Acts  Sermon Series

Wheelersburg Baptist Church 7/7/02 Brad Brandt

Acts 12:19b-25 "What God Thinks of Glory Stealers"**

It’s a serious thing to steal God’s glory. The penalty for glory-stealers is severe.

The French agnostic philosopher Voltaire once tried. He predicted that within fifty years people would have forgotten who Jesus Christ was. But the very year he said that the British museum purchased a Bible manuscript from Russia for $500,000 while a copy of one of Voltaire’s books sold for eight cents in the book stalls in Paris. Just five years after Voltaire made his ignorant prediction, the Geneva Bible society was running off thousands of Bibles on presses that had been set up in Voltaire’s former home in Geneva.

Listen to God speak, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols (Isaiah 42:8)." Listen to Him again, "I will not yield my glory to another (Isaiah 48:11)."

Just what is "glory stealing" and who is guilty of it? When a person lives in a land like America and enjoys its abundant blessings, yet wants to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, there is glory stealing. But it’s not just the atheist who steals God’s glory. Any person, whether religious or not, who soaks up the blessings of this land while ignoring the Giver of the blessings is on the verge of glory-stealing—and which of us hasn’t done that?

Yes, glory stealing can occur in subtle ways—and we’ll talk about some a little later. But the pages of history are filled with individuals who tried to steal God’s glory in not-so-subtle ways. They were foolish enough to fight God.

Novelist Sinclair Lewis tried. Although he won the 1930 Nobel Prize for literature, his novel Elmer Gantry mocked Christianity. Its leading character was an evangelist who was also an alcoholic and a fornicator. Lewis’s fight against God cost him his sobriety, and he died a hopeless slave to drink in a clinic near Rome.

Going back further we come to Friedrich Nietzsche, the nineteenth century German philosopher. He assaulted Christianity as the religion of weaklings. His fight against God eventually pushed him over the brink, and he spent the last several years of his life insane.

David said this about God in 2 Samuel 22:28, "You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. That’s exactly what God did in our text, Acts 12.

Acts 12:19b-25 offers us a powerful illustration of what God thinks of people who try to steal His glory. We also discover there two guarantees that will motivate us to live for the glory of God.

The fact is, there are problem people in the world. They are powerful and seem invincible. They hurt God’s people. They seem to get in the way of God’s plan.

But know this. No one frustrates God. No one gets in His way. The story before us both warns us and encourages us. The warning—don’t mistake God’s patience for apathy. The encouragement—God sees and will take action in His time.

Case in point, Herod Agrippa. In our last study we met Herod. We saw Herod arrest and kill the apostle James at the beginning of chapter 12. Then we saw Herod attempt to do the same to Peter. But God intervened. While the church prayed, God sent an angel to set Peter free from his chains in prison. Furious Herod ordered the execution of the guards who "let" Peter escape.

But the story isn’t over for Herod. In verses 19-23 Luke gives us a glimpse of four features of this wicked man.

A. We see Herod’s politics (19b-20). Verse 19 concludes, "Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while." He left town with a royal headache. "I need a break from this job!" he must have thought. So he headed for the Mediterranean coast with his tail between his legs.

Once there he faced another political challenge. Verse 20, "He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus [probably by paying a sum of money], a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply."

Though brief this verse gives us a vivid portrayal of Herod’s shrewdness in politics. The citires of Tyre and Sidon, located sixty miles north of Caesarea, were not technically under Herod’s jurisdiction. But they depended on Herod for trade. For a reason not given, a feud developed—it’s not hard to imagine someone being upset with Herod! Herod responded with economic sanctions. His strategy worked. The people came to him seeking peace since they depended on him for food imports.

Please note that they didn’t change their tune because of a new liking for Herod. The change was motivated by expedience. You may not like a man, but if he signs your paycheck it’s amazing how motivated you become to appease him.

Here’s the picture of Herod in Acts 12. Nobody can get along with him. He’s a self-centered fool. He arrests innocent men, kills his own guards, runs from his problems, and fights with his constituents. Does God see the wicked Herods in the world? Oh, yes. There will be no question about that fact in just a moment.

