Praying House to House
This sermon series is designed to turn our homes into beacons of prayer dotted throughout our city; but it is not a series about prayer. Instead, we will be studying God; trusting the Holy Spirit to ignite our meditation into passionate prayer.
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
We are designed to worship and serve God. Living for any other purpose results in damage and damnation. So, we need to identify and destroy our idols.
Context
God has been reminding his people that he is God throughout all of history. His consistent desire is to create a people who will choose to be his people and worship him as God. Israel was meant to be this people.
He brought them out of Egypt through spectacular plagues, each designed to prove that he is God over the gods of Egypt. He gave them the famous 10 commandments to teach them how to live as his people, the first one being: have no other gods before me. The reason they were punished with wondering in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land was idolatry.
Deuteronomy records Moses’ address to God’s people as they prepare to step out of the wilderness and into the promised land. In it he reminds them again and again that God is God.
Identifying Our Idols
Of course we all think we worship and serve God. Perhaps idolotry is a deeper part of your life than you think. See for yourself:
What is your top priority? What is your first thought upon waking? What is most important to you? This is probably your god.
What is your deepest passion? What gets you most excited? This is probably your god.
To what are you most devoted? Where do you invest the majority of our time? Your energy? Your money? This is probably your god.
What do you trust most surely? What gives you the deepest sense of security? What do you look to for comfort? This is probably your god.
What do you fear the most? What factors most prominently in your thoughts when you consider the future? This is probably your god.
To what do you look for truth? On what do you base your thinking? Your morals? Your decisions? This is probably your god.
What do you value most? What is it that you cannot be content without? What is it that you cannot live without? This is probably your god.
The Heaven Test
I once asked a class to describe what they thought heaven will be like. They had much to say. Peaceful. Joyful. Painless. Enjoyable. Filled with family, friends, and fun. Guess who was missing for their vision of heaven: GOD!
Whatever it is that you stock your vision of heaven with is probably your god. If you think heaven will be lame without _____. That is probably your god.
Idolatry is subtle because usually our gods are good things, like a good reputation, our families, careers, joy, peace, etc. Often we turn God’s legitimate blessings into idols and in the process damage our lives and miss salvation all together.
Examples
For example: some people practice rigid morality and religious devotion in a desire to protect their public image. Rather than worshipping God through obedience to his word, they pile on pretense in worship to their reputation.
Some are devoted to their families, not as an expression of worship to God, but in an idolatrous attempt to extract purpose and pleasure from people.
Some are riddled with anxieties because they idolatrously believe that if they think ahead well enough, they can provide security for themselves, rather than worshipping God by resting in his provision and protection.
What about you? What are you worshipping above God?
Discussion Starters
1. Read the passage and, as a group, list everything it says about God. What surprises you about this list? Why?
2. Read the passage and, as a group, list everything God wants his people to do or be like. What is most challenging about this list? Why?
3. In light of how we’ve fallen short of this list, why should God accept us as his people? (See Romans 3:21-26; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:7-12 for hints)
4. What does it mean to fear the Lord? (See Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 11:3; Hebrews 10:26-27 for hints)
5. Moses says God’s commands are for your good (v. 13). How are his commands for our good? (See Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 3:19-20; 1 John 5:3-5 for hints)
6. Read Deut. 10:17. What gods and lords do we often worship and serve above The God and The Lord? Why?
7. What would it look like for a person to love God with all his heart and soul as Deut. 10:12 describes?
8. How should the fact that God is God inform our prayers?
9. How can you serve each other as a group in light of this passage?
10. How can your group to pray for you? Pray together as a group.
