How to Build Your Own God

I’ve been reading in Isaiah recently and have been freshly reminded of God’s hatred for idols and his passion for his own glory:

Is. 43:11 I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.

Is. 44:6    Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

Is. 45:21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

Idols deceive us. Idols defile us. Idols eventually destroy us. Because they claim to be able to give what only God can give us – joy, peace, satisfaction, and life.

Cam Huxford from the Mars Hill Downtown Seattle campus recently put together a powerful video that describes how idolatry has played out in his life as a worship musician. It’s called “How to Build a God,” and is a great meditation for every Christian musician. Here’s his intro:

The heart of man is proud. We find created things to worship rather than the Creator God.

We make good things into god things. We build idols for ourselves that prove to be ridiculous.

Here’s my story of such foolishness. Check out the video below.

(HT: theresurgence.com)

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9 Responses to How to Build Your Own God

  1. Kyle Campos February 24, 2010 at 3:53 PM #

    Great stuff!

  2. Clay February 24, 2010 at 4:04 PM #

    That is a powerful video. It’s a great reminder for all of us who worship God with music.

  3. Thomas February 24, 2010 at 4:31 PM #

    Even now I am being convicted of my foolish idolatry: my flesh desires to make an incredible comment so people will smile and like me. Praise God that he has blotted out my sins and will not forget me. Jesus is enough. Thanks for posting this, Bob.

    Thomas

  4. Zach Sprowls February 24, 2010 at 5:01 PM #

    Great video! I love how he makes the passage in Isaiah so practical and easy to understand.

  5. Eric Rivier February 24, 2010 at 6:05 PM #

    “Thank you God for allowing me to use music to worship You, even though I have been guilty of using music to worship myself”.

    This is what I take with me… the certainty that I have definitely made an idol out of music and worship before and the fact that I will do it again in the future some way, some how.

    Our God of Righteousness doesn’t need us, but in His mercy he let’s us join His whole creation in worship and this is just amazing!

    Thanks

  6. Chris February 25, 2010 at 2:04 PM #

    Honest comment: Good points, boring video.
    If you are involved in a music ministry I would hope that you are keeping in check with not allowing pride to stain what you do. It is so easy to “perform” rather than worship. It comes with the territory; we are given the gift of talent, and with this we can do what we choose, but as humans we are open to fail, just like anybody else…

    But I would not call this video “powerful”. IMHO

  7. John Spencer February 26, 2010 at 8:43 AM #

    I was waiting for him to smash his guitar (Seattle style)! Yes, idolatry is subtle. That’s why it’s so deadly.

  8. Zac Hicks February 27, 2010 at 12:59 PM #

    Thank you for this, Bob.

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  1. A guitar or a god? « Aaron Williams Blog - March 4, 2010

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