Idolatry in Today's World

We may not literally bow down to statues, but we do obsess about things we want to own or
accomplish to the point that we are worshipping them instead of God. Relationships, grades, jobs,
possessions, fandoms, sports, etc...all of these things have the potential to take the #1 spot in our lives
if we aren't careful.

Money is probably the number one idol of our culture today. An obsession with having money and
material things can easily take the place of following God. And it is so sad when you think about it.
People will worship their cell phones, the latest fashions, and designer handbags instead of the God,
who gives us life and supplies all our needs. Gadgets and clothing styles are often obsolete within
days or weeks of purchase, but God is eternal.

Likewise, we may idolize accomplishments or feats. God grants gifts and talents so we can do great
things for His Kingdom. Yet how often do we use those gifts and talents to promote ourselves rather
than God? That is idolatry.

Some of the most talented singers began in their church choir but then leave their faith to pursue
fame and money. They start worshipping not only money, but also themselves with unhealthy pride.
There's nothing wrong with pursuing a high-profile career, but when we pursue sporting, academic,
or artistic achievements to bring ourselves glory rather than God, then that is idolatry.

Idolatry is worshipping a false god, which, in today's world, is putting anything as more important
than God, making it its own little god. Yet God the Father commands us not have any other gods
except Him (Deuteronomy 5:7). Idolatry steals our joy because nothing can satisfy our needs like
God. We are left in a constant state of wanting without satisfaction. Check the closets of your heart
for idols that you may be worshipping so that you may have the abundant life He intended for you
(John 16:33).

Why was Jeremiah lamenting?

Jeremiah lamented the destruction of Jerusalem and the affliction of its people. But even in
his grief, Jeremiah testified of the Lord's compassion. Jeremiah pled with the Lord to forgive the
people of Judah and turn them back to Him.

1. HUMILITY
James 4:6
I Peter 5:6, James 4:10
God commands us to cultivate humility. “Humble yourselves (I Peter 5:6, James 4:10),” before
God by accepting His Word and Providence without grumbling, and before other people by
putting their interests above your own (Philippians 2:1-5). Coupled with humility is the fear of
the Lord. The proud forget God, do not call on Him for help and forgiveness, and refuse to give
Him thanks. The humble know they rely on Him even for breath itself.

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is “riches and honor and life,” the things God
promised Abraham when He called him, and Solomon after he asked for wisdom. It’s what Jesus
promised Peter, who asked Him what he would get for having left everything to follow Him:

Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or
children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this
time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and
in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).

2. FEAR

Proverbs 1:7
Proverbs 8:13
Deuteronomy 10:12
Philippians 2:12-13
Joshua 24:14
(One of the kids featured in the program (beyond scared straight) continued with his gang related
life and was shot dead 3 years later)
Proverbs 10:27
Luke 12:4-5
Proverbs 16:6
It’s important that we understand what this command means for Christ’s followers today. Only
as we truly fear the Lord will we be freed from all destructive and satanic fears. By fearing God,
we can avoid being trapped by the natural pull toward going our own way, defying God and
giving in to the inviting ways of immoral behavior.

What does it MEAN to FEAR God? The broad command to “fear the Lord” involves understanding several
things about a believer’s relationship with God.

