Idolatry

Just finished listening to Tim Keller's lecture on Idolatry given at last weeks Gospel Coalition.

He raised some really interesting points which I'll try and summarise below:

He makes a case for discerning, exposing and destroying idols.

Firstly we need to understand, to see our own idols and the idols of our community (our city).

• An idol isn't just a little statue that people bow down to it is a thing or person or idea that we place above God.
• An idol is any object, relationship or pursuit that is so central that we can’t have meaning to life without it.
• "Hang on a minute" you maybe saying, "but I worship God above anything else, I have no idols".
• Well before you go on, analyse what else is important in your life - your lifestyle, your status in the community or at your job, your husband, your wife, your girlfriend, your opinion, your boyfriend, your children.
• If you lost whatever it is that is important to you, how would you react, you may feel gutted, devastated, but would your life feel meaningless as a result? If it would that is your idol.
• When you make a good thing an absolute thing you have an idol.
  

How do we do something about it?

• When idols are opposed it is dangerous
• Idols are worthless things, they are created things, things we made ourselves which doesn't have the power to give us what we want
  
• But on the other hand they are extremely powerful because through them the forces of darkness control us.
  
• BUT Jesus defeated the powers of darkness
• We know Jesus died for our sins and took the punishment for our idolatry
  
• But we need to see what he's done for us, know what he's done for us, when this hits home we can free ourselves from the stranglehold of idolatry
  
• Remember your career, marriage or children can't die for your sins
  

Read Acts 19

Moving from Perfect Church to a Real Church

One of the challenges is that there is a 'Perfect' Church out there... but not at the moment really so while we don't want to settle for a second rate ministry or church, we also must accept that there are challenges to being a 'perfect church' that are most likely beyond our ability in this life to achieve. So with that in mind we are working through a series of messages addressing the idea of an ideal church and trying to lay out principles that will help us to be the best church we can be where we are. Though I don't intend or have the ability to put a complete series of notes and whatnot up for all. I am going to try to at least give a seed thought as time goes by.

Some time back the questions were posed of 'What is Church and what isn't church?' The next question was wrapped around the idea then of what it takes to be a 'perfect church.'

Last week and this week were intros to the topic of perfect verses ideal verses where we are... so hopefully later I will get some notes up. But to get started read Titus 1 and 2 as the scriptural introduction.

So stay tuned and we will get there.

In Christ,

Jon