[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for listening to this wholesome word by David Entry. The words you catch will change your world. May your story change from this message. Be blessed.
[0:13] I'm reading from 1 Samuel chapter 2 verse 27 all the way or through 30. And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, Thus says the Lord, did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
[0:37] And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an effort before me?
[0:51] And did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honoreth thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
[1:22] Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me forever.
[1:36] But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me. For them that honoreth me I will honor, and them that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
[1:50] Here ends the reading of God's word. Father, what we don't know, teach us. Where we are not, take us. Who we are not, make us.
[2:04] All this to the glory of your majestic name, and to the glory of Christ alone. In Jesus' name. Amen.
[2:14] Amen. This text is very, very important, and I want to talk about honor. Honor is a mystery. Honor.
[2:25] Anything that is a mystery on, is not very obviously perceptible to everybody.
[2:37] If it's a mystery, if it's a mystery, then it requires a certain dimension of explanation, a certain dimension of revelation, or unveiling.
[2:52] Anything that is a mystery means for others to know it must be unveiled. So then, if you live your life purely based on common sense and common knowledge, you will miss the understanding that affords us to knowing the place of honor.
[3:15] And if you don't know the place of honor, you can't actually be engaged in the practice of honoring. And if you don't engage in the practice of honoring, your life and everything that you stand for, and everything meaningful that is connected to you, comes under or becomes a stake.
[3:39] And does not have any meaningful future. Why is honor so important, but it is not obvious? Why?
[3:50] Because the things that have been revealed, have been revealed unto the sands of men, but the secret things belong unto God, according to the book of Deuteronomy.
[4:02] So there are things in life that are not obvious. For instance, for instance, what is going on in your intestines?
[4:15] Only God knows what doctors might say. That's why we have all kinds of scans to help unveil what is going on in your own body.
[4:26] It's your own body, but you don't know. Sometimes, even doctors just assume it takes machines to be able to tell exactly what is going on in a person's body.
[4:39] There are things that are not just obvious, but they are essential. You might be eating something that instead of, we eat to live, but instead of you living, that thing is killing you.
[4:51] But you don't know there is this yogurt that is killing you. You don't know. But you have to know. So sometimes, many people who live long is because of what they get to know.
[5:06] You can prolong your life based on what you know. It's important. It's important to know the core things of life that undergate well-being in life.
[5:20] And when God created the world and humanity, he puts in place the things that are needed to sustain life. In fact, before man showed up, he has put a lot of things in place.
[5:35] Things needed to sustain life. Some of the things are just natural or physical. Other things are not physical, but they are needed to sustain life.
[5:47] They are not physical. For instance, you wouldn't think that God, when God was giving the commandments, the decalogue, what many people talk about as the Ten Commandments, okay, in Exodus chapter 20, he started by saying that I am the Lord your God.
[6:11] I think I would like to read it. Exodus chapter 20. It says that, and God speaks all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.
[6:22] Thou shalt have no other God before me. First, thou shalt not. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.
[6:39] Thou shalt not bow thyself unto them nor save them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers. Not the man. It says, visiting the iniquities.
[6:51] Visiting the iniquities of the fathers unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and showing mercy on earth. Thou shalt not make all these things about gods.
[7:03] So it's still the commandments about making another God. So from verse three, all the way down to, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. That's the second one, how he should honor God.
[7:16] All right. Or how he shouldn't take his name in vain. Then the next one is, remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. And then it spoke about the seventh day. Then the next one, this is Sabbath day and all that has to do with God.
[7:31] How your attitude towards God, keep God, don't worship, don't worship any other thing but God. And don't take his name in vain. Keep the Sabbath day for God.
[7:42] Then now it's coming to human relationships. The first thing, verse 12, it says that honor, honor. I mean, these are not, these are things that God has programmed into nature that you don't have to be spiritual to benefit from.
[7:59] but if you keep these principles, it will be well with you. Yeah. So it says, honor thy father and thy mother.
[8:10] Not thy mother and thy father. It's thy father and thy mother. These things are, there's like little news, but they're insignificant. They're very important.
[8:22] It's very intentional in scripture. Very intentional. Mom, don't butcher a father to a child and let them only honor you because the honoring of you, it's a function.
[8:37] It flows out of the honoring of the father. We come to church to hear from God so that, wait, if there's God, wait, wait, why are we going through all these things?
[8:48] Have you considered what God has said? Before you, you open your mouth and say, if there's God, if there's God, if there's God, God is always speaking, but people are not listening. You will not read manual.
[9:02] And when we come to church, we try to help someone to understand the manual. Other than that, your life will be like a washing machine whose rods are still in.
[9:13] You don't understand why things are so bad. And you are looking for people to prophesy, but you don't want to open the manual. You want people who prophesy and tell you that, I prophesy, it is well with you.
[9:27] All demons fighting, we bang them. We kill all the demons. They will die by fire. So, there are systems in place.
