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Colin Smith: I reckon that at first sight, the Second Commandment looks pretty easy. It's rather like a wall or a rock that from a distance makes you say, "Hey, I could climb that one."

Now, I want to suggest to you that learning to truly worship God as He is, is indeed one of the greatest struggles of any of our lives.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible Weekend with Pastor Colin Smith. And Colin, I'm going to guess that the reason that many people who say, "Yeah, I worship God," find that a struggle is because they don't worship God as He truly is. They want to worship God as they'd like Him to be.

Colin Smith: Yeah, and the Bible has a name for that and it's idolatry. And I think most people think, "Hey, one thing I'm not is an idolater." I don't carve any wooden images or metal images or whatever else. But Steve, you really nailed it. Idolatry at its heart is making up our own God.

And of course, the tragedy of it is that a God that I make up in my own imagination dies with my own imagination and is absolutely no use to me because he has no existence, let alone any power to save.

Steve Hiller: And so, Colin, really it's important for all of us to learn who God says He is.

Colin Smith: Right. "I am who I am." That's the great statement with which God revealed Himself to Moses. In other words, He is saying, "I am who I say I am, not who you say I am." And He is God. He is God. Other people don't define us and it's not for us to go around defining God.

Steve Hiller: All right, so let's open our Bibles and learn more about this God of the Bible. We're in Colossians chapter one as we begin a message: "Your Struggle with Worship." Here's Pastor Colin Smith.

Colin Smith: A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting some folks who had come to this church for the very first time. They had heard the ministry on the radio program and because they had heard the ministry, they decided to come to visit the church. They came up at the front here to introduce themselves to me at the end of the service and they said, "It's nice to meet you. We've been listening to you on the radio." And then they paused and said, "You don't look anything like we imagined."

Now, this raises a very obvious question: What on earth did they imagine? I was tempted to ask and then discretion was the better part of valor. I thought, let's not go there in case it turns out that you are a huge disappointment to these people.

Now, it is the most natural thing in the world to project an image from our imagination of something or someone we have not seen. And God is invisible. And so it is therefore the most natural thing in the world, quite instinctive for us to create within our minds and sometimes in art and craft and sculpture images that are intended to point to Him, remind us of Him, represent Him in some kind of a way.

And at the very simplest level, the Second Commandment speaks to this issue: Don't make an idol. The problem with any image that is intended to represent God is that it can never do Him justice. Any image will, in its nature, be far, far, far less than God is to the point where it will distract us from Him more than it will draw us to Him.

And so just at a very simple level, I want to commend this for your consideration. The Second Commandment speaks directly to this issue. Now, I know that there are many folks who say that they find icons and sometimes beads and pictures as a kind of aid to devotion. And I want to ask you to consider this: Don't try to be wiser than God. It's very common for folks to say, "Yes, but I really worship God through this, and this is a thing that helps me to worship God." You will find that kind of language, by the way, very, very prominent within Hinduism. And the Second Commandment urges us not to go down that road.

Remember that images do as much to distract us from God as to represent Him to us. Think of the famous piece of artwork in the Sistine Chapel. You know, the image of God, the finger of God coming out of the sky gives some representation of His awesome power, none whatsoever of His love. You get that image fixed in your mind, you've got a distorted image of God because while it represents one thing, it obscures another. That's the problem.

Art is a created thing. It's limited as part of the creation. It cannot represent the Creator. Some of us were distracted by pictures of Jesus in children's books. Years later, in adult life, we carry with us some idea that Jesus is essentially spineless, anemic, and rather weak because that was the picture that we picked up from a children's book 50 years ago, and it stayed with us somewhere. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. Part of the truth, but it's obscured as much as it has revealed.

Many people wear little crucifixes. A crucifix is an image of Jesus on the cross. Now, that reveals something, doesn't it? It reveals and reminds that Jesus died on the cross for our sin. But it also obscures something: the fact that He's not on the cross now. He's risen from the dead. He's exalted. He is triumphant and His sacrifice for sin is completed. It is over. And my salvation is found by resting in this and by looking up to the risen Lord and Savior who loves me and embraces me and walks with me every day of my life.

