Jesus is Better than Everything Else
Transcript
Well, good morning. My name's Chet. I am one of the pastors here. You are a sinner. But, it gets worse. The Bible tells us that sin, what we often think that sin is primarily us breaking rules or disobeying God, but the Bible tells us that sin is actually worse than that.
It's deeper than that. That it's actually that we love other things more than God. And then, because we love things more than God, because we value them over them, our affection over Him, our affection is set on them rather than Him, then we sin, then we disobey. This is actually what happened in the garden. Some people are like, I don't understand the Adam and Eve story, why that was such a big deal, why, you know, he says a tree don't eat the fruit or whatever, and they do, and then everything falls apart from there. That feels a little crazy.
But really, what happened was, prior to thinking the fruit was delicious, prior to thinking that it was more flavorful, they had to believe that it was more flavorful than God. That it had to have, their taste for God had to die first in order for them to have a taste for it. And that's actually the fundamental issue in the human heart, is that we were designed to love and to cherish God. He made us for Himself. And that's beautiful, that God, when He designed the world, He made us to enjoy Him, and Him to love us, to cherish us, for us to have Him as our highest affection, because He is the highest good in the universe.
And rather than do that, we trade Him out for smaller things, that ultimately cannot carry the weight of our worship, and carry the weight of our love, and that's called idolatry. Today's going to be a little bit different than normal. A lot of times we just go to one passage, we walk right through it. If you want to turn to Colossians, Colossians chapter 3, we will get there. But first, we're going to look at a few different places throughout the Old Testament that will be on the screen.
So we will all look together there, but we will get to Colossians 3. I have two sons. I have a four-year-old and a one-year-old. He's like one and a half. My one-year-old came out big, healthy, sleepy, loud, you know, baby stuff. And then about six months into being a human, he started getting really red.
Four to six months started getting red and itchy, and his skin was scaly, and he looked gross. And he would scratch himself so much that he would bleed. So we had to start like zipping him up in bags at night, which now he's hooked on, and we don't know at what age we're going to be like, bro, you don't have to sleep in this bag anymore. Maybe he's like seven. The first time he goes to do a sleepover, we'll be like, you've got to zip him up in this sack. But he scratches himself.
He would scratch himself until he bled, and we started figuring like there's something wrong here because most people don't look like this, so we've got to figure out what's going on. And at one point when he fully kind of transitioned to just being bottle-fed, he got way worse. And so we were trying to, you know, you start mixing in like oats and stuff in his bottles, and he actually started just throwing up every night. And we were like, well, this is a problem. Like he's got to be able to keep food down. So we took him to the doctor.
The doctor had been seeing him and kind of giving us some creams and stuff. We finally brought him. We're like, hey, this is worse. This isn't just like dry baby skin. Like we got problems here. And what you want when you go to a doctor is you want them to figure out what's causing the symptoms.
Like we can see the symptoms. You don't want the doctor to just be like, well, he looks red. Like, yep, it's true. It seems itchy. Yep. All right, cool.
We'll rub some like jelly on that and see if it gets better. It's like, no, like, you're just like, let's figure out why. Why though? Like he's throwing up. Like, let's figure out. I am no doctor, but I figured that out.
That's why I brought him here. What you want is them to find out the symptoms. It turns out he's allergic to eggs, wheat, milk, peanuts, and oats. So every night we were taking milk and putting oats in it. We were trying to kill him. And it turns out when you stop poisoning him, he is the pastiest white kid you've ever seen.
It's really hard. You take him out in the sun and you rub sunscreen on him and you can't tell where it is. Like, where you've covered and what you had and it's the same color. So, but we had to find out what was causing the symptoms. And that's actually what we're going to try to do today. We looked at idolatry.
We talked about in general what it was. Last week we said we actually can have idols. We can make idols of anything. That you can take any good thing and you can turn it into an idol. That you can love money too much. That you can love work too much.
That you can love your family too much. And I know in America that sounds crazy but we can. We can take something that is good that was meant to be a good thing. Romance, love, work, children. And then we can move God out of the way and we can elevate it to a place it was never meant to be. So that we begin to look at something that is a good thing.
Begin to treat it like a God thing. And we begin to say without you I can't have life. I can't be happy. I can't have joy without you. And so maybe as we've walked through this some of you have begun to see these things in your life. You've begun to go yeah I do care about work too much.
I do care about my children too much. I'm supposed to care about them but I've begun to place them too high in my life so that everything's built around them and I have to have them happy and I have to have them turn okay or I'm not going to be okay. Well here's the thing. When we begin to identify yeah work yeah romance yeah I have to have a girlfriend or I just don't feel alright. It's like okay well that's actually just a symptom. In reality there's something deeper than that.
In reality that's actually just a tool. It's just something you're using to get after what you really want and so that's our goal today is to look beneath if we've discovered surface level idols we're going to try to look beneath them to root level idols. It should be a lot of fun. Let's pray and then let's start looking at some scripture. God we ask for your help today that your Holy Spirit would not only help us see our surface level idols the things that we are using the things that we are pursuing the things that we love inordinately but that you would help us to see why. Why is it that that has been elevated to a position that it ought not to be in?
Why is it what is it that we believe it offers what is it that we believe it gives us that we might find our joy our life our fullness and satisfaction in you because it can only come from you. Let me ask this in Jesus name. Amen. So like I said we're going to get to Colossians but we're going to start in a few places in the Old Testament to get us started so the first one is going to be on screen it's Jeremiah 2 we started here three weeks ago and what we're trying to do today is see that the essential element of idolatry is looking to something other than God to get what only God can give us.
