chapter ten first corinthians chapter ten and verse fourteen wherefore my dearly beloved flee from idolatry i speak as to wise men judge me what i say telling us the one thing that is wise to do in this world and that is flee from idolatry. In other words, if you see it, go in the other direction. This morning I want to speak on the battle that's going on in the world. In other words, God is against the gods or the struggle that is behind the struggle. You'll notice in the paper we had the gods in small letters, only the eternal God in capital letters, because the other gods do not have light. They are not real as we understand them. And the struggle, and yet there is a struggle going on, and it's the struggle behind the struggle. In other words, you remember the incident about Lysa, and he was indolent, And he had his servant with him, and the hills all around Dozen were covered with the Samaritan or Syrian army. And it was because of this. Every time the Syrian king dispatched some of his army to a certain point where he thought he could invade the Israelite territory, it seemed that every time his army was dispatched there, Also, he found that the Israelite army was also dispatched to oppose him. And he got his chief of staff together and asked why this is the case. He seemed to be stalled everywhere we go. And one of the men of the chief of staff said, why, Elisha, God tells this man Elisha everything you think and say in your room, in your home. that's why your forces are immediately opposed by the armies of Israel. Well, they said, how can we catch this man, Elisha? Well, at present he's in Dothan, and so the Syrian king he dispatched his army. And during the night they surrounded Dothan, and down in the valley was Elisha and his servant. As the morning broke, Why, the servant of Elisha, he saw the Syrian army all around on the hill. And he said to his master, O master, what shall we do? And all that Elisha said was, Lord, open his eyes. And when the eyes of his servant were opened, he saw another army above the army of the Syrians. It was God's army. So you have the material, visible, army of the Syrians on the mountains around about Dothan, but above them is God's army, the most powerful army. And so you have God's mighty army protecting his servant down there in the valley in Dothan, and the Syrians couldn't do much. And so Elisha said, Lord, strike this army, the Syrian army, with blindness. And that's exactly what happened. And Elisha, he led the Syrian army, blinded, into the very seats of the capital of Samaria. As I thought of that incident last night before he's pirating, I thought, what a picture of today. There are two forces in this world, and one... is spiritual, a spiritual force, a spiritual power, the armies of God, the hosts of God. We can't see them. We can't handle them with our natural life. And they are the forces that are behind the material forces that we see in the world today. And all I could say in thinking about this, If any of you do not see this, the struggle behind the struggle, behind all that's going on in the world today as we see it and know about it and read it, there are other forces, forces that are invisible, unseen, yet real forces, behind all the trouble we are able to see and read about every day in our local faith. Yes, the struggle of the unseen against the visible. This is real, and the Bible has a lot to say that, and a lot to say about that. All I can say is that you don't see that. Then may the Lord open your eyes. Just like a night of praise for his servants, Lord, open his eyes. And friends, you need your eyes open if you're going to see the spiritual conflict that's going on. And I can give you a scripture over in Ephesians six and eleven. He says in writing to Christians, Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle or struggle not against flesh and blood. but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickednesses in high places. And Paul is bringing out plainly that our enemies are not little. Our real enemies are principalities and powers and evil and wicked spirits. And they are using that which is material to attack us. and also to run the world, if that is possible. And the power of the devil is great through his legion. He is the God of his age, as we'll see a little later on. And unless you see these things, you've got to have your eyes open as a Christian. And like a man in John chapter nine, he says, once I was blind, now I see. Have your eyes been opened in salvation? If so, the Bible will be a new book to you, and you'll understand what I'm talking about this morning, the struggle behind the struggle. These spiritual, unseen, invisible forces that are operating in this world of the atmosphere is permeated with these evil and wicked spirits. And they're the ones that are making some of the very smart moves in the world. I couldn't help but reading Gray's editorial last night, and he was speaking about in our foreign policy, the Russians are showing more diplomacy and wisdom than we are. They haven't lost men and material. They're not fighting, and yet they're able to take over certain countries, Angola. Yes, they took that over, and they didn't fight us off. And yet, what did we pay for Vietnam? And