So there's an issue here for us to consider, and perhaps for some of us to consider in a fresh way. Art and sculpture can capture the beauty and the wonder of creation; they are wonderful gifts that should be used in this way. But they cannot capture the glory of the Creator. And when art and sculpture attempts to capture the glory of the Creator, it obscures as much as it reveals.

Now, I want to suggest to you that that, of course, is one of our great difficulties in worship—not just in terms of art, but in terms of our whole thinking about God. You see, my most intimate experience of love, my most wonderful experience of being loved, doesn't get near the love of God for me. Our most awesome apprehension of power, the hurricanes we've seen in Florida that make us gasp with awe, they don't get near the awesome power of God.

And one of the struggles that I think we experience in worship is that too often we try and shave God down to a system of thought or to the limited horizons of our experience. And you just can't do that. God says, "To what will you compare me?" There is nothing with which we can compare the incomparable One.

And it's for that reason that worship is one of the most difficult challenges, one of the greatest struggles in all of our experience, and we're coming to look at it in the Second Commandment. I reckon that at first sight, the Second Commandment looks pretty easy. It's rather like a wall or a rock that from a distance makes you say, "Hey, I could climb that one." I might struggle with some of the other commandments but I've no totem poles in the garden. I'm not overwhelmed by some great urge to go and whittle a piece of wood that's going to be an object of worship. I'm just good on the Second Commandment.

Well, as we look at what it really means, we're going to see it goes far, far deeper than that. And I want to suggest to you that learning to truly worship God as He is, is indeed one of the greatest struggles of any of our lives.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible Weekend with Pastor Colin Smith and a message entitled, "Your Struggle with Worship." And we're going to pause here, but we'll get back to this message in just a moment. I hope you'll stay with us. Our message is part of a series called, "The Ten Greatest Struggles of Your Life," really an in-depth look at the Ten Commandments.

And if you ever miss a broadcast in the series, come and listen online at openthebible.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. You can also listen if you have the Open the Bible app. You'll find that for free at your App Store. That's a great way to listen on the go.

Well, one other thing I want to let you know about is Hike Through the Bible. It's a one-year journey all the way through the entire Bible story. A brand-new podcast from Open the Bible. And Pastor Colin is reading a section of his book by that same title, "Hike Through the Bible," and then discussing that content with friends. As you listen in, I think it's going to help you have a better understanding of the Bible's story and love Jesus more.

I'd encourage you to check out Hike Through the Bible. You'll find the podcast and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, and you can watch episodes on our YouTube channel. But whether you've connected with us on our podcast platform, the radio program, the app, or the website, it's all made possible because of your generosity. So thank you for giving to and supporting this ministry.

If you'd like to give a gift, you can do so online at openthebible.org or call 1-877-OPEN-365. Being a listener-supported ministry, we really can't do this without you. Again, our website is openthebible.org and the phone number is 1-877-673-6365. Let's get back to the message. Again, here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: I want to give you a famous definition of idolatry given hundreds of years ago by Augustine, a great leader of the Christian church. I've found this profoundly helpful and it opens up two dimensions that are involved in idolatry. Idolatry, says Augustine, is worshiping what should be used or using what should be worshiped. Very important definition. Idolatry, what is condemned within the Second Commandment: Idolatry is worshiping what should be used or using what should be worshiped.

And I found that I was helped to understand this better by a distinction that C.S. Lewis makes in his famous book, "The Screwtape Letters," between five different phrases. I'm going to give them to you and then we'll work them through together. Here are the five phrases: My boots, my dog, my wife, my country, and my God.

Now, it's very interesting that these phrases cover the entire spectrum of love. I can say that I love my boots, I love my dog, I love my wife, I love my country, I love my God. In fact, it's interesting as it happens that just the other week Karen and I were out shopping, she bought some new shoes, she's been wearing them to school, and just the other day she said to me, "I really love my new shoes." She'd been finding them really comfortable. Great. Later in the day, she said, "I love you."

