Tim Keller’s book “Counterfeit Gods”
Focuses on Modern Idols, how to identify them, how they are dangerous, and how to deal with them.
Now through Oct 22.
Why be concerned with Idols?
Exodus 20:1-6 The Ten Commandments
1Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3"You shall have no other gods before Me.
4"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5"You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Why do you think God put his relationship with us so high on the list?
OT View of Idols
Deuteronomy 4:14-20 – Moses Talking to Israel.
14"The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it. 15"So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, 16so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, 18the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth. 19"And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20"But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.
How did Moses describe these graven images?
What was forbidden besides making these Idols? Worshipping them , Serving them
For Israel, what were the dangers or consequences of idolatry?
How do we view Idols today?
SS definition – Anything that takes the place of God in our lives.
SS Examples – Money, Power, Sex, Material possessions
Keller’s working definition – Anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.
What are some things that ONLY God can give us?
Hope – Meaning – Fulfillment – Peace – Forgiveness – Eternal Life
Keller proposes that most of the things we make into Idols are “good” things. i.e financial responsibility leads to the ability to pay our bills, fund charity, help others, and enjoy life without undue concern for financial obligations. If we make financial responsibility (a good thing) more and more important, it could become the “ultimate” goal in life, thus replacing God as #1.
Money is a real easy one. Let’s pick another. What about a meaningful life? What kind of things do people do to live a meaningful life? Helping others – Giving – Teaching – Mentoring – Serving (public service)
If God is the Lord of your life, how might that affect a person’s desire for a meaningful life?
There can only be one ultimate thing in life. God commands us that that is Him. In this study we are going to look in our own lives to see if we have any idols lurking around, and this study will challenge each of us to follow Joshua’s example in 24:15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
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