Introduction

Good morning, friends! It's so good to be here with you today. We're going to be talking about something that's at the heart of our walk with Christ, something that's as relevant today as it was when the Apostle Paul penned his letters two thousand years ago.

But before we get into that, I want to share a quote with you from a man who's had a huge impact on my own spiritual life, the great theologian and author, A.W. Tozer. He once said, "Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be." That's a powerful statement, isn't it? It's a reminder that anything, no matter how innocent it may seem, can become an obstacle in our relationship with God if we let it take priority over Him.

Speaking of priorities, let's take a look at our Scripture for today. It's 1 Corinthians 10:14, and it says:

"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."

Just seven words, but they pack a punch, don't they? Paul doesn't mince his words here. He's not suggesting we simply avoid idolatry, or try to steer clear of it. No, he's telling us to flee from it, to run as fast as we can in the opposite direction.

But what does that mean for us today? I mean, it's not like we're bowing down to golden calves or wooden statues, right? Well, that's what we're going to talk about today. We're going to look at what idolatry looks like in our modern world, how it can creep into our lives without us even realizing it, and what we can do to keep our focus where it belongs – on Christ.

But before we get into all of that, let's pray.

Identifying the Counterfeit Gods in Our Lives

So, let's start by asking ourselves a question. What are the things, the people, the desires that we're putting before God? You see, idolatry isn't just about bowing down to a statue or worshipping a golden calf. It's about anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Anything that we value more than Him. Anything that we're willing to sacrifice our time, our resources, our relationships for. That's what a counterfeit god is. It's something that promises to give us what only God can give, but it always falls short.

Can take many forms: They can be material things, like money or possessions. They can be relationships, like a romantic partner or a close friend. They can be ambitions, like a successful career or a prestigious title. They can even be good things, like our families or our ministries, if we let them take the place of God in our lives.

Material things: It's easy to see how money and possessions can become counterfeit gods. We live in a culture that constantly tells us that we need more, more, more. More money, more stuff, more luxury, more comfort. And it's easy to start believing that lie. To start thinking that if we just had a little more money, a little more stuff, then we'd be happy. But the truth is, no amount of money or possessions can fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts. Only He can do that.

Relationships: Now, relationships are a good thing. God created us to be in relationship with others. But when we start to put a relationship before God, when we start to value the approval of a person more than the approval of God, then that relationship has become a counterfeit god. And the problem with putting a person in the place of God is that no person can bear the weight of our expectations, our needs, our desires. Only God can do that.

Our ambitions: Again, ambition isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's good to have goals, to strive for excellence. But when our ambition becomes our driving force, when we're willing to sacrifice everything else for the sake of achieving our goals, then our ambition has become a counterfeit god. And the problem with putting our ambition before God is that no amount of success, no title, no achievement can give us the peace, the fulfillment, the purpose that we're really longing for. Only God can do that.

Good things: Things like our families or our ministries can become counterfeit gods if we're not careful. When we start to put these things before God, when we start to find our identity, our worth, our security in them instead of in Him, then they've become counterfeit gods. And the problem with putting even good things before God is that they can't give us what we're really looking for. They can't give us the love, the acceptance, the significance that we're really longing for. Only God can do that.

How do we identify these counterfeit gods in our lives?: Well, it starts with being honest with ourselves. It starts with asking ourselves some hard questions. What are we spending our time, our energy, our resources on? What are we willing to sacrifice for? What are we looking to for our worth, our identity, our security? If it's anything other than God, then it's a counterfeit god.

Take action: We need to make the decision to put God first, to make Him our number one priority. And that's not always easy. It takes courage. It takes faith. But it's the only way to find the peace, the fulfillment, the purpose that we're really longing for. Because only God can give us those things. Only He can fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts.

The Dangers of Prioritizing Worldly Desires Over Christ

As we continue to reflect on the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:14, we find ourselves confronted with a stark reality ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO