God and Honor Part 1

Offering Message: Jesus taught in the synagogue as usual, and He read about Himself from Is. 49:8-9 and 61:1-2 (Luke 4:14-18). Here we find the answer to problems. God sent Jesus to heal (the answer) the brokenhearted (the problem); to bring recovery of sight (answer) to the blind (problem); to proclaim liberty (answer) to the captives (problem).  He preached the Good News (answer) to the poor (problem). Jesus is the answer to the problem. In 2 Cor. 8:9 we learn that Jesus became poor so that we can be rich. We have to believe in order for these truths to work for us. Matt. 23:23 says that we must tithe andexercise justice, mercy, and faith. Sermon: Eli’s sons were not honoring God as priests, and Eli was honoring his sons more than God. Honor means to highly esteem, weighty, heavy, valuable, precious; it is not bondage.  “Despise” means to lightly regard and to ignore. Do we honor the Word that we hear (Matt. 7:6)? To hear the Word with honor means you hear the Word of God, receive it, let it take root,  and it will work effectively in you (1 Thess. 2:11-13). Before judging others, first judge yourself. Honor has thankfulness in it. Do you honor and esteem correction and reproof as precious? God will enlarge what you honor and are grateful for (Matt. 13:44-46). We pay respect to those we owe respect (Rom. 13:7-8); we don’t demand respect and honor. Eph. 6:2-3 tells us to honor our parents- the place they hold in our lives. Respect and honor are choices, not feelings. Honor the words of your mouth. Do you honor and esteem God in what you take time for? He esteems us if we esteem Him.