The Practice of honour pt. 2

Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is

designed to uplift and strengthen you in your

walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until

the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive

right in. Turn to your left and right. You see

a brother or a sister? Tell the person you are

my supernatural relationship. Or you don't believe?

You're looking for another relationship somewhere.

Say it again. You are my supernatural relationship.

Hallelujah. See, when you got born again, you

were born into a supernatural relationship. Hallelujah.

Because you're not the only one that is born

again. You are born into a community of peace.

Alright? Men of equal spirit. Men of the Spirit

of God, we carry the Spirit of God. So we are

united by the Spirit of God. Hallelujah. So I

want you to begin to see your brother and your

sister in that light. The connection you need

to excel in all that God has called you to do

is seated right at your right hand or at your

left hand side. Don't begin to look for something

elsewhere. Oh, only if God can give me divine

relationship and you begin to look at some people

elsewhere. Some people you see on the television,

the newspapers you read, those are the people

you regard as supernatural relationships. Whereas

the man and the woman by your side is your supernatural

relationship. Hallelujah. So what we'll be studying

today is how to maximize this supernatural relationship.

How we can enjoy this supernatural relationship.

Matthew chapter 20, verse 20. On Sunday, our

Matthew 20:20

brother talked about honor, right? The practice

of honor. And I'm going to continue building

from that. Because one of the important ways

we can enjoy and maximize the relationship that

God has given us as members of his family, as

members of the kingdom of God, is honor. Right?

Without honor, it is impossible to maximize the

relationship. So what I'll be teaching is a practice

of honor in continuation to what our brother

taught us. The culture of the kingdom of God,

the practice of honor, the culture of the kingdom

of God. Now let's go to Matthew 20 verse 20 and

Matthew 20:20

let's read something that happened here briefly

to lay foundation. Matthew 20 verse 20 to 28.

Matthew 20:20–28

There was a political happening that happened

here. Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came

to him with her sons. That is, The disciples

of Jesus. Kneeling down. Look at, she was kneeling

down and asking something from him. And he said

to her, what do you wish? She said to him, grant

that these two sons of mine may what? They may

sit one on your right hand and the other on the

left in your kingdom. Okay? And the request is

concerning what? It's concerning the kingdom.

But Jesus answered and said, You do not know

what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that

I am about to drink and be baptized with the

baptism that I am baptized with? They said to

him, We are able. So he said to them, You will

indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the

baptism that I am baptized with? But to sit on

my right hand and on my left is not mine to give,

but it is for those for whom it is prepared by

my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were

greatly displeased with the two brothers. Perhaps

all of them were eyeing that position. You know,

the position of honor, of respect, of authority,

of influence. They also want to... sit on the

right hand and on the left hand side and look

at the altitude. And when they turn, who are

they turn? The remaining 12 apostles, right?

When they heard it, so these two went and bring

their mom to lobby for them. And she came and

they probably, they might have discussed at home

about the kingdom because you see, they were

requesting for something that is in the kingdom.

And they are on the sign of the kingdom is something

physical. Are we together? So when the ten heard

it, they heard the conversation. What happened

to them? They were greatly displeased with the

two brothers. You see, conflict started. They

were greatly displeased. Jesus called them and

then from there, Jesus began to teach about the

kingdom. Okay? You know that the rulers of the

Gentiles lord over them and those who are great

exercise authority over them. So Jesus is teaching

about what we see in the natural kingdom, all

right? The kingdom that is earthly, the kingdom

that is natural that we see, that is generally

refers to the unbelieving, okay? The kingdom

of the world, the worldly system. So the system

of the world has its own culture and its tradition.

The world has its way of doing things. In the

kingdom of the earth, in the kingdom of the world,

there's a practice, there's a general culture.

You have a perception of... of how they do things,

how they honor, how they practice love. They

have their own definition on how they do it.

Yet, Jesus said, it shall not be so among you.

So we who are in the kingdom of God cannot act

in the same way as those who are in the kingdom

of the world. There's a distinction between the

kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world.

Jesus will say, yet. Go back to verse 25. Let's

see how the world acts or how the kingdom of

the world operates. You know that the rulers

of the Gentiles, that is those who are ruling

in the kingdom of the world, what do they do?

They exercise lot. What kind of a lordship is

this? Huh? Tyrannically, right? They are like

decletors. They exercise a very, you know, controlling

leadership, I would say, rulership over the Gentiles,

the Lord over them, and those who are great with,

those who are great exercise authority over them.

Okay? Jesus said, it shall not be so among you.

That is not the kind of kingdom that you are

born into. For whoever desires to be great among

you, let him be what? It's the opposite of what

we see in the world. So, what we see in the kingdom

of God is not the same as what should happen

in the kingdom of God. Alright? Verse 27. And

whoever desires to be first among you, let him

do what? Let him be your slave. Whoever desires.

Now, influence in this kingdom, impact in this

kingdom, honor in this kingdom is actually in

serving. That is how we define honor in this

kingdom. All right? It's a service. Just as a

son of man, example with himself, just as a son

of man did not come to be served, but to serve

and do what? And to give his life a ransom for

many. So Jesus came to serve and to give his

life for many. Right? So there is a distinction

between how we practice. There's a culture. There's

a cultural difference between the kingdom of

God. and the kingdom of the world. So, our brother

taught us about the concept of honor, particularly,

you know, in the church, the church of God. In

the church of God simply means in the kingdom

of God, simply means in the family of God. It

means in the sphere of God's influence, which

we are. 1 Timothy 5, verse 17, where he read

1 Timothy 5:17

and then he... taught us from 1 Timothy 5, from

verse 17 to 18. Let the elders who rule, well,

be counted worthy of what? Of double honor. Okay?

