Discover The Word

Monday, January 28, 2008

“What more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32).

IDEA: Symbols which can speak of our faith can also be treated like magic.

PURPOSE: To help listeners recognize that the symbol has no power; it is what it symbolizes that has power.

Have you ever worn something that symbolized your faith? [Huegenot cross]

Is it possible for a symbol to come to have more meaning than what it symbolizes?

A person can wear a cross for luck, the liturgy without its meaning, a person going forward in a church service, etc.

I. Can symbols have value?

Symbols can unite us around a common faith.

Symbols can help us to proclaim a vital faith.

The Ark of the Covenant served as a vital symbol of the presence of God among his people. It was only a box that had in it the tablets of the Law, Aaron’s rod that budded, and manna. But God himself was not in that box.

II. Can symbols lead us away from our faith in God and Christ?

The Ark of the Covenant became a hindrance to the faith of the people because they treated it like magic.

It filled them with false confidence when they went into battle, and many of them were killed.

Whenever we treat a religious symbol like a magic charm, we dishonor God rather than honor Him.

Conclusion:

God wants us for Himself, and any object that takes His place He condemns.