Easter Message

"The power of choice" To respect & honor God & one another. I Peter 2:17 "Show proper respect to everyone" This is a powerful truth that can transform your relationships! In our society today, we feel like everyone is a victim. Don't you? All your problems are because of someone else -right? You deserve and are owed all good things and happiness. These are false world views that are presented to us continually. To believe and live in falsehood brings destruction. Hear this: What you believe is your choice! You can choose to believe the Word of God or not. Jesus - John 7:17 "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." 

The angel said to Mary, "He is not here; He has risen just as he said." May we all learn to respect the Word of the Lord - What He says, He will do!. Today - you can choose to be a blessed! Be one who respects others. When someone treats you with respect/honor doesn't that bless you? The power of our words lifts others up.. If you want respect you have to give it! You can be a Father, Mother, Leader .. but if you don't give respect you won't have real respect. Too many children & Teen's are not respected. It's a basic need in our lives to be respected. You don't have to agree - but be considerate.

I Peter 3:7 "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect.." time (tee-may'); to honour, precious, ; a value, i.e. money paid, to esteem... We must respect the different ways of thinking, gifting and roles we fulfill...

I Peter 3:15-16. ".. give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.." Phobeo - fearful of not making a correct presentation of God's Word. 
Eph. 5:33 "and the wife must respect her husband." phobeo- to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; to be in awe of, i.e. revere: reverence. We say, "well they just don't deserve respect", and yes typically respect is earned. But just as God calls us to love, He calls us to give respect. People do a lot of weird things when they don't get respect .... because we all need it! Is that person made in God's image and loved by Him? Yes! Treat them accordingly!

I Peter 1:22-25 "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply .. for you have been born again, .. through the living and enduring word of God..." A commitment to love makes a great relationship = great trust! To love and respect is not easy - Everyday you need to say "No" to your flesh ... & "Yes" to God! Remember it's a choice! What you believe is what you will do. So there is a fundamental question you must ask yourself: "What is going to be the basis of authority in my life?" This world & my flesh? or Christ - The Living Word of God? Which is more reliable? What is right and "In" now, will have changed in a few years. Dr. Spock... butter ... therapy ... Let your life be built upon God's Word - let it be the authority in your life! Completely! You can't do it half-way. Choose all out commitment! People have weird ideas about faith. "I just don't see it", or "Feel it" - To believe is a choice. Jesus commands faith - "repent and believe". Joshua said, "choose this day" Elijah - "If God is God then serve Him, if Baal is .."

The key to loving and respecting others is to love and respect God. To respect His Word. To do what He says! There needs to be an honoring of God's Word in our lives - that only happens through obedience. God has honored everyone of us, by saying you have a gift and a vital role to play in the Body of Christ. He so values us that he gave His Son that we might have life in Him!

Conclusion: The story of Lazarus - John 11. They had to respect the Words of Jesus more than their own feelings or understanding, opening up the tomb. We too must open up the door of our heart to Christ, rolling away the stone to our sinking flesh. "Behold I stand at the door and knock.." If we choose to believe, His promise is: "you will see the glory of God." "I am the Resurrection and the Life" - Respect God's Word Completely & thereby respect one another.