Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
What Is The Object of Your Affection
Exodus 20:4-6 July 15, 2007
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
below…” You hear a word like this from the second commandment, and think “C’mon, this is
twenty first century America. We don’t have totem poles and golden calves. That doesn’t apply
to us!”
Did you see the comedy film, Cool Runnings? It’s about the first Jamaican bobsled team to go to
the Olympics. John Candy played a former American gold medalist who becomes coach to the
Jamaican team. He wins the team’s loyalty and they affectionately dub him, “Sled-god.” Later in
the movie, his dark history is revealed. After his gold medal performance in a subsequent
Olympics, he broke the rules by weighting the U.S.sled, bringing disgrace on himself and his
team.
One Jamaican bobsledder could not understand why anyone who had already won a gold medal
would cheat. He nervously asks Candy to explain.
“I had to win,” says the coach.
”You shall not bow down to them or worship them. For I ,the Lord your god am a jealous
God…” To bow down means to give our heart and soul to something. When winning becomes
everything, it becomes the thing we worship. Think about steroids in baseball. Think about
doping in horse racing. Think about modifying cars in auto racing. Those who cheat will do
anything to win. It reminds me of the classical Broadway play “Damn Yankees” where the main
character, Joe Boyd, sells his soul to the devil to have a chance to be young again and help his
hapless Washington Senators beat out the Yankees for the pennant.
.
Believe it or not, people still worship Idols today in the 21st Century. We just disguise them
better. Just walk through the average American home and you can find several things that could
potentially qualify as Idols.
The television: When I was growing up I remember going to my Italian great grandmother’s
house. In every room of her house there was a picture or statue of Jesus. Today when you go in
most of our homes, we have something like that in almost every room. It’s called a television set.
How many do you have in your house? Some of us spend hours in front of the television taking
in everything it has to offer. It is the source of our news and information, it entertains us and
helps shape and form our opinions on how to live life. It also controls our life.
Several years ago we had a member of the church who always had to leave meetings in time to
get home to watch Dallas on TV. One night the meeting was running long and he got up and
announced he was leaving because, with a twinkle in his eye, “My show is on and I never miss
it!”
Watch out when someone or something controls our lives. It has most likely become an object of
worship.
The easy chair: How many people have a recliner or easy chair in their home. I was just a kid
when I first heard about the “easy chair.” It was number one in comfort. After a hard day’s
work you could come home, put your feet up and relax. The truth is that it was promoted as
something we all deserved.
My grandfather cherished his chair and I remember visiting them in Florida years ago. I came in
and inadvertently sat down in that recliner. My grandmother quickly came over to me, looking
furtively behind her as she whispered, “that’s ‘dad’s chair.’ Why don’t you sit over here?”
The leisure industry in our country is alive and well today. I knew one man who lived for the
weekends so he could go out in his sailboat. He actually said to me that he worshipped the sea
every Sunday from the deck of his boat. He didn’t know what he was saying or exactly how true
his words were. We have all kinds of excuses for why we are not in church on Sunday. I don’t
want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but just because we are not in church doesn’t mean we aren’t
engaged in worship. Sports, shopping, tanning and swimming at the beach, visiting relatives,
sleeping in, eating out… You name it. If it controls our lives, then we need to be careful because
it might be the thing that causes God to be jealous.
Some think this commandment prohibits statues or pictures in places of worship. But God
Himself placed images of cherubim above the mercy seat in the tabernacle. God is not against
artwork; He’s against artificial worship. This commandment doesn’t stifle artistic talent.
Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to enjoy these beautiful stained glass pictures. What the
commandment does do is censure idolatrous substitutes that turn our hearts from genuine
worship.
What about politics? My parents have a signed letter and framed picture of George W. Bush in
their home. That’s not what I am talking about though. Some people have used politics as a
rallying cry. They march on Washington or go out knocking on doors as part of a political
campaign, or write letters to the editor expressing their belief in some issue or person. Politics
becomes their life. They show up at Council meetings religiously to have their say or camp out
on the door steps of their favorite politician to bend their ear. They study upcoming legislation
and always have an opinion. A good one about what is happening. They give large amounts of
money to campaigns and causes and are devoted to making change happen.
