Honors Reward

Intro

We are continuing in our Series called Word to the Wise.

This is a study through some of the themes of the book of proverbs.

Proverbs is what I call the Wisdom Twitter.

The main theme is about how to live this life with wisdom.

Majority of the books the through scattered quick 1 to 2 liners about the best ways to live.

Hard to narrow down, but I’ve picked certain themes that are both important in Proverbs and extremely applicable in todays World.

Pastor Christy started with talking to moms on Mothers day on Proverbs 31.

last week I discussed Wisdom and the great need to walk in it.

Today we continue to press in a little further.

Have you ever encountered something that you knew was missing but you just couldn’t put your finger on what it was??

Maybe some food.

Maybe music.

Maybe packing for a trip.

Sometimes you didn’t even know what it was until it’s there.

That is the way todays Topic is.

We can look at our world and know something is off, not exactly sure what’s missing, but It is for sure something...

We can attribute it to a lot of things.

but we often miss one of the main things that is missing in our lives and culture that is so needed to make it function God’s way.

HONOR.

This probably isn’t a term that is used daily in our lives and unfortunately it is also a quality that is often missing.

Proverbs 4:8-9

Cherish her (wisdom), and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.

Proverbs 14:31

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Proverbs 26:1

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

Honor is a constant theme in Proverbs, but also in throughout the bible.

HONOR MATTERS.

What does honor really mean?

Honor - Valuable, Weighty.

DisHonor - means to see and treat with little value, treat lightly.

Don’t give any weight to it.

To honor is to see it as valuable, something of great weight and worth.

A relational principal that how the power to change your life is the principal of honor.

We want this to be a part of how we operate as a church, we are a culture of Honor.

But we know this is too often missing,

it’s toxic out there! Honor has been a missing ingredient.

It’s almost popular no to Dishonor others

Most people want to be honored, but have little concerned with being honoring.

1 Peter 5:5

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Honor Matters.

How does this work?

HONOR BEGINS WITH GOD

Honor begins with Do we Honor God.

Do we really see God in the light of his incalculable value, worth and weight?

Nothing is more valuable and worthy.

parable of the treasure. man found treasure in a field, went and sold everything he had to buy the field.

Honoring others recognizes how God views them not how I see them.

God sees every person, including you, in your complete brokenness and depravity, but also perfect dignity at the same time.

God is able to see every person not just based off of what they've done who currently are, but who he’s created them to be and can be.

Every single person is create, valued and loved by God.

You may see all of your mess up and failure, God is able to see the value and treasure he created. And he is able to see the person that you are created to be.

You matter!

You are not what you did, you are who God says you are.

But so does the person beside you and that person that cut you off on the road and the person that hurt you.

So we honor others not because of what we see, but because they belong to Him.

This is not always easy!

But it’s God’s way.

Romans 8:30

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

All are called, predestined, purposed.

At the cross of Jesus he doesn’t see us in the state we were, but in the state we are meant to be!

Perfected in his sight through Jesus.

It’s so easy to start assigning value and weight on people based off of our opinion and experience instead of God’s claim on their life.

What would happen if we started treated people based off who they could be and God sees them to be instead of constantly calling out what they get wrong.

I have found that most people don’t need reminders what what they get wrong.

They need people calling out who they could be.

HONOR IS A GIFT.

Respect is earned, honor is given.

Respect is an earned admiration for someone.

But respect is given out of knowing someone’s value and worth to God.

Someone doesn’t have to earn being treated like they matter.

Honoring others is one of the greatest ways we can actually honor God.

honor is assuming the best, treating them with dignity.

Instead of criticizing, tearing down, assuming the worst and belittling.

I don’t wait for you to somehow earn the fact that you matter

I guarantee if you try and live this way, it will be tested!!

Honestly, it’s more about who God is and who you are than who they are.

1 Peter 2:13–17 (CSB)

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

How do we live this out?

1. Prioritize them.

Romans 12:10

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Lifting others up. (Too many are sinking/drowning)

No you go first.

Btw, what is the proper distance to hold a door??

They are having to run if too far away...

This isn’t allowing yourself to be used or taken advantage of, but it’s simply making others important.

What is seen as valuable is given priority.

Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

This isn’t just a giving principal.

It is an honor principal.

God you are valuable enough to give my first and best.

2. Promotes them.

Honor lifts others up with the say that I talk about and toward them.

Honor has a language.

And it’s so easy to let our speech drift towards tearing down.

Honors language lifts up.

I find myself here too often, saying things I shouldn’t about people God values.

James 3:9-10

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

I don’t always get this right!

It’s hard when you see people doing dumb things in my direction.

Ephesians 4:29-30

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

This grieves God The devalue what he values.

This is felt in our actions

its noticed in our words

but it starts in our hearts

God help me to see you and others with value, weight and worth.

Word of Wisdom:

The more Value I Give,

The more Value I Find.

Jesus was doing ministry in his hometown and it says in Mark 6 that he couldn’t perform miracles there.

Only small things. Because they saw him as just average.

isn’t this the kid that was in yoru class, didn’t yall play t ball together.

They didn’t honor him and even the son of God couldn’t ( not wouldn’t ) perform miracles.

Dishonor limits what can come back to our own lives.

Proverbs 15:33

Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.

The more I see value in others around me, the value and honor will come into my life.

AND the more value and worth I start seeing all around me.

John Bevere says it this way

“Honor is currency of heaven”

You can’t walk into a store and come out with something you didn’t buy.

The currency to the things of heaven is living with honor, that opens the things of heaven to my life.

Every-time you choose to honor, you receive back not just from man, but God.

We have to stop devaluing and dishonor others.

This isn’t neglecting and covering up the real harm that has been done by others.

It’s not agreeing or aligning with.

It’s simply choosing a position in life to choose honor because God is worthy and you are honorable.

RESPONSE.

Prayer for honor and repentance.

Salvation.

Communion

Song.