Imago Adventus - 15 - Idols
1 Kings 18:18-24 - Idols When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty. Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.” All the people answered, “Well spoken!”
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I confess. I am an idolater. I have a lot of idols that I adore, worship, serve along with serving God. I wear them as logos on my shirts and hats. I have stuffed animals of them. I sing songs about them. I spend hours of my time every week intently watching and enjoying them. When I put it that way, I wish that I was saying that this was exactly what Id o in worship of God. But, reality is that these idols are Broncos, Buffaloes, Tigers, and the like. But its also my time, energies, my desires, my preferences, my _______. These things that I want to split my service with for God. I am not worshipping Asherah poles or the idols of Baal, but I have plenty of gods in my life - far more than I should. Don’t we all?
Great quote from Tim Keller - “The only way to overcome idols in your life is to see that Jesus gives you freely what every other god says you can only get through performance. Jesus gives you through his blood what every other god demands through yours.”