids. Nor do you treat idols of the heart with anything less than heart surgery.
Dealing with idols of the heart is not for the faint of heart - you need to be prepared for the pain. If you are serious about God revealing your idols, and if you are serious about the Holy Spirit convicting you when you are at worship, and if you are serious about tearing down the idols; it will be humbling and painful. But it is worth the ordeal because of what it accomplishes.
I want to close this morning by asking you a question? Is our loving, heavenly Father obligated to come to our assistance and deliver us every time we get into trouble? Not at all! The passage here in Ezekiel 14 teaches us this implicitly. The elders of the nation needed advice from God, so they went to the man of God to get it. But God did not give them the instruction they wanted, He gave them the instruction they needed. They wanted advice about some dimension of the country, God wanted to deal with idols of the heart. I believe the implied lesson is that God is not obligated to deliver us every time we get into trouble.
But there is another passage that teaches us this explicitly, and it is found in Prov. chapter one. Listen to these verses. “They will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me. Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be satiated with their own devices.” This is Solomon’s way of saying what Ezekiel said – God is not obligated to come to the assistance of His children whenever they call.
Let me tell you where I am going with this series of messages. Most of the people who are knowledgeable about history and the social sciences and political systems and economics believe that the United States is at a critical juncture. They believe that between now and the election in Nov. of 2012, we have a window of opportunity to bring our nation back from the brink of disaster. Right now, America is tottering on the edge of a cliff. What is at stake is the dismantling of the greatest political / social / economic / and religious system history has known. The United States of America is an exceptional country, unique in the history of humanity. But we are also being rapidly destroyed from the inside, and if we don’t fix our problems in this little window of opportunity, the damage will be irreversible. That is pretty much the consensus of opinion of conservative, knowledgeable scholars.
As a follower of Christ, and certainly as a pastor, I know that salvaging our country is impossible apart from Divine intervention. Civil reform is a band-aid being applied to a basal cell carcinoma. If our country is going to be salvaged, God’s people are going to have to lead the way. As I am praying for God to give me a strategy and direction for our church for the next 2 ½ years, there is a scenario that scares me to death. I know that part of the strategy is going to involve seasons of prayer and fasting, and I do not want us as a church to fall down before God and implore him to have mercy on our country, only to have God say, “I know that is what you want, but what you need is to get rid of the idols in your heart.” Can you appreciate the tragedy of being at this critical juncture in the history of our nation and God not delivering us because our hearts are full of idols? Let’s deal with the idols now. Let’s have God expose them now so we can deal with them.
How God Deals With Idols – Part 2
About a month ago we started considering the matter of idols of the heart. For a variety of reasons we haven’t been able to look at this for the last several weeks, so I want to take just a moment or two to get us back into the swing of things. Does anyone remember our definition of an idol? It has four critical elements. An idol is anything we love more than God, anything we want more than God’s will, anything we honor more than God, and anything we pursue more than God.
The first time we addressed this issue we considered the life of Rachel, and we learned four truths about idols. 1. Idols are insidious. 2. Idols twist our perception of reality. 3. Idols never satisfy, and 4. Idols will destroy you.
Our goal for this series involves three things. First of all, we are going to be engaged in a prayer effort that 1) God will reveal our idols to us, 2) that the Holy Spirit will convict us when we are at worship, and 3) that God will give us the grace to destroy the idols.
This morning we are going to be continuing in Ez. 14, and I want to finish up a message I had given the title “How God Deals With Our Idols.” The last time we were together we saw that when we take God off the throne of our life and replace Him with an idol, God becomes very focused on the idol. We come to Him and want advice, or help, or direction, or relief; but because He knows we need to deal with the idol, He focuses on the idol – not on what we want. We see this in the story of Ez. 14 when the elders of the nation come to the prophet of God to get some direction, and God says to Ezekiel, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? 4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart . . . and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols.”
The second thing we saw last time we were together was that when God starts to deal with idols, He goes after the heart. He isn’t interested in cosmetic surgery – He is going after the organ that produces the idols. Our idols are not the result of our surroundings or culture. We manufacture idols in our heart. This is why Solomon exhorts us to “guard our hearts with all diligence - because it is out of the heart that all the issues of life flow.” So when it comes to how God deals with idols, to use a wartime image, God is going to bomb the factory that produces the tanks, He isn’t going to bomb the airfield where the tanks are parked until needed.
Now when we get to verse six we see the third way God deals with idols. In addition to God focusing on the idol and dealing with the heart, God demands repentance when dealing with idols.
III. God Demands Repentance – v. 6
In verse six we read, “Thus says the Lord God, “Repent, and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.’” Repentance is a key factor in dealing with idols. Several weeks from now after we have identified the five main idols we worship, and we get into the nitty-gritty of dealing with them, this matter of repentance is going to come up again. God demands repentance. So, what is repentance? Is repentance feeling bad for what you have done? That is a legitimate element of repentance, but there is more to repentance than sorrow. Is repentance determining not to ever do the particular thing again? Again, that is an element of repentance, but there is more to biblical repentance than vowing not to ever commit the particular sin again. The key dimension of repentance is the mind. Let’s take a minute and see how this concept is developed in the Bible.