[9:41] Instead of asking, where is God? Why? You haven't been doing church properly. That's right. But you want church to do you well. That's funny. Let's do it the way, you are not steady.
[9:56] You are not, you are not giving attention to your books and you are surprised you have failed. I think you have believed in a lie. So, it's important to understand that there are systems, it says that honor your mother and father.
[10:13] Now, we need to tackle this subject of honor very well, because it's a major secret that a lot have missed to their heads.
[10:25] And few have attended to their help. Oh, that secret has been one of my biggest discoveries next to Christ that has sustained my life.
[10:39] It's really helped me, because the terrain we are in is very harsh and unfriendly and dangerous and slippery. Why dare you do ministry without anyone in your life you are honoring?
[10:55] You are a big man, big woman of God. And there's, who are you honoring? You are in trouble. Satan is coming. Peter, Jesus said it, Satan is coming, but I'm afraid for you.
[11:09] You are covered. So, it's important to understand what does it mean to honor? What's the meaning of honor? I think just basic English means to give, I call it, high respect.
[11:23] High respect or great esteem to something or somebody. That's to highly respect or give a high respect or great esteem to somebody.
[11:36] it means to revere or to venerate. So, to revere with great respect or to venerate.
[11:49] That's what, it also means to make important. Sometimes, the word can be even used to glorify. So, Jesus saying that the Father glorifies me, it means that the Father puts honor on me.
[12:06] The Father makes me. So, it says that in John chapter 5, verse 44, how can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that counts?
[12:20] You see, the honor that comes from God is talking about the glorifying that comes from God. God has a way of honoring a person or glorifying a person. So, God will make you look so good.
[12:33] So, to honor somebody also connotes to make the person very important. To make the person look great. To make the person look, that's to honor.
[12:44] The person is important. That's what it means to honor. And, from the text we read, we saw something we will come to in a minute, the foundational text. But, there are benefits that come with honor.
[12:58] There are benefits that come with honor. The first one I would like to actually mention is what Ephesians chapter 6, verse 2 and 3 says.
[13:09] Okay. So, Ephesians 2 says, honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. So, it's not a suggestion.
[13:23] It's not an advice. It's a commandment from God that honor your father and your mother, not your father alone, but and your mother, not your mother alone, but your father as well.
[13:38] Your parents, honor your father and your mother. Now, that's what we just read in Exodus chapter 20, verse 12, that we should honor.
[13:52] It says that, honor thy father and thy mother, that there's a benefit that comes with it, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
[14:14] so, to honor your father and your mother comes with a certain benefit without you having to pray. You don't need prayer for your day to be long because some people die very early.
[14:37] In fact, Stephen was killed praying. he was praying on him was killed. So, it is not prayer that gives you long life, even though prayer is a very essential aspect of life.
[14:52] There are people who might not pray, they are not engaged in religious activities, but the way they treat their father and mother, they will live long. It's a system program to the extent that when God was giving the commandments, when it came to human relationship, that's the first thing he said.
[15:10] Honor thy father and thy mother. In Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 16, it said, honor thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God has commanded thee. It's a command.
[15:21] That thy days may be prolonged and that it may go well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God give thee. You are in UK and you are suffering.
[15:34] I think you have to do an assessment of the state of your heart when it comes to honor. Do an assessment. I know you are doing medical examinations but you have to also do honor examinations because God is such a good God that it does not take prayer, just prayer alone to be healthy.
[16:04] other than that, people who don't know how to pray, they will always be sick. There are more people in our societies who don't do God but are healthy.
[16:20] Why? Because God in his benevolence has put natural systems in place that even when the enemy blindfolds people from getting to him, there are systems in place that can benefit you.
[16:34] Like medication. God created all that. Medicine, herbs, God created all that to keep us healthy. Food. So you don't need to pray before you eat.
[16:45] I don't mean praying about your food. You don't need to be prayerful in order to get food to eat, generally speaking. Other than that, people who don't pray, they will never get food to eat.
[16:58] So God has put systems in place to help us. doctors are a blessing from God. Teachers are a blessing from God. The police are a blessing from God.
[17:09] These are all systems that have been put in place so that we can reach out to God or God can help us. In the same way, honor. God has put honor in place.
[17:20] That one is a mystical system, a mystery that God has put in place. Those who find it, sometimes you can practice it unconsciously. But it's actually working.
[17:33] There are things you practice unconsciously that will still be benefiting you. And to realize that later someone teaches it and tells you this is how it works. So he says that Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 16, honor your father and your mother as the Lord has commanded thee.
[17:50] Why? That your days may be prolonged one and not just that and that it may be well. There are people who have long life but it's not well with them. your days will be prolonged and it will go well with thee.
[18:04] Where? In the land where you found yourself. It will go well. It's not everyone who struggles to eat or struggles to have rest in life. Not everybody.
[18:15] Some people are actually living comfortably. Not everybody who has money has peaceful life. Don't forget that. So peaceful life is not guaranteed by a lot of money.
[18:27] It's not guaranteed by a lot of money. Even though you need some money one way or the other. To sort one or two things out. But God has a way of making revenue even supplies. But the core thing about what we are trying to bring to our attention is that God had to emphasize it not only in one place but in two places.
[18:48] And as though that was not enough in the New Testament. If this was Old Testament it shouldn't be heavily emphasized in the New Testament. But it was heavily in Matthew chapter 15 verse 4.
[19:03] Jesus actually makes mention to it. God commands saying honor your father Matthew chapter 19 verse 19. In Mark chapter 7 verse 10. In Mark chapter 10 verse 19.
[19:15] Then you go to Ephesians is there. Let's look at it. In Matthew chapter 4 we just saw it. In Matthew chapter 19 verse 19. What does it say? God commanded Matthew 19 says that honor your father and your mother.
[19:28] It's repeated there again. And in Mark chapter 7 verse 10. Mark chapter 10 verse 19. Luke chapter 18 verse 20. Look at Luke 18 verse 20. You know the commandment.
[19:39] Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not honor. It is so part of every commandment that when you are quoting the commandment they bring it in. It is always referred to.
[19:52] We saw it in Ephesians. No, not. That is the gospels. But Ephesians, the Pauline epistle, the New Testament epistle, comes in and says that honor. I mean Ephesians was written to teach the church first what the church is so long as God's view is concerned.
[20:09] Okay. The portrait of the church from heaven by showing us how the church was formed. And then secondly, the second part of Ephesians teaches how the church should live. When he started teaching on how the church should live, he started with doctrine.
[20:23] And he started with the God has given, grace has given unto us according to the gifts of God, prophets, Ephesians, prophets, evangelists, teachers, pastors.
[20:34] Then he goes on to how we should relate one to another within the church setting in Ephesians chapter 4. Then he moves on in Ephesians chapter 5 to relating with husbands and wives.
[20:49] relation between husbands and wives. Then he moves Ephesians chapter 6 relation between children and their fathers. Ephesians chapter 6. So it is so important in the church life. You cannot enjoy Christian life without engaging in the principle of honor.
[21:07] What kind of Christian are you who is a loggerhead with your mother? father. And this one can never be solved. You are to make John loggerhead with your father. I hate my father and you can see your father and exchange with him and sir, you would die very early.
[21:26] It doesn't matter your fastings or who is laying hands on you. The hands that have been laid on you cannot invalidate the manual. This is just prescriptive.
[21:39] It's prescribing how life should be. So those of us who are fortunate to be in Christ, we then have to begin to read the New Testament and realize that it is so core, a core part of well-being in life.
[21:55] You want to do well, first of all, look for someone to honor. As I said earlier on, there are systems in place. Pastor, God has put systems in place like doctors, like teachers, like law enforcement.
[22:09] These are all systems in place, like medicine, like food, different systems. So, for instance, cassava or yam cannot do well in London because there's no system in place to support it.
[22:22] But in some other parts of the world, it will do well. In the same way, some stuff that do well here wouldn't do well somewhere because there are systems in place. It doesn't require prayer.
[22:33] You come and plant cassava here in London and you are now fasting for seven days. It doesn't work, please. It doesn't work.
[22:43] And then you start binding demons that are stopping your cassava from growing. No, look at the manual. Look at the manual. Don't ignore the manual.
[22:57] You become an ignominium life. Don't ignore the manual. So, then, there are systems in place. So, if honor is important, like when you are driving through the tunnel, you know, in fact, on the motorway, I think still there are some places that you can make phone calls.
[23:19] None of the mobile phones are common. But, as well, there are different places on the motorway where you can park and make a phone call and call. Why? Because they don't want you to be stranded. It's a long journey.
[23:30] They don't want you to be stranded. So, they put in places in a tunnel, in every major tunnel, there are exit points. So, that when crisis comes, there's a place to exit. In the same way, when you are traveling in London, that's one of the beautiful things about London, transportation system, public transport.
[23:47] You don't need to own a car in London. You will be very comfortable. In fact, the more you don't drive in London, the easier life can be for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's just. So, the point I'm making is, where is this being done?
[24:00] So, that you don't, people don't get stranded in life. God has made sure that there are some systems he's put in place. Because honor is so important, he will always put objects and figures of honor around you.
[24:14] As soon as you are born, you are born to a mother and father. So, you can't let you don't have a mother, you don't have a father. Even if they die, you didn't grow up as a child by yourself.
[24:26] Oh, you are not a snake. Snakes can't grow by themselves in the jungle. They don't need your mother or father. But human beings, no. You need mama. You need papa.
[24:38] Even if mama passed when you were a child or mama passed, there was someone who played the role of mama. There was someone who played the role of papa. You can't take them for granted.
[24:49] Else you'll be grounded. It's important. Because you, this is what I'm trying to say, you need somebody to honor in order for you to do well in life.
[25:01] You need somebody to honor in order. Anybody who fights their family, especially their mother and father, and disrespects their mother and father, and makes their mother and father's heart hurt.