Now, this is interesting, isn't it? I'm hoping that there is some kind of a difference or distinction between the way in which words are being used here. These five statements take you all the way from ownership to worship. From that which is to be used as a resource to the One who is to be worshiped alone. And I've found it helpful to understand that spectrum and then to ask the question: What do I mean when I say "my God"?

Let's look at the spectrum a little more closely together. First of all, my boots. Think about this. I choose the boots that I like. I choose them because they appeal to me, they fit my style, they make me look good, and they are comfortable for me to wear. They exist entirely for my comfort, my use, and my pleasure.

If I ever see a better pair of boots that I like much more than the ones that I've got, I will feel at liberty to change them. If I tire of my boots, if my boots wear out, I can replace them. My boots help me to avoid pain which I'd experience if I walked without them.

But if my boots ever cause me pain, I will dispose of them, of course, instantly. Now, let's move on to my dog. A dog has its uses, doesn't it? A dog can be a good friend, a dog can guard your property, a dog can make sure that you get some exercise that we all need. All kinds of uses for a dog.

But a man who treats a dog in the same way as he treats his boots is a disgrace. There is some loyalty here, there is some responsibility. The dog is more than the boots. You don't just have a dog to use it.

My wife. A man who cannot tell the difference between my boots and my wife is in big trouble. And actually, if you think about that, it's a pretty serious comment. Because isn't that precisely why some marriages are in big trouble today?

The tragedy is that instead of being a relationship of mutual love and support and comfort and strength, a partnership to pursue the glory of God, a marriage can too easily degenerate into a relationship in which two people use each other as a resource. I need him for the money to support my lifestyle. I need her to raise the kids. I need her for my image, my pleasure, or whatever.

And instead of being a relationship between two people in which there is mutual loving, caring, serving, and honoring, it becomes a relationship of use. And that's one step from a relationship of abuse.

See, when I was preparing this, I looked back to what I'd just written about the boots. Can I read you what I said about the boots? Only this time, we'll put in "my wife" or "my husband" instead of the boots. I find it quite revealing. I chose my wife because I like the way she looks. Because she fitted my style and because she's comfortable for me to be with. My wife exists entirely for my comfort, use, and pleasure. If I see a better wife, I can change her at will. If I tire of her or if she wears out, I will replace her. My wife helps me avoid pain and, of course, if she were ever to give me pain, I would dispose of her instantly.

But you see, that's not too far from where a lot of people are in our society today, right? See what happens in a society where we lose the capacity to regard another person as greater than ourselves.

My country. Here we move even further in the direction of responsibility. We're moving away from ownership all the time, you see. I own the boots. No sense really of owning the country. I belong to the country. The country is so much bigger than me.

You don't choose the country you like. You are loyal to the country to which you belong. My country is far bigger than me. There may be times when I am called upon to lay down my life for my country.

You remember President Kennedy's great words: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. You see, we're moving away from using something as a resource to serving something that is greater than ourselves.

And so we come to my God. Here we come to the relationship of worship in its purest form. And here's the problem: Some folks can't tell the difference between my God and my boots. And that's idolatry.

If you say "my God" with the same sense of wanting to try and use Him as a resource as you would mean when you say "my boots," you are an idolater. That's what idolatry is. It confuses the creation with the Creator. It takes Yahweh, who invites us into a personal relationship, and it regards Him as being there for my convenience and my pleasure.

So let's go back now to Augustine's definition of idolatry. Remember two parts: Idolatry is worshiping what should be used—in other words, taking stuff like the boots and putting it in the place of God. Or it is using what should be worshiped—taking God and regarding Him in the same way as you regard the boots. Think of these two things. Worshiping what should be used. Of course, that's what Paul talks about in Romans chapter 1 and verse 25: replacing the Creator with created things. And there's only one way to dethrone created things, and that is to ask the question: What are they for?

