Where does worth come from?
And how does my worth relate to the gospel going forth?
Where does worth come from?
Muscles?
Intellect?
Gifts or skills?
Creativity?
Energy?
A unique perspective?
Does worth come from beauty?
Does it come from power or wealth?
Does it come from within?
Do I get my worth from family and friends?
Do I get worth from my work and productivity?
Where does worth come from?
Better yet, let’s reword that question.
Whom does worth come from?
Why does worth matter?
Well, no one wants to feel worthless.
How is worth measured?
Where can I get a refill, please? 🙂
What does my worthiness have to do with my gospel efficiency?
What are activities worthy of my effort and precious time?
Every one of us wants to feel worth something.
Where should we start?
Most people start with presumptions that worth comes from doing something worthy and then click done.
Where should we start?
84% of participants want to start right at the very end with the final solution rather than explore the various open veins that this question leaves.
Let’s not just close it out with blunt assumptions based on facts we already knew.
Please, thinking is good.
It’s healthy.
Don’t do the easy thing.
Life happens beyond the easy.
Life is gloriously nuanced.
The Simple Answer May Lack Something.
Let’s engage this question properly.
First, we invite God.
“What say ye, O King of the highest heavens?
Can you come on down and give us some input?”
What do You think gives people worth?
God tends to define His terms in Scripture.
The meaning of “worth” in the concordance means computation:
A number of valuation.
Calculating a numerical value.
Today, that might take the form of a spreadsheet or a chart.
Multiple categories considered and graded.
Kind of like our annual evaluation in the workplace.
Or a report card.
Worth, the meaning, is known by its context, the words around it.
Phrases help bring out meaning in God’s Book.
Here’s phrase one, worthy of praise.
The transliteration is hāla.
The meaning is to answer the phone.
Hāla!
Just kidding.
It means to shine (figuratively of God’s favor), to flash forth life, light, to be made praiseworthy, commendable, considered to be worthy of praise.
Next, we examine a fresh facet of this word.
from a New Face.
In the New Testament, the same word, worthy, sounds like axio.
I would like to axio this questio.
Jokes again.
Please pause the humor.
We’re past the pain tolerance.
Bring it down a little bit.
Let’s get serious.
Okay, fine.
Biblical outline of usage from the Blue Letter Bible of worth.
Number one, weighty.
Having weight.
Number two, befitting, congruous, corresponding to a thing.
Definition three, one who has merited anything worthy.
And next definition, worthy both in a good and a bad sense.
So meet the due-matching reward, deserving or suitable, as if drawing praise.
Here, we next see another phrase in Scripture that says, “Worthy of Death.”
Romans 1:32, “Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.”
Now, that’s part of the gospel.
Who gets to decide what actions are worthy of death?
Well, they know the judgment of God.
That means God is the Judge.
Who established our court system?
God’s idea.
Man messes it up, of course.
Acts 26:31, “They talked between themselves saying, this man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” Wasn’t equal to the crime.
Sometimes we have feelings that match this next Bible phrase, “no more worthy.”
Luke 15:21, “And the son said unto his father,
I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. …
Make me as one of thy hired servants.”
Here, another phrase in Scripture that helps give context and meaning is “accounted worthy.”
Luke 20 verse 35, “But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead”
Who makes me or anyone worthy to be accounted to obtain the next world, which includes being resurrected from the dead?
2 Thessalonians 1 verse 5, “That ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.”
That’s a good verse.
Next phrase, “worthy to receive”.
Revelation 5:4, “And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon.”
Verse 9, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof.
For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”
Verse 12, “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power
Worthy to receive riches, worthy to receive wisdom.
[I’m adding the phrase] worthy to receive strength and honor and glory and blessing.
He’s worthy!
Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Next, we see in the Bible, a workman is worthy.
1 Timothy 5:18, “For the Scriptures saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his reward.”
Pay for results.
We see the concept of worthy wages.
Luke 10 verse 7, “For the laborer is worthy of his hire.”
First Timothy 5:17, “Let the elders that rule be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.”
Elevated, double, honorable, worthy.
Why are we learning so much about this one word?
Because the gospel is worth our effort.
Because personal gospel effort is equaled with divine reward.
He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, and when you find Him, you share Him.
Next phrase, walk worthy.
1 Thessalonians 2 verse 12, “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.”
It will not be a cakewalk.
2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10, “When He shall come to be glorified in His saints,
and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. …
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and that the work
of faith with power, that, [or for the purpose that,] the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace being God’s unique, powerful, indwelling help.
Grace; it’s fantastic fuel if you can find it.
How should we walk?
Worthy of this calling.
We should walk that our God would count you worthy of this calling.
Worthy of what?
Worthy to carry the King’s message, the labor of faith.
That the Son, God’s Son, and His reputation would be glowing and elevated and magnified through you.
Colossians 1 verse 10, “That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,” Living for the smile of one.
I added that.
“Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Doesn’t that sound amazing?
Don’t you want to participate?
That you might walk worthy.
It would please God and you’d be fruitful, productive, and learning.
Ephesians 4 verse 1, “I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”
Next phrase: Neither thought I myself worthy.
Here a man came to Jesus asking for healing for his servant.
Luke 7 verse 7, “Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee, but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.”
Here we see the phrase, “Worthy to suffer.”
Acts 5:41, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Here, someone recommended another person as worthy of evaluation, worthy of proper treatment.
Luke 7 verse 4, “And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him, instantly saying that he was worthy for whom He should do this.”
Matthew 10:38 has this phrase, “And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after Me is not worthy of Me.”
The opposite must be true.
Those who take the cross and follow Him, Christ, prove they want to be worthy of association with Christ.
So far, we’ve heard God’s opinion.
We let Him have first place.