they lost. Don't forget, these atheistic countries are getting a lot of help from the devil. I'll make no mistake about it. Your Bible is full of things like this. Now, the devil himself... was the first one guilty of idolatry. Why do I say that? He worshipped himself. He wanted the soul of God. He wanted God's place. And he says, I will ascend into the hill of the Lord. I'll delight the most high. You have that in Isaiah fourteen, and it kills twenty-eight. And here is who before his fall was a most beautiful preacher. One of the best of God's creation, if not be best, of God's wonderful created being. But he coveted the throne of God. He coveted the power of God. He wanted to replace God. And the Bible says covetousness which is idolatry. And so Satan He was his own idol. He worshiped himself. He wanted to replace God. The outcome was his idol's prayer, for God disposed of him. And when Satan was hurled out to the presence of God and a mighty host of angels followed him, what's been going on ever since, he said, this conflict. between God and his spiritual forces and Satan and his spiritual forces. And the conflict has been going on from the very beginning. And this verse I read to you in Ephesians is very significant, and if you want to read a lot of other passages in the Old Testament, you'll see how that certain nations were really supervised by one of Satan's lieutenants, and they had rule over certain municipalities. For instance, if you want to go back to ancient Babylon, or Egypt, you might go to Egypt. And this is what said about Egypt. It says, then Pharaoh also called the wise men, or there's a verse before that in Book Twelve of Chapter Twelve, for I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. God looks upon that scene that's behind the littles, and he said against all the gods of Egypt, and behind the gods of Egypt, there were spiritual powers. because of those Egyptians when they saw that idol of stone or wood. Behind that they saw a demon. They believed in demons. They believed in the unseen, and therefore they worship this little idol, be it made of wood or stone or gold. God says, I'm going to execute judgment upon all the gods and demons. And you can see what Pharaoh... He trusted in these, he says in the verse I was about to read a minute or two ago. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, the spiritists. Now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantment. When Pharaoh got in trouble, he called upon those who delved into spiritism, demonism. They were in touch with the devil. And the devil had his lieutenant or one of his princes, and that's the name, the Jews of these people. Against all the princes of Egypt, I will execute that. That term really means evil sinners. And here you find in Egypt, they worshipped all kinds of idols, but behind it all was that sinister being. Satan himself, and then an ancient Babylon state too were controlled by Satanic power. You remember in the third chapter when that big image was set up, and Nebuchadnezzar, he said, if anyone was found who would not call, who would call upon any other God save his God, and his image, he would be cast into the fiery furnace. There you see one of Satan's cohorts, the one of Satan's chief princes, and he's there working in ancient Babylon. And Nebuchadnezzar said that if anyone worships any other God but his God, and the gods of the Babylonians, he should be cast into the furnace of fire. And here's your concept. Did you go again to other countries like Persia? And in connection with Persia, There was a chief prince and a satanic being behind the government, controlling the government and connection with Persia. The other night it was taken up in the Bible study. Bobby Marshall was speaking here about Ezra. And you know what was going on in Israel at that time, or down in Babylon? God wanted his people to be brought up out of Babylon to rebuild the temple. and to reestablish worship. But there was a lot of activity going on in the spirit world. And I'm going to read to what we have. Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to station thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days, But lo, Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Perth. One of the chief princes of the devil had held back the answer to the day in Daniel's prayer for three years. So strong was that prince of the devil that here, Michael, had become and give us a... Because God didn't want those people to get up, his people to get up out to Babylon and go back to Jerusalem and build the temple and re-establish worship. And so here satanic power trying to prevent it. And then there's another instance after Persia, Greciah. And you can find this too in your Bible in Daniel. And he said, O man, that is Daniel greatly beloved. Fear not, fear not, keep thee unto thee. Be strong, ye be strong, and when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened and said, Let my Lord speak for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Lo, as thou wherefore I came unto thee. And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia. There's the prince of Persia. And when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Persia will come. Now if you know your