The Human Heart Is an Idol Factory

Revelation 2:12–17

In 1559, the Reformation theologian John Calvin wrote in his Institutes that “the human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols.” He's often paraphrased as saying, “The human heart is an idol factory.”

What did he mean by that? Simply put, humans are constantly creating new things to worship.

As Christians, we probably don't think of ourselves as idol worshipers, but I can assure you that we struggle with this every day. We may not build altars or sacrifice animals, but we regularly devote ourselves to things made by man in ways that require us to sacrifice other things.

Think about it. How often do you find yourself sacrificing almost everything for something that isn't worthy of that sacrifice? Maybe you're asking something to make your life feel orderly that was never meant to carry that kind of weight. Maybe when things get difficult, you cope apart from the comfort of Christ, turning to something else for relief. Or maybe you find yourself thinking, “If I can just have this one thing, I'll have everything I need.”

We can make idols out of just about anything: our careers, our families, our belongings, our wealth, our health, or our social status. None of us are immune.

That's exactly the kind of struggle Jesus addresses in His message to the church in Pergamum.

Pergamum was a center of pagan worship. Temples and altars to gods and goddesses like Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and others were part of everyday life. Jesus even describes it as the place “where Satan's throne is.”

Some of the Christians there were struggling to remain faithful. The pressure to participate in the surrounding culture was constant, and some were beginning to compromise their devotion to Christ.

Since we have the temptation to worship things unworthy of worship, let us search our hearts to root out idolatry for the glory of our Savior.

1. Idol worship is a regular struggle for everyone.

We don't raise animals to slaughter them in worship, but every day we're faced with the temptation to put good things to death so we can devote ourselves to other things.

This was the struggle facing the Christians in Pergamum. Jesus says:

“I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
— Revelation 2:13

Pergamum was a hotbed of idol worship. So much of its trade and culture revolved around pagan practices that even ordinary activities could involve honoring false gods.

Think about going to the doctor, visiting the marketplace, enjoying entertainment, or spending time at the bathhouses. In each of these settings, Christians could be pressured to participate in customs that compromised their faith.

Satan loves when the worship and devotion that belong to God are directed somewhere else.

The believers in Pergamum were in a difficult position. Their faith made them stand out, and not everyone appreciated it. We know of one believer, Antipas, who was killed because he remained faithful rather than participate in the pagan customs around him.

What a strange idea to us: being ostracized or even killed because you refuse to participate in the cultural norms around you.

I've experienced a little of what it means to be the odd man out. Since I was 18, I've worked all kinds of jobs. I worked for MoDOT during the summers in college, worked security during college semesters, worked for the St. Joseph School District, and even sold appliances at Sears for about a year.

At just about every job, I found myself being the odd man out because I wasn't willing to participate in some of the things everyone else considered normal.

One time, I was riding in a work truck with another employee. We were heading through five-o'clock traffic in Kansas City, hauling way too much equipment on a trailer, when the driver started smoking marijuana right there in the truck.

I told him to pull over and let me out.

At first, the guys were confused, but then they realized what was happening. I told them I wasn't trying to cause problems, but what he was doing was illegal, and I wanted no part of it.

They quit smoking, but they were annoyed with me for being a buzzkill.

I still wanted out of the truck.

The driver asked me why, and I told him, “You're high, we're pulling a trailer, and I have a family.”

He let me out. I walked to a gas station, called the boss, and explained that I needed a ride.

A few days later, I asked the boss whether it was acceptable to smoke marijuana on the job or while driving. He said no. I told him, “Okay.” He said, “You don't have to say anything else. I know what's going on and who it is.”

The guy was fired, and I went back to work.

When I got into a truck with another employee, he gave me a stern look and yelled, “What the heck is wrong with you?”

I shot back, “Wrong with me?! As soon as I do something immoral or illegal that endangers someone's life, then you can ask me what's wrong with me!”

Friends, when we temper our devotion to the things of this world and choose to stand out, we're not always going to be liked very much. It's going to make things tense with people.

But if you never stand out, if your life looks no different from the common practices of the world, you might have a problem. You may simply be going with the flow because it's all you've ever known.

Jesus commends the believers who held fast to His name, even when it cost them. We should take that seriously. Our devotion to Christ ought to make a difference in how we live, even when that means we're the odd ones out.

2. Some so-called Christians support idol worship.

Here's another problem we need to recognize. There are people who call themselves Christians but have such a low view of God's holiness that they live just like the rest of the world. They can even make you think it's perfectly acceptable to participate in the world's follies.

Listen to what Jesus says:

“But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
— Revelation 2:14–15

To understand this, we need to look back at the Old Testament book of Numbers.

Balaam was a prophet from Mesopotamia who used the gifts God had given him for personal gain. When his efforts to curse Israel didn't work, he helped Balak find another way to weaken God's people. He encouraged a plan that would tempt the Israelites into sexual immorality and participation in pagan worship.

Jesus says something similar was happening in Pergamum. Some were holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which encouraged people to indulge in the desires of the flesh and enjoy the pleasures of the world while assuming God would be okay with it.

The message was essentially, “It's not a big deal. Enjoy yourself.”

But Jesus says it is a big deal. This kind of teaching weakens the church and, in turn, undermines the work of God's kingdom.

We should not be surprised that false teaching often appeals to the natural desires of man. Some of the most dangerous messages are the ones that tell us exactly what we want to hear.

