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INTRODUCTION
1.What does respect means?
Some answers:
a. Look up to
b. Admire
c. Listen to
The answer : To feel or show honor or esteem for; hold in high regard.
The goal of this study is to help you see how important respect is to God and to reach you who needs to be respected.
1. Mark 12:28-30
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
Best place to start is respect for God.
How do you show respect for God? By loving God will you've got? How do you love God with all your heart and soul (emotions)? Mind
and strength (actions)?
a) share your heart with him in prayer
b) do all God asks of you
c) serving God (i.e. by being a servant to others)
d) finding out, by studying, how to be with God in heaven
e) constantly think about God and what Jesus would do in every situation
Bottom line : you show respect for God by honoring him by who you are what you say ad how you live. Your respect for God will directly cause you to respect others, as he commands.
2. Ephesians 6:1-3
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise--
3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
Respect your parent(s)
How should you honor ad show respect for your parents?
a) obey them right away without complaining
b) love them unconditionally
c) listen attentively and look them in the eyes when they speak
d) be open with them ( share your heart with them)
e) be open with them ( share your heart with them)
f) appreciate ad value them for who they are and all they do for you
g) have respectful body language
Bottom line : Any disrespect for your parents needs to change. The result of respect is that it brings joy to God ad joy to your family.
3. 1 Peter 2:17
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Name others you absolutely need to respect?
a) sibling(s)
b) leaders in the church
c) teachers in school
d) coaches of athletic teams
e) policemen and other government officials
f) people running clubs/ activities you are part of
4. 1 Thessalonians 5:12
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Why should you respect spiritual leaders?
a) they've been given a responsibility and you should make their responsibility a joy
b) it builds your spiritual character to respect others
c) God says so
5. Romans 13:1-7
1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Respecting rule, regulation, laws and guidelines Why wouldn't you follow these?
a) to have an unfair advantage over someone
b) because you're rebellious
Why should you follow these?
a) God expects you to
b) it builds your spiritual character
c) you contribute to order rather than participate in disorder
Name some rules, regulations, laws and guidelines you need to follow at home, at school and at other people's houses.
Bottom line : The fact of life is that there are rules, regulations, laws and guidelines to follow everywhere you go. God expects us to follow them, as long it doesn't contradict the Bible. You must repent of any disrespectful attitude in any of these areas.
Overall bottom line :
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Respecting others and respecting rules will show how spiritually mature you are. Also, the more you respect people and rules, the more respect you will get back from others.
PERSONAL HEART-CHECK QUESTIONS
a. Would God say he feels like you respect him? Would your parents?
b. To whom are you most tempted to be disrespectful? How will you repent?
c. What rules, regulations, laws or guidelines are you most tempted not to follow/ how will you repent/
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Write out one page about what you've learned from this study ad what you will do differently because of what you learned.
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