Honor is one of the greatest missing ingredients in the Lord’s house today. The Bible teaches that God will honor those that honor him and despise those that despise him (1 Samuel 2:30). One of the reasons we see no revivals in the house of God is because of the culture of dishonor that has permeated the church. We have dishonored the Lord, his Word, his Presence, his Ministers and his calling.
What is honor?
• Honor is a show of reverence that comes from the heart.
• Honor is a show of deep respect and admiration that causes us to hold something in high esteem.
• Honor causes us to treat something with respect; to treat something as special; to value something.
Honor begins with God
I find it that when people dishonor others, its because they have FIRST dishonored God. If you cannot honor God first, you won’t be able to honor your mother or father, your husband, your wife, your leader, those in authority, your pastors, or other church members. Honor always begins with God first. When we dishonor:
• Dishonor will grieve the Holy Spirit
• Dishonor will quench the gifts of the Spirit in a Church
• Dishonor will remove God’s favor from off a Church
• Dishonor will block God’s power.
What is dishonor?
• Dishonor means to treat someone or something as common; profane; worthless; with disrespect or irreverence.
What are some ways we can honor God?
1. HONOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD
“Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God” (Exodus 3:5-6)
The manifest and omnipresence of God deserve honor. When we fail to honor his presence we can come under judgment. Many people today are suffering because they have in some way dishonored the Presence of the Lord. This is particularly evident in church services. Church is one of the places of greatest dishonor. This is because people think they are going to a building when in reality they are going into the courts of God where his Presence dwells. They have gotten too familiar with His Presence. How? When the anointing is moving in the service people get up and walk out of the church. They leave the service when the altar call is being made. They are texting or checking their social media in the middle of the sermon. Some even answer their phone calls during worship and others are chatting in the back while prayer for the lost is being conducted. These are all forms of dishonor of God’s presence.
One of the ways we honor God’s presence starts in our devotional time. We need to set aside time to pray, praise and worship the Father. Spending time in his Presence must have first priority in our lives. As you honor his Presence in private, it’s becomes easier to do it in public. Honor his Presence. Honor his Anointing. Honor his voice.
2. HONOR THE WORD OF GOD
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Many people dishonor God’s word today. They do it by failing to give it the priority it deserves. Dishonor will nullify the power of God’s word in our lives. Some people would rather honor man made traditions instead of God’s Word. God’s word should have weight in our lives. It should be the ultimate authority in all matters of life. We should allow his word to guide us in our decision making. Here are five ways we can honor God’s word:
• By READING the word
• By MEDITATING the word
• By MEMORIZING the word
• By RECITING the word
• By OBEYING the word
When we honor the Word of God we unlock the power that’s contained within it. His Word can change our defeats into victories, sicknesses into healing, disgrace into favor and unbelief’s into faith when we honor His Word.
3. HONOR THE HOUSE OF GOD
“And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Matthew 21:13)
The house of God should be a place conducive to prayer and worship, not business. One of the ways people dishonor the house of God is through neglect. Often times the house of God suffers because of neglect and lack of maintenance. This was one of God’s complaints in Haggai 1:5-9 and it had its consequences:
“Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.”
In my experience cleaning the house of God, I have come across food thrown on the floor, nail clippings stuck in the carpet, paper tissue thrown on the floor, gum stuck under the chairs, cookie crumbs grinded into the carpet, bathrooms with water splashed everywhere, parking lots with trash thrown everywhere. This is not honoring the Lord’s house. When carpets are ripped, tiles are stained, and furniture is dusty or disorganized God is not pleased. Let us honor the House of the Lord by keeping it clean and organized.
4. HONOR THE MINISTERS OF GOD
“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 5:17)
The ministers of God are God’s presents to the church. We should honor these men and women of God because they have proven themselves to be faithful. They have been given gifts, talents and anointing’s to serve the body. Many of them are constantly pouring out. They lead you into maturity. They equip you. They pray for you. They fast for you. They sacrifice their lives for you. They seek the Lord to provide you a word in due season. They counsel you. They heal you. They may even provide for you food, shelter and clothing for you. They deserve to be treated with honor. Many of them sacrifice time with their families to attend to your needs. That’s why we should honor them the following ways:
- Honor them by PRAYING for them.
- Honor them by SERVING them.
- Honor them by BLESSING them financially.
- Honor them by OBEYING their authority.
- Honor them by ADDRESSING them respectfully.