B. We see Herod’s power (21). "On the appointed day [apparently, the day of the peace agreement] Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people."

The Jewish historian Josephus indicates that the occasion was a festival in honor of the Roman Emperor Claudius. They likely met in the amphitheater built by Herod Agrippa’s grandfather, Herod the Great.

Luke says Herod wore his "royal robes." Josephus gave this description of his clothing, "[Herod] put on a garment wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner." So there Herod sits in his pompous power, adorned in splendor.

C. We see Herod’s praise (22). "They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man.’" Again, secular history helps us for Josephus records what the crowd said, "Be gracious unto us! Hitherto we have reverenced thee as a man, but henceforth we acknowledge thee to be of more than mortal nature."

Either Herod was a brilliant orator, or the people of Tyre and Sidon were great flatterers, or maybe a combination of both. Whatever the motivation, the people attributed to Herod the status of divinity. And he ate it up.

Psalm 10:2-6 describes Herod to the tee:

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,

who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;

he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous;

he is haughty and your laws are far from him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;

I’ll always be happy and never have trouble."

So Herod thought. But he was wrong.

D. We see Herod’s pride crumble (23). "Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died."

Herod did not give praise to God. He heard the people refer to him as deity, yet refused to stop the blasphemy. Josephus says, "He did not rebuke them, nor did he repudiate their impious flattery."

Soon after that, according to Josephus again, Herod looked up and saw an owl sitting on a rope above his head. He immediately recognized it as a messenger of evil. A pang of grief pierced his heart. At the same time he felt the attack of a severe pain in his abdomen and was carried quickly from the amphitheater to his palace.

Luke states that an angel struck Herod down and that he was "eaten by worms." Dr. Jean Sloat Morton offers this medical perspective:

"The phrase ‘eaten of worms,’ in Greek is skolakobrotos. The root word skolax means "a specific head structure of a tapeworm." Since the word scolex (plural scolices) is applied to the head of tapeworms, Herod’s death was almost certainly due to the rupture of a cyst formed by a tapeworm. There are several kinds of tapeworms, but one of the most common ones found in sheep-growing countries is the dog tape, Echinococcus granulosus. The heaviest infections come from areas where sheep and cattle are raised…

"The disease is characterized by the formation of cysts, generally on the right lobe of the liver; these may extend down into the abdominal cavity. The rupture of such a cyst may release as many as two million scolices. The developing worms inside of the cysts are called scolices, because the anterior region constitutes the major part of the development at this stage. When the cyst ruptures, the entrance of cellular debris along with the scolices may cause sudden death.

"The use of the word scolex is not limited to this reference about Herod; the term also appears in Mark 9:44. A literal translation of the phrase in Mark 9:44 would read, ‘where their scolex dieth not.’ This usage is very interesting because the tapeworm keeps propagating itself. Each section of the worm is a self-contained unit which has both male and female parts. The posterior part matures and forms hundreds of worm eggs. The word scolex in this text portrays a biological description of permanence which the text demands for the comparison."

Josephus says that Herod Agrippa lingered five days with severe abdominal pain. Then he died at the age of 54, during the seventh year of his rule. The year was A.D. 44. To put it into perspective, Herod executed James on May 1 (just prior to Passover). He himself died just three months later, on or near August 1.

Thus ended the life of the man who had the audacity to touch two of the Lord’s apostles. The episode teaches us three important lessons about God.

1. God is serious about His glory. The text says the angel struck Herod down "immediately." There was no delay. When Herod accepted praise that only God deserves, God took action. Granted, God doesn’t always take immediate action, but He does so often enough to remind all of us how serious He is about His glory.

Nebuchadnezzar learned that the hard way. He was one of the great rulers of ancient world history. He is the powerful Babylonian king who in the sixth century B.C. conquered the Middle East. But he let his power go to his head. One day God took away his sanity and for seven years he lived like a wild animal. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle, his nails became like the claws of a bird, and he ate grass like a cow. In the end he humbled himself and God restored him. He said this about the lesson he learned in Daniel 4:37, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."

