As a pastor, I see a lot of different things. I have seen good families, bad families, terrible accidents, wonderful acts of love, friendship, addictions, addictions that destroy friendships and family relationships, sacrifice, and just about everything else under the sun.
I've also seen the consequences of sin. A lot.
However, truly terrible sin is rarely evident on the surface. To be sure, we have terrible outbreaks of sin such as in the Colorado shooting and more recently, the Sikh temple shooting, and those are very evident.
But for sin to truly do it's best work, it has to go undetected for long periods of time, sort of like cancer that eats away at a human body until the point it causes death. That's why the #1 sin that is destroying the church and the family is subtle and unseen, and even celebrated by some.
It is the sin of idolatry. The #1 sin destroying us.
John Piper wrote about this in his book, "A Hunger For God":
"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of His love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20).
The greatest adversary of love to God is not His enemies but His gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God Himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable." p 14
The sin that is destroying the church is simply a hunger for something other than God. It is destroying the family as well. The sin of idolatry- it doesn't matter what the idol is, be it a car, a job, money, music, significant other, comfort, a large house, the American Dream- leaves the church full of zombie-like people trying to worship a different God on Sunday than they are used to. We cannot give our worship to God on Sunday if we've given our worship to an idol the previous six days. Many times I find myself in love more with the gifts that God gives me than God Himself.
-Sometimes I find that I am in love with my wife and children than the One who gave them to me.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with His church more than the One who died to save it.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with my health than I am in love with the One who sustains it.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with the gift of sex than I am in love with the One who created it and the sanctity of marriage in which to enjoy it.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with sitting on the couch drinking in the mediocre drivel called entertainment than I am in love with His word.
Then, almost immediately, my mind goes to the "default defense of the terminally lukewarm" statement, "What's wrong with that?" Good question. What IS wrong with loving my wife and children? What IS wrong with loving His church? What IS wrong with loving those other good things?
Nothing. However, just like in Luke 14:18-20, those good things have the potential to keep me away from the banquet feast of the Kingdom of God.
Here's the bottom line: the sin of idolatry will make sure that it is good things, not evil things, that will keep me from the love of God. That is why idolatry is the #1 sin destroying our churches and our families. We won't spot it until it is too late. We will even commend the man who has made an idol out of his family, loving them to the detriment of his relationship with God. We will even commend the servant who has made an idol out of his or her church, serving it relentlessly to the detriment of his or her own love for God. We will refer to that person as "so dedicated, so servant-hearted, so sold out for the kingdom" when what they truly have is a problem with idolatry.
Meditate today on Luke 14:18-20 and ask yourself, "What would keep me away from the party God has invited me to?"
Then ask yourself, "Is it worth it?"
I've also seen the consequences of sin. A lot.
However, truly terrible sin is rarely evident on the surface. To be sure, we have terrible outbreaks of sin such as in the Colorado shooting and more recently, the Sikh temple shooting, and those are very evident.
But for sin to truly do it's best work, it has to go undetected for long periods of time, sort of like cancer that eats away at a human body until the point it causes death. That's why the #1 sin that is destroying the church and the family is subtle and unseen, and even celebrated by some.
It is the sin of idolatry. The #1 sin destroying us.
John Piper wrote about this in his book, "A Hunger For God":
"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of His love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20).
The greatest adversary of love to God is not His enemies but His gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God Himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable." p 14
The sin that is destroying the church is simply a hunger for something other than God. It is destroying the family as well. The sin of idolatry- it doesn't matter what the idol is, be it a car, a job, money, music, significant other, comfort, a large house, the American Dream- leaves the church full of zombie-like people trying to worship a different God on Sunday than they are used to. We cannot give our worship to God on Sunday if we've given our worship to an idol the previous six days. Many times I find myself in love more with the gifts that God gives me than God Himself.
-Sometimes I find that I am in love with my wife and children than the One who gave them to me.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with His church more than the One who died to save it.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with my health than I am in love with the One who sustains it.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with the gift of sex than I am in love with the One who created it and the sanctity of marriage in which to enjoy it.
-Sometimes I find myself more in love with sitting on the couch drinking in the mediocre drivel called entertainment than I am in love with His word.
Then, almost immediately, my mind goes to the "default defense of the terminally lukewarm" statement, "What's wrong with that?" Good question. What IS wrong with loving my wife and children? What IS wrong with loving His church? What IS wrong with loving those other good things?
Nothing. However, just like in Luke 14:18-20, those good things have the potential to keep me away from the banquet feast of the Kingdom of God.
Here's the bottom line: the sin of idolatry will make sure that it is good things, not evil things, that will keep me from the love of God. That is why idolatry is the #1 sin destroying our churches and our families. We won't spot it until it is too late. We will even commend the man who has made an idol out of his family, loving them to the detriment of his relationship with God. We will even commend the servant who has made an idol out of his or her church, serving it relentlessly to the detriment of his or her own love for God. We will refer to that person as "so dedicated, so servant-hearted, so sold out for the kingdom" when what they truly have is a problem with idolatry.
Meditate today on Luke 14:18-20 and ask yourself, "What would keep me away from the party God has invited me to?"
Then ask yourself, "Is it worth it?"
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