Counterfeit Gods

Counterfeit Gods When empty promises let us down

Counterfeit Gods and empty promises When love is not all you need The seduction of success Money changes everything The power and the glory Winning through weakness

What is a counterfeit God? Old Testament: golden calves. New Testament: culture of Greco-Roman world. Anything that takes theplace of God in our lives.

Madonna: I have an iron will, and all of my will has always been to conquer some horrible feeling of inadequacy… My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that’s always pushing me. Even though I’vebecome Somebody,I still have to provethat I am somebody. My struggle has neverended and it probablynever will.

Human condition: the need to prove that we are somebody. Fear of inadequacy; mediocrity Driving force isn’t joy but fear. What am I worth?

We become achievement addicts. • But it’s an illusion. • We hit a high, get approval… • But the goal posts move • joy turns bitter • someone else succeeds • we are criticised • depression and loss of joy.

We become convinced that we can control our own destiny. Our security and value rests on our wisdom and success. Another counterfeit God.

False sense of security. Shocked when life is tough. Expect our success to keep us safe. Hard to maintain confidence. Confidence slips. We need to have and control the good opinion of others to feel better.

The idol of success breeds a culture of competition.

Traditional culture: personal worth is measured by honour. Modern culture: personal worth is measured by individualism. We are expected to develop our own identity and make our mark. Pressure to prove our worth through achievement.

Modern family life is susceptible. Are our homes safe havens or places where competition is bred and nurtured? Our culture strongly encourages us to accept this idol. And the church isn’t immune! That’s why Jesus was so keen to teach us to prefer others.

Also the idol of success breeds a desperate fear of failure. We dread being an outsider.

C.S Lewis: It’s a lust… a longing to be onthe inside which takes many forms. We want a delicious knowledge that just we 4 or 5, we are the people that really know. As long as we are governed by that desire we will never be satisfied. Until we conquer that fear of being an outsider, an outsider we will remain.

We do many things to beaccepted by those who matter. And insiders often live with raging insecurity.

Naaman seemed like he had everything. False illusion. He looked like an insider but there was a living death inside him. We can look like we have it all together but have a deep inadequacy inside.

2 Kings: 5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

3 She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 ‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekelsof gold and ten sets of clothing.

6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: ‘With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!’

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: ‘Why have you torn your robes? Make the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say,

‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’ 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better

than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?’ So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, “Wash and be cleansed”!’

14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please

accept a gift from your servant.’ 16 The prophet answered, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

This was how he understood religion. But this was something only God could do. Counterfeit God of success - achievement & social acceptance will bring salvation. Naaman: he will use his success to deal with his problem.

Israel's king got it.. v 7 Am I God? He had an understanding that God is in charge. No amount of hard work, success or devotion will put God in our debt. Naaman’s world viewwas about to be challenged.

Naaman and the seven ducks. Go, wash yourself seven times… v10 But Naaman went away angry... ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. v11 Slamming into his idol of success and pride.

The insult…? It took no achievement. Salvation is something we receive. We will never earn our salvation or acceptance. Just wash… v10 Naaman had to admit he was weak and helpless. All he needed was nothing. Now I know..v15

1 Cor 1:27 – 30 (The Message) God deliberately chose menand women that the cultureoverlooks and exploits andabuses, chose these nobodiesto expose the hollow pretensions of the somebodies. That makes it quite clear that none of us can get by with blowing our own horn before God. Everything that we have - right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start - comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.

How do we shift this deep addiction? It’s not enough to just choose not to! It can’t just be expelled; it must be replaced. We need the Holy Spirit to break ourfixation on doing something greatto heal our deep senseof inadequacy.

And notice the servants… Jesus is the ultimate servant. He stepped out of heaven toserve us. He’s done the big deedso we can get the healing& freedom we need.

Jesus: our example He was often pushed to take power. But he showed that the place of weakness is where we draw nearer to God. God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Cor 1:27

Just wash…

Counterfeit Gods