Barriers to Real Worship James MacDonald - Senior Pastor - Harvest Bible Chapel You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. —Exodus 20:4-5 When we allow anything to accumulate on the table of our heart and mind, occupying our time and attention in a worshipful way—that’s a problem. But sweeping all of those things off the table so only God remains as the object of our worship aligns with our ultimate reality. We are for Him, breathing for Him, living for Him, and spending our lives for Him. God in the center of our attention is the essence of worship. The second commandment reminds us we have a capacity for creating idols and false gods: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” Creating an idol isn’t just carving or molding an image. More often it’s placing godlike values on something that can’t possibly accomplish what only God can do. Whenever we worship what is created instead of our Creator, we end up with nothing but trouble. The warning in this commandment is one of the reasons we come to church: to sweep our idols off the table. So what most often distracts our worship from God? We asked 100 people and here are the top five answers: 5. Our families. We can let our children or our spouse get in the place of God. Our families are our God-given primary responsibility; that’s why they can never come before Him. If we make them more important than God, weve failed in what He wants us to do for them! 4. Money and possessions. We easily worship things instead of God. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). When we worship God, we treasure Him and recognize His worth, but if we set our hearts on our treasure—our money, our possessions—it displaces God and we’re in trouble. 3. Sports figures and celebrities. We worship people when we think “Oh, if only I could be like him.” That’s worship. Do we recognize the convicting accuracy of a television program named American Idol? People are worshiping other people. 2. Our careers and accomplishments. We trust these fragile, temporal achievements to give our lives meaning and significance—the very qualities only God can supply. 1. Ourselves. We turn our needs and wants into our highest pursuit. When we wont allow anyone, not even God, to get in the way of what we desire, we’re worshiping the idol in the mirror. The discipline of worship is a deliberate act where we sweep clean the table of our hearts and remove all the false gods who would claim our worship. We gather with others in God’s presence and ask Him to burn away every worthless thing that would crowd out His rightful place. That’s worship at its best and its where God shows up in glory. Read the five idol categories again. Where have you allowed something or someone to slip into God’s place in your life? Don’t hesitate—confess it and set that idol aside. Ask God to trigger a warning when the idol tempts you again. Thank Him for being the one true God in your life. Journal Which of the five categories of idols has been the greatest distraction away from wholehearted worship of God for you? How has idol worship proved to be a disappointment? Pray Lord, I know idols can seem more real because I can touch them or see them, but they are absolutely unable to substitute for You. They lead me in false directions and let me down. What I create can’t possibly be the God who created me. Lord, You alone are worthy of my humble and trusting surrender. I long to depend on no one or nothing as I depend on You. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 20:05:06 +0000
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