Idols: Lesson 2

Overview

The Idol of Success

Idolatry is not a relic of the ancient world; it is a present and persistent temptation. As Luther observed, "Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God." Calvin called the human heart "an idol factory." One of the most common idols in our day is success—measured by the world in honor before others, influential relationships, possessions, and achievement. Yet Scripture defines success very differently, and its definition can only be received in light of Christ, who alone never gave way to idolatry and who bore our idolatries on the cross.

Jesus' words in Matthew 16:21-26 reframe what a successful life looks like: a willingness to experience failure, suffering, and rejection in the eyes of the world rather than to deny Christ. This is not despair, because through faith we already stand in a most blessed state. God is for us Romans 8:31; we have been made His children John 1:12; we have been buried and raised with Christ in baptism Romans 6:3-5; and one day we shall see Him and be like Him 1 John 3:2. Nothing the world calls success can compare to this inheritance.

To "take up the cross" (Matthew 10:37-39; Luke 14:25-27; Mark 8:34) carries three dimensions. First, it is the suffering and sorrow that come because we belong to Christ—Scripture never assigns this particular tribulation to unbelievers (Psalm 16:4; Psalm 32:10). Second, it is self-denial—forsaking whatever competes with Christ, whether honor, relationships, possessions, or even our own life. Paul counted everything as rubbish compared to knowing Christ Philippians 3:8. Third, it includes the loving discipline of our Father, who uses hard circumstances—not as punishment, since Christ has borne that—but to humble us, strengthen our faith, and turn our eyes from the temporary to the eternal.

A few searching questions reveal whether success has become an idol: Do you feel life only has meaning when you are productive, accomplished, or in control? Do you struggle with envy when others succeed, or find it hard to celebrate their achievements? God's measure is different. In the parable of the talents Matthew 25:20-23, the servant with two talents receives the same commendation as the one with five. Success, in God's eyes, is taking up the cross and being faithful with what He has entrusted to us. Christ has already paid for every clinging to worldly success; the tomb is empty, forgiveness is ours, and nothing we could accomplish in this life begins to compare with the glory He has prepared for His baptized children.

Transcript

Good morning. 1s

We continue today with our study on idols, but before we begin, let us devote this time 2s

to our Lord through prayer. 8s

Gracious Heavenly Father, how precious it is to open up your Holy Word. 11s

We thank you, Lord, for this wonderful privilege. 17s

For as we study these words from Holy Scripture, we know that the words we hear are your words. 21s

And so bless us now in this study today. 29s

We thank you for your law. 32s

We thank you for your gospel. 34s

Bless us in our study, in Jesus' name. 36s

Amen. 41s

As we studied this, or as we began this class last week on idolatry, we took a look at the fact that sometimes 43s

one can think of idolatry as that which is simply in the ancient past, in the primitive days. 51s

Hardly. 59s

We see that idolatry continues to this day, and it will continue, if the Lord carries from coming again, it will continue after our days. 61s

Idolatry has been part of history ever since the fall. 73s

Luther remember, said this, 80s

Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. 82s

Calvin said, 90s

The human heart is an idol factory. 92s

Every one of us from our mother's womb is an expert in inventing idols. 94s

As we studied last week, idolatry comes from a corrupted heart. 102s

It's a corrupted heart of our sinfulness, where what we desire is that which is created as opposed to the creator. 106s

As we studied last week, idolatry is loving something or someone more than God. 116s

Remember Jesus is the only one who never, ever committed idolatry. 125s

In fact, Jesus came to take all of our sin upon him at the cross. 132s

All of our idolatry, all of our sin and thought were indeed. 140s

He's taken it all upon himself, the sacrifice for our sin. 147s

We are called and God gifts us to repent, to turn around and to go in different directions, 155s

to go the opposite direction from our idolatry. 164s

Having been forgiven by the Lord Jesus Christ, we can live in that grace each and every day, 170s

and each and every day characterized by returning to our baptism in repentance, 176s

repenting of our idolatry, confident in the forgiving word of the Lord Jesus Christ. 184s

As we studied last week, Jesus is so much more beautiful than all of our idols. 194s

Well, today in our second session together, I'd like to examine with you the idol of success, 205s

the world measures success in many ways, doesn't it? 214s

Honor before people, or if you have good relationships with friends and family or earthly possessions. 224s

There are a host of ways that the world defines that which success is all about. 234s

Let's hear though what Scripture has to say. 244s

Let's open up please to Matthew the 16th chapter, Matthew chapter 16, and we'll begin with verse 21, 247s

Matthew 16, verse 21. 257s

The Scripture tells us this. 261s

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergrow great suffering 265s

at the hands of the elders in chief priest and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. 275s

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, God forbid it, Lord, this must never happen to you. 283s

But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. 294s

You are a stumbling block to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things. 300s

Then Jesus told his disciples, If anyone or if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 310s

