Desire for Praise (1 Corinthians 4:5)

Introduction

Let’s talk for a moment about Proverbs. Pithy little statements that are short to be remembered, to be easily applied. Wisdom for living. There are a lot of modern day proverbs that roll right off the tongue, like haste makes waste. Actions speak louder than words. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The pen is mightier than the sword. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Or as we say around here, if it ain’t Baruch, don’t fix it. I preached a sermon about that. When in Rome, you don’t even have to finish that one. Proverbs. Biblical proverbs are designed to do the same. They’re about living life wisely. Mike and I have been talking about in the new year a Bible reading plan that is just based on the Proverbs.

And I’ve already been talking to the high school class about it, and now I’m talking to you about it. And when the first day of the next year rolls around, everybody in the congregation is going to be on board and doing the daily Bible reading, and we’re going to become experts in the Proverbs, at least as much as we can be, with our talent and abilities, in 2019. So I’m telling you that now. I’m going to tell you that again in about three weeks, so that you’re going to be on board with something we’re all going to do together, from the oldest to the youngest. Proverbs in 2019. Have you gotten that in your brain yet? Get it written in there. That’s what we’re going to do together.

So, a little bit of preview of that. We’ll begin this morning. In Proverbs chapter 27. There was a particular proverb that stood out to me that might be worthy of some discussion in a full-length sermon. Very relevant to our times. And so I started looking at the Proverbs around this proverb in Proverbs 27, and I noted one that a lot of us probably could quote. Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. What valuable information for living that would be relevant in your circumstances every day.

To deal with situations in a local church for a little bit of time to realize just how critical a proverb like this is. A little later on, verse 12, a prudent man sees evil and hides himself, and then I like this latter part of this couplet. The naive proceed and pay the penalty. It’s like, oh, whatever. And walk right into it, and they pay the penalty of such a foolish choice. The prudent man sort of weighs the situation and sees the harm that could befall him, but not the naive man. He just plunges on ahead and receives the penalty. And then a little bit later, I’ve been the recipient of this, so it sticks out to me rather vividly in Proverbs 27. I can’t tell you how many times where this proverb has come to my mind with brethren that I’ve interacted with, preaching colleagues and friends, elders, iron sharpens iron.

So one man counsels another. And then the overlooked proverb in chapter 27, at least I think it’s probably somewhat overlooked. Sheol and Abaden are never satisfied. What is that saying? It’s just gobbling up more and more people all the time, never stops. It’s never enough. The grave. What happens after this life is over? For example, if averages hold true, 7500 Americans will die today. Isn’t that an incredible number? If you think about it. Seventy, five hundred Americans.

1. Let Another Praise You, Not Your Own Mouth

A hundred and fifty thousand people worldwide will die today. That’s pretty amazing. Pretty far reaching. But then this she all and abaden are never satisfied, nor are the eyes of man. Whatever is pleasurable to the eye, whatever brings you zest and zing from what you see, you can fill it, you can take it in, and it will never be enough. The eye wants more and more and more. Isn’t that an interesting proverb? But the one I want to talk to you about is actually earlier in verse 2. Very practical wisdom. Let another praise you and not your own mouth. A stranger and not your own lips. Had you heard that one before? Well, you talk about relevant to our times. This one. Let somebody else praise you.

Don’t do it yourself. And now I transition to Snoop Dogg. I’d just known his name until a few weeks ago. Knew he was a rapper. He received, believe it or not, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right before Thanksgiving. And he gave a five-minute speech, and I just saw a little clip of it, and then this week I had to go back and watch the whole thing. I mean, he started in his little five minute speech by, I mean, he was almost rapping in the speech that he was giving. I mean, it’s so natural to who he is and what he does. And there was sort of a rhythm and a cadence to it all. And I sort of started doing this. As I was listening to his speech, he wasn’t even singing.

And he thanked Dr. Dre, among others who had been helpful to him. And then he comes to the end and says, and this is why he got the this is why he got the clip on the news media. Last but not least, I want to thank me. Now he chuckled a little bit as he said that, but then he didn’t stop there. He said, I want to thank me for believing in me. I want to thank me for doing all this hard work. I want to thank me for having no days off. I want to thank me for never quitting. I want to thank me for doing more right than wrong. Like it’s sort of a balance thing. You got to do more right than you do wrong.

I want to thank me for just being me at all times. Then he styles himself as a bad dude with some profanity mixed in, and then in the very next breath, says he wants to thank the man upstairs and spells out G-O-D. I don’t know what caused Snoop Dogg to be thankful for himself right before Thanksgiving. And really, this proverb does it not come to mind. Maybe he just felt underappreciated. Maybe people thought that he didn’t work hard enough to achieve the fame that he had achieved. A lot of people feel like they’re not valued as perhaps they should be.

