Transcription
You are welcome in Jesus' name. This morning is Thanksgiving service, and we want to share from Luke chapter 7, verse 2 to 8. Luke chapter 7, verse 2 to 8.
And we're talking this morning, sharing this morning on the benefits of honoring God, the benefits of honoring God. I read from the Living Bible, Luke Chapter 7, verse 2 to 8. He said, "Just at that time, the highly placed slave of the Roman army captain was sick and near death. When the captain had about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they began pleading earnestly with Jesus to come with them and help the man. They told him what a wonderful person the captain was. If anyone deserves your help, it is he." He disappeared us a synagogue. Jesus went with them, but just before arriving at the house, the captain sent some friends to him to say, "Sir, don't inconvenience yourself by coming to my house, for I am not worthy of any such honor, or even to come and meet you. Just speak the word from where you are, and my servant boy will be healed. I know because I'm under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over men. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. Unto my slave, 'Do this,' or 'That,' and he does it. So just say, 'Be healed,' and my servant will be well again." Praise you the Lord.
Now, there are a lot of, um, we, we continue to listen to insights and acquire more knowledge and understanding on the dynamics that govern our life here on earth. Those things we must do to please God at all times. And one of those things we should all be very mindful of is that we must intentionally do things to honor God. We must intentionally do things to honor God. And we must have this understanding very clear in our minds. So when we also observe people honoring God, we don't make the mistake of looking at them from a bad perspective. We don't make the mistake of trying to question such things they have done or are doing to honor the Lord.
Value influences value. The value you place and how much value you attach to someone or to something will influence the extent of the honor you will give to that person or to that thing. The value you place on someone will influence how far you can go to honor that person. The value you place on God will also influence how far you can go to honor God and everything that is connected to God. And please take note, when we are talking about honoring God, it's certainly going to come down to honoring his kingdom, honoring the Church of God here on earth, honoring God's people, honoring men and women that God has raised up in different communities across the globe.
When the Lord was speaking to Apostle Paul in the book of Acts, there was an interesting remark the Lord made. When he was about to enter a particular city, he said, "When you go into that city, be at peace." He said, "For I have many," he said, "many of my people are in that city." So beyond what people could put out in public, God knows those who are truly for him. And God could confidently tell Apostle Paul that in that particular city, it had many loyal and faithful believers. Except my, many of my people are in that city, so be at peace, you won't have problems there. So one way you would also honor the Lord, even from the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, is by honoring those that are committed to God, men and women that are fully committed to God. And Jesus made distinctions, made very clear distinctions about doing good things for people. And he would intentionally also make some distinctions when it comes to doing good things for certain people that are connected to God. So honoring God will see you honoring the Church of God, honoring the house of God, the people of God, and also servants of God, men and women that are upholding the the agenda of God in their respective locations.
The price, the time, and the effort that you are ready to spend or pay to honor someone often reflects the degree of value that you sincerely place on such a person. Our priorities can be easily assessed not by what we call our priorities, but by the things we give more time to, the things we always create time for, the things we give our resources to. A reflection of where our heart is and the things we qualify as most important at every point in time. The value you place on someone will motivate you to willingly honor the person, to willingly honor another person. There are times where I'm not satisfied with asking my driver to go to the airport and help pick up someone. The times I want to go personally. I want to go personally. I see it as an act of honor to personally receive the person at the airport, welcome the person, and lead the person to the car. There are certain things you will do when you truly have value in your heart for a particular person. The value you place on someone will motivate you to willingly honor another person. And sometimes it can influence you to even go the extra mile. You go the extra mile to honor another person. It will motivate you to willingly give out something of high value to the person, something of high value. You could see the woman who honored Jesus with the alabaster box of expensive perfume out of value in her heart towards Jesus.
When people save money, begin to save money for a particular thing, it shows that they consider that thing important. It shows they consider that thing important. And it's an indication of the value or importance that they attach to that thing, to that person. If there's someone involved, maybe it's an event and you know, surrounding concerning a particular person or for a particular purpose, and when people begin to save and save ahead of time, it shows the value or importance that they attach to that particular thing they are saving for. The same thing happens when people withdraw from their savings. When people are saving and sometimes they have to, you know, dip their hands into their savings for a particular purpose, most times that particular thing they are withdrawing money for is something they equally consider to be very important. Praise you the Lord.
And this is the reason why people sometimes decide to give something expensive. There's a reason why sometimes people decide to give something expensive. The extent of love, gratitude, or honor that people have for God or someone is often the reason they go the extra mile to select a high-quality gift to be presented to such a person, a high-quality gift. So please, when we honor God, let's recognize that we should, to the best of our ability, give God the very best that is available and the very best we are in a position to give. I believe this also applies to when we are honoring certain people. And let's also please also have this in mind that when people also honor us, it's not always a reflection of the abundance that such people have. They are doing it for different reasons. And so we must also be sensitive and careful not to attribute the the quality, high quality of some of the things that are done or given to us, done for us, or giving to us, to abundance in the lives of the people through whom God is extending such very, very good gestures.
