Alright, so tonight's our last Wednesday night, we've been studying the one another commands of the Bible. and we're looking at honor one another tonight as we wrap up this study. All of these commands are really about how do we relate to one another in the body of Christ? How do we love each other well? And as we get started, let's just read two passages of scripture. The first is in Romans chapter 12, verse 10. You may just wanna listen. It might be too much work to look these single verses up, but Romans 12 and verse 10. is one, and the other one is 1 Peter 2, 17. They're right there at the top of your notes, if you have that. All right, 1 Peter 12 and verse 10 says this, love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor. Love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another and showing honor. So there's the honor one another part. And then first Peter two and verse 17, it says, honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor. So you see the theme there in those two passages. We're gonna be talking about how to honor one another tonight. Let's pray and we'll jump right into our lesson. Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. Everything you say in the Bible is completely true and trustworthy, and it helps us to know how we are to love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. and how we are to love one another as we love ourselves and also as you have loved us. We pray that you would help us to grow in our understanding of your word tonight and how to treat one another in the body of Christ. May you encourage us in Jesus name we pray, amen. So very simple outline tonight. We're gonna ask some questions. First is what does it mean to honor one another? What does that mean? Well, how do you describe that? And then secondly, whom are we called to honor? Who are the people? The Bible tells us we're supposed to honor, and then you can see the third question is, what does it look like to honor one another? How can we flesh that out in terms of what we actually do? So let's look at the top of the notes here. What does it mean to honor one another? Stuart Scott explains this. What does it mean to honor? Honor means to give special weight or value to another person. So outdoing one another in showing honor means giving the other person weighty, serious consideration in all things. So a person is valuable because they're created by God. If they're a brother or sister, they're redeemed by God and you want to honor them, you want to give weight to them. He goes on to say, notice the command in Romans 12 and verse 10 is to outdo not to give honor, but honor is the manner in which one is to outdo. We are to praise, recognize, and show special attention to the other person more than we would receive from him or her. We must outdo the other person. So what that's saying is in that Romans 12 passage is, it says, outdo one another. Well, how do you outdo one another? Not in trying to be better than other people, not in trying to be the best, but rather in showing honor. You're deferring to others, you're showing kindness to them in that way. In our larger catechism, when it talks about the fifth commandments, which is honor your father and your mother, the fifth commandment, honor your father and mother, that it might go well with you and you live long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. And that command, when it explains it in the larger catechism, it talks about the duties of superiors, like your parents, inferiors, like parents to children, And then it talks about equals. How do you relate to your peers? How do you treat other people that are on the same level with you? And here's what it says. What are the duties of equals? The duties of equals are to regard the dignity and worth of each other and giving honor to go before one another and to rejoice in each other's gifts and advancement as their own. So you recognize someone else has dignity. You're happy when things go well for them, you celebrate their accomplishments, you celebrate who they are. Now when you think about all the commandments of God, and just think about the ten commandments for a second, when you think about the first table of the law, we say that's all of our duties towards God, we love Him, we love Him, we have no other gods before Him. Uh, we, we don't take his name in vain. Uh, well, we don't make, we don't have idols. We don't take his name in vain. We honor his Sabbath day. But the second table of the law summarizes our duties towards each other and how to love one another. And all of those second table duties can be summarized as a honor. So for example, the fifth commandment says honor your parents. So you honor authorities. The sixth commandment says you shall not murder, so you're honoring someone else's life and their well-being. The seventh commandment says you shall not commit adultery, so you're honoring someone's marriage, you're honoring their purity. The eighth commandment says you shall not steal, so you're honoring the fact that other people have possessions that are not yours to take. The ninth commandment, honor your neighbor's reputation. Don't lie about them. Don't bear false witness. The tenth commandment, honor your neighbor's right to have something that you don't. Don't covet. You see how they're all kind of, the duties that we have toward one another in the commands of God are really about respecting others. They're about honoring others and the dignity that they have. So that's kind of what we're talking about when we're talking about honoring or respecting one another. Now let's think about some of the things the Bible says in terms of whom we are called to honor. Well, you see in that passage in 1 Peter 2, 17, very simply says, honor everyone. honor everyone and it says love the brotherhood those are Christians love your fellow Christians and it says honor the honor fear God and honor the Emperor the Emperor was not a faithful Christian was he the Emperor was trying to