The god You Made I Robert Madu I Social Dallas

Summary

Social Dallas Podcast: "The God You Made"

Host: Social Dallas Church
Speaker: Pastor Robert Madu (P.R.), with Pastor Taylor Madu
Date: August 24, 2025
Episode Theme: Idolatry and the Nature of True Worship

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and dynamic sermon, Pastor Robert Madu explores the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32, emphasizing how easily we create "gods" in our own image when we lose patience with the true God. Using the Israelite journey from slavery to covenant at Mount Sinai as a framework, Pastor Robert unpacks the difference between covenant and contract relationships, how idolatry seeps into our everyday lives, and the ways impatience and cultural influence cause us to substitute God with lesser things. The message is an urgent call to self-examination, repentance, and deep trust in God's covenant love.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Word of the Year: "Planted"

• The Social Dallas community gathers around the theme of being "planted," drawing from Psalms 92:13-15:

  “Those who are planted shall flourish in the courts of our God… to declare that the Lord is upright. There is no unrighteousness in him.” (00:09)

• This sets up the desire for spiritual rootedness, as a basis for flourishing.

2. Mountains: Sacred Spaces for Encounter with God

• The episode continues the "Mountains" series, noting that in the Bible, mountains represent sacred spaces for encountering God, not just geography.

  “Mountains are sacred spaces and places where God connects with his people.” – Pastor Taylor (01:17)

3. Exodus 32 – The Golden Calf Incident

• Pastor Robert reads and discusses Exodus 32:1-8, where, out of impatience, the Israelites urge Aaron to make a golden calf while Moses is on Mount Sinai.
• Humorous and relatable reflection:

  “Here is God saying, these fools are wilding out so much down there. They ain't my people no more. They your people, Moses. I am not claiming them.” – P.R. (03:43)

4. Covenant vs. Contract

• Pastor Robert compares marriage to a covenant, not a contract, highlighting the nature of God’s relationship with his people.
  • Points of Contrast:
    • Contract: Based on performance, mutual distrust, “I'll meet you halfway,” ends when a better deal comes.
    • Covenant: Built on promise, faithfulness, “I'll give you my all,” sealed by the cross, lasts “until death do us part.”

  “A contract protects my rights. A covenant lays down my rights.” – Pastor Taylor (08:25)
  “God does not do contracts. He is a God of covenant.” – P.R. (09:31)

5. God’s Faithfulness Despite Human Weakness

• God’s faithfulness is not dependent upon our faithfulness.

  “How many of you honest enough to admit you blew your second chance a long time ago?... He's the God of another chance and another chance and another chance…” – P.R. (10:05)

• God delivers Israel not for their merit but because He is consistent.

6. Mount Sinai – The Marriage Mountain

• Sinai is depicted as the site of God’s “wedding” with Israel, giving not just the Law but establishing deep, covenantal relationship.
• Analogy:

  “The marriage is on the mountain. Exodus 19 is the marriage... Exodus 20 are the vows. You call them the Ten Commandments; I call them the vows.” – P.R. (22:56)

7. The Wilderness Season: Detox from Dysfunction

• The wilderness is seen not as wasted time, but as a reorientation period—Israel must unlearn the dysfunction of slavery, learn trust, and recognize God as their true provider.

  “It is one thing to get out of Egypt. It is a whole nother thing to get Egypt out of you.” – Pastor Taylor (21:14)

8. Idolatry: The Sin Beneath All Sins

• Foundational message: our hearts are “idol factories” (drawing on Tim Keller).
• We are always worshipping something—if not God, then something else will take that place.

  “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is your God.” – Martin Luther, quoted by P.R. (26:49) “Idols aren't just bad things. Idols are good things that become the ultimate thing and take the place of God in your life.” – Pastor Taylor (39:00)

9. The Danger of Impatience

• Israel's idolatry is birthed out of impatience—when Moses is gone “too long” (32:51), the people turn to what is visible and tangible.

  “Impatience incubates idolatry… that often when God feels distant, when you're still serving a God that you can't see, that's when our hearts start crafting idols.” – P.R. (33:47)

10. Blessings Becoming Idols

• The gold used to make the calf was a blessing from God—compensation from Egypt. The danger: even God’s blessings can become idols if we elevate them above Him.

  “The very thing God gave you as a blessing has now become an idol to you.” – P.R. (37:57)

11. Idolatry in Modern Life

• Idols can be jobs, relationships, money, even ministry and family.

  “Idols aren’t just bad things. Idols are good things that become the ultimate thing.” – Pastor Taylor (39:00)

• Even "good" things, like family or success, cannot bear the weight of ultimate devotion.

12. Intercession and the Power of Prayer

• Moses becomes a picture of intercession, pleading on behalf of the people.

  “When you stand in the gap and you remind God of his promises…that’s prophetic intercession.” – P.R. (41:03)

• This foreshadows Christ’s ultimate role as Mediator.

13. What We Worship, We Become

• Profound warning:

  “You will look like what you worship... If you worship money, you will look like a person of greed... We become what we worship.” – P.R. (45:00)

14. Self-Examination: Diagnosing Idols in Our Hearts

• Practical questions offered for reflection:
  • What can I not imagine life being complete without?
  • What do I obsess about obtaining?
  • What am I most terrified of losing?
  • Where do I turn for comfort when things go wrong?
• Anything that occupies these places can become an idol.

15. The Call to Repentance and Trust

• Pastor Robert calls the community to confession, surrender, and returning exclusive trust to God—reminding everyone that every idol will ultimately break your heart.
• Prayer of repentance, collective return to God’s exclusive Lordship:

  “Lay down idols. I put you your proper place. I want you seated on the throne of my heart.” – Pastor Taylor (56:16)
  “Jesus plus nothing equals everything.” – Pastor Taylor (55:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s covenant love:

  “Thank God that his faithfulness is not predicated upon my faithfulness… He is faithful when you are faithless.” – P.R. (10:03)

• On the danger of supplementing God:

  “The children of Israel weren’t worshipping the golden calf in replacement of God, they were worshipping it in addition to God… God says, I refuse for you to worship me and to have a sin supplement as well. I am God all by myself. If I am not Lord of all, I am not Lord at all.” – P.R. (31:43)

• On why we create idols:

  “Sometimes when God feels so distant, I’d rather touch the idol that I can see than the God who is so distant.” – Pastor Taylor (34:16)

• On worship and transformation:

  “You will look like what you worship… We become whatever we worship.” – P.R. (45:00)

• On Christ as Mediator:

  “God don’t count their sins against them, but judge Jesus on the cross, and that’s why we can have eternal life.” – Congregant/Participant (46:27)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:09 – Word for the year: “Planted”
• 01:17 – Mountains as sacred encounters
• 02:22 – Reading of Exodus 32:1-8
• 07:24 – Marriage as a covenant, not a contract
• 10:03 – God’s faithfulness to the faithless
• 13:02 – The Wedding at Sinai
• 16:47 – Let my people go…so they can worship me
• 21:14 – Getting “Egypt out of you”
• 22:56 – Exodus 19-20: Marriage & vows (The Ten Commandments)
• 26:49 – Idols: “Idol-making factory” (Tim Keller, Martin Luther)
• 32:51 – Impatience leads to idolatry
• 37:57 – How blessings can become idols
• 45:00 – We become what we worship
• 53:16 – Invitation to surrender idols and trust God
• 56:16 – Corporate prayer of repentance and recommitment

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Tone and Atmosphere

• Energetic, relatable, and deeply pastoral
  • Frequent humor and storytelling mix with urgent spiritual challenge.
  • Inclusive and compassionate call for self-examination—no one immune to idolatry (“Idols sneak into my heart and your heart”).
  • Message woven with celebration (13th wedding anniversary), honesty, and direct invitation to encounter God anew.

