Who are you Serving?

Releasing the Power of Life

Sermon Notes from Pastor J.D. Greer - Summit Life Podcast

Root Idols

1. Idols of Power -- people do things because it will help them get power and hold onto power: which can also be in the form of status, achievement, money. I can't be happy unless I make X amount of money.

2. Idols of Control -- people want everything to go according to their plan. They fear and worry about the future because they want everything to go just right and according to their plan (e.g. kids go to specific college, retire by a certain time, must stay healthy, etc.). They don't like uncertainty, or unstableness. They want things to happen on their terms and on their timetable. Must be married by a certain time or unhappy.

3. Idols of Approval -- crave to be accepted and praised by others. Want to be attractive to others because they want people to admire and praise them. Criticism is devastating to them, because it attacks their core identity. Feeling like they aren't attractive enough is devastating. Getting picked last is devastating. Afraid of disapproval from others. Always wanting to be noticed. People have to like what I do and like who I am. If you aren't skinny or pretty enough, then you'll never be happy.

4. Idols of Pleasure -- longing for sensual pleasures and physical delights. This can be focusing on sexual fulfillment, nice house, nice car, good food, right vacations, creature comforts, chasing and pursuing the good life. I can't be happy unless I get married and/or have kids. I will compromise whatever standard I need to, in order to obtain these things.

Which of these 4 do you feel like is your biggest idol? Power, Control, Approval, or Pleasure.

By the way, in and of itself, there's nothing wrong with any of these 4 things: power, control, approval, or pleasure. These things are all to some degree a normal part of human nature. It's when you begin prioritizing these idols above God and above pleasing God. Its when they become central to your life. It's when they become ultimate in your life. It's when they become something that you can't live without. It's when these things matter more than what God wants.

That's when they become problematic. That's when you become a slave to serving these idols versus serving God.

False worship is when a good thing turns into a god-thing, and thereby becomes a bad thing.

It's when these things become your masters, that they lead you toward death. Every spiritual master, besides God is going to lead to death. Not necessarily physical death, but the death of something, or spiritual death.

When your passions and your desires begin to take over your soul (pushing God out of 1st place), it is a problem.

Scripture: Romans 6:11–14

11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

3 Tests will Show you when something (other than God) has become your spiritual master. (These are the first tremors of death in you):

1. Anger becomes epi-Anger -- Not only do you get upset about not having what you have to have, you rage, you snap, and you get really angry.

2. Epi-Worry -- If something good in your life is threatened, you become paralyzed by anxiety, experience a lot of fear around not getting what you think you need.

3. Epi-sadness -- It's not that you just get sad, you get overwhelming sad. You despair. You fall apart or think that life isn't worth living.

Where do these 3 emotions most often get provoked in you.

1. Where in your life have you gotten the angriest? When do you see that anger arising that you just can't shake?

2. What causes you the most worry consistently? Where do you see irrational fears arriving? (e.g. Everyone hates me.)

3. What causes you the most sadness or grief that you just cannot shake?

Being Enslaved to these idols can lead to death in the following ways:

• Idol of Power - Domineering, vengeful, self-promoting, harsh, abusive

• Idol of Control - Worry all the time, obsessively worry. Lose your temper a lot. People around you start to feel manipulated. They start to feel like you are just using them for your purposes, and they are right. Constantly jealous.

• Idol of Approval - Your life becomes plagued by Self-pity, insecurities, envy, feelings of inadequacy, constant hurt feelings, being a coward because you are afraid to do the right thing if it gains disapproval from to others)

• Idol of Pleasure - Can't say no to food, sex, porn, shopping. You can never get enough of these things. So you spend yourself into debt. Hooked on pornography. Sex Addict. Become an alcoholic. I've got to have these things to be happy. Unable to control yourself. Not ever being able to be fully satisfied because you are constantly chasing the high of the pleasure.

Which spiritual master are you choosing?

Are you choosing one of the idols. Are are you choosing God.

God wants you to choose Him. He knows that he can give your life more meaning than those idols. He wants to give you the gift of eternal life. He just wants you to receive it. It's what your soul was created for. It's meant to be.

"The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Eternal life is not just a condition in heaven, eternal life is something that you receive today. God is the only spiritual master than can satisfy you. He can give you more meaning than money, romantic love, or earthly pleasures.

No mater what you compare God to, He wins! Every time.

"Jesus is the only master who if you find Him will satisfy you. And the only master who if you fail Him, will forgive you." Tim Keller

Turn your heart to Jesus because he is the master of your created form.

1. Turn from sin so that the power of sin cannot continue to hold you captive.

2. Turn form sin, and turn to God.

All of the promises of God for you are found in Christ Jesus.

Pray this prayer with me:

God, show me how to live in ways that are consistent with life. Free me from the chains of sin that are holding me captive and preventing from truly being who I am in Christ. Free me of the greed, insecurity, control, anger, and addiction to power, and allow me to trust in you. When Jesus died on the cross for my sins, he freed me from my sins, and granted me the gift of eternal life. I accept that gift as I turn my life away from since, and turn my life towards you. In Jesus' name I pray and give thanks. Amen.