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Keep Yourself From Idols

The document discusses countering Satan's techniques that weaken Christians by keeping themselves from idols. It examines how idols like making other things or people a higher priority than God, lusting after the opposite sex, and cutting others down can undermine one's faith. Effective counters include spending time in God's word, focusing on Jesus, and using one's tongue to edify others rather than criticize.

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Deo Rafael
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59 views

Keep Yourself From Idols

The document discusses countering Satan's techniques that weaken Christians by keeping themselves from idols. It examines how idols like making other things or people a higher priority than God, lusting after the opposite sex, and cutting others down can undermine one's faith. Effective counters include spending time in God's word, focusing on Jesus, and using one's tongue to edify others rather than criticize.

Uploaded by

Deo Rafael
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Keep Yourself

from Idols

Countering Satan’s Techniques


that Weaken Us!

Keep Yourself from Idols


 1 John 5:21
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
(NLT)
 What is an Idol?
 Greeks:
“Has in it the sense of Unreality”
 Plato: Illusions of this world vs. the
unchangeable realities of eternity.
2

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Keep Yourself from Idols
 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NASB)
For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all. So we fix our
eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.

Barna Survey of Pastors


 627 Protestant Pastors

 Are their Church attendees


placing God as the highest
priority in their lives?
 Pastors believe all is most well!
 Also Interviewed the church attendees

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Is God the Highest Priority for Christians?

80% 70%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30% 23%
20%
10%
0%
Pastor's Think Attendees Say

Barna Conclusion
 “The fact that the lifestyle of most churched adults is
essentially indistinguishable from that of unchurched
people is not a concern for most churches”
 Whether or not people have accepted Jesus Christ
as their savior is the sole or primary indicator of “life
transformation, Regardless of whether their life after
such a decision produces spiritual fruit.
 Galatians 5 – Fruit of the Spirit
 John 15 – Vines that don’t produce Fruit

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Another Barna Survey

 On Commitment to Christianity
 Findings: Image rather than Action

 “For starters, it appears that most Americans


like the security and the identity of the label
‘Christian’ but resist the biblical
responsibilities that are associated with that
identification. For most Americans, being a
Christian is more about image than action.”
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Satan’s Purpose for You


 Make us ineffective for Jesus as
possible
 Types of Devices he uses:
 Twisting truth slightly
 Frontal Assault
 Attack of Erosion/Wearing Down
 Our Moral Compass
 We ‘Love Righteousness ‘

 But do we ‘Hate Iniquity’

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Hebrews 3:12-13 (NLT)
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and
sisters. Make sure that your own hearts
are not evil and unbelieving, turning you
away from the living God.
13 You must warn each other every day,
as long as it is called "today," so that
none of you will be deceived by sin and
hardened against God.

God’s Word

Not spending time in the Word.


 Satan’s Goal:
What devices does he use?
 Today, we don’t need God.
 Thinking in a non-eternal perspective.
 By making what is wrong seem right
or OK.

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Is God’s Word’s Word a Priority?

Rationalizations (Idols) come easily


 “I’m not much of a reader.”
 “I don’t have time.”
 “I wanted to but I ran out of time.”
 “I’m too tired at the end of the day.”
 “I’ll read tomorrow”
 “I’ll sleep for a couple more minutes”
 “I’ll watch just one more show on TV”
11

Hebrews 4:12
 For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

12

6
Lust of the Eyes (Coveting)

“Our View of the Opposite Sex”

 “Hey, it’s OK to Look!”


 Satan’s Goal:
Have people or things become objects
of your indulgence.
 10th Commandment. “Hate Iniquity”

13

Countering Lust

 Consequences
 Maybe they are a child of God.
 If not, maybe they will be.
 How does it affect your view of your Spouse?
 You don’t understand Jesus’ love for His Bride
 Effective Counterattack:
 For I am determined to know nothing among
you but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

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Countering Lust

 Ephesians 5:25-26
And you husbands must love your wives
with the same love Christ showed the
church. He gave up his life for her to
make her holy and clean,
 “Man shouldn’t marry a woman he
wouldn’t die for; A woman should marry
a man that she wouldn’t trust with her
life.”

15

Cutting Down Others

Talking negatively about others.


 Satan’s Benefits:
 Undermine the voice of the Spirit.
 Diminish the Effectiveness of Another’s
Ministry.
 Place emphasis on your own
importance.
 Singing … Critiquing… Even Paul…

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8
Cutting Down Others
 Examples in the church
 Sermons
 Worship
 Studies
 Teachers
 Servants
 Keep it in the Church!

17

The Tongue
 James 3:4-6 (NLT)
 And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn
wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though
the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a
small thing, but what enormous damage it
can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on
fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full
of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It
can turn the entire course of your life into a
blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire
by gehenna itself.
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Use your Tongue for Good!
 Ephesians 4:29 – Let no unwholesome
word proceed from your mouth, but
only such a word as is good for
edification according to the need of the
moment, so that it will give grace to
those who hear.
 Don’t give Satan an opportunity to
undermine…

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How You Can Break the Cycle


 Confession
 1 John 1:9
 James 5:16 (New Living Translation)
Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be
healed. The earnest prayer of a
righteous person has great power and
wonderful results.
 C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters”

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Is God Your Highest Priority?
Destroy Your Idols!
 Start with just ‘Today.’
 Use the 3 examples
 Find someone who will pierce your
rationalizations. (Men’s Meeting)
 This IS a daily battle.

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