American Idolatry

Introduction:
In 1 Corinthians 8, the Spirit begins to focus on a big problem among Corinthian believers – idols.  We might think we can skip right over 1 Corinthians 8-10 because, “I don’t worship idols, this is not a problem.”  Truth is, there are plenty of idols available, plenty that are “main stream,” plenty of false gods and “high places” that are considered perfectly normal and innocent in our culture.  There are also lots ways for us to worship them.  So, let’s hear what the Spirit says to the churches…

American Idolatry:

Know-it-all ism (8:1-3)
First Corinthians 8:1 begins a discussion “concerning things offered to idols.”  This is the 2^nd major question being answered in this letter, the first being back in 1 Corinthians 7:1.  Remember that the church at Corinth was a church that enjoyed its Christian liberties, and we’ve already seen that such liberty had been an excuse leading them into much sin; we’ll see now that idolatry was a bag part of that.  The churches in Galatia were reprimanded for idolatry also, and Jesus rebuked most of the 7 churches in Rev 2-3 for the same thing.  The church at Corinth had asked something like, “Is it okay to eat food offered to idols?”  They were divided and some certainly thought, “No way!”  Others were thinking, “What’s the big deal, I can handle it!”

Verse 1 goes onto say, “we know that we all have knowledge…”  Let me ask you, is the Spirit confirming, “don’t worry, you know all you need to know?”  I don’t think so at all, given what was already said in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 which rebuked them for being carnally minded and not acting according to God’s wisdom; they were spiritually immature.  It would seem that this phrase “we all have knowledge” may be part of what the carnal church was saying to Paul and he was throwing it back at them.  Look at the next phrase… “knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”  If we have knowledge without love we get prideful, we become know-it-alls!  Ever talk to someone like that; someone that, no matter what you tell them, they’ve done it faster, more often, better, etc?  Their only care is that you’re impressed with them, that is extreme pride.  Knowledge without love makes us think and sometimes act like that.  Even as immature believers, we can gain enough knowledge about the Bible that we become know-it-alls, thinking we’ve arrived and no one can teach us anything we don’t already know.  That is a dangerous and foolish place to be.  God has infinitely more wisdom and understanding than we do and to think we can ever know it all is a ridiculously prideful.

Don’t forget that we are beginning a discussion about idols, but the first comments are about being puffed up with knowledge.  There is a big connection!  In verse 2 it is said even more plainly.  If you think you know it all...then you know nothing that you ought to know.  Learning the Bible without an intimate relationship with its author, God, is like learning all the stats of baseball, but never seeing a single game.  Can you imagine trying to understand what baseball is like if someone who has never seen a game, but studied the rules and stats is explaining it to you?  It’s like saying you know a song you’ve never heard just because you’ve memorized the words.  It’s like saying you can fly a plane because you’ve learned what all the controls do, but you’ve never actually been in a plane.  That is Christianity for many people in the Church in Corinth and in the church today…they know some facts and rules, but don’t know the Saviour.  Or maybe they do actually know Him, they just haven’t had any meaningful contact with Him for weeks or even months.  They go to church on the weekend, but for the other 167 hours in the week they are living for themselves and worshipping the idols in their lives.  They’re missing the whole thing!

What is the whole thing?  Loving God.  Loving Him and Him only.

Ignore It All-izm (8:4-6)
Now that we “know” that if we think we know it all, we know nothing, the discussion moves onto idolatry.  First Corinthians 8:4 says, “we know an idol is nothing and that there is one God.”  So, we think we know it all, but knowledge makes us pridful…armed with that pride we think we can tackle spiritual issues and questions.  Questions like, “Do I have an idolatry problem?”  “Is it really harmful of me to spend so much time and effort pursuing this thing (whatever the thing is)?”   The Christian liberty lovers in Corinth were certainly saying, “This idol stuff is nothing, it isn’t a problem.”  But the Holy Spirit soon led Paul to write 1 Corinthians 10:19-22 which says that an idol is something; they are backed by demons.”  Yes, the actual piece of stone or wood, that drink, those adult pictures and videos, that game, that relationship, that career, that perfect body, that car, whatever it is that we pursue, love and sacrifice for more than we pursue, love and sacrifice for God is an idol and behind it is a demon.  That is what the Spirit says to the Church, to Corinth and to us.  In his book, “gods at war,” Pastor Kyle Idleman tells of confronting someone who thought their actions were no big deal and he said, “instead of making a big deal out of nothing, are you sure you’re not making nothing out of a bid deal?”  He goes on to reveal how this person’s actions were driven by idolatry.  We dismiss this entire passage in 1 Corinthians 8 because we don’t “eat meat offered to idols.”  Really?  But we consume the meat on our TV that rams ungodly images, thoughts and influences down our throats.  We eat the meat in our sports arenas that consume our time, attention, and passion.  We chow down on paychecks, bigger houses, and better cars.  We feast on beauty products, fashionable clothing and jewelry that we just have to have or we’re nobody, or so we’re told.  We’ve got idols all over!!!  These things seem innocent or even necessary enough, but we make them a god, worshipping them instead of the One True God.  When we start digging into that struggle we’re dealing with – there’s probably an idol, a false god, under there.

I know many people, even many Christians might be thinking this is a little over the edge, pastor.  “Come on, all this stuff about idols, and demons, and false gods, aren’t you getting a little carried away?  After all, I know an idol is nothing” (1 Cor 8:4).  Well, “if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet…” (1 Cor 8:2), and “the things which the gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God” (1 Cor 10:20), and “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).  To minimize or deny idolatry and the demonic influences associated with them is to play perfectly into our enemy’s hand.  Satan wants us to write him off, think he is no big deal, because when we don’t take him seriously we give him an open door. 

Even in the next verse, 1 Corinthians 8:5, there is agreement with Eph 6:12…that there are many false gods/demons behind these idols.  Demons are real, as a believer in Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit we don’t need to fear them, but we do need to understand that they can influence us, especially if we are ignoring the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and our communion with Him.

YES, as 8:6 says, our God is One God and He is greater than all the demons, yes, yes, yes.  But those demons are still out there, behind our idols, doing everything to deceiving us and draw us away from worshipping God and into worshipping them. 

Do you remember the 1^st Commandment?  It says we are to have “No other gods before Me.”  Again, Kyle Idleman talks about this in “gods at war.”  When God says “have no other gods before Me,” He isn’t saying we put Him at the head of our god hierarchy, with God first and other gods down the chart.  Kyle says that the Hebrew means, “No other Gods in My presence.”  So think about that.  As a New Testament believer, we are given the Holy Spirit and we are His Temple…and we are to have no other gods in His presence.”  That means no idols in our life, thoughts, desires, practices, etc.  Nothing that we love, pursue and sacrifice for more than God.  Nothing else should even be a close second.

Conclusion:
Maybe you thought that since you know there is but One God, idolatry was not a problem.  Maybe you thought that due to Christian liberty, idolatry couldn’t be an issue anymore.  Maybe you’ve been wrong.