So in the family of God, those who rule over

us, what do we do? We apportion double honor.

And I believe he explained what double honor

is, right? Double means double. There's no...

It means double honor. Especially those who labor

in word and doctrine. For the scripture says,

you shall not muzzle an ox while it treats out

the grain. And the laborer is worthy of his wages.

And let me add verse 19. Do not receive an accusation

against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

And then, We learned that the elders are who?

Who are the elders? Those who oversee and preside

over the local church, right? We saw that these

people, they label in word and in doctrine. Word,

which is doctrine. They label in teaching us

the word, in correcting us. Sometimes we may

not enjoy the correction, but it is the responsibility

of these elders to correct us in the word. to

guide us in the world, to teach us the word.

Because you see, in this kingdom, there is order.

Are we together? Even in the Bia Palo, okay,

there's order. If you go to Bia Palo, they respect

each other there. Those who get drunk, they know

who is the oldest and the most senior in the

Bia Palo. Even if they are fighting, there are

people that, once a person say, it's okay, they

just keep quiet. All right. That's just by the

way. Even the kingdom of darkness is under some

order, right? So in the kingdom of God, we have

order. And the order is that which God has established.

The church, in the church, we have elders. We

have those whom God has appointed by grace. The

election of leadership is by grace. So they label

in the world and in doctrine. And we saw that

these elders are what we call overseers. They

oversee. They are what we call the bishops. At

the same time, they are what we call the pastors.

So we've been taught to honor such men. Our responsibility

is to honor such men. We honor them because they

label in word, they label in serving us, they

label in teaching us. And what does it mean to

honor? To honor means to respect. Number one,

it means to respect. To treat as uncommon. We

don't treat them as common people. We don't treat

those who label in word as common. Listen, if

you treat the man that labels in the word and

doctrine to you as common, you will not be blessed

by that person. Alright? So, we treat them with

honor, with respect, as uncommon. As uncommon.

It implies to treat them as sacred. Alright?

It means to treat them with what? Treat them

as sacred. What is sacred? Special. We treat

them as what? As special. Sacred simply means

special. It should be our attitude towards the

things of God. This should be our general attitude

towards the things of God. Now, honor will mean

that we treat the things of God, we treat the

things of God also with honor. Okay? We don't

take the things of God dishonorably. All the

things that God has given us in the spirit, the

blessings of God, we treat it what? As sacred,

as uncommon. So it should be our attitude towards

all the things of God. Also the people of God.

Okay? We treat the people of God as what? As

sacred, as special, as with honor. In order for

us to enjoy the blessings that are in the people.

So we treat the people of God with honor. We

treat the places of God as uncommon, as sacred.

Listen, right now, this place is a sacred gathering.

All right? So your attitude towards coming to

this hall will determine how much you're going

to be blessed by what will happen in this hall.

So if this place has been designated as a place,

places as a place where the people of God will

gather. Okay? You don't just come to this place

as though you are going to the basketball court.

The attitude to which you come to this place

must be an attitude of what? Of honor to the

gathering. You are coming to a sacred gathering

where God's will will be. So, coming to this

place, how the attitude you keep in this place

will show your honor to the people that you meet

in this place, to the leaders in this place.

To what? To the people, fellow people that you

meet in this place. And even to the God that

is in this place. Hallelujah. So when you come

here, you know, it's not the time. In the midst

of service, I see some people that will just

cross their leg. I've once told somebody to switch

off his phone in the midst of a church service.

You know. So, If it were a governor or a president

or whatever political leadership in your country,

I think you give honor to that meeting. But because

of a lack of understanding of the gathering of

God's people, you treat it as common. So the

places are treated as uncommon. The events of

which God has put his name in, events, programs

that are organized, We treat them as sacred events,

not as common events. Because every single event,

for example, now this, the Wednesday service

is a sacred meeting of God's people. We treat

it with honor, with dignity. On Wednesday, on

Friday, is another opportunity to do what? To

be blessed, it's a moment for us to meet with

the people of God. So we treat those events,

those programs as sacred events. It's not a common

Friday meeting. The Sunday service is not just

a common, normal meeting you come into. It's

not the way you do your group studies in the

library. All right? So we must treat those meetings

as what? As with honor. Because that is how we

can receive and enjoy the best of it. So despite

prevailing circumstances in our world, as our

brother Riley put it, where the things of God

and the people of God are treated as common,

we must remain unspotted. We must guard our mind

with all diligence, right? He told us that we

have a duty of guarding our mind from the things

we see around us. When you go to social media,

you know, they make jokes of the spirit of God

every day. They make jokes of the name of God

every day. And then some of us, we participate

in laughing. We participate in sharing some memes.

that are very, very unspiritual. You commonize

the things that are sacred. Your tongues, tongues

becomes something you use to play. The man of

God that God has blessed you with, you turn them

into a caricature of jokes. And you want to be

blessed by those people. Hallelujah. So we have

a responsibility to God. our mind from those

influences. Renewing our mind as well as from

all worldly information that has gained mastery

over our thinking because the influence, Romans,

we read from Romans 12, verse 2, we have to renew

Romans 12:2

our mind constantly with the word of God so that

we will be able to gain mastery over the thoughts

that comes into our mind in order for us to hold

in honor the things of God, all the things of

God with honor. The people of God with honor.