2. God deals severely with those who steal His glory. A predominant theme of the Old Testament prophets was their condemnation of pride. God sees pride. God hates pride. God promises to deal severely with pride. For instance, listen to Obadiah’s message about the proud nation of Edom (verses 3-4), "The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ ⁴ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD."

And so the Lord did with Herod. He executed Herod for refusing to give Him the glory. But Herod is not alone. The fact is, that’s the same crime for which all unregenerate people will be condemned. Listen to Romans 1:21, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him… [and verse 25] They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen."

It’s true. God puts up with a lot. He’s patient and longsuffering. But when people snub Him, when they ignore Him, when they take credit for what He does, it offends Him greatly. When someone refuses to give Him the honor He alone deserves, when someone steals His glory, He is offended.

Do we ever do that, commit the sin of glory-stealing? Know this. We do it any time we fail to give God what He deserves. When an athlete wins and refuses to give God the honor, or even when he loses and does so in a self-centered way, he is robbing God. When a student aces a test, when a salesman closes a big deal, when a parent sees her child win an award—these are all occasions either to give God glory or to take His glory.

How do you respond to the successes of life? Do you give the credit to God? It’s a serious thing to fail to give God the praise He deserves. If we fail to do so, we are either slighting Him, or worse, taking credit for something He accomplished.

We steal His glory in other ways. When we refuse to participate in corporate worship on Sunday, we’re robbing God of what He deserves. The same is true when we refuse to give Him the first-fruits of our income. Let’s be honest. Who gave us our health, our jobs, our ability to work and make money, our families, indeed all we possess? He did. When we stop working one day a week and bring to Him the offering of our praise and money, we are acknowledging that He gave it all to us and that He means more to us than the health, the job, the money, and even the family He loaned to us.

Know this. God deals severely with those who steal His glory. Here’s a third lesson.

3. God determines the timing. An atheist once said, "If there is a God, may he prove himself by striking me dead right now." Nothing happened. "You see, there is no God," he touted. At that point someone wisely responded, "You haven’t disproved God. You've only proved that He is a gracious God."

God will deal with glory-stealers. The only question is when.

What happened to Herod anticipates what will happen to the coming, final world ruler. The Bible says that the Antichrist, like Herod, will persecute God’s people. He also will set himself up as God and demand the worship of the world. And he will have his moment of applause. But it will end suddenly when Jesus returns and cuts him down along with all who follow him (Rev 19:11-21).

Yes, God will humble the proud. That’s guarantee #1.

James 4:10 declares, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." That’s a promise. In fact, the truth that God will humble the proud and promote the humble appears throughout the Bible.

Psalm 18:27 "You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty."

Psalm 147:6 "The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground."

Proverbs 3:34 declares, "He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble."

God will promote the humble. He promises He will, and that’s what we see Him doing in verses 24-25. Luke records two evidences of this guarantee.

A. God’s Word spread (24). "But the word of God continued to increase and spread." There’s a powerful contrast in Acts 12, as John Stott observes, "At the beginning of the chapter Herod is on the rampage—arresting and persecuting church leaders; at the end he is himself struck down and dies. The chapter opens with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing; it closes with Herod dead, Peter free and the Word of God triumphing."

The clout of the world’s most powerful people pales when compared to the Word of God. You can be sure of this…

1. Man’s word may sound impressive. But…

2. God’s Word is impressive. Herod died. God’s Word kept going. Powerful people come and go and their ideas die with them. But God’s Word remains forever.

Throughout the book of Acts we see two things. We see opposition—Herod wasn’t the last person to attack God’s church. We also see advance. Verse 24 is one of six "progress reports" Luke puts into the story of the early church:

6:7 "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly."

9:31 "Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace…It grew in numbers."

16:5 "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers."

19:20 "In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."

