(Read Luke 4:22-27)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. This is our third message on honor. I asked the Lord whether or not I should make so much of a “big deal” out of this, and He assured me that I should. Honor should be a big deal to us, because it is a big deal to God. So let’s go back to Luke’s account of Jesus’ encounter in His hometown:
Jesus said, “The truth is, a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown. During the time of Elijah it did not rain in Israel for three and a half years. There was no food anywhere in the whole country. There were many widows in Israel during that time. But the fact is, Elijah was sent to none of those widows in Israel. He was sent only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon.
“And there were many people with leprosy living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were healed; the only one was Naaman. And he was from the country of Syria, not Israel.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. It’s easier to honor strangers than those you know very well.
a) Elijah was anointed to meet needs during the time of famine, but the Lord did not send the prophet to anyone in Israel, where he was. Jesus even pointed out that there were many widows in Israel who could have benefitted from the anointing on Elijah’s life. But when God was ready to move supernaturally and He was looking for someone to honor His prophet, the Lord had to send Elijah all the way to Zarephath, a town in Sidon. The Lord knew the stranger would honor His prophet and receive from him supernaturally.
b) Elisha was anointed to heal an incurable disease: leprosy. Jesus pointed out the fact that there were many lepers living in Israel, not far from Elisha. Any one of them could have received healing. But none of them honored the anointing on Elisha’s life for healing. So when it came time for the Lord to manifest healing from leprosy through Elisha, it was not an Israelite who was delivered, but rather a Syrian. A military commander named Naaman traveled from Syria to Israel to honor the anointing on the prophet and he received his breakthrough.
2. Don’t let your familiarity with your spiritual leaders keep you from receiving supernaturally from the anointing on their lives.
3. Never get so familiar with your spiritual leaders that you fail to honor what God has anointed them to do.
4. The people in Jesus’ hometown were ‘familiar’ with Him, so they failed to honor the anointing on His life.
a) Those who could only see Jesus as “Joseph’s son” or “Mary’s boy”, could NOT receive from Him as the Son of God!
b) Their familiarity made it hard for them to HONOR Jesus.
c) You have to get past the man/woman in order to receive from the God in the man/woman.
d) If you only acknowledge the man/woman, you will only be able to receive from the man/woman, and you will miss out when it comes to receiving from the God IN them!
5. Honor positions you to receive from God through His vessels in the earth.
6. It takes a heart of honor to receive the supernatural through a natural man or woman.
7. It takes honor to even put yourself in a position to be used of God.
a) Not only is honor required to receive from honors, but it even takes a heart of honor to acknowledge the anointing and grace on your own life.
b) Without developing a heart or honor you will fail to honor your own assignment.
c) Honor helps you see yourself the way God sees you.
We will stop here for today. Tomorrow we will take a closer look at Naaman and the honor he had for God’s servant.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. I don’t work for or earn anything You give me. All You give me, You give me by Your unearned and amazing grace. However, Your Kingdom does function a certain way. In order to receive from You and to properly function in Your Kingdom, I must learn Your system. Your system operates on a culture of honor. It takes honor to acknowledge You in the lives of humans. It take honor to acknowledge You in my own life. It takes honor to release my faith to access Your grace when You are operating through a person. So Father, I develop a heart of honor. I grow in Your Kingdom culture and I position myself to receive from You, through others, for Your glory. I love it when You speak to me directly, but I also appreciate all the times You speak to me through others. In order to always position myself to hear from You through other people I maintain a heart and spirit of honor. I am a man/woman of honor, I live an honorable life, and I receive all You want to give me through Your anointed vessels in the earth. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
