TOPIC: THE CHALLENGES OF SUCCESS III
MEMORISE:
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. Luke 6:26
READ: Acts 12:1-3
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
MESSAGE
Today, I will conclude the teaching on the challenges of being successful by looking at the temptation to enjoy the praises of men and not returning the glory to God. When you become successful, people will shower you with a lot of praise and might even give you glory for things that you didn't do. For example, after David killed Goliath, some women began singing, "Saul killed his thousands, David his ten thousands," even though it was clear that it was God who gave him victory over Goliath. This got David in trouble with Saul and Saul began seeking to kill him (1 Samuel 18:6-9).
Beware of the praises of men. Sometimes you will not be able to stop them, but you must pay no attention to them because the moment you start doing so, you will begin to feel like you are on top of the world, and before you know it, you will be taking the glory instead of giving it to God. It was the praises of men that got Herod in trouble such that he was eaten up by worms in the presence of those who were praising him (Acts 12:22-23).
The praises of men can become so addictive that you will want to hear them all the time. King Saul wanted to please the people all the time so that they could keep praising him, even to the point of disobeying God (1 Samuel 15:24). When you are doing well, people will praise you as if you are the best in the world. You should beware, because the moment you get so addicted to their praise and it drives you outside God's will, you will realize that you are just mere dust.
There was a man that was regarded as being almost as powerful as my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, in those days. He, however, let the praises of the people get into his head and eventually broke away with a large chunk of the church. By the time he died, he had a congregation of less than 50 people. 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that certain things happened to some people so that we can learn from them. Don't listen to the praises of people, as they will make you start doing things that you Will end up regretting if you are not careful. Remember, those shouting 'Hosanna' today, can turn around to shout 'crucify him' tomorrow. The praises of men are too volatile to be trusted.
KEY POINT
The praises of men have destroyed many in the past; don't let them destroy you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 3-4
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.
2. Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All could never sin erase,
Thou must save, and save by grace.
3. Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
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