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For Listeners: Key Takeaways

• Idolatry is dynamic, sneaky, and not a relic of the past—it is ever-present.
• God desires exclusive, covenant relationship—not a place as one of many priorities.
• Every idol—no matter how good it seems—will eventually destroy or disappoint you.
• Repentance and return to God are always possible because of Jesus, our perfect Mediator.
• Self-examination is crucial: What has taken God’s place in your affections or sense of security?

This message is for anyone in need of re-centering on God’s love, looking to break free from hidden idols, and ready to trust the God who sees and loves us fully.

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Transcript

[Pastor Taylor]

I'm so glad you're here. You look good. In fact, you look planted. You look planted.

[P.R.]

That's our word for this year.

[Pastor Taylor]

Our church has a word every single.

[P.R.]

Year, and our word this year is planted. And we believe that we're gonna flourish.

[Pastor Taylor]

Because we are planted in the house of the Lord. And so, to remind us, every single Sunday, we read our verse of the year, which is Psalms 92, verses 13 through 15. And we're gonna read it together with uplifted voices. Y' all ready? Come on. You better be. Some of y' all just had brunch. Come on. Here we go. Let's read it. 1, 2, 3. Those who are planted shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit. They shall be fresh to declare that the Lord is upright. There is no unrighteousness in him.

[P.R.]

Sounds good. Never gets old to me. Never gets old. And then today, we are continuing a conversation, a series that we've been in called Mountains. How many have been blessed by this series?

[Pastor Taylor]

Have you been blessed?

[P.R.]

I'm telling you, it's been blessing me. If you've missed any one of the messages, you can go to Social, Dallas, YouTube, like, share and subscribe.

[Pastor Taylor]

You want to get caught up?

[P.R.]

It's just been amazing as we have.

[Pastor Taylor]

Been taking a journey through scripture, looking at all the moments on a mountain, and we've come to this understanding that in the Bible, mountains are not just geographical locations. They are sacred spaces and places where God connects with his people. And I've been telling you, you might.

[P.R.]

Be in a valley season right now.

[Pastor Taylor]

But don't get it twisted. You were made for the. For the mountain. So I told you, lace up your boots, put in your backpack.

[P.R.]

It's time to climb, not ride.

[Pastor Taylor]

That's our remix. Okay. Time to climb.

[P.R.]

So we're going to climb another mountain today. Exodus 32.

[Pastor Taylor]

We're going to look at verses one through eight. And then those of you who are right now thinking, do they have a sit down after this verse? You can sit down. Exodus 32. We're looking at verses one through eight. When you're ready to read it, say, I'm ready. If you need some time, say, hold up. I heard it. I'll wait. Even though it's Exodus, I ain't judging, but. Second book of the Bible. Amen. Look at what it says.

[P.R.]

It says, when the people saw that.

[Pastor Taylor]

Moses was so long and coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, come, make us gods. Who will go before us? Hmm? The people said, make us a God. As for this fellow Moses, who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him. And Aaron answered them, take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing and bring them to me. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol, cast it in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. And then they said, these are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. When Aaron saw this, he built an.

[P.R.]

Altar in front of the calf and.

[Pastor Taylor]

Announced, tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord. So the next day, the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterwards, they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Then the Lord said to Moses, go down because your people. You gotta read the Bible. Deep. Cause that made me laugh.

[P.R.]

Here is God saying, these fools are wilding out so much down there. They ain't my people no more. They your people, boys. I am not claiming them. Those are your people. Every parent can relate to this right here. When your kids start acting crazy, oh, you better come get your son. Better come get your daughter. That is what is happening in this conversation.

[Pastor Taylor]

That ain't new.

[P.R.]

That's Moses and God.

[Pastor Taylor]

All your people, not are your people.

[P.R.]

Whom you brought out of Egypt, but have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the.

[Pastor Taylor]

Shape of a calf.

[P.R.]

They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, these are your gods, Israel, who brought you.

[Pastor Taylor]

Up out of Egypt. Can you say amen? What a puzzling passage of scripture that they would make themselves a God. It's not new to humanity. Because isn't it intriguing that God created us in his image, but yet every day we try to create him in ours. And I want to tag a title to this text and preach to you.

[P.R.]

Not long.

[Pastor Taylor]

About three and a half hours from this thought. The God little G, you made. The God little G you made. Help me preach before I preach. And just look at your neighbor. Get in their face. Get in their personal space and just say, neighbor. Come on. Some of y' all ain't talking to your neighbor. What's wrong? You act like I can't see you.

[P.R.]

Come on, say neighbor. It's always a problem with the God.

[Pastor Taylor]

Little G, that you made.

[P.R.]

Oh, that neighbor was a little bougie. Find another neighbor. Find another neighbor. Come on, say other neighbor. You gonna have A problem with the.

[Pastor Taylor]

God little G that you made.

[P.R.]

If you believe God's gonna speak, give him some praise in here today.

[Pastor Taylor]

Father, help me say it the way you told me to say it.

[P.R.]

Amen.

[Pastor Taylor]

You may be seated in the presence of the Lord, the God little G that you made. Social Today is a special and significant day.

[P.R.]

Not just because this is part three.

[Pastor Taylor]

Of our mountain series. Not just because we have officially installed the elders of social Dallas.

[P.R.]

It's a special day because today, today Pastor Taylor and I celebrate 13 years of marriage.

[Congregant/Participant]

Oh, yes.

[P.R.]

Preaching on my anniversary, y'.

[Pastor Taylor]

All.

[P.R.]

13 years. You better clap for that. Tres anos.

[Congregant/Participant]

13 years. Oh, I'm telling you, if the psalmist.

[P.R.]

Toni Toni Tonay was here today, they would just say it's our Ana. What y' all know about that? It's our anniversary today. 13 years. I will never forget it. August 24, 2012, at 7:00'.

[Pastor Taylor]

Clock.

[P.R.]