Take marriage. Marriage is a created thing. It is not eternal. It is a good gift of God given for a purpose. If I'm to avoid it taking the place of God and making an idol out of my marriage, I need to start asking the question: What is my marriage for? It's the most important question a young couple can ask before you get married. What is marriage for? It's the most important question for me or for any other married person to be asking now.

And the answer, of course, is that marriage is a partnership of mutual love and support so that two people together may serve God more effectively. If I have discovered that this is what it's for, then I will be prevented from making it an idol and putting it in the place of God.

Same with a family. What is a family for? So easy to think of a family as being an end in itself and putting the family in the place of God. The family is a created thing, created for a purpose. What is its purpose? So that children may be raised in the knowledge of God and an experience of His love reflected through parents and be given a good establishment for life itself. If that's what it's for, then I will understand how to pursue family life.

It's the same with money. I've got to ask the question: What is money for? And remember that money is a resource to be used, not a God to be worshiped. I am a steward of whatever He places into my hands. But what He places into my hands is given to me that it be used, used. If I don't use it, I'm making a God of it. So the question is, "Lord, how do you want me to use what you have given to me?" Don't let it become a God to me.

And maybe the most important question that an individual has to ask is: What am I for? Am I just a machine to be fine-tuned for physical performance? Am I a temporal soul to be expanded for endless experiences of pleasure? No. You and I are special creations of God. We are made intentionally by Him in His image for His glory. And that is why you cannot find the fulfillment of your own self or purpose apart from becoming a worshiper of Him. And that's the Second Commandment.

Steve Hiller: Well, unfortunately, we're going to have to hit the pause button right there. But we'll continue this message, "Your Struggle with Worship," next time here on Open the Bible Weekend. I think really a helpful look at what idolatry is and how for so many of us we may have that temptation and often fall into that temptation of worshiping what should be used. And anything that we put in the place of God is idolatry.

Well, today's message is part of a series called, "The Ten Greatest Struggles of Your Life," really a series looking at the Ten Commandments and seeing how they're not just an arbitrary list of rules that God gave, but these are actually addressing the ten greatest struggles of our lives even today. And if you ever miss a broadcast in the series, come and listen online. Our website is openthebible.org. You can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. Again, that's at openthebible.org.

Another way to listen is through the Open the Bible app. You'll find that for free at your App Store, and that's a great way to stay connected to Pastor Colin's teaching, to be able to listen on demand. Again, you'll find the app for free at your App Store or listen online at openthebible.org. Well, I love reading but admittedly I don't have a lot of time to read. So when I'm in the car, I listen to a lot of audiobooks, I listen to a lot of podcasts, and maybe that's you. You resonate and identify with that. If that's the case, we're excited about a brand-new podcast we want you to check out. It's called Hike Through the Bible.

Colin Smith: Yeah, and the Hike Through the Bible podcast will take you on a journey through the entire Bible story giving you the option of listening or watching rather than reading. And in each episode, I'll read a chapter of my book by that same title, "Hike Through the Bible," and then I'll discuss it with some friends. I hope you'll join me in hiking through the Bible. You'll grow in your faith, you'll deepen your grasp of scripture, and you'll come to love Jesus more. It's not too late to get started. You can subscribe to the Hike Through the Bible podcast for free wherever you get your podcasts, and you'll find more information at openthebible.org/hike. That's openthebible.org/hike.

Steve Hiller: Oh, thank you, Colin. I do hope that you'll take that hike through the Bible with Pastor Colin. Certainly look forward to doing that together. Again, if you want more information: openthebible.org/hike. For Pastor Colin Smith, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening and I hope you'll join us next time. Open the Bible Weekend is a listener-supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: Hi, this is Pastor Colin again and I want you to know about Watch Your Life. Watch Your Life is a six-session course that is geared for leaders but accessible to every believer. The six sessions will show you how to grow in godliness, how to feed on Christ, how to pray in the spirit, how to battle temptation, exercise faith, and discern God's will. There are questions at the end of each session and you can use them on your own or you can discuss them with a friend. For more information, visit openthebible.org/courses. That's openthebible.org/courses.