Idolatry. It's not an issue that crowds the agenda of the contemporary church today. Most people really don't give it much thought. If asked about idolatry, some will respond with some comment about worshiping graven images instead of God. The more biblically astute will point to the golden calf story in Exodus (32:4). The unfortunate reality, however, is that most people would point to a popular television show called, American Idol. In modern parlance, an idol is a celebrity. An idol is someone who is "worshiped" by his or her fans. It's not uncommon to hear a teenager say that some celebrity or rock icon is his or her "idol." Recently, one teen was overheard saying with pop-eyed enthusiasm, "Oooh! He's my idol!" She was referring to some currently popular singer, of course.

This is not…