Oh, yes, at the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas. We walked down the aisle and said, I do, man. PT is still looking fine and I need that hairline back. It shifted just a little bit. I'll never forget that day. We said I do to each other and I don't to everybody else. It was an amazing day. Without a doubt, the best decision that I have ever made.

[Pastor Taylor]

And not only that. August 24, 2012, was undoubtedly what I would call a mountaintop moment. Oh, it was a mountaintop moment.

[P.R.]

A mountaintop moment. Not necessarily because of the crowd or.

[Pastor Taylor]

The cake or the confetti or the cameras.

[P.R.]

It was a mountaintop moment because of the significance of my mindset I had.

[Pastor Taylor]

Going into the moment. And that was the mindset that this is a covenant. Marriage is a covenant, Not a contract, but a covenant.

[P.R.]

You do know that there is a.

[Pastor Taylor]

Difference between a contract and a covenant. And marriage is not a contract, it is a covenant.

[P.R.]

A contract is built on mutual distrust.

[Pastor Taylor]

That's why you have to have one.

[P.R.]

It says, as long as you fulfill your end of the deal, I will fulfill my end of the deal. If you hold up your side, I'll hold up my side. And that is not what marriage is.

[Pastor Taylor]

It is not a contract. It is a covenant. A covenant says, even if you fail, I'm still in.

[P.R.]

A contract is based on performance. A covenant is based on a promise.

[Pastor Taylor]

A contract protects my rights. A covenant lays down my rights.

[P.R.]

A contract says, I'll meet you halfway.

[Pastor Taylor]

A covenant says, I'll give you my all.

[P.R.]

A contract lasts until you find a better deal.

[Pastor Taylor]

A covenant lasts until death do us part.

[P.R.]

A contract is Signed with a pen.

[Pastor Taylor]

But a covenant is sealed by the cross. And right about now, some of y'.

[P.R.]

All look at me sideways because you're.

[Pastor Taylor]

Like, hold on, P.R. i didn't come here for a marriage conference.

[P.R.]

I thought we talking about mountains. What in the world are you talking about?

[Pastor Taylor]

Marriage and covenant. What does a covenant have to do with the Bible? What does a covenant have to do.

[P.R.]

With me or my relationship with God and to you?

[Pastor Taylor]

I would say absolutely everything. Absolutely everything. Understand that covenant is God's way that he is always related to his people.

[P.R.]

Whenever you look at your Bible, you will never, in the pages of your Bible, seeing God approaching humanity with a contract. You fulfill your part, then I'll fulfill my part.

[Pastor Taylor]

No, no, no, no.

[P.R.]

God does not do contracts.

[Pastor Taylor]

He is a God of covenant.

[P.R.]

He has always worked things out through.

[Pastor Taylor]

The process of covenant over and over again. God binds himself to his people not.

[P.R.]

Because they are faithful, but because he is faithful. Not because they are righteous, but because he is righteous. Not because they are loyal, but because he is loyal. Not because they are, but because your God is consistent. Ooh, that's what. It messes me up when we say little cute things in church like, he's.

[Pastor Taylor]

A God of second chances.

[P.R.]

Really, fam? Second chances? How many of you honest enough to admit you blew your second chance a long time ago? Let's keep it 100. He ain't the God of second chances. He's the God of another chance and another chance and another chance and another chance and another chance and I ain't gonna do it again. And another chance and another chance. Okay, y' all acting fake in here today. Some of y' all had a twinkie the fourth day of the fast. Thank Go. He's a God of covenant. Thank God that his faithfulness is not predicated upon my faithfulness. I want to thank God that he is a God of covenant. And you ought to praise God that he is faithful when you are faithless. That he is consistent when you are inconsistent. He is a God.

[Pastor Taylor]

Covenant, covenant.

[P.R.]

Covenant is deeper than a contract. And that's why in the Bible we see that God covenanted with Noah.

[Pastor Taylor]

God covenanted with Abraham. Later, he covenanted with David. But in the book of Exodus, which is our text today, he makes a covenant with Israel. And he does not make this covenant in a valley or on a beach side. He makes the covenant on a mountain. Which mountain? I'm so glad you asked. Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai.

[P.R.]

Let the church say Sinai. Oh, that's our mountain today. Get your backpack on.

[Pastor Taylor]

I Hope you ain't afraid of heights. We are going to Mount Sinai today. This is a significant mountain in scripture.

[P.R.]

You cannot do a series on mountains and not pull up on Mount Sinai. This is a critical mountain in the story of the people of God.

[Pastor Taylor]

I could spend all day just talking about all the things that God did on Mount Sinai. It is Mount Sinai where God revealed.

[P.R.]

Himself to his people and showed up.

[Pastor Taylor]

With lightning and thunder. And the earth shook when he spoke from the mountain.

[P.R.]

And they realized that God is holy.

[Pastor Taylor]

He is set apart. He is different.

[P.R.]

It is on Mount Sinai that Moses receives the covenant, the Ten Commandments, the law of God, all on Mount Sinai. It is on Mount Sinai that Moses goes up and down, receiving instruction from God. It is at Mount Sinai that he asked God, please show me your glory. That's all I want to see, is your glory. And God said, I can't show you my face. If I show you my face, Moses, you will die. That's how holy I am. But here's what I will do. I'm going to hide you in the cleft of the rock, and I'm going to let my goodness pass by you. And you can look at my goodness. This is all on Mount Sinai. It is on Mount Sinai that he seals the covenant with the people of God and he sprinkles them with the blood of a sacrifice, letting them know that the relationship has been sealed with blood. It is on Mount Sinai that Moses gets the instructions for the tabernacle of God. The place where his glory is going to dwell. There, look. Theater. That's where he got the blueprint. Right there on Mount Sinai. It is a critical mountain in scripture. And so I love that we get to Mount Sinai in our text today.

[Pastor Taylor]

Because on Mount Sinai, if you're following the love story of the children of Israel, this is where they have the wedding on the mountain.

[P.R.]

I got married a majestic theater in downtown Dallas.

[Pastor Taylor]

They didn't have a majestic theater. They had a majestic mountain called Mount Sinai. And that's where God sealed the covenant with his people.

[P.R.]

But before we deal with the marriage.

[Pastor Taylor]

And the sealing of the covenant, let's.

[P.R.]

Back that thing up biblically and deal with their relationship. Prior to this moment of being in.

[Pastor Taylor]

The wilderness at Sinai, you will understand that the children of Israel were in.

[P.R.]

The most toxic, abusive, dysfunctional relationship for 400 years. 400 years in the most toxic, abusive relationship with who?

[Pastor Taylor]

Egypt and Pharaoh.

[P.R.]

Oh, you thought your ex is crazy?

[Pastor Taylor]

No, no, no.

[P.R.]

