I challenge you to do these things, because the Bible's very clear. Whoever received Jesus, then receives power to become something different. But what if Jesus sent someone to you? You see, if you can receive them, then it'll unlock what God has in their life for you. Now some people that Jesus sends to us are quite difficult. It's hard to see that they actually got sent by God to us. Think about that - but Joseph, at the end when the brothers came to him, he said: don't be upset about yourselves for sending me off to Egypt. He said: it wasn't you who sent me, it was God sent me. So he could look, and he could see actually, the very things that were in his brothers was actually a gift of God, to shape and prepare his character for his destiny. So God will send some people into your life who are incredibly difficult. Those difficult people are actually a gift of God, for you to grow your character, and to develop grace in your life.
How many have got some difficult people right now, can think of them right now? How many of you are reacting right now to that difficult person? Why don't you actually change your attitude, and actually say: I'm going to find every way I can to honour, and place value on them. I'm going to just welcome them, and receive them just for who they are. I may not like them, may not get on well with them, but I'm going to receive them and welcome them, and I'm going to thank God for them in my life, and ask God to use them to develop in me what He wants to do. You know what will happen? You'll grow real quick, and they'll change, or you'll change, or the circumstance will change. It always happens. It always happens. So this is a very simple principle; so let me ask you this: how much have you chosen to adopt honour as a lifestyle? To honour and value people, people over you, but also people around you, and also people who may work to serve you? How many of you honour them, and treat them with respect and dignity? I've seen some people treat those who serve in shops with incredible disrespect, just because they're serving in the shop. I've seen people treat waitresses at a restaurant with incredible disrespect, and you feel quite grieved for them, that they're treated so dishonourably.
So it doesn't matter where people are, practice this one thing, treating people with honour and respect. Treat them as a person of immense value, and place value on them, appreciate them, thank them. That's one of the greatest ways you can honour people, just to thank them, and not take them for granted. So are there people that you need to honour, respect, and start to show gratitude? Could you start to practice gratitude daily, to the people that God brings into your life? They don't come announced: God sent me. They just come. It's whether you can see them, and receive them, and honour them, and value them.
I tell you this, if you'll start to honour the people God brings into your life - they're not hundreds, they're actually quite limited - and start to intentionally, every day, honour and value them and treat them with respect, treat their opinions with respect, and start to value them, you'll start to gather and attract people into your life, and probably win a lot more people to Christ. Think then about people that you receive. How many times have you had a reserve, a judgement, something about a person, and instead of receiving them and celebrating them, you walled them out? That's called an offence. You say: oh well, I was discerning. No, no, no, no, you just didn't have enough love to celebrate them and receive them. Think about that. Jesus knew all of the disciples, including Judas. He knew exactly what he was like, but he could still eat a meal with him, sleep with him, walk with him, and trust ministry to him, even give the finances to him. That's the Jesus we follow. He practices honour and respect.