Honor

Honor

Honor: 

We need to be people of honor and regather with honor. For further readings on this subject See John Piper’s sermon on “Limits of Submission to Man”

1 Peter 2

2 8They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 13Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

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Peter points out to us that we have to honor one another. Where we see the best in others because we are created in God’s image. He created all of us and his Son died for us. This applies to our government leaders too. I’ve been taking walks with Jill in the evening and I’m seeing signs on lawns that are disrespectful and show dishonor to our president and government officials and I’m seeing signs in protest marches that show hate toward our governor. I’m seeing on the news that Christians are standing alongside others who are bashing and bullying and this has to grieve us as it brings dishonor to God and dishonors the body of Christ. There are others who are judging others from the comfort of their home because they don’t share the same political affiliation or share their philosophy. This is wrong and not honoring God nor the humanity that reflects our creator.

Peter is talking about Nero! Nero enjoyed killing Christians, Peter says that we are to not dishonor anyone simply because of what laws they’ve made, what color they are, where they live. Last I checked our current political leaders have a ways to go to get into Nero’s camp, yet we are called to honor them. I’m hearing hate speeches and I’m seeing disharmony inside churches and it saddens me. Nearly two months ago, I preached on how I prayed this common experience would bring us together in a unique way, but we are allowing it to bring disharmony among churches in our state and country, distorting our witness. So, I just want to share some thoughts about honor.

Our Student Director, Kenny Brown, did a great job of expressing how always honoring our parents doesn’t mean we will always obey them. This is easily applied to Peter’s words here. When you get to be in your 40’s and 50’s you’re not going to obey everything your parents say, I was already struggling to do that at the age of 5, when I disobeyed my mom and climbed into a lion enclosure at the ZOO. I turned around to face her. Little did I know the real danger was where I had just stepped (Matthew 10:28). Dishonoring God can be dangerous too. He is the one whom gives life and takes it away. Out of the fear of the Lord, you will honor “them”. Them are those that God has placed over us.

We can still disagree in a way that doesn’t demean, disrespect, and destroy. I expected my children to obey what I told them when they were younger. I expect we will not always agree on everything as they are now adults. When we must disagree it doesn’t mean that we cease showing honor and diminish the value of life, life that God’s word says comes from Him. As a church, as we work through when we are to meet again, we are going to do it in a way that Honors God first and foremost because we fear God and fear dishonoring him. He deserves our honor and he desires we see the Imago Dei in others.

Secondly, we are going to seek a way to regather in a way that honors the leaders in our state, our church family, and the lives in our church because we are created to be people of honor. We have had a team meeting and discerning the details of re-gathering for several weeks. We are going to regather when we are ready to regather and do it in a way that honors people. We see the state and government are trying to make safe ways for us to do this and we are not going to be anxious as we trust God for the right time for our church body. Each body is unique, different, and inclined to honor. We know that we all desire to regather. We are all hungry to be encouraged to worship together once again and hearing God’s word together to be built up and strengthened, to lay hands on the sick, to embrace the broken and that day will come very soon in, in light of eternity.

As we move forward we are not going to give ourselves permission to speak down, discriminate, hurt, hate, anyone in this process. We are going to find a way to honor other’s space and extend grace to those who are suffering and struggling and hurting in loneliness and to those who have already started gathering across our nation in their own ways. So let’s not disobey the word of the Lord. Let’s be a people of honor and I believe in you and our church family. and I love that each of you seeks this too.