Romans 13:7 “Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”
Honor. I am not sure we understand the meaning of the word. A pastor visiting Korea for the first time asked for some guidelines from a world renowned traveler. He told him, “When you’re meeting someone for the first time, it’s proper to bow, but just a little. Don’t make a big, deep bow; just tilt yourself so that your head is slightly lower that the other person’s head. This conveys respect. And when you shake hands, use your free hand to grab your elbow or your forearm as you shake. This gesture is considered very polite, so it’s a pretty easy way to show honor.”
“It’s also honoring to bring gifts. And when you offer your gift, you extend it with both hands, and the person receiving it accepts it with both hands.”
“In Korea, as in most places in the world, you have to be careful not to show the soles of your shoes. You must never rest your feet upon a desk or table. This is considered extremely rude.”
Out of curiosity the pastor asked his friend what advice he would give someone coming to the US. He replied, “I wouldn’t tell them anything. Those things concerning honor and respect don’t really matter here.”
Come Tuesday, election day, many of you might have a real struggle with Romans 13:7. Whoever is our next president is to be given our respect and honor. This is not a suggestion. This is a mandate if you consider the Bible the true, inspired Word of God.
We are commanded to show honor. But what is honor?
The Greek word for honor is time (tee-MAY). It meant “to value, to respect, or to highly esteem.” It was usually associated with a way to assign value.
When Peyton was a baby, he had to wear a helmet to help his skull form a bit more. His parents were not very concerned about the every day wear and tear of the helmet. One day his grandmother painted the helmet to be a copy of the Carolina’s Panthers helmet. My son took him to the training camp for the Panthers and several players were more than pleased to sign it. (In fact, Steve Smith had his picture taken with him). Suddenly the helmet was assigned great value. More care was given to protect it from daily use. And as soon as it usefulness for my grandson was complete, it was placed in a place of honor due to its value.
Whoever becomes president this week is no longer a regular person. They are now the authority over us to govern. And we are to honor them, like it or not.
The Bible is very clear on this matter. Paul wrote in Romans
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted---”
God has allowed whoever wins this election to do so. It is for his purpose. It may be to punish the church from straying away from him and becoming to engross in the world. It may be to challenge the church to become united once again and overturn the wickedness of the nation. We don’t know. But according to God’s Word our next president was allowed to be placed there by him.
Now some of you may be thinking, “No way will I show honor to such a wicked terrible person.” The apostle Peter would challenge you on that when he wrote, “You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.”
Unfortunately, we do not have the right as believers to determine whether we will show honor or not.
There is another position of authority that you are to show honor too. That is the position I hold.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.”
I have been placed here as your pastor by the spiritual leaders of Foursquare International and by God. No one voted me into this position. I do work hard to give you spiritual guidance. My sermons are not thrown together on a Saturday night but rather prayed over, researched, and edited until I feel that the message is as clear as I can deliver it. I at one time believed that it was just my responsibility to give you the message and my hands were clean. However, I am convinced that I was in error.
Hebrews 13 gives you a mandate “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow.
Every sermon I deliver to you holds a certain amount of responsibility on my part on how well you received it. I have a responsibility to watch over your spiritual well-being and I am accountable to God for my failure to do so.
I once had a pastor who would come by my house and look at the books and movies that were on my shelves. He was often critical of some of them. I always considered him as being nosey. I know now he was being accountable to his calling.
How serious is this responsibility on my shoulders? James wrote to the church “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
I will be judged on how well you accepted my teachings and the impact they had in your life.
Beside authority, you have a responsibility to honor those in relationship with you.
One is your parents. Deuteronomy 5:16 “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
God has placed great value on our parents. Often as a child, we think our parents are being harsh and unreasonable until God does a wondrous work and makes us a parent. Then we see things in a different perspective. We feel the hurt of harsh words that were spoken by us to our parents when they are aimed at us. If they haven’t happened yet, they will. As you age you may experience the loneliness of neglect that your parents experienced because you were to busy to take time to meet their needs. It happens. Nursing homes are filled with neglected parents.
Reality is that some may feel their parents don’t deserve honor. Some parents have been abusive or neglectful and it affects our lives and spiritual well-being. That does not change the fact that God commanded that we honor our parents.
So how can we honor an abusive parent? Here are some practical tips: if you have distance yourself from them, call your parent and listen. Remain quiet rather than defend yourself when hurtful things are said. Let go of expectations that your parent will ever be the parent you want him or her to be; accept them for who they are. Cultivate an attitude of compassion for the things your parent did right and express gratitude for even slight efforts to show love.
