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
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
let's read something that happened here briefly
to lay foundation. Matthew 20 verse 20 to 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
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
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
read 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 12 to tighten quickly.
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, verse 7. Remember those who rule
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.
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
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.
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 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
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
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
2 to 4. Philippians 2, verse 3 to 4. Philippians
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
20. I'm not married. I'm part of this now. Glory.
Hallelujah. Ephesians 5 verse 20. to one another
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
7. Because of time, let's move. Let's conclude.
1 Peter 3, verse 1 to 7. Wise, likewise, be submissive
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
2, verse 1 to 7. James chapter 2, verse 1 to
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,
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
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.