Of idolatry is looking to something other than God to get what only God can give us. Looking to something other than God to receive what only He can provide what only He is able capable of giving us and so Raz started this off here it's in Jeremiah 2 God at the beginning of this chapter has referred to Israel as His bride
He says I remember when you were my bride and you followed me around in the wilderness He's like I look him back and I remember how good it was and then He keeps going and He says that they've swapped Him out so He says be appalled oh heavens at this be shocked be utterly desolate declares the Lord the reason He says oh heavens is because the heavens all of creation
All of angelic world understands fully who He is so He says you want to hear something crazy you want to hear something that will make your jaw drop to the floor you want to hear something that will destroy you and make you desolate my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and they have hewed out cisterns
For themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water okay so Raz explained this a cistern is a man-made bowl that catches rainwater they can be nice none of them are as good as a fountain of flowing water when you live in an arid climate actually when you are a human but more so when you live in an arid climate water is life
You have to have water to live you have to have water to have crops this is we're in America where we take it for granted but if you quit having water come to your house if our reservoirs run out if that big old water tower doesn't have water anymore we got problems and you will move or you will die that's how it works so the people in this arid climate
Would go to places where there was running water you want to be near a river you want to be near a fountain that's where you would set up life because without water there is no life and if you were if there was no water if there was no running water you would dig a big cistern and it would catch rainwater but nobody who was near a
Fountain dug a cistern because you didn't need to there's a fountain there's flowing water here you don't I don't need that and so what he says is I'm a fountain forever pouring out life forever clean forever fresh forever new and they have swapped me out for a hole they dug if the city
Came to you and was like hey we're going to run water out here and you were like no I don't need that I got an above ground swimming pool we got all the water we need you'd be a moron that's what they did they swapped him out for flowing
Water they swapped that out for an above ground swimming pool but it had a hole in the liner it doesn't even hold the water it says it's broken it fails they're going to die that's what idolatry is this is actually Augustine who was an African church leader in the
Beginning of the church he actually says that sin is a disorder of love that we love something out of place so that God says that we've swapped him out for something that won't suffice but then he keeps going and in Jeremiah 3 it starts this way I want to teach y'all something real quick go to Jeremiah
3 Oh never mind I can't teach you yet I'll have to do it on the next slide you have played the whore with many lovers and would you return to me declares the Lord lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see where have you not been ravished
So this is how God sees idolatry he's talking to Israel he says you were my bride you swapped me out I'm a fountain of living water where all the good stuff comes you built yourself a cistern and you're a whore look look and see where have
You not been ravished that when we go to something other than God to receive what we are only meant to get from God he sees it as being a whore and an adulterer he keeps going verse 9 if you move down in Jeremiah 3 he says
Because she took her whoredom lightly she polluted the land committing adultery with stone and tree so we were meant to find our good things in God but that we go to some idol that's what they had stone idols and trees that they would bow down to
And worship and he says that you've run around on me that you were meant to receive joy and hope and satisfaction and fulfillment in me and you've run to something else pursuing what you were only meant to get from me in something
Else he sees it as adultery see at the bottom says Jeremiah 3 1b if you see that written what that means is it's just the back half of the first verse sometimes it'll say 1a that's actually about to come up that just
Means it's the front half so that's just coaching y'all up on what that means because otherwise you're all like what on earth I don't see a 1b it just means back half because the front half had more to it that we would have to explain so I decided rather than showing that I just
Explained this you're welcome go to the next one Jeremiah 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands with their idols they have committed adultery you see what happens when we run to something other than God we're actually seeking from it what we're meant to only
Have in him and so the question becomes not just that oh I figured it out I love money no no no why what is money telling you what God level promise is money making to you that you're believing oh no no I've elevated romance too high
You know I was sleepless in Seattle it tricked me and ever since I've been sleepless in Columbia it's like yeah okay but what did it promise you what did it promise you that you bought into why why is that
What you've based life off of what God level promise I will fulfill you I will make you whole I will bring you joy so that you're looking at something and saying if I don't have you I'm not okay I'm not okay you see when we lose a good
Thing we're sad when a good thing is attacked we're angry that's right that's how it's supposed to be but when we've placed something in the place of God we begin to not just feel sad or angry we're devastated we're resentful to the point of we can never forgive someone and it's because we've elevated and said I have to have that or I'm not okay you've stolen
Life from me so here's what we're about to do as we ask this question why I'm going to show a chart all right we're going to walk through this chart now we have found this to be helpful this chart is not found in scripture the things we're going to talk about the concept is found in scripture but the specific
Ones we're going to talk through aren't found in scripture so don't argue with it and get real upset and be like well it's like no this is just to be helpful it's a tool to help us see something what we're trying to see is that we can have a surface level idol but we're actually trying to pursue something underneath it so we're going to do four there could be more there could be fewer
It's just it's just chart to be helpful okay deep idol my life only has meaning if my worst nightmare is people around me feel my problem emotion is it's like a like a really sad game show all right first one power deep idol of power meaning that beneath your surface
Level and I'll explain how that works in a second we're going to walk through all four of these is power my life only has meaning if I have success influence or I win worst nightmare humiliation or failure people around you can feel used problem emotion anger next one approval
My life only has meaning if I have affirmation relationships or I feel loved my worst nightmare is rejection or loneliness people around you can feel smothered problem emotions cowardice can't hurt anybody's feelings can't correct anybody because you need freedom next one comfort
Life only has meaning if I have freedom privacy no stress worst thing ever stress demands people around you can feel neglected because you're supposed to care for them but you just don't problem emotions apathy I would help but so far
Away control life only has meaning if I have self-discipline certainty and standards worst nightmare is uncertainty people around me can feel unloved problem emotion worry or anxiety again this is to be helpful we're gonna leave this up for a
Second I'm gonna walk through and show you some things this is to be helpful to help you see there can be something underneath that your idol is actually working to serve so let's talk about money for a second
Because money is very helpful for us to see this it makes this really clear nobody likes money just because they like money I mean you might would have a few like you might have some money that's like hey look this money's from Mexico isn't that
Neat but you haven't worked really hard to have tons of that it's not super helpful here nobody hoards monopoly money you only care about that for the seven and a half hours you play that game someone was like
Hey things seem to be fun can we try to work to destroy these relationships that we've built over time let's play monopoly yeah I didn't want to like my grandmother after today see we only like money because
It's a tool it accomplishes things for us so you and your spouse might both have a money idol but you argue about money all the time because you actually have
Something underneath that's at work so let's walk through them real quick if you have maybe the deep idol of power and you love money so maybe last week you were like oh I
Just care about money too much I'm working too much I'm just all I care about is money it's like okay but why so if it's power maybe
You realize that one of the best ways to have power in life is to have money you can exert influence you're in control
Of what's going on around you you can have people want to talk to you and want to know you you can affect if
You have enough money you can have people that will come ask your advice on things one of my favorite movies ever is Fiddler
On the roof he sings that song if I were a rich man one of the lines in it is the most important men
In town would come to call on me they'd ask me to advise them like Solomon the wise and then he says and it
Doesn't matter if I answered right or wrong because when you're rich they think you really know and maybe you realize if I have
Money then I have influence I have power the more money I have the more points I have scored in life the more it's
Obvious that I'm winning maybe it's not that at all maybe it's approval so you realize one of the best ways to get people
To like you is to buy them things if you want people to smile at you pay for the pizza boom instant approval be
The person who gets the cheese dip for the table I think I just found my best friend like you just maybe find this
It's one of the best ways to get people to appreciate you maybe it's not that kind of approval maybe you just realize if
You have nice clothes and a nice car and you have the newest stuff people just want to be around you maybe growing up
You were the kid who had the Atari or the N64 or the Playstation 4 just depending on what age you grew up in
The basketball goal whatever you just found hey this is a great way to get people to want to be around I'm annoying but
If I have an N64 people will be my friend maybe it's comfort so you need money you work hard but the goal is
