Subject: Idolatry # Title: Making a Good Thing an Ultimate Thing Text: Ephesians 6:10-18

Transcription

1 Subject: Idolatry # Title: Making a Good Thing an Ultimate Thing Text: Ephesians 6:10-18 Introduction Fictitious argument between me and Penny over the truck I must buy! (Picture of vehicle) Penny says, If you buy that truck, I m leaving. This marriage is over! You can choose - the truck or me! This discussion has been boiled down to the lowest common denominator: Me or the truck! In essence the argument or the choice is simply this: What I want and what she wants. Choose! I must ask which of these two things, when faced with this choice, must be my priority? If I choose the truck, I am saying, It is more important for me to have the truck than you. If I choose the truck, where does that put my wife? Idolatry is choosing anything or anyone over God, and God s will, i.e., what He wants? God s will is clearly revealed in His Word. Choosing our way, our wants, our will over God s will is idolatry, Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). Returning to the truck/wife issue, we see that there is a war going on within. Whose will will be done? Now, my wife s wishes may be wrong/debatable; God s are not! Martin Luther said that every sin is first a sin of idolatry: the exaltation of your will over God s will. Idol worship is not reserved for the pagan, the heathen, the totem poll, or the like. All sin is first the exaltation of my will above God s idolatry. There is a war for your mind, heart and your will. Not to mention - your soul! The War of the Worlds. When I think of the Kingdom on a grand scale, I picture the conflict of the Gospel on an universal scale. Many of the stories in our Bible speak of a conflict that is seemingly beyond our capacities. The prize, however, is not the universe, the planets or the like, the prize is the hearts of men. From our perspective this war begins back in Eden, in Genesis 3, where Satan successfully dethrones the Lord from the throne of Eve and then Adam s hearts. We see this drama all of the way into the Book of Revelation: * Revelation 12:1-10 * Revelation 20:10-15 The war goes on from Genesis to Revelation and is one of the main themes of Scripture. 1

2 I. Let s look at some of these recorded incidents in the Old Testament. * Job 1:6-12 * Job 2:1-9 The War of the Worlds is waged in the lives of Job, his wife, and family. What will Job do? This war has to do with: - A place - a land promised by grace to the nation of Israel. Eden; Moriah (Genesis 12, 22-Abraham), Joshua, Temple, Birth of Christ, Crucifixion, Mount of Olives, Return, Mystery Babylon, New Jerusalem - A person - who would bring forth a seed (Genesis 3:15), a Christ, a Redeemer to rescue man from their sin. - A race of people - and produce a race of people conformed to the image of the Son of God. * I Kings 18:17-39, The Lord, he is God. * II Kings 6:8-18, Elisha and servant * Daniel 10: Prince of Persia * Zechariah 5: Ephah with wickedness * Matthew 4: Temptation of Christ The War of the Worlds: A place, a person, a race of people - worshippers! II. The War of the Worlds in the New Testament Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against fl esh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 2

3 * Satan: - II Corinthians 2:11 (devices); 11:14 (angel of light); 12:7 (messenger to buffet) - I Peter 5:8-roaring lion - James 4:7-resist the devil - Acts 5:3 (filled heart to lie); 26:18 (darkness; power of Satan) - I Corinthians 7:5 (Satan tempts) - I Thessalonians 2:18 (Satan hinders) - II Thessalonians 2:9 (Satan s power, signs and lying wonders) - I Timothy 5:15 (turned aside after Satan) * Devil = N.T. only - John 8:44 (murderer; father of lies) - Ephesians 4:27 (don t give place to the devil); 6:11 (wiles or tricks of the devil) - I Timothy 3:6-7 (pride is the condemnation and snare of the devil) - Hebrews 2:14 (devil has the power of death) - Jude 9 (devil disputed over body of Moses with Michael the archangel) III. Our Christian lives are described in the terms of Warfare: II Corinthiains 10:3 For though we walk in the fl esh, we do not war after the fl esh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; I Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: I Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. II Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be fi rst partaker of the fruits. 7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 3

4 9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. We see: Devil Possessions: - Mark 5:1 - Luke 4: Matthew 17:18 - Matthew 9:32, 33 IV. The War is Over * Place - Israel * Person - Christ * Race of people - Sons of God When we speak of a race of people, we are not speaking ethnically or nationally, we are speaking spiritually, the Sons of God. V. The Gospel The War over the land rages on and will be settled yet future. The War of the Christ - victory was won at the cross and the resurrection. The War over the race of people is our primary business in a Missions Conference. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus didn t come to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17). The war over the race of people is a war for the minds and hearts of men. This is our field of battle. Satan has a different strategy for today s culture, our culture. It is not voodoo, or spiritism, or carved images, demonic possession. Satan s main objective is to make you an idol worshipper. Idolatry is not an issue, it is the issue. The War is over the minds and hearts of men. Who will you worhsip? Everyone worships something. John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4

5 Paul said: Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the fi rstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. II Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. I Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Jesus said, Matthew 6:33 But seek ye fi rst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Solomon said, Proverbs 3:9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the fi rstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be fi lled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Paul said, I Thessalonians 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come Making a good thing an ultimate thing: romance, relationships, sports, entertainment, pleasure, food, sex, money, success, achievement - you! Bulletin Blurb Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 Is it true that believers are not under the law? Our liberty in Christ is limited by God s eternal moral law which includes Exodus 20. 5

6 What about Romans 6:14,15; I Corinthians 9:20; Galatians 5:18? Believers have been delivered from the law as a system, or from the law s sentence of death because of our sins. (Because of Christ s work for us, we are no longer under the threatening condemnation or tyranny of death pronounced against us by the law.) Read: Matthew 5:17-19; Romans 3:31; 7:12; 8:1; 13:8-10; II Corinthians 3:6-18; Colossians 2:13-15; I Timothy 1:18; Hebrews The correct interpretation of not under the law, is not that the Christian has been freed from all moral authority. He has, however, been freed from the law in the manner in which God s people were under law in the Old Testament era. Law provides no enablement to resist the power of sin; it only condemns the sinner. But grace enables. The life-giving Spirit in fulfillment of the promise of the new covenant writes the same law inwardly. He thus provides the believer with love for God s law, which previously went contrary to his nature, and with power to keep it, which previously he had not possessed. Verses on Seeking the Lord, First: Matthew 6:33 But seek ye fi rst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Proverbs 3:9-10 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the fi rstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be fi lled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the fi rstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. II Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. (Matthew 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17:33) I Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 6

7 II Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; I Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God s. II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Verses on Idolatry: I Corinthians 5:10-11 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. I Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, I Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, fl ee from idolatry. 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifi ce to idols is any thing? Galatians 5:19-20 Now the works of the fl esh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, I Peter 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffi ce us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries; Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 7

8 II Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. I Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; I John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 8