Choosing God: Unmasking Idols and Embracing His Love
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor leading the congregation in a heartfelt thanksgiving, acknowledging God's forgiveness, healing, redemption, and steadfast love. The pastor emphasizes the vastness of God's love, comparing it to the heavens being high above the Earth and the distance between the East and the West. The congregation is then led in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, reminding them of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the hope of His resurrection and second coming. The pastor prays for the Holy Spirit to be present in the communion, uniting believers in Christ and strengthening their faith.
The sermon then transitions to the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The pastor highlights the confrontation between Elijah and King Ahab, where Elijah accuses Ahab and his family of abandoning the Lord's commands and following false gods. Elijah challenges the people of Israel to choose whether to follow the Lord or Baal. The pastor emphasizes the struggle with idols that has been present throughout the Old Testament and continues to be relevant today. The congregation is encouraged to confess with their mouths, hearts, and actions that Jesus is Lord.
The pastor then discusses the importance of identifying and unmasking the idols in our lives, using the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal as an example. The pastor encourages the congregation to help others recognize the idols in their lives and to call them to find steady ground in God. The pastor also addresses the issue of idolatry in various forms, including idolizing religion, oneself, and material possessions. The pastor emphasizes the importance of encountering the true and living God, rather than idolizing ourselves or other false gods.
The pastor then addresses the relationship between the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives, emphasizing that while these two realms are intertwined, our primary problem is spiritual in nature. The pastor draws a parallel to the biblical story of Elijah and the confrontation with idolatry, emphasizing the importance of addressing our spiritual problems and staying faithful to God amidst the challenges of life. The pastor concludes the sermon by focusing on the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18, encouraging the congregation to recognize the importance of wholehearted devotion to God and to turn away from any idols or distractions that may hinder their relationship with Him.
Key Takeaways:
- God's love is vast and abundant, not dealing with us according to our sins or iniquities. This love is a reminder of the forgiveness, healing, and redemption we receive through Christ. [12:45]
- The story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal serves as a reminder of the struggle with idols that has been present throughout history and continues to be relevant today. It is crucial to choose to follow the Lord and not waver between the ways of the world and the narrow road that Jesus calls us to follow. [25:30]
- Identifying and unmasking the idols in our lives is an essential part of our spiritual journey. These idols can take various forms, including religion, oneself, and material possessions. It is important to encounter the true and living God, rather than idolizing ourselves or other false gods. [38:15]
- While the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives are intertwined, our primary problem is spiritual in nature. Addressing our spiritual problems and staying faithful to God amidst the challenges of life is of utmost importance. [52:00]
- The story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18 serves as a reminder of the importance of wholehearted devotion to God. We must turn away from any idols or distractions that may hinder our relationship with Him. [1:05:30]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1) 1 Kings 18:17-39
2) Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Observation Questions:
1) In 1 Kings 18:17-39, what is the significance of Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal?
2) How does the people's response to Elijah's challenge reflect their spiritual condition?
3) In Deuteronomy 6:4-5, what does it mean to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might?
Interpretation Questions:
1) How does Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal illustrate the struggle with idolatry?
2) What does the silence of the people in response to Elijah's challenge reveal about their spiritual state?
3) How does Deuteronomy 6:4-5 define the nature of our relationship with God?
Application Questions:
1) Can you identify any 'idols' in your life that may be hindering your relationship with God? What steps can you take to remove these distractions?
2) Reflecting on Elijah's challenge, are there areas in your life where you are wavering between two opinions? How can you commit to following God in these areas?
3) How can you practically demonstrate your love for God with all your heart, soul, and might in your daily life?
4) In what ways can you help others recognize and turn away from the idols in their lives?
5) How can you ensure that your primary focus is on addressing spiritual problems rather than getting entangled in physical or materialistic concerns?
Devotional
Day 1: The Vastness of God's Love
God's love is not measured by our sins or iniquities, but by His abundant grace and mercy. This love is a testament to the forgiveness, healing, and redemption we receive through Christ. [12:45]
Psalm 103:11-12 - "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt the vastness of God's love. How did it change your perspective on your own sins and iniquities?
Day 2: Choosing the Narrow Road
The struggle with idols is a timeless issue, relevant even today. It is crucial to choose to follow the Lord and not waver between the ways of the world and the narrow road that Jesus calls us to follow. [25:30]
Joshua 24:15 - "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Reflection: What are some idols in your life that you need to turn away from? How can you choose to follow the narrow road that Jesus calls us to follow today?
Day 3: Unmasking Our Idols
Identifying and unmasking the idols in our lives is an essential part of our spiritual journey. These idols can take various forms, including religion, oneself, and material possessions. It is important to encounter the true and living God, rather than idolizing ourselves or other false gods. [38:15]
1 John 5:21 - "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."
Reflection: What are some idols in your life that you need to unmask? How can you encounter the true and living God today?
Day 4: Addressing Our Spiritual Problems
While the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives are intertwined, our primary problem is spiritual in nature. Addressing our spiritual problems and staying faithful to God amidst the challenges of life is of utmost importance. [52:00]
Ephesians 6:12 - "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
Reflection: What is a spiritual problem you are currently facing? How can you address it and stay faithful to God amidst this challenge?
Day 5: Wholehearted Devotion to God
The story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18 serves as a reminder of the importance of wholehearted devotion to God. We must turn away from any idols or distractions that may hinder our relationship with Him. [1:05:30]
Matthew 22:37 - "And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"
Reflection: What are some distractions in your life that are hindering your wholehearted devotion to God? How can you turn away from these distractions today?
Quotes
1. "We can make religion an idol that we need to give a certain amount of money and charity and arms to people so that we could be loved and accepted by God... Is it these practices that are captivating you that could be idolatry?" ([34:31])
2. "We can make ourselves an idol that our whole life purpose is just worshiping ourselves, just glorifying ourselves... That's idolatry." ([35:15])
3. "Where are we putting our hope? Is it on our finances or on the Lord? Where are we giving and investing our time? Is it going to the Lord or is it going to some other area, some other realm, some other goal?" ([31:18])
4. "What about our thought life? What do you think about? Are you meditating on lust, on unfilled desires, on companionship, on crude humor? What are you meditating on? Are you meditating on the word of the Lord, on God's great love for you, on His command for you to go out and be sent by Him? Or are we meditating on lesser things, on other lowercase G gods that take up our time and energy?" ([32:39])
5. "The spiritual world is not a buffet for you to help yourself what you like... the Lord of Lord and King of Kings has always called us to worship him alone that there is no other... there's no Buffet plan." [29:16]
6. "These Patron gods have no physical form but they values and the ideologies of the day... there are tributes to those who are working for just material wealth who sacrifice relationships." [30:01]
7. "Idolatry today comes in two categories, one more explicit Idol clear and concise and one more implicit not as clear, maybe we don't even know we're worshiping it." ([25:45])
8. "We're surrounded by Idols, maybe there's some Idols that you can identify that I didn't even mention, things that draw our attention that want us to glorify, want us to spend more time, more money, more energy into these pursuits... as we share the gospel with people, we help them realize that they're putting their faith and trust in their works or whatever Idol is for them and their looks, and we help people understand the land of Idols that we live in." [38:36]
9. "Our sin is the problem and the forgiveness of sin is the greatest and continues to be the greatest need." #!!18:29!!#
10. "The spiritual problems that we deal with may not seem like the most urgent, but the spiritual problems are the most important." #!!19:04!!#
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