To then use your money to defend you from discomfort biggest couch biggest television door dash uber eats used to be you could just order
Pizza around here now you can have someone deliver mcdonald's to your house why would you do that you have money and you love
Comfort you can have how amazing is that I'll sit on my couch I'll watch stranger things someone will knock on my door and
Hand me food I don't need to be in a community group I'm good I got friends I got food I got a couch
Leave me alone maybe it's control you don't have to worry about the future because you have money you can pay for something for
Your children but then you use it to dig your hooks in I'll pay for the wedding no no not that color no no
Not that music no no I'm sorry I wrote a check I am in charge now maybe it's not that malicious it's just so
Nice to have some money in the bank because the future isn't as scary transmission goes out I got this I know nothing about
Cars we're okay it's just a good way to be in control now that's just four you can put success up there you can
Say that's the primary one you can put something else up there this is just to help you see that if you've identified a
Surface level idol in reality it is just think back to the ancient Greeks and they had the Parthenon where they had all these
Different idols that they worshipped and they had Artemis and they had Ares and they had all these different ones that they would worship
They were just a means to an end Ares helped you win your war Artemis kept you influential and made you successful Aphrodite brought
About beauty and love and the reality this so I'll serve this I want comfort I want control I want power I want influence
I want love I want approval I want romance so I'll serve this alright now it gets really scary let's take approval let's follow the life of a young
Lady she just wants approval she just needs people to look at her and smile and clap you guys from zero to fifth grade
She is a little princess perfectly well behaved made good grades she memorized things she did all the stuff in front of people and
It was celebrated it was beautiful it was good to see and not a bad thing to be doing but in reality she just
Has this hole in her heart she needs approval that's what she was running off of then middle school things got weird it's like
What happened to our perfect little angel but the reality was nothing happened to her she just found a better idol surface idol to
Serve her approval God she got to middle school and it turns out it was other middle school girls that's that's that's where she felt the most
Approval and when she didn't have that approval it's where it hurt the most wasn't coming from mom and dad anymore it's coming from
13 Year olds so she completely changed her heart level idol didn't but her surface level did that was middle school she has high
School turns out it's boys best way to get approval so most of her life back in the day maybe that meant she was
At parties she was always decked out hanging at the mall maybe it meant she was in the backseat of cars now maybe it
Means she's on Instagram all the time sending out pictures and doing things that she ought not be doing with a cell phone the
Goal is just to get some likes just to get some approval just have somebody smile and clap she gets around some Christians all her friend group
Changes and now the best way to be approved of by Christians is behave say the right stuff so she's not in love with Jesus she's
In love with approval but she found that being around Christians is a good way to get encouragement they're super encouraging people you guys she
Starts behaving well they start clapping for so here's what happens she looks like she loves Jesus she falls into sin can't confess it
Can't let anybody know she pretends she hides she doesn't actually love Jesus she doesn't actually understand that he's a savior she doesn't actually
Understand she can confess everything she just needs approval and so what looked like great behavior and looked like a love for Jesus was
Actually just a love for approval and as soon as it came time to repent it came time to confess and it came time
To own some sin and to get rid of some evil in her heart she can't do it because she'll lose approval from her peers
And you could watch her life and it would seem like she'd gone through different phases but she hadn't she served one God the
Whole time you can do that with power you can do it with comfort you can do it with control you can see that
Something changes over time but in reality the deep heart level God that is being served maybe hadn't shifted at all just the thing
That seemed like it would best accomplish the Job at the time you see our idols are so often just a means to an
End because our idols have come along and they've promised us they've made God level promises I know when people meet me one of
The first thoughts they have is I bet he was really cool in middle school you'd be surprised to find out that is not true
I was not really cool in middle school I know be shocked be utterly desolate but in middle school at one point I thought it
Would be cool and it would make me from this color to like a bleached white blonde and then as I got closer to
It I was like not my whole head just the top just this part you'll be even more surprised to find out that that
Did not make me cool it did not look cool I didn't really know it right when I first did it I thought it
Was awesome and then the more grew out and often the people around us can see how stupid we look but we can't see
It it's one of the things we talk about in our community groups one of the ways you serve each other best is to help point out
To someone hey I think this is actually an idol for you come in tread lightly as you enter don't move don't back up
When they say no because of course they'll say no hey I actually think you value your children a little more you probably ought to
Just keep pushing there keep talking about it be calm but don't back up if they just say no I actually think relationships boyfriends
Mean a little bit too much to you because it's easier for us to see other people's idols than it is for us to see
Our all we need the church family we see our own idols because in reality so often they're good things and we love them
So it's hard to move off of them they're promising us something that they can't provide but we don't know that yet and often
When we are most frustrated with God it's actually him doing what he's done since the beginning he's grabbing our idol and he's punching
It in the face it's actually what he does in Egypt when he does the ten plagues he goes through and picks their gods
And just makes a mockery of them oh y'all have like a frog God watch I'm in charge of frogs because I always wondered
I read those and these plagues are so weird God was like I'm going to flex frogs that's a weird flex but okay it's
Like no he's actually picking a God they have and he's he's just putting their gods in a headlock you have an eye of
God turn it to blood how's that taste like he oh you have a God in charge of the sun sun doesn't work anymore
And he does that to us because he loves us he graciously at times will come in and just destroy one of our gods
It'll fall apart in front of us because he wants something better for us that can actually withstand the weight of worship that can
Actually fulfill the promises that it's making I remember being in middle school my older brother and my dad were arguing which was not
Uncommon I remember my dad looking at my older brother and double pointing because that's how he pointed I think he got used to
It from when he was smoking all the time and he would pop it out there I mean it was serious big forearms big
Hand he double pointed at him I've been practicing it now I got boys look here boy I've learned I'm a pastor my dad
Was not I've learned that my dad say phrases I have to work on because some of them I writing some checks that you
Can't cash you making some promises but if I have to take that to the bank it's going to bounce because there's no money
In that account you cannot provide for me what you have told me you can provide you have lied and therefore have no place
Here anymore you see what happens is our idols are telling us that they can give us life that they are chapter three I
Said we'd get there isn't it nice to know you had your bible hold open to some good news the whole time Jesus is
Just hanging out about to show us what he does starts off if then you have been raised with Christ so this is for
Christians if you are not a Christian this is offered to you but is not true for you this is offered to you but
It is not true for you but if you are in here and you are in Christ this is true for you provided through
Christ if then you have been raised with Christ meaning that when we do baptism this is one of the pictures we have in
Baptism is that you're buried with Christ that you're dead to your sin and that you are raised with Christ that you rise to
New life in Christ so it's saying if you've placed your faith in Christ that you've died to your sin that he died for
It that he nailed it to the cross that when he rose your life is in him now that's what it's saying if you've
Been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God you see so much of
Our idolatry is us seeking things us chasing after something saying if I could just have this then I'll be okay and what he's
Saying is if you're with Christ if you're raised with Christ set your mind on the things above seek the things that are above
Set your minds on things that are above set yourself set your mind put this more set your mind on the things that are
Above not on the things that are on earth for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God and when
Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory you see our idols have told us your life
Is hidden in me if you can have me you have life you have the good life that's however you would define it you
Have comfort you have control you have security you have joy if you can have me the reality is only Christ can fulfill those
Promises and it's only in him that our life is hidden I had a friend and a co-worker who would do online dating he
Had been married when he was fairly young he had gotten divorced and he was older at this point and really wanted to get married
And he would do online dating and you guys when he would start a conversation and I don't remember what app he was using
And they would send winks or you know touches or jolts or whatever hearts whenever that happened he was through the roof she might
Be the one like he would just be giddy a bit much for me he would just be around me like okay you know he
Would be sending our messages or whatever and he would start sending too many messages and he would do you know he just it
Was too much and then whenever these conversations would die off or they would go on a date but he just would crash I remember
Looking at one point going bro you met her a week ago you should not be this sad and for all we know she is the
Terrible person maybe not the best advice I was just trying to think through here you don't know anything but the reality was he
