Modern Day Idols
8. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from birth, who never had walked:
9. The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly looking at and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10. Said with a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet.” And he leaped and walked.
11. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the Lycaonia language, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.”
12. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Idolatry Warnings
Many of us pay little attention to the word “idols” these days. It’s just a harmless little term that refers to something noticeable that we think of with high regards. We sometimes convince ourselves that there is no real damage that the idol can cause. With that, we justify making people, places, and things the object of our affection and even worship. On the one hand, the idol is really nothing at all for it has no life and no power, according to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:4. On the other hand, it is highly destructive because when a person turns to an idol, they abandon God Almighty and that is the real danger.
Some would go as far as to suggest that idolatry was an Old Testament phenomenon. It really did not apply in New Testament times. As you recall, God warned the children of Israel that they were not to make any ‘graven images’ or any likeness of any creature to worship, either in things in heaven or on the earth. If they made any images, that would be idolatry. God also warned them, “you shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3. Of all the people who had witnessed God’s presence among them, it was the children of Israel. They were miraculously delivered from bondage in Egypt. God opened the Red Sea so they could cross on dry land to get out of Egypt. When they entered Canaan, God miraculously opened the Jordan river so they could cross into the Promised Land. No other nation saw the miracles they saw and experienced the Presence of God as they did and yet they turned away from God to serve idols. God sent prophets to warn them of this evil and yet they rebelled and continued in their evil ways of serving idols as if they never knew God. What a horrible outcome for people who should have known better!
But that is not something we should have to worry about in the New Testament and certainly not in our day, right? Wrong! Idolatry is worse now than it was in the Old Testament and here are some examples. First, the definition for idolatry is anything that turns a person away from following God. The attractions and distractions of our age are nothing more than idols. The entire entertainment industry is founded on the goal of taking a person’s attention away from something as actors play their roles of pretending to be someone they are not. Greed is an idol as people want more and will do whatever they can to satisfy their insatiable appetites. Then you have the idols of sex that has people so confused that they can’t even determine their proper gender. The sad thing about idolatry is that the idols have no real power but only the power that individuals give them. People turn away from God, the One Who gives them life and every gift of goodness in order to serve tangible things and objects of man’s creation. The small video screen that is held in their hand becomes the altar on which people will sacrifice everything to something that cannot give them anything. The tragedy of idolatry is that man not only loses time, wealth, and energy, but they lose their soul. It is no wonder that people are cold and distant in today’s world. The idolatry has ruined the human ability to care about and for each other. That is the tragedy of idolatry.
Paul and Barnabas Fought Against Idolatry
It is a fact that our culture is filled with idolatry. The question arises, how do you deal with the idolatry and maintain your walk with God? The Scripture passage provides some powerful insights on how Paul and Barnabas dealt with idols in their day that is still practical for our times. It first starts with recognizing the problem. Then, as believers, we must understand how to respond quickly to the idol threat. Lastly, be prepared to suffer the consequences of standing up against pagan devotion.
As Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, Barnabas and Paul had been sent out by the Church to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with people that had never heard the Message of Salvation through Faith in Jesus. It is interesting, that each city they visited, they were able to find a local synagogue or meeting place where people gathered to read the Old Testament Scriptures. Their usual strategy was to use the Writings of the Law and the Prophets to lead into the discussion of Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy. God would grant that miracles and signs would follow to convince the listeners that this work was from God. They would then remain in the area until the work was complete or they would get “run out of town” by those who did not agree with their teachings. As they journeyed through the regions Lycaonia sharing the Gospel Message, a crippled man sat in the service and listened attentively to Paul and Barnabas preaching. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from birth, who never had walked … The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly looking at and perceiving that he had faith to be healed … Said with a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet.” And he leaped and walked. When the people saw this, the people were amazed and immediately began praising, not God, but their idols. They were giving honor to the gods they knew and chanted in the Lycaonia language, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.” In no time, the people were preparing to offer sacrifices to the gods of Jupiter and Mercurius to honor Paul and Barnabas. How would the Apostles respond to this?