5. HONOR THE CALLING OF GOD
“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ 7 “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ 8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 1:6-8)
The Levite priests had done a poor job serving the Lord. Serving the Lord was a burden to them. This did not go without notice from the Lord. They had fallen into dishonor. They dishonored the Lord and they dishonored the calling on their lives to represent Him. Today the same thing happens in the church.
We have people who want to serve the Lord any which way. They come late to service and want to leave early. They are absent. They are lazy. They do a poor job at serving others. They are negligent and absent minded when they do things, etc. They are apathetic and show lack of interest. This does not bring honor to the Lord or his calling on your life.
Serving God is one of the greatest privileges in the universe. He could have called so many other people yet he called you. Therefore we are to honor his calling on our lives by serving the Lord with diligence, excellence, faithfulness, love and integrity. Give God your best always!
When you honor God this will cause his favor to come upon you. Honoring God has it’s rewards. Let’s regain the honor back!
Honor the Word!
2 Thessalonians 3:1 “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you…”
The Word of God is mentioned as a double-edged sword, in Jeremiah 23:29 «Is not my word like fire,» declares the LORD, «and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Not an ordinary hammer that drives nails but one that breaks rocks in pieces! Phew! Let’s understand the power in the Word of God! If the Word of God is stagnant then there is no use, it has got to travel far and wide, with great speed and be honored! Amen. Observe the last few words….’as happened among you…!’ Are you listening? The Word of God was honored by the Thessalonian church and that’s why Apostle Paul tells them: “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:7) Amen.
No fun in giving attendance to the church, our life has to reflect the love and the power of the Word of God. A shattered Brahmin lady came to me for prayers for her husband, who had an illicit relationship with another woman and also wanted to marry that woman. Besides praying and counseling the lady, I gave her a Bible and requested her to read the Bible everyday. She did. Slowly the Word of God started speaking with her and cleansing her, then I did something daring, I gave her a soft copy of an article on adultery and asked her to send to her husband who did not know that adultery was a deadly sin. She did so. Miraculously God answered our prayers and delivered her husband from the clutches of the evil woman. There is power in the Word of God! The Word of God are not thrill-generators but they are Power-generators!
When we honor the Word of God, He would certainly honor us! We have no business to get close to something that the Lord abhors! The Lord said flee from idols!
• 1 Corinthians 10:14”Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.”
• 1 John 5:21”Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”
• Deuteronomy 7:25”The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.”
We have enormous scriptures which warn us to stay away from idols worship and idol worshipers but still we have huge number of Christians daringly entering into marriage alliance with them. Is this not dishonoring God and His Word? How can we expect our lives to be problem-free and serene after such atrocious transgression of His Word? Search your hearts!
Even if thrown in the furnace and the heat gets seven times hotter, let us stand firm for God and not give in to pressure!
I have had the pleasure of listening to Alpha and Omega ministries for about 8 years now. Although I have been truly edified by all I have watched and listened to, there is one priceless thing I have learned above all else, and that is how to honor the Word of God. Before I became aware of Dr. White’s ministry, I knew very little about the principles of hermeneutics and exegesis that I have seen faithfully taught here throughout the years. I believe this is the main theme that embraces every endeavor of this ministry, whether it be outreach to Mormons or Muslims, and even other Christians. I take with me a gift of knowledge that will remain with me for the rest of my life.
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I am super excited about teaching God’s Word this weekend during children’s church at Hoffmantown. This lesson focuses on the power of the Word of God and what our attitude should be toward the Word of God. Our main passage of study is Jeremiah 36. Before we get into this text, I would like for us to examine some truths from II Timothy 3:16. From this passage, we discover that the Word of God is profitable to us when we open It up and begin to explore It. The first thing that the Word of God does is, It teaches us. Everything that we do in this life is something that we must learn. Walking with God is no different. We have to learn to walk with God. His wants to teach us how to walk with Him via His Word. As we learn from God, He begins to show us our mistakes. This is not a very pleasant experience but it is a very much needed experience. Many times, we are wrong in certain areas and do not even know it. God has to reveal that to us and He does, as He teaches us from His Word. God does not point out our mistakes because He wants to punish us. He does this so that He can then correct us. Once we bow our will to His correction, He trains us to stay on the right path so that He does not have to correct us again. At the same time, He does not mind showing us the same mistake again and correcting us, again. We have to have the right attitude about the Word of God. Having learned this, let’s take a look at a real, life example of this very process in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 36.