In the OT, the words “repent” and “repentance” comes from two different words. One of them means “to turn” or “return.” It can be used for something as general and non-religious as “returning” to your home, or for something as significant as “turning” to God. The other word translated as “repent” means to “feel sorrow for.” Gen. 6:6 says that the Lord felt “sorrow” for creating mankind because they were so sinful. The focus of repentance in the OT is on emotion and direction. You feel grief (נָּ֣חֶם) for what you have done and so you change direction (שׁוּב ).
Now, it is in the NT that we find the fullest expression of what biblical repentance involves because the word translated as “repent” means literally “a change of mind.” In Mt. 11:20 when Jesus “began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent,” they were in trouble because they were not changing their minds about who Jesus was. In Acts 2:28 when Peter was preaching and said, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,” he was exhorting his listeners to change their minds about Jesus. Instead of the people of Jerusalem viewing Jesus as a fraud and blasphemer, Peter wanted the people to see Jesus as the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. For them to do this was going to require a change of mind on their part.
So as we think about repentance, the picture that emerges from the whole of scripture is that repentance is a change of mind that results in sorrow and change of behavior. That is the definition I want us to remember. “A change of mind that results in sorrow and a change of behavior.”
To put this into the context of idols, when we are confronted with the awareness of an idol in our life, we have to first of all deal with it mentally. We have to view that idol the same way God views it. We have to bring our perception into alignment with God’s perception. Once we see it His way, our first reaction is probably going to be an emotional one – grief for how we have offended the God that loves us. But we don’t stop with sorrow, we change our actions. Remember our definition: “a change of mind that results in sorrow and a change of behavior.”
What would repentance have looked like in the life of Rachel? Let’s say someone had gone to her and said, “Rachel, your prayer, ‘give me children or I die,’ is the wrong prayer. Your prayer should be, ‘God, please accomplish your will in my life.’” If this person had gone on and said, “Rachel, you shouldn’t be relying on mandrakes and household idols for conception, you should be relying on God, the One who has power over conception.” Now that she has been confronted with an idol, what would a repentant Rachel have done? First of all, she would have dealt with it mentally. In other words, she would view the matter the same way God views the matter. She would have brought her perception of conception into line with God’s perception. Once she did that, she would probably be grieved by her pathetic attempts to play God. And that sorrow would manifest itself by a change of behavior. She would have “turned” from her desire for respect in the household, and her desire for personal fulfillment through childbearing – to a desire to be pleasing to God, with or without children! That is what repentance looks like.
And Ezekiel’s point in verse six is that God expects repentance from His people when they realize they have an idol in their life. Now in verse seven we see the fourth way God deals with idols, and that is that He deals with us immediately. Read along in your Bible as I read verse seven. “For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, [and here is the phrase I want us to focus on] I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person.”
IV. God Deals With Us Immediately – v. 7
Now the first thing I need to clarify here is that I am using the word ‘immediately’ in the technical sense, not the common way. The common definition of immediate is “without delay.” When a parent says to his child, “Get in here immediately,” he means that the child better not finish what he is doing before he starts to move – he better do it without delay. But the technical sense of immediate is different. We all know what a mediator is – he is a person who comes between two parties that are in conflict. Party “A” talks to the mediator, and the mediator takes that information to party “B”. Party “B” responds to the mediator, and the mediator takes that response to party “A”. In the technical sense, immediately means “without a mediator.” The prefix “im” negates the word “mediate,” just as the prefix “im” negates the word “potent.” “Potent” means “strong,” and “impotent” means “weak.”
To really appreciate this point, I want you to imagine that you have done something really bad, and you know you were in the wrong and fully deserve whatever the consequences may be. Furthermore, the person you have wronged is furious, and has a reputation for explosive outbursts of anger. Which would you rather do, meet with him in person; or have a mediator tell you what the consequences of your actions are going to be? I think we’d all appreciate a mediator. If the person you have wronged deals with you “immediately,” that means it is going to be a face-to-face meeting. Just you and him with no one to stand between you. No one to absorb some of the anger. No one to blunt the force of his words. Just you and him, face to face.
That is what verse seven says about God dealing with idolaters. He deals with us immediately. “I the Lord will . . . answer him in My own person.” The prophet of the Old Testament is not the one who conveys God’s anger. The pastor does not convey God’s feelings about the idol to the idolater. “I the LORD will . . . answer him in My own person.” God deals with the idols immediately.
I think one of the reasons we tend to have idols in our heart is because we can’t see God. We understand that He is transcendent, that He is far above us. And it is that distance that lulls us into a false sense that He really doesn’t care all that much. The message of Ez. 14:7 is that God does care, very much, and He will deal with idolatry in a very personal way.
The final point Ezekiel makes in this passage has to do with why God takes idols so seriously. Why does He demand repentance? Why does He go after the heart? Why does He deal with us in person? It is because God is very serious about preserving His glory. Look with me at verse eight where we read “And I shall set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I shall cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.”
