LESSON2
IDOLSWENEVERKNEWWEHAD— SUCCESS
Weallwanttowin.Weallwantvalidationinlife.Why?
Whohasn’tplayedaboardgameorpartygamewithasupposedgrown-upwho, whensheperformspoorly,whines,complains,andpoutslikeababy?Subtly,loss communicatestothispersonthatshehasn’tlearnedenoughinthislifetobe considered“smart.”We’veplayedsoftballwiththemiddle-agedguywhotakes thingsWAYtooseriouslyandisanembarrassmenttoeveryonepresent.Subtly,loss communicatestothisguythathe’sslowingdown,deteriorating,andmaybenever wasquiteasgoodashethought,that(atleastinhisownmind)he’saloserand maybealwayshasbeenaloser.Thesemaybesimplisticexamples,butthisdesirefor successexistsinmorecomplexformsthatareveryrealinmanyofourlives.
Everyhumanassumessuccessshouldbepartofhisorherworld.Perhapsthisisa holdoverfromcreation,whereprosperity,abundance,andsatisfactionwerethe norm.But,withtheworld’scollapseintosin,thisisnolongerthecase.Wereally haveahardtimebelievingthatinthisworldtheevilultimatelyoutweighsthegood. Butit’strue.That’swhywealleventuallydie.That’salsowhyGodeventuallywill destroythisplanetinitscurrentform.TheonlyreasonGodpreservesitfornowis forthesakeofhispeople,whomScripturecallsthe“salt(thatis,preservative)ofthe earth”(Matthew5:13).
Matthew 16:21-26
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” © 2016 Northwestern Publishing House. All
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Note: In context, this conversation occurs shortly before Jesus is about to enter what, in some respects, is BOTH the most successful AND least successful portion of his ministry.
1 Religiouspeopleareofteninclinedtobelievethatifthey’rewell-behaved,God will,or should,blessthem.Howdoesthistextdestroytheideathatfailureand sufferingmustbethedirectresultofunfaithfulness?
2. Howdoesthistext(specifically,Peter’sbehavior)adjustthewayweencourage otherswhoareexperiencingfailureorsufferinginlife?
3. Ingeneralterms,howdoestheworldtendtomeasuresuccessinlife?Whatdoes itlooklike?WhatdoesitsayaboutusasChristiansifwepursuethose measurableswiththesamelevelofdesire?
4. Inmorespecificterms,ourparticularidolsofsuccessmaytendtochangebased onvariableslikeageorgender.Usinggeneralizations,whatidolofsuccess comestomindforeachofthefollowinggroups?
YoungAdultMan:
YoungAdultWoman:
Middle-AgedMan:
Middle-AgedWoman:
Older-AgedMan:
Older-AgedWoman:
5. AccordingtoJesus,truediscipleshiprequiresawillingnesstodowhat? (vv.24-26)
6. Jesushimselfloathedtheideaofapparentworldlyfailure.Infact,heeven consultedhisheavenlyFatheraboutitinprayer(Matthew26:39;Mark14:36; Luke22:42;John17).Butintheend,hechoseearthlyloss,whichwasthewillof God.Howhasthisdecisionaffectedus?Whatdoesitteachusaboutapparent failuresinlife?AndhowdoesthelastingimpactofJesus’decisionaffectour approachtotheidolofsuccess?
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed. He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Mark 14:36
He also said, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Luke 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”
BONUS MATERIAL
Personalconfessiontime:Inthedesireofsharingwithyouhowdeeplyrootedthis idolofsuccessis,I’dliketosuggestthatpastorstoostrugglewiththisallthetime.
Myexperienceisthatpastorsaregenerallyniceguys.However,thereareprobably twodifferentreasonswhythey’resonice.Oneisthattheyhavecometoknowthe warmth,love,forgiveness,andgenerosityoftheirLord,andthisleadsthemasGod’s childrentoreflecttheloveandlightofChristintotheworld.Hopefullythat’sthe reasontheyarenicemostofthetime.Thesecondreason,however,thelessnoblesoundingreason,isthattheydesperatelywantasuccessfulministry,andtheyknow thatsuccessprobablyrequireskindnessevenwhenthey’renotalwaysfeelingit.
Yousee,peopleoftenself-assesstheirindividualworthbasedonthesuccessoftheir work.Pastorsarenodifferent.Ifattendanceispoor,offeringsarelow,andmembers arecomplaining,manypastorsfeelworthless.WeknowourjobistoproclaimGod’s Word,butdoingthatfaithfullydoesn’talwaysbringthesuccesswewant.Lookat thelonglistoftheprophetsofGodintheOldTestamentwhowererepeatedly rejected,whoseministriesshrunkratherthangrew,despitetheirfaithfulnesstothe messageofGod.Atacriticalmoment,themessengerofGodneedstomakea choice whatamIwillingtosacrifice?ShallIsacrificemypersonalvalidationon earth(success)forthetruthofGod’sWord?OrshallIsacrificethetruthofGod’s Wordforexternalsuccess?GodastutelysaysthroughtheprophetMicah, “If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!” (Micah 2:11).
