Why It’s Important to Honor Others

You are an image bearer of Almighty God and you have automatic intrinsic value your value comes from God not meet your value comes from God, not your spouse, not your children not your parents not your pastor not your coworkers that is such a great description of Genesis 127, which says were all made in the image of God would hear more about what their really means with her guest pastor Ted Cunningham thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller in your hostess focus Pres. and Arthur Jim Daly, John January is the month that we celebrate the sanctity of human life from cradle-to-grave and today's message from Pastor Ted. It's right into that theme of the reason the sanctity of human life is important to us is because it's important to God.

Each of us are created in his image.

We are image bearers of the Almighty and applying that knowledge to life-and-death questions like abortion and euthanasia is very illuminating. Recently, Pastor Ted spoke to her staff on this very topic in his typical humorous and engaging style. Ted is an author comedian in the founding pastor at Woodland Hills family church in Branson Missouri. And here now is Ted Cunningham on today's Focus on the Family well it is great that I just I want to start by saying thank you for trusting me to do date nights around the country on behalf of Focus on the Family, and I want to share my favorite joke from these events because it came to me from an 86-year-old missionary at our church Packers shall serve for over 60 years with international students Inc. here in Colorado Springs and I was actually working on a chapter in the book.

I love the last chapter 3 where I'm helping couples find their shared sense of humor and I meet with Pat about once a month, the Panera bread for coffee and I was working on when she came in and she calls me preacher boy sometime so she asked me what he work on a sentence helping couples find their shared sense of humor and said what you mean. I said well too many people try to be funny and they're not funny.

Do you know what I'm talking about and so instead of trying to be funny. They should just look for funny because funny is all around us. Humor is everywhere and really just call it out and I made the mistake of asking Pat, have you seen anything funny lately. I asked my 86-year-old senior member of the church. Have you seen anything funny lately see what I thought. Just yesterday will get my mammogram up in Springfield now. Every pastor needs a good mammogram story from a senior member I said Pat what was funny up in Springfield. She said what you know it's at Mercy Hospital and the nuns they got versus all up and down the hallways. Ted what verse you think that hanging on the mammogram machine at Mercy Hospital. I said I have absolutely no idea she said. Second Corinthians 48 for we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. That's a holder and I went to Dallas seminary where we learned that is a verse out of context. Can I get an amen on that one. So I love when people visit our church in Branson.

After they hear me share that on the road, and the like will want to meet.

That's the only joke she's got I got a be real honest with you, but it is a good one. I love encouraging couples with humor and families with humor in our church with humor but there's a word I want to give today and it's one word that changes the way I value my spouse change the way I value my children.

My parents changes the way I value coworkers changes the way I look at strangers I meet on the street.

It changes the way I view people that don't look like me talk like me in the don't vote like me, it changes the way I view people of the opposite party. It changes that I would even say it fly straight in the face of the hostility that we've been experiencing a little bit in our country and our world and even in our church over the last couple of years and the word is simply honor.

I love the word honor honor means to esteem is highly valuable and I will look at this word. Three-way savers want to explore from Scripture and then I want to challenge all of us and this is a challenging message for me because I know how I tend to value people and how I tend to look at people, but I want to look at them through the eyes of God.

Want to see them as image bearers of Almighty God as I want to be challenged in my thinking and in my heart this word but then I want to get very practical and give you four ways that you can show honor to the people in your family to the people you meet on the streets to the people in your church to your coworkers all along the way I want to start Genesis 127. This passage is where we started our church, Woodland Hills, family, church in Branson. We start with this passage. Whether were talking about abortion, immigration, racial reconciliation, divorce, adoption, fostering it all starts for us with the image of God in man, the Amado day. Genesis 127 reads.

So God created mankind in his own image in the image of God he created them male and female he created them.

So even when we talk about sex, sexuality and gender, sexual orientation, it starts for us with Genesis 127 the Amado day we see every human being is personally autographed by God and highly valuable.

Gary Smalley put it this way. Honor is a decision we make to place high value worth and importance on another person, whether we realize it or not, the value we attach to God, our children and ourselves greatly determines the success or failure of our relationships.

But here's the cool thing about honor is the most important thing we can learn about honor today before we get practical honor recognizes value.

It does not set value when I honor you. I am calling out the value in your life. I'm not determining it.

You know that means there's nothing I can say or do that adds to or takes away from your value.

Nothing I can't add anything to it. I can't take anything away from it all I can do is recognize it and call it out. I don't know why this word sometimes gets me emotional because right now is the moment that I would want to tell you a joke, and my wife would be sitting down there going, don't you do it don't you sit in this Ted. She says my number one flaw as a pastor and speakers.