For those who want to save their life will lose it. 325s

And those who lose their life from my sake will find it. 329s

For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? 334s

Or what will they give in return for their life? 340s

The call here from our Lord is a willingness to experience failure in the eyes of the world, suffering and rejection 346s

rather than denying Christ. 361s

That's the call here. 365s

Again, the willingness to experience failure in the eyes of the world, suffering and rejection rather than denying of Christ. 368s

Let's explore this. Let's go deeper here. 383s

Through faith in Christ, we are in a most blessed state, aren't we? 388s

God is for us. 395s

Let's go to Romans, the eighth chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and then Romans. 397s

Romans chapter 8 verse 31. 405s

The Scripture says this. 411s

What then are we to say about these things? 414s

If God is for us, who is against us? 417s

We are children of God. 423s

We've been made children of God. 426s

We are heirs of eternal life. 428s

Let's go to the gospel of John, the very first chapter. 432s

Matthew, Mark, Luke and then John. 437s

John chapter 1 verse 12. 441s

John 1 verse 12. 445s

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, 449s

but of God. 465s

We are heirs of eternal life. 470s

Let's go to Romans, the sixth chapter. 473s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and then Romans. 476s

Romans chapter 6. 481s

And we'll pick up in verse 3. 483s

Romans 6 verse 3. 486s

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 490s

Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism into death 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. 499s

For if we've been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 516s

We are gods. 527s

Children, God is for us. 529s

We are given the gift of eternal life and we have a wonderful future, a wonderful future. 531s

Let's go to 1 John, the third chapter. 540s

A good way to find 1 John is just to go to the last book of Revelation. 542s

Turn left and you're going to bump into it very quickly. 547s

1 John chapter 3, verse 2. 550s

1 John chapter 3, verse 2. 554s

Beloved, we are God's children now. 560s

What we will be has not yet been revealed. 564s

What we do know is this. 569s

When he is revealed, we will be like him for we will see him as he is, speaking of course of the Lord Jesus. 572s

So through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in a blessed state. 584s

It's also true that this side of heaven, heaven, suffering characterizes our life. 590s

Just as suffering was a part of Jesus' life, the cross that we are to carry is to be understood as the suffering and sorrow of Christians. 601s

There is incredible joy in life, incredible wonder. 616s

There is also suffering, isn't it? 621s

There is also sorrow. 624s

And the cross that Jesus speaks of, where we are to pick up our cross and follow him. 625s

An aspect of what he means by that is that that is the sorrow, that is the suffering that we experience for being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. 633s

Because we are Christians. 645s

He calls us to take up the cross elsewhere. 648s

Let's go to Matthew, the 10th chapter, very first book in the New Testament. 653s

Matthew chapter 10 and we will pick up in verse 37. 659s

Matthew 10 verse 37. 664s

Jesus said this. 668s

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. 671s

And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 677s

And whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 683s

Those who find their life will lose it. 691s

And those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 694s

Let's go to the Gospel of Luke chapter 14, Matthew, Mark, and then Luke. 701s

Gospel of Luke chapter 14, beginning with verse 25. 708s

Now large crowds were traveling with him and he turned and said to them, 716s

Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, 721s

yes, even life itself cannot be my disciple. 727s

Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 733s

Jesus is using a phrase in the day, an understanding of the day, 742s

of which nothing is to be more important than him. 749s

He's not calling for literal hatred here. 753s

This is using a phrase of the day to highlight the fact that the one who holds the supreme place in our life 756s

is to be the Lord Jesus Christ. 763s

Interestingly, Scripture never applies the tribulation that we experience because we are Christians. 767s

It never applies it to the non-Christian. 777s

Take a look please at Psalm verse 16. 782s

Good way to find the Psalms. 785s

Let's just open up to the middle of the Bible. 786s

You'll land on one of them. 788s

Psalm 16 verse 4. 790s

Those who choose another God multiply their sorrows, they drink their drink offerings of blood. 796s

I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips or in Psalm 32 verse 10, Psalm 32 verse 10. 803s

Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast loves surrounds those who trust in the Lord. 816s

Luther put this point this way. 827s

A Christian in so far as he is a Christian is subject to his dear holy cross, 830s

so that he must suffer either from other people or from the devil himself, 839s

who torments and terrifies him with tribulation, persecution, poverty, sickness, or inwardly in his heart by means of his poisonous darts. 846s

When Jesus then says to take up the cross, what he's referring to, one aspect that he's referring to, 861s

is the suffering and the sorrow of the Christian that comes because they're a Christian. 870s

The cross that we are also to take up, it also means self-denial, self-denial. 880s

Let's go to Mark the eighth chapter, Matthew and then Mark, mark the eighth chapter and we'll pick up in verse 34. 889s

