Sermon Text

(January 7,2007)

How to Gain Honor

Exo. 20:12

 A young police officer pulled a man over for speeding, asked to see his driver’s license Calmly, the driver responded: I don’t have one. I had it suspended when I got my fifth DUI.                

Officer: May I see your registration?

Driver: It’s not my car. I stole it.
Officer: The car is stolen? 

Drvr: Yeah – But, now that you mention it, I think I did see the registration in the glove box when I was putting my gun in there. Officer: There’s a gun in the glove box?

Drvr: Yes, sir. I put it there after I killed the lady who owns this car and stuffed her in the trunk.
Officer: There’s a BODY in the TRUNK?!?!?

Driver: Yes, sir. Hearing this, the officer immediately called his captain. The car was quickly     surrounded by police, and the captain approached the driver:

Captain to Driver: Sir, can I see your license? 

Driver: Sure. Here it is. It’s valid. 

Capt: Who’s car is this? 

Drvr: It’s mine Sir,. Here’s the registration.
Capt: Could you slowly open your glove box so I can see if there’s a gun in it?
Driver: Yes, sir, but there’s no gun in it.      Nothing in the glove box.
Capt Would you mind opening your trunk? I was told there’s a body in it.
Driver: No problem. The trunk was opened; no body.
Captain: I don’t understand it. The officer who stopped you said you told him you didn’t have a license, stole the car, had a gun in the glovebox, and that there was a dead body in the trunk.
Driver: No kidding? I’ll bet he told you I was speeding, too.
What makes the story funny is the driver’s attempt, through some outrageous lies to try to discredit the integrity – and the authority – of a police officer. In a culture where authority is often seen as something to be fought tooth and nail, the driver is a hero.  THINGS ARE MESSED UP! things are so messed up we’ve forgotten what HONOR is to begin with?

   1> high regard or great respect given, received, a) glory; renown b) good reputation;

2> a keen sense of right and wrong; adherence to action or principles considered  

     right; integrity [to conduct oneself with honor] <that’s the noun>   NOW VERB

1) to show great respect or high regard for; treat with deference and courtesy

Today we are looking at the fifth commandment: Honor your father & mother. It’s interesting to me that there is nothing in the 10 Commandments about “respecting your elders” – in general. There’s nothing about “honoring political or civic leaders,” (although we’re told to elsewhere in scripture). There’s nothing about honoring the king or the president or your boss. But The Commandments tell us to honor our parents.

   Interesting, ONE of the greatest struggles in our society is the lack of respect of authority and the desire to be known as a rebel…

REBELLION is bad stuff: like the sin of witchcraft, no one goes UP!

Eph 6:2-4 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Fathers, don’t exasperate (frustrate, annoy, infuriate) your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord

Parents have an awesome responsibility. It’s not just “Be nice to your kids because they’re the ones who will pick your nursing home.”
Research shows– unless we work hard to get an accurate view of God – we invariably see God as being like our fathers

(or whoever was the prime authority figure in our lives as children.)
That means that parents – and ESPECIALLY FATHERS have been tasked to shape their child’s view of God.  It is done in part by what you teach them And even more by what they see in your character.
 I often Quote my Dad, Here is one I quote often:   Son respect your elders, give honor to those who earn it.

So given the nature of our society, we need to Becoming Worthy of Honor. 5 Things you can do to GAIN HONOR….

THE First application of each of these, is with your children The Second application of these will be to live with honor.

I. You Gain Honor By Loving.

    A. Real Love, Parental, Godly and all other definitions:

        Is not giving people whatever they want.  It is giving them what they need!

    B. Loving the right way. “Kid’s need hugs not drugs”

        1. Science even shows that we human beings need touch. Shaking hands, hugging, touching someone (appropriately)

        2. Dad’s especially “DON’T hold back your affection” Affection is JUST as important as Discipline.

    C. Let’s Look at God’s Word for the best definition: 1 Cor 13

        vs1. Speak with love, or you just talking to the hand

        vs2. Don’t teach mysteries, knowledge, & even faith, without love.

        vs3. Nothing benefits w/out LOVE: feed poor, give your body workaholic

        vs4 What LOVE does do: a. Love suffers long     b. is kind;

                                                  c. love does not envy;   d. love doesn’t show off c. is not puffed up.

        vs5. What LOVE doesn’t do: a. behave rudely     b. doesnt seek its own

                                                        c. is not provoked   d. thinks no evil;

        vs6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

        vs7 bears all things, believes, hopes all things, endures all things.

        vs8 Love never fails. Everything else will.

        vs13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

II. You Gain Honor By Lifting.   Col. 3:21

    A. Wise encouragement is better than lavish praise. Everyone, especially children need encouragement.

        Not just once, over & over. So much happens in life to knock us down.

