Day 177 "There is only room for one to be worshipped in the Christian life."

Day 177 Matthew 21:28-32 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” Which is better, to be right in the eyes of those who would, in some form, worship you on earth or to admit your failures before men, yet be righteous in the eyes of the one who created you? One road leads to eternity in torment; the other leads to eternity in joy. The Pharisees made their choice: to be worshipped on earth and to walk in their own righteousness. I believe with all of my heart that pride is a death sentence to many who walk this earth; however, I also believe that many of them do not even realize it to be so. Pride comes in so many forms it can be easily dismissed or looked upon as something else, when all the while it's an infectious disease–like status is being increased. As a leader of many, I find myself often the subject of praise or adoration of one form or another, and while I admit that my flesh often enjoys it, my spirit is more often than not very uncomfortable with it. You see, I have witnessed what praise and adoration can do to Godly men, and I really don't like it. I have seen far too many Godly, Spirit-filled people become so addicted to the praise that they cannot live without it. A few years ago, one of my favorite musicians and I were on a stage when, at the end of the set, he abruptly ended and walked off stage. As he went by he told me "I can't take any more of this," and immediately I knew what he was speaking of, for I had felt it as well. Even though he was leading the group in worship of our Holy God, many of them had begun to worship him, and, quite honestly, it was very repulsive. I, too, could not get off the stage quick enough. I admire this man more than ever for what he chose to do, for few can understand the torment that comes from being sold out to a Holy God, lifting your praise to him, coming with a pure heart to lead others to a place of praise to your King, and having them then place you in His place. Yes, it is repulsive, as it should be! For anyone who leads others to glorify God, whether it is through worship, preaching, or teaching, there is always the danger of allowing themselves to be exalted into the place of one’s heart and mind that is reserved for a Holy God, not man. This exaltation is one that comes in various forms–whether it is praise, adoration, gifts, or dependency– they are all very much the same, and we, as ministers of the gospel, must not allow ourselves to fall into such traps. Recently, someone asked me how I know when God is sending me money for myself or for the ministry and if I am supposed to accept it. My answer was actually quite simple: if I have been praying for it, I receive it freely; if not, I interview the person who gave it to decide if we are to accept it. The temptation is to receive everything, as if God were just showering blessings upon me, just because He wants me to have them; however, if they are not from Him, then they are coming from places I do not desire to receive from. Let me give you an example of how this works. Six years ago on the way to a breakfast meeting, the Lord told me the person I was meeting was going to give me a large sum of money, which I had been praying for. I asked the Lord to have this man confirm that He was hearing from the Lord by using the exact same phrase I was using as I had been praying for the funds. Sure enough, during the meeting this man used exactly the same phrase, word for word, and offered the funds! I shared the story and my prayer with him as an opportunity for both of us to give praise to the God who had placed this ministry opportunity upon our hearts. No, I should not get praise for my great prayers no more than he should for his. We are two men serving a Holy God who deserves all of our praise and adoration, and that's all there is to it. "There is only room for one to be worshipped in the Christian life." Pastor Gene Burroughs