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Return in your Bibles to Romans 
chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. This is a bit of a different 
sermon. I've mentioned that recently profited from a book by the name 
of We Become What We Worship by G.K. Beale. It's a biblical 
theology of idolatry. You realize that sounds a bit 
odd. Why would anybody find enjoyment on a book treating idolatry? Well, it's a theme that is very 
much treated on in the scriptures, from Genesis all the way through 
Revelation. So tonight, I'm just going to 
take some of the main ideas from that particular book and just 
try to incorporate into our own thinking what idolatry is all 
about. As I said, the name of the book 
is We Become What We Worship, and his whole thesis is this. 
What you revere, you resemble. either for ruin or restoration. We see this principle a lot in 
our own lives or perhaps with our children. You might notice 
that your child or young teenager is hanging around with a person 
or a certain group of people, and when they come around you, 
they're using that same language. They might be parroting some 
of the same speech. When we are with people, they 
rub off on us. The idea is very simple. We spend 
time in the presence of God, and we will be godly, hopefully. When we spend time in the presence 
of our idols, we resemble them. We become like them. And again, 
this is a message or a theme repeat throughout the scripture. So I commend that book to you. We become what we worship. It 
is very interesting, very intriguing, and a very good handling of the 
biblical material. But I just want to read Romans 
chapter one, where we'll look at specifically and then look 
at some other passages as background this evening. I'll pick up reading 
in Romans 1 at verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel 
of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone 
who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in 
it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, 
as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For the wrath 
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what 
may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it 
to them. For since the creation of the 
world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood 
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, 
so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, 
they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became 
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 
professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of 
the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man 
and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, 
God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts 
to dishonor their bodies among themselves. who exchanged the 
truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature 
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For 
this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their 
women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, 
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their 
lust for one another. men with men committing what 
is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their 
error which was due. And even as they did not like 
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased 
mind to do those things which are not fitting. being filled 
with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, 
maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whisperers, backbiters, 
haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, 
disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, 
unmerciful. who knowing the righteous judgment 
of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of 
death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who 
practice them. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we just pray now that you would fill us with your Spirit as we 
consider Romans 1, as we consider the rest of the Scripture. God, 
as we just sketch this idea, we pray that you would guide 
us further in our thinking and in our living and help us, God, 
to see idolatry as the great affront to you as it is. Help 
us, Lord God, to seek fidelity and to seek to be undivided in 
our attention given wholly to you. We just pray that you would 
forgive us that there is a waywardness in us, that there is a remaining 
proneness to wander. And we would pray, God most high, 
that through a study of scripture, we would learn that you hate 
these things and that you would just grant us the grace and the 
spirit so that we may not depart from you. And we ask these things 
in Jesus' holy name. Amen. We'll look at the context 
here in Romans chapter 1. The reason I read this is so 
that later, as we go through some of the Old Testament scriptures, 
we'll see that Paul is not doing anything new here. He is simply 
rehearsing what has already been written in the Holy Scripture 
concerning this idea of idolatry or exchanging the truth of God 
for the lie. So we'll look at the context 
briefly of Romans chapter one and see what's going on here. 
Secondly, we'll notice some background, some background information, 
other texts that will help us to understand more fully some 
of the statements that Paul makes here in Romans chapter one. And 
then thirdly, we'll draw out some implications, highlight 
just a couple of the more popular idols that we are prone to in 
our worship. The first thing we need to understand, 
though, is that Romans is the great declaration of the gospel. Paul makes a thesis statement, 
Romans chapter one, verses 16 and 17. If you return to school 
on Tuesday, you're going to have to start thinking again about 
thesis statements. You're going to have to start 
thinking again about topics. Well, this is precisely what 
he does. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the 
power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, to the 
Jew first and also to the Greek. He says, for in that gospel, 
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. That's the 
thesis. That's the topic. That's what 
he's going to discuss. And then he opens up in verse 
18 with the bad news, because the gospel, the good news doesn't 
make sense without the background of bad news first. If I come 
to you and say, I've got good news for you, you might say, 
what do you mean, good news? Is there bad news? Well, in this 
case, that is precisely how he begins. He doesn't begin with 
love. He doesn't begin with blessing. 
