Title: Turn Down Your Idols

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:1-22

I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the
sea,
and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
and all ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them,
and the Rock was Christ.
Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written,“The people sat down to eat and drink
and rose up to play.”
We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a
single day.
We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction,
on whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let
you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we
break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be
participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the
Lord and the table of demons.
Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Introduction…
Father and Son conversation
“Daddy gusto ko paglaki ko I want to be like you.. I idolized you..
Two response…
If you’re not a Christian…

If you’re a Christian… I know you want to be like me.. I know.. pero hindi ako and dapat na I-idolized
mo dahil… gagayahin mo ang pagkakamali ko, pagkukulang ko at totoo nga ako ang idol mo ang
magiging small God mo… dahil lahat ng sasabihin ko at pagkakamali ay gagayahin mo… no anak
hindi mo ako gagayahin…(ang this is where the gospel works) anak pareho nating kakalimutan…

I. What Is Idolatry?
idolatry – is the most serious and contaminating sin there is. Now I hope you get that. Idolatry is the
most serious and contaminating sin there is. And the reason is because it strikes directly at the
character of God.
And yet idolatry is the number one issue in the Bible, and that should raise caution signals for us.
Idolatry comes into every book. More than fifty of the laws in the first five books are aimed at this
issue. In all of Judaism, it was one of only four sins to which the death penalty was attached.

What
1. Worshiping Other gods.
Idolatry is any idol in the heart.
idolatry is a matter of the heart—pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions
and ultimately rebellion against God.

HC 95 Q. What is idolatry?
A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only
true God, who has revealed himself in his Word.

“idolatry is a worship in which the honor due to God in Trinity, and to Him only, is given to some of
His creatures, or to some invention of His creatures.

Ito ay ang hindi na pagtataas sa creation rather than the Creator at gift rather than the Giver.
What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart
and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give…
An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life
has meaning, then I ‘ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” There are many ways
to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship.- Tim Keller

2. Worshiping God in wrong way.

There are people today who are worshiping the true God in the wrong way. One way to do that is
to worship the God of truth with emotion void of truth. You know what I mean by that? To worship
the God of truth, you must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

In idolatry, we are making another altar deep within our hearts at yun ang sinasamba ng ating puso
kaharap ang trono ng Diyos…

Worshiping God is the direct commandment for those he saved.

Ito ay directang utos ng Diyos sa kanyang mga niligtas
Exodus 20:1-3 - God has saved us then do this…
1st commandment of God
And God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.

Deuteronomio 4:15-18
15"Nang kayo'y kausapin ni Yahweh mula sa apoy sa Horeb, wala kayong nakitang anyo, v16kaya,
kaiingat kayo. Huwag kayong gagawa ng anumang larawan upang sambahin, maging kawangis ng
tao, 17hayop sa ibabaw ng lupa, ibon, v18ng anumang gumagapang o ng anumang isda.

Where does idolatry starts?

San ba nagmumula ang Idolatry na ito?
Idolatry starts in the heart
It starts in the heart: craving, wanting, enjoying, being satisfied by anything that you treasure more
than God.
What is an idol? Well, it is the thing. It is the thing loved or the person loved more than God,
wanted more than God, desired more than God, treasured more than God, enjoyed more than God.
It could be a girlfriend. It could be good grades. It could be the approval of other people. It could be
success in business. It could be sexual stimulation. It could be a hobby or a musical group that you
are following or a sport or your immaculate yard. I was looking for some yard stuff the other day
and I clicked on a video ad for a yard service and three people came on and all of them made the
point that this yard service enabled them to brag that they had the best yard in the neighborhood. I
thought: What a motivation! I want to be number one in green grass! So that could be an idol. Or
your own looks could be an idol. It could be anything.

Why do we come up in idolatry?

