|
|
Honor & Respect Part 5 (Honoring & Respecting Ourselves) Introduction: Earlier lessons defined and explained the words "honor & respect", we are to honor and respect God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. we are to honor and respect each other i.e. our parents, spouses, brethren and fellow man; we talked about cultivating honor and respect, how we show it to others and to God. This brings us to a topic we barely touched on in an earlier lesson and that is honor and respecting ourselves. How many people do you think actually think of themselves as the Bible says they should? To honor means to value properly, or have great respect for, or hold in high esteem. Why or why not? I) Hindrances To Honoring And Respecting Ourselves As We Should A) Pride and arrogance 1. Think of Pharaoh, Exodus 5.2 2. Nine plagues were brought on Egypt with a similar response by Pharaoh. a. In some cases Pharaoh seemed to say OK, leave or take some of the people to the wilderness, but then he changed his mind. b. Eight times we read that Pharaoh hardened his heart or the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, Ex. 7.13; 8.15, 19, 32; 9.7, 12, 35; 10.20, 27 c. One time it says that his heart was not moved, Ex. 7.23 3. What was the result of Pharaoh's pride? Egypt faced severe destruction. a. Drinking water contaminated b. Frogs, flies contaminated the land c. death of livestock d. The pain of boils e. Death by hail and crops destroyed f. Locust that devoured whatever was left behind from the earlier calamities g. Darkness that completely shut down Egypt. 4. Only after the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, resulting in the death of his own son did he relent. 5. Pride causes us to do destructive things to ourselves and those around us, Proverbs 16.18 a. Refuse to listen to others, to ask for instructions or directions, to say "look at me" b. Pride causes us to be self destructive, 1 Corinthians 10.11 B) To have low self esteem, debase ourselves. Romans 1.28 1. Some people think of themselves as merely being animals and therefore act as such. 2. Others run themselves down all the time, comparing themselves to others which can lead to self destructive tendencies. a. Promiscuous lifestyle which is often an attempt to get someone to pay attention to them, for someone to love them. b. Drugs as way to escape their boring life c. Self mutilation so as to feel something and get some kind of adrenalin rush C) Sin and giving oneself over to sin, Romans 1 1. Lovers of pleasure, or lovers of selves, 2 Timothy 3.1ff. 2. Often causes one to be "self destructive" as they give themselves over to sin. Become a slave to sin, Romans 6.16 3. Old Testament example is the wife of Hosea, Gomer. Hosea 1 -3 II) How To Honor &Respect Ourselves A) Understand who we are in relationship with God 1. Who is God? He is all powerful (there is nothing my God cannot do); He is all knowing (there is nothing my God does not know); He is everywhere (there is no place I can go that He does not know where I am at and what I am doing); He is eternal (He will never die) 2. He is our Creator-- we are His creation, Psalm 139.14; made in His image, Genesis 1.26-27 3. What is our relationship to God? a. He loves us, John 3.16 sent Jesus to die on the cross for me and you b. He is called our heavenly Father, Matthew 6.9. c. Abba Father is used in Romans 8.15; Galatians 4.6. d. We are His children physically and spiritually, John 1.12; Romans 8.16. e. He has blessed us with every blessing in Christ, James 1.17 B) What does this mean to us? 1. You are a spiritual being destined for eternity, God wants you with Him in heaven. 2. Your physical body is to be used properly and not misused but don't obsess over it, 1 Thess. 4.4 3. Your soul is of more value than the whole world, Matthew 16.26. You have intrinsic value to God. Just as a child has intrinsic value to its parents. C) How do we honor ourselves? 1. By honoring God, keeping His word, loving ourselves as He loves us. 2. Do we think God gives us bad commandments? Matthew 22.39 3. Draw near to God and He will raise you up, James 4.8; Psalm 147.6 Conclusion: We are children of the King of host, we have Jesus as our Savior, we have heaven awaiting us, we have a spiritual family that is bigger than any physical building. We have all spiritual blessings in Christ, Ephesians 1.3. As we honor God we must properly, soberly understand who and what we are.
|