He doesn't begin with God giving. He begins with the wrath of God 
being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men who suppress truth in unrighteousness. He says that 
they know God. But they are not consistent with 
that knowledge. Rather, they don't honor God 
as God, nor are they thankful. And then he begins to open up 
the guilt of mankind. in chapter one, beginning in 
verse 18. He highlights the guilt of man 
in general in chapter one, the guilt of the Jews specifically 
in chapter two. And then in chapter three, from 
nine to verse 19, he summarizes with the Old Testament, the reality 
that sin is a universal problem. that all men everywhere are guilty 
and liable to judgment before God most high. The concluding 
statement is found in verse 20 when he says in chapter three, 
therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified 
in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge 
of sin. So having specified or or explained 
rather the universality of sin and condemnation. It's in that 
background or from that vantage point that he then turns his 
attention to. But now the righteousness of 
God is revealed. This leads him to consider the 
doctrine of justification by faith alone. It leads him to 
consider the Lord Jesus and his great redemptive work at Calvary. It leads him in the whole discussion 
of sanctification. It leads him in his discussion 
in terms of God's electing and sovereign purposes with reference 
to his people. And then that comes all the way 
to chapter 11, when he finishes up the whole doctrinal section 
of his exposition of the gospel. And then in chapter 12, beginning 
in verse 1, he says, therefore, he says, by the mercies of God, 
I beseech you. And then he begins to make practical 
application based on the doctrine of the gospel. So that's an overview 
briefly of the book of Romans. But if you look specifically 
at some of his statements in chapter one, we'll notice these 
things have been said already in the history of redemption. 
Notice in chapter one, verse twenty three, they change the 
glory of the incorruptible God into an image of the incorruptible. I'm sorry. They change the glory 
of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible 
man. and birds and four-footed animals 
and creeping things. And then notice in verse 25, 
who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worship and serve 
the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Now let's look at some 
background. What is feeding the apostle? 
What is in his mind as he comes to write Romans chapter 1? As 
he begins to declare man's sin problem, he is thinking in terms 
of creation. God's purpose in creation initially 
He made man in his own image and man as image bearer of God 
was designed to reflect God's glory. This is something basic 
and fundamental. He made man in his image so that 
we would reflect his glory and bring honor and praise to him. But we see not only after man 
is created by God in Genesis chapter one, he defects from 
God in Genesis chapter three. There is a reversal. There is a gross reversal. Paul 
mentions from since the creation of the world. He mentions the 
fourfold specification of God's creation activity. That leads 
me to conclude that he is thinking in terms of the Genesis narrative, 
Genesis one to three. So God made man upright, but 
they have sought out many devices. If you look back in Genesis chapter 
three for just a moment, you see this defection, you see it 
in its reversal. God made man as his image bearer 
and God made man to exercise dominion. Don't you remember 
that? Let us make man in our image. Genesis 1, 26 to 28. Let us make man in our image 
according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the 
fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps 
on the earth. What happens when we get to Genesis 
chapter 3? There's a role reversal. Instead of man exercising dominion 
over the creation, we now see the creation in terms of the 
serpent exercising dominion over the man. It is a complete reversal 
of God's intention in the garden. We see the tempter come via the 
serpent. He addresses the woman. She is 
supposed to be under the rule or submission to her husband. 
But the tempter addresses her, deceives her. She takes the fruit. She gives it to Adam, who is 
with her, and they eat and transgress against the living and the true 
God. Adam listened to the serpent 
and followed his murderous direction. So there was a role reversal 
there. But as well, what did the tempter hold out to them? 
Ye shall be as gods. This is the grand thing that 
was tempting to them. If you look at Genesis chapter 
three, verse five, the serpent says, God knows that in the day 
you eat of it, your eyes will be open and you will be like 
God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the 
tree was good for food, It was a bit of an interest in nutrition 
on her part. She saw that the treat was good 
for food. Just like today, you go to Superstore, 
you go to Hofstede's, you go to Price Mart, you see a peach, 
it's good for food. You don't buy the most grotesque 
looking one, you buy the one that looks good for food. You 
are driven by a desire to properly, to have proper nutrition. Then 
it says, That it was pleasant to the eyes. So it looked good 
as well. There was an aesthetic appeal 
about this particular tree. Notice what it goes on to say. 