V. God Preserves His Glory – v. 8
One of the truths about God is that He is a jealous God and will not stand for anything to share His glory. Six times in the Old Testament, God makes the point that He will tolerate no competition. That is the essence of the first commandment – “You shall have no other gods before me.” Another example is found in Deut. 4:23 – 24. "So watch yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God . . . and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. 24 "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
One of the ways the Old Testament conveyed a person’s character was by his name. For example the name Daniel means “God is my judge,” and his character certainly exemplified his name. The reason he was willing to go into the lion’s den was because he knew God was his judge, not Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was nothing but the king of the land with power of life and death. God, on the other hand, was THE judge of all humanity, so when it came down to obeying the king or God, it wasn’t a hard choice for Daniel to make. So with this understanding of how names convey character in the Old Testament, it shouldn’t surprise us to read in Ex. 34:14, “You shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
The point here is that God will not share his glory with some other idol. He takes this matter so seriously that if the idol isn’t taken care of, God will do three things to protect His role as the exclusive sovereign of the universe. Look at the text with me and note that 1) God will set his face against the idolater, 2) God will make the idolater a sign and a proverb, and 3) God will cut the idolater off from among His people. Without taking the time to look in depth at each of these three dimensions of God’s reaction, let me just say that these responses are reserved for only the most egregious of offenses - things like offering your children as burnt offerings to the god Molech or engaging in witchcraft and demonic activity. God will preserve His glory – He will not share it with anyone or anything.
So to summarize how God deals with idols, we have seen that God focus on the idol, He deals with the heart, He demands repentance, He deals with us in person, and He preserves His glory. Is it safe to say that God takes this matter seriously?
Let me encourage you this week to continue in prayer as we travel this road together. Will you ask God to show you your idols, to convict you when you are at worship, and to give you the grace to deal with them? Next Sunday we will try to cover two major elements. The first will be to expose five basic idols we all struggle with, and the second will be a formula to determine whether or not an idol is being worshipped.
“Idols of the Heart”
1 John 5:21
Introduction: I’d like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to the last verse of 1 John. For the next several weeks we are going to be studying the concept of, “Idols of the heart,” and this is the text we are going to use as a springboard to launch us into this study. The Apostle John ends his first letter with a very curious admonition when he says, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” What do you suppose he had in mind when he wrote that? Was he telling his readers to be careful as they walked about town because large statues could fall on them and hurt them? Was he thinking about how so many people worshiped the idols that were prevalent in those days? It wasn’t hard to find statues of pagan gods and goddesses – they were everywhere. Was he telling his readers not to worship idols - not to revert to the paganism from which they had been delivered?
What is curious to me is that he doesn’t say, “Don’t worship idols.” He says, “Guard yourselves from them.” I believe that is significant. I don’t think his concern here is that his readers might abandon Christ and revert to the worship of Diana. The Apostle John is concerned about the myriad objects and desires that we set up in our hearts that replace God as the sole object of our worship. As we talk about idols of the heart for the next few weeks, that is the concept I want you to keep in mind. An idol is anything, tangible or intangible, that we love more than God. It is anything we want more than God and His will for us. It is anything we honor more than God. It is anything we pursue more than God. From this perspective it makes perfect sense for John to end his letter with a warning to guard ourselves because there are many, many, things that Satan would use to replace God as the sole object of our love and devotion.
As an introduction to this study, I thought it would be a good idea to go to the OT and look at a case study. Are you familiar with case studies? That is when you look at situation and then evaluate it from a particular perspective. In Gen. 29 and 30 we have the first use of the word “idol” in the Bible, and it is found in the story of Jacob. Turn there with me. In theses chapters we see his employment by his father in law, his marriages, the birth of his children, and his departure from his father in law. Let’s skim through these chapters, and as we do so, I’ll make various observations as we are reading, and then we will end the message by making several points of application concerning idols of the heart. We are going to start in chapter 29, down in verse 14. At this point, Jacob has met his uncle Laban for the first time.
14 And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.17 And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.
Remember this contrast between the two sisters – it plays into the story. The implication is that Leah was not physically appealing.
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." 19 And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man; stay with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
Can you imagine how that made Rachel feel? She was loved and desired!
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her." 22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 Now it came about in the evening that he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. Note the deception.
Jacob isn’t getting Rachel, the one he bargained for.
24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?"
This is a pretty calm response for such a treacherous deed!
26 But Laban said, "It is not the practice in our place, to marry off the younger before the first-born. 27 "Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years." 28 And Jacob did so and completed her week [seven years], and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
So now Jacob has four women in his home – two wives with their personal maids.
30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.
Again, think of the climate this produced in the home!
31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
Note the divine dimension of conception. This plays into the story as well.
32 And Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me." 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
As we come to chapter 30, note Rachel’s response to Leah’s fertility.
Genesis 30:1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die."
Rachel’s barrenness is a source of huge sorrow and embarrassment for her, especially when contrasted with her plain sister. Can you imagine how she felt every time she heard one of the children cry? It was a cutting reminder of her barrenness. Every time Jacob came in from the fields and those four boys came running out to see Daddy and he would romp and frolic with them was another twist of the knife in her belly. For all her life Rachel had probably received all the attention because of her beauty, but now it was the “other wife” who was producing male offspring. This was huge in that culture. And her bitterness was so great that it twisted her perception of reality. She blamed Jacob!
