The Useless Idols of the Heart (Sermon Outline)

*'The Lord gave me another message: "Go and proclaim this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says:*

*"I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness. In those days Israel was holy to the Lord, the first of his children. All who harmed his people were declared guilty, and disaster fell on them. I, the Lord, have spoken!"*

*Listen to the word of the Lord, descendants of Jacob, all you families of Israel! This is what the Lord says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves. They did not ask, 'Where is the Lord who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness — a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and death, where no one travels and no one lives?'"*

*"And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you. The priests did not ask, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who handled my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, following worthless idols."*

*"Therefore, I will bring my case against you," says the Lord. "And I will bring charges against your grandchildren, too. Go west and look in the land of Cyprus; go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone ever heard of anything as strange as this? Does any nation ever trade its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!"*

*"The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay," says the Lord.*

*"For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me — the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!"* Jeremiah 2:1-13

*These things happened long ago as examples, and the Scriptures were written to warn and encourage us by giving us hope.* Romans 15:4

Context

God's heart is revealed in the Old Testament.
God gives Israel a land flowing with milk and honey.
Israel does not fully obey the Lord and suffers under the Canaanites.
Israel becomes dissatisfied with God and begins worshiping other gods.
Jezebel and Ahab institutionalize the worship of Baal and Asherah in Israel (Samaria).
Manasseh institutionalizes Baal and Asherah worship in Judah (Jerusalem).
Israel spirals downward into exile.
God warns the people through Jeremiah.
Jesus speaks of living water to the Samaritan woman (Samaria).
Jesus speaks of living water to the Jews in the temple at the Feast of Tabernacles (Prosperity + Remembrance of the wilderness) (Jerusalem).

1\. The altar of our heart has room for one God. If it is not the true God, we will place a worthless idol there. That altar will never remain empty.

2\. The first evil of the people was tearing God from the altar of their hearts.

3\. The second evil was placing an idol on that altar.

4\. Spiritual coldness is a process, not a single act. I no longer pray, no longer read the Bible, no longer attend worship…

5\. God on the altar of our heart gives:

Meaning (who I am, what I have, what I do) (identity, calling, and purpose)
Security (what sustains me in adversity, peace)
Satisfaction (the joy of living)

6\. If God is torn from the altar, we will seek meaning, security, and satisfaction in the idol.

7\. Some useless idols of the heart:

Money
Success
Relationships
Power and Control
Pleasure and Comfort

8\. Why is the idol useless? Because it is a cracked cistern. It cannot hold water. It cannot quench the thirst we have.

Conclusion

God is a fountain of living water. Only He can offer meaning, security, and satisfaction — unconditionally and consistently.