Growing up, my dad was a Southern Baptist minister, so we were at church every time the doors were opened, and consequently, I have heard my share of sermons. Being raised in one very particular religion, I always wondered about the other faiths, and felt that I might be missing something, so when I went to collage and moved out on my own, I began to investigate other churches. Over the course of my life I have attended everything from Catholic mass to Jewish synagogue, worshiped with everyone from Episcopalians to Methodist and everyone in between, have attended any number of non-denominational churches, and was even a member of the Latter-Day Saints for about a year once. Again, I have heard my share of sermons!
This life-long quest for knowledge has led me to adopt a personal motto of "Coexist!", and to align myself as both member and ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. The Monastery’s acceptance of all beliefs fits with my feeling that we all worship the same God, regardless of what name we use. Weather we say 'Jehovah' and 'Jesus', or 'Vishnu' and 'Krishna', or 'Allah' and 'Mohammad', we are worshiping, I believe, the same Deity and Prophet. The ULC saying that we are all children of the same universe expresses this thought in another way, as does my own saying, "All our prayers rise to the same Heaven" (you can quote me!). Using the excellent resource of the ULC website, as well as others on the internet, I have been able to study religious beliefs from around the world. When you add that to the churches I've attended, along with the occasional television broadcast of one service or another (there's a particular mega-church pastor out of Houston, TX, USA that I really enjoy...he's just so up-beat it's infectious!), I'VE HEARD MY SHARE OF SERMONS!
There are certain constants to just about all religions, like a belief in God, the acceptance of certain saints or prophets, a collected work of scripture, and various ordinances. As a believer in the Old Testament of the Bible, I accept all three of the major religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islamism, starting with Abraham and continuing up to a point: that point is the New Testament. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I feel compelled to share my understanding of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), with adherents of other beliefs, not to dispute their faith, but to strengthen it. My text today is drawn from Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me". It is my belief that if we could find our common ground as believers all over the world, we may be able to come to an understanding of the Savior that would surpass our differences and lead to a religious renaissance the like of which has not been seen since the day of Pentecost.
One element I have found to be a common thread running through many of the sermons I have heard, regardless of religion, is that most preachers tend to take things out of context! I understand that they are trying to make a point, but often times, I feel that they miss the bigger point. Such is certainly the case with Philippians 4:13. I have heard this scripture quoted probably more times than any in the new testament, with the exception of John 3:16 and a few evangelical standards from Romans, and yet in almost every case, it is taken out of context. Don't get me wrong, the thought that Christ gives us the strength to accomplish great things is very uplifting, but it's simply not what Paul was saying! At least, it's not ALL he was saying. I have noticed in several cases with Paul's writing, when you find something profound that he has to say, to get the full flavor and meaning of what he is telling us, you have to go back and re-read what he had to say just before the profound thing.
In Philippians 4:12, Paul says that he knows how to both abound AND suffer need, how to be full AND how to be hungry, how to be a have AND a have-not. NOW when we look at verse 13, we realize the real message of this passage, "I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengetheneth me". You see, Paul was not just saying that we could do great things through Christ's strength; he was encouraging us that we can even get through the tough times because of Christ's strength. Think about it, when do you really need Christ to give you some extra strength to get you through: when everything is going great, or when you're down and out? When everything is going your way, or when everything is going against you? You see, by taking this scripture out of context, even if it is to give a positive, "everything is beautiful" kind of message, we miss out on the bigger part of the promise: not just that we can do great things, but that we can get through the bad times as well. Now you can claim the strength of Philippians 4:13 not just when you want to feel like, "I can do this big thing, because Christ gives me strength", but also, "I can deal with this problem, I can handle this set-back, I can face this lose, I can make it through this terrible time, I can do ALL THESE THINGS because Christ gives me strength".
If you continue reading after verse 13, you find that Paul praises the Philippians for always providing for him, and verse 17 shows us that Paul does not really care about all these things for himself, but that when they give to him, they will receive blessings. You see, Paul was willing to suffer loss, to be hungry, to do without, so that the believers would have an opportunity to help fill his needs and thereby be blessed themselves. Verse 19 tells us "God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus", so ultimately we WILL have all things through Christ's strength. Not because WE were able to accomplish it, but because we were able to keep the faith, make it through the bad times, continue to give to the ministry, and finally receive all our needs, not because "I can do all things...", but because of the riches of God and for the glory of Christ.
May God bless you and keep you! May you find the strength you need in His Spirit, and through the truthfulness of His Holy Scripture. In addition, be carful to read the whole scripture, not just the part that sounds good: you might miss the greater blessing. Remember: the Bible says, "There is no God", but in context, the scripture reads, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalms 14:1). Don't just read the words, read the Word!
If you wish to discuss the scripture, pray together, or just talk, please feel free to message me through the minister’s network at themonastery.org, or email me at revlarrydking@gmail.com.
Love in Christ,
Rev Larry D King
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