Acts 16:16-18 (ESV)
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
One of the dangers a preacher faces is found in those who complement him. I told my congregation that I have a problem with it. One of them said after complimenting me, "O, I'm sorry. I know you don't like that."
"No," I replied, "I like it too much!"
It is hard for a preacher to understand how compliments can get ungodly. Here are a few reasons I can see why Paul rebuked this girl. So, preachers pay attention.
Is the person giving you a compliment a believer? I have heard many non-believers compliment me for the "speech" I gave. They were not under conviction. They just thought it was interesting. They may even have thought that the message came from God but they were unaffected by what I had said. Therefore, the compliment needs to be ignored because it indicates that the message that you are giving isn't getting across.
Is the person distracting others from hearing what you are saying? A distraction is something that takes away from what you would like to focus on. if the person giving compliments is drawing attention to himself, then he needs to be rebuked.
Is the person distracting you from what you would say? I personally like well-timed "amens" when I preach. I don't like emotion for emotions sake. Distractions are ubiquitous in church. There is always a baby crying or a cell phone ringing but there are also those who want to draw away your attention. A pastor I served with was greatly distracted by a guy who sat on the front row of the church and kept repeating, "Praise God" over and over. I went to him and asked that he sit on the back row. If he was praising God, God would still hear him on the back row. However, I don't believe that was his motivation because he quit coming to our church.
Are these compliments going to your head? I know there are plenty of people in every church who believe it is their ministry to make sure that their pastor is humble. It is so easy to gravitate toward those who will give you a compliment. However, pride gets int he way of God's grace. Every preacher needs God's grace to have the strength and wisdom to preach God's word. Sometimes the person doesn't need to be rebuked but asked not to give so many compliments because of how it affects you. I have heard people tell me that I was the best preacher they have heard. I respond with, "You need to get out more." That usually stops those type of compliments.
Listening to the compliments can cause a preacher to overlook whether or not the person is a believer. The assumption is that a person giving a compliment must know the Lord. That wasn't the case here. The compliment was that these men were servants of the most high God and that they proclaimed the way of salvation. I know I would be tempted to believe anyone who said this was a believer. Paul didn't.
Are you being annoyed by these words from this person. The words were not negative. They were int he way. That may be a great indication that this person needs to be confronted.
A good compliment is always appreciated. A sycophant isn't You need to discern between the two. Yes, Jesus had many compliments. He also had many who said He was full of demons. He was able to accept the compliments because He was always focused on His Father's will. As long as the compliments don't distract you are others from God's will, they should be welcomed.
Every preacher should approach his sermon with great wonder. It is a wonder that God would give such a worm such words of life. Then, his pride will be turned to gratefulness.
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