Idolatry- Alive & Kickin-Episode 45

Do you think idolatry doesn’t exist in your life? Think again. Gigi shares her personal journey of discovering the presence of idolatry in her life. She explains what idolatry means, its consequences, and emphasizes the crucial importance of self-awareness in this process. This message is relevant to everyone and should not be overlooked eternity depends on it!

 Resources Mentioned:

 More Than Anything- Loving God Above Everything Else" by the Daily Grace Company

 Scriptures:

Jonah 2:8

Romans 1:25

Exodus 20:3

Exodus 20:5

Revelation 22:15 

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Galatians 5:19-21

Ephesians 5:5

 Suggested Worship- “My Everything” by Joe Mettle

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Transcript

Aloha ladies. Welcome back. 

 What if I told you that idolatry is alive and well, and if you looked closely in the mirror, you just might discover that you have a smidge of it? That’s why self-examination is pivotal. 

 I know, right about now, especially all you Christians, you are immediately shaking your head, dismissing the thought altogether, and defiantly saying, "Nope- not me. I'm all good - no idols here.”     

 Don't be deceived or naive.  

 Because I’m not talking about statutes or trinkets – I’m not even talking about the depictions of Jesus hanging on the cross.    I'm talking about real-life idolatry that creeps in undetected and infects even the most pious of churches! 

 And here is the saddest part: We've been taught that all we have to do is accept Jesus as our Savior, go to church, love others, and strive to be a "good person." That God knows our hearts, and He is going to love us no matter what, and we all get to go to heaven with no negative repercussions.  

 But in truth, if we aren’t careful, we overlook the game-changer, and it's big and it carries a hefty price tag!  Idolatry—the number one command—to have no other god(s) above the one-true God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!  

 You know that old saying that “actions speak louder than words?”   Well, that’s exactly right; when we cling to worthless things  (idols), we effectively turn away from God’s love.   (Jonah 2:8)

 It’s a choice -when we choose to hold tightly to the things of this world, we in essence reject God.  

 We actually fall for what I call “The Great Deception” -  in that, we exchange the truth about God for a lie, and we worship and serve the created instead of the creator. (Romans 1:25)

 Don’t believe me?  

 Let me ask you a few questions and stop and answer them honestly- knee-jerk reaction:  

·      If you had to choose between, say, attending a favorite sporting event—like the Super Bowl or Taylor Swift in concert versus attending a church function, which would you pick?  

 ·      How about this—where does all your money go? Do you spend more per year on entertainment, dining out, and vacations over donating to charity—tithing to the church? How do those numbers stack up? 

·      What’s your worst nightmare?    Dr. David Paulsen would tell you-  "Show me a person's worst nightmare, and I'll show you something that has the potential to be a god in their life.”

·      Where do you turn for comfort? 

·      Whose applause or praise do you long for?   

·      Lastly, are you OK if you lost everything in a house fire – your home and all of your possessions with no insurance to replace them?   Is that well with your soul? Are you going to blame God and turn away, or have joy and peace that surpasses all understanding? 

 I know- these are super tough questions. But, answer them honestly- BECAUSE IT MATTERS!     

 Did you answer God for any of them? Did you choose what pleases Him above your own desires and passions?  

 Because if there is a single one of these that God isn’t the answer- then you have idolatry! 

 Whatever you give more of your attention, time, energy, passion, money, and devotion to, that's your “god!” 

 They effectively become your idols or “mistresses” because you are actually cheating on the Lord.   No different than if you cheated on your spouse or your significant other. 

 And let me tell you—God doesn't miss a single thing, and He is jealous! Big time! 

 Exodus 20:3 says- “You shall have no other gods before me.”    This isn’t just talking about "images." It's anything that you prioritize over knowing and obeying God.  

 Anything!  

 Exodus 20:5 goes on to say- “I, the Lord, am a jealous God punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

 We must never forget that we were made to be in a relationship with the Lord. And when we willfully choose anything else over Him, there are consequences—either to be loved or to be punished.  

 And that punishment isn’t just in this lifetime but for eternity!   Scripture tells us multiple times that idolaters will NOT inherit the kingdom of heaven! Look it up for yourself- Rev.22:15, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, & Ephesians 5:5.   They all say the same things- it doesn’t say if you accepted Jesus you are all good- no they say if you are an idolater you will not inherit the kingdom of Heaven.  This a commandment, a requirement, it’s an expectation.  

 Make no mistake- this is SERIOUS BUSINESS. And I say all of this because if you had told me even two years ago that I had idolatry in my life, I would have called you crazy.   I now see that response came from a place of arrogance and ignorance. You see, God, in His mercy, revealed to me and my husband that we both had idolatry in our lives, and it completely took us by surprise!   What we had made as our “idols” were each other.    We were placing each other on the thrones of our hearts in the rightful place of God.   We were getting our comfort, pleasure, security, and provision not from the Lord but from our spouse, prioritizing and loving each other more than God. 

 It was subtle and ran under the radar because, of course, God wants us to love each other and have a good marriage, but not at the expense of our love for Him! I created marriage for our good and benefit, but it was never supposed to take His place in our hearts! 

 We came to this revelation after a five-week deep dive into Scripture aided by a fantastic book. We discovered so many things that we had never considered as idolatry.  

 Boy, our eyes are wide open now!  

 So, I can’t recommend this book enough-  “More Than Anything- Loving God Above Everything Else" by the Daily Grace Company. It's a beautifully illustrated book that explores idolatry comprehensively and thoughtfully.   Taking a close look at the Scriptures and examining over 20 different areas – with some that were very surprising: body image, self-sufficiency, children, perfectionism, and even busyness. Idols- and ones that are a far cry from that golden calf statute! 

 Ladies:   Don’t be like me and risk having idolatry in your life and not even know it!    It matters- right now, it matters for your future generations and for your eternity! Because anything that you hold in your heart that you can’t live without is idolatry.    Anything that you run to for comfort, security, or assurance instead of God- is idolatry.   Anything that you devote your time and attention to over God- is idolatry.  

 Your choices matter because God is the only one who can fulfill and satisfy our every need, longing, passion, pleasure, and purpose.   

 To think otherwise- well- it’s adulteress idolatry.    

 You do not want to look in the mirror one day and realize you've got a scarlet letter on your forehead, and it's too late to do anything about it!   Because here’s the thing- heaven actually isn’t our final destination- it's the New Jerusalem where we will dwell with the Lord forever, and Scripture tells us plainly that there are certain people who will NOT be allowed in, and yep, idolaters are one of them!     

 Remove it NOW- before it’s too late!