1. Whataresometemptingwaysthatchurchesmaybendinordertoworshipthe falsegodofsuccess?
2. Whymustwebeverycarefulinseekingtodiscreditchurchesthatare experiencingsomenumericsuccess?Inotherwords,howcouldourcriticismbe aproductofourownidolofsuccess,nottheirs?
3. Sharesomestoriesofhowtheidolofsuccesshasaffectedyouoryourwork environmentinthebusiness(thatis,nonchurch)world.
Read Acts 17:16-31 (EHV).
16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was very distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he led a discussion in the synagogue with the Jews and those who feared God, as well as with those who happened to be in the marketplace every day.
18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this seed picker trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be someone who is proclaiming foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
19They took him and brought him to the council of the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are talking about? 20You seem to be bringing in some ideas that are strange to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean.” 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there enjoyed doing nothing more than telling or listening to something new.)
22Then Paul stood up in front of the council of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way. 23For as I was walking around and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’ Now what you worship as unknown this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made with hands. 25Neither is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, since he himself gives all people life and breath and everything they have. 26From one man, he made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth. He determined the appointed times and the boundaries where they would live. 27He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘Indeed, we are also his offspring.’
29“Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and planning. 30Although God overlooked the times of ignorance, he is now commanding all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he appointed. He provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
4. ExaminethereactionsoftheacademicelitetoPaul’sproclamationofthegospel. Whatdoesthissuggesttousabouthowmanywillreacttoourgospel proclamation?Whydosome,especiallythoseofhighsocialposition,reactso violentlyagainstthegospel?
5. TheacademiceliteofAthensconstitutedtheAreopagus.Whomightweconsider such“philosophers”today?Inwhatways,ifany,doesthisaffecthowweconduct ministrytoday?
Read 2 Kings 17:7-20 (EHV).
7This happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and they feared other gods. 8They walked in the practices of the nations, whom the Lord had driven out before the people of Israel, and the practices which the kings of Israel had introduced. 9The people of Israel did secret things against the Lord their God, which were not right. They also built high places for themselves in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. 10They set up sacred memorial stones and Asherah poles for themselves upon every high hill and under every leafy tree. 11They offered sacrifices at all the high places, like the nations that God drove out before them. They did evil things, provoking the Lord to anger. 12They served filthy idols even though the Lord had said to them, “You must not do this.”
13The Lord had warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers, saying, “Turn back from your evil ways and keep my commands and my regulations, according to the entire law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you through my servants the prophets.” 14But they did not listen. They made their necks just as stiff as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God.
15They rejected his regulations and the covenant which he made with their fathers and the testimony with which he warned them. They followed useless idols, and they became useless themselves. They followed the other nations around them, about whom the Lord had commanded them, “Do not do as they do.” 16They deserted all the commands of the Lord their God, and they made for themselves cast metal images, two calves. They made Asherah poles, and they bowed down to the whole army of the heavens, and they served Baal. 17They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire. They engaged in divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18So the Lord was furious with Israel, and he removed them from his presence. None was left—only the tribe of Judah.
19Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They walked in the practices which Israel introduced. 20So the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and he afflicted them. He gave them into the hand of plunderers until he cast them out of his presence.
6. TheIsraeliteswereGod’schosenpeopleandyettheyrepeatedlystruggledwith idolatry.Verse9tellsustheydid“secret”things Whatdoesthisremindusabout who practicesidolatry?Whatdoesthistellusabouthowweshouldspeak regardingthesin“outthere”intheworld?
7. WhatwasoneofthemajormistakesthatledtoIsrael’sproblemofidolatry?(See vv.8,15,19.)Whatshouldthisteachusaboutwhatorwhoweallowtoinfluence usandourdefinitionofsuccessinlife?
FURTHER PERSONAL TESTS FOR THE IDOL OF SUCCESS
Wouldyouagreewiththefollowingstatements?
• “LifeonlyhasmeaningifIgetlotsofthingsdone,Iamproductive,andthe workishighquality.”
• “LifeonlyhasmeaningifIhavemasteryovermyownlifeand/orinfluence overthelivesofothers.”
• “Ioftenfeeloverwhelmedandburdened,fearhumiliation,causeothersto feelused,andstrugglewithanger.”
Howoftendoyoucatchyourselfexperiencingenvyandresentmenttowardother successfulpeople?
Isithardforyoutocelebratethesuccessesofothers?
Howdoyourespondwhenothersachievesomethingthatyouwantbeforeyoudo?