Jarek Berga - January 25th 2025

When fear gives people more weight than God, idolatry quietly takes root.

In this message, Jarek pauses our journey through Matthew to walk us through Exodus 32, the story of the golden calf. Rather than treating idolatry as an ancient or obvious sin, Jarek exposes how fear subtly reshapes our worship today—especially when the voices of people begin to carry more weight than the voice of God. When the vertical relationship with God fades, the horizontal pressures of approval, performance, and independence grow until people feel like giants and obedience feels impossible.

Through the contrast between Aaron and Moses, we see two very different responses to pressure. Aaron edits God’s word to calm the crowd, preserving peace at the cost of obedience. Moses, however, goes to God for the people, interceding rather than compromising. This distinction becomes the heart of the message: fear elevates people above God, but love brings people before God.

The sermon ultimately points us to Jesus, our greater High Priest, who succeeds where Aaron and Moses fail. While we often cave, stay silent, or resist authority, Jesus always lives to intercede for us. He pleads our case before the Father, restores proper perspective, and frees us from the exhausting burden of seeking approval or defending independence. As His voice becomes the loudest in our lives, people return to their proper size—and God returns to His rightful place.

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