Freedom from Joyless Idols
Sermon Audio
Sermon Notes
Intro:
Hey everybody my name’s Louis I’m the lead teaching pastor here at City Awakening, it’s great to be with you this morning. Today we’re continuing our series on a book of the bible called Galatians, we’ve been exploring why life with Jesus is so freeing, and today we’re gonna talk about how Jesus can free us from joyless idols. Jesus can free us from joyless idols, from this endless pursuit we’re on to find joy, and an idol is anything we elevate and crave more than God. It’s anything that replaces God in our hearts, anything we think will bring us greater joy than God. What’s that thing for you?..What’s that thing, that idol you’ve been pursuing that you think will bring you greater joy than God?..What are some of the idols in your heart?
For some of us it’s money, we think having more money, a raise, a new job that pays more will bring us joy. For some of us it’s a material possession, we think having a new house, a new car, new technology, trinkets, and toys will bring us joy. For some it’s a relationship, we think having a spouse will bring us joy, having kids will bring us joy, or having certain friends in our lives will bring us joy...and none of these things are bad things, but they can become bad things when we turn them into god things, when we turn them into idols in our hearts. Everybody has certain idols they’re pursuing in their hearts, and here’s what you and I both know. It’s that the idols we’re currently pursuing, won’t bring us lasting joy...They won’t ever bring us lasting joy...You get a raise, but you want another. You get a material possession, but you want another. You get a relationship, but you want it to change or you covet another. You have an entire life history of pursuing idols, that proves the idols you’re currently pursuing won’t bring you lasting joy. You know it, I know it, Jesus wants to set us free from it. Jesus wants to set us free from the joyless idols we’ve been pursuing, and that’s what we’re gonna talk about today. So let’s turn to Galatians 4:8-20 and get into it. It’s Galatians 4:8-20, and it’s located in the back quarter part of your bible. The title of today’s message is Freedom From Joyless Idols, and here’s the big idea. Jesus can free us from joyless idols...Jesus can free us from joyless idols...Our joy won’t come from the idols we’re pursuing, it’ll come from the God we haven’t been pursuing.
Context:
Here’s your context. Last week Paul, the author of this letter, taught us when Jesus died for our sins he removed the sin barrier between us and God, allowing us to become adopted sons and daughters of God. Jesus literally allows us to become adopted sons and daughters of God, and gives us full access to the Father’s eternal inheritance. Since that’s the case, Paul’s about to tell the Galatians there’s no reason to try and manipulate God with good works and religious activities like the Judaizers are teaching, hoping to gain God’s favor for their lives. There’s no reason for any of that, because Jesus has already given them favor, salvation, so much joy in the Father and the Father’s eternal inheritance. Paul’s about to tell them they don’t need to pursue salvation and joy in other things, when they already have those things in Jesus. Let’s check it out.
The Word:
Galatians 4:8-20 states, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God...” Paul’s making a contrast here between what the Galatians lives were like before and after they had a relationship with God. In the bible “to know” and “be known” by somebody meant the relationship was more than an acquaintance. It was a much deeper, more personal relationship like a family member or best friend, and Paul’s reminding the Galatians of what their lives were like before and after they had that kind of a relationship with God. He’s also reminding them of how they received that relationship. He says “You found God, you came to know God, rather it’s God who found you, it’s God who allowed you to be known.” He’s reminding them that their relationship with God didn’t come because of their good works and religious activity, it came because of their faith in Jesus. He wants them to feel security not in their works and religious activity, but in their faith in Jesus. He wants them to feel security in their relationship with God, which is important. Feeling security in your relationship with God is very important, especially when it comes to pursuing idols. It’s important because the root cause of idolatry is insecurity in your relationship with God. It’s insecurity, and here’s what I mean.