Your ex ain't got nothing on Egypt and on Pharaoh. That's who they were in this sick, demented relationship of slavery. This relationship where they were abused psychologically, emotionally and physically. We Talking about generations, 400 years, that is generations of drama, generations of pain. They were forced to kill their baby boys. Can you imagine what they went through for 400 years? In for 400 years under the tyranny of Egypt, waiting for a deliverer for 400 years not being able to worship God the way they wanted to worship God. Can you imagine what they went through for 400 years? For 400 years being looked at as just property and what they could bring to the benefit of the economy of Egypt. This is where they were so much. So they cried out to God and said, God, please give us a deliverer. God, please send somebody to get us out of this. And I'm so glad they didn't let the longevity of the bondage stopped them from crying out to God. Because how many know God was faithful? And he showed up and said, oh, I'm glad you cried out to me. My ear is not deaf, I'm about to get you out. And he sends Moses, I feel like preaching this service. He sends Moses to be a deliverer. You know Moses, you seen the movie? Come on, Moses, the one who was drawn out of the river, but God would use him to draw out his people through the Red Sea. That Moses, the Moses who is born a Hebrew but raised in an Egyptian household. How crazy is that? How crazy it is to know that your family you were born into knows Yahweh and worships God. But then you raised in this paganistic, pluralistic, pluralistic culture where they worshiping all kinds of God, wearing mascara and going like this all the time. Can you imagine? But God set him up to be the deliverer because he didn't really fit in with the Egyptians because he was a Hebrew. And he didn't really fit in with the Hebrews because he was raised in an Egyptian household. But he was. It was that combination that gave him the power and the authority to lead God's people out of slavery. It reminds me of our savior, Jesus, who is fully God and fully man. And it is that combination that allowed us to be set free from our sick, traumatic relationship with sin. Thank God for Jesus who set us free. Is this too much for a third sermon?

[Pastor Taylor]

And so Moses is called by God to be the deliverer, even to be the mediator between God and his people. And you know the story, you've seen the movie. God gives him direction at a burning bush, go up in Pharaoh's house, kick the door open and tell them, let my people. Oh, you saw the movie Let my people go. Here's what's funny is everybody focuses on.

[P.R.]

That part of Moses speech.

[Pastor Taylor]

Let my people go.

[P.R.]

You do know that is not the fullness of what Moses said.

[Pastor Taylor]

Read it when you get to the crib.

[P.R.]

What he said was, let my people go so they can worship me. That is what he told Pharaoh. It wasn't just let my people go. It was, let my people go so they could worship me. This gives us context to the book.

[Pastor Taylor]

Of Exodus, because it is not just.

[P.R.]

A book of emancipation and freedom from slavery. God is letting him know that I am setting you free from something, and I'm setting you free to something. I'm calling you out of something because I'm calling you to something. Let my people go so they could worship me. This is what God does. He doesn't just set you free from things. He sets you free to things because he has a call on your life. See, the reason why that got six golf claps is because we have a generation of people who just want to be set free from something, but have never stepped into what God has called them to. So you just want to come to church on Sunday, hear somebody preach the word, sing song off the screen like it's Christian karaoke, and never step into your call. But I came to tell you on this Sunday afternoon that God called you from something. And he called you to something.

[Congregant/Participant]

He didn't call you just to sit.

[P.R.]

On your blessed assurance and do nothing. But there is a purpose on your life.

[Congregant/Participant]

There are no spectators in the kingdom of God.

[P.R.]

Some of you have been delivered from something, but it's time for you to step into the thing that he's delivered you to. Are y' all recording this? I'mma watch it later. It's blessing me.

[Pastor Taylor]

I'm delivered from something, but I'm also delivered to something.

[P.R.]

Let my people go.

[Pastor Taylor]

They can worship me in the wilderness. And so they get into the wilderness. And although the marriage ceremony to me is on Mount Sinai, the wilderness season is critical. Because to me, the wilderness season is God dating the children of Israel. Yeah, he's dating them.

[P.R.]

Watch this.

[Pastor Taylor]

In a wilderness, not in a fancy place.

[P.R.]

In a place where they have no.

[Pastor Taylor]

Choice to realize that he is their provision. And they need this dating season to.

[P.R.]

Know who Yahweh is that he truly is.

[Pastor Taylor]

I am that I am.

[P.R.]

Because when you have been in a.

[Pastor Taylor]

Dysfunctional relationship for years, you don't know how to handle a healthy one.

[Congregant/Participant]

When.

[P.R.]

You are used to Somebody talking down to you and berating you.

[Pastor Taylor]

You really don't know how to handle somebody that honors you.

[P.R.]

Ask me how I know. I've been in ministry a long time. I have seen people date the same loser over and over again. Same dude, different name. And then actually God blesses them with somebody who's awesome, who's gonna value them. And then they got the nerve to.

[Pastor Taylor]

Go, I don't know about him. He just too nice. No, he ain't too nice. You just addicted to crazy.

[P.R.]

And God needs to change your appetite.

[Congregant/Participant]

Because you don't know how to handle a healthy relationship when all you've been using, used to is dysfunction, when all it's been is World War III in your household.

[P.R.]

Some of you don't even know how to handle when there's actually peace.

[Congregant/Participant]

So you will find yourself self sabotaging.

[P.R.]

Your life and a relationship, trying to bring it back to the dysfunction that you're used to.

[Congregant/Participant]

So look at what God is doing.

[P.R.]

He's proven to his children, I got you.

[Pastor Taylor]

I got you.

[P.R.]

And they don't even know how to handle it. They're like, what are we gonna do, God? They're complaining, what are we gonna do?

[Congregant/Participant]

You brought us out here to die.

[P.R.]

We ain't got no food to eat.

[Pastor Taylor]

He's like, I got you. Bread comes down from Panera. Bread just starts falling from the sky.

[P.R.]

They still. That's still not enough for them.

[Congregant/Participant]

They're like, we're going to drink, God.

[P.R.]

What are we going to drink? Moses hit that rock.

[Pastor Taylor]

Fiji. Water starts coming out of the rock.

[P.R.]

Everything that they need, God is providing for them. He's their GPS system. A pillar of cloud by day, a fire by night. He's just leading them and guiding them. Everything they need. Sending them quail, making sure that their clothes don't wear out. I thought about that. I said, that just seems like a pointless miracle. God, they're in the wilderness. Ain't nobody looking at them. He's like, no, I still want them to look good.

[Pastor Taylor]

Those are my people and I love them. And he dates them in the wilderness. Shows them his character, trying. Watch this. To get Egypt out of them. It is one thing to get out of Egypt. It is a whole nother thing to get Egypt out of you. So he dates him in the wilderness. It is not a wasted season. But then it gets to the place where he says, okay, it is time for me to covenant with you. And he takes them to a mountain. The marriage is on the mountain. I want you to see what God says on the mountain. In Exodus 19, verses 4 through 6, God says to Moses to tell the.

[P.R.]

