Idolatry
False Idols
Materialism
The absurdity of idolatry is misguided priority involving greed in life.
What about the Internet, Facebook, YouTube,etc?
We are warned against having any kind of image of any person, thing, or animal.
The scriptures tell us God will rain down his wrath if we have false idols.
The
scriptures warn us about idolizing a thing or falling down to an carving or
image.
That
means any image or statue, or even a cross. Even a teacher of falsehood.
With
all the things to do in this life there are so many things in this world we can
easily idolize something or someone.
If
we think about a sport, cars, or hobby 24/7 is that and idol?
We
must be cautious about possessing any kind of idol. This includes any kind of
sports, hobby, TV, love of another, or materialistic item. It’s ok to have
these things as long as we don’t worship them and they are secondary in life to
Jesus. We must only have a craving thirst for the Lord and His Word.
I
couldn’t help thinking about how we are engrossed with TV and relax in an easy
chair and spend hours watching TV, we’ve all been guilty of it.
How
many hours a week do we watch TV verses reading the scriptures?
What
does God think of this?
Is
TV a false idol in our lives? If so how subtle does it eat up our time?
The
scriptures tell us God will rein down his wrath on us if we put others or
things above him.
Colossians
3;5
Therefore
consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
1 Timothy 4;1-4
Ecclesiastes
2;4-11
Futility of Materialism
4
I increased my possessions:
I built houses for myself;
I planted vineyards for
myself.
5
I designed royal gardens and
parks for myself,
and I planted all kinds of
fruit trees in them.
6
I constructed pools of water
for myself,
to irrigate my grove of
flourishing trees.
7
I purchased male and female
slaves,
and I owned slaves who were
born in my house;
I also possessed more
livestock—both herds and flocks—
than any of my predecessors
in Jerusalem.
8
I also amassed silver and
gold for myself,
as well as valuable
treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces.
I acquired male singers and
female singers for myself,
and what gives a man sensual
delight—a harem of beautiful concubines!
9
So I was far wealthier than
all my predecessors in Jerusalem,
yet I maintained my
objectivity:
10
I did not restrain myself
from getting whatever I wanted;
I did not deny myself
anything that would bring me pleasure.
So all my accomplishments
gave me joy;
this was my reward for all
my effort.
11
Yet when I reflected on
everything I had accomplished
and on all the effort that I
had expended to accomplish it,
I concluded: “All these
achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless—
like chasing the wind!
There is nothing gained from
them on earth.”
1 Timothy 4;1-4
Apostasy
4 But the Spirit
explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying
attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of
the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
3 men who forbid marriage and advocate
abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those
who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good,
and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it
is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
Deuteronomy
4;15-24
The
Nature of Israel’s God
15 Be very careful, then,
because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the
middle of the fire. 16 I say this so you will not corrupt yourselves
by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the
likeness of a human male or female, 17 any kind of land animal, any bird
that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish
in the deep waters of the earth. 19 When you look up to the sky and see
the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly creation—you must not be seduced to
worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the
people of the world. 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought
from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are
today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you
and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he
is about to give you. 22 So I must die here in this land; I will
not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that good land. 23 Be
on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he
has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he
has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he
is a jealous God.
Habakkuk
2;18
“What
profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image, a
teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he
fashions speechless idols.
Exodus
20;4
“You
shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is
in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
Leviticus
26;1
[
Blessings of Obedience ] ‘You shall not make for yourselves idols,
nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you
place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your
God.
Leviticus
26;30
I
then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap
your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall
abhor you.
Deuteronomy
4;25
“When
you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained
long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form
of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord your God so as
to provoke Him to anger.
Deuteronomy
5;8
‘You
shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is
in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
1
Corinthians 8:4
Therefore
concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that
there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is
no God but one.
1
Corinthians 10;14
Therefore,
my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1
Corinthians 10;28
But
if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not
eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake.
Galatians
5;18-21
19 Now
the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity,
sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as
I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God.
Ephesians
5;5
For
this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man,
who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and God
Colossians
3;5
Therefore
consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
1
Thessalonians 1;9
For
they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.
Revelation
21;8
But
for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral
persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part
will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death.
timothy
skon,
serving
others, guided by Jesus
12/2/15