Thought he believed that life was hidden in one of these females it was hidden his life his joy his hope his future was
Hidden and he just had to find it and so anytime it came around and anytime there was an opportunity for it he was
Through the roof because here comes life here comes joy here comes the fix to all my sadness here comes the thing I can't
Live without and when it would die off when it would stop he would just fall apart and in reality we're all doing that
Maybe yours is a little further down the road if I could just have this type of land if I could have this type of
Job if I could just have this if my kids just grow up and they're well behaved and people look at me and think
My life is hidden in them so that I'm something because my life is bound up in them and if they don't turn out
Okay I don't have life and I don't have joy and I don't have satisfaction so you've elevated your children so you've elevated your
Spouse so you've elevated your Job to a position that it cannot hold and you are asking of it something that it cannot provide and
Therefore you are dying and my wife likes me most days the day she needs me to perfectly fulfill her perfectly fill her up
Provide for her what only God can provide she will be very sad and I will be crushed I will not be able to
Sin I will not be able to confess I will not be able to fail she will need something from me that I cannot
Provide and if I do that with her the same do that with your Job you can do that with your friends you can
Do that with your children if you begin to believe that your life is hidden in them it will fall apart but if you
Are in Christ your life is hidden in him what my friend needed to learn how to do what I need to learn how
To do is when this thing begins to whisper if you just have me is to be able to look at it and say no no no no my life is not hidden in you my hope is not found in you when you appear when I get the rays when I get the thing
When you appear I will not suddenly be swept up into glory and find my life it will not happen my life is hidden with Christ in God and when he appears then I'll have life then I'll have hope then I'll have joy then it'll fulfill me fully and completely and that is where my rest is and that is where my hope is and so just as we have inadvertently removed God from his throne and placed something else there we get to actively remove that it's writing checks it cannot cash and then look to Christ and say my life is hidden in you my hope is found in you my joy is found in you my satisfaction my security
My comfort you approve of me and that outweighs everyone else's approval so that when I sin I actually can confess and I can walk in the approval that is provided for me by Christ I can be open about my sin I can be open about my struggles because I get approval from you I get joy from you I get comfort from you I get hope from you I am not destroyed by the things going on here because my life is not in them therefore they cannot take it away there is freedom in having our life bound up in a resurrected and ruling Christ and we are not free until our life is there
As long as your life is found somewhere here you are not free you are a slave you are bound and it will destroy you but when our life is in Christ we have life Augustine I quoted them earlier he says this he says you have made us for yourself oh Lord and our hearts are restless until it rests in you and that is the truth we were designed for God and we will not find satisfaction and fulfillment in anything else Raz and Matt
Are going to come back up our hearts will be restless until we learn how to rest in him until we learn how to look at him and say you are the one who approves of my soul you are the one who has died for me who has risen for me who has saved me you are the living hope and my life is bound up in you I will not find it anywhere else see the reality is that only satisfaction satisfaction can only be found in Christ rest can only be found in Christ fulfillment can only be found in Christ and if we are looking for it somewhere else it is too small to handle the weight
Everything else is just a little picture of what he is like none of them can actually handle what he accomplishes for us and Jesus Christ is jealous for us and loves us so much that he comes he challenges our idols and he dies and dies for our sin rises again that we might place our faith in him and not in anything else we put our hope in him and not in anything else we put our trust in him and not in anything else therefore we will not be let down we will not be put to shame as the Bible says it so often that no one will be put to shame
That trusts in him see there are things that we trust in and we get put to shame I dyed my hair yellow publicly wore shame on the top of my head but in reality I am so tempted to do that with other things that will put me to shame far worse that will fail me far more extravagantly that will fall apart and I have built my whole life on them because I will believe that my life is in them and it is not and everyone who trusts in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will not be put to shame
He can handle the weight of our life it can be hidden in him and if you have not trusted in Christ I would encourage you to do that now and for those of us who are in Christ I would encourage you to take this time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you see your idols to help you see what it is why you have believed their lies and to look at them and actively through the power of the Holy Spirit say you are a liar my life is hidden in Christ you cannot provide what you have told me you can provide but Jesus Christ can so we are going to
In a moment as they play we are going to pray through that and then when you feel ready to walk up and take communion if you are a Christian that is for you if you are not a Christian please do not take communion we want you to have Christ before you remember what he has done for you but as Christians as we repent as we tell our idols that they are liars and we trust in Christ we are going to walk forward and we are going to partake in his broken body and his shed blood for us knowing that we have died to our sin
That our life is in him and when he returns we will be swept up with him in glory and we will find our life that none of our idols can handle that none of our idols can carry that let's pray Jesus our idols have lied to our hearts and we have believed them forgive us forgive us for committing adultery for running to created things and begging them to provide for us what only you can Lord help us
To love you more seeing that you died for us that you rose again and that we trust in you our life is in you and help us to never believe that something else smaller can handle it we ask that in this moment that you would work in our hearts that we might see our idolatry and that we might trust and love you more
We ask all this in Jesus name amen arevideo there may be well
Jesus > Idols
Transcript
How y'all doing? I'm doing well, Vicki. Y'all, let's turn to Romans chapter 1. That's where we'll be this morning. It's on page 610 if you have a Bible that looks like this. If you don't have a Bible that looks like this, it's going to be in the New Testament, kind of near the back, after the book of Acts, before all the other letters like 1 Corinthians and stuff.
So best of luck. At the front of your Bible, there's a thing that has all the names of the books, and you can look, and it'll tell you what page number it's on. I'm going to pray for us, and then we'll kind of hop in this morning. God, we just ask you to teach us and to lead us this morning, that your Holy Spirit would work in our hearts to help us see your beauty and your glory, and to help us to love Jesus more. We thank you and we praise you for all of the love and grace that you've poured out on us. In Jesus' name, amen.
So what we've been doing in the Anchor Series, and kind of the reason we called it that, is when I was in seminary and was learning, trying to grow in church planning, what that would look like, felt called to it. One of the things that we talk about is your church needed some sort of a mission, vision statement, and we in class had to write them out. And so you'll see churches a lot that'll have things like, I know one that was like, love God, love people, love life, which gets more epic at the end. It's just like, everything is great. So you love God, you love people, and then just, life is wonderful, and you're just hugging everybody.
But you would have these different things, and so there's like, seek, serve, send, and it's like, your church is saying, this is what we're going for. And there's like, no, grow, so, go, whoa, hey, ho. Like, it's just these things that people, mantras or whatever for churches. And so as we got into it, we were just like, ah, it's helpful for us to have something that's taken from Scripture. That's not just made up, but that's an idea of what we're shooting for as a church family, what we're going for. But we didn't want anything that was super out there or convoluted or complex.
And so all we said was that we're a gospel-centered community on mission. So we're just trying to define who we are, not what we do, but who we are. And so we're a gospel-centered community on mission. And so in our Anchor Series, all we're saying is that's kind of what we're tied off to. That's what holds us. And so there are some things that, man, wouldn't this be a good idea or wouldn't this be fun?
But they're outside of kind of where our anchor will let us go. It's like, yeah, that actually would work or would be a good idea, but Scripture says this, so we can't really, we can't go there. We can't do that. Or it kind of goes against how we understand we're supposed to look and be as a church family. So that's all we're doing in our Anchor Series.
So we've been kind of in the gospel-centered portion for the first three weeks. And so we're staying there today. And what we're talking about today lines up with the first two weeks and really lines up with last week where we talked about gospel fluency, which is just that since the gospel is our story, it's how we understand life. It's how we understand the world. And it's how we see the world and speak to each other. So we're not just giving each other good advice to adjust our behavior, but that we know that our fundamental issue is that we don't worship God, that we put other things in place of him and that we need the gospel to change us and to point us in the right direction.
And so that's kind of what we're adding on to that today to help us understand what we're going for and what it looks like for us to just operate as Christians. And so we're in Romans 1. We'll start reading verse 21 and kind of recap a little bit and then talk about kind of where we're going today. So verse 21 says, And so the big issue for us as humans is not that we that God has rules and that we've broken his rules, but it's that God is our creator and that we don't exist in a relationship with him appropriately. We don't treat him as the creator. And so we actually begin to look to other things to fulfill us, to bring us life, to bring us joy and hope.