People, you yourselves have seen what I.

[Pastor Taylor]

Did to Egypt, and how I carried.

[P.R.]

You on eagle's wings and brought you to myself.

[Pastor Taylor]

Now, if you obey me fully and.

[P.R.]

Keep my ooh, not contract covenant, then out of all of the nations, you.

[Pastor Taylor]

Will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

[P.R.]

These are the words.

[Pastor Taylor]

You are to speak to the Israelites. This is God's marriage ceremony. There was lightning, There was smoke. Look at what he's doing to his people.

[P.R.]

He's letting them know I brought you out on eagle's wings. Before he starts breaking down, what this covenant is gonna look like. He reminds them, I'm the one that brought you out.

[Pastor Taylor]

Whew.

[P.R.]

And I didn't wait for you to get it together before I brought you out.

[Pastor Taylor]

That's good news for us today.

[P.R.]

I am so glad that God did not come down in front of the Red Sea and say, all right, I know Pharaoh's chasing y', all, but I ain't splitting this water until y' all promise to not break any of my commandments. Y' all promise? Oh, somebody's hand ain't. All right, I better get 100% participation. Are you gonna act right? Otherwise, I'm not gonna set you free.

[Pastor Taylor]

No.

[P.R.]

It had nothing to do with their behavior, nothing to do with their record, everything to do with a faithful God who says, I'm in covenant with you.

[Congregant/Participant]

And he just brought them out.

[P.R.]

And then after bringing them out, he reminds them of what he did and says, you're gonna be my people. Exodus 19 is the marriage to me.

[Pastor Taylor]

Exodus 20 are the vows.

[P.R.]

Every marriage has to have vows. You call them the Ten Commandments.

[Pastor Taylor]

I call them the vows. Look at it in Exodus 20, verses.

[P.R.]

1 through 5, and God spoke all.

[Pastor Taylor]

These words, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

[P.R.]

Look at him reminding them again. Don't forget.

[Pastor Taylor]

Don't forget who brought you out.

[P.R.]

How many know you need reminding, just like the children of Israel.

[Pastor Taylor]

They reminded what God has brought you out from. And then he says, here's the vows. Number one. I am the Lord your God who brought you out. So here's what I want. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything.

[Congregant/Participant]

Any.

[P.R.]

Not a calf, not a goat, not a fish, anything in heaven above or.

[Pastor Taylor]

On the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. Now, if you've been around church and you're a proud Sunday school alumnus, you know that is just two. And I'm not even gonna give you.

[P.R.]

The other eight, because how many know.

[Pastor Taylor]

Those two are the foundation for the.

[P.R.]

Rest of the eight? You take care of those two. The rest of them takes care of themselves.

[Pastor Taylor]

If you're faithful to God alone and refuse idols, you'll naturally honor his name, his day, his people, and his ways.

[P.R.]

But if you fail at the top.

[Pastor Taylor]

Two, everything else unravels.

[P.R.]

That's why they're listed first. No other gods before me and no idols. God is saying, love me first and Love me Only. That's God's R and B song right there.

[Congregant/Participant]

Love Me first and Love me Only.

[P.R.]

I don't know where that came from, but that was just for y'. All. That's his R B song.

[Congregant/Participant]

Love Me First, Love Me Only.

[P.R.]

They're mentioned first. Watch this. Not only because they're the foundational commandments, foundational vows. It's also because God knows our nature. He knows we are so quick to worship something else and to carve out an image of our own making. This is what I love about the commandments of God. They reveal his character, but they also reveal our propensity to do evil. There's a reason why he's saying, thou shalt not lie. You know why?

[Pastor Taylor]

Cause he's the truth.

[P.R.]

And he also know you are quick to lie. We are quick to exaggerate a story. We're quick to say, no, officer, I didn't know what the speed limit was. He knows that you are quick to lie.

[Congregant/Participant]

He says, you shall not commit adultery.

[P.R.]

Why? Because he is a faithful God. He will be faithful to you. But he also knows that our hearts have the ability to always go towards other gods. He's revealing his character, but he's also.

[Pastor Taylor]

Revealing our propensity for evil. Can I give you an illustration? So some of y' all looking at me like you're about to fall asleep.

[P.R.]

You know, it's like if you go.

[Pastor Taylor]

To a restroom and they have a.

[P.R.]

Sign that says, please only flush toilet.

[Pastor Taylor]

Tissue in this toilet, that sign is telling you something.

[P.R.]

It's telling you that people have been flushing all kinds of things in this toilet. And so they're trying to protect the pipes in the building. And so they got to put that sign because they know that you got the propensity to flush all kinds of things down there. It's why McDonald's feels the need to Put on every single cup, cautious, hot contents inside. Do you know the history of that little commandment on that cup right there? It wasn't always on there. It's because some lady went to McDonald's years ago, ordered hot coffee. There was no label on it to inform her the coffee was hot. And when it spilled all on her, she said, oh, and sued McDonald's and made some money. And your God says, oh, y' all ain't about to pull a McDonald's on me. I'm gonna let you know what my standard is, what my character is, and what your proclivity to evil is. Is this helping anybody in here today?

[Pastor Taylor]

And so that's why the first two commandments are there. Because they reveal God's desire, his character as the only true God. Watch this. Who wants exclusive covenant love? He knows that our hearts are quick to make idols of anything. One writer said that the human heart is an idol making factory to the point that the question is never if you will worship something. The question is, what or who are you going to worship? Martin Luther said, whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is your God. Tim Keller said in his book Counterfeit Gods. What is an idol? An idol is anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God. Anything you seek to give you what only God can give you, a counterfeit God. Is anything so central and essential to your life that should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. Got any idols? Cause I've learned idols are sneaky and you don't even realize it. You are making for yourself a God, little G, that is going to disappoint you. Idols have a way of creeping in your heart. That's why this moment on Mount Sinai is significant for us to talk about in this series. Because here's what blows my mind. God doesn't just give them the ten Commandments, his vows. He doesn't just say them. He takes the extra step to etch them in stone. He says, I want you to see the power of this covenant.

[P.R.]

This is the first time we see.

[Pastor Taylor]

The hand of God writing in stone on tablets. Come on, somebody. Steve Jobs was not the first person to bring out a tablet. It was your God that carved out.

[P.R.]

Rock on a tablet. And he put his covenant.

[Pastor Taylor]

He put it in there.

[P.R.]

He etched it in the stone. But what blows my mind as Moses is on the mountaintop and God is etching these vows, these commandments in the stone while he is etching them out down in the valley. They are breaking the very commandments that he is writing on the mountaintop. Oh, that is humans right there. Here is God writing out the commandments, and they already breaking them down in the valley. That's why I don't believe you when.

[Pastor Taylor]

You say, well, I'm too spiritual to do that.

[P.R.]

