Self: The Real American Idol

Looking at our nation today it is obvious America is turning from its roots and becoming a “Post Christian” nation. Premarital sex- the norm. Homosexuality – “an alternate lifestyle.” Approximately half of all marriages ending in divorce. Fifty-three million babies murdered since Roe v Wade in 1973 – almost 17% of the entire population of the US and more than eight times the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust. We’re living in the midst of genocide the likes of which the world has never seen.

Brothers and sisters, A Godless people cannot expect to be a “God-blessed” nation. Our nation’s problems are so great and it’s easy to be preoccupied with the face of the problem and never understand the heart of the issue. This must be accomplished in order to master the problem. So, what is the root cause? IDOL WORSHIP! There is a core belief in this country that “I” am the most important thing. I eat fast food- I want it MY way. I go to church – I want to hear MY music and a message that entertains ME. If that is our belief system then God is no longer the God of our lives, SELF is. That’s what divorce, pre-marital sex and abortion are all about – SELF worship.

If we, as the church, are going to fight these issues, we MUST begin by tearing down idols and making God GOD. Our country’s history is similar to a succession of four kings in the Bible. King Hezekiah – a godly king who worshiped the One True God and set up the worship of Yahweh in the land of Israel. God blessed Hezekiah and Israel during his reign. Unfortunately, Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, was not a godly man. He destroyed every good thing his father had done. In place of true worship, Manasseh built altars and temples to pagan idols. It was during this time of such evil the practice of child sacrifice became a common way of life. Sound familiar? Fifty-three million of our children have been sacrificed in the name of convenience and “freedom of choice.”

Amon, Manasseh’s son, became the next king. He had a decision to make – worship God or follow in Manasseh’s footsteps. 2 Kings 21:20-21: “And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh, his father had done. He walked in all the ways in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them.” When faced with a decision Amon did not change a thing, he followed the status quo.

Our forefathers (Hezekiah) founded this nation on Christian principles and governed it as such. The generation before us (Manasseh) moved us away and established idol worship. We have the opportunity to make a difference and reestablish true worship. Yet, we, like Amon, have failed to act. We have not taken a stand. The further down that path we go the worse it’s going to get.

By God’s sovereign providence and grace towards Israel, there was a fourth king, Josiah. Because of previous wicked generations, an eight year old Josiah had to make tough decisions. He decided to honor God. Upon finding the Word of God which had been lost in the temple (there’s a sermon in there somewhere too,) he began to tear down idols and reestablish true worship.

For America to be whole again, we MUST restore worship. A generation of Josiahs MUST emerge from a generation of Amons. We cannot allow the Word of God to be lost any longer. We MUST find it. We cannot allow idol worship to continue. We MUST face the issue of idol worship head on. Be a Josiah!

Jake Hendon is 22 years old and currently serves as the youth pastor at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Moulton, AL. He loves Jesus and is passionate about seeing students fall in love and give their lives to Him. He graduated from Tennessee Temple University where he majored in Youth Ministry and minored in Psychology. God has blessed him with an amazing wife, Melonie, and 5 month old daughter, Ella Kate.  Follow Jake on Twitter (@hendonjd).