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Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.”2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the

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Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,

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O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship

Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

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offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry…

18 Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 When Moses approached the camp

Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

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and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

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21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” 22 “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.

Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

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Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

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Exodus 32.1-6 / 18-24

The people were in a crisis because they came to the wrong conclusion about God

A crisis in life brings us to a crisis in faith

Why do we cross the line and let things become idols?Idols are good things that become the God-factor

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Four things that help us recognize idols…

Idols always reflect our culture• we can turn to our culture to

worship what is known

Idols always have a repetitive nature attached to them• have an addictive power to them• idols take you farther than you

bargained for

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Idols always compete for the place of God• Matthew 6 / be careful where

you set your focus• idols get your eyes, your time

and your energy

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Idols are fiercely defended• you will rationalize and

depend on idols• conclusion: we drift easily

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Five things that cause us to drift…

The god of materialism• we cannot serve both God

and money• Psalm 106• we bow before something

that is perishable

1

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The god of winning or success• it is more subtle than money• those who are driven by the

winning and success factor

and wanting more

2

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The god of “me”• my body, my mind, my leisure,

my pleasure — they all revolve

around “me”• “I” becomes the goal and

“I” becomes the god

3

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The god of relationships• we believe there is a relationship

that will be better than ourrelationship with God

• family, marriages, friends, children— good, but not God

4

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The god of religion• worship can become our addiction• we may have religious forms,

but God is not the center of

the worship• we cannot have a dependency

on religious practices, but a

dependence on God

5

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God’s response to idols is swift. Moses made the people drink their golden calf! God says that any other exchange except for Him will not be worth it!


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We will be tempted to give our hearts to someone else… When that day comes, do these three things…


Run, run & run! [ flee! ]1 2 3

Replace this idol with God

Ask for forgiveness

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These idols are empty…when we are tempted — and we (you) will be — you will want to turn to an idol


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