INTRO: Last Sunday was a great picnic. The Lord has blessed this church with so many great cooks. The desserts were excellent.
Most of all I was proud of our young people and how they responded by letting the adults go ahead of them. Mom and dad you are doing an excellent job raising your kids.
I encourage you to keep looking for ways to teach your children how to honor others because honor is a valuable character trait.
Review for those who’ve missed.
-Honor means to put value to something, it’s precious, weighty, to respect.
-Dishonor – treat as common, ordinary, disrespect, no value.
: When we honor someone, honor will go before us as a guide. (Romans 12:10)
: We are to outdo one another in showing honor.
-Literally to take the lead, we are to show others how to do it.
: Honor is something you give and not take. (Matthew 23:6)
: We can move from a vessel of dishonor to a vessel of honor by cleansing (separating) ourselves. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
: The author of Hebrews (probably the apostle Paul) asked the saints to pray that they would continue to have a desire to honor others.
: Authorities will show us if we truly understand honor.
: Last week we learned we have a part to play in God’s timing, in speeding up his intervention or delaying his intervention.
: We are called to bless (honor) those who do evil against us. As a result we will get divine favor.
-Look at this difficulty as an opportunity for a promotion.
: Apostle John warns us be careful you do not lose what you have worked for.
TITLE: Honoring Others – Part 5
TEXT: Matthew 10:40-42
This morning I’m going to be continuing with the concept of rewards when I honor others.
* Background. Jesus is sending out his 12 disciples to advance the kingdom of God to share the good news of the gospel and he gives them some instruction what to look for, what to watch out for. I just want to focus on a couple of things he said.
I. Those who receive you will receive me. The Jews already believed to receive a person’s envoy (messenger) was the same as receiving the person himself.
A. The Jews felt that to honor a person’s representative was the same as to honor that person whose representative he was.
1. This is a principle more Christians need to understand. That is, when I honor let’s say an authority I am honoring God because he is the one who has established every authority.
-So when I dishonor them who am I dishonoring? God.
-Jesus tells his disciples if they receive you they will receive me, and if they receive me they will receive the Father.
2. The word receive in the original language -
-Means to take up, to grant access, give ear to, to sustain.
The point: Attitude is the key to receiving a person.
-Think of it this way, when I receive a person or when I honor that person I receive the same blessing he does.
B. The Lord speaks first about a prophet. V. 41a, “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”
TS: This teaches us a couple of things.
1. I don’t have to be prophet to receive a prophet’s reward, all I have to do is receive (honor) him.
-We can’t all be prophets, going around giving the word of God but if we receive them we get the same reward as they do.
-This takes care of the notion that sometimes arises in our hearts. The idea that I haven’t been blessed as much as so and so. Look they’re an apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist, teacher and I’m a nursery worker or a soundman, usher. How come God didn’t call me?
-It’s the idea that my position is less, therefore my opportunities for blessing and rewards will be less.
a. Wrong - Paul writes 1 Cor. 12:22-23, “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.”
-That is with greater honor.
b. Didn’t Jesus make this same point when his disciples are bickering about who was going to be greatest in the kingdom of God. He takes a child and says whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For his who is least among you all – he is the greatest.” (Luke 9:48)
Point: No longer do I have to believe the lie that I’m not as important as the big guns. The truth is when I receive (honor) them I receive the same reward as they do.
-Think of Jesus’ words, Luke 9:48c, “For he who is least among you all – he is the greatest.”
Thought: When you honor others you put their needs, wants, and cares above your own (you become least among others). Therefore you will become greatest.
-You want rewards blessing then become the least by honoring others. I can attain the same rewards as the big guns so to speak.
Summary: Ok if I receive (honor) a prophet I get a prophet reward, what is a prophet reward?
2. Reward – Gk carries the idea of wages, payment, reward of God.
-Let’s look at an example out of the Old Testament, the Shunammite woman. 2 Kings 4
a. Elisha is the prophet of Israel and he’s traveling around. One day he goes to a town. He meets this woman who honors him by providing a meal. They built a relationship.
-Elisha on his journeys is going to be coming and going so she decides to have a room built so he can stay when he is in town (again she is honoring him).
-One day Elisha calls her in and asked her what he can ask the king for on her behalf (she is about to get her reward).
-The reward she gets is a son, she did not have any children. A barren woman in those days was a heavy burden.
-The man of God tells her by this time next year you will be holding a son. This woman’s response shows us this was something very important because she kinda rebukes the prophet – No my Lord don’t mislead your servant.
b. My personal opinion is this was this woman’s greatest desire and because she received (honored) a prophet she was rewarded.
-Later on the boy dies, he cries out about his head. The mother goes to Elisha, the boy is brought back to life.
Question: This raises the question - what would have happened if this woman would not have received (honored) the prophet?
-In the hour of her greatest need she was able to have divine favor. I know some might think if she didn’t house the prophet she wouldn’t receive a prophet reward - that is a son therefore he wouldn’t have died (this experience would never have taken place).
-I would say life is filled with tragedy. Some other tragedy would have come but this time you would not have divine favor because you didn’t receive the prophet.
TS: Not only can I obtain a prophet reward by receiving a prophet -
C. I can receive a reward from whoever I receive (honor).
1. If I receive a righteous man I will receive a righteous man reward.
2. If I receive by giving a cold cup of water to a child I will receive that reward.
Question: Folks are you beginning to see how important it is to honor others. I will obtain divine favor from God.
-Somehow if we can overcome thinking about my difficulties and problems. Receiving others God will bless me, he will solve my problems as I help others for the kingdom of God.
-Listen to what the psalmist says, 71:21, “You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.”
Point: It is God who will increase my honor and comfort. So as I am advancing his kingdom he will take care of me.
In Conclusion: There are many journeys that lie ahead, many experiences pleasurable and unpleasurable, but I hope through these we can act with honor.
I believe it is God’s desire for our lives to live honorably no matter what condition we find ourselves facing.
