guest pastor: Pastor Myung #
verse: Exodus 32:1 #
Context: #
The israelites struggled with faith in the Lord because they couldn’t see him. While Moses was gone, they couldn’t bear to patiently wait and instead created their own God, the infamous golden calf idol.
Main Idea: #
There must only be God in our hearts when we desire to worship the Lord. There shouldn’t be any ulterior motive or something that takes precedence such as friends or the pastor. People often forget the content and information of the sermon’s from just the past sunday. Think about how many sermons you’ve forgotten in your lifetime. Being aware of this helps us to be more present and mindful towards the lessons that we are learning.
God’s seat in our hearts should only be filled with God. Nobody else. But there is an important distinction to make: Do not serve our God as if he were an idol. We can try to do everything for God such as worshipping him tirelessly, praying fervently, reading the bible, etc. But if we do all of these things with an expectation of an outcome such as a reward, it can devolve into something meaningless. But be careful that God is not an idol.
So what is this key difference? #
God is not your genie. You cannot just depend on him to give you everything that you want.
How do I avoid turning God into an idol? #
Consistently practice gratitude for the provisions and faithfulness of God. Trust in his plan and in your calling.