OUTLINE: GIVING HONOR TO GOD

Author Unknown

 

Prov 3:9-10

Honor Jehovah with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thine increase:

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

 

Introduction

 

1.      Honoring God is done with our best-"firstfruits" of increase (best of harvest, because earliest).

2.      To honor Him is to increase one's own blessings, as taught in Malachi 3 and 2 Cor. 9.

3.      Here we study some principles related to presenting our best efforts in divine service.

 

I.  Priority of the Kingdom:

 

The kingdom of God must come first in my life, Mt. 6:33.  Whatever God requires must receive the priority demanded by His person, character and worthiness.  If spiritual matters are more important than physical ones, then my approach (attitude, manner) to them must also receive priority.

 

II. Sanctification to God:

 

My life must be dedicated to Him, Rom. 12:1,2.  Because God's mercy is the motivating factor, I should desire to "present" it to Him.  Only His standards apply; they alone are holy and acceptable.

 

III. Voluntary Effort:

 

There must be first a willing mind, 2 Cor. 8:12; Psm. 110:3.  In the earlier verses, Paul showed how the Macedonian Christians had shown their willingness-abounding liberality out of deep poverty, giving beyond their power, first gave selves to the Lord, Paul's appeal to abound in this grace as in others, measure of the sincerity of their love, Christ's self-sacrifice.

 

IV. Best to God:

 

Nothing defiled or tainted pertained to divine service,  Lev. 22:21, 25, 32.  God must be hallowed (treated as holy, reverend) among His people by their acceptable offerings.

 

V. Human standards condemn some efforts:

 

God is worthy of at least as much honor as the governor, Mal. 1:6-8.  If we would not think of treating our human superiors in such a shoddy way, then we ought not to

satisfy ourselves with such a level of divine service.  Apply to attitude, diligence, punctuality, zeal, attire, etc.

 

VI. Personal Investment:

 

I should never offer to God something that I have not personally sacrificed, 2 Sam. 24:24.  What I have received and would otherwise use, can be a sacrifice to God.  What I would relegate to the trash heap (time, money, possession, effort), I should not consider as sacrifice.

 

VII. Reverence Due to God:

 

To be in God's presence is special, requiring special preparation, Ex. 3:5; 1 Pet. 2:5.  Christians are God's holy priesthood, holy nation, and special people, that they might show forth His excellencies.  In God's instructions to His O.T. priests, the Lord ordered special garments and observance to prepare themselves and the sacrifices for offering to Him.  Unconsidered worship and unkempt appearance, fit for the ball field or yard work, does not belong in divine service.  While God has given no uniform, the principles here considered show that we ought to think higher of Him than to approach Him with inferior efforts and in shabby, ragged, or showy, or indecent clothing, when we can do better.

 

Some Common Practices Failing to Meet the Standard of Our Best:

 

• Leaving decisions about time and money given to the Lord until little of either remains: This results in God getting the leftovers, not our best.
• An indifferent approach to the service of God, because of the failure to dedicate oneself to Him in the spirit of self-sacrifice: To many, religion is what we can get, not what we can give to the Lord.
• The necessity of constant reminding coaxing, and persuading, because one's neglect of the voluntary spirit that ought to characterize all under Christ's reign: Too much elders' and preachers' attention is consumed by a small segment of unconverted people in local churches.
• Wearing ourselves out on Saturday, so that we have little stamina or steadfastness left for spiritual pursuits on the Lord's Day: The practice of many Christians in bygone years, as they used Saturday, and especially Saturday night, to prepare clothes, shoes, meals, and themselves for that special occasion of worship, probably ought to be revived in many homes.
• Let us not forget that it is the Lord's Day.  Too many view Sunday as just another day, and its events as commonplace.
• Viewing the public services of the congregation as mundane, trivial events: lukewarm attitudes, shabby dress, late arrival, and half-hearted worship betray the thinking that an occasion of worship is not so special.
• Misunderstanding worship as a time of performance, entertainment, or inferior endeavor: In view of the reverence that God is due and our gladness in His august presence, anything less than our best degrades God, belittles fellow saints, reflects poorly on ourselves, and denigrates the awe and dignity of the occasion.