The Glory We Trade: A Call Back to God
Romans 1:23 (NLT)
23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
Message
God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), Spirit (John 4:24), and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17, 6:16, Colossians 1:15, Deuteronomy 4:15).
God knew they were susceptible to idolatry. God spoke throught Moses in Deuteronomy 4:15-20 NLT.
15 “But be very careful! You did not see the Lord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. 16 So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, 17 an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, 18 a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. 19 And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. 20 Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.
God spoke through Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 2:11-13 NLT.
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the Lord.
13 “For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
Based on the bible study, I tried the following exercise: I recognized God’s presence now without needing to see any visible form of God. I realized that I had almost forgotten God’s presence this morning. But as soon as I recognized Him, I sensed strong love of God deeply touching my heart. And I praised and worshipped Him.
We become like what we worship (Psalm 115:4-8). So, let us worship not an idol but the one true God. For the encouragement for our prayer life and worship, I quote Hebrews 9:14 NLT and Hebrews 10:19-25 NLT.
Hebrews 9:14 NLT
14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Hebrews 10:19–25 NLT
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