2 Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
Again we see the divine element in conception.
3 And she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children."
This was a legal way for a barren woman to have children. It would be akin to surrogate motherhood.
4 So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son." Therefore she named him Dan. 7 And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 So Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed." And she named him Naphtali.
Note how twisted her thinking has become because of her desire to have children. This has now become a contest and she thinks she is winning! It is very sad what jealousy will do to a person.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad. 12 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, "Happy am I! For women will call me happy." So she named him Asher. 14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben [Leah’s oldest son] went and found mandrakes [apparently they thought mandrakes had some kind of fertility enhancement] in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 15 But she said to her, "Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son's mandrakes also?" So Rachel said, "Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."
Isn’t this getting rather pathetic? It sounds like Leah has been completely shunned by Jacob.
16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night. 17 And God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I gave my maid to my husband." So she named him Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. 21 And afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah. 22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach."
Pause here. Rachel finally has what she wants, right? In verse one of this chapter she says, “give me a son, or else I die.” Now she finally has a son from her own womb. No surrogate was involved. Case closed – she is a contented mother. Right? Wrong! Look at what she names her son in verse 24.
24 And she named him Joseph, saying, "May the LORD give me another son."
This is very instructive.
25 Now it came about when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country. 26 "Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you."
From verse 27 to chapter 31:17, we have the story of Jacob’s departure. We are going to skip all of it pick up with verse 31:17.
17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had athered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father's.
Here is the first time you see the word idol in the Bible.
20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. 22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 then he took his kinsmen with him, and pursued him a distance of seven days' journey; and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad."
25 And Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; 28 and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly. 29 "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.' 30 "And now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal my gods?" This is the ultimate insult. 31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you would take your daughters from me by force.' 32 "The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched, but did not find the household idols.
Our opinion of Rachel continues to plummet!
Now let’s skip down to chapter 35, verse 16. In this verse we read the account of Rachel’s death.
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. 17 And it came about when she was in severe labor that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for now you have another son." 18 And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
So here we have our first mention of idols in the Bible, and as we start analyzing this story, where do we see idolatry first? It’s not in the theft of the household gods, it’s seen in 30:1. “Give me children, or else I die,” is perhaps the most blatant statement of idolatry we have in the Bible. Let’s go back to the beginning of the message where we defined idolatry. What was our definition? “An idol is anything, tangible or intangible, that we love more than God, that we want more than God and His will for us, that we honor more than God, and that we pursue more than God.” Do Rachel’s actions fit the definition? Absolutely.
Lessons to learn from Rachel:
1. Idols are very insidious. Is there anything intrinsically wrong with strongly desiring children? Not at all. In fact, God has told us to “be fruitful.” One of the three purposes for marriage is to have children. The Bible is clear in teaching that having children is a wonderful blessing from the hand of God. So at the basic level, Rachel’s desire for children was legitimate, but the first lesson we see is that idols are very insidious. As we are going to see in another week or so, idols are really nothing more than legitimate things out of balance. Satan is the master deceiver and a usurper. He is far too clever to tempt us with blatant idols, so he takes good things that God has created for His children, he distorts them, and then uses them for his own purposes. Idols are very insidious.
2. Idols twist our perception of reality. Rachel was so intent on the acquisition of her desire that she couldn’t see life realistically. Did you see that as we were reading the text? She thought Jacob was the one responsible for her conceiving or not. She had two children and in her mind she had more than her sister who had six! Her idol had twisted her way of thinking. I have talked with idolater one time who tried to convince me that smoking marijuana was fine for a follower of Christ. That it was no different from a Christian having a glass of wine with his dinner. What is the thinking behind that? A twisted perception of reality because of the pursuit of the idol. Why do radical pro-life advocates murder abortion doctors? Because they are idol worshipers. And their idolatry has perverted their perception of reality.
3. Idols never satisfy. We see this in the name of her first son. Not only does she come right out and say “May the Lord give me another son,” the name Joseph means “he increases.” One child wasn’t enough. What is lost in the English translation is the play on words in the Hebrew. Gen. 30:24 says literally, “and she called his name yosafe saying may the lord yasaph another son to me.” The bottom line is that once she attained her desire, she found out she wasn’t satisfied. That is the nature of idols. This is the whole problem of addictions. An addiction is idol worship. Cf. Henry Ford. When asked how much money was enough, he answered, “One more dollar.”
4. Idols will destroy you. The name of Rachel’s last child was Ben-oni, “son-of-my-sorrows.” Jacob didn’t care for that name so he called him Ben-jamin, “son of my right hand.” Ben-oni is probably more than a reference to a difficult delivery – it is an apt description of the misery / sorrow her idolatry had caused her over her lifetime. Idols will destroy you.
