Confronting Idols
What’s the most important thing to you? What is it that drives you? What wakes you up in the morning? Or what do you worry about the most? Today we’re going to be looking at the topic of idols. We see what happens when people encounter the gospel of Jesus…they either repent and follow Jesus (as we saw last week with the book burnings), or they fight back against Jesus because they love their idols more. That’s what we’re going to see in today’s text.
The world needs Living Water. (21-22)
Paul decides to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. He sends Timothy and Erastus ahead to Macedonia while he stays in Asia for a while. Paul's desire to go to Jerusalem reiterates for us the world’s need for the gospel. Remember, Acts starts with the commission in 1:8. It has been the model that we’ve seen Acts follow. This verse is the model for the rest of Acts.
Why should we go places with the gospel? Because all places need the gospel. We are to help meet needs when they arise. That’s what being a good neighbor is. If your neighbor doesn’t have water, what do you do? Well, they need water in order to live. So, you get them water. They don’t just need access to water, though. They need to be able to attain it.
There’s a passage in Jeremiah where the prophet Jeremiah is delivering a message of rebuke and warning to the nation of Israel. At this time, Israel had forsaken their covenant relationship with God and turned to idolatry, worshiping false gods and neglecting God's commands. Jeremiah uses specific imagery to illustrate the severity of Israel's spiritual rebellion. He compares their idolatry to the act of forsaking a fresh, flowing spring of water to instead rely on broken cisterns.
Jeremiah 2:13 – for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Idol worship is both empty and foolish. It’s foolish because it’s worshiping something other than the one true God. Anything else isn’t real and isn’t worthy of worship. It’s empty because it doesn’t satisfy. It can’t. It’s a broken cistern. Just as Israel's idolatry led to spiritual barrenness and dissatisfaction, also the idols of our hearts fail to provide true fulfillment. The Living Water offered by God alone is the only thing that satisfies the deepest longings of our soul.
This reminds me of the art installment called “Can't Help Myself” by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. It was programmed to slowly leak hydraulic fluid that was made to look like blood. The robot was created to dance for Guggenheim visitors, but eventually spent most of its energy trying to replace the fluid. The arm would dance at first, but by the end of its life, its movements became more labored and strained. It’s such a vivid picture of what the pursuit of idols does in our lives, just like broken cisterns. Pursuing idols leaves you always wanting more but never having enough.
When idols are attacked, people fight back. (23-28)
G. K. Beale says idolatry is “whatever your heart clings to or relies on for ultimate security.” And he adds J. A. Motyer’s explanation that it’s “whatever claims the loyalty that belongs to God alone.”[1] I love how Augustine puts it: “Idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that ought to be worshiped.”
In Ephesus, a silversmith named Demetrius, who makes silver shrines of Artemis, sees Paul's teachings threatening his business. The temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was roughly four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens (if you’ve ever seen the replica in Nashville, this will give you a little understanding for scale of how massive it was.) It was also the economic center of Ephesus.
“The temple of Artemis served as a bank as well as a temple, and people from all over the world deposited funds there. Amassing significant wealth, the temple apparently controlled more than seventy thousand acres of agricultural land, and some of the temple’s wealth benefited the city itself.”[2]
Demetrius gathers fellow craftsmen, stirring them up, saying that Paul's preaching could cause them to lose money and dishonor their goddess Artemis. This leads to a riot in the city, with the crowd chanting praises to Artemis for two hours in the theater.[3] You’ve never cheered for someone or something for two hours have you?... But, anything over an hour worship service, nope.
What does Demetrius do when his idols are attacked? He attacks back. What were the idols that Demetrius had? It wasn’t the shrines of Artemis. It was money. We can see that by how he responds. Tony Merida says,
“He’s driven by dollars, not doctrine. Many today may not bow down to a statue, but millions bow to the idol of money—oblivious to the fact that it can never satisfy or provide ultimate security (Eccl 5:10; 1 Tim 6:6-10).
What do people do when their idols are threatened? If they don’t repent and look to Jesus instead of idols, then they get angry. That’s what happens in this story. Instead of saying, “Jesus is Lord. Let’s either find a new profession or make some new products,” the craftsmen decide to assault the messenger.”[4]
We have three writings from Paul to Ephesus. One is Ephesians, and the other two are 1 &2 Timothy. Earlier in verse 21 we see Paul’s desire to go to Rome. Later he does, and he’s imprisoned. From his Roman imprisonment he writes Ephesians. After his release from imprisonment, he writes his first letter to Timothy from Macedonia, which he mentions in verse 21 as well, and he writes his second letter to Timothy during his second Roman imprisonment.
I want you to see some of his later concern for them concerning idols.
Ephesians 5:5: "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
1 Timothy 6:9-10: "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
2 Timothy 2:22-26: "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will."
“God’s servants are accused of blasphemy (Acts 6:13-14; 21:28; Lk 22:65), but true blasphemy was that against God and his Messiah (Lk 12:10; 23:39; Acts 13:45; 18:6; 26:11).”[5]
You may think, “I don’t have idols! I worship God alone!” Lifeway Research came out with some research a few years ago that revealed what the number one idol people in churches face, and you know what it is? Comfort.[6] Is that a pursuit in your life?
What about sin? Do you sin? (Yes.) Martin Luther believed that every violation of the Ten Commandments was first a violation of the first commandment, putting another god besides Him in our life. If we give false testimony, it is because we have set something else in our heart above God that is worth lying for. If we steal, it is because we have first set up something else in our life that is cherished above Him. Or stated succinctly, “Under every behavioral sin is the sin of idolatry.”
