Honouring the Family

This sermon was given by Jason Strain, our worship pastor.

In Filipino culture, it’s customary to state your age when introducing yourself, which helps you know when to show respect for your elders. The Filipino language even changes its grammar when speaking to someone older.

The Bible also teaches us to respect our elders (1 Timothy 5:1-2). Older people sometimes seem grouchy, outdated, or prone to giving unsolicited advice. However, those traits often come from a motherly or fatherly desire to help younger people grow into more Christlike individuals. Our elders have also accumulated wisdom and experience worth hearing, along with journeys of faith that can be beautiful and inspiring.

However, there’s a second half to this teaching that we often overlook. Respect and encouragement should go both ways. Younger men and women should be treated as peers, not spoken down to. And when interacting with members of the opposite sex, we should focus on their growth in Christ before our own attraction to them.

Overall, we should be kind, loving, and gentle with one another. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call out sin, point out problems, and address tensions. Jesus calls us to do these things so that we can help each other become more like Him. The goal is to encourage positive change rather than simply focusing on someone’s sin (Galatians 6:1-2). Instead of telling people only what they’re doing wrong, help them replace the wrong with what is right (Ephesians 4:25-32).

As you interact with your church family, let encouragement be your default. Harsh correction without gentleness drives people away (Proverbs 12:18), while using encouragement merely to soften someone up before criticising them achieves little. Consistently encouraging growth, however, shows others that your love is sincere and helps us all grow closer to Christ together.

You can watch the full sermon here.