God’s Top Ten – Part 5 (07/04/2021)

God’s Top Ten – Part 5 (07/04/2021)

July 10, 2021

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NKJ)

  • Why would God put the honoring of father and mother in His top 10? Especially when He knows that as children we will grow up in a fallen world where many would have simply bad parents. Here’s why I think God put it there in His Top 10: God is playing the long game.
  • Playing the long game: Taking the necessary steps, now, for long-term success later. Not sacrificing long-term gains for short-term wins.
  • Obedience is a long game – You teach your kids to obey at a young age, as a seed planted today in faith that tomorrow you will be able to see the fruits.
  • Honor is also a long game – You teach your kids to honor authorities at a young age, as a seed planted today in faith that tomorrow you will be able to see the fruits.
  • In the 5th Commandment, God is planting this principle of honor in us as a child or a young person in a seed form with the hopes that this seed will produce fruits of the same kind (honor) years down the road.

Why did God choose the long game approach with Honor?

“If you build a society around children who would honor parents, the society would long survive. If a society does not honor parents that society is doomed for self-destruction”- Dennis Prager

The building block of civilization is the principle of honor. The seed of honor is planted at home and the evidence of the fruits are seen in society, in civilization.

Without honoring authority, a faithless generation is produced.

 

POINT #1: HONOR PRODUCES FAITH

  • If we say, honor produces faith, what will dishonor produce? Faithlessness. Unbelief.
  • The generation who left Egypt did not enter the Promise because they did not honor God.

They could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:19 NKJ)

So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out]. (Hebrews 3:19 AMP)

  • There’s a direct link between unbelief and dishonoring.

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were ASTONISHED, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were OFFENDED at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He COULD DO NO mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. (Mark 6:1-5 NKJ)

  • What caused the unbelief? Dishonor
  • HE COULD NOT because an eternal force was stopping Him.
  • But The Bible gives us another account where Jesus recognized the faith of a Roman Centurion. Jesus recognized him because he understood the Principle of Honoring Authority. (Matthew 8:5-13)
  • HONOR PRODUCES FAITH

POINT #2: HONOR PRODUCES BLESSINGS

Children, OBEY your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3 NKJ)

  • The seeds of obedience and honor are planted at home when parents display it and teach it. The fruits are produced at home, in the community, in society, and in the next generation.
  • Our hope as parents is that children will mature from the position of obedience to honoring!

Let EVERY SOUL (who is every soul? Everyone) be SUBJECT (submit) to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2 NKJ)

  • I am talking about all kinds of authority: Parental authority, Civil Authority (policeman, judge, governor, all the way to the President), Social Authority (A boss, a coach, a teacher), Church Authority (Any position of church leadership)
  • The only time you do not submit is when any authority at any level is asking you to do or say anything that is sinful and that contradicts the word of God!

CONCLUSION

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

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