When you’re secure in your relationship with God you don’t worry about finding joy in other things, because you trust you’re fully known by God. You trust God knows you, you trust He knows exactly what you need and what will bring you the greatest joys in life. But idolatry creeps in, when insecurity creeps in and we start wondering if God really knows us. We wonder if He really knows us, knows our struggles, knows the one thing we feel is missing in our life, and if He even cares enough to give us that one thing so our lives can finally be filled with joy. When insecurities like that start creeping in, we’ll start turning to other things for our security, and we’ll start thinking those things can bring us greater joy than God. Our insecurities lead to idolatry, they lead to our pursuit of idols. But when you’re secure in your relationship with God there’s no room for idols in your heart, because you trust your greatest joys are found in the God who fully knows the desires of your heart. There’s no room for idols in a heart, that finds joy in the security of being known by God...There’s no room for idols in a heart, that finds joy in the security of being fully known by God...City Awakening you’re fully known by God, which means He knows exactly what will give you the greatest joys in life. He also knows IF, and when to give you those joys. He knows IF, the joys you’re seeking after are as good for you as you think they are, and you might think God’s holding on you by not giving you those joys, but He actually might be protecting you and your joy. He knows if, and when to give you those joys, so find your joy in Him, and in the security of being fully known by Him. Paul’s reminding the Galatians they don’t have to earn the Father’s love and favor for their lives, because they’ve already received the Father’s love and favor through faith in Jesus. They can find joy in the security of their relationship with the Father, and so can we. Jesus can free us from joyless idols.
Again vs. 8, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” The “worthless elementary principles” Paul’s talking about here are pagan religious practices the Galatians used to participate in. The ancient cultures used to believe spiritual forces controlled their lives and destinies through nature. So they’d attribute certain gods to natural elements like water, fire, and wind, and they believed they had to do certain things, rituals, sacrifices to appease those gods so they could get what they want from those gods. So farmers would pray and make sacrifices to a rain god for rain. Sailors would pray and make sacrifices to Poseidon for safety at sea. Soldiers would pray and make sacrifices to Ares for military success, and Paul’s saying that’s what the Galatians used to do. They used to practice such worthless elementary principles, they used to try to get what they wanted from these gods by doing good works and religious activities. He says it was all worthless because those gods were not gods. Zeus, Poseidon, Ares none of them were true gods, none of them truly existed, none of them had the power to save or deliver what they thought they could deliver.
Now we need to be careful not to think the Galatians and ancient cultures were foolish for believing these things, because we believe these things too. We don’t believe there’s a water, fire, or wind god that can save us, we believe there’s a money, material possession, or relationship god that can...We believe there’s a money, material possession, or relationship god that can save us, deliver us, bring us joy, and we’ll even make sacrifices to get what we want from that god. We’ll sacrifice our time with family and friends to satisfy our money god. We’ll sacrifice our giving to the church to satisfy our material possession god. We’ll sacrifice our bodies or sexual purity to satisfy our relationship god. We’ll even try manipulating God into giving us such things by doing good works and religious activities like the Galatians were doing. We’re not as different from the Galatians and ancient cultures as we think, and Paul’s saying all these gods, idols, elementary principles are powerless to save us, deliver us, give us eternal joy. If we keep making idols out of them, pursuing them like gods, they’ll keep enslaving us and robbing us of joy. Best selling author and scholar Tim Keller states, “If we deify and serve the things of this world which aren’t truly gods, but treat them as if they are. We’ll become slaves to them spiritually. Paul’s hinting that there’s evil spiritual forces in the world that will help you worship and serve created things, ‘the elements,’ rather than the creator, so you’ll experience enslavement.” Paul’s asking the Galatians why they want to go back to such enslavement when they already have the security of the Father’s love and favor through faith in Jesus? He’s telling the Galatians their attempts to earn God’s favor with their religious activities is like turning back to the elementary principles of their paganism which was powerless to save them and bring them eternal joy.
Vs. 10, “ You observe days and months and seasons and years!” The Galatians are now practicing Judaism, they’re practicing Jewish ceremonial laws and festivals thinking it’ll help them gain God’s love and favor for their lives, but it won’t. We can’t gain God’s love and favor with our good works, our religious activities, our church activities and church attendance. It’s not that those things are bad things, it’s just they’re powerless in gaining God’s love and favor. They’re powerless to save you and bring you lasting eternal joy.
