Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“For Love and Honor”
Review
I. Receive the gift of righteousness
II. Apply the Gift of Righteousness
III. Place of Israel in the God’s Plan of Salvation
IV. Live the Gift of Righteousness
A. Dedicate fully your body and soul to God’s service
B. Think fittingly and serve faithfully in the body. 12:3-8
C. Love genuinely
1. The evil – continually be abhorring
2. The good -- continually being glued to
Be firmly glued to the good not like a Post Its note. Verse ten begins a strings of phrases with a similar pattern that begins with an “in the…” followed by a present tense (continuous action) participle (“ing” word). The “in the” phrase could be translated “in regard to the…” or “concerning the…” In this pattern, each phrase highlights a certain characteristic followed by a recommended action. The first adds to our list of genuine love’s characteristics.
3. In regard to the friendship(brotherly) love – warmly embracing as a dear family member
Remember the pyramid of love from a couple weeks ago?
Verse 9 used one of the Greek words for love, this verse utilizes two more. Paul instructs us to genuinely love (agape) with a friendship love (philia), that warmly relates with a sense of family loyalty (philia/storge). Here is the picture! As we choose to love others with the love (agape) which flooded our hearts at salvation and still floods it through the continual presence of the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves actually developing a warm fondness (philia), a desire to associate with one another as members of a committed family of believers who serve the same Father.(philia/storge).
Paul directs us to develop a meaningful friendship with others that centers in the fact that we are part of a family and as such increasingly desire and actually enjoy one another’s company. We are connected by blood - the blood of Christ. Today’s English Version captures the essence of the original text well.
“Love one another warmly as Christian brothers and sisters.”
Whereas foundational love may or may not engage the emotions due to it’s rooting in the mind and will, Paul urges the development of a friendship love that adds an emotional dimension to the relationship and a family love which further adds a sense of loyalty and blood connection. One translation states, “love the brothers in faith as if they were brothers in blood.”
Paul urges us to have the same kind of love that naturally binds blood relations together.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 1 John 5:1
This aspect of love indicates a warm affection, a friendship, satisfying companionship, camaraderie between brothers and sisters. A literal look!
“In regard to friendship love, warmly love with the loyalty of a loving family.”
Genuine love does not stop with a decision to pursue connection with others; it branches out into a full-blown pursuit and development of meaningful connection through friendship and a sense of loyalty to one another as family members. Rather than fight one another, Christians should as much as possible seek to protect one another and find ways to enjoy one another’s company. True love covers a multitude of sins.
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
The problem with moving closer to one another often tends to disturb too many of our own little pockets of self-centeredness. The New Testament appeals often to the concept of family and loyalty.
Earlier, Paul reminded the Romans to keep their thinking straight and not to think more highly of themselves on the basis that we are vitally connected to one another as members of the same body. Here, he urges us to deepen relationships on the basis that we are connected to one another as members of the same family. Develop comradeship and family loyalty. Don’t just choose to tolerate one another but find was to actually enjoy relationship as friends. How do we do that? It seems like a difficult task.
I think it begins as a work in the heart and an eternal perspective of people as God sees them. Beyond that, we must spend time together. We must spend time learning to enjoy one another’s company. We must be committed to developing meaningful connection. We must be willing to overlook certain things for the sake of relationship.
Genuine love is evident by abhorring the evil, being glued to the good and in regard to friendship, genuine love warmly embraces others as a dear member of the family
4. In regard to the honor of one another – outdoing one another
“Honor”
The Verb (i.e. Honor the Lord) = to pay homage to, to hold in high regard, revere or reverence, reward, value, prize, set a price or estimate a value, appraise, treasure, esteem, appreciate, cherish
The Noun (i.e. the Lord is worthy of all honor)= that which is paid in token of worth or value, worship, dignity, an estimate (written or spoken) of worth or an appraisal.
The Adjective (i.e. honored guest) = valuable, precious, of great worth, respected, held in high regard.
Honoring has to do with acknowledging the value of a person or thing
and affirming or conveying that value by word or deed.
There are really two parts to honoring.
Acknowledge Value
This part has to do with what happens in our own thinking. It is something we choose to do. It is a decision we make regarding people and even things. Here, the focus is on people. This thought process has two aspects.
1 – Assign or ascribe value
We chose to assign or ascribe value and honor regardless of a person’s demonstrated value. This is done all the time. Some one makes a decision to value a generally cheap and worthless piece of cardboard at over $800 just because it has Ichiro’s picture on it. There is no inherent value in the object. People, based on certain criteria, have ascribed the value. We watch this take place in the “Antique Road Show” all the time. I tell my children that those things are only that valuable if you can find someone who will actually pay you that much.
We can choose to treat people with respect, esteem them, their ideas, their contribution to society and even their place in our own life. We can assign or ascribe value in spite of actual behavior.
The second aspect of acknowledging value has to do with adjusting our perspective.
2 –Apprehend value.
We look through the eyes of God. We look for worth and value. We determine to see them and treasure them as image bearers of God. Every person, in some way, bears the image of his or her Creator. When it comes to people, we make a decision to treasure or value them because God tells us to and at their very core they actually still bear the image of our Lord and Master. Honoring people begins in our own perceptions of people. How do we view the poor, the different, the outcast, the inept, and the strange? All of us are come from the same Creator. When we dishonor others we dishonor the one who made them. Honoring is a choice to advance people on a value scale.
All of us have developed criteria by which we evaluate the worth of a person or thing. Honoring is a choice to retool our criteria to match God’s eternal perspective and to deliberately move people up on our scale of importance.