The word of God with honor. The programs and

events that are organized in the name of God

with honor. Hallelujah. So it is very important

for us to do that. Okay? So how did we learn

to honor those who labor in teaching us the word?

First of all, we say we respect them, right?

We honor them. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 12. We

1 Thessalonians 5:12

read 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 12 to tighten quickly.

1 Thessalonians 5:12

Help me, media. And we urge you, brethren, to

recognize those who labor among you and are over

you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem

them. How do we esteem them? We esteem them very

highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace

with one another. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 7.

Hebrews 13:7

Hebrews 13, verse 7. Remember those who rule

Hebrews 13:7

over you. who have spoken the word of God to

you, whose faith, what do you do? You follow,

right? Considering the outcome of their conduct.

So we respect, we hold them in high esteem. How

do we honor them? We honor them by submitting

and obeying them. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 17.

Hebrews 13:17

Yes, I think verse 17 talks about obeying them.

Obey those who rule over you and be submissive

for they watch out for your souls. as those who

must give account. You see, honor is not in words.

It's not in morning, sir. Some of us, we've learned

how to dramatize. Okay? We learn how to dramatize,

how we learn, we can sleep on the floor. Some

of us, we come from cultures that we want to

greet elders, we sleep on the ground. But as

we are sleeping on the ground, you are insulting

them in your heart. That's not honor. I remember

when we were back in the secondary school, you

know, we are obligated to greet our seniors.

So, because we are very disrespectful to them,

we don't say, who born you, sir? We know what

we're saying. We're not just saying, good morning,

sir. We're saying, who born you, sir? Because

we don't want to respect the one. We don't want

to honor them. And one day, what? So then he

mistakenly said, who born you, sir? I heard.

So what did you say? And that's how we demonstrate

honor. We don't really honor. Honor begins from

the heart. And the demonstration of honor to

the men that God has blessed us with is that

we obey the things they teach us because they

teach us the word of God. They rule over you

and be submissive for they watch over your souls

as those who must give account. Let them do so

with joy and not with grief for that will be

unprofitable for you. And then 1 Corinthians

16, 16 again, where we read also. All right,

1 Corinthians 16, verse 16. Another way by which

1 Corinthians 16:16

we all know them is to submit, that you also

submit to such and to everyone who works and

labor with us. And labor with us. Another way

our brother mentioned on Sunday was we support

them materially, right? Galatians 6, verse 6.

Galatians 6:6

That's how we honor. That's how we honor men

who labor in the word for us. Let him who is

taught the word share in all good things within.

Share with him in all good things. First, it's

not only your problems, but it's also sharing

good things. Good things has to do with everything

that is good. Alright? It's not only prayer porn.

We know how to share prayer porn. Our inboxes

are full of prayer posts. I will not say you

shouldn't send your prayer, your needs and whatever

your problems are, but you must know that you

have a duty, you have a responsibility. This

is what we call the kingdom culture. We have

a tradition in this kingdom. This is our culture

in the kingdom. This is what we do as members

of the family of God. Hallelujah. So it is our

responsibility to do this. It is our duty to

do this one to two issues. to our leaders. Hallelujah.

So, much more to that, to build up from there,

we must choose to honor these elders. Who are

the elders? Those who teach us the word, right?

We honor them regardless of their flaws and humanity.

Because sometimes what we expect, the standard

we expect from the elders and the pastors and

the leaders is an extraordinary standard. As

though these men fell from, they fell from the

sky. So we ignore the place of their humanity.

We forget that these are men. In fact, the base

of men are what? Are still men, isn't it? So

these are men. The base of men are always men.

So what do we do? We must choose to honor these

elders regardless of their flaws and their humanity.

Let's go and see an example. Popular example

we always read. 1 Samuel 1 verse 8. 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1:8 1 Samuel 1:8

1 verse 8. The story of Elkanah and his wife

and then Eli. Then Elkanah, her husband said

to her, Anna, why do you weep? Why do you not

eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not

better to you than ten sons? Verse 9. So Anna

arose after they had finished eating and drinking

in Shiloh. Now Eli, the priest, was sitting in

the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of

the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul and

prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then

she made a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if

you only need look on the affliction of your

maidservant and remember me and not forget your

maidservant. but will give your maidservant a

male child, then I will give him to the Lord

all the days of his life, and no razor shall

come upon his head. And it happened, as she continued

praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her

mouth, he watched her praying. And then he made

his conclusion. He jumped into conclusion. Now

Anna spoke in her heart, only her lips moved.

But her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought

she was drunk. That was his conclusion. This

lady, this young woman that they were partying

in church, you know, they used to drink wine

in the, what do you call it? In the temple, right?

She was thinking it's all these people that will

come and then they will overdrink. And then they

will drink to stupor. So Eli said to her, how

long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from

you. if you try to use this generation, they

will first of all put away the respect that you

have as a man of God. And they will tell you

their mind first. You know, they will address,

they will, how do they used to say? They will

tell you the peace of their mind. You know? But

Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a

woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither

wine nor intoxicating. But have poured out my

soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant

a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my

complaint and grief I have spoken until now.

Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and

the God of Israel grant your petition which you

have asked of him. And she said, Let your maidservant

find favor in your sight. So the woman went her

way and ate. Her face was no longer sad. Hallelujah.

And when we read forward, we see the result of

this encounter that she had, especially with

the man of God in the temple. So Anna's attitude

is that of what? Is that of honor and respect,

despite the man of God wrongly judging her situation,

isn't it? Verse 15 and 16, we see her reply is

full of honor. You know, full of honor. Her words

were full of grace and honor. She didn't go online

and begin to post illicit things about the man

of God, all these men of God. You know, before

you know it, you just correct somebody in church.

Before you know it, you see their status on WhatsApp.

First of all, they will not put your name. But

you know it's you they are talking about. All

these church people. And whenever we see, we

laugh because we know that, you know, Your situation

needs emergency. So, but in honor, because you

will never be corrected. You will never enjoy

the blessings of this prayer you pray for supernatural

relationship. It's honor that will make that

relationship work. It's honor that will make

you, you know, enjoy the benefit of such supernatural

relationship. So, we didn't see how going to

gather people and begin to come and begin to

talk about. You know, how the man of God did

what he don't like. You know? How the man of

God said rubbish to you. She didn't go on TikTok

and begin to talk about how bad the family of

the man of God is. You know, Eli had a problem

with his family, right? We know that when you

study, you see, he had some unruly sons. They

were misbehaving in the temple. She didn't look

at him and say, you that you cannot even handle

your own children, you want to say, you want

to correct me. But then she saw a man in a place

of God, regardless of his flow. I'm telling you

how you can enjoy supernatural relationship.

And some of you, when you go online, you begin

to type things about men of God. Now we've corrected

some of you here. You see, you don't have the

liberty, okay, to speak anything ill about any

person that is a man. You did not call the person

to ministry. Are we together? We are not training

you. We are training you to what? To distinguish

between the truth and a lie. Now, there's a difference

between the man of God and what he teaches. Are

we together? Now, you are able to differentiate

what is truth. You don't attack a man. You are

conscious of what is truth. Are we together?

So, you must be able to remove truth from the

person. Okay? So, we are not saying that you

should take everything from anybody. That is

not honor. The honor is that you're able to distinguish

truth from God, whatever we're training you to

do. But you've never seen us go online to begin

to castigate any person that is saying something

that is not right or is not correct. That's not

honor. That is not you living as a child and

a member of God's family. Are we together? So

we have an obligation to honor men, the men of

labor and the servants. So Eli became a means

by which we see God's blessings coming to Anna

because she holds him in high esteem. verse 17

to 18, we'll see that he quickly understood her

situation and then he was able to pray and then

release her to go on. Hallelujah. So, this is

one aspect of honor, okay, in the church, in

the community of God's people. This is an aspect

that was purely dealt with by our brother on

Sunday. Now, beyond the honor we bestow on our

elders, the pastors, we must understand that

honor is for all men. Okay? Honor is for who?

It's for all men. The brother by your right -hand

side, the sister by your right -hand side, by

your left -hand side, you must honor such an

individual. Without honor to your brother, to

your sister, you cannot enjoy the blessings of

your brother and your sister. And what do we

say is honor? To treat them as what? As uncommon.

Are we together? to treat your brother as sacred,

to treat your brother or your sister as uncommon.

She's not just anybody. Some of us have stayed

with our friends in church that we don't see,

we don't read them. Let me use that word. We've

seen them finish. Okay? So even if they give

me a word by the Spirit, ah, you're not upon

that. Either I know, I know, we know, we know

where you're coming from. probably may have shared

some intimate weaknesses with you. So all what

you see is the humanity of the person. You don't

see the person in the light of, you judge. Jesus

will say, we no longer judge men by what? By

the flesh, right? We judge, it's Paul, Paul in

Corinthians. He judges people by what? By physical

appearance. You don't judge them based on who

they are. Supernatural beings. Spiritual beings.

Hallelujah. So you will not be able to benefit

from the relationship you have because that relationship

is a supernatural relationship. It's not only

natural because we see ourselves in the natural,

but every brother and sister in church is a supernatural

relationship for your advantage. And when you

don't honor your brother, you don't honor your

sister, there's no how you will benefit from

the blessings of God in your brother and your

sister. For you to honor men of God and dishonor

your brother, that's hypocrisy. Okay? Oh, you

honor Pastor Fred, you honor Pastor Chidi, Pastor

Kostin. We had so many wonderful testimonies

you gave on Sunday. Blessed be the name of the

Lord. Well, some of you will look at your life,

you don't even have regard for your aspects.

So, we will question that honor because our honor

is not complete. Hallelujah. So, Honor is for

all men, our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Honor among believers means mutual respect and

care. We esteem each other. We see each other

as valuable, as important in the plan and the

agenda of God. In the body of Christ, all is

not reserved only for leaders, as I said, but

it is a mutual calling of all believers. God

designed the church as a family. where each member

is valued and respected and cared for. All right?

Each member is what? Is respected, is valued,

and is cared for. So we honor through love and

preference. Romans 12, verse 10. Romans 12, verse

Romans 12:10 Romans 12:10

10. Look at this text. It says, Is it only to

men of God? He's talking about what? One another.

