“A certain symbiosis” -- a sermon

“A certain symbiosis” -- a sermon

Friday, December 10, 2010
Sunday, March 13, 2011

By Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman

Input and output correlate. What you put into something is usually what you get out of it. If you sow onions, don’t look for tomatoes.

In other words there’s a symbiotic relationship between sowing and reaping.

“Symbiotic” means “close and often long-term interactions” between different things.
Symbiotic relationships may be either obligate, i.e., necessary for the survival of at least one of the organisms involved, or facultative, where the relationship is beneficial but not essential for survival of the organisms.[9][10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiosis

Push down the accelerator the car speeds up. Push down the brake the car slows down.
That’s symbiosis. Today we examine “a certain symbiosis.”

Let’s say that together: “a certain symbiosis”—One more time: “a certain symbiosis.” “A Certain Symbiosis between us and Jesus Christ” is our topic.

Let the church say “Amen!”

In 2 chronicles 15:1-2, (ESV) we find:

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin:(B) The LORD is with you while you are with him.(C) If you seek him, he will be found by you,(D) but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3(E)

That’s symbiosis, y’all. And that’s fair!
If you seek him, he will be found by you,(D) but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

Another scripture says “seek and ye shall find.” Matthew 7:7.

Another says: “Give and it will be given unto you, a good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38!

This, too, is symbiosis, y ‘all! Are you praying with me. I can’t hear you.
The same measure you measure with will be measured back to you! An omer was an old unit of measure, roughly equal to two quarts, half a gallon.

In Exodus 16:16-18 we find some more symbiosis.

This is what the LORD has commanded: "Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent."

The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. ”

He who gathered much had no excess. He who gathered little did not lack! That’s also symbiosis, y’all!


Lady Day—Billy Holliday-- would say “You can help yourself, but don’t take too much. Momma may have and poppa may have. But, God bless the child who’s got his own, who’s got his own!”

Nothing’s going to be handed out to you on a silver platter. You’ve got to work for everything you get. And sometimes you’ve got to work for what you don’t get!

The Temptin’ Temptations used to sing, “To get water from faucet, you’ve got to turn it. To get ashes from wood, you’ve got to burn it. To get butter from milk, you’ve got to churn it. And if you want my love, if you want my love, you’ve got to earn it!”

Many of us have been taught to believe that we don’t have to work to be saved; all we have to do is profess a belief in Jesus Christ in order to achieve salvation. In fact, one brother stated exactly that in Sunday School, directly to my face. I didn’t quarrel with him. Many believe as he do. That’s false teaching.

Jesus worked every day to do the will of the Father who sent him. Now, if Jesus, Mary’s baby, God’s only begotten son, had to work, every day, including the Sabbath, you and I “sho’ nuff” have to work some time, every once in a great while, periodically, occasionally!

Are you praying with me? Wouldn’t you agree?


<< John 9:4 >>


I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.


Work is part of the symbiosis of redemption and salvation. Time after time, Christ excoriates those lazy folks who think they’re already saved, and don’t have nothing left to do, but be whisked away to Heaven for eternity.

Many of these same folk who have never fed the hungry, never clothed the naked, never visited the sick, or those in jail, have got the nerve to boast about being saved!

Ain’t that something! The biggest hypocrites in the world are the first in line to go to heaven!

Just like the emptiest wagon makes the most noise, so are these vain boasters! What did Jesus say to these vain boasters? What did the master say to these raging hypocrites?

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply,‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:40-46

Whatever you did not “do”----“do”----“do”---“do” is what decides it! Jesus said “do”. Not believe, not think, not faith, not pray, not love, not hope, not confess! The operative verb is “do”! Doing is working! And not doing ain't nothing!

Remember Beethoven’s Fifth: “do”----“do”----“do”---“dooooooo”!

As in “Do unto others , as you would have them do unto you!” Mark 6:30.

The golden rule! That too is symbiosis.

“A certain symbiosis!” Y’all!

Thank you! And God bless you!
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