history, you know the Babylonians and then the Persians, and then the Greeks. Now he says, when I get through, fighting against this prince, satanic prince of me as a person, I'm going to have to do the same against Greece. And here you find traits and forces interfering with God's forces. And God has to meet them. This is a conflict that's going on in the heavenlies all the time. We don't realize. We see things in the newspaper, but behind earthly government, there are spiritual powers. The Lord Jesus said, and it's remarkable, you yourself in Luke chapter four and verse six and seven, and the devil taking Christ up into the high mountains... show them all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, the Lord Jesus, all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me. And to whomsoever I will, I'll give it, the devil's saying that to the Lord Jesus. How did the devil get possession? When Adam and Eve fell, they stole this piece of property into the hands of the devil. And God's going to push it back to his son. And here the devil says, I'll give you all this. Don't go to the cross. Avoid the cross. If you'll just worship me, says the devil, I'll give you all these things. Assuring that Satan is behind and all these powers are in the earth, he says, I will give it. If thou, therefore, will worship me, all shall be thou. The Lord Jesus answered the devil and said, It's written, Satan, I'm going to get this world and all that's on it, that are going to believe in me. I'm not going to take it from you. You were able to get Adam to listen to you, and he said, I'm not going to do the same thing. I'm going to that cross and I'm going to purchase this piece of real estate back again. And I'm going to consign you to the lake of fire forever and forever. That'll be the final conversation. The final confrontation. But this is going on today in this world. One could come up to date. You talked about things like ancient nations and how they were controlled by the devil. I read just this week something by a man about Hitler. And this is what he says. Dr. Merrill F. Unger said in nineteen fifty-two, from comments from a German underground youth movement, every word out of Hitler's mouth is a lie. If he says peace, he means war. If he refers to the Almighty, he means the power of evil, the devil. Isn't that something? And anybody who knows anything about Adolf Hitler, he was really demon-possessed. He thought nothing of killing off a lot of his death generals and some in his arms when he had got into a ship. Many a time he threw himself on the floor, foamed at his mouth, he got mad when things went wrong. And the greatest evidence that he was of the devil, he slaughtered six millions. of Jews, and he confiscated all the possessions that ran into billions and billions and billions of dollars, and Hitler finally got what he deserved. Now there is a man I believe who was possessed of the devil, and look at the havoc he wrought in Europe and this world, showing what happens when the devil can get possession of a man. Don't forget, Christian, that you and I are subject to these powers, too. I've been talking about these ancient powers. But what about Israel? Here's a nation that had the true God. They turned from the true God to worship idols. Isn't that terrible? The golden calf. Something that's hard to believe. Moses went up into the presence of God. And he was going to be there forty days. And the children of Israel were so impatient. They said, where is this man Moses who brought us up out of Egypt? Let's make us a gardener back in Egypt. And they weren't even willing to wait forty days. And Aaron, of all people, Aaron says, give me all your earrings and all your jewelry. And they did. And he said, we threw it into the fire and it came out of golden tab. Now who could believe that? Later on it says, he carved it, and they worshipped that golden calf. And I'll tell you, when God said Moses, hasten down to that people. For I hear music. They were each worshipping the calf. They were eating and drinking and dancing, and it was a lude, idle festival. Here they came with me. Idolatism. So too. That's the human heart. And one could go to Solomon with all his wisdom. He gave himself to idolatry. He married him and of other countries. He came from idolatrous countries, and they brought their little idols into Jerusalem. And he gave them a place to put it. And Solomon fell. And idolatry came into Israel. Think of Jeroboam. The man who died with this label,concerning Israel, the man that made Israel king, and for fifth the reign of fifteen kings in the Shepherds, those words were used concerning this man, Jeroboam, he made Israel king. He set up his idols, bold and bold, in Jans and in Jephthah and made the children of Israel worship those bold and bold. And God was angry. But I want to bring in something. David, even after his sin of adultery and murder, or when several of those wicked kings died, God says this. Their heart was not perfect before the Lord, their God, as was David. You say that, God say that about David. Yes. Was his heart perfect before God? And he submitted murder and adultery. Do you know why God said that? During the reign of all those kings, eighteen and all, who had gone