READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14

NEITHER BE YE IDOLATERS, as were some of them; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1 Corinthians 10:7

Many were called to the Promised Land but few actually entered because of idolatry. Idolatry is as real today as it was in the days of the Israelites. Almost every king of Israel had some kind of idol in his life. It is only king David and one other king who did not have an idol. Do not think that idolatry is a sin of the Old Testament. The New Testament warns us to keep ourselves from idols.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
1 John 5:21

Idols are things that are alternatives to God. The idols of today are money, jobs and opportunities. Anything that makes you rise up early and work hard is a type of idol. Anything that you obey is a type of idol. Anything that you yield yourself to and follow with all your heart is an idol. Anything that you yield yourself to, more than you yield yourself to God is an idol. Anything that is an alternative to Almighty God is an idol.

I asked some people to go to the mission field and start a church. They were unwilling to give themselves to the mission field, and travelled to America and Europe for work. There, they were prepared to live in a cold and difficult environment for many years to earn more money. After working for some time, some of them were transferred to difficult African nations for the organisation that they worked for. They were prepared to do these things for the international organisations that they worked for, but not for God. Some were also sent to live in “mission countries” without their families. For several years they lived and survived without their families. At other times, some were sent to dangerous war zones. Anything you yield yourself to, more than you yield yourself to God is an idol!

Today, people rise up early and watch pornography for hours. People have boyfriends and girlfriends whom they travel to visit. They make great sacrifices and spend time and money with these lovers. But they are not prepared to spend a few days at a church camp. It is important to ask yourself what you yield yourself to. Whom do you sacrifice to and what do you sacrifice for? God notices these things and they offend him greatly.