Honor to Whom Honor is Due
Partial outline: FULL PDF HERE
Preached 9-11-16 at our FIRST RESPONDERS Event
Romans 13:1-7 (text v. 7)
In this special service we want to extend honor to our civil leaders, military personnel, and our first responders. Although their tasks may vary, they have one thing in common—They serve for our protection and our safety.
Our civil leaders serve to protect us from evil and to praise those who do well (Rom. 13:3; 1 Pet. 2:14). We are more secure because of their service.
Our police officers serve to insure our laws are enforced and obeyed. They protect us from those who would violate those laws. I thank God for our police officers, knowing I am made safer by their efforts.
Our military defend the freedoms we enjoy here in America. I feel safer knowing we have a strong military presence in the world.
A first responder is one who shows up in an emergency situation to help those who cannot help themselves. No matter what the disaster— hurricane, earthquake, terrorist attack—they are there to help. They’re there when you dial 911—when there’s a fire… when there’s a break-in…when there’s a shooting. Thank God for first responders!
It behooves us as a church that loves our country and loves our community to honor these civil servants in a special way.
Civil leaders, Police officers, first responders, military personnel, we recognize that you are for us. And we want you to know that Bible Baptist Church is for you. We honor and thank you.
WHAT IS HONOR? (based on Webster, 1828):
- To esteem highly valuable. You honor someone when you treat them as special and extraordinary. When we honor our civil servants, first responders, and military personnel, as extraordinary people whom we esteem very highly.
- An expression of respect, reverence, or adoration. To honor someone is to believe the best about them and let them know it.
- To treat with dignity, deference, and courtesy.
Honor is more than words. When God commands us to honor our father and mother, it means more than sending a greeting card. To honor involves action. Honor is shown or demonstrated in how we treat people.
How we show honor is a reflection of how we see people; how we see ourselves; and how we see God.
So, we honor our civil servants, for…
I. The COMFORT they supply—The comfort of feeling safe and secure.
We live in scary times (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
- My first “car seat” simply hooked over the back of the front seat. There were no straps to secure it. It had a little steering wheel so I could steer the car along with my dad. There was no fear about putting a child in one of these. But now we have elaborate child safety car seats and booster seats for children under 50 lbs. I sometimes feel sorry for Junior High kids who don’t meet the weight requirement.
- When I was a kid, I could ride my bike from my house on Winifred Street to downtown Wayne, MI (about 3 miles). The only thing my parents required was that I come home “when the street lights come on.” We felt very safe. Today, many parents won’t let their kids leave their yard.
- My dad owned a new 1959 Plymouth Fury. It was so cool! It had dual headlights and huge fins on the rear fenders. It had a push button transmission. But it did not have seat belts. I remember times when my Dad needed to make a sudden stop and would quickly stick his right arm in front of me to keep me from hitting the dashboard. Then came “lap belts”; shoulder harness; and air bags—All to make us feel safer. But I don’t feel any safer today than when I was a kid riding in my Dad’s car.
- In the 50’s and 60’s, our house in Wayne, MI had asbestos siding. In my art class in Junior High I remember making asbestos puppets with my bare hands, without any fear of getting cancer.
- All the walls of our house were finished with lead based paint. My parents never had to warn me not to lick the walls! We felt safe.
- There was no fear about playing my the toys as a kid. But today, most of those toys would be banned as dangerous.
A. Times are different today. Today, our culture is driven by fear. Now we have ISIS… suicide bombers… terrorists driving trucks into crowds of people… mass shootings. (In 2015 alone, there were 294 mass shootings killing or injuring 1,464 people).
B. Presidential campaigns capitalize on people’s fears. The news media warns us to be afraid about using anti-bacteria hand cleansers… Traveling to Florida because of mosquitos… I read one article this week that said calcium pills are now linked to dementia. One T.V. ad said, “Your neighborhood may not be as safe as you thought… Tune in to the 5:00 evening news for more details!”
C. Today we need our policemen, firemen ,first responders ,and armed forces more than ever to help make us feel safe. I honor them for the measure of comfort they provide in these perilous times.
We also honor our civil servants, for…
II. Their COURAGE and sacrifice.
A. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face it. First responders run toward what most of us run away from.
Their acts of bravery and heroism often come at a high price. On 9/11 New York City lost more than 400 of her finest and most courageous first responders.
B. A CBS report found seven out of ten of the 9/11 first responders have debilitating respiratory illnesses from breathing the toxic dust as they ran toward the fiery World Trade Center towers. They also suffer from massive migraines, unexplained rashes and aches and pains that defy explanation.
Partial outline: FULL PDF HERE
