The Idolatry Of The Nations

The speaker opens by reflecting on the nation's bicentennial celebrations and warns that few countries survive beyond two centuries. Citing the historian Edward Gibbon, he outlines four cycles of a nation's life—discovery, cultivation, leisure, and destruction—and argues that America is now straddling the luxury stage and the brink of annihilation. He blames modern ideologies, especially communism, for attacking the nation's moral foundation, and he emphasizes that America’s true strength lies in its relationship to God and its moral integrity. Turning to Scripture, the speaker identifies three chief idols that have led nations to ruin, drawing parallels between the ancient Roman world and contemporary America. He describes the first idol as the worship of sensationalism and constant novelty—an endless chase for thrills, movies, sports, and entertainment that never satisfies the soul. The second idol is the goddess of sex, a pervasive preoccupation with lust and pornography that mirrors the ancient worship of Diana. The third idol is the love of wealth, where money becomes a god and people risk their morals for profit. He urges listeners to confess these idols, repent, and seek a revival rooted in true devotion to God, believing that such a spiritual renewal can extend the nation’s life for another century.

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Houston's First Baptist Church is a relevant biblical community where we gather our hearts, grow our souls and give our lives as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This podcast provides weekly messages from Pastor Gregg Matte and others. Visit us at HoustonsFirst.org to learn more about HFBC, and visit us in person the next time you're in Houston!

Our president has announced, as he began on the 4th, the celebration activities for the 200 bicentennial celebration of the birth of our country. That he was going to be using the expression, and he did so repeatedly in his speech, that as we look forward to our 300th years, that we'll be doing this and that. That's a beautiful sound. I hope we have another 100 years. I hope that our nation lives to survive and celebrate a 300th birthday as we have a 100th and a 200th. But the truth of the matter is that not very many nations have ever survived more than 200 years. Edward Gibbon, eminent historian, says that nations go through four cycles, periods of discovery and development, periods of cultivation and colonization, a third period of leisure and luxury, and a fourth period of destruction and annihilation. And today, anyone knows that America is standing with one foot in the period of leisure and luxury, and the other over the fourth, the abyss of destruction and annihilation. The Roman Empire lasted 500 years, but she was dying long before that. In 1907, a group of men met in a little bohemian village and promised that they were going to band themselves together with a new philosophy that came to be known as communism, and changed the face of the world and obliterate the myth of God from the minds of men forever. In 1917, these men wrote the Communist Manifesto, in which they said, We shall take Eastern Asia, then Europe and India, thereby encircling the United States, and then we shall drop bombs. Then we shall invade. Then we shall attack. No. Then we shall await America's inner decay, and victory will be ours. Whether the courts and our officials and our politicians and our people realize it or not, communists realize that the strength of this nation is in her moral integrity. And I think sometimes that we make fools out of ourselves in the name of liberty and license and allowing certain kinds of movies and books and practices and laws to go on under the name of freedom and liberty and justice. The truth of the matter is that there are certain factors and forces that are eating away today at the fiber of this country, whose strength is exclusively a moral one. Other nations have been richer, others more powerful and more genius. But anyone that knows American history knows that this nation's strength is in her moral integrity and her relationship to God. And she has been a test tube, an experiment, a showcase, a window dressing to the nations to show the world what God will do with a country that will exalt him. And the truth of that scripture which says that righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. The history of the world, the history of God is a history of God's people coming time and time again to the precipice of judgment and destruction. Then they were faced with a decision, a decision to turn from their sins and turn back to God. When they did so, God spared them. In that sparing, there came a renewed prosperity. In the prosperity, an increased luxury, thusly an independence from God. Again, a turning to sin and certain idols and the Damocles sword of God's judgment hanging over the nation. From Genesis to the book of Acts, it has been the history of the word of God. America is precisely in that condition today. And I believe that she is the last bastion of what moral integrity there is left in this world. And that there are a few key cities in America, and Houston is one of them, that could trigger a turning to God that could stimulate a revival in our nation and could give us, as the Newsweek men have pushed closer and closer, the hand of moral midnight towards straight up 12, a few additional years. But somewhere, somehow, something has got to give. Something's got to happen. All of the education and philosophy and politics in the world are not going to change things. There must come a revival of the people of God. Now, as we read the Word of God, we find in the Old Testament that there are six basic times when the people came to the precipice of judgment and something happened that turned to revival, the people turning again unto God, that stayed the hand of God. I have studied those Old Testament revivals and found them to be vastly different. None of them had the usual elements of revival today. Many of them didn't even have a preacher. Some of them had no prayer meetings. In at least two, there was no reading of the Word of God. They were