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- printable version VOLUME 25, NUMBER 1
January 5, 2003
IDOLATRY
Idolatry was
the besetting sin of the nation of Israel. Over and over again through the years
they fell into this grievous sin.
When Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the 10 commandments, the children of Israel
were down below violating the first 2 by worshiping a golden calf (Exodus 32).
Jereboam the first King of the Northern Kingdom was repeatedly called the man who made
Israel to sin because he set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel. King Ahab married
the foreigner Jezebel, who came from Phoenicia and brought the worship of Baal.
Someone said that idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, or using anything
that ought to be worshiped. When we put anything in a higher priority than God and
spiritual things, or when we take God and spiritual things and put them in a lower
position of priority, we are idolaters.
Hideyoshi, a Japanese warlord who ruled over Japan in the late 1500s, commissioned a
colossal statue of Buddha for a shrine in Kyoto. It took 50,000 men five years to build,
but the work had scarcely been completed when the earthquake of 1596 brought the roof of
the shrine crashing down and wrecked the statue. In a rage Hideyoshi shot an arrow at the
fallen colossus. "I put you here at great expense," he shouted, "and you
can't even look after your own temple."
This event just illustrates the truth set forth by Isaiah long before (Isaiah
46:6-7). Later the Apostle Paul taught in Ephesus that ‘they be no gods, which
are made with hands’ (Acts 19:26). Worship of idols is silly. Nothing
made by men can be a God.
Yet in spite of the fact that idolatry is silly and self-defeating, it is still very much
alive today. Paul says that covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), and the
covetous man is an idolater (Ephesians 5:5).
Someone has said that there is no shortage of false gods:
When we exalt self and our own pleasure and gain we worship at the shrine of Sex, Shekels,
and Stomach. This is truly an unholy trinity.
In the same way many worship Pleasure, Possessions, and Position. John describes
this as ‘The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’
(1 John 2:16).
Consider this trio – Football, the Firm, and Family. These are gods that many
worship putting these good things above the one and only true God.
Our idolatry is different than those who actually, physically, bowed to graven
images. But let us not deceive ourselves. Even though our idolatry is
different, it is not any more acceptable to God. Remember what Jesus told Satan
‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve’ (Matthew
4:10).
Today in the
morning sermon we will begin a study of the gods which are worshiped in this world.
The first is an obvious one –
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #1 – Money
Over the
next few weeks, we will be looking also at the worship of other gods in this world:
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #2 – Convenience
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #3 – Time
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #4 – Psychology
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #5 – Pleasure/Entertainment
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #6 – Family
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #7 – Sex
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #8 – Science
THE gods OF THIS WORLD #9 – Political Correctness
Family Bulletin Board
Remember those who have chronic illnesses with prayer,
visits, phone calls, and cards. Jamie Farmer, Delsie Bishop, Lola Mae Hamlett,
Fern Boynton, Ella Brumitt, Louise Hunt, Reva Brewer, Savannah Green, and Elizabeth
Fowler.
POTLUCK – Today! We hope you will stay and share the meal with
us. Also today, the PM service is at 2:00 and following that we will label the
mailouts.
KIM MILLER was baptized Sunday, December
29th. We rejoice in her salvation and welcome her as a sister.
OUR SYMPATHY is extended to Christine Reece in the death of her son.
ELEMENTARY YOUTH GROUP – will meet on January 14th from
6:45 - 8:00 pm.
PANTRY ITEMS needed – Soup
& all canned vegetables except green beans and corn.
DIRECTORY
ADDITION – The Webb’s phone number is:
849-4649. We apologize for not including it when their address was published.
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