Good morning…
My son sends me his favorite sermons sometimes. This week he sent me the link to Matt Chandler’s 5.27.07 sermon from The Village Church near Dallas, Texas. I found Chandler’s wisdom to be very eye-opening, quite appropriate to consider as we end one year and begin another.
Chandler challenges us: “Idolatry in your heart and in my heart starts with a desire. And the desire isn’t inherently wicked or wrong. We have a desire to have a nice house. We have a desire to drive a nice car. We have a desire to have a relatively in shape body. We have a desire for our kids to excel in athletics. Because what will our legacy be if they’re not a professional athlete, Christ save us? We have a desire that we have money in the bank. We have a desire that we’re safe. We have a desire that things are, in most ways, easy for us. We have a desire that our kids get a good education. And there is nothing wrong with any of those things, nothing. It is not wrong to want a nice house. It is not wrong or sinful. It is not wrong or sinful to want your kids to be safe. It is not wrong or sinful to want a little cash. I want some cash. It’s not wrong or sinful to want things relatively easy. It’s not wrong or sinful. It’s not wrong or sinful to want to be in shape or want to look good. That’s not wrong or sinful. It’s just not.
It starts with a desire. Like think of it as this thing in the palm of our hands. It starts as a simple desire. And then over time, the hand begins to close and we say, ‘This is no longer negotiable.’ And then all of a sudden, the nice house, it’s non-negotiable; the nice car, it’s non-negotiable; safety, it’s non- negotiable; our kid’s athletic career, non-negotiable; money in the pocket, in the bank, non-negotiable. And now, you have the birthing of an idol. And what ends up happening is we say, ‘God, do whatever You want…God be who You are, but don’t touch this. Don’t touch this. Don’t touch work, because in work, I find achievement and I find self value. So, I’ll do whatever You say, but I’m not quitting this job….Don’t risk my kids. Do whatever You want, but I want my kids to be safe….Do whatever You want, but I want my neighborhood to be safe….Do whatever You want, but I want…’ And what ends up happening is that hand closes and we say, ‘This is not longer negotiable.’ And an idol has been born.
Now, here’s what happens. Here’s why it’s so devastating. What happens in that moment is you’ve given an unbelievable amount of authority to whatever that desire is. So much authority have you given to this desire that people and things become a means to this end. So I would say if work is your idol, then all of a sudden, people at work are viewed by you and thought of by you, like it or not, as a means to your progression up the ladder. Now all of a sudden, your kid’s soccer career, it takes precedent over everything. It takes precedent over spiritual health. You name it, it just rules it. It rules your wallet, it rules your life, it rules your weekends. You’ve given this unbelievable amount of power to soccer! Now, here’s why it’s so devastating. When idolatry rules the hearts of men, they do not, in the end, want an all knowing, all loving, omnipotent God of the universe who gives as He sees fit. Instead, they want a divine waitress to fetch them their want.”
As Chandler paints us a mirror, we look and what do we see? What in our lives today might be a non-negotiable idol? What blessing are we closing our hand around, saying to God, “Be who You are, do what You want, but do not touch this part of my life?”
I, God, will step in and personally answer them as they come dragging along their mob of idols. I am ready to go to work on the hearts of the house of Israel, all of whom have left me for their idols’ (Ezekiel 14:5, MSG).
As 2016 ends and 2017 begins, might we give God full permission to work on every crevice of our heart, clearing out the mob of idols we are dragging along?
…Sue…