ONE: GOD IS LOVING & JUST

First of all, we must recognize that God is loving, merciful and forgiving; but He also is holy, just and
righteous. Knowing God and understanding His character (cf. Pr 2:5) means accepting the fact that His
justice and holiness (i.e., purity, perfection, completeness of character and separation from evil) cause Him
to judge sin. In this sense, fearing the Lord is to appreciate His character.
TWO: FEAR OF THE LORD CAN PRODUCE AWE
Fearing the Lord means to be in reverent awe of His holiness, to give Him complete reverence and to
honor Him as the God of great glory, majesty, purity and power. For example, when God revealed Himself
to the Israelites at Mount Sinai through “thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a
very loud trumpet blast,” they all “trembled” in fear (Ex 19:16) because of His great power. They even
begged Moses to deliver God’s message to them so they would not have to encounter God Himself (Ex
20:18-19; Dt 5:22-27). Also, when the psalm writer reflects on God as Creator, he says: “Let all the earth fear
the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it
stood firm” (Ps 33:8-9).
THREE: FEAR OF THE LORD CAN PRODUCE FAITH
True fear of the Lord causes believers to place their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation. For example,
after the Israelites crossed through the Red Sea on dry ground and saw how God destroyed the Egyptian
army who came after them, they “feared the Lord and put their trust in Him”. The psalmist encourages all
who fear the Lord to “trust in the Lord–He is their help and shield” (Ps 115:11). In other words, fearing God
produces confidence, hope and trust in Him, which are necessary when we are looking to God for mercy,
forgiveness (Lk 1:50; cf. Ps 103:11; 130:4) and spiritual salvation (Ps 85:9). Here, fearing God means to be
moved to belief and trust.
FOUR: GOD IS ANGRY ABOUT SIN
Finally, to fear God involves recognizing that He is angry about sin and has the power to punish those who
stand arrogantly against Him and break His laws (cf. Ps 76:7-8). When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden
of Eden, they were afraid and tried to hide from God’s presence (Ge 3:8-10). Moses experienced this aspect
of the fear of God when he spent forty days and nights praying for the sinful Israelites: “I feared the anger
and wrath of the Lord, for He was angry enough with you to destroy you” (Dt 9:19). In the NT, the author of
Hebrews acknowledges God’s coming vengeance and judgment, and then writes: “It is a dreadful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31). This type of fear is to be afraid, especially if you are
caught on the wrong side of God’s justice.

if we truly fear the Lord, we will obey His commands, live according to His Word and say
“No” to sin. One reason why God inspired fear in the Israelites at Mount Sinai was so that
they might learn to avoid and reject sin and to obey his law (Ex 20:20). In his final address
to the Israelites, Moses repeatedly connected fearing God to serving and obeying Him (e.g.,
Dt 5:29; 6:2, 24; 8:6; 10:12; 13:4; 17:19; 31:12).

According to the psalm writer, fearing God is equal to delighting in His commands (Ps
112:1) and following the principles of His law (Ps 119:63).
Solomon taught that “through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil” (Pr 16:6; cf. 8:13). In
Ecclesiastes, the whole duty of the human race is summarized by two simple requirements:
“Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecc 12:13). On the contrary, anyone who is
content to live wickedly or defy God does so because “there is no fear of God before his
eyes” (Ps 36:1-4).

