Idols: Lesson 1

Overview

Idolatry Is Not a Primitive Problem

It is tempting to think of idolatry as something belonging to ancient peoples who fashioned golden calves and bowed to objects of their own making. Yet idolatry is not confined to any one age. Every human heart will worship something or someone. As Martin Luther observed, "Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God." Calvin similarly described the human heart as "an idol factory." An idol, simply put, is anything other than God to which we ascribe ultimate value.

The Lord's Word Against Idols

In Ezekiel 14:1–6, the Lord rebukes the elders of Israel who had "taken their idols into their hearts" and calls them to repent—to turn around and walk the opposite direction. This call comes against the backdrop of God's covenant with Abraham Genesis 17:7 and the clear word of the First Commandment in Exodus 20:1–6: "You shall have no other gods before me." Israel's repeated turning to idols brought God's judgment in the Babylonian exile, a sober reminder that God is unambiguous in his hatred of idolatry. 2 Kings 17:9–12 shows that idolatry takes both secret and public forms, and Romans 1:18–23 reminds us that exchanging the glory of the immortal God for created things is the very definition of foolishness.

Loving Good Things Too Much

Augustine made the striking point that idolatry is "not so much in loving bad things, but in loving good things too much." Money, career, success, and family are not evil in themselves—but each can quietly take the place that belongs to God alone. Every sin, at its root, is a violation of the First Commandment. Consider: What do you daydream about? What occupies your thoughts when you wake or go to sleep? What would devastate you to lose? If the answer is something other than Christ, an idol may be at work. God's people are as susceptible to idolatry as anyone else.

Grace That Frees Us from Idols

The good news is that Jesus is the only one who never committed idolatry. He went to the cross bearing all our sin—including our idolatry—and his empty tomb assures us that his sacrifice was accepted. In baptism we have been joined to his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4; Colossians 2:12). On that basis, Colossians 3:1–5 calls us to "seek the things that are above" and to put to death "greed, which is idolatry." The indicative of who we are in Christ empowers the imperative of how we now live. Each day we return to our baptism in repentance, hear God's word of absolution, and are raised anew—because Jesus is more beautiful than any idol our hearts could fashion.

Transcript

Good morning and welcome. 4s

What a joy it is to rally a new around the Word of God and we begin today a whole new season 7s

of adult classes. 14s

There are several different classes that for this season have been planned and we so 16s

look forward to delivering those lessons to you in the various topics that we're going 21s

to be studying. 27s

I'd like to begin this new season by focusing on a topic of idols. 29s

It's an interesting study I believe because what it reveals is sometimes we can have 37s

idols that we don't even know that we have. 42s

So may God, Richly Bless, our time of study as we begin this new season in adult education. 47s

Let's pray to the Lord. 55s

Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this time and your Word for your Word is truth. 58s

We thank you, Lord, that you do call us to delight in your Word and what a treasure it is to have your Word. 66s

So Father, as we study your Word, we do so with the confidence that you speak to us, 75s

that we hold in our hands your very Word to us what a precious, precious gift. 80s

Bless now, these weeks of studying about idols. 89s

Forgive us, Lord, for our own idolatry and raise us up a new each day by your grace. 94s

In Jesus' name we pray. 104s

Amen. 107s

Many consider idolatry as a primitive practice. 109s

For example, if you simply say the word idle, perhaps what comes to mind is when the people of old formed the gold calf. 116s

When you ponder that, that really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. 127s

Does it? That the people would form something with their own hands or they would attribute to an object, a deity status to it. 132s

That they would create a God of their own making and then attribute all that had happened to them as a blessing from that particular creation that they had made. 143s

When one creates the idol then, when is creating their own God and giving it attributes, attributes that somehow that God blesses you. 157s

And so when we think of idolatry, we can so often think of the practices of old, the practices of ancient day that we read about in the Bible. 172s

Where people would form the idols, give it that status of deity and then worship the idol somehow forgetting that the very thing that they were worshiping had been created or formed by their own hands. 181s

But as we're going to see idolatry is not some type of primitive practice. 200s

Because all of us, no matter what part of time we live in, whether in ancient day till now or into the future, every person will worship something or some one. 208s

Martin Luther said this about idolatry. 226s

Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. I'll read that again. 231s

Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. 241s

Kelvin put it this way, the human heart is an idol factory. Every one of us from our mother's womb is an expert in inventing idols. 251s

So for the next five weeks, we're going to explore this topic of idolatry. 265s

We're going to see that it's not some type of primitive practice, but in actuality, it is that which touches all of us today. 271s

We're going to ask for forgiveness for our idolatry, confident indeed, that we are forgiven people through the blood of Jesus Christ. 284s

