The word honor means “to value”, “to respect”, or “to give worth”. That is what a little church in England failed to do. One Sunday while on vacation, John Henry Jowett, the great English preacher, visited a quiet village chapel and took his seat almost unnoticed in the congregation. As time approached for the beginning of the service, the visiting preacher had not arrived. The deacons asked if anyone would be willing to give the morning message. Jowett, a stranger to the congregation, volunteered.

Jowett preached a sermon he had recently preached in his own church, Carr’s Lane, one of the great churches in England. The congregation did not respond well to the sermon, but the deacons thanked him for helping them out in a pinch. During the week the local newspaper announced that Jowett of Birmingham was enjoying his holiday there. When the deacons realized who he was, they approached him to preach again on Wednesday night. Jowett was surprised by the invitation.

“I preached for you Sunday,” he said.

“Yes,” the deacons replied, “but we did not know then that you were John Henry Jowett of Carr’s Lane!”

Their lack of respect kept them from hearing the good news Jowett had already preached. Could we be shutting down what God wants to do in our lives by not respecting the gifts God has placed among us?

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