How will fearing God affect our lives? The fear of the Lord is far more than a Biblical teaching, principle or
idea. It is relevant to our daily lives in many ways. Here are 6 to get started:
1. WE BECOME OBEDIENT
First, if we truly fear the Lord, we will obey His commands, live according to His Word and say “No” to sin.
One reason why God inspired fear in the Israelites at Mount Sinai was so that they might learn to avoid and
reject sin and to obey his law (Ex 20:20). In his final address to the Israelites, Moses repeatedly connected
fearing God to serving and obeying Him (e.g., Dt 5:29; 6:2, 24; 8:6; 10:12; 13:4; 17:19; 31:12).
According to the psalm writer, fearing God is equal to delighting in His commands (Ps 112:1) and following
the principles of His law (Ps 119:63).
Solomon taught that “through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil” (Pr 16:6; cf. 8:13). In Ecclesiastes, the
whole duty of the human race is summarized by two simple requirements: “Fear God and keep His
commandments” (Ecc 12:13). On the contrary, anyone who is content to live wickedly or defy God does so
because “there is no fear of God before his eyes” (Ps 36:1-4).
2. WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN
Not only should the fear of the Lord affect individual lives, but it should also affect families. God instructs
His followers to teach their children to fear Him by training them to hate sin and to love God’s commands
(Dt 4:10; 6:1-2, 6-9). The Bible often states that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps
111:10; Pr 9:10; cf. Job 28:28; Pr 1:7). A Christian’s basic goal for his or her children should be that they
learn to live by God’s principles of wisdom (Pr 1:1-6). Teaching them to fear the Lord is a critical first step.
3. WE GROW IN SANCTIFICATION
The fear of the Lord has a sanctifying (i.e., purifying, separating from sin, spiritually maturing) effect on
God’s people, just as applying the truth of God’s Word does (Jn 17:17). It compels us to hate sin and avoid
evil (Pr 3:7; 8:13; 16:6). It causes us to be careful in what we say (Pr 10:19; Ecc 5:2, 6-7). It protects us from
weakening our consciences and our moral sensitivity toward what is right. The fear of the Lord has a
spiritually cleansing, purifying and restoring effect that can last forever (Ps 19:9).
4. WE WORSHIP WHOLE-HEARTEDLY
The holy and reverent fear of the Lord motivates God’s people to worship Him with their whole being.
People who truly fear God will praise and honor Him as Lord of all (Ps 22:23). David said that a worshiping
congregation is the same as “those who fear” God (Ps 22:25). At the end of history, when the angel who
proclaims the eternal gospel–the “good news” about Jesus Christ–calls everyone on earth to fear God, he
immediately adds, “and give Him glory … Worship Him who made the heavens, and earth, the sea and the
springs of water” (Rev 14:6-7).
5. THERE IS A PROMISED REWARD
God has promised to reward all those who fear Him. “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and
honor and life” (Pr 22:4). Other promised rewards include security and protection from death (Pr 14:26-27),
provisions for daily needs (Ps 34:9; 111:5) and a long life (Pr 10:27). Those who live in reverent awe of God
know that “it will go better with God-fearing men,” regardless of what happens in the world around them
(Ecc 8:12-13).
6. WE GAIN A HUMBLE CONFIDENCE
Finally, fearing God brings a humble confidence and overwhelming spiritual comfort. The NT directly links
the fear of the Lord with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). Those who do not fear God will
have little or no sense of his presence and protection. However, those who fear God and obey his Word will
experience a deep sense of spiritual security and the anointing (i.e., empowering) of the Holy Spirit. They
can be sure that God ultimately will “deliver them from death” (Ps 33:18-19).
1 John 4:18 states, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love“. Although this verse may seem contrary to the
above information, it’s all about perspective; when we are filled with and washed over by God’s perfect
love, we do not need to be afraid of His wrath.

3. OBEDIENCE
1 Peter 1:14-16
Joshua 1:8
John 14: 23-24

What does OBEDIENCE mean? In simple terms it means hearing the word of God and acting
on it. It implies aligning our will to God's will; doing what God has asked us to do. It is when we
completely surrender to His authority and base our decisions and our actions on His Word

 All of us know that we must obey God, but somehow we still act in rebellion and many times end up
into trouble as a result of our disobedience.
 How come even when we know what God wants us to do we act otherwise?
 Could it be we don’t really understand the meaning of Obedience or we forget how important it is? Or
we need help on how to obey

What does OBEDIENCE mean?

 In simple terms it means hearing the word of God and acting on it.
 It implies aligning our will to God’s will; doing what God has asked us to do.
 It is when we completely surrender to His authority and base our decisions and our actions on His
Word.

What is the importance of

OBEDIENCE?
Obedience is so important for every Christian, in fact without it we fall short big time.

1. It is an act of worship as it demonstrates our love

for God and sets us apart.
 Obedience is the hallmark of our salvation.
 Although we are saved by Grace through the redemptive work of the cross and by the blood of Jesus;
It is our obedience sets us apart as authentic children of God.
 Obedience is our way of showing God that we love Him; and it is through our obedience that God
recognizes us and enables us to enjoy His Love.
 Thus, our primary motive for obedience must be “to show God that we love Him”
 This in turn will allow God to reveal himself to us, and activates God’s power to work in our lives.
John 14: 23-24 Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My
Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home
with them
Questions: If we call ourselves that we are children of God and claim to love God, do we
demonstrate that love by obeying His commands. Can God truly count you as one of His Children?
Do we align our daily actions with God’s word as an act of worship?
Can others around you testify that indeed you are a child of God
because your actions are in line with God’s word?
How do you treat your family members? How do you behave at work? How do you relate with your
friends? How do you talk about other people?