We're going to ask for empowerment for us to live anew, abandoning whatever idols we have. And as we study, we might be surprised at some of the idols that we have. 294s

That we didn't even know that we had. 312s

So let's, in this first week, let's lay some pavement here for our weeks ahead on the subject of idolatry. 317s

And let's start in the book of Ezekiel. 325s

The book of Ezekiel. Now a good way to find the book of Ezekiel is to open up to the very center of holy scriptures. 329s

That's going to land you in the Psalms and then go right. 334s

Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Son of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and then Ezekiel. 338s

Ezekiel, chapter 14, is where we will start. Ezekiel is one of what's called the major prophets. 348s

Remember there are major prophets in the Old Testament. There's minor prophets in the Old Testament. 357s

A major prophet wasn't more important than the minor prophets. A major prophet simply indicated that it's a longer book. 360s

Ezekiel is one of the longer of the prophetic books. And so Ezekiel was a major prophet. 368s

And Ezekiel, the 14th chapter, Ezekiel was ministering to the people of Judah that were in Babylonian captivity. 376s

So he was really an exile ministering to the other exiles. 386s

And we pick up in chapter 14 and we'll begin with verse 1. There we read this. 392s

Certain elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. And the word of the Lord came to me. 401s

Mortal, these men have taken their idols into their hearts and placed their iniquity as a stumbling block before them. 408s

Shall I let myself be consulted by them? 420s

Therefore speak to them and say to them. Thus says the Lord God. 425s

Any of those of the house of Israel who take their idols into their hearts and place their iniquity as a stumbling block before them. 431s

And yet come to the prophet, I the Lord will answer those who come with the multitude of their idols in order that they may take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, 442s

all of whom are estranged from me through their idols. 456s

Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, repent and turn away from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 463s

The call then is to repent of idolatry. 484s

And that reference to turning away is really an emphasis of the very meaning of repent. 488s

For repent means to turn around and to go another direction. 495s

The scriptural image here from the word is if you were just walking a certain way and when you repent you stop, you turn around and you go the exact opposite way from the way that you were going to repent. 499s

That's the call here. It's the call for the people to repent of their idolatry. It's the call for the people to turn around and go a different way to leave behind the false gods, the false deities and to turn around and go a different direction. 512s

Let's look at the backdrop of this and let's get a larger or long-term scope on it. 532s

God had promised Abraham of old. The God would create the people through him and Sarah and out of this line of people would come the Messiah. 540s

It was a land, offspring and blessing covenant that was established. 552s

Let's go back to the very first book of the Bible, Genesis. 558s

Genesis chapter 17 and we'll pick up in verse 7. 563s

Genesis chapter 17 beginning with verse 7. God says this. 568s

I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 576s

I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land where you are now an alien all the land of Cana for a perpetual holding and I will be there. 593s

What a beautiful promise. Remember again through this line of people comes the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. 608s

What we see, what we see in Holy Scripture is that these people whom God had birthed, these people continually turned to idolatry. 618s

They continually turned away from the one true God into idols of their own making, idols of their own imagination. 632s

They turned away from God and as a result of that God's judgment came upon the people and the people wound up in Babylonian captivity away from their homeland. 644s

As God's judgment had been expressed how God used the Babylonians to exercise the judgment that he was placing upon his people. 660s

They had turned away from God and they had moved into idolatry. 675s

God was absolutely clear, absolutely consistent, absolutely clear in terms that he of hoard idolatry, hated idolatry. 682s

Let's go to Exodus, the 20th chapter. Exodus chapter 20, Genesis and then Exodus, Exodus chapter 20 and we'll pick up in verse 1. 698s

Exodus 20, into verse 1. 715s

Then God spoke all these words, I and the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 720s

You shall have no other gods before me. 732s

You shall not make for yourself an idol whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath. 738s

Or that is in the water under the earth. 748s

You shall not bow down to them or worship them for I the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me. 752s

But showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 768s

God was not ambiguous. God was absolutely clear. 779s

You shall worship him and worship him alone and that idols were to have no part of anyone's life. 786s

Idols you see come from a corrupted heart. 799s

It comes from a corrupted heart that desires instead of the Creator. 804s

It desires something created by the person. 811s

Idolatory is not merely a matter of loving or not loving God. 817s

It's not merely a matter of that. 822s

Idolatory is a matter of loving something or someone more than God. 825s

Let's go back again to Ezekiel, the 14th chapter. Ezekiel, chapter 14. 835s

We'll look again at verse 6. Ezekiel 14, verse 6. 845s

Therefore, say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, 855s

repent, turn away from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 860s

Turn away your faces from that which is abhorrent to God. 869s

The Israelites you see had been turning toward their idols to something or to someone other than the true God. 878s

