Podcast Summary: "Honor Must Be Repaid" | Chris Cody | Campmeeting 2019 | World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA (June 21, 2018)

Host: Dufresne Ministries
Guest Speaker: Pastor Chris Cody

Episode Overview

In this offering message delivered at Campmeeting 2019, Pastor Chris Cody shares a faith-stirring teaching on the principle of honor and its spiritual effects, as revealed in the story of the Shunammite woman from 2 Kings 4. Cody draws from personal revelation and scriptural insights to emphasize that genuine honor shown—especially toward God and His ministers—opens a unique channel for God’s blessings and even miracles, sometimes beyond one's current level of faith. The central conviction is summed up in the declaration: “Honor must be repaid.”

Key Discussion Points

1. The Shunammite Woman’s Key: Perception and Action

• Text Reference: 2 Kings 4:8-37 – The story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman.
• Chris Cody’s Insight (00:16 - 04:30):
  • The woman “perceived” Elisha as a holy man, setting her apart from others in her city.

    “You’re going to receive from the minister in direct proportion to your degree of perception.” (03:13)

  • Her perception led her to action: feeding Elisha and then building him a dedicated upper room—an act Cody repeatedly frames as true “honor.”

2. Understanding Biblical “Honor”

• Cultural Context (04:30 - 06:40):
  • Cody details the meaning of the Hebrew word aliyah—the upper chamber. This was not a storage area but a space reserved for honored guests, “the finest piece of furniture [they] would have had in their home.”

    “Psalm 26 says that God has chosen honor as the atmosphere of his habitation. So these holy things...took place in a location whose purpose...was to show honor.” (06:04)

  • The act of building and furnishing this room illustrates that “honor is something you show, not just something you say.”

3. The Divine Principle: Honor Must Be Repaid

• First Revelation (06:41 - 09:00):
  • Elisha, inspired not by the woman’s request but by her honor, seeks a way to bless her, insisting, “What must be done for her?”

    “Something gets up in the grill of the prophet, and he brings his servant over and says, what must be done for her? Notice the word must.” (06:53)

  • Honor triggers a response from the prophet—an embodiment of God’s desire to “repay” honor given.

4. Miracles Through the Open Door of Honor

• Second Revelation (09:01 - 12:00):
  • The woman receives a son, not through her own faith or request, but through the “open door of honor.”

    “How did this woman get a miracle, a miracle, without having faith? ...He got it to her through the open door of honor.” (10:37)

  • Cody challenges listeners: “You may not have the measure of faith to receive a certain thing yet, but God could still get it to you through the open door of honor.” (11:35)
  • Honor can supersede a gap in faith—it creates a channel for God to bless someone in unexpected ways.

5. Growth in Honor and Its Long-Term Rewards

• Cody notes that while the Shunammite woman didn’t initially have faith for a child, her faith grew after her first miracle. She later demonstrates faith when her son dies, resulting in him being raised from the dead. Her ongoing honor and faithfulness are keys to sustained blessing.

  “She developed her faith over 18 years, and she got another miracle. … She stayed with the prophet and she developed her faith.” (12:21)

6. Practicing Honor in Everyday Life

• Personal Testimony & Application (12:45 - 14:00):
  • Cody shares personal experiences of receiving reward for honor shown to God, His Word, and spiritual leaders.

    “Through the ones you know, we’re not perfect...but we’re trying to grow in honor all the time. And God has repaid our honor.” (13:23)

  • He encourages the congregation to “open the honor door all the way” in this Campmeeting, expecting God to respond to their acts of honor, especially in giving.

Memorable Quotes

• On Perception and Honor:

  “You wouldn’t want to waste your honor on a nobody.” (13:54)
  This highlights the importance of rightly discerning where to direct honor.

• On Honor’s Return:

  “Honor must be repaid. That’s why God put it in the heart of the prophet she honored. And that honor triggers something.” (09:13)

• On God’s Faithfulness:

  “We’re showing our honor tonight through our giving. Father, I thank you that the honor we have shown...there’s going to come a time where it’s going to trigger that mechanism in your heart, that the honor we have showed will be repaid.” (14:33)

Key Timestamps

• 00:16 – Chris Cody begins, introduces 2 Kings 4, discusses the significance of perception and honor.
• 03:13 – “You’re going to receive from the minister in direct proportion to your degree of perception.”
• 06:04 – Biblical/cultural context for aliyah and “honor as the atmosphere of [God’s] habitation.”
• 09:13 – First central revelation: “Honor must be repaid.”
• 10:37 – How the miracle for the Shunammite happened “through the open door of honor.”
• 12:21 – The woman’s growing faith and second miracle.
• 13:23 – Cody’s testimony on God repaying acts of honor.
• 14:33 – Closing prayer: “the honor we have showed will be repaid.”

Episode Takeaways

• Honor, when sincerely shown, will inevitably be met by God’s response—it becomes a channel for blessing, provision, and even miracles.
• Perceiving and honoring God’s ministers (with practical action, not just words) can result in rewards that extend beyond the giver’s own level of faith.
• The message challenges listeners not to underestimate the spiritual potency of showing honor, especially as an act of giving.

For more information about Dufresne Ministries or to listen to more messages, visit dufresneministries.org.