Remember; coming to church is good, singing in the choir is good, doing all religious thing is good.
But it is an obedient heart that God loves.

2. It shows God that we trust

Him. (It is a demonstration of our
faith)
 Obedience can mean; following God’s lead even when we are not sure of the outcome.
 Obedience can be tough; many times it means taking the higher road even when there is an the easy
way out as an option.
 Obedience may require sacrifice; discipline and stretching ourselves outside our comfort zone.
 Our choice to obey therefore demonstrates our trust in God. It shows that even though its hard, even
though it doesn’t make sense we will still do it.
Hebrews Chapter 8 gives an account of God’s men from the Old
Testament who are recognized as heroes of faith as a result of their
acts of obedience
  By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an
ark for the saving of his household.
 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an
inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in
the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be
named.“
 By faith Joshua and the children of Israel obeyed and went round the walls of Jericho before they went
crumbling on the 7th day.
Question: Are there things in your life that God is asking you to do that are tough? Or that do not
make sense? Your obedience will show God that you trust Him. It will be accounted as the evidence
of your faith. Obey God to give even when your budget is tight; Obey God and forgive even when it
hurts so bad; Obey God and work hard even when you have been passed for promotion; obey God
and love your unlovable spouse unconditionally. There is a reason why God has put you in that
situation.

3. Reward for Obedience

 Obedience shows God that we love Him and we trust Him which in turn activates His power in our
lives; but most importantly there is a reward for obedience.

1. Success
 Everyone wants to be successful at what they do; to prove some of the bestselling books in the modern
day world are books that talk about success.
 Interestingly, God in His Word gives us a simple secret for success which is reading His Word and
obeying it
 God has a plan for each and every one of us; Plans to prosper us and plans to give us a future. (Ref Jer
29:11)
 God’s will for our life is that we must be successful. Success not as the world defines it but as God
defines it; that means accomplishing that which we were created for. God never created us to fail or
just to be average. God created us to be excellent.
 But we need to align with God’s will for God’s plan to be manifested in our life.
If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give
you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top,
never at the bottom.
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you[a] shall meditate in it day and night, which you may observe to do
according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Questions:
  How do you rate your success? In this case success not as the world define it but as God defines it? Is
God’s plan in your life being fulfilled? Are you successful as a mother or a father? Are you successful
as a wife or a husband? Are you successful at work? Are you successful as a leader?
 Are there areas where you feel like you are not doing well? Are there areas in your life where you
seem to struggle or you are stagnating?
 Could it be the reason why you are not accomplishing your goals is because you are not doing the
things that God has asked you do? Is God’s word your guide?
 For example at work, are you diligent and working as unto the Lord; In your finances are you giving
and tithing; In your marriage husbands are you loving your wives the way God wants to? Wives are
you respecting your husbands?
 Perhaps all you need to do is to go back to the basics; Read His word and act on it

2. Blessings
 God has promised to bless us if we fully obey Him
 The challenge with the twisted gospel today is that we are sometimes misled that for as long we
believe in God, pray we will be blessed.
 The prosperity gospel emphasize on rewards without necessarily emphasizing on obedience. But the
Bible is so clear… We must fully obey first
Deuteronomy 28: 1-14 outlines the blessings that God has promised for
us if we obey them. Notice the blessing will come if we FULLY obey
God.
The rewards for obedience are clear:
 You will be blessed where ever you go
 Your children will be blessed
 God will protect you
 He will grant you abundant prosperity
 Everything you set your hand on will be successful
 The Lord will help you to stand out
13. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I
give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the
top, never at the bottom. 14. Do not turn aside from any of the
commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other
gods and serving them.
Examples
 In the Bible, Abraham, Isaac and their children enjoyed God’s blessing because of obedience
 David even though he made a mistake was blessed and even called man’s after God’s won heart
because of his obedience
 Today, some people are so blessed, they have so much wealth, thriving families successful children
because of obedience
Questions:
  Do you want to live a life that overflows with blessings? Then obey God. It is a precondition. Not
partial Obedience but full obedience.
 Our God is a rich God; He is capable of blessings with success, favour and prosperity; But He
commands us to obey Him first for him to bless us with all these things.

