Idol – Eyes, Part 2

One of the reasons more answer to Dr. Tony Evans talked about the unintended consequences of giving anything or anyone.

The kind of attention on the goddess or attracting a lot of muscle walking around. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony-author, speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative admiration is one thing.

Idolatry is another, but where do we draw the line between the two and how can we tell if we crossed it.

Those are the questions. Dr. Evans will answer today.

Let's join him there is no smoke once in all the Bible and on the Bible saying that is addressed everything else is the sin of idolatry. One of the reasons that God despises idolatry is because of his jealousy exclusivity clause on you know competition about no competing deities up the God says I don't body sit beside me think about equal to me because that is a false God and having a legitimate competitor to me.

Idolatry is in the shower on that competes with our loyalty to re-create God being a jealous God commands exclusivity over your life in my life. I know we like to say what God is first in my life.

Sounds good, sounds good, but there's only one way that you really know if God is first in your life and that is by the decisions you make. If you first in my decision not is the first in my feelings, the God of the Bible is try and send. That's a big theological word that simply means he is distinct from his creation. That is separate from what he made.

Now why is that important because all goals are determined by what is been made to Liz.

It was created. So whenever you have something created and you worship it you have not transcended you reduced it to being mean she's part of these down in the mix of God is transcendent. Bible says he sits high above the earth that he sits outside of time. He sits outside of space.

That's why when Moses came and Moses said God told me to go to Pharaoh to let my people go, big, last-minute question.

It was like whole God made you will last me gave you authority to tell Pharaoh to let us go when when you get this authority shall not tell them sent me. God told Moses what you tell them I am that I am sent name is, I bet I am that you talk about a pregnant fray. I knew that I must work with the phrasal you tell them that I am self defined that I am not what you want me to be safe to do is they want to get God to just to what they think God is what they think God wants when I feel God would have me do this well. I feel God well I think not know know know what basis do you feel that you feel like you ate too much pizza. What what what basis do you feel that the only way you will know that it is what God wants you to do is because God has declared it is what he wants you to do, regardless of your emotion at that given time.

In other words, you cannot craft God in the image of our preferences, how you think and how you will raise what your mama taught you what your daddy taught you what your friends think of what the TV says secondary. The question is, did God say amen not did you say amen God didn't say amen then it is not legitimate, no matter how positive you feel about, you know, we whip up these things in our minds and that's when we make ourselves idols because we will say what I know God said this, but I think this which are just divorce God. He's not. I am trumping him on this matter with you because you made yourself from God. He says I am not only self defined. He is also self-sufficient. I because I am not words exist, because I exist. Translation go outside of me to be me everything I need to be me is already in me because I am that I am UK say that you all because your mother and father were if your mother and father were then you want but because they were you with annoying sound like your children are because you exist. In other words, nobody is self-sufficient where they are able to exist without outside forces enabling that existence to occur. You need oxygen you need food you need that you knew you made things outside of you be God says I am that I am meaning I don't have to go outside of me to people I am and always will be totally self defined self existent. He self-sufficient and he is eternal because I am is present tense past and future with God. He always exists in his I am this that is present tense. He's personal. I was a personal God is not a force is not Star Wars is a personal God, but he's a personal God in the present only in the present.

So you have no past, no future. He talks to Austin Pass for the future. Could we live linearly. He does not live linearly from yesterday to tomorrow everything with God is. That's why the Bible says a thousand years as of the date of the Lord is like right now. This is why you completely sever the Bible cannot wait for the happen and I hope nothing comes true, like a prophecy but I don't know know know know know it's all now for you. Now we can relate to that now but if you're a believer in Christ when you go to heaven will be living in the eternal now. That's why there's no night. Some will be eradicated. Time will be no more everything, even a billion years from now will be now. You won't age there will be no aging processes. Everything will be in the now and the moment now that it tells you what I'm going to be jealous of the sermon a lot about heaven because since heaven is only full of joy to different degrees and all that but is only full of joy. All joy will be in the now in the present tense.

You want to find located whip it up because it will all be in the present tense.

While that's been God exist in that forever because his name is I am that I am so mold you tell them that the all sufficient eternal self defined eternal want to tell you what to do when is all you need to do to move, but if you don't have the right view of God says about the way they have idols in their he says see we all have an idol factory inside of us see we built to replicate idols like Joan but was replicating because we got we got a idol factory just for child idols. Okay all you need is the right data and envelope idolizing this factory called the hearts builds its idols around its affections. Its affections. Usually when people is because they like it what it wants from you is no night will be a lot of people a lot of what I do some form of blessing in the Bible that idols of fertility.

They had had idols for the weather they had.

I idols were just in never never land idols.

I need to do something for me so it affections for which they sought benefit God is saying they have idols in their words, their action is not for me. That pursuit is not of me.

