Exposing Hidden Idols…Part 1
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Counterfeit Gods: Exposing Hidden Idols”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Tim Keller entitled, Counterfeit Gods.
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Have you ever had a surgery?
Most of us have had some sort of surgery or know someone who did. Some surgeries are “routine” others are response to trauma or disease. No matter what the reason, we desire the surgeon to do his work with accuracy and precision. While we are under anesthesia, they work, along with their team, to cut out, fix, or repair bones, tissues and organs to give your body the best chance of healing properly.
Have you ever had spiritual surgery?
My guess is you have never called up your pastor and asked, “I’m having problems with my soul. Can I schedule a surgery for my soul next week?”
I know in almost 25 years of ministry I have never received such a call or email (Maybe I will now!)
Surgery isn’t fun. While you know it is for your good, generally we avoid it as much as possible.
Maybe that’s why we avoid surgery on our soul.
Surgery on our soul isn’t done by the hand of a medically trained physician or even a seminary trained pastor, it is done by the Spirit of God himself, using the scalpel of God’s Word of truth.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
With precision finer than surgical steel, the double-edged sword of the Spirit divides things that seem almost indivisible…soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Spirit of God works with such precision that he cuts and works where we would probably not think to look, the thoughts and attitudes of our heart.
We might work to change outward behavior, as other people see that. But, thinking that no one else can know, our thoughts and attitudes remain to ourselves…or so we think.
But they don’t. Any thought or attitude that does not conform to the heart of God, the truth of his Word, or produce the fruit of the Spirit is one that has to be identified, cut out and replaced with a thought or attitude produced by the Spirit of God.
And that’s what we invite him to do this week: Perform spiritual surgery on our thoughts and attitudes that expose the hidden idols of our heart and conform our hearts to thoughts and attitudes only God’s truth can produce.
Apply: What area of your life are you aware that could use some spiritual surgery to cut out the disease of sin and its impact on your soul and replace it with God’s truth. Perhaps journal God’s work on your heart as his Word exposes the hidden idols with in and fills them with the fullness of his truth.
Prayer: Spirit of God, as painful as it is sometime, we welcome the spiritual surgery you perform on our hearts. We trust your precision to cut out what is diseased by sin and heal it with the power of your Word of Truth. AMEN.
The Weakness of Power…Part 5
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Counterfeit Gods: The Weakness of Power”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Tim Keller entitled, Counterfeit Gods.
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
He had all the power. He wanted all the glory.
After all he was the king.
He was the most powerful king of his day. He had an army to back him up and a ruthless judgment against those who would rise against him or displease him.
So why would a dream unsettle him? A dream he couldn’t even remember?
Because it challenged his power and disputed his glory.
He was the head of gold, but eventually a boulder cut out of the mountain would crush not only the head of gold, but the chest of silver, the thighs of bronze, the legs of iron and the feet of iron and clay mixture.
So what?
Each material represented a kingdom, although weaker, that would overthrow the one above it, until the boulder would crush them all.
How do we know?
Daniel was given the power to interpret the dream of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was going to kill all the wisemen in the land, including the Jewish wise men taken captive from Babylon, because a) they couldn’t interpret the dream he had because b) they couldn’t tell the King the dream he had. (afterall, who could do that?)
Daniel 2:9-11 So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.” 10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
What the other wisemen couldn’t do, Daniel could because the God of all power was with him. Here’s what he said to King Nebuchadnezzar:
Daniel 2:27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.
The result?
Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”
When Nebuchadnezzar was confronted with the power of God who was more powerful than he, he had to fall in humility before the Lord. Two other times he acknowledges the Lord…
…after throwing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the firery furnace and they survive:
Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”
…after a period of insanity:
Daniel 4:36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
The God of all power and glory humbled a powerful king who wanted all the glory for himself so he could see the God of all power and glory and realize all the power and glory of the Babylonian kingdom paled in comparison to the power and glory of God.
It’s true for us too. All the power and glory of our “kingdom” we seek to build for ourselves is a far distant second to the POWER and the GLORY God has. So seek his power and give him glory and you will find the strength of God’s Power and give HIM the glory he deserves!
Apply: What is your “kingdom” that you think you have power and control over? Describe what you feel when you humbly acknowledge the power you think you have pales in comparison to the power God has.
Prayer: Father, YOURS is the kingdom AND the power AND the glory, forever and ever. Amen
The Weakness of Power…Part 4
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Counterfeit Gods: The Seduction of Success”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Tim Keller entitled, Counterfeit Gods.