We gave God voice and Scripture to explain Himself.
Next, we invite Sir Noah to the podium.
Step on up, sir.
Speak right into that microphone.
What is your name and where are you from?
I am the humble Noah Webster from the year 1828.
What are your credentials to speak on such a topic?
Thankfully, wordsmithing is my divine gift.
Labors in the field of gathering worldwide meaning of names and nuance has encompassed the whole of my youthful age.
Even now, on singular course for many decades, I have remained content and yet voraciously consumed with this joyous task of assigning the greatest clarity and accuracy to the individual members of our blessed English toolset …
Even the English elegant language as our chief means of exchange with God, in commingling of minds and hearts, and also language connections with our fellow humans, and then truly also working within ourselves to think properly.
The defined English language effectuates all of these actions,
All my energies devoted, and yea, well beyond my power, has God englowed and inflowed through, in this massive endeavor to rightly establish a hallmark, a pristine edifice, up to which all the world may look upon with confidence of completion, that indeed the English language has attained to the maximum elevation of useful design as originally intended by our Creator.
Ah, well then, sir.
Speak on.
Educate us further.
Define the term.
Certainly.
Worthy.
It’s an adjective of Greek origin.
Definition one.
Deserving, such as merits, having worth or excellence, equivalent with or of the thing desired.
Example, she has married a man worthy of her status and maturity.
Definition two, possessing worth or excellence of qualities, virtuous, estimable, as a worthy citizen, a worthy leader.
Here’s a use case.
This worthy mind should worthy things embrace.
Definition 3.
Suitable.
Having qualities suited to, either in good or a bad sense, equal in value as flowers are worthy of paradise.
Definition next.
Deserving of ill such as crimes worthy of stripes.
Now we will switch to a noun form.
A worthy man would be of eminent worth, a person distinguished for useful and estimable qualities, a man of valor, highly esteemed.
That means by which an individual is evaluated.
Or, to what then shall we liken thee, or wherewith shall we estimate thy value?
Thank you, sir.
Have a seat.
Next, we graciously pass the microphone to the Holy Ghost, who shall elucidate each of us simultaneously, internally.
Isaiah 40 verse 18, “To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare unto Him?”
Worth, being an object of equal likeness, same question.
Same chapter, couple verses later, God wants an answer, “To whom then will ye liken Me?
Or shall I be equal?
saith the Holy One?”
Six chapters later, same question, it’s open-ended.
He wants us to think, “To whom will ye liken Me?
And make Me equal?
And compare Me that we may be like?”
Today that question might sound like, “What am I worth to you?
Am I worthy?”
By what measuring device shall we assign a proper number-value to our God?
Silent preponderance … breaks the internet.
Next phrase in Scripture, a person can be made worthy.
We should aspire to be made worthy.
2 Timothy 2 verse 21, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, [which are the things listed above,] he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet, [that word: of the same measure, meet, ready] for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work, [worthy of hiring,
Next verse,] flee also, [or in addition to the other things listed nearby,] flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, follow charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
This is how to walk worthy.
What helps a person be made worthy?
We read on in the passage, “Charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but [avoiding words whose purpose is simply] subverting the hearers.
Just agitation, irritation, no benefit.
Becoming worthy or fit for use includes, in the same passage, “shunning profane and vain babblings.”
Not being like Hymenaeus and Philetus,” their words doth eat as a canker,” do the opposite of that.
“Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past, and overthrow the faith of some”.
They’re destroying the faith of fellows.
Do the opposite of that to be worthy.
“Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, [boom,] the Lord knoweth them that are His, and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
One qualification for being worthy is to choose some things not to do, to be suitable for the Master’s service.
Here’s a list of things not to do, “But foolish and unlearned
Questions avoid.”
That word unlearned means those who refuse to learn.
They’re not genuinely curious.
They don’t want to know.
They’re just wasting your life.
“Knowing they do gender strifes.
And the servant of the Lord, [or the worthy one,] must not strive.”
Don’t waste good energy.
“But be gentle unto all men, apt to teach.”
Who?
Those who honestly want to receive and act on the truth delivered.
So, summary, to be worthy of this vocation that we’re called unto, we should, number one, avoid certain behaviors.
2.
Embrace certain actions.
Instead, follow after.
Right?
And number three, saturate my soul in scripture.
At the end of the passage, that the man of God may be perfect.
That word means mature, fit, filled up, equipped, worthy of accepting heavy responsibility.
Throughly, the word is throughly, which means through and through, throughly furnished, which means prepared unto all good works, ready to teach the class.
Worthy of receiving commission from the commanding officer of rewarding responsibility to fill up all good works, every assignment.
We should aspire to be worthy of participating in the best work.
Top-level clearance for special service to the King.
Made worthy.
Declared worthy.
Of what?
A worthy work.
A durable result.
In fact, a supernatural outcome.
What makes a person worthy?
- Well, first, humbly accepting the abundantly-obvious, good-deal offer of salvation.
Exchanging all my garbage for God’s pure goodness deposited on my record.
If He’s willing to do that for me, I should simply say, OK.
Receive the gift of eternal life.
- Separate from selfish pursuits.
Be done with lesser things.
Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings.
- Let God‘s Word establish your true worth before Him.
Let God tell you what you’re worth and believe it.
- Aspire & desire to move toward filling up the vision that God outlined for your performance.
Do what you can right now.
Where Does Worth Come From?
God, primarily.
And how does my worth in His eyes relate to the gospel going forward to reach everyone?
I should be worthy of work.
We should be worthy of usefulness.
We should research how to be counted worthy of responsibility.
And we should be thankful that we can do a worthy work that has an eternal reward.
The most worthy work we can imagine is carefully delivering the gospel with exuberance.
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