[25:17] Your mom said, you did this to me, and you don't have any justification. Like you want to marry somebody, so you say, I don't, I hate my family. All these were useless people. Oh, really? Your marriage will not only break, you yourself, you will break down.
[25:30] You'll be grounded. Your life will be crisis-ridden. You don't understand why your health has always been one thing after the other. Check the system of honor you have potentially undermined.
[25:45] There's no promotion in life. Anytime you see someone doing well, someone rising, check they are honoring somebody. Oh, they are engaging in honor. There's no greatness in life without tracing it to honor.
[26:02] Every greatness can be traceable to honor. Every unique favoring can be traceable to honor. So the system that makes you, I don't need anybody.
[26:13] Oh, that's not true. That's not true. You need everybody. You need many people. Many people. Number one. You need your parents to honor them.
[26:25] Not for them to supply for you, but to honor them. So parents, let's teach our children the principle of honor. You might be wealthy. You don't need your children to build a house for you or anything, but teach them.
[26:38] Sometimes when they earn money, they should learn how to honor you with their money. Father's Day, you have not talked about what to do for your father. But you are thinking on what the father God should do for you.
[26:49] It's Father's Day. Don't leave it to Father's Day. Sometimes when you are living a certain life, think about the condition, the living condition of your mother and your father.
[27:06] If your father is alive, if your mother is alive, if your father, how is his living condition like? Your father earns, let's say, earns 10, equivalent of 10 pounds per month, and you are earning 5,000 pounds a month, and you don't even care.
[27:23] Oh, bro, that 5,000 per month will not last. Because he said that you can live long on the land wherein the Lord has brought you. So in order to live long, to make that benefit, that enjoyment lasting, you will have to engage the principle of honor, else that thing will be short-lived.
[27:43] That good romance will be short-lived. That good health, you think it is gym that is making you healthy. Gym is important, but there are all things in life.
[27:59] Honor. You always have to ask yourself, who am I honoring and how am I honoring? So, benefits. It will be well with you.
[28:11] You will live long on the earth. When you honor, you enjoy favor in life. Honor will bring you favor. Somebody say, honor brings favor. Honor brings favor.
[28:22] You don't want to say it properly. Say, honor brings favor. Honor brings favor. Number four, honor will help you not to be subdued.
[28:35] Subdued. So, number one, from the text we read, says that it shall be well with you. Number two, you shall live longer. Number three, honor will bring you favor.
[28:47] When you, I, I, I, some sometimes, someone, so what's the secret of charisma? Honor. Listen, it's nice to have someone in your life you are honoring. Oh, it's nice. It also shows you have some character.
[29:00] You are, you are, you are reliable. It shows that you are not overly proud. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you are only another human being whose mistakes you can't even notice, whose flaws.
[29:15] But that's, that's, that's not necessary. You just, I can't be bothered about their flaws. This is my object of honor. God always plays object of honor. Just like when you're on the motorway, SOS centers.
[29:27] Just like in London, there are always transportational points. You can jump if you want to go on the boat. There's a place you can go on the boat. Cheap. There's a place, surface train. There's a place, bus.
[29:37] There's so many, for sometimes the bus, you're even confused. There are bus 28, there's 25, there's 27, but in one place. So many bus stops. So that you don't get stranded. Go to us, we surround.
[29:49] Just that because you have not been taught or you are not spiritual, you haven't realized that these are all opportunities to be favored in life that has been brought around you. So that it brings defense.
[30:02] In other words, you can't be subdued. What does that mean? You know, there are wicked things in life that kill people, that destroy people, that subdue people, and that make people lose benefits in life, like sudden health challenge.
[30:19] Okay? Like crisis. Someone is in a house, the house has broken and killed a child. What is this? What is this kind of mishap?
[30:29] In what way does this glorify God? See, so there are things that are not supposed to happen. You can't be subdued by certain things.
[30:41] What others suffer, you can't cheaply suffer it. Why? Because, watch this, you are in active and conscious honor. Yeah? Many of the communities that crime is high, check, there's lack of honor at the base.
[30:57] Because some of them are not trained to honor their fathers. Yes. From, from Ellie. Yeah. Because everything. Mama, this boy is being naughty. Mama says, he's only a boy.
[31:09] He's only a boy. He goes to take visitors' weeks and flights. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
[31:19] Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
[31:29] Hey! Oh, Johnny, don't do that. Johnny, stop it. No discipline. No discipline. No discipline. No discipline. One of the things that discipline does is it helps you also to honor.
[31:42] It forces honor into your life. If you want to help the disenfranchised or heavily disadvantaged communities before our eyes, if you want to help them, let's start enforcing the principle of honor and discipline first.
[31:58] So, you will not be subdued. And then, number five, lasting enjoyment. It makes you the benefit. You see, when, let's say you've got a job, you've got a job or you've got something good, you are able to enjoy for a long time that thing.
[32:16] You know what I'm talking about? Because there's a principle of honor. When people are waiting for you to go down, for you to decline, the water keeps seeing you going up. Because everybody's losing their job, not you.