A recent example of this is Dr. Amy Bishop, the Harvard trained neurobiologist who killed three colleagues when she was denied tenure. Her idol is respect. We see this from the report that she once attacked a woman in a pancake house for taking the last booster seat. As she was punching the other woman in the head she said, “I am Dr. Amy Bishop.” She inflated her resume and one time flew into a rage when her name wasn’t listed first on a paper she had co-authored.
Idols will destroy you if they aren’t dealt with, and as we consider the story of Rachel, it is amazingly ironic that the woman who said, “Give me children or I die,” died in childbirth!
Conclusion: The reason I wanted to start our study of idols of the heart with this case study is because I want you to appreciate how serious this matter really is. Rachel and her consuming desire for children is the classic biblical example of an idol of the heart. This is a matter that I have been thinking about for nearly 18 months now, and as I have been thinking, and praying, and studying, and applying truth to my life, I have concluded that it is not an overstatement to say that Cornerstone Baptist Church is full of idolaters, and one of them is standing in front of you right now!
Would you join your pastor for the next few weeks in this endeavor? Would you pray along with me for three things:
that God would show you your idols,
that He would convict you when you are at worship, and
that He would grant you grace to tear down the idol?
If you are willing to do this, would you quietly stand to your feet while I pray for us.
1 John 5:21
Introduction: I’d like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to the last verse of 1 John. For the next several weeks we are going to be studying the concept of, “Idols of the heart,” and this is the text we are going to use as a springboard to launch us into this study. The Apostle John ends his first letter with a very curious admonition when he says, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” What do you suppose he had in mind when he wrote that? Was he telling his readers to be careful as they walked about town because large statues could fall on them and hurt them? Was he thinking about how so many people worshiped the idols that were prevalent in those days? It wasn’t hard to find statues of pagan gods and goddesses – they were everywhere. Was he telling his readers not to worship idols - not to revert to the paganism from which they had been delivered?
What is curious to me is that he doesn’t say, “Don’t worship idols.” He says, “Guard yourselves from them.” I believe that is significant. I don’t think his concern here is that his readers might abandon Christ and revert to the worship of Diana. The Apostle John is concerned about the myriad objects and desires that we set up in our hearts that replace God as the sole object of our worship. As we talk about idols of the heart for the next few weeks, that is the concept I want you to keep in mind. An idol is anything, tangible or intangible, that we love more than God. It is anything we want more than God and His will for us. It is anything we honor more than God. It is anything we pursue more than God. From this perspective it makes perfect sense for John to end his letter with a warning to guard ourselves because there are many, many, things that Satan would use to replace God as the sole object of our love and devotion.
As an introduction to this study, I thought it would be a good idea to go to the OT and look at a case study. Are you familiar with case studies? That is when you look at situation and then evaluate it from a particular perspective. In Gen. 29 and 30 we have the first use of the word “idol” in the Bible, and it is found in the story of Jacob. Turn there with me. In theses chapters we see his employment by his father in law, his marriages, the birth of his children, and his departure from his father in law. Let’s skim through these chapters, and as we do so, I’ll make various observations as we are reading, and then we will end the message by making several points of application concerning idols of the heart. We are going to start in chapter 29, down in verse 14. At this point, Jacob has met his uncle Laban for the first time.
14 And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.17 And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.
Remember this contrast between the two sisters – it plays into the story. The implication is that Leah was not physically appealing.
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." 19 And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man; stay with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
Can you imagine how that made Rachel feel? She was loved and desired!
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her." 22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 Now it came about in the evening that he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. Note the deception.
Jacob isn’t getting Rachel, the one he bargained for.
24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?"
This is a pretty calm response for such a treacherous deed!
26 But Laban said, "It is not the practice in our place, to marry off the younger before the first-born. 27 "Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years." 28 And Jacob did so and completed her week [seven years], and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
So now Jacob has four women in his home – two wives with their personal maids.
30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.
Again, think of the climate this produced in the home!
31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
Note the divine dimension of conception. This plays into the story as well.
32 And Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me." 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
As we come to chapter 30, note Rachel’s response to Leah’s fertility.
Genesis 30:1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die."
Rachel’s barrenness is a source of huge sorrow and embarrassment for her, especially when contrasted with her plain sister. Can you imagine how she felt every time she heard one of the children cry? It was a cutting reminder of her barrenness. Every time Jacob came in from the fields and those four boys came running out to see Daddy and he would romp and frolic with them was another twist of the knife in her belly. For all her life Rachel had probably received all the attention because of her beauty, but now it was the “other wife” who was producing male offspring. This was huge in that culture. And her bitterness was so great that it twisted her perception of reality. She blamed Jacob!
2 Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
Again we see the divine element in conception.
3 And she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children."
This was a legal way for a barren woman to have children. It would be akin to surrogate motherhood.
4 So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son." Therefore she named him Dan. 7 And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 So Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed." And she named him Naphtali.
Note how twisted her thinking has become because of her desire to have children. This has now become a contest and she thinks she is winning! It is very sad what jealousy will do to a person.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad. 12 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, "Happy am I! For women will call me happy." So she named him Asher. 14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben [Leah’s oldest son] went and found mandrakes [apparently they thought mandrakes had some kind of fertility enhancement] in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 15 But she said to her, "Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son's mandrakes also?" So Rachel said, "Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."
