Honor

As we look at honor today we will look at the attribute of our God that makes Him worthy of our honor. That will be His power. Then we will look at how we can honor Him for the Power He has displayed in our lives. The word glory literally means beauty, to honor, to boast about. So let us get started.

HONOR

Jerimiah 10:11-12 – Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

Jeremiah 27:5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

First, let us look at the power aspect.
Let us talk about His power.

He spoke the world into existence. We talked about this last week.
He made man and breathed His own breath into him. (last week as well.)
He is making an everlasting home for His children –

Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

1 To be God’s child you must be born again.
2 Not all people are children of God.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,

KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS

No earthly leader will ever match the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
His kingdom is eternal. All man’s kingdoms will come to an end.
HE IS MY KING AND MY LORD, is He yours?

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

God has made Himself known to ALL men.
He is seen in all His creation.
Man who rejects God is without excuse because God shows Himself daily to all men. (the sun, the moon, the stars, the sea, the mountains, the trees, the flowers, the animals, etc. ALL MADE BY GOD HIMSELF.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

We demonstrate His power, not by doing supernatural things, but by loving each other.
We can love each other because His Holy Spirit dwells in us.
Only through Christ can our love become perfect – we demonstrate His love, not our own. Expand

Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen

His power enables us to Grow.
His power enables us to Glorify Him.
The natural man lacks the ability to truly Praise and Glorify Him.

HONOR

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

We begin by having a reverence for Who He is, not necessarily for what He can do.

Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

We realize action, not lip service is a must. (praise is demonstrated not only by words, but by being obedient.

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.Honor for God is shown by our honor for those in our own Home.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.Honor for God involves us being humbled.

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Honor is shown by our ability to endure the hardships of life. (persecution, pain, hurt, etc.)

1 Thessalonians 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;Honor is shown by forsaking the world and living a Godly life.

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Honor is shown by my willingness to give to His work. NOTE: He should get the first, not the leftovers. (time, money, talents, family, etc.)

I Thessalonians 5:12-15 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Honor is demonstrated by the way I treat those in spiritual authority.
Honor is demonstrated by the way I treat my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Honor is demonstrated by the way I treat the lost.

The ultimate way to honor His is to make Him known.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

2 Corinthians 7:14 For if I have boasted anything to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I. COUNSEL FOR BETTER LIVING –

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. – Ecclesiastes 7:1

A. HONOR IS BETTER THAN LUXURY
1. Be a person of honor
2. Better than precious ointment (material gain)
B. FOR THE BELIEVER, YOUR DEATH DAY IS BETTER THAN YOUR BIRTHDAY –
WHY?

One’s birth is the beginning of sorrows

Job 14:1 -Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.;

Jeremiah 20:14-18 – Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

One’s death can be the beginning of eternal bliss

Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.;

C. A FUNERAL IS BETTER THAN A PARTY (verses 2-4) – It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
1. For the child of God a funeral is a celebration service
2. It is a graduation ceremony
3. For those left behind it is
A. A time of remembrance
B. A time to reflect on our own spiritual state
C. A time of rejoicing in knowing this is not the end

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 – But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

D. A REBUKE OF THE WISE IS BETTER THAN THE SONG OF FOOLS (verses 5-7) 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
1. For the laughter of the fool is vanity
2. Flattery is foolish admonishment for personal gain

E. THE END IS BETTER THAN THE BEGINNING (verse 8) Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
1. Finish what you start
2. Not all that starts has an end; in the completion of a task one
finds satisfaction –

F. PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE (verses 8-9) 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
1. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit
2. Do not be hasty to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of
fools

G. THE PRESENT IS BETTER THAN THE PAST (verse 10) – Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
1. We should not say “why were the former days better?”
2. One is not wise in thinking in such a manner

H. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEALTH (11-12) 11 ¶ Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

1. Wisdom along with an inheritance is good, and profitable for
the living.

2. Wisdom is a defense like money, but wisdom gives life to those who have it.

I. ACCEPTANCE IS BETTER THAN INDIGNATION (verses 13-14) – 13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
1. There are some things of God we cannot change
2. God has appointed both the day of prosperity and the day of
adversity, so man is unable to determine what will happen after him
3. The conclusion?
a. In the day of prosperity be joyful
b. In the day of adversity consider (what lessons might
be learned)

Tag: Honor

The Absolute Greatness of the God I Serve, part 3.