I love the bail people out like when were sitting in it and some stuff we need to be challenged with to me. The joke is the great escape in all God's people said no half of you and know don't you do it like I just did it.

I can't.

I cannot.

This word gets me most of you know what someone's listening to the broadcasts right now who feels worthless. They been told that by apparent they been pulled up by a spouse, and for years and years and years and they're driving right now they're at work there at home, they feel worthless and I just want to remind that listener that is a feeling, not the truth, Ryan Pennell, one of the therapist hope restored with Focus on the Family. I love what he says about feelings is too often in the church would like to stop our feelings. We like to tell people don't pay attention, feeling Ryan's gotten the best quote on feelings I've ever heard. He said feelings are like our children. We should listen to them. We should care for them, but we should not allow them to make major decisions for our family. So if you're feeling worthless right now. Guess what, that is a feeling, don't allow that to make major decisions for your life, because the truth is you are an image bearer of Almighty God and you have automatic intrinsic value your value comes from God, not me, your value comes from God, not your spouse, not your children not your parents not to pastor not your coworkers, not strangers you meet on the street, your values, not based on another spots feelings words or actions.

If I can just say it another way, your values, not based on your thoughts, feelings, words and actions.

God determined your value by creating you in his image. Every single human being is created in the image of God and has automatic intrinsic value. What I love about Focus on the Family. That's why all the great work that you're doing around the. The pro-life movement. You see, every child in the womb outside the womb as an image bearer of Almighty God created in the image of God. You see, we tend to value people. I'll put myself in.

This is why need to be challenged with this message we tend to value people based on their age.

We value people based on their job. Why you think went out to meet someone. One of the follow-up questions. First, follow-up questions is what what you do.

We like that's what you do, so I can then figure out how long this conversations in the last we value people based on status and income, race, nationality, political party behavior abilities, disabilities, intelligence, sexual orientation, and I think is another important thing to say about honor, I do not need to agree with your decisions. I do not need to agree with your lifestyle choices to see you as someone who is created in the image of God. You're an image bearer of Almighty God notes important because this always, we hope, we have to talk about the difference between the image of God and being a child of God. So through creation. You bear the image of God but it's through salvation faith alone in Christ alone that you become a child of God. Let me say that again through creation. I bear the image of God. But their faith alone in Christ alone. I become a child of God. Sin, it marred the image of God and man. But it did not remove it. Jesus died for my sins so I want to encourage us as we walk through this and we talk about honor and give some very practical ways. I love get into the practical ways we talk about this all day long.

But how do we live it out. How do we walk it out in our family and in the workplace, and even strangers. Even with people that we don't agree with you with people of the opposite party is how I think about people and how I treat people that matters to God, it matters to God. And it's easy to honor those who think like me believe like me about like me.

What Jesus say in Matthew 546 to 47. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get are not even the tax collectors doing that if you greet only your own people.

What are you doing more than others do not even pagans do that. In other words, there is no skill needed to love an easy love person. There is no skill needed to honor someone who's been nice to you.

So how do you live this out practically to give you four ways that you can affirm another's value another's high-value with words in the very first one. It's my favorite and it's changed my life over the last 18 years I been practicing this for 18 years after Gary handed to me but the first thing I want to encourage you to do is write write it down. I walked into Gary Smalley's office and he was working on something in it was for pieces of paper stapled together and across the top it said all the reasons why Norma is highly valuable and I said Gary what is this, he goes. What an honor list. I know what you what you do with this. He said, well, I've been keeping track of all the reasons why norm is highly valuable because by confirmation bias teaches us make decisions and then we look for the evidence to back them up. He said this is all of the decisions there all the decisions that I have made about Norma and I like to be reminded of her value.

He said after we get into a fight read in the conflict.

I come back in here and I grabbed this list he said in an is not the time to edit. He said I don't walk in and pick it up and look at it be like that's not true know he said no.

I I am reminded, and it you knew Gary personally know he is pretty emotional guys that I usually don't have to get off the first page before the tears start flowing and I'm reminded of her value and I go back to her just in a different posture. He said Ted you have a list for Amy.

I said I don't.

He goes get it started, and this is my well-worn list I travel with it, but it's all the reasons why than writing them down. What I love about Amy how I have fun with Amy but it's all the reasons why she's valuable and it's kind of a personal list of some of you maybe I'll take some of ours and tweak it for you but it's really understanding how my wife is an image bearer how God created her in her personality and thing.

I love it and I so I've written it down in my very first one is I love your all or nothing. Passion my wife is a very passionate woman. Everything is passion coming out of that woman raise your hand, you're married to a strong woman.