As we take time to explore this topic of recognizing idolatry, it is critical that we understand that whenever the honor goes to anyone or anything else other than God, there is something false about the worship. While most Christians would agree that God is the one that is worthy of all the praise and glory, we don’t always deliver on that point. So often, we like to take a little credit for our efforts while we know full well that without God we could have done nothing. Paul and Barnabas immediately ran into the crowd tearing their clothes with grief when they discovered that the people were worshipping them. We are human like you and we preach to you so that you would turn away from these vanities and turn to the Living God. Acts 14:15. One of the reason why we don’t respond quickly to the idol threat is our tendency to seek some personal benefit. Our culture is so steeped in rewards that we often approach idol threats with the same “rewards mentality” that we apply to working a job or even playing the lottery. I would even go as far as to say that the quest for personal gain makes us targets for idolatry. No wonder the Apostle John ended his letter to the believers with the warning, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21
Not only is it critical to recognize the threat of idolatry, we also must respond quickly to the threat lest the impact of idolatry gains a foothold in our life. At this point, we might be tempted to ask, “who me?” The answer is “yes, you.” No one is above temptation and unless it is dealt with swiftly, it can lead you astray. Was not Solomon the wisest king in Israel’s history and even the world during his time and yet he was led astray to idolatry through the foreign wives he had married.
So here is the warning. Be careful of what promises to make you feel good. Be careful of the promises of something that comes to remove all your problems. Be careful when any thing promises to make you happy for the rest of your life. You will find that whatever that thing is, it is not only a lie, but is also an idol. God never promises to make us happy; He promises to make us Holy and to be with us forever.
So, how did Barnabas and Paul respond to the threat of the crowd making them their idol? They talked about God Almighty and the things that He had done. That shut down the false god worship immediately. They did not engage in rational thinking and discussion about the other gods – they simply exalted God. This is the reason why we attend worship. Each time you take time to sing, pray, read God’s Word, and offer thanks to God, you are effectively shutting down the idol threats in your own life. With each hallelujah to God, you are saying there is no one else before the Lord. God does not ask for your entire day, nor does He ask you to give Him all of your resources. God simply says, “Honor Me with your substance and with the first fruits of all your increase, then I will bless your barns with plenty and your vineyards will burst forth with abundance.” Responding to God by expressing love, gratitude, and submission to His Will is the key to living victorious over the idols of our time.
Dealing with the Consequences
Once the idol threat has been recognized and we have responded quickly to give God the honor and praise, we assume that all is well that ends well. But that is not always the case. Rejecting idolatry can make us a lightning rod for ridicule and outright persecution from those who don’t understand our walk of faith. In the case of Barnabas and Paul at Lystra, all was not well that ends well. Some hate-filled people from Antioch and Iconium convinced the crowds that the Apostles were threatening their way of life and this caused the crowds to stone Paul. Yet, even in the persecution, the Apostle gave and even greater witness that they were serving the True and Living God. Acts 14:20 is a critical verse on how to deal with persecution in the face of idolatry. Many thought that Paul was dead, howbeit, as the Disciples stood around him, he arose and came into the city; and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Paul continued to preach and stand for the Gospel of Christ despite the attacks and threats. It is the same for all of God’s children as we face the ever increasing threats of idolatry in our world. We must stand for Christ sake. We must stand so that others will find hope. We must stand because all other ground is sinking sand.
Here are several key points that we can glean from the text. First, know the difference between the world offering you a compliment and the world attempting to idolize you. In both cases, you can simply give all the honor and recognition to God. That will help you to recognize the idol threat. Second, when faced with the invitation to participate in the idolatry respond quickly with your faith. The Bible says that we should always be ready to give a reason for why we believe that God is real. You might even call this your testimony when you get to express that God is Good. Lastly, when persecution comes or affliction should strike because of your faith, don’t stay down. Get back up. Having done all to stand, God will give you the strength to withstand and you adorn yourself with the full Armor of God as your protection. You are not in the battle alone. There are other Disciples who will stand around you and pray your strength in the Lord. You have the Holy Spirit within you to guide and direct your every move. Remember always that the One Who lives in you is greater than the things of the world. God truly loves you and that will never change. Just stand!