I. What we learn about God
The first thing that we learn about God is that He has a specific message for a specific person, who, in turn, is to take that message to the people. This is a message that He began sharing during the days of Josiah and has now continued the message in the days of Josiah’s son, Jehoiakim. God’s desire is that His message would be heard and cause the people to repent of their evil ways. God wants to forgive them for their actions, but, in order to do so, they must be made aware of their mistakes and be willing to be corrected. If they are willing, He will forgive them and correct them. God wants His message written down so that the entire nation can hear it. When people sin, this makes God angry and as a result, He is ready to punish them. At the same time, if they repent, He will forgive them. God sent His messengers to deliver His Word and He is ready and able to protect them from the plans of evil men who do not like the message that these men deliver, even if it does come from the Lord. He is very protective of His message and His messengers. When His original message was destroyed, He had it written down yet again so that the people would have access to His Word, to be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained to walk with Him. Because of a lack of respect for God and His Word, the people are punished severely. Do we see any similarities in Jeremiah 36 and II Timothy 3:16?
II. What we learn about the Word of God
First of all, we learn that the God communicates with people through His Word. The Word is very specific, showing people where they are wrong, correcting them, and helping them stay right. As the message of the Gospel works in a person’s life, he is motivated to share that same Word with others. Jeremiah wanted to take the message to the people as soon as he could. When the leaders heard the message, they wanted it communicated to the masses so that everyone would have a chance to be corrected by God’s Word. This message is a message of wrath that leads to hope and forgiveness. The wrath has to get our attention and show our desperate need for God. Once He gets our attention through His Word, He can then offer hope and forgiveness. This message is to be read to all who have ears to hear and to be read by all who have the ability to do so. This message is the Truth about reality. We are sinful people and in need of correction. God is merciful and wants to correct us for our own good. For people who are sensitive to God and spiritual things, His Word stimulates a healthy fear, respect in them. For those who are not sensitive to God, His Word angers them because It reveals what their hearts and minds are like. Do you encounter God’s message on a daily basis through reading and studying His Word?
III. People’s reaction to the Word of God
In the passage, we see two very different reactions from people when faced with the Truth of the Word of God. The first reaction is a positive one. Jeremiah received God’s Word and immediately took action. He was obedient to God’s Word. He wrote God’s message down on a scroll and sent it to the people. When the leaders read God’s message, they were afraid. It led them to repentance and prayer. God was merciful on them and forgave them. They immediately wanted to share the message with the king and with the masses. Although, they knew that this would be dangerous, they did it anyway. The second reaction is a negative one. When the king and his men read the Word of God, they were angered by the message. In fact, they did not want the masses to hear this message and so the king burned it in his heater. Actually, the king was so angered by God’s message that he wanted to harm the messengers as well. He had already burned the message and now was looking to harm the messengers. God protected them and had His message rewritten later, by Jeremiah. Since the king and his men did not repent of their evil ways, they did not find forgiveness or mercy with the Lord. They suffered God’s wrath and that same wrath was extended to their families, because they modeled this negative attitude to their families.
What about you, my dear friend, are you hearing God’s message? Is His message teaching you, showing you where you are wrong, correcting you, and training you to walk with God? Has God’s message led you to repentance? Have you received God’s forgiveness and mercy? Are you taking God’s message to others? Or, are you like the evil king who not only wants to continue in his wicked ways, but also wants to keep others from hearing God’s message so that they experience His punishment too? May the Lord help us sit under the teaching of the Word of God so that He can teach us how to walk with Him.
- Carl H. Stevens
- March 1, 2000
Jericho was the first city in Canaan, the land God promised to Israel. God said, «Jericho is My city -don’t touch a thing in Jericho. The silver, the gold, the brass, and the iron are to be taken out of Jericho and put in the treasury house of the Lord» (see Joshua 6:19). Achan touched what God had set apart, and everything about him was destroyed. His wife, his family, his cattle, and his possessions were stoned and burned with fire.
Jericho belonged to God. The whole city was burned with fire, which speaks of judgment. Furthermore, Joshua warned that whoever rebuilt Jericho would pay with his firstborn! Israel could have any other city in Canaan. They were free to drive out the enemies and live there peacefully, which they did for forty years.
Do we realize what we do when we touch what is God’s? This is a very solemn thing to consider. Notice that God told Joshua: «Up, sanctify the people; sanctify yourselves against tomorrow.» This came after Israel’s defeat at Ai. As the leader, Joshua was responsible to pray for his people and their sanctification.
When instruction from the Word of God is given and we say, «God, by Your mercy and grace I will do this,» then the Word is sanctified by our obedience, and God’s Word is honored as God’s Word.