kill Christians at the time that was written and it says still honor him you have to honor respect the Emperor So, in a sense, we're to honor all classes of people. So, people of all different races, people of all different education levels, people of all different backgrounds, people of all different experiences, people who are Christians and people who are not, we're actually supposed to honor all people, honor everyone, it says. It also talks in the Bible how children, as we just said a moment ago, are to honor their parents. Now, when we think about honoring parents, that yes, children are honoring their parents when they obey them, but the fifth commandment doesn't expire when you grow up and move out of your house, does it? you're still called, if you're an adult, you're still called to honor your parents, even in their old age, by caring for them, right? In their old age and providing for them. And so you're supposed to respect them. That commandment, that fifth commandment that says to honor your parents, also applies to anyone who's in authority over you. So you think about government leaders. Romans 13 says we're supposed to obey the government unless it calls us to sin. And so we're supposed to honor those who are in political power. We're supposed to honor church leaders. So the Bible talks about obeying your leaders who are over you, your elders and ministers. and submit to them because they're keeping watch over your soul in Hebrews 13 and verse 17. So honor those who are in a position of authority, it says. Also, the Bible talks about we're called to honor those who are weak and vulnerable. So generally speaking, God has a compassion and concern for those who are weak. So for example, husbands, we are told in 1 Peter 3, 7, are called to honor their wives because they are the weaker vessel. Now I need to explain weaker vessel. Weaker vessel, ladies, doesn't mean lesser vessel, does it? Porcelain is weaker than steel, but it's not necessarily less valuable, right? And so you recognize that the feminine frame, if you will, is weaker than the masculine frame. And so the husband is supposed to honor his wife by caring for her as the weaker vessel. Widows What's a widow? A widow is a woman who has lost her husband, very vulnerable, especially widows in old age. First Timothy 5.3 says, honor widows who are truly widows, and so there's an honor for them. The elderly, Leviticus 19 and verse 32 says, you shall stand up and honor the gray head the elderly. We have young people tonight, children from this church who are over at Culpeper Place, and they're trying to honor and care for the elderly by ministering to them there. And even you can see in that command in Leviticus 19 and verse 32, that the way that you would honor the elderly was even an action that you performed. You would stand up to show them honor, and in some kind of culturally appropriate way today, you might honor an elderly person maybe by holding the door for them when they're coming into the church or something like that, honoring them. The Bible talks about honoring the poor in Proverbs 14, 31, that you honor them by giving generously to them. And so God wants us to honor people, not just who are in authority above us, but also people who the world would say are beneath us. They're not really beneath us, but the world would say are beneath us. The weak, the vulnerable, the people who are often overlooked, that we're called to honor them. Psalm 15 and verse 4 says, the righteous man honors those who fear the Lord. So if someone else reverences God, if someone else is a holy person, they love God, they serve Him, they stand in awe of Him, true righteous people honor those kinds of people as well. We should honor those who risk their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Paul talks about this, we'll look this one up. In Philippians chapter 2, in verse 25, he talks about this guy with a really funny name, Epaphroditus. That's kind of a weird name, in my opinion. Epaphroditus, and Philippians 2, 25 to 30, Paul says this about Epaphroditus. He says, I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed, he was ill near death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, that I may be less anxious. Now here's the key verse. So receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men. why honor such men for explanation verse 34 he nearly died for the work of Christ risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me so we should honor those who have faithfully served the Lord so sometimes you think maybe a missionary you know might be the equivalent today who comes and visits and they're sacrificing to be on the mission field to proclaim the gospel, we would honor them, right? You could think of other examples, perhaps, of those who are actually risking their life, are sacrificing greatly for the sake of the gospel, and the word says, honor such people, honor them, recognize them. Is there anyone we're called not to honor? If you heard that question, you might initially say, well, didn't it say honor everyone in 1 Peter 2.17? Yeah, honor everyone probably means something like honor all kinds of people, but the Bible does talk about some people. There's some context where we're not actually supposed to honor certain people. What do I mean? One thing, we're not supposed to seek honor for ourselves. right? It doesn't mean that we're supposed to show disrespect for ourselves or hate ourselves or anything like that, but we're not supposed to be seeking glory for ourselves, to seeking honor for, in the sense of our own reputation. Jesus says this in Matthew 23, in verses 5 through 7, He says, Matthew 23, verses five through seven, he says, of the Pharisees, the religious teachers, in his day, he says, they do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. These were things that the Jews wore to show off their piety. And they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces, being called rabbi by others. What were they doing? They