What exactly is a healthy view of ourselves? And does it demand that my achievements be noted and applauded by others, much less doing it ourselves, do we need other people to applaud my achievements and my abilities? And I would suggest that even praise that comes from others should be kept in the proper perspective. I read an article by Martha Beck about those who are addicts to praise. Now, these next two things that I’m going to quote are not from religious sources per se, but just our society, realizing that there’s a problem. There are people who are addicted to praise. And she told the story of a woman whose life revolved around receiving positive attention from others. And she said being praised launched her into manic giddiness, then dropped her into troughs of depression that made King Lear look like howdy duty.

No, I don’t really get the illustration necessarily, but it sounds good. She further noted if your parents linked their acceptance of you to your achievements, if you were educated in a competitive system, if you ever participated in sports, theater, a job, motherhood. In short, if you live in this world, then you’ve been set up to get hooked on praise. And let me add here to her thoughts, including having a big social media presence. And she offered these warning signs. If you have an infinite praise tolerance, you might be addicted to praise. And second, if you have a flattering sidekick. You see, if you’re constantly needing praise, then you’re going to gravitate to someone or several some ones who are always there to give you the praise that you need.

And so these recommendations were made. Admit that you have a praise problem. Don’t feed the need. Number three, let your hungry soul find its real food. Now, I liked this one. This was really good. And a spiritual teacher from 2000 was quoted who said, Your ego has all these wants. Your soul has only one want. It wants to merge with the one. Now, I don’t know what he thought about that statement that he made, but there is an element of truth in that. And then the fourth recommendation was practice love. Interestingly enough, and practice. And practice was the recommendation. Understanding Jesus’ words, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20, verse 35. I saw another article from Fortune magazine that was entitled How to Stop Being a Praise Junkie.

2. Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord

People are into themselves. People are into praise, apparently, because again, these are from non-religious sources. People who are talking about you need to be careful with a praise problem. Certainly, our proverb relates to this idea. Now let me get to the focal point of this. This need for praise and the cure for that. And it’s really quite simple. And I want you to buy into this. If you have a praise problem, or if you’re just a little bit too focused on yourself. The proper focus is given to us clearly in the Bible. The last Psalm tells us in Psalm 150, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. This is the last verse of the Psalms. This is what the Psalms have been all about. After we do the Proverbs daily Bible reading, I told Mike I want to do a Psalms year long Bible reading to follow that.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. This has been the tenor of the Psalms. How many times you think about praise the Lord? You think about the Psalms, right? And God is truly praiseworthy. Several things are enumerated in Psalm 150. Go back to Psalm 138. I will give thanks to you with all my heart. I will sing praises to you before the gods, not acknowledging that they exist, but just acknowledging that God is supreme above any other deity that man might want to worship. I will bow down toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name for your loving kindness and truth. For you have magnified your word according to all your name. On the day I called, you answered me. You did make me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth will give thanks to you, O Lord, when they have heard the words of your mouth, and they will sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. The Lord is exalted, yet he regards the lowly, the haughty.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me. I like that. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me. Your loving kindness, O Lord, is everlasting. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. God is praiseworthy. Hey, where’s the Psalm about me? Ever thought about that? There’s no Psalm written about me. The Psalms are directing us to God. And all of this desire for praise, for everyone to note and appreciate me. The cure for all of that is to focus outside of ourselves to God and his will for us. Three quick points I want to make about praising God and how it relates to this proverb that we’ve seen in Proverbs chapter 27.

3. He Reigns

He reigns.

A truth that I believe is true right now, at this moment. God reigns in heaven. That does not change. When God reigns, what follows that? The people’s tremble. A recognition of his power and his awesomeness and his glory and his sovereignty and his judgment. And a recognition that my little place in the world is just that. It’s little. Even if I get three hundred likes on Facebook.

My temporary place in the world is just that. It’s temporary.

This sermon this morning is the narcissist’s worst nightmare. It’s not all about me, nor about you. Observing this daily will help us to see ourselves, our circumstances, and even other people differently. That’s why I had Scott Leed sing on, ye joyful pilgrims, because I’ve been singing that my whole life, but there’s a phrase in that chorus that leaps out at me every time that I sing it, and that is our souls are lost in praise. Souls lost in praise don’t have time to be overly focused and overly consumed and over exalting of self. And this is where real identity begins. A healthy view of ourselves starts right here. God reigns, let the peoples tremble. God is awesome, God is sovereign, God is powerful, I am finite, I am flawed, I am dependent.

4. He Exalts

The Lord sets me to a path of fearing him of high character, and that focuses on cheering others who are on life’s journey beside us. I will give myself to his will for me. And whatever might befall me, wherever the chips may fall, the chips are the chips are the chips. And in the end, so what? However I may exceed others in accomplishments. They’re not the standard. God is. And that’s the point of the last verse of Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mountain. Be ye perfect as God is perfect. The standard is not men. And what they achieve and what they do, the standard is always God. He reigns. And not only does he reign, he exalts. And isn’t that sort of what people are looking for when they are seeking praise from others or when they have to praise themselves?

