Confronting Idolatry: The Gospel's Call to Faithfulness

1) "Over the past 2,000 years, this public perception has varied. Sometimes Christianity is seen as a common good to be celebrated. Sometimes Christianity is seen as rather insignificant. And at times, even a threat to be crushed. And then at times, all three of those at once. Last week, we saw how Paul urged Timothy to not be ashamed of the gospel that he is called to proclaim. Amen. and we were all encouraged to stand firm in our faith and unashamedly join in with Timothy and Paul in proclaiming Christ. However, that becomes a little bit more difficult, a little bit more challenging when we start to consider how the world views our faith, how the public actually perceives the gospel." [46:46] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "In Ephesus, Paul first preached the gospel in the synagogue. But after facing hostility from the Jews, he moved to the hall of Tyrannus. There, he continued to preach about Jesus and persuaded many. We see God's word and his spirit work powerfully, and the gospel spreads throughout Ephesus and beyond. It was amazing. Some who heard the gospel realized, they responded with faith. They heard the gospel, they responded with faith, and they renounced their idolatry and their sorcery that they were busy with. By burning all those scrolls worth thousands and thousands of rands. But this powerful movement of the gospel eventually collided with the paganism of the day in Ephesus." [50:01] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "Demetrius starts to feel a little bit uneasy about Paul and the rise of Christianity. He's not happy with what's busy happening here in Ephesus. And so he gathers the, the other craftsmen together and he starts to make his case to them. He starts off by saying, my friends, we receive good income from this business. He's very clear here about what's at stake for him. His livelihood, their trade, these little idols bring in a lot of money. Not just for him, but for the city as well. Ephesus was a city known for the worship of Artemis. People from all over the world, all over Asia came to the temple and there they brought shrines, they stayed there. And so Ephesus was like an economic hub." [53:34] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "The city clerk here, responsible for these quarterly meetings in the theater and the one who is in communication with the Roman officials, knew his job was on the line here. If a riot breaks out, the Romans would hold him accountable. And so he steps in to calm the situation. And he makes four points that take the mob from being a frenzy to quietly leaving the theater. That in and of itself is a miracle. So what does he say? Firstly, in verse 36, he reassures them about the status of their goddess Artemis. Listen, he says, you don't need to stress about Artemis and her temple. Everyone in the region knows her greatness. Everyone can see her great temple." [59:04] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "The first one is, and this is inescapable, at times, the world will hate us. I'm sorry to burst that bubble, but it's the truth. At times, the world will hate us because the gospel confronts all forms of idolatry. The message of the gospel does not allow for the worship of anything or anyone other than God. It challenges all forms of idolatry. Now, idolatry is maybe a bit abstract. In the past, idolatry was more visible. People bowed down to these physical idols for their security and prosperity. But as John Owen said, it is as natural for man to make an idol as it is to breathe." [01:03:42] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "But as Christians, we have to recognize that we are against the world for the sake of the world. We are against the world for the sake of the world. We proclaim the gospel not out of spite, but out of love to call people away from the idols and the harm those idols cause because we want them to know and experience the love of God and His forgiveness. But yet, when we do speak out against these idols of our day, we shouldn't be surprised when we are hated. Especially when those idols start to touch on issues of identity and security." [01:05:25] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "The gospel doesn't just confront the idols in the world. The gospel confronts the idols in our own hearts. The gospel doesn't just confront the idols of the world. The gospel confronts the idols in our own hearts. We cannot be driven by a desire to be liked by everyone. If we are, it's a telltale sign that we've fallen into the idolatry of people pleasing. We need to die to that idolatry. To that idol of approval. To this idea that if we just convince the world, hey, we're not that bad, they'll accept us." [01:11:10] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8) "Just as Paul was faithful to proclaim the gospel despite all the hate or tolerance he encountered, and just as he urged Timothy in the book of 2 Timothy to do the same, we can recognize the credibility of our faith and be unashamed of it and proclaim the gospel in season and out of season. No matter the consequences, we are called to stand firm in the truth of the gospel, trusting that God's purposes will ultimately prevail. And so, brothers and sisters, let me encourage you, stand firm. Proclaim Christ and love people enough to challenge their idols." [01:12:20] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)