Scripture Passage: Psalm 115

According to Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror, authors of “Rediscovering the Missing Jewel” — “Worship is an active response to God whereby we declare His worth. Worship is not passive, but is participative. Worship is not simply a mood; it is a response. Worship is not just a feeling; it is a declaration.”

The first 4 of the 10 Commandments given in Exodus 20 were related to worship. It is, therefore, no accident that the idolatry command comes first! We will never break commands 2-10 unless we put other gods before the One True God.

Idols are everywhere!

Keller, author of “Counterfeit Gods) “points out: “A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol has such a controlling position in your heart that you could spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources without a second thought.”

• What thing, person, or future promise in my life is so important that should I lose it I would feel life hardly worth living?

Consider some of the things we can idolize:
• Career or money
• Social status
• Even religious activity!
• Boyfriend or girlfriend
• Beauty or fitness
• Peer approval
• Competency or skill
• Something related to our family or children.

True Worship is the Path to True Fulfillment

Our Kingsland mission statement speaks of “True Fulfillment in Jesus.” It all hinges on the tragedy that so many people are living lives in pursuit of false fulfillment. They’ve made “good things” into “god things” and they wonder why that job or school or car or house or vacation doesn’t satisfy. If we are worshiping false idols, we’re not doing what we’ve been designed to do.

• Take an idol inventory of your life.
• What do you spend your time thinking about?
• What do you fear being discovered about you?
• What are you most fearful of losing?

It’s so important to identify idols. Idols not only rob us of a great worship experience, they also rob us of embracing the Gospel! We want to worship only the One True God!