Building Shrines

I think most Christians, when we read about ancient Israel building statues to Baal and we think similar to: "Man, what a bunch of idiots. They literally saw God part the Red Sea, and they're out here worshiping a statue with a cow head? Come on." Right? I mean, from the hindsight of several thousand years and a renaissance or two it can just seem silly to think of asking a statue to help you succeed in life.

And then we spend three hours doomscrolling through the latest political news convinced that if we just get the right person elected, everything will finally be okay.

The reality is that we're not as different from ancient Israel as we’d like to believe. We've just gotten better at hiding our idols.

The Shrines We Build

This last Sunday at Immanuel Fellowship I said something that I think bears repeating: If you want to know what you're actually worshiping, look at your calendar and your bank statement.

Because here's the piece, for the most part we don't build physical statues anymore. We're too sophisticated for that. Too modern. Too educated. But we absolutely build our own shrines. We just build them into our schedules. Into our budgets. Into the rhythms of our daily lives.

What Does Your Week Look Like?

Think about your last month. Where did your time actually go? Not where you wish it went or where you think it went. Where did it actually go?

• How many hours on social media?

• How many hours working late because you're convinced that this promotion will finally make you feel secure?

• How many hours researching, reading news, listening to podcasts about the state of the world, convinced that being fully informed will somehow give you control?

• How many hours pursuing comfort—Netflix, shopping, scrolling, numbing out?

• If we’re talking about numbing out, how about substance use? alchohol? nicotine? weed? etc?

And then ask yourself: How much time and energy did I spend in prayer? In Scripture? In actual, real community with other believers? Look, I'm definitely not trying to shame you or Jesus-Juke you here. I'm really not. I'm asking because I have to ask myself the same questions. And the answers aren't always pretty.

Now do the same thing with your bank statement.

What are you spending money on? What are you investing in? What are you building your life around?

Again, I'm not saying every dollar needs to go to the church or to missions or whatever. That's not the point.

The point is that your money follows your heart. Jesus said that. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

So what are you treasuring?

The Lie We Keep Believing

Here's the lie that Israel believed, and it’s the same lie that we believe today:

"If I can just get this thing, then everything will be okay."

For Israel, it was a king. If we just have a king like all the other nations, then we'll be safe. Then we'll be secure. Then we'll finally have what we need.

Never mind the fact that God had been their king. Never mind the fact that God had literally delivered them from slavery, parted seas, brought down walls, defeated armies. Never mind all of that.

They wanted something tangible. Something they could see. Something that felt more real than trusting an invisible God. And that is a relatable struggle

Our Version of the Same Lie

We do the exact same thing.

"If I can just get the right person elected..." Then the country will be saved. Then my kids will be safe. Then the culture will turn around. Then I can finally stop being anxious about the future.

"If I can just get the right job, the right degree, the right income level..." Then I'll feel successful. Then I'll feel secure. Then I'll finally be able to rest.

"If I can just find the right relationship..." Then I won't be lonely anymore. Then I'll feel loved. Then I'll feel complete.

"If I can just get my kids into the right school, the right activities, the right friend groups..." Then they'll turn out okay. Then I'll know I was a good parent. Then I can stop worrying.

I could keep going, but I’m guessing you see what I’m saying.

We take good things, things that aren't inherently bad, and we ask them to do what only God can do.

Why Our Idols Always Fail Us

Here's what Samuel told Israel, and here's what I need to hear on repeat:

"…worship the Lord with all your heart. Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless"

Your idol, and hear me when i say this… whatever it is, it can't save you.

The right political candidate can't save this country. I'm sorry, but they can't. They don't have that power. They don't have that authority. Even if they're a good leader, even if they do good things, they cannot fix what is fundamentally broken in the human heart.

The right career can't give you purpose and meaning. It just can't. I know people with incredible careers who are miserable.

The right relationship can't complete you. That's not what relationships are for. If you're looking to another broken, sinful human being to fill the hole in your heart, you're going to be disappointed. And you're going to crush them under the weight of expectations they were never meant to carry.

The right amount of information and control can't eliminate your anxiety. It won't. You can research and plan and prepare all you want, and you still won't be in control of your life. You never were.

None of these things are inherently bad. Be politically informed and involved! Seek out a job that is fulfilling and meets your financial needs. Build interconnected relationships! Learn about the world. Seriously. These things can be great, but they can’t handle being your ultimate thing. Our idols always fail us because they were never meant to carry the weight we're putting on them.

What We Actually Need

On our honeymoon, I watched an infomercial for this New Wave Infrared Convection Oven for like 40 minutes while I was trying to fix the TV. And by the end of it, I was convinced (And I mean 100% convinced) that my family needed this thing.

