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.

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)

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)

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

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.

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.