A Faith That Puts God Second

Putting God First: Confronting Idolatry

Scripture References

• Exodus 34:14
• Exodus 20:5
• Deuteronomy 4:24

Overview

Pastor Craig used a row of chairs to expose how many Christians say God is first but seat work, money, hobbies, or family in the top spot. Because God is “a jealous God,” idolatry—placing anything before Him—always damages us. The message challenged every listener to identify personal idols, repent, and actively move God back into the first chair.

Main Points

The Chairs Illustration

• Five chairs represented life-priorities; chair #1 reveals the true “first love.”
• Ideal order: God → family → career → finances → hobbies.
• Common reality: career or possessions slide into chair #1 while God is pushed to the margins.

• Illustration: Pastor physically rearranged labels on the chairs so work, money, and hobbies displaced God, making the mis-ordering obvious and uncomfortable.

God’s Jealous Love

• Scripture repeatedly calls God “jealous” (Exodus 34:14; 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24).
• Hebrew word “qannāʾ” (with double “n”) is used only of God—an intense, covenant-keeping, protective jealousy, not petty insecurity.
• God’s jealousy is motivated by love; He knows idols wound His people.

Diagnosing Modern Idolatry

• Idolatry is not just golden statues; it is “anything—even a good thing—placed before God.”
• Symptoms of hidden idols: constant tension, overspending, chronic emptiness, substance abuse, porn, unmanageable anxiety, relational disconnection.
• These problems are often fruit; the root is a divided heart.

Three Diagnostic Questions

1. Does this (person, pursuit, or possession) lead me closer to God or distract me from Him?
2. Do I rely on this more than God for comfort, identity, or worth?
3. If God asked me to lay this down, would I obey without hesitation?

• Challenge: Areas where we bristle or rationalize often reveal what controls us most.

Replacing, Not Just Removing

• We pursue what we want most; lack of desire for God shows we have not tasted His goodness.
• Key practices:
  • “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
  • “Delight yourself in the Lord” so He reshapes your desires.
• Idols must be dethroned and the space intentionally filled with worship, Scripture, community, and obedience.

Invitation to Repent and Surrender

• Pastor confessed his own tendency to idolize people-pleasing.
• Congregation was led to lift hands and repent publicly for whatever was in God’s chair.
• Gospel call: Salvation is by grace through Jesus’ death and resurrection; true conversion produces a life that wants God first.

Key Truths

• Idolatry is anything given first place in the heart ahead of God.
• God’s jealousy is holy, loving, and aimed at protecting His covenant with us.
• What we defend most stubbornly is often what controls us most deeply.
• Removing an idol without replacing it with deeper devotion to God leaves a vacuum.
• The only way to discover God’s surpassing goodness is to put Him first.

Response

• Identify and name the chair-stealing idol in your life this week.
• Answer the three diagnostic questions honestly and discuss them in LifeGroup.
• Rearrange your schedule, budget, and conversations to reflect God in chair #1.
• Replace displaced priorities with daily practices of prayer, Scripture, worship, and service.
• When tempted to people-please or self-protect, declare: “I can’t please everyone, but I can please God.”

Closing

The message ended with a call to ruthless honesty and immediate action. Pastor urged listeners not to treat symptoms but to confront the root of idolatry and enthrone Christ without rival.

“You cannot please everyone, but you can please God.”
Those ready to repent lifted their hands; others were invited to receive salvation and begin life with God in the first chair.

Prayer

Pastor Craig asked God to forgive every instance of misplaced devotion, convict hearts, and empower the church to seek first His kingdom. He also prayed for new believers, thanking God for fresh starts and asking the Holy Spirit to help them keep Jesus at the center.