Family Values - Week 2 Series

Last week we started a new series that we’re calling Family Values.

This series has application for all of us, whether you are single, married, widowed, divorced, a traditional family, blended family, you name it.

Our focus, in this series, is the Ten Commandments.

Today we're headed back to Ex. 20 and commandment #2.

Exodus 20:4-5 (NIV)

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

If you missed last week, you can go online to catch up, but to summarize the message in just two words - God FIRST.

Week #2 – God ONLY.

God tells us not to IDOLIZE anything.

What does that mean?

An idol is anything that takes the place that rightly belongs to God.

It is anything that causes us to take our focus off God.

And idol is anything I value more than I value God.

Some people park their idols in their garage.

Some people dock their idols at the lake.

Some people put their idols in a safe deposit box.

Archaeologists tell us that in every culture throughout history there have been idols.

For some reason, man tends to turn objects, or people, or other things into objects of worship.

But God clearly tells us not to do that.

There were Three Primary Idols In The Old Testament.

• Baal - the god of sex.

• Mammon - the god of money.

• Molech - the god of violence.

You don’t hear much about worshiping Baal, Mammon, or Molech today.

But plenty of people talk about sex, money, and violence.

Today our worship is typically not about statues, or little gods or goddesses.

We do not worship objects as much as we worship images.

We worship various images of success, images of wealth, images of status, and images of sensuality.

Culture has so glamorized these things.

These things are given prominence in the media.

But again, our concern is not the media or culture.

Our concern is the Word of God.

What does the Bible say about these idols?

Deuteronomy reinforces family value #2 by issuing this WARNING…

Deuteronomy 4:15b-16a (NIV)

15b Watch yourselves very carefully,

16a so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape…

God says, watch yourselves very carefully.

Don't idolize anything or anyone.

There are several reasons why God would say this.

1. Idols will DISAPPOINT you.

Idols always promise more than they can deliver.

Jeremiah 10:14 (TLB)

14 But foolish men without knowledge of God bow before their idols. It is a shameful business that these men are in, for what they make are frauds, gods without life or power in them.

Idols always disappoint.

• We’re told to wear a certain label and we'll be popular.

• Buy a certain product and you'll be a success.

• Buy a certain brand of toothpaste and you'll have sex appeal.

Have you ever bought anything that was nothing but a disappointment after you got it? We all have.

Anytime anyone or anything is allowed to occupy that place in our life that only God should fill, you will be disappointed.

Habakkuk 2:18 (TLB)

18 "What profit was there in worshiping all your man-made idols? What a foolish lie that they could help! What fools you were to trust what you yourselves had made.

Idols will always disappoint you.

2. Idols will DISTRACT you.

Whenever you love something or someone, more than you love God, that idol will begin to distract you from the things that matter most.

People are easily distracted and led astray by their idols.

For instance, how many people have been led astray by the lure of a promotion?

They worship at the altar of more money, more power, more fame, or more recognition.

We must not allow anything to distract us from that which matters most; a close, personal, healthy relationship with our Heavenly Father.

One time a rich young ruler came to Jesus.

He said "What must I do to have eternal life?"

Jesus said, "Go, sell everything you've got and give it to the poor and come follow me."

There is no record of Jesus ever saying this to anyone else.

He made that statement only once to this guy.

I think Jesus said that to this guy because he knew that the idol in this guy’s life was his bank account.

So, Jesus went straight to the heart of the issue.

He told this young man that he would have to deal with the issue of what was first in his life. Something had taken the place that rightly belonged to God.