[32:30] Why? Because you honor. Who do you honor? First, my father, my mother. Please, find a way of putting a smile on your mom's face. Make it your life agenda.
[32:42] That I'll just put a smile on. You just do it for him. For that sake, do it. You are going to buy a card on a Father's Day for your father. Meanwhile, what is more sensitive to his heart?
[32:52] You won't do it. You are not studying. You are not studying. You are in medical school. You are in school. You are not studying. You are just moving from place to place.
[33:05] Under the guise of evangelism. Evangelism. On Father's Day, you are bringing a card. I'm not saying don't evangelize, but there must be a balance. There must be a balance. Cards really don't mean much.
[33:20] Cards just are an endorsement of what you are actually doing from your heart. Yeah. But you are bringing a card. But what is important? You are bringing a card, but you have capped what they expect you to do.
[33:34] I'm not saying that we let our parents control us. No. I said, find a way to put a smile on your... Before your mom died, she was smiling at you and she died.
[33:47] It's a major blessing. Before your mom died, your dad died. Oh, it's my dad. It is not for you to add to the pain. The way they treated you, what they have done against their families, what they have done against their good wives.
[34:04] The point I'm making is that mothers, God has made them to be able to focus more on their children and their family health. Whilst fathers, generally, we are targeted on going out and bringing to protect the family.
[34:17] Right? So then, it is necessary to understand that we need both. And when a man is always out there and he's young, instead of being out there and being on guard and honoring the marriage, one of the things you are supposed to honor is marriage.
[34:34] Bible says, Hebrews chapter 13, verse 4, marriage is honorable. So you are supposed to honor marriage. And the bed is on defile. If you defy the marriage bed, God will judge you.
[34:45] So if you sleep with someone who is married, or if you sleep with somebody's husband or wife, or you are somebody's husband or wife and sleep with somebody else, all that, you have undermined the honor that is supposed to be accorded marriage.
[35:02] And so, it's another way of dishonoring God. Bible says that for anyone who commits for legation, you have sinned against your body, not against the Lord.
[35:14] Your body. Your body will pay for it later. Your body will pay for it. So that's why some of us, now that you are in church, please bury your head, your arm, and everything in church.
[35:26] Because your history is pointing to something not good. Yeah. So just for mercy to speak for you, just for grace to cover you, to give you extension of life, extension of peace, because of the way you fought your father before he died.
[35:47] What you going to do, now that you are in church, bury yourself and find ways to honor God's word more, so that what is already in your background to hurt you does never get a chance to be fulfilled.
[35:59] So God will always give you an alternative when you can't do anything about the past. When you have a funny past, look for a fruitful chance to honor.
[36:13] Honor has a way of stepping in so you are not subdued by what is actually even supposed to subdue you. It's very important. So we are supposed to honor, first of all, when you honor, all these benefits come on your life, right?
[36:31] Peace. And sometimes when you honor, for some reason, I like this one, for some reason, you will be remembered. Not by those you honored, but those who can help you.
[36:45] You will be forgotten when you honor. For some reason, they say, a job came, an opportunity came, and we thought about you. Are you interested? Are you interested? Are you interested? Are you interested in what I want?
[36:56] Oh yeah. Because someone has been honoring. You've been remembered. So the benefits of honor includes remembrance, includes peace, includes lasting enjoyment.
[37:07] Now, when you are honoring, who should you honor? Number one, God. God, the text we read, it says that, those who honor me, I will honor.
[37:18] But why would someone dishonor God? This is why even an ordinary person, a priest, if a priest can dishonor God, then an ordinary, just someone who is not, a clergy, our chances are limited.
[37:34] A priest who just works with God. Bible says that, you have kicked against my sacrifice. Systems are put in place, to govern, to oversee worship, in a certain life, you kick against it, you dishonor me?
[37:49] So, when you are honoring God, what does it mean? You honor the, that means you are honoring his principles. Okay, you are honoring, when you are, you are honoring God, you are honoring God's principles, you are honoring God's house.
[38:06] How do you honor God? By keeping an eye on his principles. How do you honor God? By keeping an eye, and esteeming his house, the church. How do you honor God?
[38:17] How do you honor God? How do you honor God? How do you treat his work? You've seen someone preaching, you think it's a bit noisy, and you go and stand there, and fight the person.
[38:29] At least the person is preaching. He's preaching the gospel. Don't join those who fight such a person. Maybe the guy is a bit noisy, find a way, I think, can you turn down a bit?
[38:41] He's like, I won't turn down a bit. Believe God, that you will not be the one to fight such a person. If that person has to be fought, let another do it on your behalf. He's like, he's like, I don't know. I don't know.
[38:52] So, his work, how you treat his work, how do you honor God, how you treat God's people. You temper with Israel, God will temper with you. And we are the Israel, the church is the people of God.
