COUNTERFEIT GODS? … SUBSTITUTE GOD’S?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) (This is a series of lessons.)
COMFORT, EASY… I HAVE AN EASY BUTTON…
There is a cry today coming from the heart of people: God is too hard and his rules are mean. Perhaps there is a call that we hear, let us compromise and become SEEKER FRIENDLY? Perhaps the Bible suggests we will face troubles, trials, difficulty, persecution and perilous times? We hear of offended often. We rarely hear of conviction.
TEXT:
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
*COUNTERFEIT: Imitation, deceive, defraud, forgery, fake. (Shoes: Nike; Gucci: purses; brand names like watches: ROLEX; $30,000 diamond rings for $20? THE MOST COUNTERFEITED ITEM HAS TO BE GOD…
*SUBSTITUTE: acting like another, one that takes the place of, a substitute teacher.
*IDOLATRY: to replace God and His word, to love things rather than loving God, to worship something other than the real God, placing anything above God, to worship physical objects as a god, false pagan worship, enemy of faith,
WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE REVEALS THE HEART OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST… LET’S TAKE AN HONEST LOOK… IS IDOLATRY STILL ALIVE TODAY?
We see many cultures that had pagan practices. The people seemed to love and worship many gods more than worshiping the one true God. Seems people are often tempted to establish the love of idols. It is said India has over 3 million gods.
HAVE NO OTHER GODS EXCEPT GOD… THIS PROBLEM IS AS MUCH A PROBLEM TODAY AS IT WAS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT… WE JUST DENY IT…
Exodus 20:3 (KJV) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3 (MSG) No other gods, only me.
Exodus 20:3 (NLT2) “You must not have any other god but me.
Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Exodus 23:13 (NLT2) “Pay close attention to all my instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names.
Exodus 23:24 (NLT2) You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.
Joshua 23:7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
WE MUST EXAMINE OUR HEARTS AND OUR THINKING PATTERNS THAT CAN CAUSE US TO WANDER FAR AWAY FROM GOD… AND FALL IN THE TRAP OF WORSHIPING IDOLS.
We tend to excuse our behaviors by seeing idols as a gold calf or hand making small trinkets that have eyes and cannot see, ears that can’t hear and body parts that cannot move. But in reality idolatry can be any action that is more important than God!
BALAAM COULD NOT CURSE GOD’S PEOPLE… BUT HE SUGGESTED HOW TO DEFEAT THEM… IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM JOIN THEM AND GET THEM TO ACCEPT THE IDOLS AND COMPROMISE…
Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BRAZEN SERPENT THAT SAVED MANY LIVES BECAUSE OF COMPLAINING? SEEMS GOD’S PEOPLE LOST THEIR SIGHT OF GOD AND HIS SYMBOL OF HEALING. THEY REVERT TO WORSHIP THE SNAKE. INSTEAD OF THE HEALING POWER. THEY THEN CHANGE TO THE POINT THAT THEY WORSHIPED THE POLE AND THE SNAKE? HEZEKIAH HAD TO DESTROY PART OF HISTORY BECAUSE GOD’S PEOPLE WORSHIP THE SNAKE NOT THE GOD OF THE SNAKE!
2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
What a sad day, seems the people wanted to worship the visible snake that could not do anything to be a counterfeit god?
DAVID AND MANY MEN OF GOD USED THE EPHOD AS A TANGIBLE SOURCE TO CONTACT GOD… GIDEON, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EPHOD THAT AIDED IN WORSHIP… THE EPHOD BECAME A SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL WORSHIP…
Judges 8:27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE REVEALS THE HEART OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST… LET’S TAKE AN HONEST LOOK… IS IDOLATRY STILL ALIVE TODAY? We see many cultures that had pagan practices. The people seemed to love and worship many gods more than worshiping the one true God. Seems people are often tempted to establish the love of idols.
COULD WE ALLOW THE MUSIC, THE TV, THE COMPUTER AND THE SMART PHONES TO BECOME AN ADDICTION? DO WE LOOK FOR MOOD ALTERING SUBSTANCES TO REPLACE GOD? ARE WE LOOKING FOR OZ? DO WE DESIRE THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW? ARE WE SEARCHING FOR APPLAUSE, FAME, SUCCESS, STATUS. THIS CAN BECOME AN IDOL:
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.
Any person, place or thing that consumes your thoughts, words, time, energy or money replacing God is an idol. We can desire idols more than God. Anything more important to you than God. Idolatry can be something that absorbs our hearts and imaginations more than God.
THE FIRST MENTION OF IDOLS IN THE BIBLE… RACHEL STOLE LABAN, HER FATHER’S GODS… JACOB NEVER KNEW THE HIDDEN GODS IN HIS CAMP…
Genesis 31:19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
SEEMS IDOLATRY CAN BE CONTAGIOUS AND SPREADS LIKE WILD FIRE… AT MOUNT SINAI, WHILE MOSES WAS WITH GOD… AARON LEAD THE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP THE GOLDEN CALF…
Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES ABOUT FALSE GODS AND IDOLS.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Colossians 3:5 (MSG) And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.