And so we we move God from his rightful place and we put created things there. Now, created things is and the Bible is going to call that idolatry. But that's idolatry whenever we're we're putting something else in the place of God. And when it talks about created, they worship the creature rather than the creator. That includes everything. There's only one creator and everything else is created.
Everything else comes out of him. And so when we think of idolatry, I think most of the time we think of like a carving or we think of like a statue or we think of like a totem pole. And we'll even we'll get kind of smug about it. We'll be like, yeah, how ridiculous is that? People would cut down a tree, carve an image on it and worship it. We would not do that unless you flattened that tree out, made it green and the image was an old dead president.
Then maybe we think about it. We'd give it some thought. But it's it's anything. It's anything. And it can just be an idea. It could be love.
It could be acceptance. It could be relationships. But anything that we begin to look at and say, you'll fill me up. You'll make me happy. Life will be good if. Everything will work out if.
Anything that we begin to put in that spot is when we begin to have idolatry and we begin to worship created things instead of the creator. And so this this is a problem. And we all have something that we're looking to and saying, if that would just work out. If I could just reach this spot, if I could just have this, then life would be OK. I wouldn't be worried anymore. I wouldn't be bothered anymore.
I wouldn't be stressed out anymore. If I could just have this and we're all pointing to something and saying, this will save me. This will fill me up. This will make me complete. And that's that's that's how the Bible understands idolatry, that it's not primarily about and sin is not primarily about us breaking rules. But it's actually that we've swapped God out for something else.
So that's what happens in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, our first parents. That's what that's what they did. It wasn't that he just had a rule. It was that in that moment they wanted to be like God. They believe that God was withholding something from them and that they could, through their own effort, through their own actions, through some other type of savior, reach God level, that they could be happier, that they could have fulfillment and strength. And that's what that's what happened.
That's what the Ten Commandments, when Moses goes to Pharaoh and sings that song about letting his people go. And then and then they do. And the Ten Commandments, we think of that as those are God's rules. That's the rules God began to give the law that we follow. But it starts off with you will have no other God but me.
And the second one is you won't build any idols. You won't make any idols. You won't take anything. And when he says it, he says anything in the heavens, anything on the earth, anything under the earth, which could be anything other than God. You won't turn into something supreme. And so even the Ten Commandments begin with not here are my rules, follow my rules, but with object of worship, with I'm God and nothing else is.
And so the primary issue for us when we sin is not that we've done something bad or broken a rule or that our behavior is off. But first and foremost, we've broken the first two commandments, which is something else has become more important to us. Something else has become primary, that we've taken God out of his rightful place. And that's why we're willing to steal. That's why we'll commit adultery. That's why we'll lie.
Because something else has become more important to us than God. And so at its core, sin and rebellion and the fall is based off of not having God in his rightful place and not worshiping him as the creator. It's based off of us putting something else there, which leads us astray all the rest of the time. And that's what the Romans 1 is going to say is that's the issue, that they worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator. So we even see this as we move into the New Testament.
So when they're talking to Jesus and asking, what's the what's the primary commandment? He says to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. That's the commandment. It has nothing to do with behavior, has everything to do with our hearts and our love for God. And so as we talked about gospel fluency last week, what we were talking about is pointing each other not to here's some advice to change your behavior, but pointing each other to here's what Jesus has done and here's how that works in our hearts to bring about change. Because we're not trying to change our behavior.
We're trying to change our hearts. That's even what Jesus says. It's about our love for God. And then he says to love others. And somewhere I'm sure it says love life. Okay, so what we see first, though, as we begin to look at something and say, you'll fix me, you'll fill me up, you'll make me complete.
We're going to talk about surface idolatry. Bible doesn't use that phrase. It does use idolatry, but we're just using that to help explain this. So we're going to talk about the two major areas that idolatry shows up in us and in our hearts. So surface idolatry is when we begin to look at anything and say, you'll fix me, you'll fill me up, if I could just have this, if this would just work out.
It's what we daydream about. It's what we plot on. It's our biggest fear that we would lose this because we believe that it's going to fix us, that it's going to fill us up, that it's going to give us life. It's going to make us whole. And for most of us, that is something good. We've picked something good.
Most of us don't have really dumb idols. We've picked something good. We've picked something kind of intelligent. Just like you might put a lot of energy and effort into fixing your car up, get a new paint Job, maybe some sweet flames running down the side. But you're not going to do that to your trash can.
You're not going to put spinners on your garbage can that you roll out to the road once a week, get a sweet paint Job on it, some fire going up. Like you're not going to do that because it's a trash can. And so most of us, when we pick an idol, we pick something pretty smart, something that actually has value, that actually has worth, that actually has some beauty. And then because it has value, worth, and beauty, because it brings joy, we begin to believe that it actually can replace God. We're not usually tricked by something small and trivial. We're tricked by something good.
So even take an alcoholic. There's something in alcohol that brings some level of joy, some level of forgetfulness, some level of pleasure. At first, at least, and then it leads into worse things. But that's what begins to make someone believe this is actually what will fill me up, what will make me whole. Someone with sexual addiction, there's actually something beautiful there created by God for enjoyment, for pleasure, for life. And that's what begins to make us believe the lie that it will fix us, fill us up, make us whole.
Athletic achievement. It's good. It's designed by God for joy, for us to compete, for there to be some. And that's what begins to make someone believe, if I just get this, then I'll be fine. If I can just reach this moment. Parents, your children.
They're designed by God, given to you by God as a blessing. And that's actually because of the joy and the life that they bring. That's what actually can make you begin to say, if they just turn out okay. If they're just safe. If they just get the best of everything. If life just works well for them.
If they just end up the way the Bible says someone should end up. Then I'll know. Then I'll know I have value. Then I'll know I have worth. Then I'll know I'm okay.
And it's when we do that. When we begin to look to anything to accomplish that for us. We've swapped the creator out. And we've put the creature there. We've taken something creative. And placed it there.
And we've begun to put more pressure on it than it'll ever be able to hold. And we've begun to believe something about it that it's never going to be able to fulfill. Because it won't fill us up. And it won't make us whole. And it won't complete us. And it won't get rid of that nagging emptiness in us.
And so as far as surface level idolatry goes. We'll take anything. You name it. We can put it there. Money. Love.
Relationships. A particular person. This is what keeps us in bad relationships for longer. This is what makes us make a lot of the mistakes that we make. Is because we've begun to believe that something is fundamentally going to fix us. Fill us up.
Make us whole. And it won't. But I have bad news for us this morning. We're trickier than this. So some surface level idols you can see pretty clearly.
Like you've sat down with your friend and said. He is a terrible boyfriend. Like he is the worst. Get rid of him. And then they say something like. You just don't know him like I do.
No. You're right. He's never laid his hands on me. I don't know him like you do. But he's terrible.
And we can see that. Or you can see somebody chasing after money. And you can go. That's. That's. You.
I can obviously see this. But here's the problem. We're trickier than this. So Jeremiah 17 9 says this. One of my favorite verses in the Bible. Because it's just very true.
It's going to be up here. It says the heart is deceitful above all things. And desperately sick. Who can understand it? The heart is deceitful above all things. Desperately sick.
Who can understand it? Your heart lies to you. You have actually lied to you more than anyone else ever. And some of us just thought. No I haven't. But that's exactly what you would say.
Don't trust yourself. Your heart is desperately sick. It lies to you. If you're ever watching a Disney movie. And I always give this. This warning.