[39:06] Once you are God's people, be careful. I know someone offended you in church, but don't now go on an attacking spree, or against church. How you treat God's people, and how you treat God's prophets, or God's servants.
[39:21] God, very interestingly, how God has a vested interest in his servants. Sometimes it even looks unfair. God is keenly interested in his servants.
[39:35] How you treat someone who God's hand is on will determine how God will treat you. So, he says that he will honor those who honor him, and those who, he says that, can you imagine, he said, I promise you.
[39:50] He said, I said, that indeed your house, and the house of your father, will be before me forever. But now, fire be from me. Because enough, I've said it, but now, I changed my mind.
[40:03] Fire be from me, that I should do that. Why? For those who honor me, what you did, that's how serious God takes honor. To the extent that in Mark chapter 6, Jesus couldn't do much.
[40:16] Excuse me, if you have a family member, you have a brother, a sister, a cousin, a son, a daughter, who likes attacking pastors, please, pray for them.
[40:30] Pray for them, because they can't go free. Some people pass, comments, but there's someone who was saying that, why would people go to church? People who tell them, let them look for a job to do.
[40:43] Meanwhile, there are people who do far better jobs than the one you who claim you are wiser. Well educated, you couldn't even pass GCSE. You couldn't pass it. People, there are medical doctors, accountants, lawyers, who are busy serving God.
[40:59] And you think you're smarter? Sometimes I feel so sorry for people who think this church thing is not for me. This church is for you. What's for you? So, so it's important.
[41:12] The way you treat God's people. Jesus puts it this way, Matthew chapter 10, verse 40, 41, 42. If you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, can you imagine? He who, it doesn't mean that whether the person is a nice person, is a good person, is not so nice, whether he's prayerful, is not prayerful, whether he's fasting, is not fasting, is there he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet.
[41:36] You see, right? The one, their relationship with God is what activates in your life. It's just as simple as that. Manual.
[41:47] Read the manual and stop running for prayer, from prayer pillar to post for prayers. Read the manual. People who always are looking for prayers are not doing something right.
[41:58] That's why you're looking for prayers always. Yeah. You are running, can you pray for me? Move for prayer, move for prayer, move for prayer. There's something, because your life shouldn't be such under constant emergency that you're always looking for people to pray for.
[42:12] But you know, so how are you living that it's necessitating regular prayer intervention? Men always ought to pray. You yourself, when you are praying and you are applying something, you always be begging people, please pray for me.
[42:26] I can't pray. Most people who are always saying, hey, pray for me, most of them, they don't pray. Always pray for me. Always pray for me. It's always good to ask for prayer. Please, always pray for me.
[42:39] Me. Say one for me, always. It's just spiritual, and it's a spiritual principle. But I get what I'm trying to say, because people are running from pastor to pastor, from prophet to prophet, even if they say anything like that, from prophet to prophet, from man of God to man of God, looking, soliciting prayers.
[42:57] The reason why you are going is not because you are going to serve God. You are going to look for prayers. I really believe that you are doing something wrong, not for looking for prayers, but something is not being put right in your life.
[43:08] That is why it has become necessary for you to be running around looking for prayer, because the other prayer should have worked. This one should have worked. So many prayers are not working. What is it? So, you honor God, and that's how you honor God, by these principles.
[43:22] So first, God. Now, two, quickly, who do you honor? You honor besides God. Your parents have emphasized that already. So your parents, that's why Father's Day, do something.
[43:37] Even if your father is deceased, I think the way your mom loved him, show some favor, some niceness to your mom. Say, bam, just I want to honor your husband.
[43:49] I want to honor your husband. The man you love, I want to honor him, Father's Day, by doing something more for you. Your mom will say, oh, you did this for me. Madness, it's easy to move their hearts, you know.
[44:01] And when, oh yeah, and it's so easy to move parents' hearts. I know some of us, our parents are wild. Still, if you're a child, God has given you what it takes to move your parents' hearts.
[44:15] You can, you can move their hearts. So, parents, we have to honor, in the first chapter six, verse one, it said, honor your boss.
[44:26] Yeah, honor your employer, honor your boss. It's there, your master. It's there, it's there, you are in church, you are part of the ushers, but you don't want to respect the head of ushers.
[44:37] I feel sorry for you. We can lay hands on you, you just get bored. So, number one is God. Now, I don't want to add God to the numbers. God is only the class, so God.
[44:49] And then now, amongst men, number one is parents, number two is your master, number three, first Peter chapter two, verse 17, it said, honor the king.
[45:00] Don't say, I don't like me, it's just, a king, it's just, I don't like me, it's just, and then you talk, you say things that are not meant to be said, talk us a king. United Kingdom, yes, wake up, America, let's wake up.
[45:12] Our president is a figure of honor. Yeah, he's a public figure, so he's held accountable. That's democracy, right? But sometimes, we should also remember, this is a figure of honor, and there's a way we have to treat someone who is a figure of honor.
[45:27] Does that make sense? It's important. Honor the king. Thank God, in UK, we have a king. Very soon, his head will be on the pound. God save the king.