And a tree desirable to make one wise. Ye shall be as God. This was the grand bait with 
the tempter. you will be like God. So there 
is a reversal in the garden. There is a desire to be as God. Later on in the prophet Ezekiel, 
in chapter 28, highlighting the wickedness of the king of Tyre, 
he rehearses this scene in the Garden of Eden and how basically 
and essentially what was going on here was a desire to exalt 
themselves into the place and the position of God Most High. So when we look at Romans chapter 
1, we know that Paul has some background in his mind. But it 
doesn't stop there with the creation. It continues on through the history 
of Israel. There is a sense where what we 
worship, we become like. When we exchange the glory of 
the incorruptible God for the corruptible man and birds and 
four-footed animals and creeping things, degradation comes. Bad things happen. There's no 
accident in this account, Romans 1, that ungodliness precedes 
unrighteousness. What we think of God, how we 
respond to God, how we live in terms of God, affects our practice 
here on earth. Now, let's just look at some 
other passages where I think this becomes apparent. Exodus 
32. Look at Exodus 32. I realize there's big holes in 
this exposition in terms of G.K. Beale's book. If anything, it's 
a sampler. You need to get the book, read it if you're interested 
in a biblical theology of idolatry. But next it is 32. We read an 
account that is pervasive throughout scripture. It's the event where 
they worship the golden calf. Moses is getting the law. Moses 
is at Sinai. When he comes down, he sees the 
people in defection. He sees them in apostasy. Remember, 
Aaron led them in this particular instance, but just verses 7 to 
10 for now. Notice in verse 7, Jehovah said 
to Moses, go get down for your people whom you brought out of 
the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned 
aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They 
have made themselves a molded calf and worshipped it and sacrificed 
to it and said, This is your God, O Israel, that brought you 
out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said to Moses, I 
have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people. 
Now, therefore, let me alone that my wrath may burn hot against 
them, and I may consume them, and I will make of you a great 
nation. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which 
I commanded them. Later in Romans 3, this is something 
Paul cites, not from this passage, but they have all turned to their 
own way. They've all abandoned the living 
and the true God. And interestingly enough, these 
people have become stiff-necked. I remember years ago, a brother 
that used to be in our church, he was a dairy farmer. And I 
remember mentioning something to him about the humble cows 
that he dairy farmed. You look at a cow, right? They're 
just humble, cool creatures, aren't they? They just sit there. They cow. They eat. They produce 
milk. They chill. You don't think cow 
and ferocity are anything bad. But he said, let me tell you 
about these humble creatures. Cows can be very ornery. Cows 
can be very stubborn. I'm sure some of you know it 
a lot better than I do, having been born and raised in Chilliwack 
and having dealt with the agricultural community. You know this better 
than I do. They're stiff-necked, aren't 
they? You have to break them. You have to put a yoke on them 
in order to pull them back. You have to put a yoke on them 
in order to guide them. You see what's happening here? 
They've become what they worship. They have become stiff-necked 
like a cow. They have become stiff-necked 
and hard of heart, and they want to go their own way. They are 
taking on the very characteristic of the cow that they are worshiping. You say, well, that's outlandish. 
No, it isn't. That is precisely what the further 
revelation of God indicates. There is degradation involved 
in idolatry. We become what we worship. When we throw off God, we engage 
in all manner of wickedness and evil and vileness. Turn over 
to Psalm 106 for a moment. Psalm 106. Some of the very language 
used in Psalm 106 is the very language that Paul is using specifically 
in Romans 1, 23 and 25. Notice in Psalm 106, verse 19, 
they made a calf in Horeb and worship the molded image. Thus, 
they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats 
grass. Now Beal argues, and I think 
he's right, it's not just the exchange of the glory of God 
for the odds. It's their own glory, made as 
image bearers of God, made in covenant with God. They were 
to reflect His glory, such that when they abandon Him and they 
begin to worship this calf idol, they now manifest its pseudo 
glory. They manifest its character. They changed their glory into 
the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their 
Savior, who had done great things in Egypt. Wondrous works in the 
land of Ham. Awesome things by the Red Sea. 
Therefore, He said that He would destroy them had not Moses, His 
chosen one, stood before Him in the breach to turn away His 
wrath lest He destroy them. Look at Jeremiah chapter 2. Jeremiah 
chapter 2 for a moment. It's rehearsing a few of these 
passages just to show that when Paul writes Romans 1, he is being 
consistent with all that has preceded him. He is identifying 
the sin of man, connecting it very intimately with idolatry, 
with apostasy, with defection from the living and true God, 
the exchanging of the incorruptible God with a corruptible man and 
four-footed animals and creeping things. Thus says Jehovah, what injustice 
have your fathers found in me that they have gone far from 
me, have followed idols and have become idolaters. Could be, and 
have followed vanity and have become vanity. It's an accurate 
translation. They have followed vanity and 
they have become vanity. Notice in verse 11 of Jeremiah 
chapter 2. Has a nation changed its gods 
which are not gods? But my people have changed their 
glory for what does not profit." You see, that very theme Paul 
picks up in Romans 1. They've exchanged, they have 
changed the glory of the incorruptible God for that which is corruptible. They're idolaters. They have 
defected. They have apostatized. They are 
in a bad state. Man's condition, as we saw this 
morning, is one of blindness. It's one of darkness. It's one 
of bowing to idols, whether it be a calf idol at Horeb, whether 
it be your own pocketbook, whether it be your own carnal security, 
whether it be whatever, anything that we seek our security in 
becomes for us an idol if it is not the living and the true 
God. And then in Jeremiah, I'm sorry, 
Hosea chapter four, the first of the minor prophets, Hosea 
chapter four. Hosea four, verses 16 and 17, 
for Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf. Now the Lord will let them 
forage like a lamb in open country. Ephraim has joined the idols. 