WHERE IS THE OLD TIME CONVICTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? WE HAVE REPLACED CONVICTION WITH THE SPIRIT OF OFFENSE… THERE IS AN IDOL OF… “YOU HURT MY FEELINGS”… WE MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
We replace coming to the altar and praying through with counseling… We come overwhelmed by the weight of sin and bypass the broken and contrite spirit at the sacred place of the altar. We pray 60 seconds and then gather around the back of the church and discuss each other. We used to pray and then get up and go pray for others. The ALTAR SHOULD BE A PLACE WE CONNECT TO A HOLY GOD. My friend the ATLAR MUST BE THE VEHICLE WHERE WE DEEPLY CONNECT WITH GOD ALMIGHTY.
ENTERTAINMENT: WE ARE CHASING HAPPINESS NOT HOLINESS…
WE DEMAND THE GOD OF I WANT SOMETHING. IT SEEMS I CAN’T ATTAIN? I SEARCH FOR COMFORT AN EASIER WAY. I HAVE AN EASY BUTTON… SEEMS WE DESPERATELY DESIRE PLEASURE AND AN EASIER LIFE STYLE. WE CAN’T SEEM TO ATTAIN… I DESIRE TO FEEL GOOD! I WANT TO BE FREE…
We think we can scheme and plot and bypass God’s opportunities.
James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
WE CAN BECOME BLINDED BY THE GOD OF THIS WORLD…
INSTEAD OF BEING CONVICTED, WE LISTEN TO THE WOLF. THE WOLF SAYS THE SHEPHERD IS YOUR ENEMY.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
MATERIALISM: look up materialism in the dictionary: A TENDENCY TO CONSIDER MATERIAL POSSESSIONS AND PHYSICAL COMFORT AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPIRITUAL VALUES. Today we see people selling their eternal being to have possessions. We hear the cry: PREACHER, PREACH US HAPPY!
THE LOVE OF MONEY? WHERE DO I SPEND MY TIME? WHAT GIVES ME JOY?
THE GOD OF PROFESSIONALISM… THE FARTHER WE GET FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE MORE WE NEED POLISHED PROGRAMS AND GIMMICKS… MORE AND MORE BOOKS TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR THE WORD OF GOD?
A church has secret chairs… underneath the chairs are numbers. Draw your number and you get $500. The church gives away a free washer and dryer? I read of a church that had a lottery to win a brand new car. Church attendance grew and broke all record! THE REAL GOD IS NOT A PRODUCT ON THE SHELF. A relationship with God has a bottom line: We must have a genuine commitment. We see gullible people will buy a bottle of holy anointing oil for $1,000? My books, CD’s, DVD’s are only $39.99. Is the Bible out dated?
THE FALSE GOD: HOW DO YOU GET A WISE MAN TO WORSHIP FALSE GODS? SOLOMON COMPROMISED WITH IDOLS IN HIS BACK YARD…
1 Kings 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
IF IT FEELS GOOD, IT IS OK? PEOPLE HAVE THE TENDENCY TO IGNORE THE WARNINGS OF THE WORD OF GOD AND THE PREACHERS OF GOD…
WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE MANY FALSE GODS IN THE USA… WE THINK OF INDIA AND PAGAN LANDS… BUT THE CHURCH HAS BECOME A HIDING PLACE OF LOVING THINGS MORE THAN LOVING GOD…
We tend to worship worship and praise praise… The church has so demanded a seeker friendliness that we have lowered the standards and made the 10 Commandment little more than SUGGESTIONS.
OF COURSE, THERE IS AN IDOL OF PLACING OUR OWN VALUE SYSTEMS AND UNDERMINING THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’S WORD. WE TEND TO BYPASS THE BIBLE FOR OUR PERSONAL OPINIONS. WE VALUE HUMAN OPINIONS GREATER THAN THE BIBLE. DO WE VALUE THE WORLD MORE THAN THE CHURCH?
Psalm 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
THERE THRIVES A GOD OF THE APPETITES OF THE BELLY… FOOD, SEX, PLEASING THE 5 SENSES. Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
You want to double the church attendance: HAVE A PIG OUT… free food. You cannot have a preachers’ meeting without having a free steak or fried chicken. Over half of leadership conferences speak to the flesh appetites. Check out how many religious functions are surrounded by meals?
THE GREAT PRETENDERS… WE ELEVATE THE FLESH TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE BETTER AND OUR REVELATIONS OF THE WORD IS GREATER THAN ANYONE ELSE’S … SUPERIORITY… To elevate yourself you must be putting others down?
AN IDOL COULD BE GLORIFYING YOUR EGO AND YOUR FLESH.
Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Romans 1:22 (MSG) They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life.
23 They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
THERE WAS A KING NAMED ASA THAT REALIZED THE NATION WAS WORSHIPING FALSE IDOLS… ASA DECIDED GOD IS GOD AND THERE ARE NO OTHER GODS… HE DECIDED TO CORRECT THE IDOLATRY.
2 Chronicles 14:2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: 4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
He removed all the idols and he crushed and destroyed them. Asa then started praying, seeking God’s word and seeking the Lord. Asa came to the realization that God’s people must COMPLETELY OBEY God’s commandments and teachings. Asa launched into STRENGTHENING and ENCOURAGING one another. For us to fully follow the Lord we must KEEP ON KEEPING ON…
CONCLUSION: We need to come clean and identify any possible IDOLS hidden in the dark rooms of our hearts. Come, bring the “LIGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” to expose the possibilities of IDOLS and FALSE GODS OF OUR ENEMY. We must do as ASA and Gideon did… we must destroy any appearance of evil and draw close to the REAL GOD…
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) This is a several part lesson.
