A Pastor’s Encouragement During The Corona Pandemic
Selected Scriptures
March 15, 2020
What a week we have had here in the United States
Our culture is being turned upside down over the threat of this Corona Virus.
I typically try to avoid such “trending” topics in our day
And much prefer to just rest in devoted Bible exposition.
And yet, this week I was compelled.
• We saw the cancellation of NCAA sports.
• We saw the suspension of the NBA
• We saw the delay in the start of the MLB
• Colleges canceled classes
• The Houston Livestock Show canceled their event
• Even Little League mandated a delay to practices, meetings, and games
And that is just a portion of the list.
By Friday I began to get emails and to see Facebook posts
Regarding whether or not churches should close their doors
And cancel services as a result of the threat of this virus.
Even as I was typing this sermon President Trump issued
“A state of National Emergency” in our country.
And so I am compelled to address the issue.
So if you will allow me a rare interruption to sort of do a little shepherding here and hopefully set your mind in the right direction.
• Now first of all, it is of little interest to me to use this pulpit to discuss things
scientific, medical, or political.
• I certainly have my own personal thoughts regarding the degree of threat this
virus holds and the reasons why it is being so discussed,
• But you have your thoughts on that too, and at the end of the day it’s all
nothing more than speculation.
Rather this morning I would be fine to concede to anyone
Who sees this as the deadliest threat that ever reached American soil.
I don’t personally think it is, not even close, but what if it is?
Suppose you are in greater danger of death today
Than at any time during the Civil War, the Cold War,
Or any other time of sickness or suffering.
And perhaps there are some who see it that way this morning.
What then?
If this is as bad as some people think, where are we supposed to settle on this as the church of the living God?
As representatives of Christ in this world,
How do we respond to such a threat?
Well, there are just a few things I would like to remind you of
TO HELP GROUND YOU THIS MORNING.
The first one (and you may not like this one) is this.
YOU WERE NEVER GOING TO ESCAPE DEATH ANYWAY.
We often laugh at teenagers who like to see themselves as invincible,
But the panic that has ensued this past week
Would cause one to legitimately question
Whether some people actually expected to live forever?
So let me remind you again of the incident in the garden.
• God said not to eat from the tree.
• Adam and Eve did eat.
And upon Adam we read this curse.
Genesis 3:17-19 “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”
In short, because of sin,
God cursed this world and appointed that death was coming.
And it doesn’t take long to see it.
• In chapter 4 of Genesis we see Cain rise up and kill Abel.
• Also in chapter 4 Lamech killed a man for wounding him.
• And then we get to chapter 5 where Moses begins to list the “generations of Adam” and one by one we see the same heading.
Genesis 5:5 “So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:8 “So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:11 “So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.”
And so on and so forth throughout the chapter.
“and he died…and he died…and he died”
• And if that is not enough we come to Genesis 6 where God floods the entire world because of its sin.
And of that event we read.
Genesis 7:21-22 “All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died.”
The simple point is that from the beginning death has been appointed.
We know it to be the wages of sin.
And what is more, we are told in Scripture that
God has sovereignly ordained the span of our life.
Psalms 139:16 “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”
Paul spoke to the Athenians.
Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”
So we know that death is coming.
The writer of Hebrews says that “is appointed for man to die”
And we know that God is sovereign over the timing of that death.
And that alone should be A COMFORT to you.
• The sovereign God of the universe has appointed your days.
• He has appointed my days.
Even before the Corona virus I was never going to live
One second longer than the Lord appointed.
What most people have failed to realize during all of this
Is that death was already waiting for you at every turn.
Jesus said:
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”
Peter said:
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Even before Corona virus, the enemy, the god of this world,
Would GLADLY KILL YOU AT ANY SECOND.
It has been nothing less than the sovereign prerogative of God
Which has kept him from it.
I am quite certain that there are for more things in this world
That can kill you at any moment than just the Corona virus.
As one man said, “You take a chance getting up in the morning, crossing the street, or sticking your face in a fan.”
We hear of shocking and unexplainable deaths daily.
• Drunk driving accidents occur and kill families
• A young man I’ve known through Little League died two weeks ago at 28 years of age because he had a seizure and didn’t wake up.
• I’ve heard many speak this week of how young Bug Moore was.
• My dad died at age 60 of cancer
• Others have lost children at young ages
The simple point is that
If you were not keenly aware of the possibility of death
Before the Corona virus then you just weren’t paying attention.
• Death has been called “The Debt That All Men Pay”
• Others have reminded that “No one gets out of this world alive.”
• Others have commented that “Life itself is a terminal illness.”
God has appointed that because of sin, death will touch us all.
• So I hate to burst your bubble, but you were never going to escape death
anyway.
• It has been appointed.
• God already knows when it will be and how it will happen.
BUT I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU THAT GOD WOULD NOT HAVE YOU LIVE IN FEAR OF DEATH.