wanted titles, they wanted honor, they wanted other people to honor them. And so we're not supposed to desire our own glory, and we're not supposed to be seeking after our own titles and the way people can honor us. Romans 13 in verse seven also indicates that honor and respect are something that are owed to some and presumably not owed to others. It says in Romans 13 in verse seven, pay to all what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. So you see that language owed, it's owed. Sometimes we might say respect is earned, right? Because of their position, because of their station of life, they may deserve that respect in that sense in Romans 13 verse 7. We said that Psalm 15 verse 4 says that we're to honor those who fear the Lord. In that same passage, it says a righteous person despises a vile person. It says in the eyes of a righteous person, a vile person is despised. In the book of Proverbs, it talks about not honoring fools. what is a fool? A fool is someone who knows the truth and then lives in a way that's completely opposite to the truth that he knows, right? And so in the book of Proverbs, a fool is there was someone who actually lived within the covenant community, so they knew the truth of God, it's not an ignorant person, they knew God's truth, and and they deliberately, defiantly lived in a way that was contrary to that. And so we're not supposed to be honoring people, honoring fools. So what might be application of that sort of thing today? You think there are certain contexts, you might think of like awards that are given to celebrities. because they acted in a vile scene in a movie, right? That would be honoring a fool. That would be honoring someone who's doing something vile. You know, the Bible says we're not supposed to honor people for their sin. We're not supposed to approve it in that sense. So not honoring fools, not honoring vile people is not a license, if you look at your notes here, to demean another human being made in God's image, but it forbids that we would approve and support sin. So if you're honoring someone in such a way that you're making them think that they're doing something honorable that is actually dishonorable, that's not what we're talking about, right? You don't want to be an approver or a supporter or an encourager of sin. But generally speaking, In the way that we relate to one another within the church as fellow Christians, we're supposed to treat each other with respect and honor and dignity and value one another. So what does that look like leading to our final question here? What does it look like to actually honor each other in the body of Christ? First thing we have here is treating others with respect. We've said it when you talk to other people, You speak respectfully to them, right? You're not demeaning to them. Ephesians 4.29 talks about our speech essentially should build others up, not tear them down, right? And when you think about respecting others with your speech, we're not just talking about the things that you say, but actually the Bible talks about you can actually even disrespect somebody with your gestures, your attitudes, the way that you carry yourself, the way that you what you might do with your eyes. You can disrespect someone. You think of rolling your eyes, right? That can be disrespectful. Proverbs 30 gives you a good example of that. Let me just read it, because it's a pretty crazy verse. Proverbs 30, in verse 17, says this. It says, Proverbs 30, verse 17, that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother, so those are people you should respect, your father, your mother, but the eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures. Boom, right? I mean, but notice, there's a lot there, right? I mean, you got the image like Alfred Hitchcock from the birds or something like that in your mind, but the reality is... You can dishonor someone with your eyes, right? I mean, for the youth, I mean, you know, like your parents have probably caught you before. Like they caught me growing up rolling my eyes at them and I would get in trouble for it, right? Because even though I didn't say anything, it's disrespectful. So what we say to others, not just our parents, but to one another, the way we relate to one another is to be carried on with honor. Yeah, put that verse on your refrigerator, parents, and remind your kids of it often. Count others, another thing here, count others more significant than yourself, hold others in high esteem. So, especially when we're thinking about in the church, how do we relate to one another? That's your brother, that's your sister in Christ. That's another person who is chosen by God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and dwelt by the Holy Spirit. Hold them in high esteem. Think about on Sunday when we were looking at how God refers to Daniel, what did he say? You're precious. If Daniel was precious to God, should he have been precious to other fellow believers? Of course. Right? And so there should be a sense of seeing the value of others, listening to others and valuing their input. One of the ways we honor one another is by dignifying each other with an attentive ear. Right? And one example I thought of is imagine there's another believer who has an area of expertise. You can honor them by asking them their perspective, asking for their wisdom, right? Maybe it's, you know, if I think about something like if I have issues with the internet, I'm gonna go talk to Jeremy Stump, right? I mean, he's gonna know about it. I'm gonna talk to him and seek to honor his knowledge by seeking his help. recognize the accomplishments of others. So when Paul was talking about Epaphroditus, what was he doing? Well, he was talking about, you know, he's prayed for you, he's ministered to you, he's sacrificed his life for the gospel, he's acknowledging it. He's appreciating what he's done. And so, one of the ways we respect each other is by acknowledging those things, not to flatter each other or to puff