The Most Powerful Christian Song I Had Never Heard

“Tearing Down Your Idols” is the theme God put on my heart for this year’s revival services at the church I serve. I was looking for a song that captured the theme.  Hope and I looked for over an hour before we ran across this song.  Perhaps some of you have heard it.  I never had.  It’s powerful.  Here it is:

Listen to it again.  Let the words sink in. Make it a prayer.

The message of the song is one of the major themes woven throughout the Bible.

God created us to be HIS people. Our minds were made so we could know Him. Our ears are crafted to listen to His voice. Our hearts are intended to love Him above all others.

But we have gone astray. We have been seduced by false lovers.  We have listened to the world’s lies. We crave other things more than we desire our Creator.  We worship idols.

What are your idols?

Where do you run to find relief and shelter?  To alcohol, nicotine, opioids, or other drugs?  To TV?  Porn? Gossip? Shopping? Comfort food? If the answer isn’t God, you’ve got an idol.

What captures your imagination?  What do you dream about getting?  Money? Sex? Power? Revenge?  If the answer isn’t God you’ve got an idol.

What is it that you can’t live without?  Your family?  Your safety? Your comfort? Your bank account? Your position? Your pride?  If the answer isn’t God, you’ve got an idol.

What drives your priorities?  What determines how you spend your minutes, days, and years?  A comfortable retirement?  More money? Seeking pleasure?  If the answer isn’t God, you’ve got an idol.

What does the Bible tell us we should do with our idols?  Coddle them?  Perhaps try to wean ourselves gently off them?  No!  The great men of God tore down their idols (Judges 6:25); they burned them (2 Kings 23:4); they ground them to dust (2 Kings 23:6); they crushed and destroyed them (2 Kings 23:12).

Don’t expect getting rid of your idols to be quick or easy.  Idols are popular.  Idols are adored.  Idols have been passed down for generations.  The idols and the idol worshippers will fight to keep their illegitimate place in your heart.

So get down on your knees.  Seek God’s grace and power and strength.  Pull down the idols.  Don’t give up.  Expect a long war.  When you’re knocked down, cry out to God and get back up. Get help from your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Walk forward, seek Christian counsel, get prayed for, get radical, do whatever it takes, and keep at it.  Gouge out your eye (Matthew 5:29).  Cut off your hand (Matthew 5:30). Crucify your desires (Galatians 5:24). Put them to death (Colossians 3:5).

Will it be worth it? What will you get in place of all your powerless, deceiving, empty, life-draining idols?

Jesus.

I don’t mean you get saved by getting rid of your idols.  We get saved by grace through faith in Christ.  I mean that as we get rid of idols our hearts become free to focus more fully on Christ.  Our walk with Him is closer.  We are filled and empowered by His Holy Spirit.  He gives us new ministries.  He bears more fruit through us.  We have more joy, faithfulness, goodness, peace, and self-control. His love shines through us more brightly. We are blessed and everyone around us is blessed.  Getting rid of idols is hard, painful, and difficult work.  Is it worth it?  Oh, yeah.

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

(1 John 5:20-21 NIV)

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .