Gods that are no gods [Jeremiah 5:7]

"Gods that are no gods" [Jer 5:7] an abomi-NATION

In a book in 1995 Chuck Swindoll quoted Gordon Dahl [1972]: "Most middle-class Americans tend to: worship their work; work at their play; and play at their worship." [http://wava.oneplace.com/ministries/insight_for_living/Article.asp?article_id=539]

Which god do we Americans actually worship? Is it our work, our country, or something else?

Using some of Craig Ott’s research of ideas and attitudes at the formation of this country:

The work of the founding fathers, while greatly influenced by Enlightenment principle of reason, correctly understood that reason cannot stand alone and must be used in submission to God in order to function properly. As many of them observed, the government they established in the Constitution was only possible for a nation whose people served God. For example, consider the following:

Patrick Henry said: "It cannot be emphasised too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

Samuel Adams, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence said: "We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come."

Thomas Jefferson, usually considered the secularist, said:

"The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty."

"I shall need, too, the favour of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life; who has covered our infancy with His providence and our riper years with His wisdom and power."

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."

(Interestingly, Jefferson attended church during the course of his presidency. Where did he attend? Each Sunday he was found in the largest congregation then meeting in the country, that congregation met in the House of Representatives for church services. During this same time another congregation was attending church in the Supreme Court building.)

George Washington

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

Daniel Webster

"If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."

Benjamin Franklin

"In the submission to God's will and the laws of nature, may be found the tranquility of mind that brings peace and contentment as the night comes on."

"In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for divine protection. Our prayers were heard, and they were graciously answered . . . Have we now forgotten this powerful friend? Or do we no longer need his assistance?

I have lived a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: 'that God governs the affairs of man.' And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without his aid?"

"Whoever shall introduce into public affairs the principals of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world."

John Quincy Adams

"I shall look for whatever success may attend my public service; and knowing that 'except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain,' with fervent supplications for His favour, to His overruling providence I commit with humble but fearless confidence my own fate and the future destinies of my country."

Reading the words of the founders of this country should reveal that the god they were referring to was the God of the Holy Bible that included the New Testament. He is not the god of the Muslims and the scripture is not the Koran or the Book of Mormon. This God’s prophets do not include Charles Darwin, Carl Sagan, Hugh Hefner, Margaret Sanger, Donald Trump or even Bill Gates. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and the New York Times did not write the Bible.

Look again at the list of names that signed the Declaration of Independence. It is a list of people who believed in the God of the Bible back in July of 1776. Not Allah. And they were not atheists. Most – if not all – believed in Jesus as their Redeemer and surprisingly, most were of the Protestant interpretation of Christianity. They had and understood the concept of a covenant relationship with God and within that context, of course the Ten Commandments make sense. When you don’t have a covenant relationship with God, the Ten are offensive.

Today, have Americans changed their covenant by changing God to gods that are not really gods? What do we as Americans worship, anyway? What is worship and how do we do it?

Each of us has ideas of what worship actually is. Today in our circles, if you are not standing with arms in the air singing "praise choruses," you are not worshiping. Other Christians must have ornate church buildings with leaders in robes – and pipe organs. Some cannot "worship" without being in a particular denominational setting – and then they complain about the "worship." What does scripture suggest about worship?

Jer 5:7-9 "Why should I forgive you?

Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods.

I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.

8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife.

9 Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD.

"Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Judah changed her worship from God, Creator of all things, to "gods that are not gods." God, Creator of all things, had "supplied all their needs." Yet, they worshiped something else that could not supply all their needs. Are Americans now doing the same?

Jer 25:5-7 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you."

7 "But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves."

These "other gods" are made by the people who worship them. They are constructed by their own hands.

Jer 2:28 Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you

when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah.

Who or what we worship is who or what we think provides our needs. As humans, we worship what we perceive as the source of our needs. That perception and how we act because of that perception may actually be what worship really is rather than singing choruses projected on the wall to the accompaniment of guitars and drums. Whom do we depend upon to meet our needs? God the Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth or something else we have created?

DO WE WORSHIP OUR GOVERNMENT – The United States of America?

Freedom, democracy, a representative republic, has proven to be the absolute best form of governing so far. America has wealth, prosperity, and a certain level of peace. America has developed technology at a level unmatched in human history. The rest of the world wants what America has. Because of America and American ingenuity, there is an abundance of food, relief from levels of disease, comfort factors and entertainment unmatched around the globe. Our poverty level looks like exceeding wealth to the rest of the world. America does indeed meet our needs. Do we worship America?