Isn’t this getting rather pathetic? It sounds like Leah has been completely shunned by Jacob.
16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night. 17 And God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I gave my maid to my husband." So she named him Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. 21 And afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah. 22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach."
Pause here. Rachel finally has what she wants, right? In verse one of this chapter she says, “give me a son, or else I die.” Now she finally has a son from her own womb. No surrogate was involved. Case closed – she is a contented mother. Right? Wrong! Look at what she names her son in verse 24.
24 And she named him Joseph, saying, "May the LORD give me another son."
This is very instructive.
25 Now it came about when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country. 26 "Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you."
From verse 27 to chapter 31:17, we have the story of Jacob’s departure. We are going to skip all of it pick up with verse 31:17.
17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had athered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father's.
Here is the first time you see the word idol in the Bible.
20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. 22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 then he took his kinsmen with him, and pursued him a distance of seven days' journey; and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad."
25 And Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; 28 and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly. 29 "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.' 30 "And now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal my gods?" This is the ultimate insult. 31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you would take your daughters from me by force.' 32 "The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched, but did not find the household idols.
Our opinion of Rachel continues to plummet!
Now let’s skip down to chapter 35, verse 16. In this verse we read the account of Rachel’s death.
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. 17 And it came about when she was in severe labor that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for now you have another son." 18 And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
So here we have our first mention of idols in the Bible, and as we start analyzing this story, where do we see idolatry first? It’s not in the theft of the household gods, it’s seen in 30:1. “Give me children, or else I die,” is perhaps the most blatant statement of idolatry we have in the Bible. Let’s go back to the beginning of the message where we defined idolatry. What was our definition? “An idol is anything, tangible or intangible, that we love more than God, that we want more than God and His will for us, that we honor more than God, and that we pursue more than God.” Do Rachel’s actions fit the definition? Absolutely.
Lessons to learn from Rachel:
1. Idols are very insidious. Is there anything intrinsically wrong with strongly desiring children? Not at all. In fact, God has told us to “be fruitful.” One of the three purposes for marriage is to have children. The Bible is clear in teaching that having children is a wonderful blessing from the hand of God. So at the basic level, Rachel’s desire for children was legitimate, but the first lesson we see is that idols are very insidious. As we are going to see in another week or so, idols are really nothing more than legitimate things out of balance. Satan is the master deceiver and a usurper. He is far too clever to tempt us with blatant idols, so he takes good things that God has created for His children, he distorts them, and then uses them for his own purposes. Idols are very insidious.
2. Idols twist our perception of reality. Rachel was so intent on the acquisition of her desire that she couldn’t see life realistically. Did you see that as we were reading the text? She thought Jacob was the one responsible for her conceiving or not. She had two children and in her mind she had more than her sister who had six! Her idol had twisted her way of thinking. I have talked with idolater one time who tried to convince me that smoking marijuana was fine for a follower of Christ. That it was no different from a Christian having a glass of wine with his dinner. What is the thinking behind that? A twisted perception of reality because of the pursuit of the idol. Why do radical pro-life advocates murder abortion doctors? Because they are idol worshipers. And their idolatry has perverted their perception of reality.
3. Idols never satisfy. We see this in the name of her first son. Not only does she come right out and say “May the Lord give me another son,” the name Joseph means “he increases.” One child wasn’t enough. What is lost in the English translation is the play on words in the Hebrew. Gen. 30:24 says literally, “and she called his name yosafe saying may the lord yasaph another son to me.” The bottom line is that once she attained her desire, she found out she wasn’t satisfied. That is the nature of idols. This is the whole problem of addictions. An addiction is idol worship. Cf. Henry Ford. When asked how much money was enough, he answered, “One more dollar.”
4. Idols will destroy you. The name of Rachel’s last child was Ben-oni, “son-of-my-sorrows.” Jacob didn’t care for that name so he called him Ben-jamin, “son of my right hand.” Ben-oni is probably more than a reference to a difficult delivery – it is an apt description of the misery / sorrow her idolatry had caused her over her lifetime. Idols will destroy you.
A recent example of this is Dr. Amy Bishop, the Harvard trained neurobiologist who killed three colleagues when she was denied tenure. Her idol is respect. We see this from the report that she once attacked a woman in a pancake house for taking the last booster seat. As she was punching the other woman in the head she said, “I am Dr. Amy Bishop.” She inflated her resume and one time flew into a rage when her name wasn’t listed first on a paper she had co-authored.
Idols will destroy you if they aren’t dealt with, and as we consider the story of Rachel, it is amazingly ironic that the woman who said, “Give me children or I die,” died in childbirth!
Conclusion: The reason I wanted to start our study of idols of the heart with this case study is because I want you to appreciate how serious this matter really is. Rachel and her consuming desire for children is the classic biblical example of an idol of the heart. This is a matter that I have been thinking about for nearly 18 months now, and as I have been thinking, and praying, and studying, and applying truth to my life, I have concluded that it is not an overstatement to say that Cornerstone Baptist Church is full of idolaters, and one of them is standing in front of you right now!