Marriage is another relationship to honor. Hebrews 13:4 “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.”
We are to honor the institution of marriage. We are to recognize the great value that God has placed on marriage. Not just our marriage but also all marriages. We are not to behave in any such manner that would bring dishonor to another person’s marriage. We must be careful that our actions or words not lead to the termination of someone’s marriage.
If we are married, we must remain faithful to one another so that honor will be shown to the institution of marriage. We can dishonor marriage by immoral actions, adultery, and divorce. Marriage is a sacred bond between people. To get divorced is to dishonor a sacred institution. God does not take it lightly when a sacred institution that He established is dishonored and we have the promise of judgment.
Men have a greater responsibility toward honoring marriage than women.
1 Peter 3:7 “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.”
Men, we are to honor our wives. We are to recognize the great value that God has placed on our wives. We are to treat them with understanding.
Let me tell you a story. “A man walking along a California beach found a lamp. When he rubbed it a genie appeared and said, ‘I will grant you one wish.’ The man said, ‘Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want to.’
The genie answered, ‘Your request may be beyond my abilities. Think of the logistics of that kind of undertaking; the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific; the concrete and steel it would take. I would think with one wish you would desire something more personal.’
The man thought for a long time and finally said, ‘I know what I want. I wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know what she feels inside, what she is thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says “nothing” to my question of “what’s wrong” , and how I can make her truly happy?’
After a few minutes the genie said, ‘How many lanes do you want on that bridge?’”
Ladies, honestly, there are times when we really don’t understand. But God has told us to treat you with special treatment.
If we do not than the Word says, our prayers may be hindered.
Also, fellows, stay away from the weaker than you part. When this was written, women had very few rights. In most cases, women seem to be able to handle situations better than we can.
Also we are to honor other people. Psalm 8:4-5
“what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.”
We are to honor each other. We are to recognize the great value that God has placed on humanity. The word tells us here that people have been crowned with great honor. Not just the rich people, not just the intelligent people, not just the talented people, but all mortals, all human beings.
The Jewish word for honor meant “related to the appearance of an object that is beautiful and instills awe.” When God looks at me, my beauty awes him. When God looks at you, your beauty awes him. When God looks at that homeless person, his beauty awes him. When God looks at that person with a sinful lifestyle, their beauty awes him.
Do you know what you do with something that is beautiful and instills awe? You protect it as my son did the helmet. Some things you may even die for. Do you know why Jesus died for me, or you, or that homeless person and or that sinner? Because He was awed by our beauty. And He wanted to protect us from the thief. And He died doing so
But above all authorities and relationships, we are to honor God. And we do this is two different ways. The first is with our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:20 “for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
God places great value upon himself and his Son. God is valuable and He realizes it. He says of himself, “You will have no other Gods above me because I am a jealous God.” He tells us in no uncertain circumstances that He is the creator of everything. He is in control of everything around us. He decides if you will receive compassion and mercy. He gave you the health that you enjoy. He paid a high price so that you can honor him by service and righteous living. God told the prophet Isaiah, “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” He blotted out your sins so He could have a relationship with you, not because you deserved it. To live a corrupt lifestyle brings dishonor to him
Another way we honor God is with our giving. Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.”
The average Christian gives less than 3% of their income, 25% give nothing at all. The average tip given to a server at a restaurant is 16%. 95% of diners feel obligated to tip. 56% tip in spite of lousy service. The reason given; so that they would not be looked upon in a negative manner.
People will worry about what a person who brought them food and filled their glasses thinks of them while they give very little thought of honoring God with their income. That is what a tip does. It honors the one who served you. Ask yourself this question; has God ever served you? Has God ever answered a prayer request or provided a miracle? Even 56% felt that bad service at least deserved something. What about God?
This church body has lost the ability to pay me any type of housing allowance. That means a loss of income for me of $750 a month. The Stegalls leaving hurt us financially. But the drop in giving by those who remain has also created this situation. I can find a part time job. No problem. But what I can’t afford to do and what I will not do is stop tithing. I will honor God with my wealth because I have a promise.
1 Peter 5:6 “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.”
God has an order to everything He does. As long as I honor those things required of me, He will begin to exalt me in the heavens. I have this promise found in Zephaniah. “He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” I have this security found in the Psalms. “For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.”
Meditate on these words this week. Trying to live a double standard life of honoring, yet dishonoring God, will rob you of gladness, peace, joy, security, and victory. The choice is yours.