In our conduct, in our relationship with one

another. We are kindly affectionate to one another.

We are... devoted to one another in love, we

honor one another above ourselves. That is, putting

others' needs above yours. Putting others' needs

above yours. Exterminating others, honoring them

and putting them before yourself. That's selflessness.

So to honor others means we put their needs before

our own needs. True love is selfless. Okay? It

seeks the good of others first. The well -being

of others. You honor them. You esteem them. You

see them as valuable. You don't see yourself

more important than them. That's what we're trying

to say here. You don't put yourself above them.

Looking at yourself, you see yourself more important

than them. So we honor through valuing every

member. No member of the church is irrelevant.

Okay? There is no brother or sister in the faith

that is irrelevant. Everybody is important. 1

1 Corinthians 12:23

Corinthians 12 verse 23 And those members of

the body which we think to be less honorable

on this we bestow greater honor. No, Paul was

using the physical human body to describe the

church, how we interrelate, how we work together,

how we are much more a blessing together. And

our unpresentable parts have greater modesty.

24. But our presentable parts have no need. But

God composed the body, having given greater honor

to the part which lacks it. Verse 25, last verse

here. It says that there should be no schism

in the body, but that the members should have

what? The same care of one for another. Hallelujah.

So even those who seem less important are giving

greater honor in the body. No one in the church

is useless or irrelevant. All of us are crucial

to one another. Brother Gabriel was talking about

one person doing everything in the church. It's

impossible. It's practically impossible. The

church is a community of people and everybody

is important in this. For God's plan to be done

on earth is a collaborative responsibility. And

everybody is part of that plan. Hallelujah. So,

honor counselors' pride and division. It makes

us see Christ in each member. It makes us see

God walking in each member of the body. We honor

through humility and service Philippians 3, verse

Philippians 3:2–4

2 to 4. Philippians 2, verse 3 to 4. Philippians

Philippians 2:3–4

2 verse 54. Look at it. It says, let nothing

be done through selfish ambition or conceit in

everything we do. But in lawlessness of mind,

how do we treat ourselves? Let each esteem others

better than himself. Let each body esteem others

better than himself. Let each of you look out

only. Let each of you. Look outward, not only

for his own interest, but also for the well -being,

for the interest of others. When you always put

yourself first, then there's no how you're going

to enjoy the blessings of the body. You're at

a selfishness. Hallelujah. You reap corruption.

So in humility, we value others above ourselves.

Not looking at our own interests, but each of

us. looking for the interest of others. Honor

means not competing for position, but serving

one another in humility. Hallelujah. So when

I honor you, I acknowledge the grace of God in

you. I honor what God is doing in you. I honor

what God is, I believe in what God is doing in

you. We honor through respect and peace. 1 Peter

1 Peter 2:17

2, verse 17. 1 Peter 2, 17. Honor how many people?

Look up. Let's read together. One, two, go. One,

two, go. Look up. Stop writing. Let's read the

screen together. One, two, go. Honor all people.

Love the brotherhood. Fear God. And honor the

king. In that order. Hallelujah. We honor who?

All men. Okay? All men means all men. Even those

that are not believers. We honor them. Are we

together? Because they are what? They are people

that God died for. Talk more of those that are

in the body that have belief and are in the kingdom

and the family of God. We honor all what? All

people. Not selective honor. All right? But all

people. All people. In church, we honor one another.

When we go back to our homes and our rooms, we

honor even our housemates, our parents. Some

of you, when you listen to the way you talk to

your parents, I think some of you will begin

to see the way you chat with your parents. It's

full of dishonor and disrespect. You don't honor.

There's no honor. The only time you call your

parents is when there's need for something. The

relationship between you and your parents is

parasitic. Whenever your parents see your call,

they know that, in fact, before they even, they

say, what do you need? Because that's the only

thing, that's the reason you call your parents,

only because you need something. Now, that is

not a lifestyle of a child of God. Okay? That

is not biblical. That is not the life of the

kingdom. That is not the culture of the kingdom.

We'll look at that later. So we honor our people.

We love the brotherhood. That brotherhood is

like cultic. Brotherhood is like something that

is cultic. Not the occult, but it's cultic. There's

a bond that cannot be separated. If you don't

like me, sorry, you're going to see me forever.

Because I'm born again, you're born again, and

we'll live forever. Alright? So, if I offend

you, you have to forgive me. Because we have

a long way to go. Alright? We have a long way

to go, both here and even, you know, at the coming

of the Lord. Alright? So, we live in peace because

of that. We honor one another. We love one another.

We honor all people. We love the brotherhood.

We reverence God. And of course, if you don't

honor the king, honoring the king, we don't need

to preach that one. The world has a way of making

you honor them. If you don't do your taxes, they'll

come for you, you know? And then you'll pay in

prison. Even Jesus Christ paid tax, so you know

that. When he was on earth, he honored the Adelaide

government by paying tax. Talk more of you. So

we preserve the unity and the peace in the fellowship

by honoring one another, by loving one another,

by caring one for one another. So why must we

honor one another? Why? Because we are all together

members of God's family. That is the reason.

