Shall a Man Make Gods Unto Himself
The sermon warns against the tendency to idolatry in believers, highlighting the dangers of doting on favourite children and the folly of worshiping false deities.
C.H. Spurgeon addresses the persistent sin of idolatry, drawing parallels between ancient Israel's worship of false gods and modern believers' tendencies to elevate materialism and personal attachments above God. He warns that while we may not worship physical idols, we often create 'gods' of our desires, such as wealth and family, which can lead to spiritual ruin. Spurgeon emphasizes that these idols, whether of stone or flesh, ultimately provide false solace and can distract us from the true God. He calls for believers to recognize and renounce these vanities, urging a return to pure worship of the living God.
Text
One great besetting sin of ancient Israel was idolatry, and the spiritual Israel are vexed with a tendency to the same folly. Remphan's star shines no longer, and the women weep no more for Tammuz, but Mammon still intrudes his golden calf, and the shrines of pride are not forsaken. Self in various forms struggles to subdue the chosen ones under its dominion, and the flesh sets up its altars wherever it can find space for them. Favourite children are often the cause of much sin in believers; the Lord is grieved when He sees us doting upon them above measure; they will live to be as great a curse to us as Absalom was to David, or they will be taken from us to leave our homes desolate. If Christians desire to grow thorns to stuff their sleepless pillows, let them dote on their dear ones.
It is truly said that "they are no gods," for the objects of our foolish love are very doubtful blessings, the solace which they yield us now is dangerous, and the help which they can give us in the hour of trouble is little indeed. Why, then, are we so bewitched with vanities? We pity the poor heathen who adore a god of stone, and yet worship a god of gold. Where is the vast superiority between a god of flesh and one of wood? The principle, the sin, the folly is the same in either case, only that in ours the crime is more aggravated because we have more light, and sin in the face of it. The heathen bows to a false deity, but the true God he has never known; we commit two evils, inasmuch as we forsake the living God and turn unto idols. May the Lord purge us all from this grievous iniquity!
"The dearest idol I have known, Whate'er that idol be; Help me to tear it from thy throne, And worship only thee."
Sermon Outline
- I. The Tendency to Idolatry in Believers
- A. The struggle with self and the flesh
- B. The danger of doting on favourite children
- II. The Nature of Idolatry
- A. The objects of our foolish love are doubtful blessings
- B. The solace and help they offer are little indeed
- III. The Folly of Idolatry
- A. The principle of idolatry is the same in all forms
- B. The sin is aggravated in those with more light
- IV. The Call to Purity
- A. The Lord desires to purge us from this iniquity
- B. We must tear idols from their throne and worship only God
Key Quotes
“The dearest idol I have known, Whate'er that idol be; Help me to tear it from thy throne, And worship only thee.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“They are no gods, for the objects of our foolish love are very doubtful blessings, the solace which they yield us now is dangerous, and the help which they can give us in the hour of trouble is little indeed.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We must be careful not to dote on our favourite children, lest they become a curse to us.
- Idolatry is a sin that is aggravated in those with more light, and we must be vigilant against it.
- We must tear idols from their throne and worship only God, as the dearest idol we have known.