Playing to the Right Audience: Honoring God Above All Else

By Dean Collins

Playing to the crowd might be enjoyable, but what if the crowd is the wrong audience?

Every musician feels the tension of how much of their new music they can or should play in a concert and how much of what they play should be what their fans came to hear.

 Comedians, musicians, and politicians know the value of playing to the crowd. It usually results in getting laughs, selling tickets, or securing votes. But have you looked up the meaning of ‘playing to the crowd’ lately? Playing to the crowd doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with what is right. People play to the crowd to get approval. One definition I found said:

 “To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to gain maximum approval.”

 In Acts 12, we learn that Herod had allowed violence even to the point of having John’s brother James murdered in his efforts to satisfy his Jewish audience, who were intent on stopping the spread of the gospel. Luke tells us that when Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. 

 Herod knew exactly what he was doing. There was a big crowd in town for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Herod was the master of playing to both the Romans and his Jewish constituents. He needed to keep things and people under control to please Rome, and he needed to satisfy the religious zealots to stay in favor with the locals. Herod saw that the Jewish leaders were pleased with the death of one apostle, so why not go for their leader next? In this case, playing to the crowd resulted in one death, with a second one planned, likely for the next day.

 Peter must have remembered his early morning conversation with Jesus that took place before Jesus ascended to heaven while chained between two soldiers. You remember that in that conversation in John 21 Jesus told Peter that he would be led where he did not want to go. Peter knew he wouldn’t die of natural causes. I suspect Peter thought this might be his last night on earth as he dozed off that evening. 

 Suddenly, an angel appeared and literally had to nudge or hit Peter to get his attention because he was sleeping so soundly. His chains fell off, and the angel instructed Peter to get his clothes and shoes and to follow quickly. It all happened so fast that Peter was a bit confused by it all. Luke tells us that finally when Peter was standing outside of Mary’s house, he realized that God had intervened and rescued him from death. Playing to the crowd would not work for Herod this time.

 The band of disciples gathered in Mary’s home had been praying through the night for Peter. They would have benefited from Paul’s words in Colossians as they prayed:

 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

Peter’s friends had been steadfast and diligent in their prayers, but apparently, they forgot to be watchful! Even after Rhoda had seen Peter and spoken to him, the prayer group didn’t believe that Peter was actually standing outside the door. Aren’t we sometimes surprised when God suddenly answers our prayers and immediately changes a situation? I suspect we often pray because we think we should, but we have our doubts about whether God will intervene. 

 Herod was furious the next day when he discovered that Peter had escaped. No one knew how or when he escaped and had no idea where he had gone. Herod was so angry he had the guards executed. When one’s anger is unchecked, bad things happen.

 It wasn’t long before playing to the wrong crowd finally caught up with Herod. With all his arrogance and pride on full display and dressed in his royal garments, King Herod took his seat on the throne and began to speak. We don’t know what he said as he played to the crowd, but they loved it and said, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

 Herod ate up the attention, owning it like he himself was a god and not a mortal. And just like that God intervened and an angel of the Lord struck Herod dead. Herod forgot that there is one audience that everyone must bow before.

 Paul once said that whatever we do in word or deed we do for an audience of one. As followers of Christ, we should be cautious about playing to the crowds. Sure, it’s nice to be liked or appreciated, but as citizens of God’s kingdom all we do is ultimately for God’s glory to be revealed on earth. One day we will stand before Jesus and be welcomed into eternity and hear those wonderful words: “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Playing to the right audience will lead us right into God’s presence for eternity.

 Father, today we seek you and you alone. May our words and actions glorify you as we seek to be obedient in all we do. We love you and are grateful that you are sufficient to meet our every need now and forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 Your Time with God’s Word
Acts 12:1-3, 5-24; John 21:15-23; Colossians 4:2 ESV

Photo by Brett Sayles: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-playing-a-guitar-and-standing-audience-11893150/
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