Crushing Idols: Cultivating Intimacy with God
Summary
### Summary
Today, we delved into the theme of "Crushing Idols," a continuation of our series on the heart of the Father. We began by reflecting on the story of the prodigal son and the call to return to intimacy with God. This call to intimacy is crucial because our relationship with God is constantly under attack, and we must fight to maintain it. The focus today was on identifying and tearing down the idols in our lives—those things we place before God, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
We explored how our spiritual health requires constant maintenance, much like a car or a home. Deferred maintenance leads to breakdowns, and the same applies to our spiritual lives. If we are not intentional about our relationship with God, we are prone to drift into apathy and insincerity. The Lord spoke to me through a dream, revealing that I had placed myself as an idol by trying to control my life instead of trusting Him. This led us to the book of Malachi, where God rebukes the priests for offering defiled sacrifices, highlighting the importance of giving our best to God, not just going through the motions.
We also discussed the concept of "mechanical indifference," where we perform religious duties on autopilot without genuine engagement. This is dangerous because it leads to complacency and a lack of true intimacy with God. The Israelites' story of creating the golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai serves as a stark reminder of how quickly we can turn to idols when we feel God is not acting on our timeline.
The sermon emphasized the need for intentionality in crushing idols, which involves exposing them, confessing them, and submitting to God. We must take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, as stated in 2 Corinthians 10:5. This requires daily surrender and submission, recognizing that we can only function properly when God is on the throne of our hearts.
### Key Takeaways
1. Intimacy with God Requires Constant Maintenance: Just as a car needs regular oil changes to run smoothly, our relationship with God requires daily attention and care. Deferred maintenance in our spiritual lives leads to breakdowns and drifting away from God. We must be intentional in our pursuit of Him. [06:56]
2. Identifying and Crushing Idols: Idols are anything we place before God, including good things like family or work. These idols can subtly take God's place in our hearts. We must actively identify and crush these idols, surrendering them to God and submitting to His will. [12:33]
3. Mechanical Indifference is Dangerous: Performing religious duties on autopilot without genuine engagement leads to complacency. This "mechanical indifference" can make us feel like we are fulfilling our obligations to God, but in reality, we are drifting away from true intimacy with Him. [16:29]
4. The Importance of Community and Accountability: Surrounding ourselves with people who will pray for us and hold us accountable is crucial. Just as Moses interceded for the Israelites, we need friends who will contend for us in prayer and help us stay on the right path. [24:37]
5. Daily Surrender and Submission: Surrendering to God is not a one-time event but a daily practice. We must continually submit our thoughts, actions, and desires to Him, recognizing that we can only function properly when He is on the throne of our hearts. This involves taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. [31:23]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:46] - Introduction to the Series
[03:35] - The Call to Intimacy
[05:17] - Crushing Idols
[06:56] - Spiritual Maintenance
[08:23] - Vision and Dreams
[10:32] - Malachi's Rebuke
[12:33] - Identifying Personal Idols
[14:39] - Mechanical Indifference
[16:29] - Autopilot Living
[17:52] - Self as an Idol
[19:36] - Substitutes for God
[20:39] - Idol-Making Factories
[21:37] - Moses and the Golden Calf
[23:08] - The Danger of Complacency
[24:37] - Importance of Community
[25:35] - Rejecting God for Control
[26:25] - Harboring Idols
[27:14] - Deep Anchoring of Idols
[28:02] - Bowing to Idols
[29:27] - Stripped Away
[31:23] - Surrender vs. Submission
[32:58] - Taking Thoughts Captive
[34:58] - Call to Repentance
[36:52] - Powerless Idols
[38:45] - Own Strength as God
[41:01] - Trusting God's Timing
[42:49] - Full Access to God
[44:20] - Call to Prayer
[49:59] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide: Crushing Idols
#### Bible Reading
1. Malachi 1:6-8: "The Lord of heaven's army says to the priests, a son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect that I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name. But you ask, how have we shown contempt for your name? You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask, how have we defiled the sacrifices? You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't it wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like this to your governor. And see how pleased he is, says the Lord of heaven's armies."
2. 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ."