Now, certainly as believers we are aware that death is coming,
But at the same time we know THAT FEAR OF DEATH
Was something God has sovereignly chosen to SET US FREE from.
We read in Hebrews regarding the incarnation of Christ.
Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
Christ came in human flesh
So that He could die and ultimately defeat death
So that you and I would never have to fear it again.
We undoubtedly believe that death is not the end for believers.
Jesus said:
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The apostle John saw the resurrected Lord who told him:
Revelation 1:17-18 “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
Jesus conquered the grave.
Death no longer has power.
Death no longer has victory.
Paul said:
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
And then Paul said:
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You are getting the point.
Death is certain, but Jesus has said we do not have to fear it.
And it was with this hope that Paul told the Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”
Peter said it like this:
1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”
Peter would remind you that Jesus Christ came, died, and rose again
To conquer the grave.
And as those who have been found in Him,
We no longer need to fear death.
We have what Peter called “a living hope”.
Thanks to Jesus, we look beyond the grave to “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed”
That is a remarkable promise.
• It doesn’t matter if we face trials…
• It doesn’t matter if we face death…
• We have hope that transcends the grave.
Hear Paul say:
Philippians 1:21-23 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;”
Those who are in Christ have a “very much better” home awaiting us
That is considered as “gain” when compared to the pains of this life.
In short, we are certainly not called to fear or even dread death,
As the worst it can do is usher us into the presence of our Savior.
We are certainly those who believe that death is not the end
For those who are in Christ Jesus.
SO THE NEXT POINT is that I would remind you as the church of Jesus Christ and as the pillar and support of the truth that you do not walk in fear like the world around us.
For a Christian to walk in fear and paranoia
Is an absolute contradiction to the message of hope
That we are offering to the world.
It does not say much for our faith in Christ’s resurrection
When we allow fear of death to rule our lives.
And I would simply remind you of that.
Jesus said:
Matthew 10:28-31 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”
I would certainly point you first to the end of that verse and remind you that AS A CHILD OF GOD YOU ARE VERY VALUABLE TO HIM.
• He set His love on you.
• He has chosen you for salvation.
• He is intimately acquainted with all your ways.
• He cares for you.
Jesus said that He has assessed value to you.
There is no need to fear when you believe
That the God of the universe is for you.
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Now, having said all that, I hope as the church
You are settling back into your purpose, and your doctrine,
And your message, and why we are here in this world.
THIS CRISIS ACTUALLY AFFORDS US A VERY GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
We get a real chance to be salt and light in this world that is currently in chaos.
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Salt is that which gives flavor.
• We, as believers in Jesus, have that which is life indeed.
• We know what true satisfaction is.
• We know joy in the midst of loss.
And it is in times of national fear and unrest
That we can best demonstrate that.
• If you say “To live is Christ, to die is gain” during a time of ease who cares?
• But if you confess that during a time of national threat and loss, now your words mean something.
Jesus said we are light.
• We don’t run with the darkness,
• We don’t fear the darkness,
• We dispel the darkness with truth.
So I’m going to tell you that
While your Christian witness is always important,
It is especially important during times like this.
I haven’t received THIS QUESTION from any of you,
But it has been posed to me from various other people and platforms.
The question of should we just cancel church and go digital?
I certainly feel compelled to answer that for you as well.
First of all, if you’re sick and running fever and all of that stuff,
• By all means stay home. I’d tell you that if it was strep or flu or anything else.
• Two weeks ago, Carrie and I did just that.
Secondly, precautions aren’t bad,
• We aren’t asking people to walk in arrogant foolishness.
• I’m ok suspending the handshaking time.
• I don’t care if you brush your teeth with hand sanitizer.
But what we’re talking about is the canceling of worship services Over FEAR of a disease, or over the THREAT of something bad.
And this is one of those places where the church gets to rise above the culture.
We cannot forget that in times like this
OUR SIMPLE OBEDIENCE AND WITNESS ARE MORE IMPORTANT.
We have read the command haven’t we?
Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
That verse reminds us that we need each other.
We need corporate encouragement.
We need corporate exhortation.
And that is far more than just listening to a sermon.
It is a grave mistake to assume that digital worship in your home
Is a suitable substitute for physical worship with the church.
As people begin to blur that line
And act like you can worship God just as effectively
From the seclusion and safety of your home,
I would remind you that Biblically speaking, that is not true.
NOW AGAIN,
• I’m not saying that sick people should come anyway (you wouldn’t have done that before the virus)
• I’m not saying it’s wrong to be wise and take precautions.
• I’m not even opposed to all the churches who have canceled services this week in places where the threat is real and they have done so out of compliance to a governmental request or out of concern for their neighbor.
• These things happen.
• We do that when the roads are too icy
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND TAP THE BREAKS
Before people start seeing canceling worship services as “no big deal”
Or digital worship “as a suitable substitute”.