28:31 "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God…"

Time and time again the early church took it on the chin. But when the dust settled, the evidence was clear. God’s Word spread. Luke mentions a second evidence.

B. God’s servants kept fulfilling the mission (25). "When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark." With these words Luke makes a bridge to connect the end of chapter 11 with the beginning of chapter 13. From this point on in the book of Acts, the focus will be on the final phase of the church’s mission, reaching the Gentiles. Even as chapter 12 comes to a close, God is putting His people in place to launch the most aggressive, far-reaching segment of the church’s mission. It’s time to reach the world!

I see another significant contrast when I look at Acts 12.

1. At the beginning of Acts 12, James died. It was a sad day. But…

2. At the end of Acts 12, Mark stepped forward. Who was Mark? For one thing, Mark was the cousin of Barnabas, according to Colossians 4:10. More importantly, Mark represents the next link in the chain of God’s servants. We’ll see him shortly in chapter 13 when the church launches its first missionary journey to the Gentiles.

Þ No one is indispensable. Not one of us. James died, but God raised up Mark and countless others to carry on the work. Let there be no doubt about this…

Þ God’s work will go on! The church doesn’t depend on man, but on God. That’s why the outcome is certain, no matter what Herod nor men like Herod may do.

I hope that encourages you, my friend. God will promote the humble—guaranteed.

Missionary Isobel Kuhn used to pray when in trouble, "If this obstacle if from Thee, Lord, I accept it; but if it is from Satan, I refuse him and all his works in the name of Calvary!" Dr. Alan Redpath gives this word of encouragement, "Let’s keep our chins up and our knees down—we’re on the victory side!"

Not long ago I read one of the best books I’ve ever read, Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn. Although written as a novel, Safely Home offers a well researched account of the persecuted church in China. The story line involves a Chinese house-church pastor by the name of Li Quan who is imprisoned by the Communists for preaching the gospel. While in prison he is visited by an American friend, Ben Fielding, a new Christian who is struggling with the question of why God doesn’t do something to free Li Quan. Why does God let wicked people hurt His children? Why doesn’t He do something about it? That’s an important question, one you may be asking. Though lengthy, I’d like to read a portion of the answer Li Quan gave to his American friend through the prison fence:

"God is accomplishing his purpose. He is above the jailors, the PSB, the mayor, and the Party. He uses them as tools in His hand. Just as he used Mao Zedong."

"Mao? God used Mao? Come on, Quan. When people look for evidence that there’s no God, they point to Mao, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, all of the mass murderers."

"Yet Mao was a tool in the hands of Yesu [Jesus], to build his church."

Ben stared at Quan, incredulous.

"Mao was a mantis trying to stop a chariot," Quan said. "When the chariot driver decided it was time to move, he ran over Mao. The chairman was disposable. He tried to strangle the church. Mao died, but the church came alive. It rides in the chariot over his grave."

"Look, I’m a Christian now, Quan, and I’m really trying to understand. But…I just don’t get what you’re saying."

"Think, Ben Fielding. When Mao came to power there were fewer than a million Christians in China, and those were divided. Many leaders were seduced by Western modernism, no longer believing God’s Word. The church needed inside cleansing, and outside there was little interest in Yesu. But then came Mao. My parents told me how they put loudspeakers in the lampposts and trees, and every morning they awoke to ‘East is Red,’ a song about Mao being ‘the great savior of the people.’ Mao was a usurper, a pretender, a small man who did a large evil. His broken promises left a huge void. Many now realize Shengking [the Bible] is the truth the red book claimed to be. And Yesu is the Savior Mao claimed to be."

"Still, the tens of millions of people who died…" [Ben objected]

"My own father died under Mao’s boot. Yet Li Tong used to say, ‘Mao Zedong is China’s greatest evangelist.’ He created a vacuum only Zhu Yesu could fill. Mao expelled all the missionaries and persecuted the church. But half a million Christians multiplied to perhaps eighty or a hundred million today."

"But at what cost, Quan?"