I mean think about all the chickens we could roast.

By God's grace, we were too broke to buy one and nobody gave us one as a wedding gift. To this day, I've never used one. I have no idea if they even work. Looking back, I’m guessing they are just glass air fryers.

But here's the thing: I didn't need a brand new New Wave Infrared Counter Top Convection Oven. You know what I needed? The regular oven that came with our house. The boring, normal, standard oven that was already there.

The Boring, Normal, Standard Answer

That's what our faith is like.

We don't need the new, flashy, exciting thing. We don't need the perfect political solution or the ideal career or the ultimate relationship or the complete control over our circumstances.

We need Christ.

Boring, mundane, everyday Jesus.

The same Jesus who saved you when you first believed. The same Jesus who's been carrying you this whole time. The same Jesus who will carry you into your future.

We need prayer. Regular, daily, sometimes boring prayer where we just talk to God about what's going on in our lives.

We need Scripture. Actually opening the Bible and reading it, even when it feels dry, even when we don't feel like it.

We need community. Real, messy, face-to-face community with other believers who know us and love us and call us out when we're chasing after idols again.

We need integrity. Just doing the next right thing in front of us, even when nobody's watching, even when it doesn't feel significant.

We need the regular oven that came with the house.

So What Do We Do?

Here's the beautiful thing about our God: He doesn't give up on us even when we're chasing after worthless idols.

Samuel tells Israel, "eah, you sinned. You asked for a king when you should have trusted God. That was wrong. But don't be afraid. Don't run away from God. Run to Him.

That's the same invitation for us too.

So What's Your Next Step?

What's one thing you need to do in response?

Maybe you need to close this tab right now and go pray. Just talk to God. Tell Him what's really going on in your heart.

Maybe you need to text a friend and ask them to grab coffee this week so you can be honest about what you've been struggling with.

Maybe you need to delete an app off your phone. Or set some boundaries around your work. Or have a hard conversation. Or say no to something. Or say yes to something.

Maybe you just need to sit in silence for five minutes and remember. Remember what God has done. Remember who He is. Remember that He's faithful.

Do that thing. Whatever it is, do it.

Because here's the truth: You don't need a new wave infrared convection oven. You need the regular oven that came with your house.

You don't need a new, flashy solution. You need Jesus. The same Jesus who's been with you all along.

And beloved, He's enough. He really is.

He's enough for your anxiety. He's enough for your broken relationships. He's enough for your uncertain future. He's enough for your deepest longings and your biggest fears and everything in between.

Jesus is enough.

That's the renewal that matters. That's the renewal that lasts.

That's the only renewal you actually need.

Three Things to Do This Week

1. Do an honest audit.

Look at your calendar. Look at your bank statement. Look at where your time and money actually went last month. Not to shame yourself, but to see clearly. What are you building your life around? What shrines have you constructed?

2. Confess it.

Just be honest with God. "Lord, I've been looking to this thing to give me what only You can give me. I've been trusting in this instead of trusting in You. Forgive me." He will. He's faithful to forgive.

3. Take one small step back toward Jesus.

Not ten steps. Not a complete life overhaul. Just one small step.

Maybe it's setting a timer on your social media apps. Maybe it's putting your phone in another room for the first hour you're awake so you can actually pray and read Scripture. Maybe it's saying no to one extra commitment so you can actually show up to small group. Maybe it's having an honest conversation with your spouse or a trusted friend about where you've been looking for security instead of looking to God.

Just one step. That's it.

Because here's what I'm learning: Renewal doesn't come from trying harder. It comes from trusting the One who already did the work.

One Last Thing

Before you go, I want you to know something:

God loves you.

Not because you've got it all figured out. Not because you've stopped chasing idols. Not because you're doing everything right.

He loves you because He's God and you're His.

And that love, that faithful, covenant, never-giving-up love, that's the foundation of all renewal.

You don't have to earn it. You don't have to perform for it. You don't have to clean yourself up first.

You just have to receive it.

So receive it today. Let God love you. Let Him carry you. Let Him be enough for you.

Because He is. He really, truly is.

Connect With Us

Immanuel Fellowship Church

We're a church in Ellisville Missouri that believes in the power of the gospel to transform lives. If you're in the area, we'd love to have you join us on Sunday mornings. Come as you are. Bring your questions. Bring your doubts. Bring your struggles. I can promise we’ll welcome you and we'll do our level best to point you to Jesus.

Questions? Want to talk? Email me at hello@ifcstl.com or call/text me at (636) 431 4708 I'd love to hear from you.

P.S. - Seriously though, if you actually own a New Wave Infrared Convection Oven and it's changed your life, I need to hear about it. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I do need one. (I'm kidding.) (Mostly.)