Bakit nga ba tayo gumagawa ng diyos-diyosan?
Why?
We are created in the Imago Dei
Sensus Divinitatus- Divine sense
We are created by God to worship Him
But because of our fallen condition, this sense of worship, a need for us to worship God ay
napupunta sa iba’t-ibang diyos-diyosan.

Tignan natin ang Israel…

Israel is-
Verse 1-5 Apostle Paul is giving
God gave them everything…
Ibinigay ng Diyos ang lahat sa kanyang pinakamamahal na Israel and yet humanap parin siya ng
iba…
Bakit? Bakit nga ba?

Verse 6 & 11- It give us the example about idolatry…

Israel’s drift into idolatry didn’t happen because the people became bored with the liturgy of their
temple, enamored with the music of the worship bands in pagan temples, or impressed with the
oratory of the new Canaanite prophet who had just moved into the neighborhood. No one in Israel
went looking for a new worship service, but for new gods to service them. The center of their
worship shifted from God to themselves. They began to worship worship more than they
worshiped God—that is, their relationship with God became utilitarian rather than doxological.

Take note mga kapatid (you do note)

1. We are not satisfy with God…

Feeling nila kulang ang Diyos, we do not believe that God is
2. We do not believe in God’s capacity…

3. We don’t see that God is trustworthy

You’ve said in your mind, “God, I’m not sure You can do what You claim,” and that is blasphemy,
right? That’s idolatry, because you’ve made God less than He is. You’ve though unworthily about
God, erroneously about God.

4. We do not see the divine love of God

Charles Spurgeon put it, “When the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, the idols will soon
depart and the love of sin will take its flight.” Spurgeon knew that our hearts will love something or
someone, and our lives will either be ordered or disordered. Our need is not to see that part of
ourselves extracted, but rather enflamed with a sovereign joy in God.

We do not see the fullness of God’s character..

Idolatry sinisira nito ang ating pagkakilala kung sino ang Diyos. A direct assault on God’s character.
Slander, libel on the character of God.

Ang pagsamba sa diyos-diyosan ay tahasang paglapastangan sa Diyos.

Verse 16-22
Why idolatry is dangerous?
The problem/ danger of idolatry in the history of Israel
1. The wrath of God is in you.. (Colossians 3:5-6)
5Kaya't
v dapat nang mawalaa sa inyo ang mga pitang makalaman: pangangalunya,
kahalayan, mahalay na simbuyo ng damdamin, masasamang nasa, at ang pag-iimbot na
isang uri ng pagsamba sa diyus-diyusan. 6Dahil sa mga bagay na ito, ang Diyos ay
v

napopoot [sa mga taong lumalabag sa kanyang kalooban].

The wrath of God comes on the idolater because God is jealous. There is a righteous and holy
jealousy and an unrighteous and weak and insecure jealousy. And God’s jealousy is not only
righteous — that is, he deserves our deepest and strongest affections and admiration — but it is
loving.
2. It will destroy you.

Bakit masama ang idolatry?

Ang katangian ng Diyos… Jealous God..

Deuteronomio 5:6-9
6"'Ako si Yahweh, ang Diyos na humango sa inyo sa pagkaalipin sa Egipto. 7"'Huwag kayong
magkakaroon ng ibang diyos maliban sa akin.8"'Huwag kayong gagawa ng larawan ng anumang
nasa langit, nasa lupa, o nasa dagat upang sambahin. 9Huwag ninyo silang paglilingkuran ni
yuyukuran pagkat akong si Yahweh ay mapanibughuin. Ang kasalanan ng mga magulang na
namumuhi sa akin ay sisingilin ko sa kanilang mga anak hanggang sa ika-3 at ika-4 na salinlahi.

Idolatry is spiritual infidelity.

His jealousy is based on His divine Jealousy…

Comparison between man jealousy and God’s jealousy

“God is jealous that he be honored by being treasured, and he is jealous that we be satisfied by
treasuring him.- John Piper

-note we are not talking in that idolatry is only in any graven images
(review the baptism lesson and take note Sunday school teachers kahit sa church about Christ’s
image)

But idolatry – and this is important – is assuming God to be something He is not. It is to have either
unworthy or erroneous views of God. That’s idolatry. Perversions about who God is is idolatry.