Let him alone. Their drink is rebellion. They 
commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor. The wind is wrapped her up in 
its wings and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. 
Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn calf. She has become that which 
she worshiped. Now go back to Psalm 115. Psalm 
115, where this principle is stated very clearly, that we 
become what we worship. Psalm 115, beginning in verse 
1. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto 
us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because 
of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say so? 
Where is their God? But our God is in heaven. He 
does whatever he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold. 
The work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do 
not speak. Eyes they have, but they do not see. They have ears, 
but they do not hear. Noses they have, but they do 
not smell. They have hands, but they do not handle. Feet they 
have, but they do not walk. I imagine at times when Israel 
was in her finer days and she was singing this particular song, 
she'd be tempted to grin of it. I mean, it sounds pretty wacky, 
doesn't it? You're worshiping something that 
has eyes but cannot see, has a mouth but it cannot speak, 
has ears but it cannot hear. You heathen, you pagan, you are 
really messed up. I mean, you're praying to a dumb 
idol. He can't hear you. Remember the image of Molech. 
Molech was an idol, a statue that was formed with its arms 
outstretched. They would light the fire around 
Molech and they would take their babies and throw it into the 
arms of Molech. Well, Molech couldn't catch, 
so the babies would bounce off and die in the fire. Why do you 
think Israel is commanded over and over by God not to engage 
in Molech worship? Don't let their children pass 
through the fire. Don't engage in Baalism, because 
what you worship, you become like. It is degrading. It reduces 
you to a sinful, vile mess before the living and true God. And 
here he goes on to say, verse 7, they have hands, but they 
do not handle. Feet they have, but they do not 
walk. Nor do they mutter through their throat. And notice verse 
8. Those who make them are like them. So is everyone who trusts 
in them. Those who make them are like 
them. So is everyone who trusts in 
them. We read that in Isaiah chapter 
6. The condemnation upon apostate Israel at the time of the prophet. 
Keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people 
dull, Isaiah 6, 9 and 10, and their ears heavy, and shut their 
eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, 
and understand with their heart, and return and be healed. Instead of bearing the image 
of God and reflecting His glory, the idolater bears the image 
of his idol and reflects its characteristics. In this instance, 
they have eyes that do not see, they have ears that do not hear. 
We know that idolatry was a problem at the time of the prophet Isaiah. 
Isaiah chapter 1, verse 4. Alas, sinful nation, a people 
laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are 
corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. 
They have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel. They have 
turned away backward. Doesn't Paul say this in Romans 
chapter 1? They don't even like to retain 
the knowledge of God in their hearts. Same thing. They have 
turned back. They have defected. They have 
apostatized. Notice in chapter one, verse 
twenty nine, for they shall be ashamed of the terrible trees 
which you have desired and you shall be embarrassed because 
of the gardens which you have chosen. You talking about condemning 
a desire to hang out in gardens? No, they worship idols in their 
gardens. They worship idols among the 
terrible trees. They worship idols among God's 
creation. They would bow down to God's 
creation. Isaiah is a prophet engaged in 
a polemic against idolatry in the nation of Israel. Over in 
chapter 2, at verse 8, Isaiah 2, verse 8, their land is also 
full of idols. They worship the work of their 
own hands, that which their own fingers have made. People bow 
down and each man humbles himself. Therefore, do not forgive them. Chapter two, verses 18 and 19. But the idols he shall utterly 
abolish. They shall go into the holes 
of the rocks and into the caves of the earth from the terror 
of the Lord and the glory of his majesty when he arises to 
shake the earth mightily. So when we go to Romans chapter 
one and we understand what Paul is saying here, his polemic is 
also against idolatry. Man has a universal problem. Sin, yes, but idolatry. Idolatry, wherein we would rather 
have the creature than God, who is blessed forever. We would 
rather worship the serpent. We would rather worship creeping 
things. We'd rather worship our wallets. We'd rather worship 
ourselves. We'd rather worship sex or drugs 
or rock and roll. We would rather anything other 
than God. That's what's so indicting about 
the prophet Jeremiah when we read chapter 2, verse 11. Has 
a nation changed its gods, which are not God? You know what he's 
saying there? The heathen are more consistent 
in their worship than the covenant community. But my people have 
changed their glory. That is a horrific indictment. 