"Who are we to speak of cost? God hated what Mao did, but he used it. We do not understand providence. But the Chinese say, ‘A good fortune may forebode a bad luck, which may in turn disguise a good fortune.’ God works beneath the surface and around the corner and above the roof. We have a saying: ‘No man should judge a painting when he can only see the back of the canvas.’"

"Isn’t it obvious things are out of control when you have madmen and dictators murdering people?"

"Out of whose control? Ben Fielding’s? Li Quan’s? Of course. But Yesu does not cower before strutting dictators. He does not bow before petty warlords like Mao and Stalin and Hitler. Mao is responsible for his evil. But Shengjing says, ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.’ Mao could not thwart God. In a hundred ways he prepared the way for the spread of the gospel like no missionary could."

"How? What do you mean?" [Ben asked, and Quan answered…]

"When Mao came to power there was no road system. Missionaries who worked inland traveled for seven months. They lived on the backs of mules for the final weeks of their journey. When Mao built the roads, the church could reach to the same countryside in less than a week, and now on trains or buses, not mules."

"He built roads for his purposes, not the church’s." [Ben objected]

"That is what he thought. When he assumed power, China was divided by three hundred languages and a thousand dialects. But Mao signed a decree making Mandarin the official language. He required all business and education and public conversation to be in Mandarin. He ordered that the forty-seven thousand pictorial characters be simplified so his red book could be small and easy to carry. They were reduced to fifteen hundred. Suddenly God’s Word could be translated much more easily, and the whole nation could be reached with one translation. You have heard of Wycliffe Bible Translators? They could not have done what Mao Zedong did for the church. Only six percent of the nation could read, so he ordered literacy training and now nearly ninety percent can read—nearly all who live in the cities. And are they reading his red book? No—they are reading the words of Yesu! That is, whenever we can get it into their hands."

"You really believe God was behind all this?" [Ben asked]

"Of course. Mao intended it for evil, but God intended it for good. Mao set himself up as a god, but he was but an errand boy for the true God. As surely as God used Pharaoh to lead his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, he used Chairman Mao to establish the church in China."

Yes, God’s work will go on. We can be sure of that fact because God is serious about His glory. He will humble the proud—that’s a guarantee. And He will promote the humble—that, too, is a fixed guarantee. In His time, He will. He will because He is serious about His glory.

The question is, are we? Be honest. Are you living for the glory of God or for some lesser pursuit? Let’s take inventory…

Let’s ask ourselves four vital questions.

1. Am I trusting in His Son? The fact is, we can’t bring glory to God on our own. We are sinners. Sinners don’t want to live for God’s glory. They want to do their own thing. But that’s why God sent His Son into the world. Jesus Christ died in our place on the cross and then rose again to set us free from living self-centered lives.

If you want to live for the glory of God, you must start here. You must trust in His Son. Not only will He forgive you of your sins, but He will give you a new heart, one that wants to give God glory rather than steal it from Him. Are you trusting Him?

2. Am I living for the things that matter to Him? You say, "How can I know what matters to Him?" He told us. Where? In His Word. "Seek first the kingdom of God," He said (Matt 6:33). "Set your affection on things above (Col 3:1)." "Present your bodies a living sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1)."

It’s really not that complicated. Are you living for God, or for yourself? Be honest. Every day we make choices. Are you choosing the things that please Him, that bring honor to Him, or are you choosing the things that make life comfortable and reputable for yourself? To put it another way…

3. Am I using my time in a way that will matter 100 years from now? Every day we have 24 hours. We can use those 24 hours for God’s agenda or our own. Every day is a fresh slate of hours and a new choice. What have you been choosing? Are you using your time for things that will matter 100 years from now?

4. Am I giving Him the credit for what He does in my life? People who are living for God’s glory give Him the credit for everything, big and small. They don’t have to but want to, for He is worthy. And they know what He thinks of glory-stealers.

Let’s not steal from God this week. Let’s give Him what He deserves.

Acts  Sermon Series