Sermon Central
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Idol Of Your Hearts
Contributed by Victoria Oladipupo on Mar 7, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: The problem of the idol is that it hinders the move of God. God is saying, “Clear away the idols. Cast them into the fire. Then you can see what I can do.”
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Idol of your hearts Ezekiel 14:1-14:4 Hebrews 4:13
“Idolatry is the most discussed problem in the Bible and one of the most powerful spiritual and intellectual concepts in the believer’s arsenal.
Many people have secret idols hidden in the chambers of their hearts from the sight of men but not God. And these idols decide sometimes what they get from God, Hebrews 4:13: Says neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” So, as far as God is concerned, all the things that many people try to hide are open before Him. But the problem is that the Christian idols are harder to recognize than the others.
Defining Idolatry
“An idol is not simply a statue of wood, stone, or metal; it is anything we love and pursue in place of God, and
can also be referred to as a ‘false god’ or a ‘functional god.’ In biblical terms, an idol is something other than
Any person or thing that can replace God in your heart has become an idol. Anything you place before God or side by side with Him has become an idol. The moment the affection you are giving to God is given to any other thing or person, that substitute becomes an idol.
God created a wonderful tree. There is nothing evil about it.
But the idol factory takes it and makes it into an idol.
We can repeat this cycle with everything.
Another example. .Money. There is nothing evil about money. But
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with a lot of grief.1 Timothy 6: 10
Money goes into---> The Idol Factory---> and comes out another idol.
What about love of football, soap operas etc
The Ten Commandments start with number 1:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20: 3
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:36-38
A lot of Christians have secret idols in their hearts and these idols put them in trouble. I pray for you today that God will show you the idols in your heart, in the name of Jesus.”
Ezekiel 6:8-9 God says:
"...How I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols.
God makes this one quite simple:
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:14
Beloved children, keep yourselves from idols 1 John 5:21
Proverbs 4: 23 Imp........
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. It affects everything you do.
Keep an eye on your idol factory.
So you think you don’t have one? Well that,s all fine and good, if you Don’t.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. Isaiah 2:8
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: Isaiah 2:7-9.
“The heart is deceitful above all things...Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind...:” Jeremiah 17:9-10
Nowadays, we have a lot of modern-day idols that people worship. They include the following:
Money: A lot of people now just keep running after money all the time. They do not understand any other language except money. When you tell them to get serious with the Lord, they would say, “I will become very serious with the Lord when I make my first million.” When you ask them to come to night vigils, they will tell you that they must do over-time to make ends meet. They do not know that the only person that can make ends meet is the Lord Jesus.
Knowledge: Some people have turned their certificates to their god. God hates idolatry with perfect hatred. Once you give what is due to God to an object, special demons move in and turn that thing into something powerful. The internal idols will then invite wicked spirits from outside. Until these internal idols are destroyed, you cannot make a headway as a Christian.
Unforgiveness. This is common amongst Christians. Many Christians harbour malice in their hearts concerning others.
Bitterness; Jealousy; Envy.
Hatred. Unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy and envy give birth to hatred. There is no how these four things will be in the life of a person and the person will not have hatred inside. And any believer that has hatred against anybody and does not repent will go to hell fire.