Because all of us are brothers and sisters in

faith. So we have to honor one another because

we are brothers and sisters in faith. Let's look

at an example in Acts of the nine. When Paul

became brother Paul, when he was Saul, before

he became brother Paul, Ananias had a vision

about God. Okay, let's read from verse 10. Acts

Acts 9:10

chapter 9 verse 10. Now there was a certain disciple

at Damascus named Ananias. That's after the encounter

Paul had. You know, Paul was, he was Saul previously.

And what we see him before now is that he was

busy terrorizing the entire church. He was a

very senior member of the Al -Qaeda terrorist

network. Prosecuting believers all over the world.

You know, arresting them and locking them up

in jail. Now there was a certain disciple at

Damascus named Ananias. And to him the Lord said

in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am,

Lord. So the Lord said to him, Arise and go to

the street called straight, and inquire at the

house of Judas, one called soul of Tarsus. For

behold, his word is praying. And in a vision

he had seen a man named Ananias coming and putting

his hand on him so that he might receive his

sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard.

I have heard, you see this man, he's a sinner.

I have heard from many about this man. He's a

very wicked man. This man, after the devil is

him. You know, after Osama Bin Laden, he was

at his right hand. This man is a wicked man.

How much harm he has done to your sins in Jerusalem.

and here he has authority from the chief priests

to bind all who call on your name. You are saying

I should go to him? But the Lord said to him,

Go, for he is a what? He is a chosen vessel of

mine to bear my name before the Gentiles, kings,

and the children of Israel. You see, even the

unbeliever, you don't have the plan of God. You

are not the one that is, you don't determine

the fate of even the unbeliever. Yours is to

preach to the unbeliever. Are we together? So

for I will show him how many things he must suffer

for my name's sake. Okay? Verse 17. And Ananias,

what did he do? He went out in obedience. He

went his way and entered the house, laying his

hand on him and said, how did he approach Paul

with your understanding of who Saul has become?

He said, brother Saul. All right? The Lord Jesus

who appeared to you on the road as you came has

sent me that you may receive your sight and be

filled with the Holy Spirit. Verse 18. Immediately

there fell off his eyes something like scales

and he received his sight at once and he arose

and was baptized. Hallelujah. So he called him

what? Brother Saul. Amen. He called him a brother.

See, some of you, when they call you brother,

say, ah, don't call me brother. I'm not a brother.

I'm just me. Just call me Paul. Ah, you know,

this bro don't bro me here. Bro is false. It's

really sounding, ah, my name is not sister. Sister

queen. Don't call me sister. Just call me queen.

I'm not sister. Let me tell you, the title brother

and sister is an honor. Okay? Some of us are

so much bastardizing that we say bro. And then

we use it as a mockery. All right? As a mockery

term. But it's an honor that we use it revering

one another as brothers and sisters in faith.

Hallelujah. So he referred to him as a brother.

And Ananias saw him and then he called him a

brother in verse 17. Women are also called sisters,

isn't it? We see Paul. Romans 16 verse 1, calling

Romans 16:1

Phoebe his sister in faith. So as I say, it's

an honorable title. Yes, I commend to you Phoebe,

our sister, who is a servant of the church, servant

of the church. So it's an honor. It's not a derogatory

title. It's an honor that you call. In fact,

you don't even call your friend with you. Adding

brother to your friend is an honor. And a sister

to your friend is an honor. Meaning that you

are recognizing the oneness that you share. Meaning

that you are recognizing what God has done in

this person. And this person is a member of a

brotherhood, of a family. A family of God's people.

A member of God's family. And then we'll read

through Acts chapter 10, verse 48. We see another

Acts 10:48

situation with Peter. All right? Peter was brought

up in a very Jewish tradition, right? Very racist

Jewish tradition where they consider some people

unclean and some people clean. Some of us, our

culture, we see some people as... as inferior

people. We see some tribes as inferior. That's

cultural. That's worldly. That's natural. That's

carnal. So in a vision, he also had a vision

and then he said he has never eaten anything

unclean. What did he just tell him in the vision?

Verse what? Acts chapter 10. Let me check. Acts

Acts 10 · chapter mention Acts 10:15

chapter 10, verse 15. Okay, give me verse 15.

And a voice speak to him again. What God has

cleansed, you must not call what? Does that word

sound familiar? You must not call what? Common.

And what is he referring to? He's referring to

the Gentiles that he has been called to go to

the house of Cornelius. And later on, we see

that he moved in obedience. And then he saw something

that has not happened before. When God has called

people, you don't call them common. You don't

commonize people that have been called by God.

You don't commonize people that have been called

by God. You hold them in high esteem. You value

them. You honor them. You respect them because,

you know what? The Spirit of God lives in them.

Are we together? And the Spirit of God that lives

in you is not superior to the Spirit of God that

lives in them. Same Spirit. In all of us, same

Spirit. We are born again by the same Spirit.

Same Spirit. Hallelujah. So, we must learn to

honor people. We don't live from a traditional

way of thinking that we were brought up. But

we live by the transformative mind that we have.

In the word of God. Hallelujah. How do we treat

women? Not from an earthly cultural perspective.

Some of us are so African. Alright? That I doubt

whether we are born again. You are so African

to the point that the way you treat sisters in

church reflects where you are coming from. not

knowing that these are people that must be honored

and dignified. Hallelujah. What does the scripture

say? 1 Timothy 5, verse 1 to 2. Do not rebuke

1 Timothy 5:1–2

an older man. Now, this is in a church setting.

