Honor the King

Presented at the Upland Indonesian Seventh Day Adventist Church on

Sabbath, May 30, 2007

By Pastor Gary D. Strunk

• Fr. Ragheed Ganni and three deacons were murdered in Mosul Sunday June 3, as they left the church after Sunday Mass. Asia News June 4, 2007 10.11

Erbil (AsiaNews) – “The Patriarch for the Chaldeans, Emmanuel III Delly, has come out with a strong accusation against the Iraqi authorities and foreign troops and has called for decisive intervention from the government and international community to stop the haemorrhage of persecuted Christians from Iraq. AsiaNews.it

“Shortly after returning from a long stay in the United States, the head of the Chaldean Church, Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly denounced, for the first time since the beginning of the war, the sins of politicians and armies against the people, emphasizing the worrying conditions that Christians are in, threatened with extinction.” Mosul (AsiaNews) 6/4/2007

Christ’s Great Commission

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

Honor the King

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good.” 1Peter 2:13,14

Honor the King

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Rom. 13:1

“Authorities” fr. Grk. Exousia = Position, right to rule; not person

Honor the King

• Christ’s comission transcends international conflict –

• Seventh-day Adventists working in 713 languages have an organized presence in 209 of the 236 countries recognized by the United Nations, because

Honor the King

• SDA’s are non political. We respect and submit to whatever governing power exists as far as possible whether kings, or queens, or oligarchy, or elected president.

Honor the King

• SDA’s are neutral in war --• Serve as non-combatants

• To save lives rather than taking lives

• SDA’s don’t believe in shooting each other.

• Serve a higher king with higher mission. John 18:36

Honor the King

• “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36

Honor the King

• “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Lev. 19:18

Honor the King

• “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

• “Love does no harm to a neighbor: therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

• Rom. 13:8,10

Honor the King

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good.” 1Peter 2:13,14

Honor the King

• Honor all people, Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1Pet. 2:17

Honor the King

The End