What Do You Worship? The Golden Calf and Our Modern Idols

Canaan Fellowship

00:00 / 00:28:17

Eric Schnackenberg opens by introducing his sermon on worship, drawing inspiration from a book he read. He establishes that worship is an inevitable part of human nature and asks the central question of what we choose to worship. He bases his message on the story of the golden calf from Exodus 32.

[00:00:00] Everyone worships something, whether they acknowledge it or not, and the word worship comes from the old English worthship, meaning something worthy of honor.
[00:01:20] Every human and culture has instinctively known there is something greater than themselves; this instinct is meant to point us to the one true God.
[00:02:04] The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” is fundamentally about worship. The Israelites, despite witnessing miracles like the parting of the Red Sea, quickly fell into fear and doubt while Moses was on Mount Sinai.
[00:04:06] The people demanded a tangible god from Aaron, who was weak and capitulating, leading to the creation of the golden calf.
[00:04:42] Reads Exodus 32:17-24, where Joshua mistakes the singing around the calf for the noise of war.
[00:06:56] Aaron’s excuse (“I cast it into the fire, and out came this calf”) reflects the fallen man’s reflex to shirk responsibility for his own rebellion.
[00:07:39] Idols are shaped first by imagination then by our hands. We pretend the things we bow to emerge without our choosing, but in reality, they are a deliberate rebellion of the heart.
[00:08:16] We return again and again to worshipping the work of our own hands, craving what we can see, mold, and touch.
[00:09:05] The human soul is not neutral; if it will not worship the living God, it will worship something else. You can tell what you worship by what you sacrifice for it.

1. Worshiping Objects

[00:09:56] This is the most prevalent pitfall in Western culture, especially for those past the midpoint of life, and Eric confesses it is a personal temptation.
[00:10:54] Self-examination questions include: What gets you more excited—unhurried time with your kids or a new Amazon package? Is wealth counted by your bank account or the depth of your intimacy with God?
[00:11:22] Materialism is the quietest and most subtle false worship; it has no creeds or marches, but slowly takes our time, heart, and loyalty.
[00:11:44] Millions have sacrificed their families and spiritual lives on the altar of accumulation. We live in a country of unparalleled abundance where our stuff can begin to own us.
[00:12:31] Jesus warns in Matthew 6:19-20 not to lay up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy. It is not a sin to have things, but danger comes when our hearts are captivated by them.
[00:13:27] If you wonder what you worship, look at what you are willing to sacrifice for it. It is revealed by what excites your heart and shapes your calendar.
[00:14:07] The solution is not to get rid of everything, but to treasure God above all else and seek first his kingdom. Remember we are stewards, not owners, and should hold possessions with an open hand.

2. The Worship of Self

[00:14:38] This pitfall is more prevalent in the younger generation and is a trap many parents inadvertently fall into with good intentions.
[00:15:38] The self-esteem movement, which began in the late 90s, aimed to boost children’s self-esteem to reduce crime and academic failure, but it was a stunning failure.
[00:16:25] Artificially inflated self-esteem produced a generation more fragile, entitled, and less resilient. This has been amplified in the selfie age.
[00:17:10] Children’s sports, curriculums, and media emphasize feeling good over actual accomplishments, giving participation trophies and teaching “follow your heart” over God’s truth.
[00:18:31] Three results of this teaching are: 1) the rejection of moral authority (if I am perfect, anything that contradicts my feelings is oppressive), 2) the loss of drive to improve (ambition requires admitting I lack something), and 3) the most destructive, an inability to repent.
[00:19:39] Repentance requires admitting we are fallen and desperately in need of a Savior, which is very contrary to the self-esteem movement’s message.
[00:20:50] To avoid this snare, C.S. Lewis advises recovering the lost art of humility—not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
[00:21:08] Gratitude shifts focus from self and makes it difficult to feel entitled. View good things as gifts from God, not as entitlements we are owed.

3. Earth Worship

[00:22:19] This is the oldest form of pagan worship—worshiping the sun, moon, and stars, which has found fresh legs today under the banner of environmental activism, especially among the youngest generation.
[00:23:01] Young people have church attendance at record lows but a deep desire for a worthy cause greater than themselves to bow down to.
[00:23:40] Genesis says God created the heavens and the earth; creation is good, but it is not God. The falsehood preached is that humans, made in God’s image, are always the source of the problem.
[00:24:30] This is not new; the Druids, Aztecs, and ancient Greeks all dehumanized and destroyed humans in their worship of nature.
[00:24:56] Earth worship is seductive because it offers a God you can see and manipulate. It appeals to guilt, fear, and control, but the earth is not merciful and cannot save us.
[00:26:28] The earth is fallen and groaning under the weight of sin. When man worships the earth, he inevitably turns against himself.
[00:26:54] The biblical antidote is radically different: God created the earth as good, and gave humanity dominion to steward it, not abuse it. The earth is not our mother; it is our garden to be tended with gratitude.

Scripture References

Exodus 32:17-24
Matthew 6:19-20
Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:28
Genesis 1:31
Psalm 24:1

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