February Sermon Series

 Although the reason may be hid from them, most people are aware that people's lives are "headed in different directions." Some people devote themselves to education in order to get ahead while others might immediately plunge themselves into work. Some people devote more energy and time to family than to their work while the lives of others are shaped by their decisions to spend more time at work than with their family. Because of the many decisions people are constantly making, their lives go down different roads.

What determines which road a person walks down? Everyone uses a basic life guiding principle that will cause them to value what they do and behave in a particular manner. For some people this guiding motivation finds it ultimate root in the belief that "this world (something in the created order) can take care of me by making me somebody and keeping me secure." Such a worldview will create a profound desire to acquire one's significance and sense of well-being through whatever beliefs that individual might have about how this world can take care of him. It may be that he believes the path to security and significance is obtained through the means of a good job, or perhaps a good reputation, standing out from the crowd,social contacts, power, making your mark on history, education, prestige, possessions, etc. Whatever avenues are believed to take care of his fundamental need to be somebody and to provide him with security will be the object of his greatest love and devotion.

Greed is the desire to acquire the things of this world. Why would anyone want to do this? The basic motivation is because they believe that this world will take care of them. Paul characterized this desire to obtain the things of this world as being idolatry. Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:5 Whenever the primary motivation in someone's life becomes to acquire the things of this world, that individual has entered the pagan temple and bowed down to the idol. Such a person has changed the object of their devotion from the immortal, eternal and invisible God to something temporal and created. They are engaged in popular modern idolatry.

James condemned such worldly egocentric idols when he denounced friendship with the world’s values as being adultery. Spiritual adultery is giving one’s devotion which belongs to God to something else. This something becomes the idol which a person's life is devoted to serving. As Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters, ... you cannot serve God and Money.”(Matthew 6:24) Since a person can have only one God, one reason to put the kingdom of God first is clear - to avoid idolatry.  This month we will take time to examine "American idols" and learn how we can overcome them through our walk with Jesus.

Life Groups begin this month on Wednesdays.  Be sure to Sign up on the events board!!!