Sermon Tone Analysis

Read ; 13:7-8

“Honor to whom deserves honor” is well-known Spanish saying.

But who deserves honor?

God, of course!

Also authorities, leaders, the winners in any discipline, but Paul is instructing us to honor one another, regardless of position or status; simply because we are part of God’s family.

To honor means “respecting, giving reverence, having high esteem” for someone.

To understand the meaning of the commandment and why Paul wrote this, we must, first, understand the circumstances under which this instruction is given.

The Pharisees’ Problem.

They were honor seekers.

Jesus warned the crowds and His disciples about the Scribes and Pharisees: “They have seated themselves in the chair of Moses...” (we are the teachers); “They love the place of honor at banquets… (we are the important ones), the chief seats in the synagogues… (we are the leaders) and respectful greetings in the market places”… (Rabbi!)

We must be careful with those that seek position in the church.

Those who insists on having a position to serve are seeking honor or recognition , not being useful members of the Body of Christ.

True honor will come when you do not seek it.

“…he who cares for his master will be honored.”

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Our job is to serve and obey our Master and He will honor us.

They did good things with wrong motives.

Pro 25

“they do all their deeds to be noticed by men”

Jesus instructed His disciples about fasting, telling them:

Mat 6:16-17

Mat 6:1

The Pharisees wanted to be the center of attention!

The Pharisees wanted to be the center of attention!

Have you ever met people like that?

Those who seek to be the center of attention?

Those who steal the party?

Those that do not let you speak?

They have a “ego problem”, just likethe Pharisees.

Those are the “look at me” people.

Their actions are a contradiction to:

Honor-seeking people are willing to do whatever is necessary to look good

Transparency Honor-seeking

On the FB page of a sister church, this was published on Friday, as I was finishing my notes:

“Una de las cosas en que más trabaja Satanás es hacer que el hombre busque la gloria para sí mismo.

El “brillo” de la gloria, lo que otros piensan de mí, lo bueno que soy en lo que hago, mis méritos de lucha, de sacrificio, hacen que tenga un alto concepto de mi persona, al punto tal, que cuando no tengo el elogio de los demás, algo me falta, me siento mal, y pienso que algo anda mal.”

Yes! Something is wrong!

You are seeking honor!

The Corinthians’ Problem.

Read 1 Cor 12:20-25

They were show-off believers.

The Corinthians brethren insisted on having certain spiritual gifts: healing, miracles, and tongues!

Why?

Because those were spectacular gifts.

Some members of the church wanted to impress others with the spectacular gifts that God had given them.

As the refrain says, “No vivas de apariencias ni de mentiras porque siempre se descubren.”

That’s why Paul rebuked and commanded them to earnestly desire the greater gifts, specially prophesy, but most of all, love.

They look other believers down.

To be more specific, those who spoke in tongues looked with disdain those who did not have that gift.

Also they looked down on “weak” believers.

They had not understood that God gave more honor to those members of the body that, on some opinion, did not have honor.

You might have some gifts that the other does not have, but remember that the other has some that you do not have.

So why would you look down on them?

Jesus’ Example.

Jesus’ Example.

He was humble and did not seek honor.

Jesus left His place of glory and honor and became a man, a servant, to give honor to others, and to obey the Father.

“for this reason also, God highly exalted Him (honored Him), and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,” (Phil 2:9)

If Jesus is our Teacher, we should imitate Him by being honor givers, instead of honor seekers.

Transparency Honor-Giving

Let’s raise our brothers and sisters high; let’s help to make them look good.

He honored His disciples by serving them.

Throughout His ministry, but mainly during the Last Supper, Jesus reflected what He said in Mat 23:11-12

Mat 23:11-12

Some of His disciples, Jacob and John, had expressed their desire to occupy the positions of honor.

Their mother was their spokeswoman; she came to Jesus...

Jesus response was clear: that honor is only given by God:

Jesus showed them how to be great: He took the lowest servant position and wash the apostles’ feet.

He gave them (and us) the greatest example of greatness!

“The road upward is downward!”

Let’s honor one another!

Let’s raise one another instead of stepping on others!

That is the kind of community God wants us to be.