all different except in one thing. God's spokesman, whoever he was, whether it was in the revival under Asa or Josiah or Hezekiah, when a 26 -year -old layman became the evangelist, the catalyst for revival, in the revival under Jonah or Moses, under whichever revival it was, there was only one common ingredient. And I suggest that we start there. That is that God's spokesman, whomever he might have been, had the uncanny knack of being able to have the sensitivity on the moral pulse beat of the people of God and was keenly aware of the sins of the people. And he denounced them and the people confronted with them, acknowledging them, confess them to God, and God was pleased to forgive them, and revival fires burned like a prairie conflagration. These sins were idols, idols that the people made instead of God. You say there the similarity ends because America doesn't have idolatry. I've been in South America and I've been in Africa and other nations where I've seen real idolatry. But I want you to know I've never seen any idolatry like in America. You and I are a nation plagued with idols. You say, preacher, we don't have idols. We don't worship little statues and little bronze figures. Let me ask you a question. What is an idol? What do you call idolatry? An idol is the most important thing in the world to you. An idol is the thing that gets your time. It gets your attention. It gets your thoughts. It becomes an obsession with you. It is a subconscious way of life. It is the most important thing in the world. In other words, what gets your time and attention gets your devotion and your loyalty, and what gets your loyalty gets you. If I were to ask you this morning, what three things would you say are the most consistently on the minds of American people, her teenagers, her young adults, her median adults, and senior citizens? How would you vote? I could list, I wouldn't even have to list the list of suggestions. I think I can guarantee you that 90 percent of you would come up with not over six or seven different things, and another 90 percent, the three top things would be the same on every list. You know what they are. In the year 54 AD, the apostle Paul landed on the shores of the idolatrous Greece. Within the Agora between the Acropolis and Mars Hill, as he directed the gospel assault for the idolatry of that country, he was confronted with hundreds and thousands of idols. It was the idolatry capital of the world. There were idols to Vistus and Diana, to Thessmus and Thadmus and Seacrops and Hercules, but they were not satisfied to deify humans and Mars and the goddess of plunder and Vista, the goddess of power and Diana, the goddess of love. They must even build gods to abstractions. There were gods to persuasion and pity and envy and love and success. But all across the Roman Empire, everywhere Paul went, he found three basic kinds of idols, and in the 17th, 18th, and 19th chapter of the book of Acts, they are recorded. They say that things change, circumstances change, things change, but people do not change. And I say simply to you today that the same three main idols that the apostle Paul found in the Roman Empire, which led ultimately to her destruction, are the same three idols that get most of the time attention of the American public. And the only answer to the saving of the judgment of God upon a nation that seems to have forgotten God is that the people of God, not the unconverted, the people of God, come face to face with their idols, acknowledge them personally to God, and ask God's forgiveness. You see, God's power doesn't come on songbooks and microphones and automobiles and buildings. It comes through the heart of the people of God. And only when those hearts are freed from sin is the power of God at free to work and to save a dying and decadent, putrefying, morally rotten society. They are listed in the book of Acts. I want you to look at them with me, if you will, please. Verse, chapter 17 first, chapter 17, verse 16 in the book of Acts, chapter 17, verse 16, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, the fifth book in the New Testament, Acts 17, 16. I'm going to suggest to you that the first God, the first idol is the God of sensationalism, the God of recreation, the cheap thrill, the God of the good time. Acts 17, 16, while Paul waited for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly, completely given over to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the marketplace daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him. And some said, what will this babbler say? Others, some, he seems to be a center forth of strange gods because he preached unto them Jesus in the resurrection. And they took him and brought him into the Oropagus saying, into Oropagus saying, may we know what this new, oh, they were interested in it because it was new. This new doctrine is wherein thou speakest is, for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these things mean. Now listen to this. For all the Athenians and even the strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing. They worshiped the God of sensationalism. As long as it was new, that was all that was important. You know, I was in a supermarket the other day, just like that. I heard two housewives talking. They were talking about the movies, about some new darling new actress. And every movie and every plot and every new actor or actress was the most sensational, super, magnificent, colossal, colossal, incomparable, fantastic, beautiful, turned on, plugged in, revved up, tuned on, knocked out, gorgeous, fantastic, amazing thing that had ever come along. Every movie, every play, everything on TV, every football season, every event has to be the most stupendous, the most colossal, the newest, the biggest, the greatest, the grandest that has ever happened before. When a nation becomes so morally insipid and turned off of the real source of joy and peace and power and life as America is in God, then it has to turn to things which are substitutes for the real and nothing ever really quite fits. And they have an insatiable appetite hoping that the next nightclub act, the next movie, the next vacation, the next