Good morning, church! This morning we're turning to Hebrews chapter 13, and I want to talk about something the Bible says a lot about but that we rarely pause to consider. I want to talk about honor, because our culture doesn't understand much about honor, but God's Word makes it a priority. Listen to what the Lord says:

"Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:32).

We live in a world quick to honor celebrities, athletes, and those with big platforms. We hand out trophies, followers, and headlines to famous people for a moment. But God sees honor very differently. In His kingdom, honor isn't about fame or position. It's about faithfulness. It's about running the race and finishing well. So this morning, let's discover what makes someone worthy of honor in God's eyes and how we can build a culture of honor right here in our church family.

This message is titled "Worthy of Honor," and our main text is from Hebrews chapter 13. In this final chapter, the writer concludes his letter to a group of believers under great pressure and facing persecution. Some were tempted to give up, and some were tempted to return to their old ways. Amid all that, he gives them this instruction:

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7).

That one verse gives us three simple actions: remember, consider, and imitate. Taken together, they paint a clear picture of what real, biblical honor looks like. It's not flattery, nor is it putting people on a pedestal. It's recognizing God's grace at work in someone's life and letting that grace shape us.

In the Bible, the Hebrew word for honor carries the idea of weight. To honor someone is to give them weight in your life. That means you take them seriously and value what God has done through them. But before we talk about honoring people, we must start in the right place, because all honor begins with God.

Before anyone on earth is worthy of honor, there is one who is worthy of all honor. In the book of Revelation, John is caught up into heaven and sees God's throne room. He watches as Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, steps forward to take a scroll, and all of heaven erupts in worship. Thousands upon thousands of angels lift their voices and sing:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12).

That is where honor begins, because Jesus alone is truly worthy. He laid down his life on the cross, rose again on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Every good thing in any person, every gift, every ounce of faithfulness, every word that has ever touched your heart, flows from him. And because it all flows from him, nothing you ever do for him is wasted.

The apostle Paul put it this way: "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

When we honor the people God has placed in our lives, we are honoring the work of Jesus in them, which keeps us balanced. It keeps us from worshiping people and keeps all of us humble. The moment anyone thinks the honor belongs to them, they are in trouble. Our responsibility as believers is to take every bit of honor that comes our way and lay it at the feet of Jesus, where it belongs.

In fact, that is exactly what the elders in Revelation do; they fall down before him and worship him.

"They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being'" (Revelation 4:10-11).

If that is what they are doing in heaven, I think it is a pretty good model for us down here as well.

Second, honor is rooted in faithfulness to God's Word. Look again at Hebrews chapter 13, verse seven; the Holy Spirit tells us,

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you" (Hebrews 13:7).

That is what made those leaders worth remembering: it wasn’t their personality, charisma, talent, or title; it was their faithfulness to God’s Word.

The apostle Paul said the same thing about those who speak the word of God to you when he wrote to Timothy, saying,

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17).

Notice the phrase “direct the affairs of the church well,” because honor is connected to faithful service. It’s not about being in charge; it’s about carrying responsibility well, with integrity, humility, and a heart anchored in the Word of God.

In other words, speaking God’s Word doesn’t happen only here at the front of the church. It happens when a children’s teacher opens the Bible to a room full of kids. It happens when a youth leader sits down with a struggling teenager. It happens when a deacon prays with someone at the altar or when a ministry leader encourages a volunteer who is ready to quit. Each of those moments is someone speaking the Word of God into another life, and each is worthy of honor.

Third, the writer of Hebrews tells us that honor is proven over time. He says,

"Consider the outcome of their way of life" (Hebrews 13:7).

In other words, look at the fruit; look at how their life plays out over the long haul. You see, anyone can look good for a season; anyone can be excited for a few months, but real faithfulness is evident over the years.

It is a lot like getting in shape. One workout won’t change you, and neither will one week of eating right. But it is the daily steps, resistance training, and discipline, day after day, that produce results. You don’t see the change overnight, but one day you look in the mirror and realize you are not who you were.

Faithfulness works the same way. It shows up when no one is watching. It shows up when the work is hard, the budget is tight, the building project takes longer than anyone expected, and people are hurting and need someone to show up anyway.

Many Bible scholars believe the leaders the writer of Hebrews referred to had already finished their race. Some may even have given their lives as martyrs for the gospel. Their faithfulness had been tested all the way to the finish line, which is why their example carried so much weight.

That is a challenge to every one of us, as the apostle Paul said:

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).

Faithfulness isn’t recognized in the moment or in the spring, but God sees it and honors it because heaven keeps better records than we do. Second Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 10 teaches that we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive what is due for the things done while in the body. And so, absolutely nothing we do escapes God’s notice, and we are accountable to him.

Fourth, honor is shared because no one serves alone.

Let me take you back to a powerful scene in Exodus chapter 17, where the Israelites are fighting the Amalekites. Joshua is in the valley, leading the fight, while Moses goes up the hill overlooking the battle, holding the staff of God. The Bible says that something amazing happens:

"As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning" (Exodus 17:11).

Now, you've got to understand, Moses was just a man. And so, his arms got tired, just like ours do when we worship. So what happened next?

"When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset" (Exodus 17:12).

I love that because in Scripture Moses gets most of the attention, yet here we see that the victory was won because Aaron and Hur stood beside him, supporting him, holding up his arms. But nobody wrote songs about Aaron and Hur. In fact, most people can’t even remember their names, yet without their faithfulness, the battle could have been lost.

