A Culture of Honor, Part 4

In my last three blogs, I've been discussing a little man named Zacchaeus, and how Jesus Christ honored his personhood.

Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home – potentially for dinner. That home, located at the corner of Sad and Lonely Avenue, would take on a guest who would transform the little man’s life. Jesus invaded Zacchaeus’ space to “Seek and to save the lost” (verse 10). And He will do whatever it takes in your life to bring you to saving faith.

You see, Jesus showed this little man honor. He honored what was important to Zacchaeus. He crossed over the boundary of a hated and abused life and touched him deep inside where brokenness met eternity head on and offered a full and free salvation. Jesus said to him, “The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (verse 10). Zacchaeus accepted this truth by faith and made heaven his eventual home!

Saints, do you understand the power of honor. Of respect? Of loving people out of their sin? Giving them a reason to find something better? Oh, let’s become an honoring community!

Let’s learn how to honor people for WHO they are in the eyes of God, not WHAT they do. Let’s pull on their potential. Let’s find ways to honor their personhood when we can’t agree with their behavior.

How do we honor others? What does this wonderful story teach us about loving others and making them feel significant, regardless of their behavior? We honor one another:

1. When we respect every human being as an image bearer of God. For example, when we address a homeless person along the highway while asking for directions as, “Sir,” we honor him. Consider the following scenarios regarding honor:

When seeing a well-dressed man and addressing him with dignity, we see his eyes light up, we honor him. When we hold the door for those whose hands are full, when we brag on people who otherwise receive little attention, when we spend time with others who experience minimal interaction, and when we apart from flattery make people feel like they matter, we show honor. There are untold numbers of way we can demonstrate honor toward others in our daily life.

2. When we put other people before ourselves according to the attitude of Christ depicted in Philippians 2:3-9. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.”

3. When we recognize and celebrate one another’s unique gifts, personality and calling.

4. When we highly regard one another with our words, especially when we are not with them personally.

5. When we understand the challenges that others face and how the Lord is processing them toward maturity and their unique calling. Thank God there were those around me when I was a young, immature young man with a call of God on my life. They recognized the call and were willing to honor me.

6. When we defer to one another. Jealousy is the opposite of honor because it breeds insecurity and limits our ability to accept a person’s calling, ability and place in the kingdom of God.

7. When we recognize the true value of each person’s uniqueness and speak it to them and to others.

8. When we do all we can through our prayers, acts of kindness and teamwork to aid those around us to accomplish their calling in the kingdom.

9. When we use our gifts to serve others.

10. When we see wives respect their husband despite their shortcomings; and we see husbands love their wives and overlook their weaknesses and commit themselves to their spouses’ success.

11. When we trust a person’s word. Through this we give him honor and respect.

12. When we keep our word to a person. Not keeping our word or even showing up habitually late tells people, “You are not important to me.”

The Bible provides many examples of honorable people:

1. Joseph, when he did not divorce Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus: “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her. But after he had considered this, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matthew 1:19-20).

2. David, when he spared King Saul’s life: “This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10).

3. Joseph, when he refused to lie with Potiphar’s wife: “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9).

4. Job, when he refused to curse God and die: “His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity?’ Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said’” (Job 2:9-10).

5. Jesus, who “died on the cross for the joy that was set before Him” of obeying His Father’s will” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Some reading this may boldly say, “Pastor Roger is going soft on sin.” Sadly, some of us have been taught to be watchdogs in the house of God. Watchdogs see their role to police the house, to make sure that holiness is enforced at the expense of making people feel unwanted and insignificant. Let me give you a theological term for such nonsense: HOGWASH! I’m absolutely convinced that when we reinstate honor, respect and individual significance back into culture and the church, we will see a revival of epic proportions. Coupled with prayer, honor will drive individuals to open their heart and discover new life in Christ, not because they were shamed or guilted, but because they discovered what a little man up a tree experienced over 20 centuries ago – unconditional acceptance and love.

A Culture of Honor, Part 3

The gospel should draw on the heartstrings of lost people, not beat them up with condemnation, guilt and shame. The gospel is good news, not bad news. Had Jesus not honored the much-hated tax collector, Zacchaeus, like He did; but continued to address him on the same course that the townspeople were accustomed to, Zacchaeus potentially would never have come to faith. His story is found in Luke 19

Note with me in verse 7 that the people were used to coming at Zacchaeus in a very dishonoring and self-righteous manner: “He (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” His reputation preceded him, and his chances for reconciliation and a better life were minimized. The Spirit of God, by all indicators, was dealing with the heart and attitude of that little man, or he would not have been there in the first place.