Let me just your hand or I would love a slow that you want me to raise my hand right now. I don't care how you answer that question how you answer the next was the more prominent you love being married to a strong woman I love being married to a strong woman. She is passionate. I come home from a bad day church to resurrect a church like mine equipment after the missionaries, full-time how that escalated real fast.

I think we should sleep on and definitely pray about it and she's passionate about her walking walked me and the dogs every night before sunset. Everything there is no strolling there zero strolling in our where were going between your cheeks. Together they listen, I'm 47 1/2. I don't need a nigra Baptist.

There always were good. You don't ever have to worry about. She's a passionate woman everything she does is passion and we called in our home. These brand declarations and shoulders make a decision.

She's really good at making me sit and she got an honor list for me as well� Be weird be sharing all the honorable thing she says about me.

So I'll just cheer her.

She's the shield shall make these grand proclamations in our home and she'll be like to do about like marching orders were doing it. I love that passion. I call it out. I love your disdain for directions. No lie. You love letting me lead like when we go through airports as a family. I'm in charge.

Amy loves to be like she doesn't want to think about dates and times in an boarding option on one thing about any of that.

She's traveling today with her father and going through airports. I get nervous something. Are you okay you get there and she's like when you're not around I'm fine with you.

I love kicking it in neutral.

I love your disdain for directions you love letting me lead you couldn't care last how we're getting there or when were getting there while driving your airport. You pay no attention to signs because you completely trust me getting you there this when I added a few years ago to notice.

I love you too love languages she has to love language is acts of service and quality time, which means I serve her for long periods of time and in the middle of that is that decluttering love language. She lives by a pitch pitch pitch. Get rid of it. We don't need it.

I put in here. I love your silent patriotic laugh when my wife finds him funny. She places her hand over her heart. She leans forward and nothing comes out.

We went to see a comedian years ago who did like a 15 minute bed on a colonoscopy and first being that she worried she just sat there and my goal.

Listen this this I think were only on like number four on this list. This is pages long, but my goal is her husband is to get her to laugh everyday.

My goal is to get that silent patriotic laugh. I almost hit it every day but sometimes I get just a chuckle.

The other they were in the grocery store and I'm not a big fan of shopping, so I'm constantly looking for ways to bring out the humor in these miserable grocery shopping experiences, and sometimes she'll send me over to Lyle to run over and get some and I was walking over to another island I came across Coca-Cola has a new 15 pack.

I don't know if you seen it as a 15 pack of Coca-Cola. 1/3 of the boxes this big white stripe and I kid you not. It says 15 pack three cans more than a 12 pack.

I grabbed it. I take it over. It's worth it for me to walk to Isles. We got by just to show Amy. I didn't get the silent, patriotic laugh, but I did get a that's enough for me. I don't know. I do not know that even more like November, when your math teacher said show your work.

Coca-Cola is showing their work for all the people who were raised on new math frustrated right call it out. I'm going for that silent patriotic laugh. I want to see that inner I love this one my favorite.

I was just get through the list a little bit but I hope is your listening you're considering the list below your notepad out on your phone or your iPad before you get home and I jot down five reasons why your spouse is highly valuable.

Jot down reasons why your children are highly valuable.

We don't give our kids birthday cards anymore. We given an honor list and has an that whatever age they are daughter just turned 18.

She got 18 reasons why she's highly valuable on her list can save you money on cards and skin to mean a lot more this one my favorite. I said I love how you prioritize our marriage eradicated the kids and at home. You place on marriage first date nights are important to you and you model a great marriage for kids by some personal things in here on how she loves her son the way in which she shows that how she loves her daughter and the way in which he shows that love your commitment to Christ, you are sensitive to the Lord's leadership in your life. I love your spontaneity with 2 to 3 days notice you cut loose and go with the flow.

My favorite line is when you tell me just call me Flo like I tell you every marriage, every family, every relationship has these dynamics I there are some personal ones on here that I'm not sharing with but it's our honor list. She has one for me. I have one for write it down. Write these words down call out what you see in someone else.

But please don't stop there. Gifted were used to given Hallmark cards and gifts for birthdays and anniversaries and special occasions. I'm here to tell you and honor list is one of the best gifts you can give someone. Proverbs 22 once is a good name is more desirable than great riches to be esteemed is better than gold or silver and I saw that play out the first time we given honor list to my mom when she turned 64 years old and you know my parents are at that age now in their 70s they don't want any more stuff I don't want most every time I leave my parents house I leave with a box of stuff.

This is a true story about mom this is your blender, you have your blender in here.

