HONORING CHRIST
John 5:23
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. Two things are clearly evident from John 5:23.
1. All men should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.
2. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the
Father who sent Him.
B. We learn from other passages that the only way to the Father is
through the Son. John 14:6
1. Also, the one who is pleasing to the Son is also pleasing to
the Father or vice versa. 2 John 9
C. Let us notice some distinct ways in honoring Christ that we
might thereby honor the Father.
I. WE HONOR CHRIST BY IMITATING HIM. Phil. 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:21
A. We must be conformed to the image of the Son. Col. 3:10; 2 Cor.
3:18; Rom. 8:29
B. Chart: We Honor Christ By Imitating Him.
1. We need to do the Father's will as He did. John 4:34; 6:38
2. We need to serve as He served. Matt. 20:28; Luke 22:27
3. We need to be compassionate as He was. Luke 7:11-17
4. We need to be obedient like Him. Heb. 5:8-9
5. We need to be humble as He was. John 13:4,13-17
6. We need to pray as He did. Mark 1:35
7. We need to forgive as He forgave. Luke 23:34
8. We need to freely give as He gave. 2 Cor. 8:9
C. We follow Jesus Christ because He was the epitome of goodness.
No one can match His character and life.
1. It was impossible for the evil Jews to convict Jesus of sin.
John 8:46
2. Mere men, no matter how hard they try, can never reach the
perfection of our Lord. Eccl. 7:20; Psalm 130:3-4
3. Jesus Christ appeals to all those who realize their
imperfections and have a desire to excel.
a. Jesus exemplified a higher plane, and let us seek to walk
in it.
D. We follow Jesus because His teaching is far superior to that of
any other human being.
1. The sermon on the mount is the epitome of incredible
teaching. Matt. 7:28-29
a. The Scribes were fond of quoting each other and other
famous Rabbis who had died.
b. The Lord's teaching carried absolute authority because
He was the Son of God.
c. When we abide in His teaching, we are truly His
disciples. John 8:31-32
E. On the wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio,
Texas, is a portrait with the following inscription: "James
Butler Bonham - no picture of him exists. This portrait is of
his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled
his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know
the appearance of the man who died for freedom."
1. Likewise, no literal portrait of Jesus Christ exists.
Nevertheless, His image can be seen in His word and in the
lives of His true followers.
II. WE HONOR CHRIST BY CONFESSING HIM BEFORE MEN.
A. Consider Jesus' own confession. Matt. 26:63-64
1. He was put to death because of this confession. Matt. 26:65-
66
B. We are to verbally confess "the Lord Jesus" (KJV & NKJV),
"Jesus as Lord" (ASV & NASV), "Jesus is Lord" (NIV &
NRSV). Rom. 10:9
1. We must confess Jesus as Lord because He is God. John 1:1-2
a. An illustrated paraphrase of the above text would be:
"In the beginning was EVE, and EVE was with MAN,
and EVE was MAN. SHE was in the beginning with
MAN." Just as "man" can refer specifically to male, to
the exclusion of female, so also "God" can refer to the
Father, to the exclusion of the Son. However, just as
"man" can include both male and female as a class of
being, so, too, "God" can include both Father and Son
as a class of Being, as in John 1:1. (By Steve Rudd)
2. We dishonor Christ when we fail to confess Him before men
and this will bring tragic results. Matt. 10:32-33
3. In the last day, all men will confess Christ. Phil. 2:11
a. Those who refuse or neglect to confess Him now will be
forced to confess in that great day.
C. We honor Him by continuing to confess Him on a daily basis.
1. Confessing Christ is not a one-time act.
a. It continues our whole lifetime as manifested by the way
we live.
b. We continue to do it as we sing, pray, and engage in
other acts of worship. Heb. 13:15.
(1) "Giving thanks" is "Lit. confessing" (footnote
NKJV and NASV).
(2) "...The fruit of lips which make confession to his
name." (ASV)
c. We confess Him when we make a stand for Him and His
word. Luke 9:26
2. Confession can lead to trouble. John 9:18-23; John 12:42-43
a. Trouble may come on the job, at school, among friends
or relatives.
(1) Nevertheless, we must hold to our confession at all
cost. Heb. 4:14; 10:23
III. WE HONOR CHRIST BY PARTAKING OF HIS MEMORIAL SUPPER.
A. Jesus Christ ordained that we remember His death. Luke 22:19-
20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26
1. We know that the early disciples met on the first day of the
week to observe the Lord's Supper. Acts 20:7
2. It is important that we properly discern the Lord's body
when we partake of the Lord's Supper. 1 Cor. 11:27-29
B. For Christians to fail to meet with other disciples and partake
of the Lord's Supper, is to dishonor Christ. James 4:17
1. A man was hunting in a forest when a storm came up.
Looking about for a shelter from the rain, he found and
crawled into a hollow log, which fit quite snugly. The rain
lasted for hours and soaked through the wood. The log
began to swell with the moisture in it. When the storm was
over the hunter was unable to get out. The log held him
tightly, and finally, exhausted, the man gave up. Knowing
that he would starve to death, his life flashed before him.
He remembered that he had failed to attend the Bible classes
as he should have. He remembered also that he had failed to
meet with the saints to partake of the Lord's Supper. After
realizing how he had done wrong, it made him feel so small
that he was able to crawl out of the log!
2. To put it lightly: "Any Christian, who through neglect,
fails to be in his appointed place on the Lord's day, should
feel very, very small."
IV. WE HONOR CHRIST WITH OUR SUBSTANCE. Prov. 3:9
A. To honor the Lord with our substance is to give to Him of our
living. 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:7; Prov. 21:25-26
1. God has richly given us many things to enjoy. James 1:17; 1
Tim. 6:17
2. We are stewards of the blessings of God. 1 Cor. 4:1-2;
10:26; 1 Pet. 4:10-12
3. Our reward in eternity depends on our faithful stewardship
here on earth. Luke 16:9-12
4. A certain Christian was heard complaining, "The church
costs too much. They are always asking for money." Another
lady answered, "Some time ago, a little boy was born in our
home. He cost us a lot of money from the very beginning; he
had a big appetite, he needed clothes, medicine, and toys.
Then he went to school, and that cost a lot more. Later he
went away to college, and that cost us a small fortune. But
in his senior year at college he died, and since the
funeral, he hasn't cost us a penny. Now which situation do
you think we would rather have?"
Concl.
A. If you are not a Christian, will you not honor Christ by
confessing His name before this audience and being baptized
into Christ?
B. Do the same as the Ethiopian Eunuch, and you can go on your
way rejoicing. Acts 8:36-39
1. When you obey, your forgiveness of sins will be sure, and
your hope of eternal life will rest upon the solid
foundation which cannot be shaken.
Chart:
We Honor Christ By Imitating Him
1. We need to do the Father's will as He did. John 4:34; 6:38
2. We need to serve as He served. Matt. 20:28; Luke 22:27
3. We need to be compassionate as He was. Luke 7:11-17
4. We need to be obedient like Him. Heb. 5:8-9
5. We need to be humble as He was. John 13:4,13-17
6. We need to pray as He did. Mark 1:35
7. We need to forgive as He forgave. Luke 23:34
8. We need to freely give as He gave. 2 Cor. 8:9