Would you join your pastor for the next few weeks in this endeavor? Would you pray along with me for three things:
that God would show you your idols,
that He would convict you when you are at worship, and
that He would grant you grace to tear down the idol?
If you are willing to do this, would you quietly stand to your feet while I pray for us.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Several people have mentioned that they can't make the first Basics for Believers class, so I'm posting the answers to the first lesson here.
Welcome to the family of God! Your decision to confess Jesus Christ as your Savior (focus on eternity) and Lord (focus on right now) has brought you into a wonderful new life and relationship to God. Many things happened when you trusted Jesus Christ and told Him that as a sinner you needed Him for eternal salvation. We will first examine what happened to you at the moment of conversion; then, we will see what the Bible has to say about assurance of salvation.
1. Your Eternal Salvation – at the moment of salvation, you were:
A. Justified: This is a legal term meaning “declared righteous.” Rom. 3:24, 5:1. Note that in 3:24 our justification is a ―gift,‖ not something we deserve. We are not declared righteous because we are legally innocent! In 5:1, it is described as being obtained by ―faith,‖ not something we earn or deserve.
B. Given Peace With God: Rom. 5:1. The result of justification is peace with God. We are no longer estranged from God because of our sins. Your conscience is cleared and the guilt is lifted because you know you have been reconciled to God (that is, you were once separated from God but the differences are settled – 2 Cor. 5:18-21).
C. Redeemed: 1 Peter 1:18-19. This is the act of God whereby He paid the price of our sins. The only payment for sin is blood, a concept illustrated graphically in the OT sacrificial system (Heb. 9:22). But even all the bloodshed of the OT sacrificial system wasn‘t sufficient for salvation (Heb. 10:1-5). This is why Christ had to die. His blood was the only sufficient sacrifice. God purchased sinners through the death of Christ.
D. Given An Inheritance: 1 Peter 1:3-4. One aspect of this inheritance is seen in John 14:1-4 where we see that heaven is our eventual home. Another dimension of this inheritance is seen in 1 John 3:2 where we see that eventually we will be perfect.
E. Given a New Status: You are now a member of a holy and royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5,9); a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20); and a member in the family of God by birth (Jn. 3:5) and adoption (Gal. 4:5).
A. You can begin to understand God‘s Word (1 Cor. 2:12, 14).
B. You can obtain strength to apply the Word to change sinful habit patterns (1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 4:13).
C. You can experience joy in trials (James 1:2-4; Rom. 8:28-29).
D. You can have fellowship with other believers in the church of Christ (1 John 1:7-9).
II. Your Assurance of Eternal Salvation: How do you know that you really have eternal life?
1. Read 1 John 5:11-13. God says, “The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” Note: The witness is not your feelings! Not a human‘s statement! God’s word is the witness!
2. According to 1 John 5:12, when a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, what does he have? life According to verse 13, how long is this life? eternal
3. Circle the correct word from verse 13: “Theses things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may (think) (feel) (wish) (suppose) (hope) (know) that you have eternal life.
4. Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. What are three descriptions of your inheritance which is reserved in Heaven.
1. It is imperishable.
2. It is undefiled.
3. It will not fade away.
Contrast these concepts with the typical human inheritance. Who protects this inheritance? (v.5) The power of God.
5. Look up 2 Tim. 1:12. How confident can you be in His keeping power? Very! The point of the verse is that when we entrust our souls to God, it is none other than God‘s power that is guarding us.
According to Philippians 1:6, why can we have this confidence? God will certainly finish what He has started. And He is the initiator in salvation!
Note: Our assurance of eternal life is beneficial in many ways, but its main purpose is to enable us to live and grow in the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:28-29a).
6. What 4 things characterize those who possess eternal life? (John 10: 27&28)
a. they hear God’s voice
b. they follow God
c. they have eternal life
d. they are safe
7. Your eternal salvation is guaranteed by:
a. The Savior‘s Word (John 5:24)
b. The Savior‘s Promise (Phil. 1:6)
c. The Savior‘s Hand (John 10:28-30)
d. The Savior‘s Prayer (John 17:15,24)
e. The Savior‘s Love (Romans 8:35, 37-39)
f. The Savior‘s Seal (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30)
g. The Savior‘s Power ( 2 Tim. 1:12; Jude 1:24; Rom. 5:1-11; 8:31-39; 11:20; Matt. 7:23)
a. He has eternal life.
b. He will not be judged.
c. He has passed from death to life.
9. What are some evidences of eternal life?
a. 1 John 5:13 you can know you have eternal life.
b. 1 John 3:14 we love other Christians
c. 1 John 2:5 we are obedient to the Word of God
Through a person, or your own thoughts, Satan may ask you, ―Surely you don‘t believe you are going to Heaven simply because of a passage of Scripture like Rom 10:9, do you?‖ Or it may be a little more subtle, ―You don‘t feel saved, do you?‖ God wants you to avoid the tragic mistake of basing your life on your feelings. He wants you to begin basing you life on that which can never fail—the eternal Word of God! Remember: Faith is not based on the five senses, it is based on God’s promises. See Heb. 11:1-6 and Rom 4:20 & 21 for more proof.