Again vs. 10, “ You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. 12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness?” Paul senses their manipulative legalistic practices are causing them to lose some of the joy they once had when they first became Christians, some of the joy they had in the security of being known by God. He asks what’s become of their blessedness, what’s become of their joy, and entreats them to turn to Jesus so their joy can be restored. He entreats, pleads, begs them to turn from the worthless elementary principles that are enslaving and robbing them of joy.
Again vs. 15, “What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.” Paul’s expressing deep anguish over them, because he loves them like a parent loves a child. He calls them his little children and is deeply saddened over them drifting from the joys of the gospel, and how they’re no longer welcoming him. Instead they’re treating him like an enemy and believing false teachers over him. He’s perplexed by it all, and this entire letter is him pleading for them to turn to Jesus, to turn to the security, freedom, and joy they once had when they first received the gospel. The security, freedom, and joy they once had when they first received the gospel, is similar to the security, freedom, and joy we once had when we were younger, when we were children.
See a lot of us have forgotten how free and joyful we used to be when we were children, because we’ve been enslaved for years by our pursuit of joyless idols. As I was writing this sermon I overheard my children playing in the backyard, so I paused to watch them for a few minutes. They were playing, jumping, laughing, running around so free and full of joy...They were so free and full of joy...They were so free from the many joyless idols we’re pursuing, and they were so full of joy...just like you and I used to be...You and I used to be able to run that free and full of joy, but we lost that joy when we grew up and started enslaving ourselves to the pursuit of joyless idols. God the Father wants us to run free like that again...He wants us to run free like that again, to run free from the enslavement of our joyless idols, and be filled with an even greater joy than when we were kids, which is the eternal joy of His presence. Jesus came to give us that freedom when he died for our sins on the cross. He died for our sins so we could be set free from the enslavement of our joyless idols. He died for our sins so we could be set free and have eternal security, freedom, and childlike joy in our relationship with the Father. If only we’d repent of our sins, lay down our joyless idols, and turn to Jesus, we’d have that joy.
The Big Idea:
Let’s have the worship team come up and get to the big idea. Here’s the big idea...Jesus can free us from joyless idols...Jesus can free us from joyless idols...You and I have an entire history of pursuing idols that proves the idols we’re currently pursuing won’t bring us lasting joy. Our joy won’t come from the idols we’re pursuing, it’ll come from the God we haven’t been pursuing. It’ll come when we stop pursuing our idols, and start pursuing God. So what about you, what are some of the things burdening you, causing you to feel joyless?...Are you pursuing God in those things, trusting in the security of God in those things?..What’s the one thing you feel is missing in your life, the one thing you feel will bring you joy?..Has that one thing become an idol in your life?..Has it become an idol?..I’ve been a pastor long enough to know we walked in with some baggage today...We’ve walked in with some baggage, some idols, and some of us are even trying to manipulate God with our church attendance and religious activity hoping He’ll give us what we want. Some of you walked in feeling crushed by the weight of your financial situation...Some of you walked in carrying burdens in your marriage...Some of you walked in dealing with snot and tissue issues of loneliness crying yourself to sleep...
Look all of us walked in with some baggage today, and the mistake we can make is to think something else can fill that baggage with joy other than God. The mistake we can make in our insecurity, is to turn to something else for security, make an idol out of it, and think it’ll bring us greater joy than God. But we’ll never find joy in that some thing, because it’s God who’s meant to be that one thing...We’ll never find joy in that some thing that’s missing in our lives, because it’s God who’s meant to be that one thing that satisfies our lives. Freedom and joy will be found when He is, but enslavement and joylessness will be found when He isn’t...If you want Jesus to set you free today, then respond to the message by repenting of your idols, laying down your idols, lifting up your voice to worship Jesus as your one thing. If you want somebody to pray for you or you want to have a relationship with Jesus, some of our team members will be standing in the back left corner to pray with you. You can go back there anytime during the worship. City Awakening let’s stand, worship, and be set free by Jesus.