Has the idol of “power” captured your focus? An idol is anything or anyone we allow to take the place of God in our lives, anything or anyone we worship, anything or anyone that you serve. We must choose who we will serve: your default will be to serve the idols passed along to you by your family and by your culture. We get rid of idols in three steps: recognize, repent and replace.
In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally addresses the idol of power.
Zechariah 4:6 “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.”
The kingdom of God grows by God’s Spirit, not by our strength.
Matthew 20:25-28
Christianity will spread when the church is at-your-feet instead of in-your face.
Two idols of power we are tempted to serve:
THE IDOL OF SUCCESS.
Matthew 16:26
God's goal for you is not worldly success but spiritual blessing. Here’s the difference: success is earned by you, blessing is given by God. Success is achieved, blessing is received.
When worshipping the God of success, what you have becomes more important than why you’re here. Your possessions overshadow your purpose. When worshipping the God of success, what you do becomes more important than who you are.
How to defeat the idol of success:
1. Prioritize obedience over outcome.
God doesn’t want your help, He wants your heart—and you give that to him through obedience
Matthew 25:21“Well done, good and faithful servant”
For the Christian, obedience is the measure of success.
2. Practice contentment.
1 Tim 6:6-8 “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
THE IDOL OF MONEY
In American culture, affluence equals influence.
Matthew 6:24
1 Timothy 6:9-10
How do you know if you worship money? If you’re willing to depart from your convictions to get it.
How to defeat the idol of money:
1. Practice generosity.
Acts 20:35 “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Generosity is a mindset that assumes just because a resource COMES to me, that doesn’t mean it BELONGS to me.
2. Adopt Heaven’s perspective on resources.
Romans 8:32“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?”
If you have Jesus, you already have everything.
Is power an idol in your life?