II. What are the Modern Forms of Idolatry?

1. Material (Money/ Possession/ Work)- ito yung hinahanapan mo na ng satisfaction, purpose yung
tipong pag nawala na ito syo feeling mo wala ka na ding dahilan to continue.

2. Relationship/ Person
a. Family
“One of the acceptable idolatries among evangelical Christians is the idolatry of the family.”- Kevin
DeYoung
b. Friends
c. A person you look into it
You are willing to dispose God just to remain in this relationship
(example is the reason why family goes to church, dahil gusto nila mag SM afterwards, ang totoo
ang SM ang kanilang Diyos ng oras na iyon)

3. Self- Whenever you in your own life fail to trust God, that’s idolatry.
A. We build an altar of our own desire and pride
b. Sex
c. Security
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:5–
6)

All idolatry of self has at its core the three lusts found in 1 John 2:16: "For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world."
Hindi ba masama maghangad nito? No, pero paano natin masasabi na idolatry na ito…
Pag ito na ang kumukuha ng iyong lakas, isip, emotions, kaluluwa

Paano natin masasabi na idolatry na ito?

1. Idolatrous when it is forbidden by God.
2. idolatrous when it is disproportionate to the worth of what is desired.
3. idolatrous when it is not permeated with gratitude.
4. idolatrous when it does not see in God’s gift that God himself is more to be desired than the gift.
5. idolatrous when it draws us away from our duties.
6. idolatrous when it awakens a sense of pride that we can experience this delight while others
can’t.
7. idolatrous when it does not desire that Christ be magnified as supremely desirable through the
enjoyment.
8. idolatrous when its loss ruins our trust in the goodness of God.

Explain the hierarchy of priority

III. How to defeat Idolatry?

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created
thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus” (Blaise Pascal, Pensées).

Jesus Christ is the weapon for idolatry. He is the ultimate sword in idolatry.
Jesus is the cure for our idolatry. God the Son took to Himself flesh and blood, so that He might
bear the penalty for our idolatry in His own body on the tree. Then He rose bodily from the dead.
The Father now commands us to worship a man—even the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

1. Keep away from idols.

1 Juan 5:3-4,21
3sapagkat ang tunay na umiibig sa Diyos ay yaong tumutupad ng kanyang mga utos. At hindi naman
mahirap sundin ang kanyang mga utos, v4sapagkat napagtatagumpayan ng bawat anak ng Diyos
ang sanlibutan; at nagtatagumpay tayo sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya. 21Mga anak, lumayo
kayo sa mga diyus-diyusan.

*do not try to test God in your idolatry (verse 22)

2. Flee from Idolatry

1 Cor. 10:14-
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

3. Put to death the sin of Idolatry

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:5–
6)

4. Remember your covenant with God

Deuteronomy 4:23-24
23Mag-ingat kayo. Huwag ninyong kalilimutan ang tipan sa inyo ni Yahweh. Huwag kayong gagawa
ng anumang larawan upang sambahin, gaya ng ipinagbawal niya sa inyo.v24Si Yahweh ay apoy na
nakatutupok at ayaw niyang may kaagaw siya sa inyong pagmamahal.

We entered in the loving-covenant with God through Jesus Christ.

5. Turn to God
1 Thessalonians 1: “You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for
his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to
come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10)

6. Trust God-
verse 13- you are tempted to follow other God’s in your life…
7. Love the Lord your God
Deuteronomio 6:4-5
4"Dinggin ninyo mga Israelita: Si Yahweh lamang ang Diyos. 5Ibigin ninyo siya nang buong puso,
kaluluwa at lakas.

Conclusion
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Augustine,
Confessions).