NJ - A Desire to Honour

A Desire to Honour

Good morning it is great to join with everyone today.

ACKNOWLEGE THE OTHER ROOMS

ACKNOWLEGE PS JOHN & PS ANITA

Today we start the theme: Honour is a Choice

What is Honour?

Honour or honor is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a code of conduct, and has various elements such as valour, chivalry, honesty, and compassion.

High respect; great esteem.

The quality of knowing and doing what is morally right.

Regard with great respect.

Fulfil (an obligation) or keep (an agreement).

Honor’s Reward - How to Attract God’s Favour and Blessing - John Bevere

Honour. Though it is almost an extinct virtue in the twenty-first century, the concept still holds the power to move us. In movies a display of honour can inspire tears as courage and sacrifice are witnessed. Review the greatest blockbusters of all time and you'll find honour interwoven into their plots. We applaud its virtue vicariously, but where is honour in our everyday lives? The notion that it could be lived in the ordinary has become foreign to our generation.

I want to see honour restored to the sons and daughters of God. It is the essential key to receiving from God, and for this very reason the enemy of our souls has all but eliminated the true power of honour. Honour carries with it great rewards; rewards God desires you to have. Honour has the power to greatly enhance your life.

You are about to embark on a journey that will take you closer to the heart of God, the author of all that is honourable. I pray these revelatory truths will affect your life in a profound and practical way. Many have not learned these lessons until much later in life.

For this reason John the apostle urgently writes,

“Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.” — 2 John 8

Let us Pray

Honour is so important in our lives.

Don’t lose what you have laboured for.

BY MAKING THE CHOICE TO HONOUR

We will receive council from those that we honour

We will submit to those that we honour

We will follow those that we honour

1 Kings 12:1–17 NLT

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3 The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4 “Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.” 5 Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?” 7 The older counselors replied, “If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.” 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. 9 “What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?” 10 The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’ ” 12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered. 13 But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors 14 and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!” 15 So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the Lord, for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. 16 When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!” So the people of Israel returned home. 17 But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.

“The young king, Rehoboam, heeded his friends' advice with some tragic results. The kingdom his father Solomon built was torn, and ten out of the twelve tribes of Israel were permanently fragmented as five-sixths of the kingdom was torn from his iron fist. One bad choice cost him dearly for the rest of his life.”

Could you imagine a farmer spending all the time preparing the ground, plowing, sowing, firtilizing and watering a crop to just let it die? (The time frame for this could be one plus years).

Builder building a house gets to the last couple of months and stops work.

What about a businessman who labours to build his company for years, only to lose it in the end because of a few bad decisions? Again … tragic.

In these cases the benefits of extensive labour are lost in a moment through wrong choices.

Who is speaking into your world, what council are you getting?

2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV

20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

The Scripture repeatedly encourages us to finish well:

“He who endures to the end” will be saved. (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13),

“We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (Heb. 3:14),

“He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end” To him I will give power over the nations. (Rev. 2:26, emphasis mine in all), and the list continues.

Christianity is not a sprint but an endurance run. Therefore it is not how we start the race that counts, but how we complete it. How we finish is determined by the choices we make, and those are often formed by patterns we develop along the way.

1 Thessalonians 4:1–2 NKJV

1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we are set apart for Him. We are on a journey of Sanctification, this can be defined as making something or someone holy, setting apart as sacred, purify and be free from sin. Being sold out to God totally by doing His will, walking to please Him in all your ways.

We have a desire to Change

We were bought with a price and that makes us to be accountable to the one (God through Christ) who paid the price. Our life is no longer our own, Jesus paid the price with his precious blood. Hence, we cannot live as we want any longer - we must live according to the will of God.

So whatever God asks us to do, it is in our best interest to do this, and our ways must change to His will.

From the day you gave your life to Christ, we start a journey of change.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

I have a desire to change - This is instilled into our make up.

Nobody says I wont to go backwards

Be obedient and submit to change

Honour takes us to a new level!