TEXT:  Psalms 50:16-21;  Rom. 1:18-25

INTRODUCTION:

A.      PECULIAR TITLE FOR A SERMON( Gen. 1:26-27 ).

B.      WE'VE REVERSED THINGS.  WE HAVE MADE GOD IN OUR IMAGE, TO

          FIT OUR CONCEPT OF WHAT GOD SHOULD BE LIKE.

I.      IDOLATROUS MAN HAS MADE HIS GOD TO RESEMBLE

        HIMSELF & TO REFLECT HIS PASSIONS.

A.      LOOK AT PAGAN STATUES OF APOLLO, VENUS, ETC.

B.      2nd COMMANDMENTS - NO GRAVEN IMAGES( Ex. 20:4; 32 ).

C.      SOME IDOLS ARE MADE TO LOOK FREAKISH & ANIMAL - IGNORANCE!

D.      MEN MADE IDOLS TO LIKE THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY PICTURED

          THEIR GODS AS BEING LIKE THEMSELVES( Rom. 1:22-25;  Psa. 50:21 ).

II.     IDOLATROUS MAN HAS MADE HIS GODS WITH HIS OWN

        FLESHLY WEAKNESSES.

A.      AS MEN ARE GUILTY OF HIDEOUS CRIMES AGAINST ONE ANOTHER,

          SO ARE THEIR GODS.

          1.       ie. The myths of Greece & Rome.  Filled with lying, murder, jealousy,

                             adultery, fornication.  There is a Greek god for every lust;  Venus - love,

                             Jupiter - power, Mars - war.

          2.       Wars, ie. Trojan Wars, were blamed on gods of Greece & Rome.

          3.       In order to appease the gods of Babylon and Assyria, Greece and Rome. 

                             Aztec and Inca, temples were actually houses of prostitution and human

                             sacrifice.

B.      IN THE CHARACTER OF THE HEATHEN GOD, WE SEE THE

          CORRUPTION OF THE HEATHEN CULTURE.

III.    ARE WE GUILTY OF MAKING GOD IN OUR IMAGE?

        IS OUR GOD THE GOD OF REALITY - OF THE BIBLE?

A.      WE WOULD SCORN ANYONE WHO WOULD ASK US TO BOW DOWN TO

          A PAINTING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT GOD, YET, THO WE

          WOULD REJECT A PICTURE OF GOD, WE ARE CONSTANTLY MAKING

          GOD CONFORM TO OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES( Psa. 50:21 ).  WE ARE

          INCLINED TO MEASURE GOD BY OURSELVES.

B.      HOW DOES MAN MAKE GOD IN HIS IMAGE TODAY?

          1.       We don't always mean what we say, promise or threat.

                   a.       We expect God to be as indifferent as we are.

                   b.       Judgment is sure( 2 Pet. 3:3-4, 9 ).

                   c.       ALL will reap what they sow( 2 Tim. 2:11-12 ).

          2.       We can be deceived...so we try to deceive God.

                   a.       OT examples: Adam, Jonah, David, Ananias & Sapphira.

                   b.       You can run but not hide( Psa.139:7-9; Ecc.12:13-14 ).

                   c.       We can lie, but not deceive God( Gal.6:7; Prov.15:3 ).

          3.       We can be bribed...so we try to bribe God.

                   a.       Israel used sacrifices to bribe( Isa. 1:10-15 ).

                   b.       What did God want instead?( Isa.1:16-20; 1 Sam.15:22 ).

                   c.       We can't bribe with a show.  What about our daily lives?

                             ( Col. 3:9-10;  2 Tim. 3:1-5;  Titus 1:16 ).

          4.       Some sins don't effect us strongly, so we expect God to be tolerant, too.

                   a.       All sin is bad & dangerous( James 2:10 ).

                   b.       All sin is repulsive to God( Psa. 45:6 ).

                   c.       Because it is not repulsive to us, we feel that hell is just the invention of

                             preachers( Mat. 10:28 ).

                   d.       The more godly we become, the more shocking sin is to us

                             ( Rom. 12:9;  1 Thes. 5:22 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      FAITH IS ESSENTIAL( Heb. 11:6 ).  "...belief that he is."

B.      THE ONLY REMEDY FOR MAKING GOD IN MAN'S IMAGE IS TO STUDY

          MORE FULLY THE NATURE & CHARACTER OF GOD AS REVEALED IN

          THE BIBLE.

C.      RATHER THAN TRYING TO MAKE GOD IN OUR IMAGE, WE OUGHT TO

          CONFORM TO HIS( Eph. 5:1 ).