AN IDOL IN THE CHURCH

Going through the bible I have come across too many scriptures that speak of idolatry. I could understand how those scriptures were relevant in bible times seeing that many of the ancient cultures and religions involved worship of idols. However, in the modern times, the bulk of the world is just not into bowing before idols.

The three largest religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all abhor idols, then we have Atheism which hates idolatry even more. So as I cruise through the New Testament and read many warnings against idolatry, they just did not seem relevant to me or to most of the people in the church nowadays. Maybe Catholics… but then again, I am not catholic.

Yes, I have heard that hollywood stars, sports, movies can be an idol for you. True. But I just feel like that’s not me. And every other church goer I meet will just be like, “That’s not me”

But you see, these verses always bothered me.

Galatians 5:19-21
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities

1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:7
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.”

1 Corinthians 6:9
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

Even in the apocalyptic book of revelation, Idolatry is one of the key issue that people in the end times must repent from.

Revelation 9:20
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

Even the whole issue of the beast setting up an image to be worshipped. It seems like idolatry is the final sin that leads people away from God. Yet it seems so irrelevant to the world we live in.

A modern day Idol

I will give a few scriptures. The bible gives us an interesting definition of Idolatry.

Colossians 3:5 (WEB)
Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Covetousness is Idolatry.

Now I have read that verse many times and continued without much thought. So while it is true that people can make idols of sports, movies etc, last week, the Lord Made me aware of a big idol that has been placed into the church and millions have been seduced into bowing before it.

Idolatry is now the church’s most attractive feature. It is now the center of our gospel. Its there its in our faces but hidden undercover.

An idol called Mammon

While Satan could not convince most Christians to bow down to actual idols, he has now brought in this new idol called Mammon to be worshipped in the church.

Jesus tells us…

Luke 16:13-14 (WEB)
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.” 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

Mammon is the one thing that Jesus puts at par with God in the worship life of a believer. You cant serve God and Mammon. Its impossible.

How Mammon is worshipped

God as your Father is your ultimate provider. He has the ability to solve all your problems.

Mammon, which is earthly wealth has potential to solve most of your problems.

When your faith is on God, with or without money, you will have assurance in your heart that your problems will be solved.

When your faith is in Mammon, your joy, your peace, your comfort will be depended on your pocket.
Lets go down with Jesus words.

Matthew 6:24-25 (NET)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

What is Covetousness

God has no problems with his children having wealth. He has an issue with covetousness because it is Idolatry. So what really is covetousness. Jesus once warned a man who had asked that he be given a fair share of wealth.

Luke 12:15 (WEB)
He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

Covetousness is defined as a greedy desire to have more. You see how Jesus is linking serving mammon with anxiety over earthly issues. Everyone desires food, clothing and drink, but when it has become a source of anxiety then it is a sign that your faith is in Mammon and not God.

I believe God has blessed his children in every way through Christ Jesus. Our physical and Spiritual needs are provided for in Christ Jesus. However, most Christians have been seduced into covetousness. Even when we go back to Colossians, Paul says…

Colossians 3:1-3, 5 (WEB)
1 If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 5 Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

So what is it? How can you identify it.

Jesus said that the Lord knows that we have need of these things. (Food, clothing, shelter). This means that for you to say I need a house, I need a car, I need clothes is alright. God knows and understands. Desiring to have money, or houses and good things is not covetousness. However Jesus links covetousness to anxiety.

When your desire for a house, or car or clothes takes away your peace in Christ, then you have fallen into covetousness. When you feel desperate for something. If you feel that without that Job, without that money, without that house, then your whole life will fall apart, then know that you have fallen into covetousness.

That house, that Job, that money has become an idol that you worship, it has become the source of your salvation, it has become your saviour, your solution, your Christ, your God. He who gives his life completely to the Lord, will ultimately get 100 times more glory from the Life of Christ.

 The dynamics of Father and Son

We must learn from the relationship between God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus sole purpose on earth was to fulfil the will of his Father. He said what the Father wanted him to say, and did what the Father wanted him to do.

God’s sole purpose in creation was to glorify the son. Every thing he asked Jesus to do and everything he asked Jesus to say would ultimately lead to the glorification of Jesus name. Even when God asked Jesus to die, that led to the glorification of Christ.

This is how our relationship with him should be. We must not seek our own will on earth. We must seek to serve, to do and to speak only according to his will. To obey him completely from the heart His will is to purify and glorify us.

He who looses his life will find it. There is a lot of teaching thats designed to teach you that having Christ is not enough!

It says you must have a lot of wealth inorder to be complete as a Son of God. This is a lie. This teaching promotes covetousness. While it is true that God blesses us in finance, yet know that Jesus says, a man’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.

Luke 12:15 (NET)
Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Any doctrine that seeks to identify sons of God based on an abundance of possessions leads to covetousness and is an idol in the church. The last lie is that money is the solution for all your problems.

Money truly is a god that can solve many of your problems. But as a Christian, you must depend on, rely on, and fully be persuaded in Christ for solving your problems. Sometimes he will use money, sometimes people sometimes creative miracles.

While money is good for many things, your ultimate faith and solution in the day of trouble should rest in Christ and his ability not in how much money you have at the time.

Psalms20:7 (NIV)
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

The Big Lies

The devil has secretly brought covetousness into the church through a number of lies. One of the major lies preached says: “Since you have been saved and already secured of heaven, now you have to focus on earthly wealth so we can leave well as we wait for heaven.”

This teaching sounds good and seductive but it is a big lie because it directly contradicts the bible. Scripture does not say, now that you have Christ you can now focus on earthly wealth… No.

Scripture says… Because your life is now in Christ you must now focus on things in heaven and not things on earth.

Colossians 3:2-3 (WEB)
2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

The very fact that you are now a citizen of heaven, now means you begin to focus more on the things of heaven.

Conclusion
The devil has setup mammon as an idol in the church that is worshipped through doctrines that promote coveting. Doctrines that divert people’s attention from heaven to earth, from Christ to their bank accounts.

While I truly believe that God blesses us financially, yet we must be careful against the doctrine of covetousness which is Idolatry.