This extends beyond an individual for some people. They pick up causes and champion them at
the expense of everything else. These aren’t bad causes. We have a stake in some of them as
Christians. But they make them the totality of their lives. Anti war protests, save the whales, no
child left behind, gun control, the greenhouse effect… you name it and some people give their
lives to it. And somewhere there is a symbol that defines the cause, the person the object of their
devotion.
I continue to contend that God gave the Ten Commandments to release us, not to restrict us. He
desires to set us free. Yet we have this tendency to wrap our selves up in things that keep us
from sitting at the feet of God.
My best guess is that you cannot walk twenty-five feet in any direction from your front door
without stumbling over an idol. We substitute many things for the worship of the one true God.
The problem is that Idols never satisfy for long, but we continue to craft with our hands things
that we hope will satisfy the longing of our hearts.
Our retirement accounts: some of us work for retirement. We put away large sums of money so
that some day we will live better. We save, we invest, we horde. We try to work and accumulate
wealth so that one day we will have it easier.
George Barna, the Christian research specialist says, “The average adult believes they need
another $8,000-$11,000 per year to live comfortably. Tracking studies show, however, that even
when adults reach or exceed the income levels to which they had aspired, they still claim that
they need another $8,000-$11,000 to live comfortably.
When I was a boy, the slogan on Cracker-Jacks treats was, “The more you eat, the more you
want.” That is the dilemma of a materialistic culture. Material things, bank accounts, property,
stocks and bonds, or expensive jewelry can never satisfy. When he was the richest man in the
world, John D. Rockefeller was asked, “How much money does it take to make a man happy.”
He replied, “Just a little bit more.” He had made an idol of money.
George Bernard Shaw said that it is easy to find people who are ten times as rich at sixty as they
were at twenty; but not many will tell you that they are ten times as happy. That’s why Jesus
tells us:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust
do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). No one can serve two masters. 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
both God and Money (Matthew 6:24).
Another writer says, “Money is intoxicating. It is an opiate that addicts as easily and as
completely as the iron grip of alcohol or narcotics. Its power to change us is close to that of
Jesus Christ. Money possesses the power to rule our lives, not for good and forever, as Christ;
but to lure us, like a moth, too close to the flame until, finally, our wings are set ablaze.”
Technology: Every day the world is getting smaller and knowledge is more easily attained. The
world wide web is growing at leaps and bounds. When I started doing my blog (which I haven’t
done in a month) I found this neat feature. You could check out other people’s blogs by clicking
a button. I was fascinated by what I found. There were blogs in almost every language and every
subject you could imagine. People all around the world were writing snippets about things that
were important to them. Kids today are connected in a way that we never were. My daughter
Rachel sits at her computer for hours chatting with her friends. We used to worry about kids
spending too much time in front of the TV. Now it is even worse. They spend their time in front
of the computer. Before we blame it all on the kids, ebay, chat rooms, porn sites and on line
shopping venues get more hits in a day then anyone could have ever imagined.
Add cell phones, blackberry’s I-Pods, I phones and digital cameras to the list. We are a country
that worships technology. We will much sooner spend $300 to buy a new phone than give $25 to
fee a hungry child. What does that say about us and who or what we worship?
Have I missed your Idol? Can anyone name some others? (leave time)
Now that I have offended just about everyone here. I want to go back to the point of the
commandment. It was not given to make us feel bad. It was given to remind us of the one who
truly sets us free. It was given to call us back to God and to a life unfettered by things. God
promises a better way. He says, “I will sustain you; I will carry you; I will rescue you.”
You remember the poem “One Set of Footprints.” It reveals a loving God who offers to carry
us when we are weak and wants to be a part of our lives. God is not indifferent, that is why he
says he is a jealous God. He wants all of our attention because he is giving us all of his affection;
He is moved by that which pains us. He wants the very best for us, and wants to guard us from
that which will bring us harm.
In Cool Runnings John Candy tells his team why he cheated to win a gold medal. Then he says,
“I learned something. If you are not happy without a gold medal, you won’t be happy with it.”
The truth is that if you are looking for something or someone who can complete your life, then
stop making idols and turn to God. For he is the only one who can fill that void in your life and
make you whole. Amen.