I'm done cooking right that's kind of where they are in life but you know what she'll never get enough of what I'm called to do until she or I draws our final breath and that is honor. I asked all the family.

I conspired against her on her 64th birthday eyes. My dad, my kids everybody to write an honor list for Palma Bonnie and we went out to a nice meal at the end of the meal in between the entr�e and dessert. I invited everyone to take out their ominous my mom didn't see it come in and it hit her like a train and a inches what's going on. I said I've asked everybody to write down all the reasons why your highly valuable and were just going to go around the table and share it.

Listen we didn't get to the first line on the first list before my mom went no like that's honor we were and she couldn't hold it together around the table.

You know why honor a good name, more desirable than great riches to be esteemed better than gold or silver.

I love to do this at birthday parties I'm invited to. If I can tell there's no planner no structure to the evening I'll ask whoever is hosting the party, do you mind if we do, and honor bombardment what you mean were just going to go around for birthday boy birthday girl and everybody can speak one word of high value over this person.

Maybe share a story or a line or two already down all text to you at the end of the night. We do this at our staff meetings. I love to grab just the cup piece of paper right everybody's name down. It's in the meeting, tear it off put it in the cup, shake it up, pull one name out one name out and we go around as a staff and everyone honor bombards that write it down, but gifted, and even better than that. I have found write it gifted. Number three, speak it out loud. Can I tell you, tell you one of the best ways to teach your children to honor God, others, and you is to honor each other. Let them see you practice honor, but one of the best ways to show that to model that is with each other and so I don't just give this to a now just write it down about Amy. I don't just get that to Amy but I make sure my children are present and I will read these words out loud in front of my kids. I want them to see how important this is why Proverbs 1821 says the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

When we speak words of high value into people we speak words of high value over people I were speaking these words to people reminding them not setting but reminding them of their value.

It's so life-giving.

If you want to raise kids who know how to honor people in the image of God and man and see people as autographed by God and highly valuable then let them see you treat people that way in the home in the workplace to strangers on the street.

Would you pray with me father first and foremost, I pray for the one right now it's listening. That is an image bearer, but is not a child of God that today would be the day of their salvation that they would repent of their sins that they would confess that Jesus is Lord believe that he is been raised from the dead, that they would be saved through creation.

There image bearer through salvation. They become a child of God, thank you for Focus on the Family and the work they're doing here to lift up the a modern-day and go straight into culture with it. Honoring people, honoring the unborn, honoring couples give them the ministry of honor and all that they do and all that they stand for and we pray this, the authority of the name of Jesus and everyone agreed and said love you. Thank you for allowing Pastor Ted Cunningham's beginning to the Focus on the Family staff at a recent chapel get John. I so appreciate Ted's message. This is foundational stuff. It's Christianity 101 and it's definitely something that we should be teaching our children, especially in a world that is so polarized on a variety of issues we need to remember that every person is made in the image of God, whether we agree with them or not. And I'd highly recommend that you discuss this content with your family, get the CD of this presentation from Ted or watch it on the YouTube channel. Let me also encourage you to visit us online and learn more about our livid challenge. It's a series of free resources and fun project ideas that will help your family learn more about our faith, and more importantly how to live it out.

You know, our surveys tell us that over the past year, over 1 million people said that Focus on the Family help them influence their communities for Christ. That's a huge number and we are honored to participate in the Lord's plan to spread the gospel far and wide. But as a nonprofit ministry. We need your help. We rely on your contributions to fuel these efforts. So please consider donating to Focus on the Family today and when you make a donation of any amount will send you a CD of this message from Ted Cunningham as our way of saying thank you young number is 800 the letter a in the word family 800-232-6459 or you can donate online and request that CD to find the links in the episode notes and when you're online with us.

Be sure to look for the link to the livid challenge and will also post some articles and how to get more involved in pro-life efforts will next time Dr. David Clark explains how to save a marriage that is headed toward divorce so you're in a situation like that with you marriage it seems impossible to just no way Outlook what's happening. It's been years like this, Satan is pushing your gun. God may not be done in is not to be done with that marriage is always a chance with God's help, on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team here. Thanks for joining us for this Focus on the Family podcast take a moment and leave a rating force in the app for sure about this episode with a friend. It's worth listening to again I'm John Fuller inviting you back next time. As we once more help you and your family thrive in Christ, I'm here asking people how they could both give and I don't know. Maybe. Love you both give and get love through body. It's also possible that the charitable gift annuity you get a secure source and fixed income and a charitable tax to decks and class giving a charitable gift annuity to Focus on the Family help families thrive for generations to come. Find out more good and giving.com that's focus planned giving.com