Here's the point. 892s

Whatever grabs our attention ahead of the true God is an idol. 895s

Whatever grabs our attention ahead of the true God, Father Son Holy Spirit, is an idol. 905s

Church Father Augustine made the case that idolatry is not so much in loving bad things but in loving good things too much. 918s

It's interesting, isn't it? 929s

Augustine said idolatry is not so much in loving bad things but it's loving good things too much. 931s

The point of that with me a little bit. 939s

Money. 942s

Money in and of itself is not a bad thing, right? 944s

But it can become an idol. 950s

It can become that which consumes us. 953s

It can become that which holds our attention before God where God gets relegated behind money. 957s

Instead of understanding that all belongs to God, that we are simply stewards of that which belongs to Him. 969s

We can get a false understanding of money and it becomes an idol. 977s

Not that money in and of itself is bad but it can become the idol or how about career? 984s

Career of itself is not bad but career can become the idol, right? 994s

The priorities. 1006s

God first, family second, work third. 1008s

Remember my Father teaching that over and over and over again. 1011s

God first, family second, work third. 1017s

You see, if career takes the place that it shouldn't place, place in, then it can become the idol. 1021s

It can become the idol. 1033s

In and of itself the career is not bad but it can become bad if it becomes the idol or how about success? 1035s

Success isn't bad, right? 1050s

In and of itself success provided that the success is accomplished or happens based upon that which is moral, that which is right. 1053s

Success isn't bad but success can become an idol. 1067s

Where the pursuit of success becomes the most important thing in one's life. 1073s

The projection to others that your some great success becomes that which is the consuming passion in one's life. 1078s

Then the success has become the idol. 1085s

It's become the most important thing in one's life. 1091s

How about family? 1096s

Family certainly is a good thing. 1099s

But if the priorities get mixed up, if it becomes family, God work, and you see family has become the idol. 1104s

Family then has supplanted God and God's supreme position. 1119s

That's why Augustine said, idolatry is not so much in loving the bad things but it's in loving the good things too much. 1126s

Every sin, every sin then is first and foremost a violation of the first commandment that we shall have no other gods. 1138s

Idolatry at its heart is a violation of the first commandment to have no other gods. 1150s

Let's go to the book of Romans as we continue to lay more pavement for the weeks ahead. 1163s

Matthew, Mark, New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1170s

Here the Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes this and we'll pick up in verse 18 of chapter 1 of Romans. 1177s

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 1190s

For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. 1204s

Ever since the creation of the world, his eternal power and divine nature, invisible, though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. 1211s

You see, in other words, as one looks at creation, it is only logical to assume that there is a creator of that which is so complex as creation itself. 1224s

That creation just didn't happen but that it was created, so the creation gives evidence of the creator. 1237s

And then when one gets into the details of the complexity and the intricacy of creation, God's hand is most definitely seen. 1248s

So Paul is saying here that one can simply look at creation and see that there is a God. 1259s

One understands then who this God is through the witness born of Holy Scripture, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 1268s

Paul goes on. 1276s

So they are without excuse. 1278s

For though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. 1281s

But they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. 1287s

Claiming to be wise, they became fools. 1296s

And they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 1301s

God says, that's a definition of a fool. 1315s

It's a definition of a fool. 1320s

To exchange for these idols resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 1325s

As people make up their own religion, as people make up their own idols and then worship the very creation of their own hands or their minds. 1335s

Let's go to 2 Kings in the Old Testament. 1354s

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Samuel, Kings, and then Kings. 1358s

2 Kings, chapter 17, will pick up in verse 9. 1371s

2 Kings, 17, verse 9. 1379s

There we read. 1383s

The people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the Lord their God. 1386s

They built for themselves high places at all their towns from watchtower to fortified city. 1395s

They set up for themselves pillars and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 1404s

There they made offerings on all the high places as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. 1414s

They did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger. 1422s

They served idols of which the Lord had said to them, 1428s

You shall not do this. 1433s

You shall not do this. 1438s

It's interesting in that very first verse, isn't it? 1441s

Or it says the people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the Lord their God. 1444s

So not only was their idolatry expressed in secrecy, but then it was openly manifest in the creation of their idols that could be seen. 1452s

So they had their own idolatry secretly and then it was also expressed quite publicly. 1462s