3. Deuteronomy 9:7-12: "Remember and never forget how angry you made the Lord your God out in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until now, you have been constantly rebelling against him. Even at Mount Sinai, you made the Lord so angry, he was ready to destroy you. This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets, the stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for 40 days and 40 nights. And all that time I ate no food and drank no water. The Lord gave me two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain. At the end of the 40 days and nights, the Lord handed me two stone tablets inscribed with words of the covenant. Then the Lord said to me, Get up and go down immediately. For the people you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They quickly turned away from the way I commanded them to live. They melted gold and made an idol for themselves."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Malachi 1:6-8 reveal about the attitude of the priests towards their sacrifices? How were they showing contempt for God's name? [10:32]
2. According to 2 Corinthians 10:5, what are believers instructed to do with rebellious thoughts?
3. In Deuteronomy 9:7-12, what actions did the Israelites take that angered God while Moses was on Mount Sinai? [23:08]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it significant that God rebukes the priests for offering defiled sacrifices in Malachi 1:6-8? How does this relate to our own spiritual offerings today? [10:32]
2. What does "taking every thought captive" mean in the context of 2 Corinthians 10:5? How can this practice help in crushing idols in our lives?
3. How does the story of the golden calf in Deuteronomy 9:7-12 illustrate the human tendency to create idols when feeling abandoned or impatient? [23:08]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily spiritual maintenance. What specific steps can you take to ensure you are not drifting into apathy or insincerity in your relationship with God? [06:56]
2. Identify one potential idol in your life, whether it be work, family, or personal control. What practical steps can you take this week to surrender this idol to God? [12:33]
3. Have you ever found yourself performing religious duties on autopilot? How can you cultivate genuine engagement in your spiritual practices? [16:29]
4. Think about your community and accountability. Who are the people in your life that pray for you and hold you accountable? How can you strengthen these relationships? [24:37]
5. Daily surrender and submission to God can be challenging. What is one area of your life where you struggle to submit to God's will? How can you practice daily surrender in this area? [31:23]
6. Consider the concept of "mechanical indifference." How can you avoid falling into this trap in your spiritual life? What changes can you make to ensure your worship and service to God are heartfelt and sincere? [16:29]
7. Reflect on the story of the golden calf. Are there moments in your life where you have created "idols" due to impatience or feeling that God is not acting on your timeline? How can you trust God's timing more fully? [23:08]
Devotional
Day 1: Intimacy with God Requires Constant Maintenance
Our relationship with God is like any other important aspect of our lives—it requires regular attention and care. Just as a car needs regular oil changes to run smoothly, our spiritual health needs consistent maintenance. If we neglect this, we risk drifting into apathy and insincerity. Deferred maintenance in our spiritual lives leads to breakdowns and a gradual distancing from God. We must be intentional in our pursuit of Him, making time for prayer, worship, and reading the Word daily. This intentionality helps us stay connected to God and prevents us from becoming spiritually complacent. [06:56]
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." — Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to ensure you are maintaining your relationship with God? How can you make time for Him in your daily routine?
Day 2: Identifying and Crushing Idols
Idols are anything we place before God, and they can be subtle and deceptive. Even good things like family, work, or hobbies can become idols if they take God's place in our hearts. Identifying these idols requires honest self-reflection and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about our priorities. Once identified, we must actively work to crush these idols by surrendering them to God and submitting to His will. This process involves daily prayer and asking God to reveal any hidden idols in our lives. By doing so, we ensure that God remains the primary focus of our hearts. [12:33]
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." — 1 John 5:21 (ESV)
Reflection: What are some things in your life that might be taking precedence over your relationship with God? How can you begin to surrender these areas to Him today?
Day 3: Mechanical Indifference is Dangerous
Performing religious duties on autopilot without genuine engagement leads to complacency. This "mechanical indifference" can make us feel like we are fulfilling our obligations to God, but in reality, we are drifting away from true intimacy with Him. It's easy to fall into the trap of going through the motions—attending church, reading the Bible, praying—without truly connecting with God. To combat this, we must approach our spiritual practices with intentionality and a sincere heart. Engaging deeply in our relationship with God helps us avoid the dangers of complacency and keeps our faith vibrant and alive. [16:29]
"And the Lord said: 'Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.'" — Isaiah 29:13 (ESV)
Reflection: Are there areas in your spiritual life where you are simply going through the motions? How can you re-engage with God in a more meaningful and heartfelt way?
