Worshipping the Message, Not the Messenger.

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 14:8-18

 

Psalm 29:4

The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

(ESV)

 

The voice of the Lord is indeed powerful and majestic and as the world plunges into darkness, the light at the end of the tunnel (Psalm 119:105).  God’s Word is also a message of hope in times of darkness (Psalm 119:49).  Even though the Christmas season has passed for another year, this is not the time to remain silent but a time to shout from the mountain tops that Jesus Christ is born, bringing light to a dark world (John 14:6). 

 

The Apostle Paul and Barnabas move on to Lystra and instead of the rejection they encountered in Iconium (Acts 14:1-7), encounter a crowd of people believing they are gods and wanting to worship them (Acts 14:11-13).  This resembles the desire to worship Peter and John after a miracle at the Temple (Acts 3) and something Paul and Barnabas must stop. 

 

It begins when a man crippled from birth sitting to listen to what Paul is speaking.  The Holy Spirit gives Paul discernment with Paul discerning the man has faith to be made well (Acts 14:8-9).  Based on this Holy Spirit discernment, Paul loudly speaks to the man and tells him to stand to his feet.  The man then springs up and begins walking, something he had never done in his life (Acts 14:10).  While this is a great miracle, the crowd does not have the same Holy Spirit discernment as Paul and instead of praising God for the miracle, seeks to worship Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:11-13). 

 

When they hear of this attempt to worship them, Paul and Barnabas follow the example of Peter and John in Acts 3 and run into the crowd tearing their clothes declaring that the miracle they just witnessed is a miracle from God and not due to them being gods (Acts 14:14-17).  However, even these words could scarcely restrain the crowd’s desiring to worship Paul and Barnabas (Acts 4:18).  While rejection, as occurred in Iconium, is hurtful to one personally, allowing the worship of a messenger of God due to a miracle occurring under their ministry is dangerous for it constitutes pride leading to a fall (Proverbs 16:18). 

 

Paul and Barnabas are not gods, but messengers sent from the one true God, pointing those that choose to listen to Christ.  The crippled man understood this and received healing from God.  To have intimacy with God, the crowd must understand that Paul and Barnabas are not gods but messengers of words from the one true God and listen as the crippled man did.  The Apostle Paul understood he was a messenger given a calling to declare Christ to the Gentiles and reminds us that our boasting is in the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).  This aligns with Jesus who reminds us that when we lift Him up, He will draw men unto Him as He did with the crippled man (John 12:32). 

 

If 2020 taught us anything, it should be that the people in leadership do not provide all the answers to our problems and therefore are not who we should worship.  Likewise, economic systems and systems of government created by people are imperfect and not something to worship.  While people yearn for some person of flesh and blood to appear on the scene with the power to solve their problems, the answer to their problems lies in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who solved their greatest problem, separation from God due to sin.  Once the problem of sin is resolved and we have a restored relationship with God, we can begin to trust God to solve the other problems in our lives.  If you are reading this and have not made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, I invite you to do so now by praying with me, 

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead, and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

Congratulations to those who just prayed for you now have a restored relationship with God the creator because the separation of yourself from God is eliminated.  I now encourage you to grow closer in your relationship with God by regularly attending Church, in person if possible or online, and associating with other believers in Christ at Church or in a small group Bible study either online or in-person if possible.  Most importantly, however, we must remember to worship God and the message from His Word, the Bible, and not the messenger sent from God.  May God bless everyone reading this post.