Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands. [Exodus 20:4–6]

When we think about the term idols, we might think of statues of Greek, Roman, or Egyptian deities, adorned in flowers and gifts and worshipped by acolytes who are putting their faith in stone. When we think about idols, we might think of alcohol, or junk food, or money, things the world promises will make us happy or whole or allow us to escape. But when we think about idols, what we're really doing is not thinking about God. And therein lies the problem.

The second commandment provides us with a guideline for our perspective on life: God first, in everything. The rebellious parts of us will want to push the boundaries and see how far we can in loving something or someone else more than God. Our posture of worship will adjust when we're not facing the LORD. It will become harder and harder to turn away from our lesser gods, especially when those idols are fleeting, abstract, or intangible things. But they are idols all the same.

In today's A Fresh Take, Pastor Paul and Mark will have a hard and candid conversation about idols in their own lives, and how our idols tend to fall into four distinct categories. As John Calvin famously wrote, "Our hearts are idol factories," and it's time to break the cycle. 

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Trinity Church | Take 5 | To the Point

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