into adultery, David never worshipped enough. God said his heart was perfect toward me. Although he did long and God chastised him for me, that God said there's one thing about David. He never worshiped the God. He was pure. His hands were clean from idolatry. If there's anything that God hates in this world, it's idolatry. It's a challenge to God. God hates it, and he'll hate it to the end, and he'll judge it to the end. So these are some of the things you learn from idolatry, what God thinks of this wicked, wicked thing, and the abominations that go with it, idolatry. And there's plenty of it in the world today. And I want you to know something. You'll find how God reacts. And he reacts to those idols that are made in various forms. And I'm going to read the first two commandments if you want to find them in the next verse twenty. How God reacts as to these idols. It says in Exodus twenty and verse three, Thou shalt have no other God before me. What does that mean? You're to worship one God. He is supreme. He is absolute. And you're to worship him exclusively. You're to have no other God before me or beside you before. What's the Second Commandment? Look at it. Thou shalt not make unto thee any grave an image. or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, there is a bird of the atmosphere, or that is in the earth beneath, that's on the earth, or that is in the waters under the earth. He said, don't you make any image of anything that flies in heaven, of anything, an image of anything that moves on the earth, and anything that's in the sea? What are you telling us? In the First Commandment, he says there is to be no false thought. Thou shalt not make unto thee any image like unto me. The next thing is form. He prohibits false form. He says, don't make a God like even an angel. And don't make a God even like me. You're to make nothing. in the way of an inn or an idol. And God in Isaiah tells us the story of the ridiculousness of idolatry. He says, here's a man who cuts down a tree and he takes half the wood and he burns it in the fire and the other half he makes an idol. And he worships. And behind that idol he sees a spirit, an evil spirit. And that's what he's talking about. And here are these two commandments. The first commandment prohibits False God. The Second Commandment prohibits false forms. The First and Second Commandment have to do with that which is material. God says, you ridiculous people, nonsensical people, worshiping material. You don't worship material. You worship a God who is a sinner. They that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. A lot of people think they have to have a little idol before them or a little God before them or a picture before them. They say, it helps me to pray. The Lord have mercy on them. I wonder if they're saved at all. You'll want an image to help you to pray. If I don't find anything like that in my Bible where you need an image to help you to pray or a picture. God said, don't you make anything in the way of a form? Anything. And here's something I want you to remember. In the Holy of Holies and the tabernacle where God dwelt, whether you know anything about this or not, a lot of you do. When the high priest of Israel went into the tabernacle, he went into the court where the animal was slain and into the holy place. And there it was the most holy. And in the most holy, when he stepped in there, did he see an image? Did he see a form, somebody like a man? He didn't see any form. Yet God was in the holy of holy. There was no form whatsoever in the holy of holy. God is not a form. God is a citizen. And God was in the Holy of Holies. You could walk around that tabernacle, and nothing would happen. If you stepped inside, just pushed that veil aside, and that high priest with all his clothing on and riches, if he'd have parted that curtain between the Holy Place and the most holy, the President of God, he'd have dropped dead. If he hadn't had the blood, privilege caused friends, there was no form in that place, no image of any kind. All he did was stand there in the presence of God, and the faith was lit up, there was a brilliance, there was a shakana, glory, there was no lamp in the Holy of Holies, no electricity, just the presence of God, and God concentrated his presence in that place. And there was no form of any kind. See, God tells them right here, don't you make an image like under what you think, Gaius. God takes anything that replaces him. He won't stand for it. I think it's a shame when you find people today and given themselves over the worthless thing, idols, and this is a great business, I'll tell you, idolatry and the making of idols is an industry all over the world. You remember the Acts, the Apostles, when gospel went into that town and the people got trade and they were thrown away the idols and the people who weren't making idols, they created a storm and we're going to lose our job. They were making idols to Diana, the goddess. And the gospel came in and the people got their eyes open and threw their idols away. And these men were going to lose all their jobs. They'd created a storm. And today, just like liquor, idolatry is an industry. It's a great business throughout the world. And here these men would have sooner had their jobs than see people delivered from idolatry and saved on the way to heaven. There are those that do the same today who manufacture liquor. What do they care about books and homes and people becoming alcoholics? They're making money. And idolatry is an industry. And it's a big industry. Now when you stop to thinking this is a serious thing I have never known it before in all my years, what commandment was it? that God took up the most faith to describe. I'm going to read it to you again. It's the one on idols. You'll read this verse five. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them that is idols, nor servants, For I, the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my command. God says, idolatry, I'll punish it unto the third and fourth generations. That said only of the commandment, thou shalt not worship an idol. Look at the other commandment God gave. He says, thou shalt remember the Sabbath day. If you break that, you're the next generation I'm going to suffer for, or the next generation, or the next generation. The next, the other commandments, thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother. If you don't read, I will punish that. If you don't honor your mother and father, I'll punish unto the third and fourth generation. Or the other one, thou shalt not kill. God said, you kill somebody. The third and fourth generation. And he said, thou shalt not commit adultery. If a person changes character as life by adultery, like the next generation, forget all about it. That's not punished unto the third or fourth generation. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Now he'll break that. That's not going to be punished unto the third or fourth generation. If thou shalt see it, he says thou shalt not see it. He'll see it something. That's not going to be punished unto the third or fourth generation. without sin against thy neighbor. That's not going to be punished unto the third or fourth generation, but idolatry is only commandment that God says, I'll punish it unto the third and fourth generation, showing how serious this crime is and how God is going to punish it. Because the future generations are going to, when people engage in idolatry, Here are children. Now, what's the thing that impresses little ones? You go to a place where they believe in idols. The first impression of God those little children get is of that idol. God's like that. God's like that. That child already has been brainwashed with idolatry, and it looks at his little idol, and it worships him, talks to him. That generation is for us. And the next generation follows in its tracks. And the next generation. Idolatry got in with one idol coming in to begin with, and then the whole nation was made idolatry. God says, here is a sin, but I'm going to punish unto the third and fourth generation. It's the worst sin for young children to be exposed to their little eyes, their little claws. seriously. And I'll tell you something else there. There are two things. You'll notice what he says at the end of verse five. The children unto the third is going to punish, visit the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate thee. Now there's only one self I find about the third and fourth generation. You'll find this in Deuteronomy seven nine. Know, therefore, that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep this commandment unto a thousand generations. God says, you give yourself to idolatry, and I'll punish unto the third and fourth of your generation. But it says, those who don't engage in idolatry. And if they're faithful to a living in the true God, he says, I'll bless their generations in the path of it. And he says in connection with the one who's given to idolatry, they hate me. And I'll punish them the first and second and third and fourth generally. But those who do not, I've given in self-idolity, but love God with all their heart and soul, God says, I'll bless their generations even if there be a thousand. See how serious idolatry is? Something that replaces God. Something that takes God's place. And there's a lot of ones that pray about that. I wonder if you this morning realize there's little idols in your life and you know things that take God's place, things you bow down to. And God has to step aside. Are you guilty of idolatry? When Paul went into Athens, he was at Mars Hill, and he looked around, he saw idols at every street, almost in front of every grove. He says, you men are too superstitious or too religious. I beheld your devotion. He says, you are too superstitious. And he said, I also saw a superstition to the unknown God. Now he says, whom you ignorantly worship, I'm going to declare unto you, that big conception to the unknown God. Here are people worshipping an unknown God, a God they don't know anything about. It's all imaginative. Imagine it. Here is this unknown God. People today are worshiping a God they don't know. Unknown as to His holiness, unknown as to His demands, unknown as to His righteousness, unknown as to His love, unknown as to His grace, and unknown as to His judgment. God says in the seventeenth of Acts and reading when you go home, he said, this string of idolatry, I've been merciful. and to a