Exodus 20:4-6 July 15, 2007
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
below…” You hear a word like this from the second commandment, and think “C’mon, this is
twenty first century America. We don’t have totem poles and golden calves. That doesn’t apply
to us!”
Did you see the comedy film, Cool Runnings? It’s about the first Jamaican bobsled team to go to
the Olympics. John Candy played a former American gold medalist who becomes coach to the
Jamaican team. He wins the team’s loyalty and they affectionately dub him, “Sled-god.” Later in
the movie, his dark history is revealed. After his gold medal performance in a subsequent
Olympics, he broke the rules by weighting the U.S.sled, bringing disgrace on himself and his
team.
One Jamaican bobsledder could not understand why anyone who had already won a gold medal
would cheat. He nervously asks Candy to explain.
“I had to win,” says the coach.
”You shall not bow down to them or worship them. For I ,the Lord your god am a jealous
God…” To bow down means to give our heart and soul to something. When winning becomes
everything, it becomes the thing we worship. Think about steroids in baseball. Think about
doping in horse racing. Think about modifying cars in auto racing. Those who cheat will do
anything to win. It reminds me of the classical Broadway play “Damn Yankees” where the main
character, Joe Boyd, sells his soul to the devil to have a chance to be young again and help his
hapless Washington Senators beat out the Yankees for the pennant.
.
Believe it or not, people still worship Idols today in the 21st Century. We just disguise them
better. Just walk through the average American home and you can find several things that could
potentially qualify as Idols.
The television: When I was growing up I remember going to my Italian great grandmother’s
house. In every room of her house there was a picture or statue of Jesus. Today when you go in
most of our homes, we have something like that in almost every room. It’s called a television set.
How many do you have in your house? Some of us spend hours in front of the television taking
in everything it has to offer. It is the source of our news and information, it entertains us and
helps shape and form our opinions on how to live life. It also controls our life.
Several years ago we had a member of the church who always had to leave meetings in time to
get home to watch Dallas on TV. One night the meeting was running long and he got up and
announced he was leaving because, with a twinkle in his eye, “My show is on and I never miss
it!”
Watch out when someone or something controls our lives. It has most likely become an object of
worship.
The easy chair: How many people have a recliner or easy chair in their home. I was just a kid
when I first heard about the “easy chair.” It was number one in comfort. After a hard day’s
work you could come home, put your feet up and relax. The truth is that it was promoted as
something we all deserved.
My grandfather cherished his chair and I remember visiting them in Florida years ago. I came in
and inadvertently sat down in that recliner. My grandmother quickly came over to me, looking
furtively behind her as she whispered, “that’s ‘dad’s chair.’ Why don’t you sit over here?”
The leisure industry in our country is alive and well today. I knew one man who lived for the
weekends so he could go out in his sailboat. He actually said to me that he worshipped the sea
every Sunday from the deck of his boat. He didn’t know what he was saying or exactly how true
his words were. We have all kinds of excuses for why we are not in church on Sunday. I don’t
want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but just because we are not in church doesn’t mean we aren’t
engaged in worship. Sports, shopping, tanning and swimming at the beach, visiting relatives,
sleeping in, eating out… You name it. If it controls our lives, then we need to be careful because
it might be the thing that causes God to be jealous.
Some think this commandment prohibits statues or pictures in places of worship. But God
Himself placed images of cherubim above the mercy seat in the tabernacle. God is not against
artwork; He’s against artificial worship. This commandment doesn’t stifle artistic talent.
Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to enjoy these beautiful stained glass pictures. What the
commandment does do is censure idolatrous substitutes that turn our hearts from genuine
worship.
What about politics? My parents have a signed letter and framed picture of George W. Bush in
their home. That’s not what I am talking about though. Some people have used politics as a
rallying cry. They march on Washington or go out knocking on doors as part of a political
campaign, or write letters to the editor expressing their belief in some issue or person. Politics
becomes their life. They show up at Council meetings religiously to have their say or camp out
on the door steps of their favorite politician to bend their ear. They study upcoming legislation
and always have an opinion. A good one about what is happening. They give large amounts of
money to campaigns and causes and are devoted to making change happen.