experience, the next game, the next jag will be that which satisfies. But it is an insatiable quest and they never quite ultimately find the mirage that gives satisfaction in sensationalism. Our country is pleasure mad. We lived in Tulsa, I was thinking about this, and within 12 blocks of our home, my wife and I checked and found there were 31 major recreational kinds of facilities. You know, we just are looking for something. We're on a merry -go -round looking for a thrill, a pleasure that we never find. And I'll tell you why. Because that empty spot down inside of you that you're trying to fill with that intangible something is in the shape of God and nothing but God can fill it. You're not going to find fulfillment and joy in things and pleasures and experiences. It's going to have to start down on the inside. Well, the second thing, the second God that Paul found, I think is America's second idol, the thing that gets most of her time, thought, and attention and concern. That is the goddess of sex. Look with me, if you will, please. Over in chapter 19, verse 24. Let me tell you what was going on here. The goddess of Diana was a temple. It was a temple to lust. And temple prostitutes engaged in every kind of sexual promiscuity in the name of the religion of the worship of the temple Diana. Now, outside the gate of Diana, there were some men under Demetrius who was in charge of the silversmith's lobby. That's not the word I want, union. And they made their living making little silver replicas shaped like Diana. People would go in and experience Diana. They'd come out, they'd buy one of these little charms for their neck or their bracelet as a souvenir of their visit. Now, about this time, verse 23, Acts 19, there was no small stir. A big hassle arose about that way. The way meaning Christianity. That's what our faith was called before it was called Christianity. It was called the way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain, made a whole bunch of loot under the craftsmen. And so when a revival came, you see, people quit going to Diana and they were about to lose their shirt. They were going out of business. And so he called together all of his union boys of like occupation and said, listen here, you know that by this craft, we have our wealth and that's how we make our money. Moreover, you see and hear that not alone here at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded much people and turned away much people, praise God for that, saying that there are no gods which are made by hands. So that not only this, our craft is in danger to be set at naught. We'll hang on there for just a minute. He said, listen, boys, there's revival on. Our whole union's going, I mean, they're going to, they're going to kick out our whole trade. People aren't going to Diana. They're not buying our little silver gadgets anymore. And we're going out of business. Hang revival. Hang moral integrity. What do we care as long as we get ours? You know, many a person in this world is like that. They don't care whose lives they spoil. They don't care how many homes are torn about by liquor as long as they sell their fifth and get their buck. They don't care how many kids blow their minds with dope as long as they line their pockets. They don't care what happens to people as long as they get the almighty dollar. You say, boy, people like that ought to be strung up. Hang on a minute. About half of them are sitting out here in First Baptist Church. You say, I'm not like that. Oh, listen to me. Do you give God his 10 %? Do you spend more time in front of the television set than you do with the Bible? Have you got more money invested in your garage out there in those big four wheels than you've you've got invested in the sunday school what's the biggest thing in your life it you say preacher what's wrong with money nothing i you know i haven't got a problem in the world eight and a half million dollars wouldn't solve not one problem i think money's very very good let me tell you something it's got to be in its place gotta be in its place to the contrary the bible doesn't say there's anything wrong with wealth it says it is god that giveth thee the power to get wealth thank god for business men and women who have the gift of making money but first place in their life is the glory of god and they see it as a means to an end to finance the work of the lord and bring men to jesus christ that's the kind of man god can trust with money the bible says seek ye first the kingdom of god and america says seek first the kingdom of gold the bible says seek first christ america says seek first cash the bible says seek serve ye the master america says serve ye the money boy there are folks who jump out of buildings and blow their heads off and get ulcers and just die a thousand deaths on the stock market i've seen some of these funny little old men sitting over there in some of these stock market places their eyes like this boy they're enraptured they have moved that board goes up it goes down they live and die a thousand deaths on that stock market man that's their god that's their that's the main thing in the world whether they've got some bread or haven't got any bread you say boy shame on them get them preacher what about you that only make seven thousand dollars a year so i'm not rich but you wish you were rich it's not wealth that god deplores it's the insatiable desire for wealth that god deplores well this i've heard ten thousand times as much on the radio newspapers and tv about the economy i'll tell you if america were right with god and her churches were full on prayer meeting night you couldn't have to worry about economy let the stock market go hang let the dollar go bankrupt god david said i've been young and i'm old and i've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed baking bread god said put me first and i'll take care of every physical need you've got my father's not a liar he owns the wealth of the world and the cattle on a thousand hills well there's another idol that they were making that america has and that's the idol hey i got off the track didn't i well sex and silver both in here that was silver we'll go to sex now