So you see, when Paul comes in Romans 1 to establish the fact 
that all men everywhere are under sin, he is not doing anything 
new. He is simply rehearsing biblical 
theology. He is simply rehearsing this 
theology of idolatry. As Douglas Mooe comments on Romans 
chapter 1 verse 23, he says, this tragic process of human 
God-making continues apace in our own day. And Paul's words 
have as much relevance for people who have made money or sex or 
famed their gods as for those who carved idols out of wood 
and stone. Thus, as verses 24 to 31 show, 
The whole dreadful panoply of sins that plague humanity has 
its roots in the soil of this idolatry. Don't miss that. Verse 
21 in Romans 1 is the problem. We look at verses 24 and following 
and say, wow, look at how wicked man is. Man is wicked in the 
expression of his sinfulness. The issue is found in verse 21, 
because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, 
nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and 
their foolish hearts were darkened. What they think about God, how 
they deny the true and the living God, That is the soil from which 
all of these rotten fruits of individual sin grow. Look at homosexuality, for instance. 
We say, oh, that's an abomination. It is an abomination. But that 
is a symptom of their idolatry. You look at murder, covetousness. Those are wicked. They're symptoms 
of idolatry. What's the answer? The answer 
is to preach the gospel. to call men to bow to Jesus Christ 
and give their allegiance to the true and living God. See, 
the idea is that when you identify with the Lord God Most High, 
Through the mediator of the better covenant, which is the new covenant, 
you are washed from your sins. You are justified. You are sanctified. The idea is, in that particular 
time, you will be transformed into his image, the one you spend 
time with, the one you worship, the one you revere. You will 
resemble, but in this case, for restoration and not for ruin. So when we look at verses 24 
and following, we see all these wicked sins. It's easy for the 
church to be anti this sin or anti this sin or anti this sin 
and forget the root problem. Forget the underlying issue. These are idolaters. They have 
exchanged the glory of the true and living God and they are pursuing 
idols. It ought not to surprise us that 
all of these vices and all of these sins and all of this wickedness 
issues for. Brethren, man's problem is that 
he has turned from the living and the true God. It's interesting 
if you want to write this down later to investigate it. Three 
times in verses 24 and following, Paul says, therefore, God gave 
them up. What's God's judgment? In fact, 
when you look at 24 and following, you see this sin. Some people 
might see in this, hey, a liberated society where free love and sex 
and all these things are just celebrated. When we see this 
manifest in society, we can conclude that God the Lord has given us 
up. That's a horrific thing. It's not sexual liberty. It's 
not a revolution. It is judgment, judicial hardening 
from God most high. Well, if you pursue Psalm 106 
toward the very end, After he had said what they had done, 
they had exchanged their glory, he says that God gave them up 
to the Gentiles. Paul sounds just like the psalmist 
of Psalm 106. They've engaged in idolatry. 
They have defected from the living God. God gave them up to the 
Gentiles so that they would be destroyed. It's the same idea 
here. God gives them up to uncleanness. Verse 26, God gave them up to 
vile passions. Verse 28, God gave them over 
to a debased mind. It's as if God says, you want 
your sin? You can have it. I believe this 
is a picture of hell. This is precisely what hell will 
be. Hell is the place where God says, you want your sin? You 
can have it. You can have it in exclusion 
from the living and through God. You can have it under punishment 
and suffering. You chose sin over God? God will 
ultimately give you your wish at the end. This is a picture 
of hell on earth when God gives men over in their sin. Well, what are some common idols 
before we close? The idol of false religion. It's 
interesting. In 1 John, chapter 5, verse 21, 
John ends his letter in a way that none of us ever would. He 
says, little children, keep yourselves from idols. That wouldn't win any church 
growth sort of letter writing campaign today, would it? You've 
got to end on a positive note, brother. Come on, all this talk 
of idols, what are you doing? My little children, keep yourselves 
from idols." I think the whole context of 1 John is truth. He speaks of Jesus as being the 
true and eternal God. He speaks of the Antichrist. 
We often associate the Antichrist with some future malevolent figure. We often associate the Antichrist 
with some political figure that's alive and well on planet Earth 
today. Well, the only time Antichrist is mentioned is in 1st and 2nd 
John. The Antichrist was a heresy, 
plaguing the churches. Antichrist denied three particular 
truths with reference to Christ. They denied that Jesus is the 
Christ, 1st John 2.22. They denied the Father and the 
Son, 1st John 2.23. They denied that Jesus came in 
the flesh, 1st John 4.13 and 2nd John 7. That's what Antichrist 
was. Now, I believe that's extant 
today. I believe there are false churches. 