Mark 8, 34. 904s

He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, 908s

If anyone to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 913s

We must forsake, you see, whatever prevents us from following Jesus. 924s

Honor before others, that's Matthew 5, friends and relatives, Luke 14, earthly possessions, Matthew 19, are own life, 934s

forsaking whatever my preventance from following Jesus. 952s

In other words, we must not become so attached that they interfere with our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 958s

Let's hear how Paul put it in Philippians 3 chapter. 969s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, and then Philippians. 974s

The Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes this. 988s

More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 994s

For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and I regard them as rubbish in order that I am not a God. 1005s

I may gain Christ. 1013s

The cross then, the cross then for us involves suffering and sorrow for being a Christian. 1019s

It also involves denying of oneself. 1031s

There's also the understanding of the cross that involves God's discipline to us. 1038s

Remember, when the Lord allows difficult circumstances to come into our lives, God is not punishing us. 1047s

The punishment for sin was taken upon the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross. 1058s

But God allows those difficult times in our lives, those crosses, those expressions of His discipline to us. 1064s

Because He wants to hone us to be more and more like Jesus Christ. 1074s

So He uses those times of His discipline, those crosses that we are to bear to humble us, to help us to suppress the old Adam and that old age. 1080s

And to the Eve in us, to test and to try our faith, to strengthen us, to incite us, to seek help from God in prayer, to turn our attention from the temporary and earthly things to the spiritual and the eternal. 1092s

And Jesus Christ said then to take up the cross. 1115s

Jesus was saying, we take up that cross of sorrow and suffering because we're a Christian that comes along with being a Christian. 1119s

We take up the cross of self-denial and we take up the cross of that discipline that God and His fatherly love and grace allows to occur in our lives because He's honing us to be more and more like Jesus Christ. 1128s

Here's the point. 1147s

We can see in how we are called to take up the cross. 1150s

How different that is from the world's definition of success. 1160s

Let me read you a few statements and use these statements to the ponder for yourself with regard to the presence of the idol of success in your life. 1181s

Here's one statement. 1199s

Life only has meaning. If I get lots of things done, I am productive and the work is high quality. How would you answer that? 1202s

How about this statement? 1214s

Life only has meaning. If I have mastery over my own life and or influence over the lives of others. 1216s

How about this statement? 1228s

I often feel overwhelmed and burdened, fear, humiliation. 1230s

Cause others to feel used and struggle with anger. 1237s

What is your assessment of those statements in your life? 1247s

How about these questions? 1252s

How often do you catch yourself experiencing envy and resentment towards successful people? 1256s

Is it hard for you to celebrate the successes of others? 1265s

How do you respond when others achieve something that you want before you do? 1271s

How does God define success? 1284s

How does God define success? 1287s

Let's go to Matthew 25th chapter, the very first book, New Testament. Matthew 25th chapter, and we'll pick up in verse 20. 1291s

This is the parable of the distribution of the talents. 1303s

And picking up in verse 20 of chapter 25. 1309s

Then the one who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more talents saying, 1316s

Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have made five more talents. 1323s

Is Master said to him, Well done, good and trustworthy slave. 1328s

You've been trustworthy in a few things. I'll put you in charge of many things. 1333s

Enter into the joy of your master. 1338s

And the one with the two talents also came forward saying, 1341s

Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have made two more talents. 1345s

Is Master said to him, Well done, good and trustworthy slave. 1352s

You've been trustworthy in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. 1356s

Enter into the joy of your master. Notice. 1361s

There wasn't a condemnation on the one that had been given the two talents that he didn't make five. 1369s

Was there? Well, there was a celebration that he was given these two and he made two more. 1374s

The same with the one with the five that he comes back. 1380s

And there's a celebration of what it was that he had made. 1383s

Success for God is one taking up the cross and two faithfulness. 1390s

Faithfulness. That's how God defines success. 1404s

It's not how big your bank account is. It's not how big your house is. 1411s

Or what bad you have on your car. 1416s

It's not the position that you hold. 1421s

It's none of the things that the world looks at and says, 1424s

Ah, that person's a success. 1428s

For God, success by His grace taking up the cross in all those dimensions that we've studied this morning. 1432s

And being faithful. Faithful to Him by His grace. 1444s

Jesus Christ. 1453s

Chosed to experience suffering and loss in our place. 1456s

He paid for all of our sins, including our sins of clinging to worldly definitions and expressions of success. 1464s

Jesus has won for us forgiveness. 1478s

One for us born out of His grace that joyous forgiveness through the cross. 1483s

The sacrifice for sin has been accepted. The tomb is empty. 1493s

Beloved, there is nothing left for us to accomplish. 1499s

In this life that would even begin to compare to the glories of heaven. 1506s

That God has prepared for you, baptized child. 1519s

We'll continue in our study next week. 1527s

I'd like to study with you next week about an idol. 1530s

An idol that maybe we didn't even know that we had. 1534s

It can be the idol of technology. 1540s

We'll continue next week. 1545s