From this we may gather that man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols… – John Calvin

It was this quote by John Calvin that captured the idea that our hearts are idol factories, always finding things other than God to be our ultimate satisfaction. Though this quote dates back to the 16^th century, idolatry is something that has been going on from the beginning of time. We see idolatry in Exodus 32 when God’s people make for themselves an idol of Gold, taking the form of a calf.

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

These are the same people who had seen God deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians; the same people who had experienced God passing over them in the land of Egypt; the same people who had witnessed the parting of the Red Sea; and the same people who had been given God’s Word through the Ten Commandments. The problem is, it didn’t take long for them to find their satisfaction in objects other than God alone.

Our culture thinks of idolatry as primitive statues or images that people worship like in the story of Exodus 32, but idols are anything we have in our lives that we feel as though we cannot live without. To identify an idol you can ask yourself the questions: “What do I feel as though I cannot live without?” Or “my life would be complete if only I could get/have ______?” “If I had _____ my life would have purpose.”

If an idol is something we feel we can’t live without, it could take many forms. Idols can be power, acceptance, romantic relationships, or anything that we think will bring us ultimate fulfillment. None of these mentioned are bad things, but what we do is turn good things into God things. We think the gifts God has given will bring the fulfillment that only He can bring. His gifts are simply that, gifts. We must learn to love the giver more than the gift.

Question: Are you able to see the idols you have in your own heart? What things do you think will bring you the fulfillment your heart desires? When your mind wanders, what does it go to? This is often a sign of an idol.

The problem with idols is that they will always come up short. In his book Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller states, “If we look to some created thing to give us the meaning, hope, and happiness that only God himself can give, it will eventually fail to deliver and break our hearts.”

While an idol will always come up short, The Lord Jesus Christ will never leave us hanging. He lived idol free, died for our idols, and ultimately paid the price for our idolatry so that we could be set free from looking to other things for fulfillment.

As you go throughout your day make this your prayer today: “God, help me identify idols in my heart, and may you set me free from looking to anything other than you for fulfillment and satisfaction.”

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

Moses is leading the people God called him to lead. He is serving as judge in every civil case. That’s ok because it’s what God called him to do right? Jethro, his father-in-law sees a different picture. Moses is doing what God called him to do but now the task is too great because there are so many people, and in order for his ministry to grow larger and multiply there must be a change.

Jethro’s advice is to multiply leaders. His advice is to train new leaders to lead and serve in ministry. The ministry of Moses Goes from slow and stale to growing and vibrant, all because he listened to great advice and he equipped new leaders.

If you’re a current leader in ministry, who can you find to begin training to help lead that area of ministry? God does not want, nor expect you to do it alone; instead his desire is for your ministry to multiply.

If you are not leading a particular area of ministry, where can you begin looking for opportunities to serve and help shoulder the load of someone else? God does want and expect that from all of us.

The body of Christ will grow from a multiplying ministry.

Ephesians 4:11-12 – “11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…”

In Exodus chapter 3 Moses experiences something like never before. He’s on the backside of a desert tending the flock of his father-in-law when he steps outside and sees a crazy sight. He notices there is a bush on fire but it’s not burning up. A voice comes from the bush speaking to Moses and realizes he is in the presence of God.

Verse 7 says, “Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hands of Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” Verse 9 states – “And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” God hears the suffering of His people and decides to act. What a wonderful truth, God acts on behalf of His people!

Moses has a response much like one we may have. He asks in verse 11, “who I am that I should go? Who should I say sent me?” He questions whether or not he is capable of going… He wonders if he can do what God asks… Moses reveals his insecurity.

What’s interesting is God’s response: God says to Moses, “I Am who I Am… Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God tells Moses not to worry about what he can’t do, rather rely on who God is! When Moses questions his own ability, God tells Moses; you don’t have to sweat anything because I Am.

When you question your own insecurities & wonder if God can use you, He replies, I Am. JD Greear, pastor of the Summit Church in Raleigh preached a sermon recently about the name of God. He finished his sermon by preaching these statements… To those who often give excuses, God promises to be all we need.

Here are his statements:

“God I am not very skilled, I know, I Am… Who could possibly be smart enough to figure this all out? I Am… How am I supposed to know which way to go? I Am… Who can I trust? I Am… I’m not sure who is really on my team? I Am… Nobody is listening to me, I Am… My marriage is crashing and I do not know where to turn, I Am… I’m 50 years old and I feel like I am starting all over, I Am… Everybody thinks I can’t do it, I Am… What if I fail again? I Am… I’m not sure I believe anymore, I Am… I can’t hold on, I Am… I am tired, I Am… I quit, I Am… I need a fresh start, I Am… Whatever you’re not, whatever you need, whatever you did not get from your parents or your teachers, what you are not getting from someone else, I AM!!!”

Today, know that whatever you’re afraid of, worried about, suffering from, or in need of… God says I AM.

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:1-10 ESV)

The people of Israel have now spent many years in the land of Egypt. What once was a great place for them to live has now turned into a place of oppression and distress. The Israelites are slaves being held captive, and God sees that His people are in need of help.  They need someone who will plead for them, serve them, and ultimately guide them through their affliction. Israel needs a leader, so God sends one. Even from the birth of Moses we see God’s sovereign hand playing a key role in his life.

Pharaoh had issued an order that all male Hebrew babies be thrown into the Nile River. Moses’s mother, afraid for his life hid him for three months before finally making a basket and sending her baby down the river. Along the way the daughter of Pharaoh discovered crying Moses in the basket and sent for a woman to nurse and take care of him. Moses’s nurse ended up being his own mother, and the child she was willing to relinquish was the child she began to see grow into God’s chosen man to lead His people.

Parents: Throughout our church’s current sermon series we have seen that kids are to parents like arrows in the hands of a warrior; they are to be sent as ‘weapons’ for God’s Kingdom. The mother of Moses risked so much in letting her child go. Moses could have been harmed or even killed, but the only way he could fulfill God’s purpose was to let him go and see God use Him. While she didn’t know the fullest extent of how God would use him, she took the risk anyway.

Challenge: will you commit to praying that your children will be like arrows in the hand of a warrior (Psalm 127:4)? Not to live a secured & protected life, but rather that you could raise them in such a way that builds God’s Kingdom?

For the rest of you: what are you willing to risk to serve God’s mission? With risk often comes great reward. A great leader was born and raised by the risk of a faithful woman; do you have this same potential? What is God calling you into that seems risky? Remember, in serving Christ the reward ALWAYS outweighs the risk.