I believe there are synagogues of Satan. I believe there are 
cults and religious groups that deny Jesus as the Christ. They 
deny the Father and the Son. They deny that Jesus came in 
the flesh. That's what Antichrist is, according to 1 John and 2 
John. So, false religion. A departure 
from creedal orthodoxy. A departure from biblical, faithful 
exposition of the Scripture. A departure from the person and 
work of the Lord Jesus. You see, some of these studies 
on a Sunday night when it's warm and stuffy and you're either 
going to go home and eat or you've just eaten may seem a little 
bit, oh man, this is hard to sort of muscle through. The doctrine 
of Christ you need to be down with. You need to understand 
who Jesus is. Jesus said it very clear in John 
8, if you Do not believe that I am. You will die in your sins. You cannot be wrong about who 
Jesus Christ is. Second, John, verse nine. Second, 
John, verse nine makes this very, very clear. You don't understand 
who Jesus is. You will die in your sin. Second, 
John, verse nine. Whoever transgresses and does 
not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He 
who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and 
the Son. If anyone comes to you and does 
not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, 
nor greet him. For he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. 
So we need to have true biblical understanding of who Jesus is. So it's not only a denial of 
Jesus, but in Galatians chapter one, we see it's a perversion 
of the grace of God. This is something very, very 
much in play today. This is why I'm calling attention 
to this. I'm not for a moment thinking any of you are going 
to go engage in religious worship of a totem pole. You might, that 
would blow my mind though, but I just don't think that's our 
danger. I really don't. Just like I don't think the danger 
here is that somebody's going to go buy a gun and shoot somebody. 
You may. I mean, strange things happen 
in this world. I have learned over my short 
span in this world not to be too surprised about anything. 
But our temptation in the realm of religious idolatry is probably 
not going to be ancestor worship. It's probably not going to be 
a statue that we feed, a statue that we clothe, a statue that 
we burn incense to, a statue that we bow to, a statue that 
we have in our particular home. I don't think that's our temptation. 
It may be, and if it is for you, repent. Don't do that. I think 
our temptation is to fall into the Galatian era. I think our 
temptation is to engage in the idol of faith plus works in order 
for salvation. That's an idol. That's wrong. 
You're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. It's not by what your hands have 
done. It's not what you promote or 
produce. It's not your circumcision. It's 
not your church attendance. It's not your good works. It's 
not your performance. It's all of grace. It's all of 
Christ. Paul says to the Galatians, as 
we've seen recent months, Galatians chapter one, he comes out fighting 
with these brethren, not physically, but polemically. I marvel, he 
says in verse six, that you are turning away so soon from him 
who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, 
which is not another. But there are some who trouble 
you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we are 
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than 
what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have 
said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other 
gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. Our proneness in terms of false 
religion is to deny Jesus or to deny grace. And if we do that, 
we become idolaters. A second area of idolatry common 
to man is the idol of mammon. Money. Possessions. Stuff. Jesus made it very clear. You 
cannot serve God and mammon. The scripture makes it very clear. 
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Not money. Money in and of itself is not 
evil. It doesn't go to rob banks. It doesn't shoot people. doesn't 
deal drugs. Money is a tool that the idolater 
uses or abuses, that the godly man uses. Understand that? It's not as if God is saying, 
you can't have money, you can't have anything. Some see virtue 
in getting rid of everything you have. Some see virtue in 
living in monasteries. Some see virtue in wearing hair 
shirts. Some see virtue in putting ashes 
in your soup. Some see virtue in suffering 
for suffering's sake. God does not condemn money. God condemns loving it. God condemns 
being divided in your attention. God condemns you putting your 
safety and security in your money, in your possessions, in your 
portfolio. I don't even know what a portfolio 
is. I just hear that talk sometimes. I envision this thing of papers 
that means you've got money. What do they do? Go look at the 
portfolio. Wow, I got money. Ooh, look at that, my portfolio. 
Whoa! Jesus makes this clear, man. 
You know. You know better than I. Well, 
not better than I. I know, too. how easy it is to 
shift our security from the living and true God to stuff. We need to be careful, especially 
in affluent North America. Probably in Haiti, this isn't 
the number one temptation for them to revel in their portfolios. They're not holding on to their 
mammon with the death grip. But in affluent North America, 
that is the propensity. Remember Jesus taught in Mark 
8, what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but 
loses his soul? Keep that in perspective. The 
Bible does not forbid or condemn hard work. In fact, you young 
people, you young men, know I preach, go out and work hard. Leslie's 
maxim is appropriate here. Make all you can, give all you 
can, save all you can. It's a good doctrine, good economic 
policy. Make all you can, give all you 
can, save all you can. That's good. But it's when you 
transfer the security that you should have in God to that stuff, 
that's when you become an idolater. So the idol of false religion, 
the idol of mammon, and then the idol And I think this is 
probably the biggest is the idol of self. The idol of self. It's interesting when Paul describes 
the character of men in the last days, according to Second Timothy, 
chapter three, which last days I think we are living in now. 
