LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“Swimming Upstream”
Jeremiah 10:6-16
4/7/24
Everyone talks about how important 10 Comm are: let’s look at 1st today
“You shall have no other gods before me:” ie you will not let anything become an idol
def of idol: that which comes before God in your life
idol-wp huge problem in OT days: still is today, only our idols look a bit different
before look at what Jer had to say about idols, consider why we have & make idols
Idolatry shows up not only in what we do, but mindsets & values that guide/control lives
values that are good, even blessed by Lord, become idol when become end in itself
often lapse into idolatry when go too far
eg patriotism becomes natl-ism, desire for social justice becomes woke-ness
defense of nation become militarism
one way to recognize idol: can you make jokes about it? laugh at it?
if not, perhaps something life revolves around instead of God, take too seriously
can you step back, take deep breath, and look at w/out being sucked into it
“systemic idolatry:” provides story or explanation for what life is, what life should be
creates habits of action & dispositions of spirit based on its message
that lead us into sinful action & attitude
Idolatry tends to be powered by greed & by fear: both come from failure of faith
greed = failure to trust that God will provide, hoard resources that you trust instead
many forms of idolatry therefore focus on economics: having, getting
Eph 5:5 & Col 3:5 equate greed w/ idolatry: ie desire to have more than your share
fear = again, failure to trust that God will care for & protect
mistaken belief that there’s something out there that God can’t get you through
idol says “trust me instead”
to see examples of idolatry around us, look no further than advertising & marketing
look at, listen to, ads & billboards: ask self:
appealing to my fear: this is something to take care of problems?
or my greed: this is something that will make your life better?
We don’t show up on empty playing field “Hey, let’s make some idols”
need to realize we are already surrounded by idolatry
idols all around us, clamoring for our allegiance & faith
idol-wp is already the way things are
don’t begin in outright rebellion against God’s lordship
but we are surrounded by pressures: our responses lead to idolatry
Irony: idolatry often emerges when God fulfills his promises & blesses us
we take our eyes off God who gave, and look instead at benefits he provides
forget our need for & dependence on God, or believe blessings came from idols
or turn into idols themselves
not much better when God’s blessings seem few & far between
may believe he’s failed us, not the almighty Lord of universe after all
look elsewhere to find fulfillment
Can be very easy to ID someone else’s idols: becomes like God to them
much more difficult, &^ much more valuable, to ID your own idols
so can confront & denounce them: put them back in proper place
Xns & churches aren’t immune to idol-wp: face same forces of greed & fear
greed: be the bigger, better church
fear: do what it takes to keep church from declining, even closing
Jer: prophet during waning yrs of k of Judah, aka “southern k’dom”
little country wedged between empires of Egypt, Ass, Baby
easy to see how country could be dominated by fear: Assy had already overrun others
just matter of time till one of the big bullies comes knocking at their door
greed seems to be constant presence in all human society
those who have the ability to take from others more than happy to do so
nation suffered from corruption & injustice at highest levels: both gov’t & relig
understandable why people didn’t think Lord was any help; turned elsewhere
if really Lord of all creation, why were his people nothing more than pawns in game?
if go to temple to seek Lord & see it’s run by greedy priests, why bother?
why not wp gods of these other nations, who were so powerful?
apparently their gods had some real power & influence, rather than Lord
Jer & other prophets must have felt like swimming upstream: going against flow
most natural thing in world is to find & follow idols that seem so powerful
We need constantly to hear Jer’s reminder of how is truly powerful
v 10 “But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King”
created all that there is, controls the world
these other gods, who have no power at all, will vanish, will fade away
Lord is the “Portion of Jacob:” one who provides for his people
they are God’s very own people
Col: provides another reason to turn from idolatry: life is now hidden in X
receiving his rez life = losing earthly, world-focused life: no longer who we are
as long as live in such ways, digging up corpse & try to bring to life like Fr’stein
God is the one who continually renews & remakes us
what he provides is more than sufficient
where are you focusing your energy & hope?