William Barclay makes this important observation about idolatry:
"The essence of idolatry is the desire to get. A man sets up an idol and worships it because he desires to get something out of god. To put it bluntly, he believes that by his sacrifices and his gifts and his worship, he can persuade, or even bribe, God into giving him what he desires."[7]
You’re living with idols if you’re living a Jesus + something lifestyle. Jesus + enough money to make me comfortable. Jesus + enough credit to where I feel significant. It’s saying, “I will have Jesus if I can also have this.”
Philippians 3:8-9 – 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy good things. It means we need to be aware of where our true affections are being directed. Eric Geiger has some helpful insights, and I think it’s very useful for us:
Here is a snapshot of four root idols that drive our behavior.
1. Power: a longing for influence or recognition
2. Control: a longing to have everything go according to my plan
3. Comfort: a longing for pleasure
4. Approval: a longing to be accepted or desired
Someone may long for a promotion and the accompanying salary. There is nothing wrong with either; the intensity of the desire is what makes it sinful. Or as Calvin stated, “The evil in our desire typically does not lie in what we want, but that we want it too much.”[8]
Chasing idols leaves us wanting more and more. There is no contentment in idol worship. We have broken cisterns when Living Water is available for us. When you see someone you love living this way, maybe lovingly nudge them and say, “Your idols are showing.” (…and then watch out to dodge a punch in the face!) Chasing idols always leads to dissatisfaction.
Peace accompanies obedience to God. (29-34)
Amidst the chaos, some Ephesians seized Paul's companions and dragged them into the theater.
Despite the imminent danger and chaos swirling around him, Paul's heart was moved with compassion for those caught up in the mess, prompting him to step forward into the midst of the chaos. His desire wasn’t for safety and security…or comfort… His desire was to enter the crowd to tell them the Truth of the gospel.
Paul had ditched the idols in his life. He was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. He knew how to be content in whatever situation he was in.
Philippians 4:11-13 – 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
This is what accompanies our lives as well as we ditch the idols we have been clinging to in order to truly follow Jesus. Eric Geiger, again, in speaking about removing the idols in our lives says,
So how do I repent of the idol beneath the surface? How do we keep ourselves from idols, as the apostle John instructed (I John 5:21)? Thomas Chalmers said, “The best way to overcome the world is not with morality or self-discipline. Christians overcome the world by seeing the beauty and excellence of Christ. They overcome the world by seeing something more attractive than the world: Christ.”
I repent of my idolatry not by looking myself in the mirror and telling myself I can displace it in my energy, might, or goodness. I repent of my lesser gods by remembering the Great God who is above all gods. We can repent of our longing for:
· power by submitting to His greater power within me [Ephesians 5:18]
· control by surrendering to His ultimate control [Ecclesiastes 3:12-14]
· comfort by remembering He is the greater comfort [II Corinthians 1:3-4]
· approval by rejoicing in His gracious approval [Galatians 3:13; Numbers 6:24-26]
His power is greater. His control is perfect. His comfort is satisfying. And His approval is eternal. There is no god like our God.
Relinquishing our idols is what allows us to be filled with Living Water, no longer relying on broken cisterns.
God is always working (often behind the scenes). (35-41)
God's sovereign hand is evident even in the midst of the riot, guiding events according to His purposes. Just as He provides Living Water to quench our spiritual thirst, He leads us away from the broken cisterns of idolatry. Sometimes…I would even say often times…He rips them away from us, for our good and His glory. It often takes losing everything we hold dear to realize what we’ve always truly needed.
I love this story pastor and theologian James Montgomery Boice once told:
“God often allows the ungodly to amass great wealth--to their destruction. But if you are one with whom God is dealing and if you put the pursuit of riches (or anything else) before service to Christ, God may take away those riches (and other things) until you turn to Him. Some years ago Donald Grey Barnhouse was counseling a young woman on the sidewalk in front of Tenth Presbyterian Church following an evening service. She said she was a Christian and that she wanted to follow Christ. But she wanted to be famous too. She wanted to pursue a stage career in New York. "After I have made it in the theater, I'll follow Christ completely," she said. Barnhouse took a key out of his pocket and scratched a mark on a postal box standing on the corner. "That is what God will let you do," he said. "God will let you scratch the surface of success. He will let you get close enough to the top to know what it is, but He will never let you have it, because He will never let one of His children have anything rather than Himself."
Years later he met the girl again, and she confessed that this had indeed been her life story. She had dabbled in the stage. Once her picture had been in a national magazine. But she had never quite made it. She told Barnhouse, "I can't tell you how many times in my discouragement I have closed my eyes and seen you scratching on that postal box with your key. God let me scratch the edges, but He gave me nothing in place of Himself."”[9]
God was working behind the scenes in Ephesus which caused the crowd to disperse and settled the chaos. God is always working, often behind the scenes, even amidst chaotic events orchestrated by human actions. When we ditch the idols of comfort and control and put our full trust in the sovereign God, no matter what situation we face, we have peace that surpasses understanding.
“The power of Christ in his people stood in stark contrast to the renowned Ephesian temple. One had life. The other was lifeless.”[10] It’s the same with us and the idols we pursue. Would you lay yours down today and follow Christ?
[1] In “We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry.”
[2] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 384.
[3] The theater could hold around 20-25,000 people.
[4] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2017), 295.
[5] Craig S. Keener, Acts, New Cambridge Bible Commentary (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020), 492.
[6] https://research.lifeway.com/2022/11/16/4-steps-to-helping-your-church-identify-idols/
[7] Barclay, The Letter to the Colossians, p. 182
[8] https://ericgeiger.com/2013/10/01/four-root-idols/
[9] J.M. Boice, Christ's Call To Discipleship, Moody, 1986, p. 154
[10] Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts, 296.