I am not sure that Tracy I am not the priority that may pursue they don't breed here for me being here to get something from me but not for me. So they have idols from the hot action is not for me. Their love is not for the great commandment is not the Lord thy God with all the heart mind my soul. In other words, all of us to be of your psyche, your physiology of your emotions that are to be extricated from passionate pursuit of a person, but we have within us and i will make all three that when affections are drawn away from god. it wraps itself around god called an idol whether the person placing you going to discover things that you didn't think were idols. but you go to discover all yeah i guess given them worship so the right view of god is critical and dr. evans will explain how to go about finding that right view and he continues her message just a moment. stay with us.

politics, money, gender and race. these are just some of the items we worship in america when we elevate in place of jesus in our lives but you can break free and that the christ centered life that god calls you to. we want to help you with two powerful resources from dr. tony is banyan message series called american idols and popular black america turning nation to find now is the time forgot to stand together and start doing today to get both resources america turning a nation to god will teach you practical steps you can take to put god first in your life for the betterment of your family, your community and your nation.

it makes the perfect follow-up for what we been learning today which is why were bundling this important book, together with all eight messages from tony's brand-new teaching series american idols will send this powerful resource package to you as a way of saying thanks when you make a donation in support of tony's important work around the station and around the world.

this is a limited time offer so visit is shown@tonyevans.org you can get all the details and make your request or call 1-800-800-3222 members of our resource team are there 24 seven to help you in person.

That's 1-800-800-3222. I'll have the contact information for you once again have to report to today's message God is outside of time and space and that's why he is laudable, God my thoughts are not your thoughts.

My wings are not as high as the heavens are above you that's what you don't start when Joe does not want your peeps start with me time you will go looking for themselves and try to find out where I don't know why you are looking for this. I don't know they want you to find your identity the starting point to find you well.

You were created now this is going to get into the idolatry of identity idolatry.

As you what people do when they don't like what God says to go to that item gives them permission to here is why people want idols with a why we why we want idols because we want something we can control. I can control God's people tell me what he thinks. What I like and I can control him.

So I made an idol who will say yes when I wanted to say no when I wanted to agree with me when I wanted to I want and I will adjust to me. I don't want to be accountable to a God. I want to use his name, but I don't have I don't have to do we love precious father some years ago.

He went to the doctor. The doctor said well you know this is what you have to do to get healthy.

Stopping this and stopping that change this and change that my father set up in the know is what you got. So that would you do is change doctors as we do a God who will likely God says we change God's God that will until there is a decision to pass yearly pursue a person to test God gave Moses that Moses you're going to probably go with you this land for milk and honey Moses said if you don't go.

I'm not going. I don't care how nice it is, God was testing you who you want more, the blessing of the Blessed are we live in a world until I get the blessing. Then he talks about the cost of idolatry. He says in Ezekiel 14. They have idols in their heart, and then he asked if in the verse three. Should I be consulted by they really want that have idols of the heart. He says of the universe for the Lord will be brought to give you an answer in the matter. In view of the multitude of his vital role when you try to me and so you based on how many idols you got because when you come to me in your and I'm not your God you bring in all of the God God. One of the reasons more about prison not being answered is we bring items into the primitive idols into the prayer meeting we want….This item of business business, but I need you so much God please please answer my prayer will not answer my prayer because you got a whole complex of titles involved in your prayer essentially be consulted to console you answer them according to all the gods that they bring.

And he says and you will face your abominations America has a theological and spiritual problem to all this Division II sand cross race across genders across political part.

All lattice symptoms of what happens in a culture when it abandons the true God is with chaos.

Second Chronicles chapter 15 verses 3 to 6 because they there was no peace, so the further away from God. No man wants to decide what's life was not life and who dies and die. How we deal with people to help man was inside that because when you get rid of the truth not make you become government becomes God.

Man becomes God. They come up with all these new definitions become political fights political fights. This is a theological issue of biblical issue related to the true God. But if you want Democratic and Christian you will Republican the Christian you will go with the potty not go with the king so we libeled the same way every year, company name, your to be a kingdom man you want to be taken from the word of God as the base he said well this is in the Old Testament.

No no no no no. First John 521 says my children, keep yourselves from idols, but now want to tell you. The main reason why you want to get rid of your idols and we all have will have no hope you guys a little use. We all will happen sometimes just don't know we have, but let me give you the whopping reason why you want to identify and destroy that God's Holy Spirit reveals to you is found in first Corinthians chapter 10. He writes the New Testament church. This is what he says to the New Testament Christians in first Corinthians chapter 10 Paul writes verse 19.

What do I mean that anything sacrificed to idols is anything that an idol is anything but items no but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to go and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons you cannot partake of the table and the table. Verse 22, or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy. We are not stronger than he. Are we all know you didn't God just said you go to your track demons walking around the control is an emotional problem now is demonic bad attitude now is demonic. If you think well well well I just got issues that you do demons because he says if you know like garbage attracts roaches idols attract demons juicy a lot of the problems and addictions we can get over. And the reason we can't get over it. That is been defined as whatever the problem is not to be demons got there the issue.

So you try to get rid of the problem when really the problem on the day when you can get rid of because Raven got that controls the demons you says I do not want you to become in Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with a quick closing thought for the day. But first, don't forget to visit Tony Avenue and start or to check out that new package of resources mentioned earlier.

It starts with Tony's timely and important book America turning a nation to God, and include CDs and instant downloads about eight full-length messages in his brand-new teaching series American idols are yours with our thanks when you make a donation to keep this listener supported program on the air.

The special offer won't last so don't wait visit Tony Avenue and start or today or reach out to our resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 were team members are always on hand to help you. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 takes a panel of experts to nail down the definitions in the dictionary but defining who we are and what we're worth is a job. God never delegates to anyone including us. So why are we so inclined to listen to other voices and how can we stop find out when you join us again on Monday.

Right now though Dr. Evans is back with his closing thought so you must make a decision loving, and I will is like a wife. Loving the wedding ring more than the bride. She likes what the bridegroom gave a necessarily care for the one day see everybody what God can give without a heart that what God the alternative with Dr. Tony Avenue is made possible by the generous Confucian listeners