If you're watching a Disney movie. And. And a little bird comes out. And sings about following your heart. Or a. A grasshopper shows up.
Or a little cricket with an eye patch. Or no. Monocle. He didn't have an eye patch. That would have been creepy. A monocle.
Dragging a peg leg. I'm Jiminy Cricket. No. With a monocle. And begins to sing a song about following your heart. Don't do it.
It's a trap. It's a trick. Your heart is going to lie to you. It's going to lead you into bad places. And it's going to trick you. And so what happens is.
We can actually have deeper level idolatry. And so. Again. This is just a way to think about it. And to understand it. Deeper level idolatry.
Which actually begins to be the. The operator. Of our other idolatry. And so. I'm going to give us four. They're made up.
Just to be helpful. So if you think there should be more. If you think there should be less. Or you wanted them all to start with the same letter. Or something. Sorry.
There's four that we're going to talk about. And it's just to be helpful. So don't. Don't argue with the categories too much. Get the concept. Comfort.
Control. Approval. And power. These are just big categories. And it's to help us see. That we can have something else we're chasing.
Which changes. How we operate. Which changes how we manipulate our surroundings. Comfort. Control. Approval.
Power. Comfort is. I'll arrive. If I can just rest. If I can just. Have all the stuff I need.
If I can just be able to go on vacations. If I can just have what they have. If I can just have it to where I'm bored in the evenings. Control is. I don't have to worry about my surroundings. I don't have to worry about.
I'm in control of what happens. I'm in control of my destiny. I'm able to exercise authority over what's around me. I don't have to worry. I have security. Approval is just.
I know I'm okay if I'm loved. If people think highly of me. If people want me around. That if I can just be approved of. Then I'll be good.
I'll be okay. And then power is just the ability to exert. Authority over those around you. Over your situation. To just be the boss. To be in charge.
To have your decisions win out. So here. Here's. Here's why it's helpful for us to see this. Money. Some people say.
Oh that person just loves money. Or you might even be thinking. I think my. My surface level idolatry. I think what I chase after. What.
What I say will fill me up is money. Because here's the thing. Nobody just loves money. You don't. You love what money can give you. You love what money provides you.
But you don't just love money. Because. The reason I know that is. None of us. Have a bank account. That has monopoly money in it.
And none of us have a purse or a wallet. With monopoly money in it right now. Because it doesn't give us anything. Now when we're playing monopoly. We care a lot about those little yellow dollars. So much so.
We'll yell at our grandmother. And for the three or seven hours. That we play that game. Until our grandmother beats us. With a really smug attitude. We care about monopoly money.
But then we don't anymore. And the reason we care about money. Is because of what it gives us. And so I'm just going to walk through. Those four. Comfort, control, approval, and power.
And show you how money begins to be manipulated. By those. But you're not really seeking money. You're just seeking what money gives you. Comfort. Money is a great way to get comfort.
You can go on vacations. You can buy a jet ski. You can pay people to do work. So you can take a nap. Like. Money serves comfort very well.
Some of you. That's what your money goes to. Eating out. It's one of my favorites. Being able to rest. Being able to.
Like it just. Why would I own. Why would I have money. If my couch is uncomfortable. That makes zero sense. Why would I have money.
If my TV is not big. This is dumb. That's what money is for. Control. Oh. Money is a great way to have control.
You don't have to worry about the future. If you've got a lot of money. Something bad happens. We'll pay for it. Tire gives out. We'll pay for it.
You can just. People open their bank account. And just look at all this money. In their bank account. And just know. I'm okay.
It's like a big green security blanket. Approval. Oh. Money is a great way to get approval. Like if you want me to be your friend. Buy me lunch.
I will approve of you. I will be like. We are friends. This pizza is delicious. Like that's. I mean.
But money is a great way to give approval. You think. Oh my grandmother is so generous. Maybe. Maybe she just really wants to get the approval of her grandchildren. Because that helps fill her up.
And make her feel like she's okay. Power. Oh. Power is great. You can exert your authority over people. If you have enough money.
You can. You can. Sway the outcome of an election. But I know that. I know our crowd. We live in West Columbia.
In Columbia area. None of us can sway the outcome of an election. But. You can sway the outcome of where you're going to eat lunch. Hey man. If you go.
If we go here. I'll pay for it. That generous. Maybe. Maybe it's just that you wanted to be in control of where you ate. You just wanted to exert your power over it.
And money was a good way to do it. Here's why this is important. Our behavior can change. But at a core heart level. We're still chasing after the same thing. And the problem is.
That we've swapped out the creature. In place of the creator. We've taken created things. And we've put them in place of the creator. And when we do that. It leads us into sin.
It leads us into bad behavior. But the big issue is that our hearts are off. And God's after our hearts. Love the Lord your God with all your heart. With all your mind. With all your strength.
He's after our hearts. Our worship. Way more than our behavior. So. Our behavior can change. All of those idols.
Can actually have really good behavior. So if you're. If comfort is. You have a comfort idolatry. That. Yeah.
That can be laziness. Which the Bible clearly says is bad. You can be really lazy. You know what else? You can be a really good friend. You can be the most agreeable person.
Because you just don't want your friendships to be. The boat to be rocked. Makes you uncomfortable. So you agree really quickly. You're really nice. You let your friends have whatever they want.
Seems really nice. But your heart's off the whole time. Approval. We said it. Approval can show up in really. Drastic neediness and relationships.
But it can also show up in a whole lot of generosity. Which is nice. Which is good. The Bible says to do that. But the whole time we're chasing after something other than God.
And we're not doing it because we love God. And we love people. But we're doing it because we. We have to have this in order to feel complete and whole. Do you see that? So you can have a couple arguing over money.
The husband believes that why would we own money if we don't go on vacations? Like what's the point of me working hard if I can't have a bass boat? Like that's what money exists for. And the wife's saying no we need to save. And we need to plan ahead. And we got kids that are going to go to college.
And he's like our kids aren't going to college. And so like. And they have these struggles and they butt heads over money. But the truth is they're both just working to serve. What they ultimately believe will fill them up. So she seems more reasonable.
But she really is just seeking security. That's what makes her feel comfortable at night. It's what lets her sleep at night. Do you see that? So even though her behavior could be good or wise.
And the Bible would actually commend the behavior. The Bible worries way more about our hearts. So yeah we should have good behavior. And yeah those things are commendable. But the heart is the issue.
And so as long as we're chasing after other things. Other than God. Other than resting in God. We can get ourselves in trouble. So let's take a guy.
Power is his thing. So he just. First way he can feed that. Is through sports. So he gets real strong.
Works really hard. Seems really determined. And just is very powerful. Exerts his power on the field. On the court. But then as he gets a little older.
He begins to realize that chasing women. Is a good way to feel powerful. And that he proves his power. And his dominance. With every conquest. But as he begins to grow.
And he gets older. He begins to realize that one of the best ways to have power. Is through civil service. To be a politician. To serve the community. Because you get to actually affect change.
At a much larger level. So he completely quits chasing women. Comes very chaste. Very pure. But what he loves.
And what he's pursuing. Hasn't changed. And then he finds out. You know what? The ultimate power is found in. Jesus.
And the best way to have power. Is to be a Christian. Because Christians are the only ones that have truth. So he devours scripture. He's in your community group. And he just crushes people with Bible verses.
He has more knowledge than anybody. Because it's a way to have power. And at no point has his heart changed. Although his behavior has changed all along the way. It's a big deal for us to begin to look at. What is it that our heart believes.