all right acts 19 verse 27 so that not only is our craft in danger to be said it not but also an old smart preacher used to teach me said when you're in trouble just keep moving so that not only is this our craft is in danger to be said it not but also that the temple of the great goddess diana should be despised there it is hang on now they're worrying that they were going to start despising diana and her magnificence should be destroyed listen to this whom all asia and the world worshipeth they say do you believe the bible is inspired infallible word by word word of god i sure do that makes me ultra conservative just color me capital u but let me tell you something i believe when it says the whole world worshiped diana that the whole world worshiped diana the whole world it's something else the whole world still worships diana you know what time it is in america sex o 'clock sex is used as a hidden persuader to sell everything from razor blades to bear hunting trips in alaska i saw a gallon of a bikini standing with a gun alongside a grizzly bear advertising a trip in a sports magazine to go bear hunting alaska you go bear hunting the way she's dressed you'd freeze to death in alaska oh i don't have to preach on that i don't have to say any more about that you know how true it is ladies and gentlemen listen to me here's the problem sex in the realm of marriage as an expression of the totality of the commitment of two people is an incomparable gift of god to human beings money possessions to be used for the glory of god as a means to an end to honor him who is god is god's plan and it is his heritage for his people who are no beggars children and who are not paupers by nature and the thrill you talk about a thrill you talk about an excitement you talk about a good time i want you to know god wants you to have a good time i think you ought to be able to go to church and clap and jump up and down and shout amen and dancing out if it makes you happy god wants you to live jesus christ never came to make people sit around looking like a they've been weaned on sour pickles or been drinking buttermilk out of a church he said i've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly boy i tell you sometimes i get so excited in the lord i just want to shout and shove them down i remember about four years ago we had a houston for christ crusade i said boy if this place is ever full i'll jump up and kick my heels and on tuesday night it was and i did and i couldn't walk for three weeks i threw my back out of whack i know what it means to get excited in the lord and the joy of the lord david left for joy before the lord i'm so glad out of the jesus movement that that the church has discovered kids with guitars and kids with guitars have discovered the church and there's life and joy and i'm glad there's a new dimension in our christian faith i'm telling you a good time god's gift of sex in christian marriage and the ability to buy and to purchase these are all beautiful gifts of god but the problem is that when we take the things that god gave us to show his love to us to bring us to himself and put us in place of himself then it becomes an idol and then god is displeased and america is right there and god's going to judge us i'm going to ask every one of you listening on radio and watching by television and viewing in this auditorium today and worshiping the lord jesus here with us you will ask god to help you to be honest with him and whether i've mentioned it or haven't come within a thousand miles of your particular need or problem that you will pray and confess your idols to god and ask him to forgive you and ask him to give you the power to put him first you say what'll happen if i do on a read one other thing it's over in the book of acts also verse 18 in the 19th chapter and many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds and many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together some of you ought to go home and get under your mattress and in your bookshelves and some of those hideaway places and get out some of those filthy nasty books and burn them before all men or at least go out in the garbage and burn them before god and they counted the price of them and found it 50 000 pieces of silver and they had a revival and confessed their sins and burned their books and made a change and it didn't make any difference didn't it verse 20 therefore thusly and so mightily grew the word of god and prevailed i'll tell you what'll give us another 300 years another 100 years to get us 300 years old mr ford i'll tell you what it'll do it'll be when the word of god prevails that word means permeate it means penetrate gets in the life of governors and presidents and and people and teachers and and everybody in the world it'll change our society but it won't happen until the people of god come clean with their idols let's pray our father we love our land we know she is in need of revival and we pray that her people right now in an auditorium by television sets by radio sets and transistors and cars wherever they hear and listen wherever right now they are watching by cable television where they're in this choir on this platform in the suit of this preacher standing here and all the way to the youngest child in the corner of that far part of the balcony may honestly and openly say oh god here's my sin i repent of it i confess god forgive me in jesus name you say preacher let's keep our heads bowed you hit it right on the head sure i've got some of these idols in my life and probably a whole bunch more you don't know about and i know it's wrong intellectually and i want to be different i acknowledge that where's the i've got the power to do where to start right there first of all just admit it acknowledge to god what your idol is what your recurring secret sins are then tell him you're helpless you're powerless go ahead admit that too now ask him to cleanse you by his blood and forgive you of your sins and tell him you have no power against them and ask him to come inside of you and be the power through you for you in victory over them you can't fight the devil you can just give up and let jesus start fighting for you