How to Obey
Obedience is not easy; it can be hard. It takes sacrifice
1. By having a relationship with God: Decide to honour God with our decisions and actions by
doing what He tells us. Our primary motive for obedience must be to please God because we love
Him. It’s easy to do something when we do it out of Love even when it’s uncomfortable.
Have you noticed how a man behaves when He is in Love with a woman,
He will go out of His way to do things that He would ordinarily not do
for other people because he wants to please that woman. He can spend
huge amounts of money for that woman, he can kill for that woman.
Likewise, we must Love God with all our heart, mind and soul then obedience will be easy because
our desire will be to honour God.

2. By reading the Bible every day as the primary basis for all our decisions and actions.
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you shall meditate in it day and night, which you may observe to do
according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will have good success.
3. Through Prayer
 Sometimes even when we know the things that God expects from us, acting on them will not be easy.
Many times obedience means sacrifice; sometimes obedience can be painful; sometimes it can mean
stretching ourselves outside our comfort Zone. On our own we may not be able to do it. We therefore
need God’s help through the Holy Spirit to help us.
In the Garden of Gethsemane: Jesus was tired and stressed up. The
Human side of Him wanted to give up, He even prayed if God could
take away the cup from Him but remembered to say “Not my will but
your will”
 That’s the same prayer that we must pray every day; when obedience becomes difficult, when we are
tempted to choose the easy way…we must always say “Not my will but your will” and act
accordingly.
 Prayer will also make us sensitive to God’s word and will help us to hear His voice and know exactly
what we must do.
4. By focusing on the reward
 Despite our main focus of obedience should be to show that we Love God, we should always
remember there is a reward for obedience either in this life or the life after.
  When the devil tempts us to take the easy way out and act in rebellion always remember what you are
missing out on.
 Be willing to do the hard things even when it doesn’t make sense because you know a blessing will
follow, for yourself, and for your family.
Conclusion
 Obedience is act of Surrender, it is when we as Christians say “not my will Lord but Your will and
align our actions with that will.“
 Obedience is not easy, many times it means taking the higher road doing things that are against our
fleshly desires.
 Although difficult, obedience sets us apart as authentic children of God. God will know us by our
obedience, even those around us will be inspired by our obedience.
 Obedience demonstrates our faith and trust in God; Obedience is the key to our success; Obedience is
the sure and promised way for unlocking blessings for our lives.
 For us to be able to fully obey, we must read His word every day and ask God to empower us with His
holy spirit so that our life is going to honour Him.

So God, we pray the opposite of what is happening here in Jeremiah 44:10. May it not
be said of us that we did not humble ourselves. Even to this day reading this, that we
didn’t fear you, that we didn’t walk in your law and your statutes. God, we pray for
humility before you. God, I pray in my own life, I pray for those who are listening right
now. Lord, please make us humble, give us humility, grant us humility that does not
come naturally to us.

Please God, we pray for humility before you, we pray for a right fear of you, an awe of
you, a reverence for you, worship of you in our hearts, your supremacy, your holiness,
your grandeur, your majesty in such a way that we hate sin, even the thought of sin
against you. That we hate it and we want to run from it. God, we pray for a fear of you
that leads to an obedience to you. Lord, help us to walk in your law and your statutes
that you’ve set before us. Help us to obey you. God, we pray for humility before you,
fear of you, and obedience to you in our lives.

Please, oh God, cultivate all three of these things in us today. We pray in Jesus name,
amen.