Affirm Value
At some time, the value we apprehend or ascribe in our thinking and attitude toward others must be affirmed to the person honored by some word or deed. Honoring someone must move from acknowledgment to affirmation. Love that is concealed does little for the one being loved. Honor that we fail to communicate does little to encourage the one being honored. Honor is communicated by words and deeds.
Just as we can love and honor one another in word and deed, we may also dishonor or devalue by our deeds and words. Just as valuing begins in the mind so devaluing and dishonor begins in our thinking.
The Biblical word for dishonor or despise has to do with treating someone or something as a vapor, of little value or worth. We entertain negative thoughts and ideas about a person that give birth to a negative attitude which blossoms into dishonoring words and deeds. We develop negative, derogatory names that hurt and devalue. Rather than draw attention to the worth of a person we focus on defects and decide they have as little value to us as a morning fog, a mere annoyance. Left to simmer and take root over a period of time, dishonoring thoughts develop into a dishonoring pattern and attitude toward people in general or concerning a specific person. This eventually expresses itself in some hurtful words and harmful deeds either to others or to the person.
God says the true love acknowledges and affirms value in His creatures.
In regard to the idea of ascribing value to one another…
In regard to attributing worth and esteeming one another…
In regard to paying reverence and respect to one another…
In regard to recognizing and affirming value…
In regard to treasuring each other…
In regard to conveying value…
…genuine love responds in a particular way.
Genuine love “takes the lead”
“preferring” (before + to lead ) = to go before or first and lead the way, to be the leader, precede, show the way as a guide, act with eagerness, do exceedingly.
Paul says that the characteristic of genuine love is to take the lead in regard to the practice of valuing each other. Strive to be the best example at honoring others. Don’t wait for others to honor you. Each believer is to seize the initiative and lead the way in regard to showing honor. Jesus warned against those who focus on getting instead of giving honor.
"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." Luke 20:46-47
Can you imagine what kind of church we would have if EVERONE practiced this admonition? Imagine a church fight over who could honor the other the most. Here, Paul indicates that genuine love thinks of others first and takes the lead in acknowledging and affirming value in others.
“In regard to the issue of showing honor, genuine love tries to outdo one another.”
Who should we honor?
The instruction to honor others or value others turns up elsewhere in the Bible.
• We are to honor the Lord above all.
Paul indicated earlier that the first step toward paganism is a failure to honor God as God.
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21
He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. 1 Tim. 6:15-16
• Everyone must honor those in authority.
… Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17
Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Romans 13:7
the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise(dishonor, treat as vapor) authority. 2 Peter 2:9-10
• Believers must honor each other.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; Romans 12:10
• Everyone is to honor all men.
Honor all people… 1 Peter 2:17
• The church is to honor true widows.
Honor widows who are widows indeed; 1 Tim. 5:3
• Husbands honor their wives.
You husbands in the same way (with a servant attitude), live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7
• Couples honor their marriage
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4
• Slaves honor their masters.
All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. 1 Tim. 6:1
• Children honor their parents.
Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. Ephes. 6:2-3
• Everyone is to honor little children
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10
• The congregation should honor leaders.
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 1 Tim. 5:17
But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 1 Thes. 5:12-13
How can we affirm honor?
We already stated that honor begins in our thinking by both apprehending and ascribing value. Honor must be expressed in words and deeds to produce the effect God intended. Jesus said if the people won’t praise me or honor me the very rocks would cry out. Proverbs calls us to honor the Lord by giving of the first fruits. In Malachi God rebukes the priest for “despising” treating God’s name like vapor, for disrespecting Him for offering Him the stuff that they didn’t want anymore. Hebrews calls for us to honor the Lord by the fruit of our lips that give praise and honor to God.
We honor our parents by making sure their needs are met and treating them with respect.
Children honor parents by respecting and obeying their authority and counsel.
Slaves honor their masters by serving them as they would serve the Lord.
Husbands honor their wives by viewing them as fellow heirs of God’s grace and by living with them in an understanding way.
We honor the government by obeying the laws and paying what taxes are due.
The church honors true widows by taking care of his or her needs.
Honor elders by submitting to their authority, taking care of their needs and appreciating them.
Scripture teaches us to demonstrate honor by both word and deed. I would say that the expression of honor in our congregations should follow the same pattern. Treat leadership with respect. Honor the Lord by taking care of His property and investing in the ministry of the local church. Value each other by meeting needs. Treasure each other with verbal affirmation and recognition of worth. Whatever we decide to treasure or value eventually captures our heart.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34
So much of Scripture focuses on things that build relationships. Honoring or valuing others is one of those practices that need serious consideration. God encourages us to outdo one another in regard to honoring.
Honoring has to do with acknowledging the value of a person or thing and affirming or conveying that value by word or deed.
We value people by acknowledging their worth both by ascribing worth and recognizing worth and shifting them up on our value scale.
That honor is expressed in words and deeds just as dishonor will come out in word and deed.
Honoring is a choice of the will to change our thinking.
Application
On the basis of this message God is encouraging me to…
How have you dishonored or devalued people that needs to be acknowledged and confessed?
Are you willing to ask God to change a pattern of dishonor into one who strives to outdo others in honoring?
From the list of people and groups the Bible calls you to honor how can you improve?
What can you do specifically to honor them either in word or deed?
Is there a specific person that needs to be promoted up your value scale?
What will you do this week as a result of this Word for the Lord?