one another up, but just to honor what someone else has done that is valuable. We should preserve and defend the good name of others. We should honor their reputation. The book of Proverbs talks about a good name is better than rubies. It's valuable to have a good reputation, to honor your personal name, but also the family name. And so when you speak about others, you should speak of them highly. You should honor their name. If others are gossiping about them or slandering them, you should defend the good name of your neighbor. That's one of the ways that we honor one another. Consider the weaknesses. We talked about God cares for the weak, the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of others and respect them. So the husband is supposed to care for his wife. She's the weaker vessel. The widows are supposed to be cared for. The Bible says this is pure and undefiled religion. They think about the poor. You know, just because someone is poor doesn't mean that you get to speak to them hatefully or overlook them or not care for them, right? You respect them, you honor them, no matter who they are. So also we think about honoring one another is avoiding quarreling. Quarreling can be disrespectful to someone, right? Proverbs 20 in verse three, it is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. That's a mark of a fool, someone who's always quarreling, and it also brings dishonor and disgrace to yourself and to others if you are quarrelsome. Generously giving to those who are in need, Proverbs 14, 31. Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his maker, that's God, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. So it honors someone to give them something, whether it's your time, our money, our food, our helping hand. We honor one another when we serve in that way and we give generously to those who are in need. Another thing we see here is rejoicing when another member of the body of Christ is honored. 1 Corinthians 12, 26 talks about when one member suffers, all suffer together. When one member rejoices, all rejoice together. We saw that other commandment, live harmoniously with one another, right? Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice. That's how we're to honor each other. So as we bring it to a head here, a very simple lesson tonight, but look at this application from Stuart Scott, who we quoted earlier. He says, are you consciously seeking? To prefer others over yourself. Are you consciously, intentionally seeking to prefer others above yourself? For example, when you're in a conversation, do you dominate the conversation? What does that indicate if you dominate every conversation with everyone else? What I have to say is the most important thing. And you better listen to what I have to say. And if you talk, I'm gonna talk over you. Is the topic always about you? If it's always about you, you're seeking glory for yourself. You're seeking honor for yourself, which Jesus warned us against. If so, if you're doing that, you're not outdoing the other person and showing honor. Think about the last conversation you had with another believer. How could you have thought more and cared about the other person? So reflect on that, right? Think about last conversation I had with somebody. What was it about? Was my goal to honor them? Was it to treat them as significant? Did they walk away from that conversation feeling like I valued them? And some of that stuff's very simple, right? Do they know my name? Do they listen to me? Was there eye contact? Was there a sense of I'm important? That's how we are meant to treat one another. He goes on to say, list one believer you can prefer with honor. So think about someone specifically. This upcoming week, who can I intentionally honor? How can you make this person weigh heavy? Remember, that's what it means to honor someone. They weigh heavy on your heart. You consider their needs. How can you value them? and list specific ways you can do this. In other words, we're meant to be doers of the word. We're meant to put this into practice. How can we actually go about honoring? Even at times, those people we might think, well, they're not worthy of honor, right? I bet you think about Jesus and the way Jesus interacted with people like during his earthly ministry. pretty much everybody who interacted with him walked away feeling honored. You think the woman at the well felt honored by Jesus? You think about Nicodemus, do you think he felt honored when Jesus was talking to him about being born again? When he was interacting with sinners, when he was interacting with those who may not have been worthy of honor in a sense, right? He loved them and he dignified them in that way. And so that's what we're called to do as well, in gratitude for the grace that he's shown us, right? He loved us while we were yet sinners. He brought salvation to us through his life, death, and resurrection, and in gratitude for that, we wanna show honor to others. I think the youth are gonna be going with Reed into the youth room, and then guys, normal spot for discussion, and then ladies in the parlor. Let me close us in prayer. and we'll go our ways. And then elder candidates with me in the library. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for showing us how we're supposed to treat one another in the body of Christ, also how we're supposed to treat others in the world, and we know that you've called us to show honor. And so, Lord, we pray that you would help us to grow in this area, help us to demonstrate the love of Jesus in all of these relationships, show us areas where we're not honoring people we should be honoring. Maybe it's our parents. Maybe it's someone in the church. Maybe it's someone at school or workplaces or in our neighborhood. Show us someone specific that we have failed to honor. Help us to repent and help us to do better in the future with the grace of your Holy Spirit and the help that you provide. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.