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“For thine is the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
You might recognize this phrase as the “doxology” (statement of praise) which concludes the Lord’s Prayer. While it is probably not part of the text Jesus taught in Matthew 6:9-13 (some Greek manuscripts of Matthew from the 4-5th century AD have this line inserted), it reflects the words of Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
What all the heavens understand is that glory goes to “him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb”…God himself.
This is the reality in heaven. Perhaps we would say, “It’s easier there because everyone is doing it.”
But like many aspects of faith, earth is a warmup for heaven.
Our time on this earth is a time for us to come to recognize and believe that truly all power and glory belong to the Lord. Every day is a day to give glory to the Lord of all.
So how does that happen? Here’s a few suggestions:
- Carry a mindset that whatever you do, whether it’s your favorite thing or not, that you are going to do your best and be your best to honor the Lord who gave you life today, your abilities, and the opportunities to use them.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
- Receive praise from others with thanks. Protect your heart from letting praise build your ego, but rather let it build humility as you direct the praise to the Lord. Let your boast be in the Lord!
- -1 Corinthians 1:17-18 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
- Discover that hardships in life are not God’s punishment on you, but times he seeks to build and strengthen your faith and trust in him.
- 1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Enjoy today. Find every opportunity to give glory to God…it is ALL his to receive and ours to give!
Apply: How will you glorify God today?
Prayer: Lord, in all I do today, let me glorify you! Amen.
The Weakness of Power…Part 3
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Counterfeit Gods: The Seduction of Success”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Tim Keller entitled, Counterfeit Gods.
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Are we asking the wrong question about power?
When you mix our sinful nature with our American culture, you get a powerful resistance to power…unless you have it!
We naturally resist being controlled by someone else. We don’t want someone to tell us what to do, where to do it or how to do it. But when we get to tell someone what to do, where to do it and how to do it? That’s kind of fun, isn’t it?
We naturally love power, but we resist power over us.
Why is that?
We believe power puts us in control so we can have power over power!
We believe when we have power we can use it for what WE want instead of being under the power of someone else.
We have the wrong perspective on power. We need a reorientation of our heart.
First, we will always be under someone else’s power…God’s. We cannot, nor should we want to escape the power of God, but our sinful nature loves to try. From the beginning of time, the first temptation was to be “like God.” Our sinful nature wants all the power and the glory. But it is not ours to gain, it is God’s to give.
Second, remember power is not ours to gain, it is God’s to give.
Remember Jesus’ banter with Pilate when he was on trial?
John 19:10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.
Third, ask a different question. “God what do you want me to do with the power YOU have given to me?”
When I ask this question I realize power, whether that be as an older sibling or the president of a country, is GIVEN to me for a purpose…God’s purpose. Consider these two teachings:
Mark 10:42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
Greatness is not using power to lord it over others…greatness is using power to be a servant of others!
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
God’s power has given us all power to live the godly life God desires us to live.
Power is a good thing. Power is a gift of God. Don’t let power become an idol, but use it to serve others and glorify your Savior.
Power is God’s to give, not yours to gain.
Apply: What power do you have in your life? In your circle of relationships? Workplace? Evaluate: Have I been using my power for selfish purposes or servant purposes?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the power YOU have given to me. Help me always to remember power is a gift from you and always seek to use it in a way YOU desire – to love you and love others. Amen.
The Weakness of Power…Part 2
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Counterfeit Gods: The Seduction of Success”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Tim Keller entitled, Counterfeit Gods.
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
If you had all the power in the world, what would you do with it?
I mean ALL the power…
Build yourself a mansion in your favorite location? Give everyone “A’s” on their report card for the year? Cure and eliminate CoVid? Rule the world? Never work another day in your life?
My guess is that no matter if your choices were self-serving or serving of others, none of you would use all the power in the world and voluntarily seek out a cross on which to be crucified.
No one would.
Except one.
Philippians 2:6-8 [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
The all-powerful Son of God ALLOWED himself to be nailed to the cross.
Why?
Jesus chose to use all the power he had as true God to SERVE and to SAVE us.
He could have struck down those that arrested him. He could have come down from the cross and saved himself. He could have simply stayed in heaven.
But he didn’t.
Why?
Because he loved us. All authority in heaven and on earth is given to him (Matthew 28:18), yet he used that power and authority to serve people.
He taught his disciples about using power not to lord it over others, but to serve others.
Mark 10:42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Power is a blessing, but it is not to be used for selfish gains, but to serve others…just like Jesus used ALL the power he had as true God to serve you!
Apply: List all the ways that God used his power to serve you…(consider salvation, creation, preservation, etc.)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for selflessly using your power to serve and save me. Amen.