Honour & Reverence - Message outline 6th Aug 06

Honour is the key (The word "Honour" occurs atleast 208 times in NIV of teh Bible)

Ten Commandments Exodus 20:2-17 (not the ten options)
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."

Examples of dishonour and their consequnces
1. Noah – in Gen 9 one of his sons dishonour his own father. – Shem, Ham(father of Canaan), Japheth.

2. Eli - 1 Sam 2: 29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honour your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?'
30 "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line. (Wow – your sons will die young!!!) 2:22 – they even slept with the women! So he died, and the Priesthood was past on to Samuel.
3. Solomon – honour his wives more than God
4. Malachi - Blemished Sacrifices – lost the reverence for God
6 "A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honour due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
7 "You place defiled food on my altar.
"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.

B. New Testament – Mark 6:1-4
1Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour." 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.- by their unbelief, they forfeited the honour of having miracles wrought for them.

C. Whom you Honour and how you honour is so very crucial
1. If you honour a prophet you will receive a prophet’s blessing.
2. You honour God and God will honor you. (2 Sam 2:29) not children before God. Not BF or GF before God, and of course NOT your gay partner before God.
3. Honour God above your parents – what about those who torn between parents and spouse – Then the Divine principles comes in – Are they God honouring parents? Are what they demand biblical? (Thailand – sold to prostitution or marry a poor farmer – marry a poor farmer who loves you). Just for a TV or a motorcycle.
4. If you dishonour the speaker – you won’t get bless by his teaching or ministry. Of course this is no blank cheque – the leader must have certain degree of integrity and competency to be respected, and most importantly, a clear cut call of God upon his life. Honour and respect is earned and not on request or demand.
5. Hosea 8:7 - "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. Be careful how you sow – how you invest your time, money, affection. Proverbs says don’t cast your seeds every where.
6. Honour is best shown by our action and attitude – not just with our lips !

Lets us stand up and worship – lets us spend some time allowing Holy Spirit to bring restoration. We all have fallen short in this area. May be in different forms, attitude, lateness, taking God’s word lightly. Harbouring resentment to our parents etc.
Closing Song – You Stand alone