Brother Sam ushers us into the second part of this series on Overcoming the World by boldly saying: “Whatever you desire more than you desire, God is an idol.” Exegeting Colossians 3:5, he describes idolatry as a deep, inordinate longing or affection for anything but God. Whatever we use to answer the question of life’s meaning is our idol. Whatever satiates the void of happiness, meaning and identity in our lives more than God does, is an idol. He, however, draws our minds to a very strange phenomenon: Our idols need us to lead us. Our idols are not as powerful as we think; they draw their strength from our devotion and desires. We carry our idols; we give them the control that they wield over us. Our idols do not move unless we move them. We have to be co-perpetrators with our idols for them to destroy us. (Isaiah 46:5-7). And idols do destroy, he emphasizes. There are no neutral idols. Our idols neither leave us the same nor leave us any better. They demand from us more than they could ever promise to give us—they use and abuse us. What then is the antidote to our idols, one might wonder? He leads us to Colossians 3:1-4 for the answer: It is Christ who is our LIFE. It is in setting our minds on Him, and on those things are above, that the hold our idols have on us is loosed. It is in persuading our hearts to remember, not just the holiness of, but also, the loveliness of our Lord that the potency of our idols is weakened. He calls it “the explosive power of a new affection.” You will find this sermon equally convicting and encouraging. Be blessed as you listen.