Okay? Sometimes the way we speak, there's order,

there's honor in the body of Christ. There's

order and, you know, structure in the church.

So Paul is telling Timothy, do not rebuke an

older man. Okay? But what? But exalt him as what?

As a father. Does that apply to our relationship

in church here? Right? You do not rebuke an older

man. But what? But exalt him as a father. Younger

men as what? As brothers. As slaves? No. As what?

As brother. Older women as what? As mother. Younger

women as what? As sisters. And they act in all

what? All purity. Okay. Now, because Paul was

writing to a brother, so he says to the sisters

in all purity. Now, if you apply that principle

to you as a lady, You treat all brothers, young

and men as what? As brothers with all what? With

all purity. That's the application to you. Are

we together? So you don't objectify women or

men in our relationship as we relate. Okay? We

treat each other with honor because we are equally

members of God's family. Hallelujah. To the married.

How do we treat each other? Ephesians 5 verse

Ephesians 5:20

20. I'm not married. I'm part of this now. Glory.

Hallelujah. Ephesians 5 verse 20. to one another

Ephesians 5:20

in the fear of God. Submission. See, when they

talk submission, Pastor have taught us, the moment

they say submission, the African man in you want

to rise. You know, women should submit. Submit

to what? One to another in what? In the fear

of God. All right? So, who is the one another

here? Brothers and sisters, we submit one to

another in church here. Hallelujah. We submit

one to another. Okay? Where am I? Verse 22. Wives.

Okay? Submit to your own husband, not another

person's husband. This one is in the context

of what? Marriage. It's different from other

submission. Are we together? As to the Lord.

Alright? This is under the umbrella of marriage.

And all of us here, by the grace of God, are

potential husbands and potential wives. Unless

God has not said you should not marry, which

we will know by knowledge and by prophetic ability.

Someone came to me and said, Samir, I think I

will not marry. I said, who told you you will

not marry? I said, you will not marry, you will

be hopeless. You enter one relationship, small

relationship, you enter, anyhow, they break your

heart and you conclude you're not going to marry.

When they say you should come, sort of would

teach you the word of God. Some of you, your

heart is so broken that it can only be repaired

by mercy and grace. The mercy and the grace of

God. Hallelujah. So, We see submission even in

the marital relationship. Are we together? Submission.

Turn to verse 32. Now, give me verse 23 here.

Verse 23 and verse 32. For the husband is the

head of the wife, as also Christ is the head

of the church, and he is the Savior of the body.

Now, verse 32 and 33. This is a great mystery,

but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular

so love his own wife as what? As himself. And

let the wife see that she respects her husband.

All right? Now move to chapter 6, verse 1 to

4. We'll see that even at the family level, honor

is expected to be seen in our relationship with

one another. Children, what do we do? We obey

our parents how? In the Lord, the context is

what? Do you know what it means to obey them

in the Lord? The boundary of our obedience to

our parents is within the circumference of the

Word of God. Okay? In the Lord. The honor and

the submission in marriage is also within the

boundary of what? Of in the Lord. If an instruction

coming is outside the Lord, alright, then you

seek the counsel of your pastor to know what

to do. But I believe that with the Spirit of

God, you know what to do. Are we together? So,

children, obey your parents in the Lord, for

this is what, this is right. Honor your father,

and what? And mother, which is the first commandment

that comes in the promise, that it may be well

with you, and you may live long on earth. And

you, fathers, do not provoke your children to

wrath. but bring them up in the training and

admonition of the Lord. So we see here where

it goes down to family. 1 Peter 3, verse 1 to

1 Peter 3:1–7

7. Because of time, let's move. Let's conclude.

1 Peter 3, verse 1 to 7. Wise, likewise, be submissive

1 Peter 3:1–7

to your own husbands, that even if someone do

not obey the word, they without a word may be

warned by the conduct of their wives. When they

observe your trust, conduct accompanied by fear.

Do not let your adornment be merely outward,

arranging the air, wearing gold, or putting in

fine apparel. Rather, let it be a hidden person

of your heart, with the incorruptible beauty

of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious,

and a side of God. For in this manner, in former

times, the holy women would trust in God. Also

adorn themselves, being submissive to their own

husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him

Lord, whose daughters you are, if you do good,

and are not afraid with any terror. Now verse

7, which I was looking for too. It says, Husbands,

likewise, dwell with them, with what? With understanding,

with honor, with understanding, giving honor

to the wise, as to the weaker vessel, as being

what? Now this is the reason. Because she is

an heir together of the grace of life. The woman

is also an heir together of what? Of the grace

of life. Are we together? So, male and female

are what? Are one in Christ. Hallelujah. How

do we treat people who are rich in the goods

of this world? I was telling my class yesterday,

I said that that brother is a rumor, I'm not

saying that he's a fact, that was sinning and

sleeping with his father's wife in that church.

And the church was not doing it. Probably he

is rich. Probably he saw influential that the

pastor was not willing to correct him. So they

can allow him to do whatever he wants to do.

That's not the conduct in the church. Hallelujah.

So how should we treat those who are rich and

those who are less privileged in the things of

the world? Because sometimes when you come to

church, you see the church is built in strata.