That is exactly what ministry looks like here at Christ's Community Church. There are people in this room who have been holding up the arms of this ministry for years. They pray, plan, serve, and sacrifice, often without anyone noticing. Today I want to honor them.

I want to start with my wife. You see her up here on Sunday mornings sharing the announcements, but what you don't always see is all that happens behind the scenes. You don't see the late nights, the prayers, the phone calls, the counsel, the sacrifices, or the countless ways she has poured her life into this church family. She has a deep love for God's people, and this church is stronger because of her faithfulness.

The Bible describes a woman of noble character in Proverbs 31. Near the end of that chapter, it says:

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all'" (Proverbs 31:28-29).

That is exactly how I feel about my wife, and I want to say it publicly this morning. Many women do noble things, but Dana surpasses them all. I am so thankful for her faithfulness, love, and heart for God's people. And so, would you help me honor her?

Next, I want to honor our Board of Directors and deacons, who carry the weight of the church’s administration and the decisions most people never consider. The board prays over the direction, plans, and future of this church. They have walked through seasons of growth and seasons of stretching, including everything that has gone into our building project. But they don’t serve for recognition; they serve because they love this church and the Lord.

In Acts chapter 6, the early church was growing quickly, and the apostles needed help caring for the people. So they gave this instruction:

"Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them" (Acts 6:3).

Notice the first qualification: it wasn’t talent or popularity; they had to be full of the Holy Spirit. In other words, even the task of serving the tables required the power of the Holy Spirit. That tells us there is no such thing as unspiritual work in the kingdom of God.

Our secretary, treasurer, and deacons serve this church with the same Spirit-filled heart. They care for the people of God, pray for you, and step in wherever needed. Church, would you honor our Board?

Finally, I want to honor every ministry leader, servant, and worker in this room. Our worship pastor and worship team. Our children’s ministry, our youth leaders, our greeters, our ushers, our tech and media team, our grounds and maintenance team, and everyone who leads in any capacity. You are the reason this church continues to function. You show up early, stay late, and give your time and gifts for the glory of God.

When the apostle Paul closed his letter to the Romans, he took time to honor those who served alongside him, saying,

"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them" (Romans 16:3-4).

The apostle didn’t see these people as his helpers but called them his fellow workers. That’s how we need to see one another, because no one here is working for a brother or sister; we are all working together for Jesus.

The Bible tells us that God gave the church some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers for a very specific reason: to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11-12).

That is why our mission, fulfilling the Great Commission, is "Reaching, Connecting, and Equipping People to Become Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ."

Every ministry leader in this room is living proof that the body of Christ is being built up. If you serve as a ministry leader in any capacity, you are among the people holding up the arms of this ministry. We give God praise for you and honor you.

Fifth, honor is expressed through imitation. Hebrews chapter 13, verse seven, ends saying,

"Imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7).

In other words, that is the highest form of honor we can give. It is not just applause, a card, or a kind word; as wonderful as those things are, the Bible says the greatest way to honor faithful leaders is to follow the faith they have modeled. The apostle Paul put it this way,

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

I want you to notice that we are not told to copy a person’s personality, style, or ministry. We are told to imitate their faith because faithful leaders always point beyond themselves to Jesus. Their lives demonstrate God's faithfulness to them, so you can trust Him too.

Honor isn’t only about remembering those who have gone before us in that great cloud of witnesses. It is also about how we support the people God has placed among us now. A few verses later, the writer of Hebrews says:

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Hebrews 13:17).

The Holy Spirit is telling us that you have the ability to make the work of those who serve a joy. Isn’t that powerful? When you pray for them, encourage them, show up for them, and serve alongside them, you are lifting their arms just as Aaron and Hur did.

Paul told the church in Thessalonica:

"Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work" (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

This kind of honor isn’t meant to flow in only one direction. It is meant to be the culture of the entire church. The Bible says,

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

Imagine a church where everyone is trying to out-honor one another. Where nobody is fighting for the spotlight, but everyone is looking for ways to lift others up rather than themselves. A church where we celebrate each other’s wins, carry each other’s burdens, and speak life instead of criticism. That is the kind of atmosphere where the Holy Spirit loves to move, and that is the kind of church I believe God is building right here in Emmitsburg.

Now, faithfulness that endures, humility that gives honor away, and a heart that serves without needing recognition aren’t things that come naturally to us. It takes the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, but here is the good news for each of us. Jesus promises followers:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8).

The same Holy Spirit who filled the believers on the day of Pentecost and empowered the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as his fellow workers Priscilla and Aquila, is the same Holy Spirit who empowers the church today. That promise is for every single person in this room. If you have never been baptized in the Holy Spirit, God wants to fill you because he is the one who strengthens us when our arms grow tired, refreshes us when we feel worn out, and enables us to serve faithfully and finish well.

As we close, I want you to remember that seasons change, leaders come and go, and some faithful servants finish the race and go home to be with the Lord. But right after the writer of Hebrews tells us to remember our leaders, he gives us this powerful truth:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

Every faithful servant of God simply points you to Jesus. And here is his promise to everyone who serves:

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me" (John 12:26).

And so, you may never see your name in the headlines. You may never be recognized on a Sunday morning. But if you are serving Jesus, the Father himself sees you and will honor you. One day you will stand before him and hear the words every faithful servant longs to hear,

"Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).

And there's no greater honor than that.

Graphics, notes, and commentary from LifeChurch, Ministry Pass, PC Study Bible, Preaching Library, and Sermon Central. Scripture from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.