A Life Of Honor
A LIFE OF HONOR
1 Samuel 24:6 – And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.
1 Samuel 2:30 – For those who honor Me, I will honor.
1 Peter 2:17 – Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Honor – Treat with respect, treat as valuable
1 Samuel 18:7 – So the women sang as they danced, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
1 Samuel 18:8 – Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him.
1 Samuel 24:6 – "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him."
How do we live a life of honor?
1. CHOOSE TO HONOR GOD
A life of honor flows out of a heart to honor God above anyone or anything.
Psalm 57:1 – Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my souls trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge.
1 Peter 2:17 – Fear God. Honor the king.
A life of honor flows out of the fear of the Lord.
The Fear of the Lord – Profound reverence and holy awe in the Majestic Presence of God.
Psalm 33:8 – Let all the earth fear the Lord; let the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the Lord is to hate evil….
We need the Fear of the Lord restored to the United States of America.
David would not come against Saul because Saul was the Lord’s anointed and David walked in the fear of the Lord.
2. CHOOSE TO HONOR PEOPLE
Every person is created in the image of God. Every person is to be treated with dignity and respect.
David treated King Saul with honor and respect.
1 Samuel 24:8 – David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed down.
Life Application – Although Saul was rebellious against God, David still respected the position he held as God’s anointed king.
Ephesians 6:2 – Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with promise:
Ephesians 6:3 – that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.
To honor those above us and around us does not mean we submit to abuse of any form.
To honor those above us and around us does not mean we cannot speak the truth in love.
To honor those above us and around us does not mean we dishonor or disobey God.
Acts 5:29 – We ought to obey God rather than men.
3. CHOOSE TO OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD
1 Samuel 24:17 – Then he said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.”
Romans 12:21 – Do not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.
a. Forgive them
Mark 11:25 – If you have anything against anyone, forgive him
b. Bless them
Luke 6:28 – Bless those who curse you
c. Pray for them
Luke 6:28 – Pray for those who spitefully use you
d. Do good to them
Luke 6:27 – Do good to those who hate you.
The Holy Spirit is calling us to a life of honor.
1. Are there people in your life that you are struggling to honor?
2. Do you live with a sense of reverence and awe of the Living God? Why or why not?
3. Has it been difficult for you to live out the command to honor your father and mother? Why or why not?
4. If there is someone in your life you are struggling to honor, what steps would the Holy Spirit want you to take to overcome in that struggle?