Disciple of an Idol - Exhortation

We come here this morning to worship God. And that means that we turn away from every idol. But in our day, we rarely find ourselves bowing down in front of statues. Our idols are less visible, but more pervasive. They are often invisible to us, because they are shared by so many. But a helpful way to see your idols is to ask yourself, “Who is discipling me?”

Where am I getting my habits and way of life? Who am I copying? If there is someone, or some group of people that you are identifying with by dressing and acting and copying, then you are being discipled. A huddle around an idol is the wrong group to be discipled into. If you are looking to television, political groups, the wealthy, the people you work with, surf culture, gun culture, geek culture, your own family, and then identifying and copying that group, then you are being discipled.

             There is not anything wrong with being discipled. You will be discipled. But you are always being discipled into one group and out of others. What we each need is to be discipled into the church. Into the people that are following Jesus. If we are being discipled into another group, we will begin finding ourselves thinking that ‘church will never understand me because they are not NRA people.’ ‘Church people will never understand me because they are not surfers. Church people will never understand me because they are not libertarian enough. Church people will never understand because they were raised the way that I was. It is fine to enjoy something, but if you find yourself unable to understand someone that does not also enjoy what you do, you are being discipled by an idol. And gathering at an idol always makes your soul narrow.

            If you are being discipled away from identifying with the church as your people, as your family, as the people that can know and understand you, then you have an idol. There is nothing more fundamental about a person than whom or what they worship. A person that worships the same God as you can know and understand you better than someone that has every other thing in common with you but that.

            That is one of the many reasons that your Elders here at this church are excited about the upcoming parish BBQs. We are looking to see our church live more and more as a people and a family. That requires knowing one another. And it requires opportunities to eat and enjoy one another. But above all, it requires putting away all of our idols and being discipled into this community. But you will never be discipled if you are a passive Christian. Discipleship requires getting up and following Jesus. So I urge you make the parish BBQs a priority, so that you can get to know those in your church that live nearest to you. And I urge you to turn away from every idol that is trying to convince you that these people are not your people.