Here's the point. 1471s

God's people are as susceptible to idolatry as the non-believer. 1473s

God's people are as susceptible to idolatry as one who doesn't believe. 1484s

An idol is something other than God to which you ascribe ultimate value, 1496s

something other than God that you ascribe ultimate value. 1507s

So let me ask you these questions to reflect on. 1514s

What do you daydream about, what do you daydream about? 1521s

What do you go to bed thinking about? 1529s

What do you go to bed thinking about? 1534s

What do you wake up in the morning thinking about? 1539s

What are you thinking about when you wake up? 1542s

What exists in your life to which you freely and effortlessly give your time, your energy, 1547s

your emotion, your thoughts, your money? 1556s

What is the thing in life that makes you think? 1565s

If I had this, then my life would finally be right. 1570s

What is the thing in life that makes you think? 1579s

If I lost this, my life would mean nothing, and I'd rather die. 1585s

If the answer to those questions is something other than Jesus, then you might have an idolatrous relationship. 1596s

If the answer is something other than Jesus, you might have an idolatrous relationship. 1612s

G.K. Beel put it this way. 1620s

The idol is whatever claims the loyalty that belongs to God alone. 1624s

Kyle Eidelman said, anything that becomes the purpose or driving force of your life probably 1632s

points back to idolatry of some kind. 1644s

So we're going to look at a different idol each and every week. 1655s

Some of the things that we're going to study might be a surprise of what turns out to be an idol. 1662s

So where's the grace in all of this? 1674s

Where's the grace in all of this? 1677s

Jesus is the only person who never committed idolatry. 1683s

He's the only person that never, ever committed idolatry. 1688s

In fact, to rescue us from our idolatry, 1693s

He died on the cross shedding His blood, taking all of our sin, past, present, and future, 1699s

all of our sin, including all of our idolatry upon Him at the cross, winning for us forgiveness. 1707s

The confidence that is ours, that the sacrifice for sin was accepted is the empty tomb of our Lord. 1716s

He comes to rescue us from our idolatry. 1726s

May we repent of our love. 1732s

May we repent of our love for anything or anyone that is put ahead of God Almighty. 1736s

May we repent of our idolatry. 1750s

I think of Colossians, the third chapter. 1758s

What a beautiful word of grace. 1762s

Let's turn there, please. 1763s

New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 1766s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and then Colossians. 1770s

Colossians chapter 3, verses 1 to 5. 1777s

And here we read, verse 1, chapter 3. 1783s

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, 1789s

seated at the right hand of God. 1796s

Now listen in this section for Indicatives and Imperatives. 1801s

Indicatives, of course, are statements of facts and imperatives are so go about and do this. 1805s

It's the indicative, the fact of who we are in Christ Jesus that empowers the imperatives. 1812s

So for example, in the very first verse. 1820s

So if you have been raised with Christ, that's an indicative. 1822s

Here comes the imperative. 1826s

Seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 1827s

So because this is the reality, you've been raised with Christ, therefore, empowered by that indicative, 1835s

by empowered by who you are in Christ Jesus, then do this. 1841s

Let's go a little deeper here. 1848s

Go back to chapter 2 of Colossians, verse 12. 1850s

It says, you were buried with Him in baptism. 1857s

You were also raised with Him through faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead. 1861s

So here again, chapter 3, verse 1. 1869s

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. 1871s

Verse 2, set your minds on things that are above, none of the things that are on earth. 1879s

For you've died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 1884s

Let's keep our finger here and let's go over to the book of Romans, please. 1892s

Romans the sixth chapter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1897s

Romans chapter 6, picking up in verse 3. 1902s

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 1907s

Therefore, we've been buried with Him by baptism into death. 1914s

So that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 1921s

We've been joined to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1928s

In our baptism, we've died. 1932s

That's why later the Apostle Paul says, it's no longer I who lives but it's Christ who lives in me. 1935s

We have been joined to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1942s

So back to verse 1, then, of Colossians 3. 1946s

So if you've been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, see to the right hand of God. 1950s

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 1956s

For you've died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 1961s

When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 1967s

The Dicatives and Paratives, verse 5, put the death therefore, whatever in you is earthly. 1975s

For an occasion, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 1988s

See, just this short list here that the Apostle Paul lifts up, certainly not an all-inclusive list, 1999s

but just in a short list that has lifted up, what is the term that's put on this? 2005s

The term that's put on it is idolatry. 2012s

The grace that we are forgiven to the Lord Jesus Christ, the grace that the Lord Jesus Christ dwells in us, 2019s

the grace that day after day, God is at work to make us more and more like Jesus Christ. 2025s

The day after day, we hear His Word of Absolution. 2031s

The day after day, we can return to our baptism in repentance. 2035s

The day after day, we are raised anew. 2039s

That by God's power, that by God's grace, we are empowered to leave idolatry behind, 2045s

because Jesus is so much more beautiful than any idol. 2059s

I look forward to these continued weeks of study with you. 2075s

God be with you. 2079s

You'll see you next week. 2081s

You will see you next week. 2088s