WE BECOME WHAT WE WORSHIP
The Good Life #2
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
January 21, 2024
(Exodus 20:4–5, NLT) “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”
(Deuteronomy 4:15–19, GN) “When the Lord spoke to you from the fire on Mount Sinai, you did not see any form. For your own good, then, make certain that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all—whether man or woman, animal or bird, reptile or fish. Do not be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, and the stars. The Lord your God has given these to all other peoples for them to worship.”
(Acts 17:16, NLT) “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.”
“False gods destroy and devour lives, health and resources; they distort and diminish our humanity; they preside over injustice, greed, perversion, cruelty, lust, and violence. It is possibly the most satanic dimension of their deceptive power, that in spite of all this, they still persuade people that they are the beneficent protectors of their worshipers’ identity, dignity and prosperity, and must therefore be defended at all costs. Only the gospel can unmask these claims.” –Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God
1. DON’T IDOLIZE ANYTHING
(Deuteronomy 4:15-16, GN) “For your own good, then, make certain that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all…”
“Whatever controls us is our lord. The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by the people he or she wants to please. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the lord of our life. If Jesus is our Lord, then he is the one who controls; he has the ultimate power. There are no bargains.” – Becky Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker and into the World
Why?
a. God is free
b. God is jealous
c. Faith comes by hearing not by seeing
d. God provides his own Intercessor
(1 John 2:1, NLT) “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.”
e. God has created his own icons
(Genesis 1:26–27, NLT) “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
2. WALK UP THE MOUNTAIN
(Genesis 22:14, NLT) “Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
WORSHIPPING GOD ONLY WILL
Imagine a regatta
3. FILL MY SAILS
(John 8:31–32, NLT) “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
(John 8:36, NLT) “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
4. KEEP MY SAILS FULL!
(Psalm 37:4, NLT) “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
(Romans 10:11, CEV) “The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed,”
5. FINISH THE RACE
(2 Timothy 4:7–8, NLT) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”