Honor One Another

intro:

‘intro:

Examples of honor shown:

Killeen, Tx: Honoring Air Force veteran who had no family.

Story of man who gave up 1st class airline seat to deployed officer on her way home.

Part of series on “one another.”

Paul’s command to honor each other in .

What’s going on here?

What Is Honor?

Translates a word that originally had to do with something or someone’s material value.

Later, became a quality of character. “this person is honorable.”

In other words, we value this individual for a specific reason.

For the most part our cultural context is similar.

We think of honoring a person for her civic efforts, or to acknowledge a military action. We honor people in business or the arts for their contributions.

These are all accurate and good.

The biblical focus on how we honor one another is a bit different, however.

Be Like Jesus

We want to learn to honor others the way Jesus did.

He taught us to honor by serving. We express our understanding of someone’s value by serving them.

Notice something fascinating about this story:

The disciples hadn’t done anything to “deserve” this honor. In fact, in purely human terms, Jesus would have been cheered if he had chosen to criticize their lack of love and concern for each other.

Instead, he chose to teach them how to love and honor one another - not for what they had or hadn’t done but for a simple reason: He valued them.

John 13:1 NLT

1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

John 13:3–5 NLT

3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

John 13:12–15 NLT

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

jesus taught a very tangible way of honoring others.

This is rather counter-cultural. Our instinct isn’t to put someone ahead of ourselves but to get in first. Self-preservation and self-interest war in our minds and hearts against honoring others.

This kind of honoring takes humility.

Honoring Takes Humility

Proverbs 15:33 NLT

33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.

Matthew 23:11–12 NLT

11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Matthew 23:5–12 NLT

5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Paul taught us how to think about this:

Philippians 2:1–5 NLT

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:1–4 NLT

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Honoring Take

Philippians 2:5 NLT

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

What’s required to be able to honor others? To see their value?

Unselfishness

Humility

Self-sacrifice

Philippians 2:6–11 NLT

6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

phil 2:

Result:

Jesus the servant is exalted to be Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

When we honor others and lift them up, we too, will one day be exalted as well.

Matthew 19:30 NLT

30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

Steps to Honoring Others

Learning to see the value in others.

Going back to some of the original meaning of honor. Find the value in someone or something.

Looking past the dirt, rust, condition of something to see its truest value.

We need to learn to do that for one another.

What’s Your “honor quotient?”

When was the last time you purposely attempted to honor someone above yourself?

What tangible way did you show your sincere appreciation?

Let’s keep it simple and practical on how to honor someone in your life:

Make complimenting “normal.”

Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”

Remember: It’s not about us.

If we’re not used to giving compliments:

Share some of the compliments from list.

Is it about insecurity?

One thing I admire about you...

If you’re not sure WHO to compliment:

who should be valued for their ability to be a peacemaker.

who should be valued for how they keep the golden rule?

who should be valued for their servant heart?

Conclusion

While it is always appropriate for us to honor those who have served, the Bible teaches us to honor one another in the church - whether we’ve “earned it” or not.

What would happen if we truly looked for the value in each person here and found tangible ways to acknowledge that value?