Honor is more of works than words. Honor is more of works than words. Honor involves substance. Honor involves substance. Honor involves substance. Honor must cost you something. Honor must cost you something. In Proverbs chapter 3, verse 9 to 10, Proverbs chapter 3, verse 9 to 10, the Voice version of the Bible, it says, "Pay tribute to the Eternal in all your affairs. Honor him. Honor God. Honor him with what? With the best of what you make." Some other versions will say, "Honor the Lord with your substance." Some will say, "Honor the Lord with your wealth." Some will say, "Honor the Lord with your money." The Voice version says, "Honor him with the best of what you make, the best of what you make, the very best of what you make. That way, you will prosper to the fullest. You will prosper to the fullest." When we decide to honor God, as much as possible, as much as possible, let's have a desire to give God the best. Give the best. When we are honoring people, when we are honoring your father, you are honoring your mother, you are honoring certain people that deserve to be honored, let's not just give anything. Let's plan for it and give the very best as the Lord gives us opportunity. May God give us wisdom. Oh yes, the right gift at the right time can open up new opportunities and gain access to influential people. Honor opens the door for favor to come, favor with God and favor with men. Oh no, it opens the door. Honor opens the door for easy and frequent access. Easy and frequent access. Oh no. Honor, honor opens the door for unsolicited blessings, unsolicited blessings. From nowhere, someone will just bring up your name, bring up your name for something many others are wishing for, and someone will just bring up your name, and before you know it, that thing is given to you. And when you trace this story, you see a connection with what we are talking about and teaching about today. Your name will be mentioned for good somewhere. You'll be highly recommended for something very benefiting. Before this year ends, favor will speak on behalf of someone here in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. [Applause] Thank you, Lord.
And let's take note, sometimes when God wants to move you higher, it will happen through a transfer, through a transfer. There is someone listening to me right now, a transfer is coming, and it is coming on the platform of divine promotion. [Applause] Honor opens the door for free flow of grace. Yes, the grace of God from that quarter, the grace of God from that person will flow when you extend the seed of honor towards them. So when you honor the house of God, grace will flow back towards you from the presence of God, from that commission, from that house of God, from that commission of God connected to that same place. Honor opens the door for help. It opens the door for support. It opens the door for assistance. A time will come in your life when you will not even be able to ask for help. It will be too late. Something needs to happen now, and it will be too late to start asking for help at such times. At such times, the good seeds you have sown in the past will speak on your behalf. I perceive that divine intervention is about to happen for a woman listening to this message. Divine intervention is about to happen in your favor. Divine help is coming. Divine assistance is coming in the name of Jesus. Honor opens the door for protection. Can somebody say protection? Oh, protection. Oh no. Opens the door for protection. And so take note, there are fertile grounds you can intentionally sow into. Fertile grounds because what you, you give your seed for, it matters in the spiritual realm. Where you sow your seed matters in the spiritual realm. Who you give your seed to, it matters in the spiritual realm. It matters in the spiritual realm.
I close by telling us that God is looking for cheerful givers because what needs to be done when the time really comes, God will influence such things to happen. But God prefers to use cheerful givers. In Exodus chapter 25, verse 1 to 2, Exodus 25, 1-2, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, he said, "And the Lord said, is God speaking now? And the Lord said to Moses, speak to the Israelites that they may take for me an offering from every man who gives it willingly and on grudgingly with his heart. You shall take me. You shall take my offering." Can you see that in the scripture? He said, "From every man who does what? Gives it willingly and on grudgingly with his heart." You may take. So God is so sensitive. He's very sensitive to the state of your heart when you give. And he prefers to receive things from people whose words match with what these things they actually feel in their hearts. God loves cheerful givers. In 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 7, 2 Corinthians 9, verse 7, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, he says, "Let each one give as he has made up his own mind and proposed in his heart, in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves." Is there in the scriptures? God loves. He takes pleasure in prizes above other things and is unwilling to abandon or to do without a cheerful, joyous, prompt to do it giver. I think he should everyone should note this scripture and this version. This version, you know, for future references. So much is loaded in this particular version. Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, he said, "God takes pleasure in a cheerful giver. He prizes a cheerful giver above other people. Is unwilling to abandon a cheerful giver, and God will not do without a cheerful giver." Someone whose heart is in his giving. His heart is in his giving. God loves a cheerful giver, not just a particular person, but anyone who consistently exhibits this attitude. God loves such people. And we can switch to also be in this category of people. Your attitude was given to different things can make God love you. Kindness is closely related to giving. Galatians 5:22 is one of the fruit of the spirit, the ninth fruit of the spirit. Kindness is a virtue that attracts the favor of God. Start it now.
Luke 16:10, that's our last scripture reference. Luke 16:10, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, says, "He who is faithful in very little things, in a very little thing, is faithful also in much. Happy returns a neighbor. Start it now. Start it now." Praise hear the Lord. You don't have to get there. You are going to get there, but you don't have to get there before you start demonstrating what the Lord is teaching today. Start it now. He who is faithful [Music] is faithful also in much. It's faithful also in much. Something big is about to be entrusted to certain people listening to me in the name of Jesus. Be faithful with little, and God will give you much more. Be faithful with little, and God will give you bigger opportunities in Jesus' name. Praise you the Lord. [Music]