Lesson #1 – Assurance of Salvation
Welcome to the family of God! Your decision to confess Jesus Christ as your Savior (focus on eternity) and Lord (focus on right now) has brought you into a wonderful new life and relationship to God. Many things happened when you trusted Jesus Christ and told Him that as a sinner you needed Him for eternal salvation. We will first examine what happened to you at the moment of conversion; then, we will see what the Bible has to say about assurance of salvation.
1. Your Eternal Salvation – at the moment of salvation, you were:
A. Justified: This is a legal term meaning “declared righteous.” Rom. 3:24, 5:1. Note that in 3:24 our justification is a ―gift,‖ not something we deserve. We are not declared righteous because we are legally innocent! In 5:1, it is described as being obtained by ―faith,‖ not something we earn or deserve.
B. Given Peace With God: Rom. 5:1. The result of justification is peace with God. We are no longer estranged from God because of our sins. Your conscience is cleared and the guilt is lifted because you know you have been reconciled to God (that is, you were once separated from God but the differences are settled – 2 Cor. 5:18-21).
C. Redeemed: 1 Peter 1:18-19. This is the act of God whereby He paid the price of our sins. The only payment for sin is blood, a concept illustrated graphically in the OT sacrificial system (Heb. 9:22). But even all the bloodshed of the OT sacrificial system wasn‘t sufficient for salvation (Heb. 10:1-5). This is why Christ had to die. His blood was the only sufficient sacrifice. God purchased sinners through the death of Christ.
D. Given An Inheritance: 1 Peter 1:3-4. One aspect of this inheritance is seen in John 14:1-4 where we see that heaven is our eventual home. Another dimension of this inheritance is seen in 1 John 3:2 where we see that eventually we will be perfect.
E. Given a New Status: You are now a member of a holy and royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5,9); a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20); and a member in the family of God by birth (Jn. 3:5) and adoption (Gal. 4:5).
Summary: Since you are now in the family of God, many wonderful things are possible.
A. You can begin to understand God‘s Word (1 Cor. 2:12, 14).
B. You can obtain strength to apply the Word to change sinful habit patterns (1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 4:13).
C. You can experience joy in trials (James 1:2-4; Rom. 8:28-29).
D. You can have fellowship with other believers in the church of Christ (1 John 1:7-9).
II. Your Assurance of Eternal Salvation: How do you know that you really have eternal life?
1. Read 1 John 5:11-13. God says, “The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” Note: The witness is not your feelings! Not a human‘s statement! God’s word is the witness!
2. According to 1 John 5:12, when a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, what does he have? life According to verse 13, how long is this life? eternal
3. Circle the correct word from verse 13: “Theses things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may (think) (feel) (wish) (suppose) (hope) (know) that you have eternal life.
4. Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. What are three descriptions of your inheritance which is reserved in Heaven.
1. It is imperishable.
2. It is undefiled.
3. It will not fade away.
Contrast these concepts with the typical human inheritance. Who protects this inheritance? (v.5) The power of God.
5. Look up 2 Tim. 1:12. How confident can you be in His keeping power? Very! The point of the verse is that when we entrust our souls to God, it is none other than God‘s power that is guarding us.
According to Philippians 1:6, why can we have this confidence? God will certainly finish what He has started. And He is the initiator in salvation!
Note: Our assurance of eternal life is beneficial in many ways, but its main purpose is to enable us to live and grow in the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:28-29a).
6. What 4 things characterize those who possess eternal life? (John 10: 27&28)
a. they hear God’s voice
b. they follow God
c. they have eternal life
d. they are safe
7. Your eternal salvation is guaranteed by:
a. The Savior‘s Word (John 5:24)
b. The Savior‘s Promise (Phil. 1:6)
c. The Savior‘s Hand (John 10:28-30)
d. The Savior‘s Prayer (John 17:15,24)
e. The Savior‘s Love (Romans 8:35, 37-39)
f. The Savior‘s Seal (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30)
g. The Savior‘s Power ( 2 Tim. 1:12; Jude 1:24; Rom. 5:1-11; 8:31-39; 11:20; Matt. 7:23)
It is God’s power that keeps us saved, not our ability to stay saved!
8. Note three great truths about the believer from John 5:24.
a. He has eternal life.
b. He will not be judged.
c. He has passed from death to life.
9. What are some evidences of eternal life?
a. 1 John 5:13 you can know you have eternal life.
b. 1 John 3:14 we love other Christians
c. 1 John 2:5 we are obedient to the Word of God
Through a person, or your own thoughts, Satan may ask you, ―Surely you don‘t believe you are going to Heaven simply because of a passage of Scripture like Rom 10:9, do you?‖ Or it may be a little more subtle, ―You don‘t feel saved, do you?‖ God wants you to avoid the tragic mistake of basing your life on your feelings. He wants you to begin basing you life on that which can never fail—the eternal Word of God! Remember: Faith is not based on the five senses, it is based on God’s promises. See Heb. 11:1-6 and Rom 4:20 & 21 for more proof.
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