But I'm also convinced that Timothy was living in them also. Second 
Timothy, chapter three, verse one. Know this, that in the last 
days, that's the time between the first and the second coming 
of Jesus. That's the period the Bible calls 
the last day. He says, know this, that in the 
last days, perilous times will come, for men will be, notice, 
lovers of themselves. You don't need a room to put 
your statue in if you're an idolater of yourself, because wherever 
you are, you're going to give yourself worship. You think about 
that thesis of Beale again, what we revere, we resemble, either 
for ruin or restoration. You think about that. How, if 
I'm an idolater of myself, do I become like myself? I become 
more proud. I become more arrogant. I become 
more self-independent. I become more self-sufficient. 
I become more obnoxious to anybody around me. Again, the picture 
of the King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28 depicts this for us. The man who worships himself 
thinks only of himself. He resembles what he worships, 
and that for ruin. The very first mark of men in 
the last days is that they will be lovers of themselves. Lovers of money, boasters, proud, 
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, 
unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers 
of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather 
than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its 
power. And notice what he says. And 
from such people turn away. Timothy is living in the last 
days among such men as described here. What is one of the purposes 
behind the Christian gospel? There are manifold, there are 
a multitude of purposes. The glory of God, the salvation 
of sinners. Paul indicates one in 2 Corinthians 
5 15. He says that Jesus died for all 
in the context, all those who believe in him. Jesus died for 
all that those who live should live no longer for themselves, 
but for Him who died for them and rose again." What's the implication? That prior to the cross, you 
only ever lived for yourself. Your life was defined by you, 
for you, of you, about you. Now, when we get converted, when 
we get saved, when we get washed in the blood of Jesus, there 
is still that remaining tendency. And I think that very often when 
it comes to this idolatry of self, we just associate with 
sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But I think there's a more respectable 
idolatry of self. What one man, what Beal has called 
excessive self-focus. That's what I want to end on 
tonight. Excessive self-focus. Is your life defined only in 
terms of you? We need to think outside the 
box, to use a common saying today. We need to think first in terms 
of God, and then others, and then ourselves. It's a good discipline, 
a good habit to get into. God first, others next, and then 
you. The temptation is to invert that. The temptation is me, God. Me, others. The temptation is 
to be oriented wholly. completely and thoroughly by 
me, myself, and I. I'm not saying you people are 
all jacked up. I know this temptation. I know 
what excessive self-focus is all about. I read this a couple 
of weeks ago at prayer meeting, and I think it bears repeating. 
Beal here is quoting two men, the conclusion of his book on 
idolatry. He's speaking about self-worship. Again, not somebody spending 
all their money, all their time, all their energy on sex and drugs 
and rock and roll, on the baser things in life, just to please 
their flesh. So those things are bad in terms 
of idols. I don't suggest you go get addicted 
to sex, drugs, and rock and roll in an attempt to idolize yourself. But he speaks of self-worship. 
One man by the name of David Wells says this. What is uppermost 
on their minds is not the moral fabric of life, but how to cope 
with their wayward personalities, self-doubt, the stages of life, 
marital stress, as well as calamities like job losses and the soaring 
cost of college tuition. Now, he's not saying it's bad 
or wrong and wicked to think about these sorts of things. 
It's bad or wrong or wicked when we're defined by these things, 
when we're obsessed with these things. When what is uppermost 
on our minds is not the moral fabric of life in terms of pursuing 
God, pursuing holiness, seeking to be a blessing to others. But 
when my coping with wayward personality, self-doubt, stages of life, marital 
stress, as well as calamities like job losses and the soaring 
cost of college tuition. He says these are the things 
that are intensely real to them and that drain their psychological 
energy. However, while these are not 
inconsequential matters, they are not burning moral issues 
with which the Bible is concerned. What is central to the Bible 
is the true and the right sin and grace, God's wrath and Christ's 
death. What is central to so many people 
today is simply what offers internal relief. Rather, we have churches 
and whole ministries calculated to feed that sort of self-worship. He goes on to say, much of the 
church today, especially that part of it which is evangelical, 
is in captivity to this idolatry of the self. This is a form of 
corruption far more profound than the list of infractions 
that typically pop into our minds when we hear the word sin. He 
says, we are trying to hold at bay the gnats of small sins while 
swallowing the camel of self. It is idolatry as pervasive and 
as spiritually debilitating as were many of the entanglements 
with pagan religions recounted for us in the Old Testament. 