certain extent I've overlooked it. But now, he says, I command all men everywhere to repent. For I have appointed the day when I go and judge the world. And if there's any sin God will punish in this world and punish in the next, it's idolatry. Idolatry. These idols are just more or less concepts of God. And it's horrible. You see on TV about these foreign countries that are given over to idolatry. And you look at what the unaided mind of man, a mind that knows nothing of the Bible, a mind that knows nothing of the Holy Spirit. Look at their conception of God, a horrible, hateful-looking beast. And that's what they think God's like. Terrible-looking idols. Horrible-looking idols. Well, that's what they think this God's like the way out there in the universe. And their mind is warped. And that's the description of the God they think is behind that idea. I want to ask some of you, parents, and I want to say it lovingly, what concept do you have of the living and true God? Likely, your concept and the description of the living God in your knowledge and your life is going to impress your children. What is your conception of God? Is your conception of God that is a God, a beautiful God? No artist contains God. You contain God because God is love. God is gracious. God is righteousness. Can you paint that? Where do you get the right conception of God and the right picture of God? The God, man and self, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Yes. And that word was made blessed and dwelt among us, and we beheld as glory, the glory as among the only begotten of the Father, full of great princes. If you want the right and proper concepts of God, you'll have to get it in the Bible. For God has unveiled himself in the Bible. I'm not trusting any image or don't have faith in any image or picture that I see or could handle. No, my Bible tells me what God is like. And I'm willing to rest right there. And that's what God wants you to do. Simply believe, and if you're going to go to the others, the outside of the scriptures, like what is said, and I mentioned a while ago about this youth movement, talking about Hitler, he just reversed his, said, oh, I talk to the peace, he means war. Listen to this. And Christ is speaking, to religious men, educated men, scribes and Pharisees. He says, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning. Was he? Cain was of that wicked one and slew his brother. He was of the wicked one, a murderer, first murderer. He was of that wicked one. And he is a murderer from the beginning. He abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh, when Satan speaketh a lie, he speaketh of himself, for he is a liar and the follower. And so the devil and all his hosts and hordes, they are liars, they are murderers. And they have got one thing in mind, and that is to downgrade Christianity. And idolatry and Christianity are incompatible. You can't be a Christian and be an idolatry. You can't do that. And if you want the liar and the murderer, that's your choice. I want the one who says, I am the way, the truth, and light, not this. And Jesus Christ, is the only answer to every form of idolatry that it is in the world today. And some of you have got little things that are born again Christians, but now I'm coming down to things that apply to people today. You don't set a little idol up at the head of your bed and worship it. You know better than that. But there are little things in your life that are taking God's place. That's idolatry. Anything that takes God's place and has to do with your affection. It just simply means, friend, that you are guilty of a measure of idolatry. Anything that replaces God. And such, you'll see this. And if your parents, dear this morning, have children unsaved, they're going to get their concept of God through you. Not only what you say by your lips, by what you do in your life. That's where they're going to get the concept and impression of God. It's very wonder our text says flee from idolatry. If there's anything God hates and God will judge its idolatry in its tripless form, God has no praise for it. Lord Jesus is the only one who has fully revealed God. He says that himself, tell this, this is life eternal, that he might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ is now again. Do you want reality? It's in Jesus Christ. Will you receive it? Will you receive it now? The world hastens, or that might be confrontation between the powers of darkness headed up in the coming world dictator, when the devil concentrates all his power into the beast, and he's going to get them trying to the lake of fire. The victor over Satan is Christ. So your choice is between the devil and the Lord Jesus Christ. Take Christ, and ye shall be saved. Shall we pray? Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come before thee. We ask thy blessing on thy word. be thankful for it, thou have given it to us. May we be warned from thy word, and those of us who are saved, may we judge our lives in the light of thy presence, the teachings of thy word, and anyone who's unsaved, especially a parent, may they come to know Christ, lest they suffer in the second and third generation by their mistakes today. He asked you to know three of them. Amen.