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The Bible says a lot about honoring God. One of my favorite verses on that topic is Romans 12:1 which tells us to “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God”. Simply put, we are called to live a life that honors God, but how do we do that?
What Does it Mean to Honor God?
The Oxford Dictionary defines honor as “to regard with great respect”. In modern society, that may translate to showing deference or being courteous to someone. But I love the way the Hebrew puts it. The Hebrew word for honor is kâbôwd, (pronounced kaw-bode’).
Kâbôwd means splendor or copiousness, glorious, glory, honour, or honourable. Kâbôwd comes from the root word kâbad, (pronounced kaw-bad’) which could have been translated “to make weighty”. So, in other words, when we honor someone, we add weight to them. It’s almost as if we measured them and found them worthy.
When we apply the idea of making God “weighty”, we show that we esteem Him above everything and everyone.
The Importance of Honoring God
The Bible, which is one of God’s gift to humanity, tells us alot about who He is. He is holy, faithful, trustworthy, just, loving, kind, merciful, gracious, good.
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The more you learn about God, the more you realize how worthy He is to be praised. You probably have many reasons for honoring God, but I’d like to share a few reasons why we should honor God.
1. We honor God because He saved us from our sins.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 NKJV
2. We glorify God because He is the Creator.
And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Revelation 14:7 ESV
If you’ve ever tried to make even a simple meal, you know how difficult creating something can be. Creation becomes even more challenging when you have to make something out of nothing, especially when that thing had never been made. I know, it sounds a bit convoluted, but that exactly what God did at Creation.
He made things that had never existed before from things that didn’t exist. He spoke and the unseen things appeared (Hebrews 11:3). This action alone makes God worthy of our praise.
3. We worship God because He is Immanuel.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 NKJV
A common feature of idol worship was the household gods. People wanted gods they could take with them, they wanted their gods to always be with them. We serve a mighty God who is all-present. He dwells with us and within us.
How to Honor God with Your Life
Okay, so we’ve been through what it means to honor God and why we should honor Him, but maybe you’re wondering, how can I honor God with my life?
I’m so glad you asked, honoring God is something that will take focus and intention . Here are six things you can do to start honoring God right now.
1. We honor God when we are good stewards of our wealth and what He has given us.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; Proverbs 3:9 ESV
Everything we have, whether it is a little or a lot comes from God. While it’s true that God doesn’t need anything from us, we give Him glory when we use our resources wisely and in the service of others.
2. We honor God with our actions.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 ESV
The example that Christ gave us is one of service. We honor God when we serve the people around us. We honor Him when we give of ourselves and show others the love that God lavishes on us.
3. We honor God through the sacrifice of our lives.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 ESV
4. We honor God when we praise and worship Him.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12 ESV
5. We honor God through our obedience.
Jesus told His disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15 ESV
It’s one thing to say we love God. We prove it by the way we adhere to what He says in His Word.
6. We honor God by putting Him first in decision-making. We seek His will and not our own.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
Benefits of Honouring God
Obviously we don’t honor God simply for what we may receive from Him. Still, there are benefits for honoring Him. Here are just a few of them.
Honouring God improves the quality of your life. Let’s think about it for a second, is there anyone in the Bible who honored God above all else? The first person who comes to mind is David.
He wasn’t a perfect man but he tried to put God first at all times. David honored God with the things he had, the way he offered praise and worship, and through his actions. I know you’re thinking about the Bathsheba incident, but I want to remind you that though he sinned in that instance (and many others), he repented and sought to give glory to God.
It was this same man whom God called a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Because David honoured God, he was honored in turn by God.
Honoring God improves the lives of those around you. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: the life Christ emulated for us was one of service. As members of God’s family, we honor Him when we serve the people He has created.
Zacchaeus was one of the most disliked men of his time. Yet this was the man who Jesus chose to dine with (Luke 19:1-10). We are called to love others in spite of their class, caste, race, gender, or any other distinction.
When we love them as Jesus loved us, we have the opportunity to make an impact on their lives in much the same way that Christ impacted Zacchaeus’ life. That person’s life in turn becomes a blessing to others and the impact ripples throughout our world.
Honoring God offers the hope of a better future. Before Jesus returned to His Heavenly Father, He promised to return for all those who remained faithful (John 14:1-3). I don’t know about you, but I want to experience the earth made new and all the benefits that come with Jesus’ Second Coming.
There are so many rewards for those who choose to honor God with their lives. Won’t you honor Him in all you do?
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