Something inside the tax collector caused him to show up that day when he heard that Jesus was coming; and desperation for life change drove that little guy up a tree! What was going inside this wretched tax collector went way beyond natural curiosity. Jesus would testify later concerning Zacchaeus that “Today salvation has come to his house…” (verse 9). Something supernatural was pulling at his heartstrings. Jesus Christ honored the much-despised man. He honored him by informing the unsuspecting loner of his dinner plans. What’s so significant about the Master inviting Himself to dinner? The Son of God loved him for WHO he was, not WHAT he was! Jesus showed him honor!

Believe me, this little man probably lived in a gated community, or at least a gated parcel of property with high fences around his home. He probably lived on the outskirts of town, where human interaction would be minimized. Where the taunts and threats of angry people could not be heard.

We can well imagine that nights were spent alone, and every night represented a new eternity for the little man who had no friends and the friends he did have were fair-weather – hearts as crooked as his and ready to sell one another down the river if it meant more corrupt wealth. Rome certainly did not care about Zacchaeus. If he were murdered, there were always others to take his place. Zacchaeus was disposable and a human target.

His dimly lit home would only intensify the darkness of his already broken life. Zacchaeus would later testify that money fell short of a meaningful life: “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (verse 8).

The crowd that day directed a calculated slur against the Master when they said, “He has gone home to be the guest of a sinner” (verse 7). Comically, Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus’ home for dinner! While this may be frowned upon in modern day life – viewed as socially inappropriate – the Master touched a heart-string that caused the little man to come alive on the inside. “You mean, you want to come to MY house tonight? MY house? You’re coming to MY house?” Jesus Christ, in a display of honor overlooked WHAT Zacchaeus did for a living to honor WHO he was! Jesus honored the man’s personhood. When someone honors us, we open our hearts to him.

In today’s church, if we will honor those God sends us, I’m convinced we will see more conversions to Christ than ever before. That’s why we at Hope Community continually stress servant leadership that places the needs of others over ours. People are frantically searching for significance. “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Do you know him today? Jesus Christ knows how to get your attention. He knows what pulls on your heartstring. He will address you at the point of what captures your heart’s attention and draw you toward saving faith. Jesus turns significance into salvation!

A Culture of Honor, Part 2

Last week I discussed the need for honoring people. A little man in Scripture (Luke 19) remains the "poster child."

Zacchaeus’ wounded heart and broken spirit were made glad by the Man from Galilee, who saw beyond his sordid reputation to his significance as a human being made in the image of God.  Sin tarnishes our self-image; the grace of Jesus targets our innate significance.  The Scriptures tell us that “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).  We understand this; however, I’m not talking about our righteous.  I’m referring to our significance – our meaning or purpose.  Significance refers to the potential of our personhood.  

All of us were created by God “to matter.”  We are important in our own right, and we are placed upon this earth to help usher in God’s kingdom.  Insignificance, dishonor and disrespect all kill our divine potential and rob us of an abundant life.  Rob a man of his significance and you potentially keep him in a self-made prison of anger, unbelief and low-living.  Many people sit in churches week after week feeling they are undeserving of God’s grace.  When people realize their true significance in God’s eyes, conversions accelerate. When we honor the unique personhood of all who enter our doors, we see God open their hearts to receive the goodness of God and His salvation.  Honoring people helps take their eyes off their sin and place them on the Savior.  The Spirit more easily convicts of sin when individuals feel that God loves them despite their behavior. Significance always trumps shame and inner turmoil. 

Now let’s read the story of this infamous little man to see how Jesus showed him honor – a man whom many would say, deserved no honor.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.  All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will give back four times the amount.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

Zacchaeus had several things working against him. He was a tax collector for Rome. He superintended the other tax collectors – as the chief tax collector. He was wealthy.  He over-taxed people and kept the overage.  He lived very well with his ill-gotten gain.  He was a fraud. He was hated, despised, always looking over his shoulder.  Always in danger of assassination.  In short, a cheat and a liar! 

AND YET, before the day’s end, this man of small stature would find himself transformed – converted by the grace of Jesus. 

Jesus Christ honored, not the man’s lifestyle, not his character, not his sin, but He called forth the man’s excruciating need to experience forgiveness, love and affirmation.  Wherever the gospel is preached, it draws out the needs of mankind that only Christ himself can address.  That’s one reason why negative preaching cannot bring forth positive results.  When we use our pulpits to tell people how bad they are, how much God is displeased with them and to brow-beat already defeated people, we do the gospel message a gross disservice and injustice. 

More on this topic next week!