“Atheism is not our greatest danger, but a shadowy sense of God’s reality.” That’s the contention of Harry Emerson Fosdick, and I agree. Our problem is not atheism how many atheists do you know? That which is destroying the moral fiber of our nation, weakening the Christian witness, and turning Christian churches into reflections of the club mentality of a secular age is a shadowy sense of God’s reality. Just let that image tumble around in your mind for a moment - a shadowy sense of God’s reality. Everything rather vague; nothing very strong, no clear outline, no driving passion.

So we come today to talk about an episode in Israel’s history – that teaches us so much – the building of the golden calf. The lessons are in three categories.

I.

THE TEMPTATION TO IDOLATRY

First, the temptat…