I've been walking with the Lord since the third trimester of my mother's pregnancy. I had communion for bread breakfast. Today I am holy. Oh, let's be honest. Your righteousness is as filthy rags. That is a picture of humanity without the grace of God, that even as he's writing the commandments, we're already breaking the commandments and God knew that we would do it. This is a picture of humanity he's writing in the mountaintop and in the valley. They're already breaking it because they have built a golden calf.

[Congregant/Participant]

And they are running around the golden.

[P.R.]

Calf naked, worshiping it.

[Congregant/Participant]

That is in your Bible.

[P.R.]

That's what it means in the Hebrew, that revelry. That means they are turning all the way up, all in the bottom of.

[Pastor Taylor]

The valley, making an idol. And idolatry is the sin behind all other sins. Idolatry is the sin that creeps under the surface. Idolatry is the sin. Hear me. That often goes unchecked with believers because we think that the enemy just wants us to reject God completely. We think that idolatry is just worshiping God or something else. That those are the options that you're in idolatry if you're worshiping God or.

[P.R.]

Something else, not realizing the enemy knows.

[Pastor Taylor]

Idolatry is also when you worship God and something else. I want you to look at idolatry.

[P.R.]

Not through the lens of just God.

[Pastor Taylor]

Or something else, but God and something else.

[P.R.]

This is what the children of Israel did. They had made the golden calf, but they were still worshiping God at the same time while they had the idol of the golden calf. The children of Israel weren't worshiping the golden calf in replacement of God. They were worshiping it in addition to God. The golden calf was their supplement to God. And that is the problem with all kinds of idols, is you are using it to supplement your worship to God. And God says, I refuse for you to worship me and to have a sin supplement as well. I am God all by myself. I want exclusivity. I don't want to just be a piece of your life. I want to be your entire life. If I am not Lord of all, I am not Lord at all. This is what God requires of us. And it is a trick of the enemy to get you just to add God to the list of everything else. God don't mind you just worshiping him. That's what he actually wants. It's the enemy that wants to trick you into worshiping God. And something else. Can you imagine 13 years of marriage? Can you imagine if I told the lovely Pastor Taylor, say, hey, I love you. You are my wife. But you are on the top of.

[Pastor Taylor]

The list of women that I love.

[P.R.]

Y', all, your pastor will be dead because that smoke and that lightning on Mount Sinai will come out of her eyes, and I would be gone. Nobody wants that. God says, I want all of you. And the danger with all of us.

[Pastor Taylor]

Is we make these little calves, these little idols that creep into our heart that we want to supplement God. And the question I kept asking the children of Israel is, how did y' all get here? Of all the things that God did.

[P.R.]

For you, of how he brought you.

[Pastor Taylor]

Out, you would think they would have.

[P.R.]

Gotten up every day and just worshiped God. After the ways that he made in the wilderness, how in the world have.

[Pastor Taylor]

You gotten to this place where you.

[P.R.]

Have made a golden calf to worship it?

[Pastor Taylor]

What got you there?

[P.R.]

I think we need to know what.

[Pastor Taylor]

Got them there so we can know what gets us there. And I think the blues clue is in the first verse of Exodus 32. Can we look at it and then we'll go home? Look at what it says.

[P.R.]

When the people saw that Moses was. When the people saw that Moses was. See, when I pause like that, that's.

[Pastor Taylor]

For everybody to just join in and participation.

[Congregant/Participant]

When the people saw that Moses was.

[P.R.]

He was what?

[Congregant/Participant]

He was what? How loud.

[P.R.]

Yeah. And coming down from the mountain, they.

[Congregant/Participant]

Gathered around Aaron and said, come, make.

[P.R.]

Us gods who will go before us?

[Congregant/Participant]

Oh, now I see why you started.

[P.R.]

Making a golden calf.

[Congregant/Participant]

It's because Moses was up on the mountain for 40 days and left them down there. And here they were looking up, going.

[P.R.]

Moses, how long are you going to be up there?

[Congregant/Participant]

How long do I have to wait.

[P.R.]

For you to come back?

[Congregant/Participant]

How long do I have to wait.

[P.R.]

For God to fulfill his promise? How long is God going to come through?

[Congregant/Participant]

How long do you see how impatience incubates idolatry?

[P.R.]

That often when God feels distant, that often when you're still serving a God that you can't see, that you can't.

[Congregant/Participant]

Trace, that's when our hearts start crafting idols.

[P.R.]

Oh, don't you turn up your nose at the children of Israel. Don't you think they're Primitive, because we do the same thing. Whenever God seems to be taking too long, we say, all right, let me make me an idol. Because sometimes when God feels so distant.

[Pastor Taylor]

I'd rather touch the idol that I can see than the God who is so distant. Can you see them looking up, talking about Moses?

[P.R.]

You've been gone 40 days, bro. When are you coming back? We don't have a home.

[Congregant/Participant]

You brought us out here in the wilderness. It's been so long.

[Pastor Taylor]

Does anybody know what it's like to have a longing and a desire for God to do something, but also God through a season where it feels like he is so distant and you've been waiting for so long. And sometimes that yearning for the God that I can't see produces in me this need to make a golden calf, because at least I can see it. My desire and my yearning is for intimacy. But God, I'm gonna reach for pornography because it's closer. My yearning and my desire, God is for true connection. But it's been so long.

[P.R.]

So I'll stay in an abusive relationship.

[Pastor Taylor]

That I know I'm not supposed to be in because at least it's somebody to talk to. Do you know what it's like to wait for so long? And that is the trick of the enemy, to not get you to trust the God that you can't see. He would rather have you make a golden calf and worship what you can touch. What blows my mind about the children of Israel is the Bible says Aaron.

[P.R.]

Tells them, give me your gold. Y' all want a God, I got you.

[Pastor Taylor]

But that's a whole nother sermon for another day. Moses, fire your brother.

[P.R.]

He's supposed to hold it down. He's like, oh, y' all want a God? Okay, give me a gold. Give me a gold.

[Pastor Taylor]

I give you one.

[Congregant/Participant]

What?

[Pastor Taylor]

He said, give me your gold and I'll make you an idol. Which made me think, wait a minute.

[P.R.]

Where did they get the gold? They got the gold. If you remember when God set them free from Egypt, when God split that red Sea and set them free and took them out of slavery in and move them into sonship, you do know that he did not let them leave Egypt empty handed. This is the goodness of God. They had been working for 400 years for free. So God in his goodness didn't just set them free. He said, guess what? I'm gonna make sure the Egyptians pay you back for your trouble. And he made the Egyptians give them their gold. Oh, don't get it twisted. They were not walking through that red Sea. Empty handed. They were walking through that Red Sea way down way with the gold of Egypt. Because God in his goodness is a great record keeper.

[Congregant/Participant]

He said, I know you went through.

[P.R.]

Some stuff and I'm gonna make sure the enemy pays you back for every single thing that you went through.

