The Star Preacher - Acts 13-14

Acts 14:11-15 (ESV)

And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Superstar preachers have been around for awhile.   Here, on the first commissioned missionary journey of the church we see the first attempts of stardom.   Mankind is very easy to titillate.   It is easy to make them swarm a good thing.    The crowd has just witnessed that Paul and Barnabas performed a miracle (through the Holy Spirit they performed a miracle by having a lame man walk).   They now want to worship both of them.   Paul and Barnabas now have a chance to become what some of the preachers in our day desire: Stars and household names.   This typically only happens in the mega-church world, but preachers today don’t always seek a humble and quite life.   Some, at least, do, however.   In the above passage we see the Paul and Barnabas did not take the bait that Satan tossed out to them.   They pleaded with the crowd to realize they were but messengers of God to deliver the good news of the Kingdom of God.    This group wanted to sacrifice to them.   Regretfully this still happens in churches today.  We see churches worship their pastor/preacher more than they worship the pastor/preacher’s message and God.   Paul and Barnabas would not have any glory given to them.   They wanted the people to respond to Gospel.   They used this occasion to point people to Christ.   So powerful was their urge to worship the messenger rather than the message, here is what we read latter:

Acts 14:18 (ESV)

Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Later, both Paul and Barnabas would be almost stoned to death, however, when the Jews from Antioch stalked them:

Acts 14:19 (ESV)

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

So, this stardom ended rather quickly.   They went from kings to goats immediately. Maybe that was to keep them humble.  Perhaps that is what is missing in today’s church.   Our star-studded preachers have very little persecution in their lives that comes from preaching the Gospel.   Perhaps that would be something that would keep us all humble.  Suffering tends to keep us away from wanting to be seen as a god.