Open Doors

Pastor Alex Hall | November 9, 2025

Breaking Free: The Power of Honor and Obedience

There's something profound happening when we stop treating God's presence lightly and start recognizing the weight of His glory in our lives. Too many of us carry our faith like it's nothing—a few ounces in our pocket, easily forgotten. But what if we began to understand that walking with God means carrying something heavy, something valuable, something that changes everything?

The Weight of Honor

The ancient Hebrew concept of honor paints a vivid picture: it was represented by opening the inside door of a home—a heavy, weighty door that required strength. Honor isn't casual. It isn't convenient. It demands something from us.

When we honor God, we're not just tipping our hats in His direction. We're acknowledging His authority, His wisdom, His right to direct our paths. And here's the transformative truth: honor opens doors that only God can open.

Think about the doors in your life that seem impossibly heavy right now. The promotion that feels out of reach. The relationship that needs healing. The financial breakthrough you've been praying for. Perhaps you've been pushing against these doors with your own strength, exhausted and frustrated. What if the key isn't more effort, but more honor?

The Test of Obedience

Leviticus 19:23-25 presents a fascinating agricultural principle that speaks directly to our spiritual lives. God instructed His people that when they planted fruit trees, they were to consider the fruit "unclean" for three years. In the fourth year, all the fruit was to be holy—a praise offering to the Lord. Only in the fifth year could they eat freely from the harvest.

This isn't arbitrary religious ritual. It's divine wisdom about patience, stewardship, and the process of maturity.

We live in a culture obsessed with shortcuts. We want the harvest without the planting. We want the promotion without the preparation. We want intimacy without commitment. We want freedom without obedience. But God's way always involves seed time and harvest—planting, waiting, and trusting.

The question isn't whether God wants to bless you. He does. The question is whether you're willing to honor His process.

When Authority Feels Unfair

David's story offers one of Scripture's most powerful lessons on honor. Anointed as the next king of Israel, David served under King Saul—a man who grew jealous and literally threw spears at him. David spent years running for his life, hiding in caves, waiting for God's timing.

When the perfect opportunity came to take matters into his own hands, to seize the kingdom that was rightfully his, David refused. He wouldn't lift his hand against "the Lord's anointed."

This wasn't about Saul deserving honor. It was about David understanding that honoring authority—even flawed, dangerous authority—was ultimately about honoring God.

Perhaps you're working under a difficult boss. Maybe you're in a challenging marriage. You might be frustrated with leadership in your church, your workplace, or your government. The temptation whispers: "If I were in charge, I'd do it better."

That whisper is the same one the enemy used in the garden, the same rebellion that caused his own fall. It's the shortcut that leads to bondage, not freedom.

The Rebellion Trap

Absalom, David's son, stands as a cautionary tale. He positioned himself at the city gate, intercepting people with grievances, planting seeds of dissatisfaction: "If only I were in charge, things would be different."

This spirit of rebellion is alive and well today. It shows up in marriages when someone outside your relationship suggests they could treat you better. It appears at work when coworkers constantly complain about leadership. It infiltrates our hearts when we compare our journey to someone else's harvest, forgetting we don't know what seeds they planted or how long they waited.

Rebellion promises freedom but delivers chains. True freedom comes through surrender—dying to our way and embracing His.

The Fruit of the Spirit Requires the Spirit

Many churches excel at getting people saved but fail at teaching them to walk in the Spirit. Salvation is the beginning, not the destination. A two-year-old throwing tantrums is expected. A thirty-year-old throwing tantrums is concerning.

Spiritual maturity matters—not for salvation, but because salvation should transform us. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—doesn't appear through human effort. It grows through abiding in Him, through obedience, through the refining process of walking through seasons we don't understand.

Grace Isn't Permission to Stay the Same

Perhaps the most dangerous lie believers embrace is that grace means God's okay with ongoing disobedience. "I said yes to Jesus once, so now He'll work everything out for me while I live however I want."

But Jesus was clear: "If you love me, obey my commandments."

Grace isn't permission to abuse God's goodness. Grace is the power to step out of darkness and into light. It's the strength to break free from patterns that have held you captive. It's the invitation to a better way.

The Blessing Is in the Obedience

When we honor God through obedience—whether in our finances, our relationships, our work, or our words—we position ourselves for blessing. Not because we've earned it, but because we've aligned ourselves with His ways.

Tithing isn't about the church needing your money. It's about you needing to break the power of mammon in your life. Sexual purity isn't about restricting your freedom. It's about protecting your heart and preparing you for covenant relationship. Honoring difficult authority isn't about them deserving it. It's about you passing the test that prepares you for your next season.

Step Into the Light

If you've been living in disobedience, there's no condemnation here—only invitation. Today is your refill day. Today is your chance to step out of the darkness and into the light.

Confession brings cleansing. Repentance brings restoration. Obedience brings blessing.

The prodigal son discovered that being a servant in his father's house was better than being "free" in the world. Because what the world calls freedom is actually slavery to sin, and what feels like restriction in God's house is actually the path to true freedom.

Awake, O sleeper. The bridegroom hasn't returned yet. There's still time to get oil for your lamp. There's still time to honor Him. There's still time to step into everything He has for you.

The harvest is coming. Will you be ready?