Will fill us up. Will make us whole. Will complete us. So here's how this works. Our deep idolatry. A lot of times is going to be answered.
It's going to be how we answer the question. What does heaven look like? What would heaven be? What is it you daydream about? Oh if I could just have this. I'd be good.
I'd be set. Wouldn't be worried anymore. Wouldn't have problems anymore. What is it that you're looking at and saying. This will fill me up. This will make me complete.
This is when I'll be at rest. And then our surface level idolatry. Is whatever we think will get us there best at the time. It's our functional savior. It's what will take us from where we are. To where heaven is.
It's what will step in and bridge that gap. What will allow us to get from where we are. To where heaven is. That's a problem. Because we can change our constantly. Change our motivation.
Change what we're chasing after. What we think was going to get us to heaven. But our deep idolatry stays the same. What we're chasing after fundamentally stays the same. So take lying for example.
We all know we're not supposed to lie. It's one of the ten commandments. It's bad. Hurts relationships. So when you lie.
What do you do? You say. Ah. Don't lie. Shouldn't lie. Bad Christian.
Bad mother. Shouldn't lie to your children. Bad. Fix that. But here's the thing.
Why do we lie? That's the question. What is it you're trying to protect? What is it you're trying to defend? Through lying. So some of you would lie about how popular you were in high school.
You'd be in a conversation. And you'd kind of ham up how good you were at sports in high school. How popular you were. Because this person's never going to find out. Unless you're still in high school. Which is going to be a hard sell.
But go for it. No. I'm super popular here. Or you go back to your high school reunion. Or you bump into someone. And you're going to make it sound like your job's better.
Your life's better. Things are going better. And all you're seeking is you need them to approve of you. Even in this conversation with someone you're not going to see. Some of you. You would never lie about that.
You think that's a ridiculous thing to lie about. You straight up tell somebody. No. My life's pretty crummy right now. But you look like you're doing good.
Like you just wouldn't care. But you lie about something else. You'll tell somebody something starts earlier. So they'll show up on time. Oh. Did I say 845?
My bad. It's good to see you though. At 855. Got you here at 9. Tricked you. But you're lying about it.
Me. You call me on the phone. If I am asleep. I'm going to want to tell you I was awake. Doesn't matter. I think that's true for most people.
Like if I answer the phone and people go. Oh I'm sorry did I wake you up. I am going to want to say. No. I was awake. Doesn't matter what time you call me.
It could be 3 o'clock in the morning. No. I was up. I was up. Why were you up at 3? I was working out reading the Bible.
I had to do that one time in the middle of a conversation. We've been talking for about 10 minutes. I said hey man I need to tell you something. He said what? I said I was asleep when you called me. I lied to you when I answered the phone.
He's like it sounded like you were asleep. I thought you were lying. I was like yeah I was. We can continue with the conversation now. I just had to get that out there. Had to confess.
But the question is why are we lying? What are we seeking to gain from that? You see because we've all answered the question. This is what heaven will be for me. And this is what will get me there. Here's the problem.
The Bible says that where God is is where heaven is. That it's in his presence. That we're engulfed in his glory. Which glory just means that it has. It brings to mind the idea that you would look at something. And it would bring you joy.
Just by seeing it. Just by being in his presence. It's like when you're watching a sunset. And you just you get that moment where you're just like. I'm so glad I got to see this. I'm so glad I was driving on this road at this time.
Because it's bringing me joy. Just by seeing it. That's what heaven is. It's the presence of God. That heaven isn't all the nice things that you like and chase after. No heaven is God's presence.
Where we're completely satisfied. Completely fulfilled. Completely made right. Completely known and loved. And Jesus is the savior that gets us there. That it's his work not ours.
That rescues us. And redeems us. And takes us from where we are to where God is. So when we answer the question. This is what heaven is. And this is what will get me there.
We have replaced God. And we've replaced Jesus with something else. Something smaller. Something weaker. And something that will never provide. Never fill us up.
Never make us okay. So our idols and our hearts lie to us. And I want to show that to you. We look at 24. These are the two major issues when it comes to idolatry. What they do to us.
What our idols do. Therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity. Let me just tell you this real quick. Some of us are chasing after things. Just so you know. Part of God's wrath is to give you exactly what you want.
What it just said was that God gave them up to their lust. To what they were loving. What they were chasing after. He actually handed them over to what they wanted. That's actually one of the worst things that can happen. Because then we've got our idol.
And we realize it never fills us up. It won't make us complete. It's actually a form of God's wrath. God is actually being very kind to some of us. But not letting us have the thing that we think will make us whole.
To the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. Verse 25. Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie. And worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. The two things that happen when we chase idols is they lie to us.
And they enslave us. It says they worshipped and served. That they exchanged the truth about God for a lie. And they worshipped and served the creature rather than creator. Your idol is telling you. I will bring you joy.
If you could just have me. Life would be okay. You wouldn't have doubt. You wouldn't have fear. You wouldn't have restlessness. And it is a lie.
And they ultimately. Our idols enslave us. They cause us to worship and serve them. I had a friend of mine who was part of our church family for a while. He's moved. And he was an older guy.
Had been married at one point. Wasn't married now. And was doing some online dating. And just believed in his soul. That what would fix him. Was a perfect marriage relationship.
That that's what would fix him. To the point that even when I was having conversations with him. He like idolized mine and Anna's relationship. And I'd say something about. You know. How we were working on stuff.
Or we were having problems. Or I'd be like. Yeah man. It's not. And he would laugh. Like.
Like. There's no way that was possible. Because I was married. I had to be perfectly happy. Perfectly complete. And it's like.
No. We got. Anna married a sinner. And I married a sinner. And we got stuff. We got to work on.
And grow in. Like. That's normal. That's how. But he didn't see it.
It was. Sometimes it was like talking to. Like. Like he was a middle school girl. Or something. Like he.
He idolized it so much. And so. In his mind. Any girl he met. Any female he met. Any lady he met.
And began to talk to. That was his savior. That was who was going to take him to heaven. Perfect. Married land. So he would meet a female online.
Through talking conversations. And I talked to him. He'd be. I mean. Soaring. I met somebody.
She's special. That's good man. I'm excited. I just. I think. I think we got something here.
And he would begin to. Pursue way too quickly. Up the ante. Way too quickly. Because she wasn't just a female he'd met. And got to have conversations with.
But she was actually who was going to save him. And so. Inevitably. A couple weeks later. That relationship wasn't going well. They weren't talking anymore.
And he would just be. Crushed. I mean shattered. Because what he had lost. Was not. Reality.
Wasn't just a conversation. And a possible relationship with a female. What he had lost. Was what was going to save him. And what was going to take him to heaven. What was going to fix him.
And it was way worse. Some of us. Should he want relationships? Yeah. That's fine. Is getting married a good thing?
Yeah. Does everybody have to get married? No. Is that good? Yeah. But he had put so much else on it.
That it couldn't fail him. Some of us have those. We have something in our life. That this can't fail. Because if it does. I don't just lose this.
I don't just lose this relationship. I don't just lose this job. I don't just lose this amount of money. I don't just lose this position. I actually lose what is going to save me. What is promising me fulfillment.
What is going to fill me up. And take me to heaven. I lose God and Savior. And it's. There's way more tied to it. Some of us are.
Some of you in here. Are chasing after success. You've put in your mind. That if I can just reach this stage. If I can just be successful. If everything I put my hand to.