Two antidotes to idolatry
1. sabbath: set boundaries, set limits to your desires
“this is enough,” rather than greed for more, or fear won’t get everything done
2. mission & generosity: force self to relinquish what holding onto out of greed or fear
way to remind self that God & God alone is the one who provides
one reason why have offering as part of wp service
serves other purposes, but also opportunity to surrender idol into presence of God
Remember that salvation, inc deliverance from idols, cannot come from w/in
comes from God at work w/in
need HS to form healthy, faithful practices & attitudes
ways to resist idolatry, desire to resist idolatry, ability to recognize idolatry in 1st place
Jeremiah 10:6-16
4/7/24
Everyone talks about how important 10 Comm are: let’s look at 1st today
“You shall have no other gods before me:” ie you will not let anything become an idol
def of idol: that which comes before God in your life
idol-wp huge problem in OT days: still is today, only our idols look a bit different
before look at what Jer had to say about idols, consider why we have & make idols
Idolatry shows up not only in what we do, but mindsets & values that guide/control lives
values that are good, even blessed by Lord, become idol when become end in itself
often lapse into idolatry when go too far
eg patriotism becomes natl-ism, desire for social justice becomes woke-ness
defense of nation become militarism
one way to recognize idol: can you make jokes about it? laugh at it?
if not, perhaps something life revolves around instead of God, take too seriously
can you step back, take deep breath, and look at w/out being sucked into it
“systemic idolatry:” provides story or explanation for what life is, what life should be
creates habits of action & dispositions of spirit based on its message
that lead us into sinful action & attitude
Idolatry tends to be powered by greed & by fear: both come from failure of faith
greed = failure to trust that God will provide, hoard resources that you trust instead
many forms of idolatry therefore focus on economics: having, getting
Eph 5:5 & Col 3:5 equate greed w/ idolatry: ie desire to have more than your share
fear = again, failure to trust that God will care for & protect
mistaken belief that there’s something out there that God can’t get you through
idol says “trust me instead”
to see examples of idolatry around us, look no further than advertising & marketing
look at, listen to, ads & billboards: ask self:
appealing to my fear: this is something to take care of problems?
or my greed: this is something that will make your life better?
We don’t show up on empty playing field “Hey, let’s make some idols”
need to realize we are already surrounded by idolatry
idols all around us, clamoring for our allegiance & faith
idol-wp is already the way things are
don’t begin in outright rebellion against God’s lordship
but we are surrounded by pressures: our responses lead to idolatry
Irony: idolatry often emerges when God fulfills his promises & blesses us
we take our eyes off God who gave, and look instead at benefits he provides
forget our need for & dependence on God, or believe blessings came from idols
or turn into idols themselves
not much better when God’s blessings seem few & far between
may believe he’s failed us, not the almighty Lord of universe after all
look elsewhere to find fulfillment
Can be very easy to ID someone else’s idols: becomes like God to them
much more difficult, &^ much more valuable, to ID your own idols
so can confront & denounce them: put them back in proper place
Xns & churches aren’t immune to idol-wp: face same forces of greed & fear
greed: be the bigger, better church
fear: do what it takes to keep church from declining, even closing
Jer: prophet during waning yrs of k of Judah, aka “southern k’dom”
little country wedged between empires of Egypt, Ass, Baby
easy to see how country could be dominated by fear: Assy had already overrun others
just matter of time till one of the big bullies comes knocking at their door
greed seems to be constant presence in all human society
those who have the ability to take from others more than happy to do so
nation suffered from corruption & injustice at highest levels: both gov’t & relig
understandable why people didn’t think Lord was any help; turned elsewhere
if really Lord of all creation, why were his people nothing more than pawns in game?
if go to temple to seek Lord & see it’s run by greedy priests, why bother?
why not wp gods of these other nations, who were so powerful?
apparently their gods had some real power & influence, rather than Lord
Jer & other prophets must have felt like swimming upstream: going against flow
most natural thing in world is to find & follow idols that seem so powerful
We need constantly to hear Jer’s reminder of how is truly powerful
v 10 “But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King”
created all that there is, controls the world
these other gods, who have no power at all, will vanish, will fade away
Lord is the “Portion of Jacob:” one who provides for his people
they are God’s very own people
Col: provides another reason to turn from idolatry: life is now hidden in X
receiving his rez life = losing earthly, world-focused life: no longer who we are
as long as live in such ways, digging up corpse & try to bring to life like Fr’stein
God is the one who continually renews & remakes us
what he provides is more than sufficient
where are you focusing your energy & hope?
Two antidotes to idolatry
1. sabbath: set boundaries, set limits to your desires
“this is enough,” rather than greed for more, or fear won’t get everything done
2. mission & generosity: force self to relinquish what holding onto out of greed or fear
way to remind self that God & God alone is the one who provides
one reason why have offering as part of wp service
serves other purposes, but also opportunity to surrender idol into presence of God
Remember that salvation, inc deliverance from idols, cannot come from w/in
comes from God at work w/in
need HS to form healthy, faithful practices & attitudes
ways to resist idolatry, desire to resist idolatry, ability to recognize idolatry in 1st place
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com