They want to be exalted. But there are paradoxes involved in Christianity, and we know those, right? He who exalts himself shall be humble. He who humbles himself shall be exalted. Lose your life in order to find it. He wishes to hold on to his life loses it. Are the paradoxes. Man’s praise, man’s praise is completely optional and unnecessary. In Colossians 3 and verse 23, whatever you do your work harderly heartily as for the Lord rather than for men. Who doesn’t feel underappreciated at times? People don’t observe. I get it. When you’ve gone to great lengths to do something right and do it well, and nobody seems to care, and nobody seems to appreciate. Hasn’t every one of us gone on that rant in our family at some point in time?

You don’t appreciate what I’m doing. We tell our kids that. You know, we’re sacrificing, we’re doing, we’re providing, and they’re being provided for so well. Unless you talk to them. And it’s like, don’t you see what I’m doing here? We seek praise because we want others to see us as valuable. Or to validate the value that we think we have. But here’s the thing.

And that’s enough. And that’s Peter’s point in 1 Peter chapter 1. That you were not ransomed with, you were not redeemed with futile things, material things like silver and gold, as valuable as we deem those things to be. He says, You were redeemed by the precious blood of a lamb. Without spot and without blemish, as John so eloquently, and I using John and eloquent in the same sentence.

5. He Remembers

To compare all the honor that our former president received versus the honor that our Lord deserves. He exalts. All I need to be concerned about is his exaltation of me and his value of me. Whether anybody else appreciates that, acknowledges that, or even says anything about it. And he remembers. That’s awesome. I love Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 10. He is not unjust. To forget our work and labor of love, which we have shown in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. You know, it’s not whether other people take a tally of the good that you’ve done or the way that you’ve positively impacted the kingdom, that really is irrelevant because God’s ledger is the one that matters. And he doesn’t forget a thing.

He knows the real you, he knows your heart, he knows where he is in your heart. And if you serve for him and do your work heartily for the Lord, as we saw in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 23, the assessments of others really don’t amount to a whole lot, do they? And then I want to end with this.

6. The One Who Examines Me Is the Lord

I mean, we look at the life of the Apostle Paul, and we’re going, well, he was the most amazing thing ever. I know he used to persecute Christians. He killed Stephen, he was there consenting to his death. And we look at some of that, his past, but he acknowledges that. He still calls himself the chief of sinners in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15. But we see the canvas of scripture and we see the life of the Apostle Paul, and where he traveled all over the place, converted people, influenced people for the kingdom. I mean, Paul was the most one of the most amazing Christians that have ever walked on the face of the earth. What a transformation. I don’t know why the Corinthians couldn’t see it.

But they struggled in their relationship with him, and it gets worse in 2 Corinthians. But here in 1 Corinthians, he says, Let a man regard us in this manner. How are you going to look at us? The right way to look at us is we’re servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. He doesn’t say this from a self-flattering point of view, but his work as an apostle of the Lord, as his ambassador. And he says, now this, if that’s indeed what we are, the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, it is required of stewards. Somebody who manages something that belongs to another. It is required of them that they be faithful. And then he says this in verse 3.

But to me, it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you. And I the assessments of others matter. There are proverbs that relate to that. Good name is rather to be chosen. Proverbs 22 and verse 1. But compared to what he’s talking about, that’s small in comparison. It’s a small.

Isn’t really that focused on himself. I don’t even examine myself. I don’t spend a lot of time with my view of self. I’m conscious of nothing against myself. I mean, I’m not going over this with a fine-toothed comb, but as I look at my life, I don’t see anything that is particularly glaring wrong. Yet I’m not acquitted by this, he says, but the one who examines me is the Lord. That’s who you need to be concerned about. Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time. Listen. Sometimes, brethren, as good and well-meaning as they are, will make judgments without being privy to all the facts. Be careful in regard to human judgment. Do not go on passing judgment before the time. If you’re concerned about judgment, it’s coming.

Conclusion

But wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light justice is coming. He will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts. The real day of everything being crystal clear and wide open. That’s coming, and God is going to be fair, and he’s going to be just and he’s going to show it all. Whether it’s hidden from men or not. Human courts mean very little in comparison to the ultimate and divine court. And then focus on this, and we’ll conclude. Get this. And then each man’s praise will come to him from God. Let another man praise you. Do not praise from your own lips. But even more know this that the ultimate praise that matters does not emanate from the lips of others, but from the lips of a God who reigns, who exalts, and who remembers.

I really don’t need to broadcast my accomplishments or tout my own value or worth to others who somehow don’t seem to see what’s so very obvious. And that’s why we do.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Let’s stand and sing.