Can just work out. If I can just have accomplishment. If I can just. And you're. You're believing that. And you're chasing that.
But here's the thing. You become enslaved to it. Because you can't not be successful. It crushes you. When you fail. It eats away at your insides.
Because your God. Demands sacrifice. So you begin to spend more time at work. More time putting your energy and effort into this. When something's not going well. It's the only thing you can think about.
Because your God demands sacrifice. And will not forgive you if you fail. Some of you. You just have this in your moment. There's going to be this day when I arrive. When I no longer have to.
I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. All my debts paid off. I'm just. I'm there. I can rest. I can have peace.
I can just. Bring in an X amount of dollars. Then I'll be okay. But until then. You're a slave. And if you'll look back over your life.
You've bumped up. How far you have to go. Before you'll arrive. How much money you need to bring in. And you're a slave. And your God doesn't forgive you when you fail.
And it demands that you sacrifice. Advice. Some people in here. It's approval. You have to. Have people like you.
So that Facebook and Instagram. Become your temple of worship. It's not just a place to keep up with friends. It's where you. You go to seek approval. It's where you go to post things.
That people will like. It's where you go to get those. Little thumbs up. And little comments. About how your dress looked. Or how good that meal looked.
That you cooked. Or that you were about to eat. It becomes this. This is what I need. This is what's going to satisfy me. This is what's going to fill me up.
Now. Facebook. Until. Until you begin to realize. That you're forever going to be enslaved to that. That's why when a relationship is going poorly.
And you're at odds with a friend. It tears you up inside. You can't have someone not like you. Not because you want those relationships to work out. But because you have to have approval to be okay.
As long as we're worshiping something created. We're never free. We're enslaved. We have to make sacrifices to please our God. And our gods are not forgiving when we fail. What's the solution to this?
How do we get past this? How do we fix this? I want to read a quote from Thomas Chalmers. He was a. He lived in 1780 in Scotland. And he was a missionary pastor.
He says this. The heart's desire for an ultimate object. May be conquered. But it's desire to have some. Object is unconquerable. The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is through the expulsive power of a new one.
So I'm going to read that again. The heart's desire for an ultimate object. May be conquered. Which means that you can swap it out for something else. Like you can. You can chase after power for a while.
Or you can chase after money for a while. And then you can begin to chase after a political position. But it's desire to have some object is unconquerable. We're always going to have to have something in that place. The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection. Is through the expulsive power of a new one.
And this is why it becomes huge for us. That we always point ourselves and each other back to the gospel. Because as we kept reading in Romans two weeks ago. We saw that it's Jesus that steps in and saves us. My friend is not going to be free. From the need to have a successful relationship.
Until he realizes that Jesus has already provided all the approval. All the love that he'll ever need. Until he realizes that Jesus has stepped in and in his place. Given him the relationship. The perfect relationship with the father. Which is where heaven is.
That Jesus is his savior. Then he'll be free. And then relationships can just be relationships. You're chasing after success. Until you realize that Jesus steps in. And provided success for you.
Made you holy. Made you righteous. Made you blameless. Made you successful. In him because of his work. And that ultimate success is in him.
Found only in him. And that he forgives when we fail. And that he sacrificed himself for us. See our other gods don't love us. Demand sacrifice. And don't forgive us.
And Jesus loves us so much. That he sacrificed himself. And that he always forgives us when we fail. But until we see that. Until we're engulfed in that. We'll be a slave to success.
We'll be a slave to achievement. Until we realize that a rival doesn't come. Through financial security. But that ultimate security has been provided to us. And Jesus will forever be a slave. Until you know that approval has been given to you forever.
Through God who knew you perfectly. And loved you anyway. And through the cross. Gave you worth and value. Facebook will not be a way to connect with friends. It will always be a way to posture yourself.
Make yourself look good. And feel good inside. Your relationships will always be on the needy side. Of having to have someone else fill you up. And make you whole. Until you realize that Jesus has already done that.
Until Jesus becomes the ruling affection of our hearts. We will forever be enslaved. But Jesus didn't come to be served. But to serve. And to give his life as a ransom for many. Ransom means the cost it takes to buy back a slave.
Jesus doesn't enslave us. He makes us free. He is the truth that replaces all the lies. And in Jesus we have freedom. We have a God who sacrificed himself for us. Doesn't demand that we sacrifice to him.
To earn his love. To behave our way into his good graces. But came and lived perfectly on our behalf. And died in our place. To sacrifice himself for us. So that he could forgive us of everything.
Even forgive us of worshiping and loving other things. And thinking they'll fill us up. That's what we have in Jesus. That's why it's crucial for us as a church family. To always point back to Jesus. Because our hearts lie to us.
They deceive us. They run in all kinds of directions. And we need to remember forever. That it's Jesus who saves. It's Jesus who fills us up. It's Jesus who's holy.
It's Jesus who is our king and God. And the ruling affection of our hearts. And only then will we begin to change and be free. Band's going to come back up here. And we're going to make much of Jesus. It's like a man who got sicker.
And sicker. And sicker. Symptom after symptom kept cropping up. And he went to the doctor. And he found out he had cancer. And at that moment.
Symptoms no longer matter. The only thing that has to be gotten rid of. Is the cancer. Even if it causes more symptoms in the process. Our hearts. Are wicked.
Deceitful. And desperately sick. And changing our behavior. Only takes care of symptoms. But when we see that we've begun to love.
And worship something else. Other than our creator. That's when we begin to allow Jesus to work on the cancer. To begin to wreck our hearts. And to make them his. Through his grace.
And through his work. Not ours. We get to trust him. It's not in our ability to work hard. Or to make this happen. We get to trust Jesus.
And his ability to do this for us. To change us. And to begin to take over our hearts. That we're saved through faith. And God's grace. So as we see our idols.
The response isn't. Let me work really hard to get rid of that. No. It's let me begin to love Jesus. See Jesus more. And trust him.
And ask him to become the ruling affection of my heart. To begin to take over. To help me get rid of the lies. And begin to be free. From my slavery. And be free to follow him.
Father. We thank you. For your grace. We thank you for your love. And we pray that you would help us to see. Where it is that we're chasing after things.
That we've begun to believe the lie. That they'll fill us up. That they'll make us whole. That they'll complete us. Where it is that we've begun to. In relationships.
And in our jobs. And in our life. Put more weight on something. That was never meant to carry that. God. Where are we leaning into a good gift.
That you gave us for your glory. And asking it to be God. We ask that your Holy Spirit. Would begin to show that to us. And more than that. God.
We ask that as we see that. That you would show us yourself. That we would see the cross. Where you came not to be served. But to serve.
And to give your life as a ransom. To buy back slaves. And God. As we see our sin. That we would see the cross. Which so greatly outweighs our sin.
That we would so be engulfed. By Jesus. That your beauty. And your glory. Would so fill us up. That we wouldn't look to lesser things.
To make us whole. God. We ask that your Holy Spirit. Would press in. That you would expel idols. And that you would become the ruling.
And reigning affection of our hearts. And we ask God. That you would lead us as a church family. To continuously. Be anchored in the gospel. And pointing one another.
To Jesus' work. At all times. So that we might rest. In the grace that's been provided. That though we fall short. You save.
You always save. You always forgive. That you were our sacrifice. And God. We just ask that your Holy Spirit. Would lead us now.
The spirit of Jesus. In our souls. Would begin to work. You'd begin to cut out cancer. And help us to quit chasing symptoms. We ask this in your powerful name.
In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.