Rejecting Inappropriate Praise

The Rev. Herbert G. Hand

Faith Anglican Church

Cordova, Tennessee

May 13, 2007

Series: Characteristics of Believable Believers

Title: Rejecting Inappropriate Praise

Text: Acts 14:8-18

I. Appropriate Praise

This morning, our reading is from Acts chapter 14.

Last week, our reading was from the previous chapter, Acts chapter 13, where the whole town turned out to hear Paul and Barnabas speak about Jesus.

Yet, as they lovingly shared the Good News of Jesus Christ, certain...

"⁴⁵...Jews... were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
^{50[They]...incited the God-fearing women of
high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul
and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

Acts 13:45-50 (NIV)}

When was the last time you were run out of town with the threat of death?

That day, I imagine Paul and Barnabas needed a word of encouragement.

That day, I imagine they needed to know that someone appreciated them.

The Bible encourages us to do just that, to encourage one another.

First Thessalonians chapter five tells us:

^{11...encourage one another and build each
other up...
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)}

Hebrews chapter three tells us:

^{13...encourage one another daily, as long as
it is called Today...

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)}

Hebrews chapter 10 tells us:

^{25Let us not give up meeting together, as some
are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you
see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)}

That’s why we have Secretary’s Day:

To remind our secretaries that we really do appreciate them.

That’s why we have Father’s Day:

To remind our fathers that we really do appreciate them.

Today, that’s why we have Mother’s Day:

To remind our mothers that we really do appreciate them.

It’s so encouraging to receive a card, or a gift, or a kind word.

We all need encouragement. We all need a kind word. We all need appropriate praise.

II. Paul and Barnabas Reject Inappropriate Praise

In Acts chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas were run out of town and received an abusive tongue lashing.

In our reading from Acts chapter 14, the people go in the opposite direction, but they go too far. Instead of a kind word of encouragement, instead of giving them appropriate praise, they worship Paul and Barnabas as gods.

Paul and Barnabas had been preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ (Acts 14:6-7).

So, why did they worship Paul and Barnabas?

Verses 8-10.

^{8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet,
who was lame from birth and had never walked. ⁹He listened to Paul as he was
speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰and
called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to
walk.

Acts 14:8-10 (NIV)

God gave Paul a supernatural "word of
knowledge," that this man had the faith to be healed (1 Corinthians 12:8).

Just like Jesus, Paul commanded the man to be
healed...and he was.

Just as Jesus had foretold in Mark chapter 16:

^{17And these signs will accompany those who
believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they
will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt
them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
Mark 16:17-18 (NIV)}

Paul was not trying to attract attention to himself. He
was not trying to steal God’s glory. He was glorifying Jesus!!!

Yet, over and over again, when God does a great thing
through one of his people, often others praise the person, not God who worked through the
person.

Look at verses 11-13,

^{11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they
shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human
form!" ¹²Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he
was the chief speaker. ¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the
city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer
sacrifices to them.
Acts 14:11-13 (NIV)}

How did Paul and Barnabas respond?

Did they say, "Gosh after that last crowd who tried
to kill us, it’s nice to have some praise."?

No.

Did they say, "Thanks, it was rather a good miracle
wasn’t it?"

No.

Did they simply try to calm them down?

No.

Verses 14-15,

^{14"...they tore their clothes and rushed
out into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵"Men, why are you doing this? We too are
only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these
worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in
them.

Acts 14:14-15 (NIV)}

Don’t worship us. Don’t praise us. Praise
God.

You and I, too, must be careful not to speak too highly
of a great man or woman of God.

We must be careful to honor and appreciate our leaders in
the church, but to always point the praise to Jesus:

He has a gift for opening God’s Word to me.
She has a gift in drawing children closer to Jesus.
When he sings, the Holy Spirit draws me into worship.
As Matt Redmond’s song so succinctly says,

"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."

The Moon is Not the Son

Years ago, when I was a teenager, I read book about the
heretical Unification Church and the Rev. Sung Myung Moon. The book was entitled,
"The Moon is Not the Son."

The Moon – the Rev. Sung Myung Moon – is not
the Son of God.

The same is true about the celestial Moon. The Moon which
orbits the Earth is not the Sun.

The Moon, which appears like a giant light in the sky,
has no light in itself. It’s a giant hunk of cold rock and dirt. Yet, it appears
bright to our eyes.

All the Moon’s light comes from the Sun.

The same is true with you and me.

Jesus, the Son of God, is like the Son.

You and I are like the Moon.

Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). We too are
the light of the world, but only as Jesus shines through us (Matthew 5:14).

We are not the source of the light. We can never take
credit for the light.

When people complement you, give glory to God.

When people marvel at your gifts and talents, give glory
to God.

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."

In this world where praise and encouragement are rare, do
not allow yourself to be seduced by inappropriate praise.

Paul and Barnabas were persistent. They were determined
for all the praise, all the glory to go to God.

Verse 18 says, that even after:

They rushed into the crowd and "tore their
clothes..."
And emphatically shouted, "We too are only men,
human like you..."

Verse 18 says,

^{18Even with these words, they had difficulty
keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
Acts 14:14-18 (NIV)}

As much as Paul and Barnabas needed a word of
encouragement,

They refused to accept inappropriate praise.
They gave all the glory to God.
"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."

III. Emmanuel Kolini Rejects Inappropriate Praise

The week after Easter several of us attended the Anglican
Mission Little Rock Network meeting over in Little Rock.

It was a wonderful time of worship, teaching, and
networking with roughly 80 fellow Anglicans from Texas to Tennessee.

Our Archbishop, Emmanuel Kolini, was with us. He’s a
quiet humble man with nerves of steel.

He retold the story of the first days of the Anglican
Mission in the Americas:

How over a million of his fellow Rwandans had died in
genocide.
How the United Nations, the United States, and the
Episcopal Church, knew the genocide was coming, but did nothing.
How when we sought his help, even though it would cost
him dearly, he reached out his hand to help us.

That first year, they lost a million dollar grant from
the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio.
In the years to follow they would lose millions of
dollars of aid, due to his faithful support of churches like ours.

He told how, by God’s grace, the Anglican Mission
has grown and grown and grown.

One person stood up and thanked him, lauding him as the
great man of God that he is. Applause erupted, as everyone leapt to their feet.

Much like Paul and Barnabas, Archbishop Kolini
immediately shook his head and his hands, and directed the praise away from himself, to
Jesus.

He said, "I only did what my Lord told me to
do."

"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."

IV. The Virgin Mary Responses with Praise to God: The
Magnificat

After the Annunciation, the Virgin Mary visited her Aunt
Elizabeth and her Uncle Zechariah.

She was an unwed pregnant teenager in a very traditional
society. She was frightened. She felt alone.

She knew she was with child by the Holy Spirit, but would
anyone else believer her? Would they stone her to death for infidelity? Would Joseph, the
love of her life, reject her? Would her parents reject her?

She needed encouragement. She needed someone to reach out
to her with open arms.

From Luke chapter one,

^{41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²In
a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child
you will bear! ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby
in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord
has said to her will be accomplished!"}

Now that’s a word of encouragement!!!

But how did Mary respond? Did she accept the praise? Did
she swell with pride?

No.

Immediately, she directed all the praise, all the glory
to God. She responded with want is now known as The Magnificat.

^{46[She] said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
^{47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
^{48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
^{49 for the Mighty One has done great things
for me—
holy is his name.
Luke 1:41-49 (NIV)

"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."}}}}

V. Worshiping Him

In the year 994 Canute was born in Denmark, the son of on
King Sweyn.

He became a Christian at a young age. He became king of
Denmark after his father’s death.

In the year 1014, he invaded England.

He was crowned King of the English, the Danes, and the
Norwegians.

Canute was a good king, but he had courtiers who were
afraid to mutter anything but flatteries to him. It almost became a contest of which
courtier could flatter the king the most.

In 1032, King Canute was on the coast at Northhampton. He
learned that his flattering courtiers claimed he was "So great, he could command the
tides of the sea to go back."

King Canute realized their flattery had gone too far. He
commanded that his throne be taken down to the seashore. He took a seat and ordered the
waves to stop.

Of course, the waves continued to pound the beach and
began lapping his throne.

King Canute then said: "Let all men know how empty
and worthless is the power of kings. For there is none worthy of the name but God, whom
heaven, earth and sea obey."

King Canute and his entourage then humbly walked back
into town.

They entered the cathedral to worship the Lord, and the
king removed his crown, refusing to wear it ever again, saying there is no true king, but
Jesus.

(Peter Kennedy &
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute_the_Great)

King Canute became known as Canute the Great. His
greatness was in his knowing and directing all the praise, all the glory to God.

"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."

VI. Conclusion

Like Paul and Barnabas...

Like Archbishop Kolini...

Like the Blessed Virgin Mary...

Like King Canute...

Let us become great, by rejecting inappropriate praise,
by directing all the praise, all the glory to God.

"Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory."}