No Other Gods

SUNDAY SERVICE: 17 NOV 2013 
SPEAKER: DAVID TAN 
TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 8:11-20 

SUMMARY:
It is not often that believers admit to being ‘idolaters’ or people who worship idols other than God. But as Tim Keller says, an idol is the one thing other than God that you could not live without. A good thing that has become the ultimate thing is equally an idol.

Moses’ farewell message to the children of Israel before they crossed into the Promised Land is therefore timely advice.

"Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Deut 8:11-14 

We are called to worship God alone and not the things he has created or blessed us with for several reasons. Chris Wright's quote comes to mind.

God is to be worshipped because he alone is the living God  Deut 4:39 “Know therefore today, and lay it in your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” There is no other God but Yahweh, the living God. Because he is the living God, he is able to give us life.

One recurring phrase in Deuteronomy  is, “that you may live.” Eg, Deut 8:1 “Be careful to follow…that you may live.” The only way to meaningful life is to worship the living God.

God is to be worshipped because he alone is worthy God is often presented in the context of his mighty acts. He delivers, he saves, he leads, he blesses. Who else but God is worthy? Ex 20:1 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” 

God is worthy of our sole worship not only because other Gods are false, but because he has been good to us. The greatest thing God has done for us is to show us grace and welcome us into his kingdom on the basis of Jesus' death on the cross. The appropriate response to God’s salvation is not merely belief or acceptance, but worship. As God has declared “I brought you out of Egypt; now do not worship other Gods but Yahweh, the LORD alone."

God is to be worshipped because he holds our life in his hand It is true that we love God because he first loved us. But we worship God also because he has the power to determine life and death. Heb 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

It is not possible to worship One whom we do not fear. As Heb 12:29 says, isn't God a “consuming fire.” We are in reverent awe, we are humbled, because God has the power to take our life away. So God warns the Israelites, “If you go after other Gods, to worship and serve them, I solemnly warn you, you shall perish” vs19,20.

Conclusion We note how Israel was often denounced by God’s prophets because she forgot who God was and what He had done. We may keep at our spiritual routines, we go to church, give our tithes, etc. But if God no longer holds the utmost place of importance and no longer impacts our life’s decisions, we have indeed forgotten Him.

May God help us to keep away from idols.