Modern Idolatry | Modern Day Idols
Categories: Audio Sermons, Sermon Outlines, Topical Sermon OutlinesSUBJECT: Modern Idolatry
TITLE: Modern Day Idols
PROPOSITION: In this lesson we will look at several modern day idols. These are: 1) The idol of Covetousness, 2) The idol of drugs, 3) The idol of leisure.
OBJECTIVES: Each hearer should understand that anything can be an idol to us if we put it before God in our lives.
AIM: I want to impress upon each listener how easy it is to get caught up in modern idolatry.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Exodus 20:3-5
2. About the Text:
1) Idolatry to God is serious business.
2) We are to have no other “gods” before the Lord, Jehovah God.
3) God considers it idolatrous worship when we
a. Bow down before these other gods.
b. Serve these other gods.
4) Indeed therein lies the standard for what is an idol.
5) When we worship idols, God considers that the equivalent of saying to Him, “I hate you.”
6) Idolatry is serious, serious business with God.
3. Another type of idol.
1) While idolatry in the Old Testament primarily deals with graven images of sticks and stones, there is now modern idolatry.
2) We read in Ezekiel 14:3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?”
3) Ezekiel writes during the time of Babylonian captivity.
4) The men of Israel had been separated from their beloved idols in their homeland. They have been taken away from their precious groves where they worshiped their false gods.
5) They were now slaves in a new land.
6) However, they still have a problem with idolatry.
7) The new idols that they serve are not made of wood and stone, but are within the heart.
8) One commentary says regarding this passage, “We have not to picture these elders to ourselves as given up to gross idolatry. (“Set up in their hearts”) means to allow anything to come into the mind, to permit it to rise up in the heart, to be mentally busy therewith. ‘To set before one’s face’ is also to be understood, in a spiritual sense, as relating to a thing which a man will not put out of his mind?. Thus the two phrases simply denote the leaning of the heart and spirit towards false gods. God does not suffer those who heart is attached to idols to seek and find Him.” Keil and Delitzsch, Ezekiel, pg. 178.
9) To this concept of idolatry the New Testament agrees.
10)Colossians 3:5 says, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”
11)Covetousness is idolatry of material possessions whose throne is the heart.
12)To those who practice this type of idolatry, God says, “Should I be inquired of at all by them?” The rhetorical question shouts the answer, “No. Those who worship idols ca ot call upon God.”
13)Anyone who puts anything before service to God is an idolater. Matthew 6:33.
4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION: We will be guilty of modern idolatry if we worship the modern day idol of . . .
I. Covetousness
1. Covetousness is greed.
1) The idol of covetousness is money.
2) When we put the love of money above the love of God, we are covetous.
3) 1 Timothy 6:10
2. Examples of Covetousness
1) The pimp is a covetous person because he places money above God’s law regarding fornication. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says “Flee fornication.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” ii. The drug dealer is a covetous person because he places money above God’s law regarding ownership of the body.
a. 2 Corinthians 6:16-17
b. The drug dealer believes that your body should be the temple of his drugs, not of God.
3) The bartender is a covetous person because he places money above God’s law regarding sobriety.
a. 2 Corinthians 10:5
b. The person who puts a drink into another person’s hand for money is fighting against God’s will for all men to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
4) These people are idolaters because they place money above God and God will not hear their worship.
II. Drugs
1. There are those who worship drugs both illegal and legal.
1) There are those illegal drugs: Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamines, Marijuana, etc.
2) There are those drugs that are legal: nicotine, alcohol, and other stimulants and depressants.
3) Out of these all, alcohol is the worst.
a. 17,000 people are every year due to alcohol related auto accidents. This works out to one person every 30 minutes. (http://www.madd.com).
b. Those are just traffic deaths. This says nothing regarding cases of murder, spousal abuse, child abuse, spousal and child neglect, spousal and child abandonment.
c. How many orphans sit in our nations orphan’s homes who are there as a result of alcohol related sin? The number is staggering.
d. The Christian who in any way encourages the recreational use of alcohol, will answer to God for putting those orphans in those homes.
4) The message of those who approve of, support, and participate in the recreational use of alcohol is that we love this drug more than we love God.
2. That they place these objects ahead of God in their life is evident by how they live.
1) They will string themselves out for days on end without a thought for the well being of their fellow man.
2) They will spend their money in the pursuit of these earthly pleasures to the neglect of their church, families, and friends.
3) They cause the suffering and death of others just so they can gratify their own personal pleasures.
4) The god of drugs is self pleasure. Hebrews 11:24-25
5) Those who pursue personal pleasure through drugs would do well to notice Revelation 18:2-5
6) What will happen to those who engage this god of self pleasure? Revelation 14:10.
7) The people who do these drugs, whether legal or illegal, have set up the idol of personal pleasure in their heart and they will choose it over God every time to the destruction of those around them.
III. Leisure
1. There are those today who worship the god of leisure.
1) They spend extravagant amounts of money on personal recreation while giving the Lord pittance.
2) They spend hours of their time each day pursuing leisurely pursuits such as . . .
a. Playing golf.
b. Fishing
c. Watching television
d. Reading books
e. You could place any particular hobby here that you wish.
f. In contrast they give the Lord maybe one hour of their time a week to worship him.
3) I want to be clear that none of these things individually are sinful in moderation.
4) They become sinful when the amount of time and money that we spend on these activities exceeds the amount of time and money that we give to God.
2. God expects us to use our time and possessions properly and wisely.
1) Consider Haggai 1:4-10
a. Those in Haggai’s day had failed to put the things of the Lord first.
b. They are not unlike many today.
2) Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
a. Our Christian walk must be “circumspect.”
b. The English word circumspect means “to look around; to be cautious; careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences.” (Webster)
c. We must walk wisely.
d. We must redeem the time.
e. This passage emphasizes to the Christian to carefully consider how he or she is using his or her time.
f. We should take every opportunity as Christians to use our time to the glory of God, at the expense of all of our own selfish pursuits.
g. In other words, at the expense of our own selfish desires we should buy up every opportunity to glorify and serve God.
CONCLUSION:
1. One day each one of us will stand before God in judgment.
2. On that day God will judge us according to the deeds that we have done in the body whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10).
1) Will you stand before God with a life full of idolatry, even modern idolatry, having . . .
a. Pursued wealth at all costs.
b. Used and abused your body with various drugs that were available to you shouting to everyone around you that your body was the temple of self pleasure instead of the temple of God?
c. Sought to fill your time with leisurely pursuits.
2) Or will you stand before God with a life of good deeds behind you?
3) The bottom line is spelled out for us in Matthew 6:33.
3. Invitation
1) If you are a Christian but have fallen away . . .
a. How dreadful to stand before God in that day having filled your life with vain and idolatrous pursuits when you KNEW the truth of God’s word.
b. Dear brother, REPENT before it is everlastingly too late.
2) If you are not a Christian this morning . . .
a. You need to turn from dead idols to serve the living God today!
b. Heed the plan that it has for man’s salvation today!
a) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”
b) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”
c) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).
d) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).
e) Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15-16).