Day 4: The Importance of Community and Accountability
Surrounding ourselves with people who will pray for us and hold us accountable is crucial for our spiritual growth. Just as Moses interceded for the Israelites, we need friends who will contend for us in prayer and help us stay on the right path. Community provides support, encouragement, and accountability, helping us to remain steadfast in our faith. Being part of a community also allows us to share our struggles and victories, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual growth. By investing in relationships with fellow believers, we create a network of support that strengthens our walk with God. [24:37]
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." — James 5:16 (ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life can you turn to for spiritual support and accountability? How can you strengthen these relationships to help you grow in your faith?
Day 5: Daily Surrender and Submission
Surrendering to God is not a one-time event but a daily practice. We must continually submit our thoughts, actions, and desires to Him, recognizing that we can only function properly when He is on the throne of our hearts. This involves taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ, as stated in 2 Corinthians 10:5. Daily surrender requires humility and a willingness to let go of our own control, trusting that God's plans are better than our own. By making surrender a daily habit, we align ourselves with God's will and experience the fullness of His presence in our lives. [31:23]
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." — Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Our spiritual health and intimacy requires constant, maintenance. Constant maintenance. Otherwise, we are just prone to drift into apathy or insincerity, being insincere or focused or driven just by autopilot if we are not intentional about our time and our relationship with the Father." [06:56] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We have to abide in Him daily. There's a call to the return of intimacy with the Father, which brings us to what we're going to talk about today, and that is crushing idols. That is the title of my message, is crushing idols, breaking down idols, tearing them down, putting them before the Lord, because it is necessary that we do that in our lives every single day." [05:17] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We are idol-making factories. We are prone to it. All in the Bible, it talks about idols and the Lord requiring people to tear down the idols, that there should be no God before God. That's a commandment. Put no God before God. So if we are idol-making factories, if it's just in our nature, then we have to be intentional about crushing them." [20:39] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "If we worship any idol, anything, we are bowing down to it. We are bowing down to it. And you see us up here, Erica at times will come down to her knees, will come down to the altar and bow down and praise God. Why are we doing that? Because we are surrendering. We're worshiping you and so we bow down, we get low. We say, okay, I am not in control. I am honoring you in everything." [28:02] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Do we desire to bear the image of God or do we aspire to be God? Do we desire to bear the image of God or do we aspire to become like God and be God? Just like Adam and Eve when they desired to be God, to know all. Or are we in that place where I don't know, but I know him and that is enough." [30:23] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "He talked about, my husband talked about the attack on our intimacy with the Father, and how that is a constant thing that is under attack. How we have to fight for it, how to, how we have to intentionally fight to abide or to die, and that is a slogan that he has said time and time again, I have to abide or die, and no one wants the latter. We don't want to be dead, and it's not even talking about a physical death, it's talking about being dead in our transgressions, dead in our sin, dead away, separate from the Lord." [03:35] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We have to crush the idols. This is something that the Lord spoke to me this week. He speaks to me in dreams a lot of times. And when I wake up, I ask the Lord, what was meant by this dream? And a lot of times he will give me visions and share things with me. And a lot of times it hurts and it's uncomfortable, because it's something that he's showing me about my inwardness. That doesn't feel good. But I know that it's for my good. Not all things that feel good are for our good. But when it doesn't feel good from the Lord, it's almost always for our good." [08:23] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "So my question to myself from the Lord was, what is my offering? What are you telling me, Lord? He said, crush some idols in your life. Okay. Well, what are the idols? Now, each and every one of us are going to have different things. If we were to come up here and place them up here, it could be greed, pride, lust, addiction, gluttony, self-centeredness, division, discord, gossip. What the Lord told me was you are putting yourself as an idol." [12:33] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Are we rejecting God for our need to be in control? Don't worry church. I'm speaking to myself as well. I'm preaching to myself. What idols have we been harboring in our heart? I was looking up the word harboring. It's, it has a bunch of different meanings, but I'm going to share a couple with you. One is a place of security and comfort, a refuge. Oh, that's nice. I can harbor some things that will have safety and a nice place. A refuge. Or it could also mean to protect something, someone that is bad, especially by hiding that person or thing when the police are looking for them. You're harboring a fugitive, a felon. That's kind of scary." [26:25] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We can only function properly when God is on the throne of our hearts. We can only function properly when we've given ourselves over to him completely and we are not in control. That's when we function properly. That's when we function properly. And it requires the maintenance, just like we talked about that. Are we actively crushing and tearing down idols? And in doing so, what do we need to do? We need to take our thoughts and our words captive." [31:23] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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