CELEB WORSHIP

Luke 4:1-8
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them He was hungry. 3 The devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" 5 The devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to Him, "I will give You all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if You worship me, it will all be Yours." 8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"

So, whom have you been worshiping lately? According to a recent study published in New Scientist, one-third of the US population has the starry-eyed condition known as Celebrity Worship Syndrome.

About 20 percent closely follow celebs for entertainment and social reasons. Another 10 percent have an "intense personal" feeling for a specific idol--many believing they have a special bond with a movie, sports, or music star. These people are experiencing signs of addiction in their celebrity worship.

One percent of US citizens are struggling with a "borderline-pathological" condition in their adoration of a pop figure. They would willingly hurt themselves or others in the name of their idol. (Kinda makes you glad you're not a celeb, huh?)

Last summer, an NBA superstar who admitted he committed adultery--and had been charged with rape--was given the Teen Choice Award for "most favorite male sports figure." It's evident that we often idolize a person for what they look like or what they can do--not for who they are.

As Jesus-followers, we must realize how important it is that we reserve our worship for God alone. Satan once tried to tempt our Savior, telling Him that the kingdoms of the world would be His "if You worship me" (Luke 4:7).

Jesus responded by telling the evil one, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only'" (v.8). These words are a paraphrase of what God told Moses way back in the OT: "Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only" (Deuteronomy 6:13). The way Jesus responded revealed three things:

1. He was God's Son.

2. He was not going to be sidetracked from His mission.

3. He was the perfect, sinless Man who would not bow down to one not worthy of worship.

What an example Jesus gave us! Let's worship God for who He is. He alone is worthy of all our praise . . . not some pop idol in the midst of 15 minutes of fame. --Tom Felten

DESTINATION POINTS

* What pop idols have I been worshiping?
* How can I appreciate a person's talent and ability without being consumed with him or her?
* In what ways does my life reflect these words: "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only"? Where am I missing the mark?

LINKS:
One-Third Of Us Worship Celebrities
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34129

bottom line: God alone is worthy of worship.

soul journey