Praise the Lord to everyone who is reading this sermon of mine. Let the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and love of God be with you and your family.
Today I am going to preach about idol worship which is so much happening in our present time. Something which people are into alot specially all the denominations we have in Christianity we deny the living God and we and stand in front of a statue and that also a so called Jeus Christ we need a image in front of us that we can meditate by looking at it so we don’t need the Holy Spirit over here isn’t it. We are deep into idol worship when someone says that stop doing what you are doing then we have this one small little explanation is that our ancestors did from generations so we should continue doing that so over here we Christians who worship idols for us it is ancestors who is important it is not the Word of God which is important.
People say that the old testament has no Grace in it.
Let’s get into the Word for today I hope that it will bless you and reveal more things about Jesus Christ to you. Exodus 20:3-6 the Word says you shall not make for yourself a carved image___ 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 nor serve them. So what it means we should make any image of anything which is in heaven that is there are angels in heaven and there our Living Jesus Christ so we are not supposed to make Even His image and here on earth from generations to generations we are worshipping image of a so called Jesus Christ and saying and believing that this is Jeus Christ and even in some Roman catholic Churches you find statutes of angels what are we doing we are those people who say that there is only one God and Him we shall serve and we are doing just opposite of that what is this which we are doing just think about it for moment. Now the says anything that is in the earth beneath now in some countries in the world they worship things which are found beneath the earth there are animals there are reptiles which is worshipped and then next is anything which is in the water under the water there are spirits which are worshipped by the people, I know certain stories that even pastors worship them so that they get power to do miracles. The verse says He is a jealous God why He is a jealous God would you like that your children start to give attention to so other person and tell him or her dad and mom no won’t like it right of you been a child of God think like this then how would The Living God let His creation worship something else. Then the Word says He will be visiting the inquities of the father till the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Him, it means if those who Denys Him The living God but He shows mercy to thousands, to those who love Him and keep His commandments. When you obey the living God when you don’t bow down in front of any image then He shows mercy to thousands, there is one thing over here I want to show the first Word says He will punish till the third and the fourth generations but the very next Word says that God shows mercy to thousands that means to many generations there is Grace here this is the reason we are known as a generation that is filled with Grace.
Leviticus 26:1-2 ” You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a scared pillar shall you rear up for yourselves: nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. Again in this verse it says you shall not make any idols for yourselves God hates it neither carved image or a sacred pillar neither shall you make a engraved Stones in certain places in the World there are images of Jesus Christ or the saints which has beed carved to make in the form of so Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 27:15 this is a very interesting one ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, what it is says cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image brother and sister in the Lord think about it who is cursed who are they who are making idols I leave this to you to decide? and sets it up in secret there are people who who will deny completely that the power they have is from evil but instead they will say it is from God. I love this verse of the Bible alot Luke 6:43-44 ” For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit. Always and always remember don’t look at the tree but at the fruit.
Joshua 24:20 it says ” If to forsake the Lord and serve forgein gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good. We are not supposed to worship any kind of idols it is one of the most biggest sin God just turns His face from you it is not out of anger but by doing this we hurt the true living God that is Jesus Christ.
2 Kings 17:10-12 ” They setup for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nation’s whom the Lord carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, ” You shall not do this thing”. The reason I am giving these verses is this that you should understand one thing very clearly that God hates idol worship.
2 Chronicles 33:2-5, Here we are talking about a king of Israel whose name was Manasseh who was the son of Hezekiah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations if the nation’s whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images and he worshipped all the host of heaven and served them. He was worshipping the sun the moon the star’s. He also built altars in the house if the Lord of which the Lord had said, ” In Jerusalem shall My Name be forever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. See again in this verse the king worships idols. Which is completely against the will of God.
Ezekiel 14:1-6.
Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’ “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
Now when we go through this verse carefully there is something that the Lord speaks that elders of Israel have set up idols in their hearts, in today’s world we love our wife our husband our girlfriend our boyfriend our children our job our bike our car and now days there our so many apps that has become more important then our God that means we are connected to all this from our heart day and night we think only one think that how to be more close to someone but how many times we think that how much more we can come close to God, so what we are doing is that we our having idols in our heart which is bigger then our God . And one more thing I want share we give more importance to our problems and pains then our God. What we are doing down the line we putting God aside and giving something or someone else that place which we are supposed to give to God. Jesus Christ wants to live in our heart .
Hosea 13:2-3.
Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!” Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud And like the early dew that passes away, Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney. What they did they made molded images and they went on sinning more and more, what does the Lord speak they will be like a morning cloud as in the morning we see clouds and then it is gone in the same manner those who worship idols they will be like that today they are there tomorrow they are gone.
Habakkuk 2:18-19. What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols? Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all. The Lord says what will you gain by worshipping idols they are mute they are dead they don’t have life in it they are liars when you go and stand in front of any idols you speak to the idols thinking that it is listening to you but sorry it is not listening it is lieing to you because it doesn’t have any answer to your prayers it is just a dead think there standing in front of you.
Matthew 4:8-10
Again’, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”. Now whom did devil take to the mountains that is Jesus Christ and said to Him if you bow down and worship me I will gave all the glory of this world what did Jesus Christ say you shall worship the Lord your God and Him shall you server. So if Jesus Christ can deny satan then even we can do it. We shouldn’t seek the glory of this world it is idolatry but we should seek the Glory of God it is eternal it is magnificent it is beautiful and delivers us from the evil.
1 Corinthians 8:4-6
Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many Lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
What does apostle Paul says that there is no other God but one though there are many gods and so called gods but we as a child of God we have one God that is our heavenly Father and one Lord that is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:14-22
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
What does the word say flee from idolatry if you see it just move away from there, then it speaks that we those who take part in communion of the Blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the communion of the Body of Christ. Yes we are many but we are all one in the Lord. Apostle Paul wants to say that if if you part take of Lords table and then you part take in idol worship you are actually partaking in worship of demons. We cannot to do things together and say it’s ok. You cannot partake of Lords table and table demon you can worship Jesus Christ and you cannot worship idols . When you are worshipping idols you are worshipping demons. Behind every image every statue there is a demonic power which controls us.
1 Corinthians 12:2
You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.
Sisters and brothers in the Lord one time we were worshipping all these idols they are dumb they can’t hear what we say that’s the reason apostle Paul says they are dumb
2 Corinthians 6:16-18
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”
He says to us we are His temple what an honor that the most High God that we are His temple and what agreement we have with idols He says to us come out every idolatry and I will live with you and I will walk among you. And He says that we shall His people He says come out of them and separate yourself it doesn’t mean you leave everything and sit in the mountain or jungle no what Lord is saying stop giving importance to anything more then Him because whatever is given more importance the God becomes idolatry or idol worship.
I hope what wrote today will enlighten you. Let the Grace of God be upon you and your beloved one in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen
Temple of the Living God 