[Congregant/Participant]

Oh, can I prophesy to somebody in this place? You are gonna get payback for everything.

[P.R.]

That the enemy did to you.

[Congregant/Participant]

That's why you shouldn't try to get vengeance on your own. God's a great record keeper. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. So I don't care if they betray betrayed you. I don't care if they stabbed you in your back. Keep worshiping God and watch how he will pay you back. He will take care of you. They walked out with the gold as payment for their slavery. The gold was the blessing God gave them. But then you mean to tell me you took the blessing of God and turned the blessing into an idol. The very thing God gave you as.

[P.R.]

A blessing has now become an idol to you.

[Congregant/Participant]

You prayed for the job, said God, please, I want the job. And he gave you the job. And now you too busy to come.

[P.R.]

To church on Sunday because you are super. Oh, how many of you know it's.

[Congregant/Participant]

Easy to take the blessing of God and turn it into a idol? You pray God bless me, oh God, I need more increase.

[P.R.]

And he blessed you.

[Congregant/Participant]

And now you making too much money to tithe.

[P.R.]

You making too much money to give.

[Pastor Taylor]

Isn't it crazy how the very blessing became the idol and we do it in all kinds of things in life. One of the challenges I'll just keep it 100 is to not allow me as a pastor that the blessing of what God is doing in this house to become an idol. Because a ministry can become an idol. Idols aren't just bad things. Idols are good things that become the ultimate thing and take the place of God in your life. They threw their gold, the blessing became an idol and they made a calf. Why did they make a calf? Because one of the gods that they saw the Egyptians worship was the God of a calf. So now they're taking their cues from the culture. And how many believers are taking our cues from the culture. So we have fallen prey to the culture's idols. The idol of materialism and greed, the idol of political platforms and parties. The idol of needing attention of every single person. So we post incessantly and we get a hit of dopamine every time we get a like because we need to be validated from other people more than we're validated by a God who loves you so much. They made the calf and they're dancing around it.

[P.R.]

And here's what I love.

[Pastor Taylor]

Moses, he's on the mountaintop with God. He doesn't even know that they're down there turning up. God has to tell him.

[P.R.]

He's like, yo Mo, go get your people. They down there, they've made a golden calf. God has to let Moses know what they're doing down there.

[Pastor Taylor]

Says, you better get down there.

[P.R.]

And all of a sudden God says, I'm sick of them. This is a stiff necked people. He says, my anger is burning against them and this is what blows my mind. Moses says, hold on God, please don't wipe them out. Because God was about to go Noah and say, I'm about to wipe him out and start over again. And all of a sudden Moses starts pleading with God and says, God, please, no, no, no, no, don't do that.

[Congregant/Participant]

God, don't forget the power of your name.

[P.R.]

The Egyptians will know that you brought us out here in the wilderness and.

[Congregant/Participant]

They'Ll think you brought us out here to kill us. No, God, remember your name, remember your covenant. And God changed his mind when Moses.

[P.R.]

Started pleading with him. But think deeper.

[Congregant/Participant]

Do, do you think God, that Moses.

[P.R.]

Really changed God's mind? He didn't even know they were down.

[Congregant/Participant]

There building the golden calf. God told him. Well, what Moses is showing us is the powerful prophetic picture of what intercession does. It's when you stand in the gap and you remind God of his promises. And you stand in the gap and say, God, I'm reminding you of the promise over my family. I'm reminding you of the promise over my child. God, I'm reminding you of the covenant over the city of Dallas, that there'll be a revival and that you'll spread your gospel to the four corners of the earth. Oh, I wish somebody would know the power of prayer and intercession that we write the future with our prayers. You are standing in the gap with somebody else when you pray for them. Moses says, please God, change your mind.

[Pastor Taylor]

And God relinquished, he relented. And Moses comes off of that mountain. And when he gets off the mountain and sees them in his anger, he threw the tablets down and looked at him and said, what are you doing? He takes the idol, the calf, and he melts it in the fire, grinds it down and mixes it in water and makes them drink it. Homeboy had a temper. Makes them drink it. And that spoke to me because how many you know our Idols always corrupt us. Have you noticed?

[P.R.]

Whatever you have made your idol, it might be cute right now, but ultimately.

[Pastor Taylor]

It is going to corrupt and kill you.

[P.R.]

That's why you got that raise and you got that job.

[Pastor Taylor]

And you wonder, how am I making more money, But I'm more stressed out.

[P.R.]

Than ever and I don't have any.

[Pastor Taylor]

Peace because you made it your idol.

[P.R.]

Our idols look beautiful on the surface.

[Pastor Taylor]

But when you go deeper, they corrupt us and destroy us.

[P.R.]

Some of us make our family and our kids are idol.

[Pastor Taylor]

And I have watched people make their kids an idol, and all of a.

[P.R.]

Sudden, the very kids they made the.

[Pastor Taylor]

Idol don't want anything to do with them because nobody can handle the weight.

[P.R.]

Of being your idol. Nobody can handle the weight of being your joy and your fulfillment.

[Pastor Taylor]

And they.

[P.R.]

They push away the very kids they.

[Pastor Taylor]

Have made an idol. Idols corrupt us, and he makes them drink it. And I came to tell you today that idols sneak into my heart and your heart. And I want to give you, even as I close, some questions you can ask yourself to see whether something in your life has become an idol. Here's the question. What can I not imagine life being complete without whatever that is could be an idol? What do I obsess about obtaining? The thing that floods your mind that says, if I don't have that, if I don't have that title, if I don't have that position, if I don't have that, what does your mind obsess about obtaining? Another question. What am I most terrified of losing?

[P.R.]

The thing that you say, if I.

[Pastor Taylor]

Lose that, I have lost me, that is a sign that that thing is an idol. And lastly, where do I turn for comfort or assurance when things go wrong? When things go wrong in your life, is God the one that you run to and say, as long as I have Jesus, I got everything I need. Or is it your job? Is it your 401k plan? Is it your friends? Is it your cognitive aptitude and how smart you are? All of these things are idols. And God is constantly saying, I made you for the mountain. I made you to worship me, not worship golden calves. Can I leave you with this thought?

[P.R.]

Every idol that you worship, hear me. You will look like what you worship. If you worship money, you will look.

[Pastor Taylor]

Like a person of greed.

[P.R.]

Whatever you worship, you will end up.

[Pastor Taylor]

Looking like we become what we worship.

[P.R.]

We look like whatever we worship. That's why it's important to understand what has your heart and what has your focus. Because we become whatever we worship. If you don't believe Me watch the children of Israel. They're dancing around, losing their mind like an animal. Why? Because they were worshiping an animal. And you will become whatever you worship. What about Moses? Moses is on the mountain for 40 days worshiping God. Guess who Moses started looking like. Oh, you don't believe me? Watch what Moses said. He's up there worshiping God on the mountain. And it says, the next day, Moses said to the people, you have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin. So Moses went back to the Lord and said, oh, what a great sin these people have committed. They have made themselves gods of gold. But now please forgive their sin.