That this devotion to the self seems not to be like that older 
devotion to a pagan god blinds the church to its own unfaithfulness. 
The end result, however, is no less devastating, because the 
self is no less demanding. It has as powerful an organizing 
center as any god or goddess on the market. The contemporary 
church is whoring after this god as assiduously as the Israelites 
in their darker days. It is baptizing as faith, the 
pride that leads us to think much about ourselves and much 
of ourselves. That's pretty penetrating. Then 
he quotes another man, Eugene Peterson. He says, do we realize 
how almost exactly the Baal culture of Canaan is reproduced in American 
church culture? Baal religion is about what makes 
you feel good. Remember that? We considered Elijah, Mount Carmel, 
fighting the prophets of Baal. They wanted Baal to perform. 
They wanted Baal to produce rain so that their crops would be 
watered. Bale was a fertility god, so the people would copulate. The people would engage in sexual 
immorality as sort of an attempt to prime the pump so that Bale 
would act likewise. Very pragmatic, very practical. We give to you, you give to us. 
He says, Baal religion is about what makes you feel good. Baal 
worship is a total immersion in what I can get out of it. 
And of course, it was incredibly successful. The Baal priest could 
gather crowds that outnumbered the followers of Yahweh 20 to 
1. There was sex. There was excitement. There was 
music. There was ecstasy. There was dance. We got girls 
over here, friends. We got statues, girls and festivals. This was great stuff. And what 
did the Hebrews have to offer in response? The word. What's 
the word? Well, Hebrews had festivals at 
least. He says it's the biggest word 
we have, salvation, being saved. We are saved from a way of life 
in which there was no resurrection. We're being saved from ourselves. 
One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up 
with yourself. You go on to something better, 
which is following Jesus. But the minute we start advertising 
the faith in terms of benefits, we're just exacerbating the self 
problem with Christ. You're better, stronger and more 
likable. You enjoy some ecstasy. Don't think for a moment this 
isn't going on here, the slogans, things go better with Jesus as 
if he's a coke. Come to Jesus and you'll be healthy, 
wealthy and wise. I think that was Ben Franklin, 
said that was the benefit of getting up early. Sometimes you 
come to Jesus, you don't get help, you don't get wealth, hopefully 
you get wisdom. I hope you'll get a little wisdom. 
The church preachers are oftentimes preaching to Jesus just to fill 
a void in somebody's heart or in somebody's incomplete life. 
We're not preaching salvation. We're not preaching grace. We're 
not preaching dealing with sin. We're not preaching the wrath 
of an angry God. He goes on to say, it's just 
more self. Instead, we want to get people 
bored with themselves so they can start looking at Jesus. He 
says we've all met a certain type of spiritual person. She's 
a wonderful person. She loves the Lord. She prays 
and reads the Bible all the time. But all she thinks about is herself. 
This really hit me. Really hit home with me. She 
prays and reads the Bible all the time, but all she thinks 
about is herself. She's not a selfish person, but she's always at the 
center of everything she's doing. How can I witness better? How 
can I do this better? How can I take care of this person's 
problem better? It's me, me, disguised in a way 
that is difficult to see because her spiritual talk disarms us. 
I think what was most penetrating to me about this is that we do 
mean well, but if we're not careful, we can be the center and focus 
of our lives, even in meaning well. We don't want to become 
like us. We want to become like Jesus. We want to continue on through 
that idolatrous mess of Romans chapter 1 and 2 and 3 to the 
but now in Romans 3 21. But now the righteousness of 
God is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets even 
the righteousness which is through faith in Jesus. You look to Jesus. Constantly and always. I'm not 
saying you'll never look at self. I'm not saying you'll never struggle 
with self-idolatry. But the best antidote to this 
sort of self-love and preoccupation with self is Christ. Christ the 
Lord. Whether it's self, whether it's 
mammon, whether it's base things, whether it's so-called good things. 
The answer is always and forever. Look unto Jesus. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your Holy Word, and we thank you, God, that you 
have saved us from our sins. And we confess our proneness 
to wander, and we pray that you would just help us to constantly 
look to the cross of our Lord Jesus, to constantly look to 
Him who gave His life for us, that we might enjoy everlasting 
life. I just pray now for my brothers 
and sisters. I pray that what has been confusing 
in this message would be sorted out by your spirit and that we 
would reflect upon these texts, that we would consider this idea 
that what we revere, we resemble either for ruin or restoration. And God, we genuinely want to 
be restored. We want to come be conformed 
to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in his name 
that we pray. Amen.