An Idol Request | Edgar Crowdy [October 26, 2025]

Today’s gathering centered on the majesty and holiness of God, the call to worship Him with our whole lives, and the deep invitation to trust rather than control Him. We began by acknowledging God’s unmatched power—no force in hell, no earthly authority, can stand before the Great I Am. Our prayers reached out for the Holy Spirit’s presence, for hearts ignited with God’s passion, and for solidarity with persecuted believers worldwide. We recognized that our worship is not confined to Sunday, but is meant to overflow into every day, every relationship, and every act of service.

We celebrated new members joining our church family, affirming that membership is not about independence but about interdependence—committing to one another and to God’s mission in our community. Our mission is to connect people to Jesus and His mission, shining His light in Rexdale and beyond, and allowing His transforming power to change us from the inside out.

The heart of our reflection was a deep dive into 1 Samuel 8, where Israel asks for a king. This request, on the surface, seems reasonable—Samuel’s sons are corrupt, and the people want stability. Yet God’s response reveals something profound: the desire for a king “like the other nations” is, in His eyes, akin to idolatry. It’s not the kingship itself that is the problem—God had always planned for Israel to have a king—but the motive: a longing for control, for a mediator who could manipulate God on their behalf, just as idols were used in pagan cultures.

We explored how idolatry is fundamentally about control—reducing God to something manageable, predictable, and safe. Whether through physical idols, human leaders, or even our own religious routines, we are tempted to edit God down to our size, to put a steering wheel on our relationship with Him. Yet God refuses to be controlled or manipulated. Instead, He invites us to trust Him, to bear His image in the world, and to partner with Him in His work—not as passive spectators, but as active collaborators filled with His Spirit.

This is not just an ancient story, but a living challenge: Will we seek to control God, or will we trust Him? Will we settle for a manageable deity, or will we dare to be filled with His uncontrollable power, living as true images of God in our families, workplaces, and neighborhoods? The invitation is to relinquish control, embrace trust, and join God in His redemptive work.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Idolatry is ultimately about control, not just misplaced worship. When we seek to make God manageable—through idols, leaders, or even religious routines—we are attempting to put ourselves in the driver’s seat. True worship means letting God be God, embracing His mystery and power rather than reducing Him to something we can manipulate. [48:05]
• 2. God’s refusal to be controlled is matched by His refusal to control us. In 1 Samuel 8, God does not force Israel to make the right choice; He allows them to experience the consequences of their desire for control. This reveals a God who values trust and relationship over coercion, inviting us to freely choose Him rather than being compelled. [56:50]
• 3. The true image of God is found in people who trust and obey Him, not in objects or systems. From Genesis onward, God’s intention was for humans to bear His image and rule with His character. The kind of king—or leader—God desires is one who is humble, steeped in His Word, and oriented toward service, not self-aggrandizement. [53:15]
• 4. Our impulse to control God often surfaces in times of uncertainty or waiting. When God seems distant, mysterious, or slow to act, we are tempted to create substitutes—whether through religious habits, political agendas, or personal ambitions. The challenge is to resist these shortcuts and instead entrust what we cannot control to God, even when it feels risky. [60:38]
• 5. God’s invitation is to partnership, not passivity. We are called to collaborate with God, bearing His image and participating in His mission. This means living in such a way that others notice something different—our trust, our love, our refusal to manipulate or be manipulated. The Spirit that empowered the judges and kings is available to each of us, enabling us to live out God’s purposes in our context. [66:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [12:38] - Worship: The Great I Am
• [13:32] - Opening Prayer and Global Intercession
• [15:00] - Praying for Persecuted Believers
• [16:14] - Praying for Local Mission and Ministries
• [17:33] - Offering and Responsive Reading
• [18:51] - God’s Viewpoint: Infinite and Unchanging
• [20:21] - Remembering Christ’s Sacrifice
• [25:17] - Welcoming New Members
• [26:39] - Mission and Vision: Transformed by Jesus
• [28:37] - Introduction to the Word: Idolatry and Kings
• [31:11] - The Story of King Solomon and Judging
• [33:07] - Israel’s History: From Exodus to Kings
• [39:53] - Samuel, His Sons, and the Elders’ Request
• [41:41] - God’s Response: Rejection and Idolatry
• [46:50] - Idolatry as Control: The Deeper Issue
• [51:19] - Humans as God’s True Image
• [53:15] - God’s Standard for Kingship
• [56:12] - Trust vs. Control: God’s Invitation
• [63:40] - Jesus: The Perfect Image and Mediator
• [66:08] - Partnership with God: Living the Story
• [68:13] - Closing Worship: All Hail King Jesus

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 8:1-22 (ESV) — When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
(…continue reading through verse 22…)

Exodus 32:1-6 (ESV) — When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
(…continue reading through verse 6…)

Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) — Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Observation Questions

1. What reasons did the elders of Israel give for wanting a king, and how did Samuel and God respond to their request? ([39:53])
2. In the story of the golden calf, what did the people ask Aaron to do, and how did they describe the idol once it was made? ([35:41])
3. According to Genesis 1, what does it mean for humans to be made in God’s image, and what responsibility were they given? ([51:19])
4. What specific warnings did God give about the kind of king Israel wanted, and what was the deeper issue behind their request? ([41:41])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God see Israel’s request for a king “like the other nations” as a form of idolatry, even though He had always planned for them to have a king? ([46:11])
2. How does the desire for control show up in both the story of the golden calf and Israel’s request for a king? What does this reveal about the human heart? ([46:50])
3. The sermon said, “Idolatry is just another name for control.” In what ways do people today try to make God more manageable or predictable? ([48:05])
4. God does not force Israel to make the right choice, but allows them to experience the consequences. What does this teach us about God’s character and His desire for relationship with us? ([56:50])

Application Questions

1. The sermon described how we sometimes try to “put a steering wheel” on our relationship with God—making Him more manageable or predictable. Can you think of a time when you tried to control God or your circumstances instead of trusting Him? What did that look like? ([59:58])
2. When life feels uncertain or God seems distant, what are some “substitutes” or routines you turn to for comfort or control? How can you recognize when these things are becoming idols? ([01:00:38])
3. The elders wanted a king because Samuel’s sons were corrupt and they wanted stability. When have you been tempted to look for security in human leaders, systems, or routines instead of God? How did that affect your faith? ([40:28])
4. The sermon said, “God’s refusal to be controlled is matched by His refusal to control us.” How do you respond to the idea that God allows us to make choices, even bad ones, rather than forcing us to obey? Does this make it harder or easier for you to trust Him? ([56:50])
5. God’s original plan was for people to bear His image and partner with Him in His work. What does it look like for you to be an “image-bearer” of God in your family, workplace, or neighborhood this week? ([01:06:08])
6. The Spirit that empowered the judges and kings is available to us today. What would it mean for you to invite the Holy Spirit to fill and use you in a specific area of your life? ([01:05:28])
7. Membership in the church was described as “interdependence”—committing to one another and to God’s mission. How can you take a step toward deeper partnership with God and others in our church community? ([01:06:48])