[Congregant/Participant]

But if not, then blot me out of the book.

[P.R.]

Book you have written.

[Congregant/Participant]

Hold on, Moses.

[P.R.]

You wasn't down there worshiping the golden calf?

[Congregant/Participant]

What you mean you could go up.

[P.R.]

And make atonement for somebody else's sin?

[Congregant/Participant]

What you mean, Moses? God don't count their sins against them.

[P.R.]

But count the sin against me.

[Congregant/Participant]

That looks a lot like our Savior. Who said, God don't count their sins against them, but judge Jesus on the cross. And that's why we can have eternal life. You know why? Because Jesus said, put the sin on me on a hill called Calvin. Oh, somebody ought to give God some praise. If you're thankful that Jesus did not count your sins against you, Moses is.

[P.R.]

Becoming like what he was worshiping.

[Pastor Taylor]

He said, God don't. Don't count it against them. Counted against me. Is that not what our Savior did? Our sins don't have to be counted against us. But because of Jesus paying the price, we can come to him. How can you not serve a God like that? How can you not put that God above everything? The one who didn't wait for you to get yourself together, for you to come to him, but while you were a sinner, died for you and would do it again. I'm gonna ask every person they can to stand to your feet. I'm gonna ask every. Head be bowed, eyes be closed. Please, nobody leaving. Honor this moment. Cause this is a holy moment. I'm fully aware of the gift God has given me to keep people's attention and to mix humor and comedy as I deliver the truth of God's word. But please don't allow the comedy to mitigate the severity of this message. God does not play with idols. So much so that 3,000 children of Israel died after this golden calf incident. Because God says, I will have no other gods before me. I refuse to be an addition to your life. And I believe today he's speaking to hearts, revealing the thing or things that are creeping up on the throne of your heart. And God says, I'm not going to share it. I'm not going to share my glory with your favorite sports team. I'm not going to share my glory with your need of comfort. I will not share my glory with your need to be validated by other people. I will not share my glory with your greed for more. I will not share my glory with your materialism. I refuse. I must be lord of all. And this is the power of meeting with God on the mountain because he reveals the idols of our heart and in his goodness and in his grace says, lay it down. Because every idol will end up breaking your heart anyway. And so with heads bowed and eyes closed today, if you sense the holy Spirit speaking to you today and you feel conviction, that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. Be afraid when you don't feel conviction. It's God saying, would you lay that idol down? Because the God little G that you made is going to break your heart. And with heads bowed and eyes closed today, if the holy Spirit's speaking to you about an idol that needs to be laid down, remember, an idol can be a good thing that you made the ultimate thing if you know what that thing is and you sense God speaking to you. And today you're saying, God, I'm laying this thing down. I don't want any golden calves. Would you just lift up your hand just as a sign to say, lord, I hear you speaking. And today I lay it down. Thank you, God. Yeah, thank you, Lord. This is a God who just desires your response. Acknowledge it and watch the change that happens in your life. Anybody else? There have been multiple seasons in my life God has revealed this is an idol. This is becoming the ultimate thing. I always want to have my ears attentive to what that is because I'll only be satisfied until my soul finds its joy in him. Anybody else? Just lift it up and put it right back down. Thank you, Lord. Head still bowed, eyes still close. If you're here today and you've never taking that first step, which is to say, jesus, my life is yours, I'd love to give you that opportunity. I don't believe you're here by accident today. I think God set this up. He loves you so much. We say it all the time at social. You can always come home. So if you're here today, you say, hey, P.R. i need to give Jesus, my life today. I'm not asking you, do you have relationship with church? Do you have relationship with Jesus that you. Would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it, say, lord, I'm giving you my life today. Thank you, Lord. Yeah. Thank you, God. I see that hand. See those hands in the back? Thank you, Lord. Yeah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Mm. I just sense in this service that this is a catalytic moment for somebody today. This is huge. If you lifted up your hand that second time saying, I need to give Jesus my life. Or maybe there was a season you are walking with the Lord, but over the years, your heart's gotten cold and you've been distant. And even now you sense God saying, come back. Come back to me. I'm the only one that will take you captive to set you free. If you lift up your hand that second time, or you should have. I'm gonna ask you to be so bold and so brave just to get out of your seat when I count to three and just come up here to the front. Why? Because I believe there are moments in our lives where we need to physically move from where we are to somewhere else. It's a picture of you saying, the old me is staying in my seat, but the new me is ready to step into what God has for me. I believe whatever aisle you walk down.

[P.R.]

Is going to be your Red Sea, saying, I am leaving my old life behind. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Pastor Taylor]

And I'm stepping into what God has for me. Come on, y'.

[P.R.]

All.

[Pastor Taylor]

Coming before I started counting. Father, we sit in the truth of that song. There is nothing and no one that can compare to you. You have no rival. You have no equal. God, only you can satisfy the longing of our soul. Lord, I pray today for the person who feels just like the children of Israel at the base of the mountain. And they're saying, God, it's been so long. Lord, I pray today that we would not settle for lesser God. That we would wait. That we would trust you even when we can't trace you. That we would wait. God, thank you. That you renew our strength as we wait on you. We refuse to make golden calves. We will trust in the God that we can't see, but we can feel. Father, I pray right now over every single person that walked down this aisle. Thank you. That today is a new day, God. That their past is washed away. Father, even right now in this moment, let your healing presence flood every heart.

[P.R.]

God, make it real.

[Pastor Taylor]

Help us know that you are enough. That Jesus plus nothing equals everything. God, we need you. We need you. We need you, God. Father, I even declare right now over every single person that you would bring them safe people, community, God, and we'll call them up and not pull them down. Community that will speak life over them today. God, in the name of Jesus, thank you that you are Yahweh. You are every single thing that we need today. We receive it, God. We receive it. I want us to pray this prayer. We're all going to say it, but especially those of you at the front who responded. In a moment, our prayer team is just going to be here at the altar. If you want personal prayer, anybody in this room today, we won't end until everybody who desires prayer will get it. But I just want you to pray this prayer.

[P.R.]

I'm going to give you the words.

[Pastor Taylor]

But would you just say it from your heart. Say it as a family. But especially those of you who responded. Would you say, jesus, I need you, Lord, I know you are the only one who can truly satisfy. So Lord, today I lay down idols. I put you your proper place. I want you seated on the throne of my heart. Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God, that you lived the life that I was supposed to live and you died the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So my response is to surrender everything from this moment forward, I'm walking with you. Thank you that I am forgiven of all my sins, past, present and future. In Jesus name. Come on, somebody give God the best praise that you don't.

[P.R.]

Come on, you could do better than that.

[Pastor Taylor]

Would you give Jesus some praise today?