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Flee from Idolatry
Idolatry is Alive and Well!
• Jesus was tempted to yield to it, Matt. 4:8-10
• We cannot have fellowship with idols and the Lord at the same time, 1 Cor. 10:14-22
• Study the identity, development and some of the elements of idolatry
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Idolatry:More Common than We Think
•Definition: Service to, worship of that which takes the place of the living God in one’s life–Before and rather than God:
Worship and serve, Exo. 20:1-5– Idolater: “A servant,
worshipper...of idols” (Moulton)
– Idolater trusts in his idol, Psa. 115:8
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The Development of Idolatry
•Upper movement?“In an age when the study of religion was practically confined to Judaism and Christianity, idolatry was regarded as a degeneration from an uncorrupt primeval faith, but the comparative and historical investigation of religion has shown it to be rather a stage of an upward movement, and that by no means the earliest.” (1911 Encyclopedia Britannica)
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Romans 1:18-25
The Development of Idolatry
•Downward movement!•Born out of rejection of God’s
truth and His presence, 1:18-20•Unthankful and ignorant elevation
of human wisdom (self), 1:21-23•Feeds on fleshly lusts, 1:24-27•Ends in a depraved mind, 1:28-32
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Romans 1:18-25
The Development of Idolatry
•Begins in the heart, producing the actions of idolatry in life, Isa. 44:18-20–The attitudes of idolatry elevate
self, things and people (while diminishing the true God)
•The sin of idolatry is not confined to giving homage to a graven image, 2 Tim. 3:1-5
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Romans 1:18-25
Test for Idolatry
•Does it have first place in your life?•Does it diminish God? Deut. 6:13-
15; Matt. 4:10; 22:37-38–Self? Lk. 9:23 (2 Tim. 3:2)–Another person? Matt. 10:37–My time? Eph. 5:16–My money? 1 Tim. 6:9-10–My goals? Matt. 6:33
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1 John 5:21Beware!
Elements of Idolatry
•The flesh, Gal. 5:20; 1 Cor. 10:7–Consuming desire to please
fleshly pursuits identifies and defines the (our) false god–Serving various lusts, Titus 3:3–Love of self rather than God
leads to the corruption of the flesh, Rom. 1:22-25
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1 Cor. 10:14
Elements of Idolatry
•Stubbornness, 1 Sam. 15:22-23–Rejects God’s word, 15:3–Unwilling to obey, 15:9–Hardened by rationalization,
15:13-15–Whenever our will becomes
more important than God’s revealed will, we have joined hands with idolaters!
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1 Cor. 10:14
Elements of Idolatry
•Covetousness, Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5–Greedy desire to have more–Lust to have what is another’s–The object of one’s desire
becomes the thing worshipped and served, Lk. 12:15; 1 Tim. 6:6-10 (Job 1:21)
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1 Cor. 10:14
Elements of Idolatry
•Enslavement, Gal. 4:8-9–Captured by the depraved ideas
one’s idol represents:• Money (power, prestige,
possession)• Pleasure (fleshly lusts)• Self (self-determination that
forgets God)
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1 Cor. 10:14
Elements of Idolatry
• Idolatry among God’s people causes them to become a mockery before unbelievers!•Flee idolatry! 1 Cor. 10:14 •Be on guard and keep
yourselves from idols! 1 Jno. 5:21
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Exodus 32:25