The Freedom of Service (1st)

Romans 1:18–25

The first commandment, “You shall not worship any other gods before me,” suggests that we all tend to worship something, and it encourages us to honor the real God. The main problem for all people, whether they believe in God or not, is that they often worship false gods. This is the root of all wrongdoings. It’s important that we learn to control this tendency and understand the traditional teachings about the risks of idolatry.

1. We follow false gods

It’s built into our nature as humans to worship something, be it things we’ve made or the One who made us. This desire is behind everything else we do. We want to give our hearts and loyalty to something, which often makes us totally open and defenseless. Even people who don’t believe in God still worship something, maybe their freedom or something else they can’t live without. This thing becomes the most important part of their life, giving their life meaning.

2. What are the false gods we follow?

The sermon talks about how idolatry often looks like putting too much value on things like our jobs, our relationships, and our bodies. This can lead to problems like feeling alone and always trying to be perfect. The dangers of choosing these false gods over the love of Jesus are pointed out, encouraging people to think about what they’re afraid of, what they worry about, and how they spend their time and money to figure out what they’re really worshipping. The sermon ends by reminding us of the importance of asking for God’s forgiveness, warning us not to risk our salvation for idols, and saying that true happiness and purpose come from Jesus, not from worldly idols.