DCLM Higher Everyday 16 April 2024 — Idols are not God
Topic: Idols are not God
Text: Isaiah 40:18-26
18To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
20He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
21Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
23That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Key Verse: “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him” (Isaiah 40:18).
Message
As Tim Keller states in his book, Counterfeit Gods, an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give. An idol extends beyond the worship of images and false gods. It is a matter of the heart, associated with pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony and love for possessions. It challenges God’s sovereignty and attempts to offer an alternative to God on issues of life.” Are you free from idol worship?
In our text, God reminds the Israelites that He has no rival. Idols are the works of men. It is foolish to put any hero as a rival to God. Young people have various idols in our time. Some identify with worldly music icons; some have hewed out gods from celebrities in the world of sports, movies and politics. Some worship false religious leaders to their own detriment. My friend, never indulge in diabolic practices for the sake of power and relevance. We must worship and serve God alone. Avoid counterfeit gods!
Quote: Worship and serve God alone
Challenge: Whom you trust makes or mars you.
Prayer for today: Oh God, take every idol from my heart, in Jesus’ name.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
