This past Sunday was the Super Bowl or Taylor Bowl as some are calling it.  Whether it is the most popular entertainer on the planet right now or a favorite sports team it is amazing how much attention and affection are given to these things.  It made me think a little bit of how easily our worship become misdirected.  Not that we are “worshiping” celebrities of sports teams but they are taking away our time, our interest and affection, and often our money.  In Acts 14 there was another case of misdirected worship as well.  Let’s look at it together today.

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The 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. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

Paul and Barnabus were upset because while they were trying to point people to Jesus they became the objects of the people’s worship.  They tore their clothes and were upset. Often in Scripture stories like this have a happy ending.  Someone speaks and turns them around and they rightly begin to direct their worship to God.  This story doesn’t turn out that way.  The people still are trying to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabus.  You see we were made to worship and we seek things to worship.  God alone deserves our worship and praise.  We need to seek to worship Him with our lives and with our praise.  Today and every day may we give God the worship and praise that He alone deserves.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave