Replacing Your Idols

Families Are Messy
Replacing Your Idols

I. Introduction

A. Exodus 20:3-5a (NLT) ³“You must not have any other god but me. ⁴You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”

B. An idol of the heart is a good thing that becomes an thing.

C. An idol is something you would do for.

II. Jacob’s Idols

A. Jacob would do anything to obtain his .

1. Genesis 29:1-6 (NLT)

2. Genesis 29:9-21 (NLT)

3. Genesis 29:22-23 (NLT) ²²So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. ²³But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

4. Genesis 29:25 (NLT) But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

5. Hebrews 12:5-6a (NLT) ⁵“My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. ⁶For the LORD disciplines those he loves ….”

B. Jacob would do anything to obtain romantic .

1. Genesis 29:17-18 (NLT) ¹⁷There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. ¹⁸Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

2. Genesis 29:20 (NLT) So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

a. A man who’s not willing to is not worthy of you!

3. Genesis 29:21 (NLT) Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can marry her.”

a. We’re looking to be from our “miserable” life!

b. can’t save you!

4. Genesis 29:25a (NLT) But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah!

5. Nothing in this world will ever satisfy the God-shaped in our lives!

III. Leah’s Idols

A. Leah would do anything to her sister.

1. Genesis 29:16-17 (NLT) ¹⁶Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. ¹⁷There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.

2. Genesis 29:18 (NLT) Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

B. Leah would do anything to obtain her .

1. Genesis 29:31 (NLT) When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

2. Genesis 29:32-34 (NLT) ³²So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.” ³³She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.” ³⁴Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

3. Genesis 29:35 (NLT) Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the LORD!” And then she stopped having children.

4. Genesis 49:29, 31 (NLT) ²⁹“Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. ³¹There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah.”

IV. Rachel’s Idol

A. Rachel would do anything to obtain a .

1. Genesis 30:1 (NLT) When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2. Rachel’s saying what all idolaters say: “Without this one thing—my life is ! My life has no meaning without this.”

3. You can never lose !

V. Conclusion