[45:40] God save the king. Oh, but you don't know the kind of things they do. They are into all kinds of, God save the king. God save the king. You see, they are, they are slave masters. God save the king.
[45:52] Bible says, they honor the king. First Peter chapter two. Say, honor the king. What's your problem about that? Read the manual. I like this one.
[46:04] It's just still there. Honor all men. No, honor all men. Don't discriminate against people based on their status. Just honor all men. That's a way you treat men, men.
[46:17] That means human beings. Okay. Oh, human beings. Treat people with respect. Treat people with respect. These are all ways that you can enjoy forever in life, in long life. But the long, main long life, as well, is attached to parents.
[46:30] Okay. And then, let me add this. Honor marriage. Honor marriage. Don't say marriage doesn't matter. It matters. Honor marriage.
[46:42] Don't be the reason why some people divorce. Honor marriage. Don't say, this, my sister married a bad man. I'll make sure the marriage will be divorced. Please.
[46:52] Marriage is marriage. Honor marriage. So you see, people are not doing well because of what they are dishonoring. And then, finally, let me add this.
[47:04] You honor, number seven, you honor, okay, let's go. Oh, yeah. Number one is the parents. Number two, masters.
[47:16] Number three, the king. Number four, all men. Number five, marriage. And number six, prophets, pastor, priests. Go seven.
[47:27] That's what it is. Jesus said, a prophet is not without honor. That first bit. A prophet is not without. Let's all read it.
[47:39] Let's all read it. But Jesus, okay, let me read it. I'll show you where to read. We'll read from A. But let me say, but Jesus answered and said, a prophet is not without honor.
[47:51] It's only when he comes to certain territories that he loses honor because they are familiar with him. But generally speaking, a prophet is not without honor. Let's all say that together.
[48:02] A prophet is not without honor. That's why when we're standing here, Father, there's the kind of, when I say prophet, a servant of God, someone, God's vessel. If you strip the person of their honor, you strip yourself of the flow of God through them.
[48:19] That's what it is. Our typical example, Jesus Christ, he went there, he couldn't do much. in Mark chapter six, verse three and four. Bible says that, no, could he do mighty, all right, verse three.
[48:33] Is this, they said, is this not a carpenter's son? Let's go to the next verse. They said, we know him too much. But Jesus said, a prophet is not without honor, except in the whole country, among his people. So the next verse, verse five, said, now he could do no mighty works.
[48:47] Where? There. That place where he was, it's on it. Jesus. God himself came as a man, he couldn't do things. Why? Because of the secret of honor. The secret of honor.
[48:58] So can you imagine, God wants to help you, he will send a servant. A servant you dishonor, God can use to help you. Why? Because God actually puts honor on people he uses.
[49:11] God chooses to honor. In fact, God can honor people. And when God honors people, you be careful, be careful to dishonor them. I heard a story, the most respected and revered kingship, or they call it kin, or chief, some people call it kin, in Ghana, is the Ashanti kin.
[49:32] They have managed to keep their monarchy very well. Very well. And the Ashanti kin, I hear, when someone, like the way Prince Charles was made now king, when you are made a king, they give you a new wife.
[49:49] Yeah. Say hey. So the woman who are struggling with deep down. Yeah. Huh?
[50:00] In addition, in addition, they give you a new wife. Why? Because the old wife knows you, so she's so familiar with you when you are not kin. That's why some of you, when you are made, when you are promoted at work, some of your friends still will not take orders from you.
[50:14] God, they know you too much. You are now a supervisor. Excuse me. Yeah, some of you know what I'm talking about. Even in church. Even in church. Once someone becomes a pastor, some people say, oh, but you, you, you come in, you tell it to you, you're a pastor.
[50:27] But when they come in and meet you as a pastor, they are, so when they make you, they put you into the office, they give you some, the closest person to you, they give you a new one who thinks, hey, me, I'm privileged.
[50:41] No, we don't do that in church, please. It looks like some people are thinking, pastor, when I become a pastor, would you consider, but you get it, they do that, so that, because it's an office of honor, and people who are closest to him, closest to the person, must, they are the first to demonstrate the honor.
[51:05] Why do you find it so difficult to honor whom God has honored? No one takes this honor upon himself, except in the world. Jesus said that, you say this about who God chooses to honor, Nebuchadnezzar was even honored by God.
[51:20] He said, your father, God gave your father, Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 5, he gave him riches, he gave him death, and he gave him honor. He said, God gives honor. God gives honor.
[51:33] God gives honor. Let's all say that together. God gives honor. And so the pastoral office is an honorable office. Yes. It's an honorable office.
[51:46] That's why it's very important when you are talking about someone whom God has honored, you have to be a guard because you push yourself into a territory that your destiny will not be able to recover from or you might not be able to handle.
[52:02] It's important. When you are ascribing honor, when you're honoring somebody, there's a passive honor where you come and meet someone, you don't even know the person, but they say, this is the founder of Coca-Cola.