Those who are economically strong have a committee

in one side. Those who are political influencers,

they have power and connection, they are in one

side. And then the rest. That is all the love

of God. Honor must cut across all. We are equal

in the sight of God. Hallelujah. James chapter

James 2:1–7

2, verse 1 to 7. James chapter 2, verse 1 to

James 2:1–7

7. As we run up, the man of God says that the

correct man of God that is teaching must say

finally at least seven times. before you finally

finish. James 2, verse 1 to 7 says, My brethren,

James 2:1–7

do not hold the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Lord of glory, with partiality. How do we

treat this other? We don't treat each other with

what? With partiality. That is, we see this person,

he's Kenyan, so I'll favor him. I'll honor this

one. This one is from, she's from Cameroon. I

don't rate her. No. We don't treat each other

with all the partiality. For if they should come

into your assembly, a man with gold ring, a fine

apparel, that is, he's looking very well to do.

He's wealthy. He's looking very economically

up and doing. A fine apparel. And they should

also come in a poor man in filthy clothes. What

should we do to a poor person? Huh? He recognized.

We work in love. What do we do? We supply the

needs. Are we together? And you pay attention

to one wearing the fine clothes and say to him,

you sit here. This seat is for rich people. The

rest you can sit behind. You honor those who

are rich in the material things and then you

dishonor. You take as less as common those who

are financially not able. Say, wearing the fine

clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good

place. And say to the poor man, you stand there

or sit here at my footstool. Thank God our ushers

don't do this. Have you not shown partiality

among yourselves and become judges with evil

thoughts? Meaning that the lenses by which you

demonstrate this activity is evil thoughts. It's

not spiritual. It's not godly. Hallelujah. Listen,

my beloved brethren. Has God not chosen the poor

of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of

the kingdom which he promised to those who love

him? It's salvation cut across social and economic

strata. All right? The same spirit of God that

is in the rich. Because sometimes where we're

coming from, the poor are made to look as though

their own salvation is a second -class salvation.

As though the spirit of God that is the rich

people is different from the spirit of God in

the poor. As though the poor are poor because

they are sinners. But the stem spirit that is

in us works in all. For God has even chosen the

poor of this world. Poor of where? Where are

they poor? They are poor only in the physical

and the material things. But they are rich in

the spirit. Hallelujah. So, He has chosen them

rich in faith and heirs. What are they? They

are called heirs with us. Of the kingdom which

he promised to those who love him. Verse 6. But

you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the

rich oppress you and drag you into courts? Do

they not blaspheme that noble name by which you

are called? If you really fulfill the royal law

according to the scripture, you shall love your

neighbor as yourself. You do what? You do well.

Hallelujah. So we must honor people regardless

of whether you are richer than them or we are

more economically stronger than them or not.

1 Timothy 6 verse 17. 1 Timothy 6 verse 17 and

1 Timothy 6:17 1 Timothy 6:17

18. Commanders who are rich in this present age

not to be hearty or to trust in what? Uncertain

riches. There's no certainty in riches. Okay?

Because the riches of this world is not certain.

You can wake up today and then you are poor.

Once upon a time, Bill Gates was the richest

man in the world. Then something happened to

his marriage and other things. And then we don't

see him as the richest man again. Are we together?

So there's no guarantee. Of course, he's still

rich. I mean, I'm not saying he's poor. He's

still rich. Richer than many, many, many people.

Hallelujah. But then, riches is uncertain. But

what is certain is the spiritual riches we have

in Christ. The blessedness we have. The eternal

riches we have in Christ Jesus. Is that which

cannot... decay is eternal. So command those

who are rich in this present age not to be haughty,

not to trust in uncertainties, but in the living

God who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Verse 18. Let them do good that they may be rich

in good works, ready to give what, willing to

share. Hallelujah. So do not choose who to honor.

Okay? We don't segregate in our choice of who

to honor. We honor all men. We honor those God

has chosen by faith and all men. You can't afford

to live in dishonor against your brother and

sister because when you do, you miss all that

God has in store for you. God's blessings are

administered by who? By men. Okay? So if God's

blessings are administered by men and you dishonor

the vessel by which God has sent you, you will

not enjoy the blessings of God in your life.

So you must be able to honor those that God has

sent around you. Kill him is administered through

who? Through men. Okay? Insert and revelation

in God's word are administered through who? Through

men. Instructions and guidance are given through

who? Through men. So when you dishonor men, you

don't receive in their ministry to you. Hallelujah.

So our culture in the kingdom is that of honor

and reverence one another because that way we

enjoy the blessings of one another. Hallelujah.

So it is very easy to pretend to love and honor

men of God we see online who are popular on TV

or with huge followership. Right? And then see

as common your pastor in your local church. Or

your cell leader. Or your team leader. As common.

Or your brothers and sisters in church. Or your

wife. You see her as common. You see your husband

as common. You see your wife as common. You see

your brothers and sisters as common. In front

of even your parents, because you've seen their

weaknesses, you see them as common. This is not

what God intends for us as believers. Are we

together? So honor cut across every sphere. In

fact, it is the way we live. We live a life of

honor. Amen? I just want you to just close your

eyes and begin to speak to God. I want you to

pray for God, for God's help. Probably this will

have sound and then have shown to you where you

stand. We appreciate you being here today. We

hope you carry this word with you throughout

your week. Don't forget to check the show notes

for additional insights. Stay connected with

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with someone you care about. Until next time,

stay blessed.