Breaking Idolatry

Resisting the Power of Idolatry from Crossway on Vimeo.


Resisting the Power of Idolatry by Phillip Ryken

One of the things that has really helped me understand the power of idolatry in our own time and place is, strange to say, the plagues in the book of Exodus. One of the things that was amazing for me to discover is that all of the plagues in Exodus relate to gods that the Egyptians worshiped.

Just to give one example: the first plague was blood in the Nile River. The Nile was everything to the Egyptians. It was the source of their economy—it was like what Wall Street is for America’s economy. One of the things that God was showing—and Exodus is explicit about this in a few places—was his glory over the Egyptians and their gods.
In the story of Exodus you see God not just gaining a victory over people like Pharaoh, who had set himself over and against God and God’s authority, but actually over all the things the Egyptians worshiped.

It’s a little scary to think about but I think that’s a lesson for our own time and place. All of the things that we worship—power, money, sex, whatever idolatries we have in our own time and place—all of those idols are going to be defeated.

Ultimately, all of those idols are going to let us down, they are going to disappoint us, and they are only going to be a source of frustration. This is actually good news, because God doesn’t want us to worship those things; he wants us to worship him alone.

Need the Presence

Like this from Pete Wilson - Note the very important question in red at the end.

This morning I did a little reading in Exodus and saw this…

Exodus 33:15 “Then Moses said to him, ‘If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

God promised Moses he would send his angel before them and guide them to their God-given destination. This is what Moses has been waiting for. This is a win. A huge win. He’s assuring Moses success, but Moses doesn’t want success. He wants God.

When I read this I felt like someone had hit me in the head with a shovel.  Far too often as a leader I make success my God. I make success the destination. I’m willing to make a lot of sacrifices, even some unhealthy ones, if it means achieving success.We’ve all sacrificed things for….

larger church attendance

more money

nicer car

corner office

bigger title

noticeable popularity

Moses reminds us that no amount of success, plans, or dreams are worth it if it means less of God’s presence in your life.

Just a few verses before in verse 11 it says “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to a friend.” I think Moses had grown so accustomed to God’s presence that it became the most cherished and prized thing in his life. He couldn’t imagine going a moment without it.

Can I be honest? I’m not there… but I want to be. I want to get to that place. I want to get to the place where I want God and His presence in my life more than anything this world has to offer.

How would you feel if God promised you success and victory but without His presence? Have you experienced God’s presence so consistently you can’t live without it?

 Good question.

Getting Out

Getting Out - Tim Keller - TGC 2011 from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

This video shows Tim Keller demonstrating how to preach Christ from an Old Testament text, by preaching Exodus 14, i.e. the Crossing of the Red Sea.  He teaches that the Christian life is about "Getting Out":  (1) What we are getting out of, (2) How to get out of it, and (3) why we can get out of it.

An Isrealite living in the days of the exodus would say that he was a slave under sentence of death who sheltered his life under the blood of the passover lamb, was led through the water by his mediator and redeemer, on his way to a promised land guided through a desert by the Spirit of his God, fed by the bread of life and guaranteed that God would be with him until he reached his promised land at the end.  Don't Christians say the same thing?

Well worth the time to listen!

Hat Tip:  The Resurgence:

Frog Bible Study

A little Bible study on Exodus 8

From:  The Sacred Sandwich