This extends beyond an individual for some people. They pick up causes and champion them at
the expense of everything else. These aren’t bad causes. We have a stake in some of them as
Christians. But they make them the totality of their lives. Anti war protests, save the whales, no
child left behind, gun control, the greenhouse effect… you name it and some people give their
lives to it. And somewhere there is a symbol that defines the cause, the person the object of their
devotion.
I continue to contend that God gave the Ten Commandments to release us, not to restrict us. He
desires to set us free. Yet we have this tendency to wrap our selves up in things that keep us
from sitting at the feet of God.
My best guess is that you cannot walk twenty-five feet in any direction from your front door
without stumbling over an idol. We substitute many things for the worship of the one true God.
The problem is that Idols never satisfy for long, but we continue to craft with our hands things
that we hope will satisfy the longing of our hearts.
Our retirement accounts: some of us work for retirement. We put away large sums of money so
that some day we will live better. We save, we invest, we horde. We try to work and accumulate
wealth so that one day we will have it easier.
George Barna, the Christian research specialist says, “The average adult believes they need
another $8,000-$11,000 per year to live comfortably. Tracking studies show, however, that even
when adults reach or exceed the income levels to which they had aspired, they still claim that
they need another $8,000-$11,000 to live comfortably.
When I was a boy, the slogan on Cracker-Jacks treats was, “The more you eat, the more you
want.” That is the dilemma of a materialistic culture. Material things, bank accounts, property,
stocks and bonds, or expensive jewelry can never satisfy. When he was the richest man in the
world, John D. Rockefeller was asked, “How much money does it take to make a man happy.”
He replied, “Just a little bit more.” He had made an idol of money.
George Bernard Shaw said that it is easy to find people who are ten times as rich at sixty as they
were at twenty; but not many will tell you that they are ten times as happy. That’s why Jesus
tells us:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust
do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). No one can serve two masters. 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
both God and Money (Matthew 6:24).
Another writer says, “Money is intoxicating. It is an opiate that addicts as easily and as
completely as the iron grip of alcohol or narcotics. Its power to change us is close to that of
Jesus Christ. Money possesses the power to rule our lives, not for good and forever, as Christ;
but to lure us, like a moth, too close to the flame until, finally, our wings are set ablaze.”
Technology: Every day the world is getting smaller and knowledge is more easily attained. The
world wide web is growing at leaps and bounds. When I started doing my blog (which I haven’t
done in a month) I found this neat feature. You could check out other people’s blogs by clicking
a button. I was fascinated by what I found. There were blogs in almost every language and every
subject you could imagine. People all around the world were writing snippets about things that
were important to them. Kids today are connected in a way that we never were. My daughter
Rachel sits at her computer for hours chatting with her friends. We used to worry about kids
spending too much time in front of the TV. Now it is even worse. They spend their time in front
of the computer. Before we blame it all on the kids, ebay, chat rooms, porn sites and on line
shopping venues get more hits in a day then anyone could have ever imagined.
Add cell phones, blackberry’s I-Pods, I phones and digital cameras to the list. We are a country
that worships technology. We will much sooner spend $300 to buy a new phone than give $25 to
fee a hungry child. What does that say about us and who or what we worship?
Have I missed your Idol? Can anyone name some others? (leave time)
Now that I have offended just about everyone here. I want to go back to the point of the
commandment. It was not given to make us feel bad. It was given to remind us of the one who
truly sets us free. It was given to call us back to God and to a life unfettered by things. God
promises a better way. He says, “I will sustain you; I will carry you; I will rescue you.”
You remember the poem “One Set of Footprints.” It reveals a loving God who offers to carry
us when we are weak and wants to be a part of our lives. God is not indifferent, that is why he
says he is a jealous God. He wants all of our attention because he is giving us all of his affection;
He is moved by that which pains us. He wants the very best for us, and wants to guard us from
that which will bring us harm.
In Cool Runnings John Candy tells his team why he cheated to win a gold medal. Then he says,
“I learned something. If you are not happy without a gold medal, you won’t be happy with it.”
The truth is that if you are looking for something or someone who can complete your life, then
stop making idols and turn to God. For he is the only one who can fill that void in your life and
make you whole. Amen.
| Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Norwich 239 West Main Street Norwich, Connecticut Phone: 860-889-0369 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |