INTRO.- ILL.- There was a preacher who was an avid golfer. Every chance he got, he could be found on the golf course swinging away. It was his obsession. One Sunday was a picture-perfect day for golf. The sun was out, no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right. The preacher was in a quandary as to what to do. The urge to play golf overcame him. He called his assistant minister and told him that he was sick and could not attend church. Then he packed up the car, and drove three hours to a golf course where no one would recognize him. Happily, he began to play the course.
An angel up above was watching the preacher and was quite perturbed. He went to God and said, "Look at the preacher. He should be punished for what he’s doing." God nodded in agreement.
The preacher teed up on the first hole. He swung, and the ball sailed effortlessly through the air and landed right in the cup three hundred and fifty yards away. A perfect hole-in-one. The preacher was amazed and excited. The angel was a little shocked. He turned to God and said, "Begging Your pardon, but I thought you were going to punish him." God smiled. "Think about it -- who can he tell about that shot?"
Is it possible that a preacher would miss church for a game of golf? Or for something else: fishing, hunting, a ball game, etc. Possibly. Depending on the preacher. And why would he do such a thing as that? BECAUSE PREACHERS ARE ONLY HUMAN, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!
Have you heard that phrase used before by anyone? "I did thus and so but it’s just because I’m only human."
Is that an excuse or an admission? I think many people use that expression as an excuse for any wrongdoing or error in their life. And it is true that preachers are just human like everybody else. But honestly, don’t we generally expect a little more from the preacher? That is, don’t we expect him to be more faithful, more committed, more serving, more dedicated than anybody else? We probably do expect more from the preacher but that doesn’t mean it will happen.
ILL.- For example, we’ve heard the stories about preachers who in the ministry for money, etc. Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa has raised questions about tax issues with some TV ministries.
Religion has nothing to do with it, Grassley says. "This is a tax issue," he says. The powerful top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month sent detailed letters to six mega-ministries that are exempt from paying federal taxes, asking about their fundraising and use of donations.
For example, Grassley wants to know for what tax-exempt purpose some have bought a $30,000 malachite round table, and spent $11,219 on a French clock, $19,162 on Dresden vases, and a $23,000 commode.
Whether these and other TV preachers are guilty of financial abuse or not, does this excuse them because they are only human? I don’t think so.
Also, one of the problems of being in front of people is the temptation to receive praise. Some televangelists seem to often "eat up" this praise to the point where some almost act like they can do nothing wrong.
In our text we have Paul and Barnabas doing something good by the power of God and the people wanting to give them the credit for it. Paul was quick to say, "We are only human like you."
He was honestly trying to get the people to realize that it was God who deserved the glory and not him.
PROP.- From this text, let’s think about what we "humans" can do in life and the proper attitude we should have.
1- We must do good
2- We must be humble
3- We must expect some opposition
I. WE MUST DO GOOD
ILL.- The story is told about a fellow who opened a delicatessen in a block that boasted two salami salons. One promoted his line of baloney with this line of baloney: “Finest in the world!” The other delicatessen declared, “Best in the Universe.” The last put up a sign reading: “Nicest in the neighborhood!”
What about you? Are you the nicest person in the neighborhood? Are you kind and courteous toward others?
8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
God used Paul to bring healing to the lame man. Paul was God’s instrument of kindness or of doing good. There have been times when I wish that I could bring physical healing into a person’s life but that has never happened. However, just because God doesn’t heal someone through my prayers it doesn’t mean I can’t still do good to people in some form.
Gal. 6:9-10 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Don’t give up doing good. Others will be blessed by our good deeds and we will too! As a man soweth that shall he also reap. It is sometimes easy to give up on certain people but we must never give up doing good. Some people will respond even if others won’t. I’ve been disappointed by many people but also surprised by some others. You just never know when there’s a diamond hiding in that rough exterior of a person.
"As we have opportunity..." We all have opportunity every day to do something good for someone. We need to stay awake to these opportunities. Our goodness may lead to godliness. That is, doing good to others may lead some to Christ, which should be our ultimate goal in life!
ILL.- I’m not a Donald Trump fan but I have to hand it to them for a good deed he did. The real-estate mogul left a $10,000 tip on an $82.27 bill Monday, Dec. 3rd, at a restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif.
Trump asked the waiter, “What’s the biggest tip you ever got?” He said, “Jerry Bruckheimer comes in a lot. He tipped me $500 on a $1,000 check once.” “You’re very good at your job," Trump then told the waiter. When the down-on-his-luck waiter saw the tip Trump left, he couldn’t believe it. GOOD JOB, DONALD!
No, it’s not true at all. Someone fabricated this story, but leaving a nice tip for good service is also a form of doing good.
Eph. 2:10 "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
We do good to others and are kind to others simply because that’s what we are supposed to do!
In Acts 10:38 Peter characterized Jesus as a man who went about doing good because God was with him. And the same should be true of us! If God is with us and working in us we should be doing good things to others and for them!
ILL.- When Charles Schwab was 70 years old, he made the following statement. He said, “I’d like to say here in a court of law, and speaking as an old man, that 9/10 ths of my troubles are traceable to my being kind to others. Look you young people, if you want to steer away from trouble, be hard-boiled. Be quick with a good loud ’no’ to anyone and everyone. If you follow this rule, you will seldom be bothered as you tread life’s pathway. Except you’ll have no friends, you’ll be lonely, and you won’t have any fun!”
And you won’t honor Christ either. We all need to be open to opportunities to doing good for others, even if it’s just something simple like opening a door for someone or saying a kind word or offering a friendly smile. And don’t forget that laughter is not only good medicine, it’s also a great witness for Christ! To win some we must be winsome!
II. WE MUST BE HUMBLE
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13The 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. 14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them."
ILL.- In 1963, A spry sixty-eight-year-old man set out to build a church by himself. He spent his own money to build a cement-block-and-stone church complete with parking lot and auditorium on a five-acre plot near Greenlawn, New York.
William H. Henderson, who formerly owned a construction business, estimated that the church would cost him $90,000 when finished. He planned to leave it for people to use. He called himself a minister, but one who preferred to do all the work “with my own two hands.” He boasted of not having “a lick of help” since beginning the project. He said, “I don’t want anyone coming to help me. Too many people gets things disorganized. I do better working by myself.” He probably thought he did good work too.
ILL.- G. Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator, once said: "I have found within myself all I need and all I ever shall need. I am a man of great faith, but my faith is in George Gordon Liddy. I have never failed me." Perhaps you’ve met a Liddy or two in your life, people who were completely sold on themselves. They had all the answers and knew everything.
No matter how good we are or no matter how good we think we are we must never get the "big head" over anything we do in life. We are only able to live and serve and do by the grace of God.
I Tim. 1:15-17 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
No matter how much good Paul did in life he still felt as though he was a sinner, the worst of sinners. Most people, however, don’t like to admit they’ve ever done anything wrong. We prefer to think of ourselves as being pretty good people. However, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
I Pet. 5:5-6 "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." I’d rather be humble and receive God’s grace than His opposition.
In our text, after the healing of the lame man took place Paul was humble and quick to give God the credit, "We too are only men, human like you." And then he pointed to the God of heaven as being the author of that good healing.
ILL.- Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as "our illustrious guest." Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, "Dear friends, I am only the little servant of an illustrious Master."
There it is. That’s the right spirit. The right attitude. The right way to think. Be humble. Give God His rightful glory.
III. WE MUST EXPECT SOME OPPOSITION
Here’s the part I don’t like. If you do good in this world and live for Christ, some will oppose you.
19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. STONED HIM, THINKING HE WAS DEAD. Wow!
Brothers and Sisters, I’m not afraid to die but I’m not in a hurry to go to my grave either. That’s one reason I don’t intend to preach the gospel in the country of Turkey. And it may have been that bad for the apostle Paul. It sure sounds like it.
II Tim. 3:10-15 "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
Opposition will come to you no matter what you do or how kind you are. If you live for Christ opposition will come. If you are kind and present a witness for Christ out in the world some people will frown at you, some will merely pass you by but others may accuse you of being stupid or even worse. Some accused Jesus of being in league with the devil.
I do believe that if we speak for Christ, there will be some who will oppose us or try to do us harm. Have you ever had that happen? If not, then perhaps you are not speaking for Christ.
How do we silence our opponents?
ILL.- One day a man met preacher Charles Spurgeon on the street, took off his hat and bowed, and said, "The Rev. Mr. Spurgeon--a great humbug!" Spurgeon took off his hat and replied, "Thank you for the compliment. I am glad to hear that I am a great anything!"
How do we silence our opponents? Respond in as positive a manner as possible. Instead of fighting fire with fire, just laugh and be positive. It will confuse them for sure.
ILL.- While contending with the manifold problems of geography and climate in the building of the Panama Canal, Colonel George Washington Goethals had to endure the carping criticism of countless busybodies back home who freely predicted that he would never complete his great task. But the resolute builder pressed steadily forward in his work and said nothing.
“Aren’t you going to answer your critics?” a subordinate inquired. “In time,” Goethals replied. “How?” The great engineer smiled. “With the canal,” he replied.
How do we silence our opponents and critics? Just keep on doing our work and doing what’s right. People will see the truth and come to believe in time.
CONCLUSION------------------------------
I’m only human. I’m just a man. Yes, we are just human but we are God’s people and that makes a difference in our lives.Because we belong to the Lord, we are different people, better people, kind people, thoughtful of others. We go around doing good and we don’t even understand it. We can’t do otherwise.
Eph. 3:7-8 "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."
Did you hear it? Although I am less than the least, God still gave me His grace to preach. The same is true of you. No matter who you are or what you think of yourself, God gives you His grace to do good, to serve, to give, to love, etc. and in order that ultimately He might be glorified. We may be only human but we serve a divine and all-powerful God!
