IDOLATRY is the worship of idols; an extreme admiration, love, or reverence for someone. An IDOL is an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship; a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved or revered. From the time Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai, God's instructions on idols were very clear in Exodus 20:
3“You shall have no other gods before Me. 4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Modern pastors like John Ortberg above, hold interesting thoughts on idolatry. Ortberg, suggested that an obsessive need for the approval of others, nationalism, and even an over-emphasis on family can be idols. We live in a country with a show called, "American Idol," from which many 'stars' have been made. Actor Emilio Estevez said on social media outlets like Twitter, each of us tries to secure as many "followers" as possible, intimating that we are very invested in our own praise, affirmation, and admiration - idolatry. We work to collect a group of fans, adherents, and sometimes worshipers.
Pastor John McArthur is quoted as saying, "I wouldn't fight for religious freedom because I won't fight for idolatry. Why would I fight for the devil to have as many false religions as possible and all of them to be available to everyone?" The First Amendment in the US Constitution's Bill of Rights "forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual's religious practices." (Cornell Univ.) I wondered how Jesus would answer McArthur's stance. Jesus didn't seem insecure about the probability that some would not choose to worship Him. With the Samaritan woman at the well, after He parsed out her tendency to use relationships with men to meet her needs, Jesus gently corrected her misguided thoughts on the object and physical location of worship, and pointed her to Himself, the well of living water.
21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain (Mt. Gerizim for the Samaritans), nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
True worship is an internal, unseen exercise. While we humans seem to always be searching for and finding ways to worship and to be worshiped by one another...God the Father is seeking those who will voluntarily choose to worship Him only. Even as a pastor, I've had to check myself for being overly concerned with what individuals think or say about me. There have been times when I've prioritized work, family, desires, and entertainment over my connection with the LORD. Sadly, I've at times been more concerned with how many people are following me verses how deeply and truly folks are following JESUS. | 
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