One of the reasons America is great includes the founding principles of Christianity. Not paganism, not Wiccan, not atheism, not liberalism, not Communism, not conservatism, not Mormonism, not Islam, not Hinduism, not even Scientology. Because of the Christian basis of thinking of the founders, all other thinking is tolerated: "treat your neighbor as your self." There is a risk in this. They knew who God was and is and did not forget. Have we forgotten? America, in all its greatness, is not provider of all things, but do we worship her as our god: provider of our needs. Will the day come when the prophets will tell us, "Why don’t you call on your god, America, to come to your rescue."? Have we been worshiping America?

DO WE WORSHIP WORK? Does that mean our job is one of our American gods?

We have to consider why we work. The apostle Paul tells us:

2 Thess 3:10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work , he shall not eat ."

Eccl 2:24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work

Work meets our needs: Food or money for food; Clothing or money for clothing; Shelter or money for shelter. We work to meet our needs – unless the government is providing them. Then we work the government system to our own personal advantage. Since our job provides our needs and we perceive that work provides our needs, do we fall into worshiping our work? What is our priority? Will work keep us from actually worshiping God who truly meets all our needs. Or will the prophet tell us one day, "Why don’t you call on your god, your job, your profit, to come and rescue you?" Will your career save your soul or provide you eternal life?

WE WORSHIP OUR CHURCH. Can church or the practice of religion become a god to us? Those of us who are so wise and spiritual that we know and recognize false religions, cults, and dead denominations – and even denominations that should be dead – are confident that "they" are worshiping wrong. However, "We are worshiping correctly."

Does religion or church meet all our needs? It seems to meet a spiritual need of some kind. It meets a social need. It satisfies a desire for comfort with the unknown future and after death questions. It allows and facilitates good-feeling benevolence – a sense of helping others and doing good things. Depending upon the forms, the teaching, the liturgies, the things done from incense to strange sounds, some kind of "worship" happens. Needs have been met. And we know of any number of people who must be at a particular church event or some unknown sin has happened. (That attitude is probably better than those who will use any excuse not to attend a church event.) But is church a god that is not God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth? Do we expect our religious efforts to meet all our needs? Will the prophets one day say, "Why don’t you call on your denomination to meet your needs?" But that denomination has replaced God with the program they have created.

Jeremiah 5:9; 5:29; 9:9 Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD.

"Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Have we become so dependent upon our government that we in effect worship it as supplying all our needs rather than God? Is our job or career so important because it is only through our ability to bring in coins into our household that we in effect worship it as our source and supply? Have we taken our religion to a level that is outside of what God has intended? What mountain do we worship on? Who provides our needs? Who do we think provides our needs. That is whom we worship?

DO WE WORSHIP JESUS?

We sing songs to Jesus, but rely on our government provision for freedom, security – even food. We tearfully cry out to God in church to meet our perceived needs, but have difficulty doing what God might want done at church if it interferes with work or play. Church and the apostolic teaching, prayer, fellowship and breaking of bread in church is only important if convenient compared to other priorities. And when a spiritual issue comes up, does the prophet have to say, "Why don’t you call on your god, whatever it was that you have been relying on, to help you?" Should I continue? "Let your American government, your job or source of money, your peculiar practice of religion, the things that you have actually been worshiping – let them provide you the hope of redemption and eternal life."

The American founding fathers first of all had a basic belief and understanding of Who provided all things and that was the God of Christianity. Is this exclusivity? Maybe. But it is also what works. "There is no other name." Think about what that means. Atheism does not have a source other than man. Allah wants your children to blow themselves up. It is when you address the God who is really a god, that things can happen. Those founding fathers of America men were willing to sacrifice their lives and their fortunes to establish a republic. There are few, if any, people in government right now who are willing to sacrifice their lives, much less their fortunes to create or preserve this democratic republic. Do you see Kerry, Kennedy, Clinton, or Rockefeller giving up their fortunes? A person gets into government to make money. And once a department or organization in government has been established, its own self existence is of greater importance than its original purpose.

The one exception is military personnel who are actually sacrificing life and fortune to preserve the republic. They, however, are despised by a significant portion of this population, the press, and even politicians who are not being blown up just because of military action. But America in all its greatness cannot provide redemption of the soul or the promise of eternal life. Our Generals cannot save your soul. Neither can the New York Times. And organizations like Planned Parenthood founded by Margaret Sanger act to destroy souls. We need to call upon a god who is indeed a god.

John 14:9-14 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father . How can you say, 'Show us the Father '? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

What do we worship? What do we rely on to meet our needs? Jesus or something else?

Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Today, while it is yet today, call on the Name of Jesus.