Man's worship of man pt. 1

 

       We've grown so accustomed to watching actors in our modern society that we easily emulate them ourselves.  We spend so much of our precious time watching TV shows and movies - watching people pretend to be someone they're not - that it seems normal when we do the same. And when we become actors, when we pretend to be someone we're not,  we end up praising and applauding those we pay to do it, who do it openly, publicly, without pretense, who admit they're actors. 

       

       They award themselves for being the best ar pretending to be someone they're not and we exalt and reward them too, with our time, attention and money. An entire industry revolves around them - with thousands of people earning their livlihood creating shows depicting actors. Magazines,  books, and TV shows are dedicated to gossip about actors - watching their every move, hanging on to every word they say. Who are they dating now? Who cares? Evidently plenty of people.  Actors are America's version of royalty. Our society highly esteems and honors actors partly because we ourselves are all actors living a lie and partly because it is in mankind to commit idolatry - spiritual adultery.  It is our natural state of existence in our fallen state both to lie and committ idolatry. An idol is any person or thing regarded with blind admiration,  adoration or devotion. A loose definition of an idol is anyone or anything  we give our time, affection and money to - that we don't need to. Though, our devotion to and admiration of our idols isn't blind, we do it with eyes wide open. We openly admit we're doing it, with shows like " American Idol". 

       In truth, it's ourselves we worship and idolize. We're obsessed with our own image and all we can accomplish on our own apart from Christ. We're in love with ourselves not God - our Creator. The created worships itself while denying they're created. This is the ultimate lie - I am god, or a god, in and of myself. This is the ultimate acting role, only we're not on camera. Well, not on any camera man has made - God is watching and recording all of it. Actually,  millions of us take pictures and videos of ourselves every day. Look at Facebook or Youtube, for example. We love our own image! We devote our lives to watching ourselves.  Show me a single magazine without a human's picture in it. You can't,  can you? Show me a movie or TV show without a human in it - again,  nigh impossible.  See? We're obsessed! Even with the sound of our own voices. We're obsessed with what we've done, what we've accomplished.

       Even in churches we'd rather worship our understanding of God than God Himself.  We give God purpose and meaning - without us He is nothing. Or so says religious Christianity.  He is here, He exists to serve us. This is our definition of love - to serve, right? Isn't that how your worth to your local church is defined? Isn't your tithe defined as your greatest act of service? Jesus denounced the actors of his xay "do not your alms before men to be seen of them, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues (churches) and in the streets  that they may have glory of men. And when you pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are  for they love to pray standing in the churches.....that they may be seen of men" 

       Here is a truth about actors - they love to be seen of men. They love the attention and the adoration of men, the glory. The root word of "hypocrite" is actor! Churches love this! They love to do the opposite of Jesus' instructions . They make an open show, a public display, of prayer and the giving of offerings. It's often actiing of the highest quality - it's saying to all - look how godly i am! I am a true follower of Christ! See? I'm giving my money to God (but it's the church who ends up with it). Listen to my prayer. These are the ones who will stand before Jesus for the first time and say "did we not do all this in your name"? And He will answer " depart from Me I never knew you" if that seat of judgement is the first time you meet Jesus than it will also be the last.