    B. What is the difference between Encouragement and Praise?

        Praise = focuses on admiration over the accomplishment

        Encouragement = focuses on the person/child, not the accomplishment.

            Fine line, but important: focusing on achievement = that’s how I get

            Focus on the child = they love me MORE than the achievement.

       Everyone needs to know their worth, God loves you in spite of achievements DOES THAT LIFT YOU UP?

III. You Gain Honor by Living with Limits.

    A. God’s example of setting limits is a positive one.      1Sam. 3:13

        1. It takes restrictions to set your children free.

        2. “Thou Shalt Not’s” are the teachers of freedom & consequences.

             Without consequences there are no limits, we will do whatever.

        3. Eli’s sons had no limits and it cost them dearly.

        4. God gave Adam & Eve all they needed, including 1 limit. they  couldn’t keep just that one, AND they had consequences. 

        5. Society views rules as bad. I mentioned in 1st week,

        Christian Youth, don’t recognize absolutes, We don’t hold them to it.

    B. The Goal of LIMIT’s need to be written in LOVE.

        1. Children certainly will test limits. (I guess adults will too!

        2. The purpose of all limits are protection and respect.

        3. Too much of anything is bad, EVEN TV

           One producer of sitcom’s, said it was his sincere conviction that for any script to be commercially successful, it must violate at least 3 of the

            10 commandments.

            When you laugh at something you don’t take it serious.

        That’s the beginning of no respect and no honor, don’t take it serious

IV. You Gain Honor by Laughing. (the right kind) 

           Luke 6:21 ….Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

    A. Learn how to laugh, spend time experiencing JOY.

        Thursday I had the most fun, (I missed a lot with my kids) with K & K

        We sat at the table, talking, laughing, telling stories, FUN, even at 6 & 4

        It can be as easy as slowing down & looking, there’s lots to laugh about.

    B. Humans, the only creatures of God who can laugh, weep & blush.

        Life can be so serious! Meeting the bills, Health, survival, FAITH.

        Following commands & limits, can be the most important lessons.

        Prov. says it’s costly to spoil you children, it also says..

           Prov 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

    Long trips, no car big enough, so one vacation I decided to help it, squirt gun.

V. You Gain Honor by Leading.

    A. First you need to show people right rather than just tell them.

        1. Parents, You gain HONOR by leading your children.

            Pro. 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

            a) Training them to do what’s right by example.

            b) Do you learn to play football in a book?

            c) What do you want your children to be? NOT career—character?

        2. Our Nature is not automatically to become good people.  

            a) OLD Nature is selfish and Sinful.

            b) The best training is by EXAMPLE.

        3. We teach the 3 R’s Reading Writing and Arithmetic. GRADES

            We teach SPORTS, PHYSICAL HEALTH, POPULARITY.

            One school made this list of character qualities they want to teach.

            contentment courage courtesy discernment fairness friendliness generosity

            gentleness helpfulness honesty humility kindness obedience orderliness patience

            persistence self-control tactfulness thankfulness thriftiness wisdom.

            Mom & Dad, if your not teaching these, who is. No one can like you. Lead by example: Jesus did, don’t treat Father’s house with disrespect   

            Lead by example: My Dad did, (you never spoke down to or against mom) I heard this teaching as a Dad, When you speak rude to your Mom, that’s not   honor, So you sin against God, you’ll have to answer to God for that. When you talk down to your Mom, you sin against her. She went to the  shadow of the valley of death to bring you into the world, answer to her for it One more thing: Your Mom is my wife first, the love of my life, my girlfriend Now you have to answer to God, to Mom and then to ME. Since I’m talkin, I’m first.

    B. To Gain Honor you must Live with Honor.

        1. You seldom have it if your not willing to give it.

          1Pet 2:17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

        2. Have you heard the saying, Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

            You’ll never learn to lead unless you know how to follow. Unless you’ve followed with your whole heart, you won’t know how to care for other

            followers. Unless you’ve seen and studied leaders, you won’t be able to lead. IF you can’t or won’t do either, you best just get out of the way.

        Does the way you live, bring HONOR?   If you want to gain it, You need to commit to following Jesus.

Invitation Hymn #285 “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”