We see this in our own day. There are popular voices online who use the name of Jesus while promoting teachings that Jesus never gave to His church. Some claim special authority, promise people access to God's power, and build followings around personalities rather than the truth of Scripture.

We need to be careful. Just because someone uses Christian language, talks about Jesus, or has a large following doesn't mean they are faithfully teaching God's Word.

Jesus warned us about this in Matthew 24:

“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
— Matthew 24:11–12

Paul gave Timothy a similar warning about people in the last days who would love themselves and money, love pleasure rather than God, and have an appearance of godliness while denying its power.

Friends, we have to keep a close watch on ourselves.

We can be tempted to listen to voices that tell us what we want to hear. The believers in Pergamum had endured tremendous difficulty. It must have been exhausting to live faithfully in a culture that constantly pressured them to compromise. So when someone came along and taught that they could enjoy the pleasures of the world without worrying about the consequences, that message probably sounded pretty good.

We face the same temptation.

All too often, we're drawn to messages, doctrines, and teachings that make us feel better. But feeling better doesn't make anything truly better.

As Christians, we desire truth, and Jesus is the pinnacle of truth! Even a hard message from a good God is better than an easy message that is false.

Paul encouraged Timothy:

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
— 1 Timothy 4:16

We need to take that advice seriously. We must be careful about what we believe, what we teach, and whose voices we allow to influence us.

3. We must sacrifice idols for the joy offered in Christ.

Now, being human, we're not perfect. We're going to encounter things that compete for our devotion to Christ.

The question isn't whether we're tempted by idols. The question is what we're going to do when we recognize them in our lives.

Jesus doesn't tell the church in Pergamum to simply try harder or be a little more careful. He tells them to repent.

Listen to His words:

“Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
— Revelation 2:16–17

There are two things I want us to notice.

First, Jesus calls them to repent.

Repentance isn't simply feeling bad about something we've done. It's recognizing that we've been going in the wrong direction and turning back toward Christ.

Jesus is serious about the holiness of His church. He isn't willing to let His people comfortably continue in idolatry. Notice that He warns them that if they don't repent, He will come and war against those holding to these teachings.

But then He gives a promise.

To those who conquer, He promises hidden manna and a white stone with a new name.

The hidden manna points us toward the provision and satisfaction found in Christ. The world offers temporary satisfaction through things that can never truly fulfill us, but Jesus offers something far greater.

And that white stone with a new name points to the personal acceptance and identity Christ gives to those who belong to Him.

Think about that contrast.

The world says you need more possessions, more recognition, more pleasure, more success, or more security.

Jesus says you need Him.

The very things we're tempted to sacrifice our devotion to Christ for are nothing compared to what Christ has promised us.

Consider the example of two young Moravian missionaries, Johann Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann. In 1732, they heard about the thousands of enslaved Africans living on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas. They were troubled that these people had little opportunity to hear the gospel.

The plantation owners had little interest in allowing missionaries to preach to their slaves. They viewed the enslaved population as property and were concerned that Christianity might disrupt the plantation system.

But these two men were determined to go anyway.

As they boarded a ship to travel to the island, where they planned to spend the rest of their lives serving as missionaries to the enslaved, they shouted to those gathered to see them off:

“May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!”

What a statement!

These men had an eternal mindset. They understood that the kingdom of God was worth more than the comforts and security this world could offer. Their devotion to Christ was not something they were willing to set aside for the sake of an easier life.

Friends, we need to examine our hearts.

What are you holding onto that is competing with your devotion to Jesus?

What are you sacrificing your time, your family, your integrity, or your relationship with God to obtain?

Whatever it is, Jesus is calling you to repent.

Don't settle for the temporary satisfaction of something that will never fulfill you when Christ has promised you something eternal.

We need to stop sacrificing the things of God for the things of this world and start sacrificing the things of this world for the joy that is found in Christ.

Conclusion

I believe it's important for us to understand the truth behind John Calvin's words: “The human heart is an idol factory.”

When we sacrifice one idol to Jesus, it is in our nature to create another one for ourselves.

And you know the worst part about our idols? We usually say of them, “It's not a big deal.”

But when something becomes an obstacle between you and God, it is a big deal!

We can make idols out of our careers, our families, our belongings, our wealth, our health, and our social status. None of us are immune to this struggle, even though we don't have temples built for all the things we worship.

That's what made Pergamum such a difficult place for Christians. Everywhere they turned, they were surrounded by pagan worship. The pressure to participate was constant, and some were beginning to stumble and return to the very things they had left behind.

Jesus knew their circumstances. He knew the pressure they faced. He commended those who held fast to His name, but He also confronted those who were compromising with the world.

And His message to them is still a message for us today.

Since we have the temptation to worship things unworthy of worship, let us search our hearts to root out idolatry for the glory of Jesus our Savior.

Don't just ask whether you believe in Jesus. Ask whether your life shows that He is the one you worship.

What are you giving your time to? What are you sacrificing for? Where do you turn when life gets difficult? What do you believe you must have in order to be satisfied?

Those questions can reveal the idols we've allowed to take up residence in our hearts.

And when we find them, we don't need to make excuses for them or convince ourselves they're not a big deal. We need to repent and turn back to Christ.

The world will always offer us something else to worship. It will promise satisfaction, security, recognition, and pleasure. But none of those things can give us what Jesus has promised.

So let's hold fast to His name. Let's refuse to compromise our devotion to Him. And let's remember that the joy Christ offers is worth far more than anything this world could ever ask us to sacrifice.