[52:17] That alone commands honor. It's not, it's just natural. You know, so there are passive honors that come by position. Somebody's in that position, you just, oh, that's the boss.
[52:28] Hello, boss. Hello, boss. And I was talking to him like that. You know, he said, oh, I didn't know, sorry. He commands honor, the position. So that's, that's passive. It comes naturally because of the position. Sometimes the passive honor comes by virtue of the way people carry themselves.
[52:41] You know, some people, the way they carry themselves is very difficult to talk to them anyway or disrespect them. So that is the way, the position, and then number two, the way people carry themselves, command honor.
[52:57] Those things are very important. So when somebody's in a certain position, automatically, you can tell that honor. And then sometimes the things a person does can get your respect and some honor.
[53:10] so position, carry themselves and something the person has done can also. But then, now that's passively. But active honor, when you have to make sure you are honoring, active honor means to celebrate somebody.
[53:27] Okay, so you celebrate the person, you acknowledge what the person carries and who the person is. So you know, this is my father, it's a period. I celebrate my father, I acknowledge what the person carries and alabaster box, the woman brought a box and brought, that is honoring to reward the person.
[53:49] You are rewarding the person, ascribing this high, great respect for the person intentionally because of what you have perceived in the person. That's intentional and it's the intentional honor that changes destiny radically.
[54:04] intentional honor because subconsciously, you can be doing it, it doesn't affect you. But intentional honor is like, you go out of your way to honor this person.
[54:15] That's why, let it be in your heart that one day you buy a car for your father or for your mother or for someone of honor. You do something great.
[54:25] Let it be in your heart and work towards it. Even if you never achieve it, you get somewhere. It's important. Let it be in your heart. So, you have to ascribe. And then, I found out in my studies, according to 1 Timothy 5, verse 17, I'm ending on this.
[54:43] 1 Timothy 5, verse 17. Let's go. Let it be in your heart from the screen. Let's go. Let it be in your heart. Let it be in your heart. Let it be in your heart. Let it be in your heart. Let it be in your heart.
[54:56] So, elders talking about the pastors who are doing a good job. Let them be counted worthy of double. Any honor you give to anybody. This is a man of God. He's dealing with saved. Double honor. But watch this.
[55:07] I want to focus on this word, honor. So, what did you mean by which you honor the person? Let them be worthy of double. This is not a verb, sorry. Honor. Double honor. So, use honor as a noun here.
[55:19] Okay. Do you understand what I'm saying? Some people don't understand now in verb and anything. But, let them be worthy of double honor. Okay. Now, watch this. What does it?
[55:30] How do you do that? Look at the next verse. Why? For the, scripture said, you shall not muzzle the ox while it trest the corn. But a laborer is worthy of his way.
[55:41] This is talking about something physical. Tangible being given. See? How to honor. Something physical. This is a way of honoring. Something tangible being given.
[55:52] I'll show you again. Some of you may think a pastor is not correct. Look at verse 3 of the same text. Honor widows who are really widows. Now, this one is talking about how giving.
[56:05] Give them remunerations. It's that same word used honor here. and T-I-M maou. Timaou is the Greek word. That means that do something physical.
[56:17] And that is an expression of honor. So, Bible calls it honor. Honoring is not only how you acknowledge, but you do something physical.
[56:30] These are things that people don't get. When you honor highly, you will also be honored highly. These are principles. If you are not taught this, listen, when things are rough in your life and every time these rough seasons don't stop, one thing after the other, please, check who you are dishonoring.
[56:51] And if you are not seeing certain levels of breakthroughs, check who you haven't honored. And God will make sure you are not without objects of honor. God himself, your parents, the king, your boss, marriage, and the prophet of God.
[57:11] If you are in church, you are in church and you never show honor to your pastors. Oh, you are not living the spiritual life the way you should. You are not. Because something will always be left undone in your life.
[57:26] Because God plays yes in using human beings. That's God's system of operation. And if you circumvent it, you will be left stranded in life.
[57:37] Honor. Don't join unbelievers to say, some people, their parents say, but why, why, why, why is your pastor's status, a picture of your status? Because he's changed my life.
[57:48] God has changed my life to him. But how about your father? I will give what belongs to my father to my father. And I also give what belongs to the man of God to what we call him. There's nothing, there's nothing wrong in honoring a figure God chooses to honor.
[58:00] Let's get this right. And don't join those unbelievers who've migrated into churches and haven't changed. And butcher and vandalize divine systems and they lack understanding.
[58:13] Never join them. Be a mouthpiece of the system of God. And practice it and see if God will not raise you and help you. Did you receive something? Hallelujah!
[58:26] Hallelujah! The mystery of honor. Honoring is a mystery. If you engage in it the benefits are untold. You never know how it manifests you.
[58:36] Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. You're welcome to connect with David Entry on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also find more Spirit-filled messages from Karis Church on YouTube and all relevant streaming platforms.
[58:53] Don't forget to subscribe, like and share the message. Be blessed.