Make sure that when those decisions are made
That they are made out of compassion and not out of fear.
Make sure they are done out of submission to God’s word
And not in disregard of it.
• The church is appointed to meet.
• We are commanded to meet.
• We are not at liberty to forsake that command out of fear.
Perhaps for a little more encouragement here.
You are all aware of Martin Luther the great reformer.
Many remember his trial where he was asked to recant.
What many don’t know is that this was not the only major dilemma faced while in ministry.
• In 1527 the Bubonic plague approached Wittenberg.
• The same plague that could kill within 3 to 10 days and which at the time boasted a 70% death rate.
• Instead of fleeing Luther chose to stay in Wittenberg and minister to the sick.
But here’s what I’d have you understand.
During this time is when Luther is believed to have written his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
He didn’t write it while on trial for his faith,
He wrote it while facing a deadly disease.
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate
On earth is not his equal
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He
The Lord of hosts His name, from age to age the same
And He must win the battle
And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him
That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also
The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still
His kingdom is forever
Whether we speak of physical enemies or biological ones
We are not those who are given to fear.
We see our God as a mighty fortress.
Luther wrote that song in response to his study of the 46th Psalm.
Psalms 46 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.”
That is a great reminder to us all.
There is no need to be given over to fear or dread.
We have a great God in whom we take refuge.
So my encouragement to you as the church
In the midst of this official pandemic and state of emergency is this.
Do not lose your hope or your faith or your courage.
• We have on our side the living God who has not only created us and appointed
our days, but who has also redeemed us and given us a living hope.
We shall not fear, what can man do to me?
And at the same time I would encourage you to put your faith and resolve on display.
• There is a world out there that needs to see your faith, not just hear about it.
It is perhaps as important now as it has ever been
For you to physically attend church and corporately worship.
It is perhaps as important now as it has ever been
For you to go and minister to others and proclaim the gospel.
Don’t let the hysteria of the world change you.
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We will go out as lights in the midst of the darkness.
THAT IS MY ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU WHO ARE REDEEMED.
• To you who have fled to Jesus for refuge and forgiveness.
• To you who have believed that Jesus died and rose again proving Himself to be the only Savior.
• To you who have repented of your sin and confessed Jesus as Lord.
Take Paul’s advice as he contemplated the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
BUT TO YOU WHO DO NOT BELIEVE.
To you who for whatever reason have not confessed Jesus as Lord.
To you I would say, the Corona virus is nothing
Compared to what God has in store in eternity.
To look at a verse we saw a moment ago one more time.
Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Perhaps what is most frustrating regarding this entire response
Is not necessarily the panic over the potential of death,
But the fact that we are society that gives such little concern
To what occurs after death.
And if we learn anything from the Bible,
It is what occurs after death that should really occupy your mind.
We have a day where people are far more concerned
About sanitizer for their hands than sanctification for their souls.
And to that I would also remind you that
You can go to heaven with Carona Virus on your hands
But you cannot go there with sin in your heart.
Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”
The writer of Hebrews said if you don’t receive sanctification
Then you will not see the Lord.
That is to say you will not be saved.
Do we remember the sobering warning of Jesus?
Matthew 18:8-9 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.”
As we have said so many times before,
It’s not the first death you should fear
It’s the second death that you should fear.
It is absolutely the pinnacle of foolishness
That our world would go into hysteria to avoid a death that is certain,
And yet would give such little thought to avoiding the second death
Which through Jesus is avoidable.
Friend you’re not going to escape death in this life,
But through Jesus you can escape judgment.
If nothing else, let this Corona threat be a warning to you to just how fragile life is.
• You never know when death may come for you.
• There are literally threats that you cannot see which can kill you.
And at that moment, if you stand before God apart from Christ,
All that you can anticipate is judgment.
Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”
EVEN CONSIDER LUKE’S GOSPEL FOR A MOMENT.
For what Jesus says here is a pertinent warning
Even in the midst of the crisis we face today.
READ: LUKE 17:22-37
He speaks of two great judgment events that occurred in the past.
• The first was the flood and the second was Sodom and Gomorrah.
• And if you’ll notice Jesus gave parallel realities that occurred in both places.
(26-30) “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”
What Jesus speaks of there was the suddenness of judgment.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE OBLIVIOUS OF JUDGMENT.
(Concerned about the things of life, unconcerned about the coming judgment)
• They were “eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage”
• In Sodom “they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building”
And in a flash, in a moment, judgment came
And all their trivial cares were proved insignificant.
In some ways the Corona virus has given you a warning.
• They can tell you that it is here.
• They can tell you the symptoms.
• They can tell you forms of treatment.
• They can tell you who is most at risk.
But the judgment of God is not like that.
• The Bible teaches that when Jesus returns it will be just as sudden as the flood which broke out upon the earth.
• The Bible teaches that when Jesus returns it will be just as sudden as the fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah.
And the clear warning from the Lord
Is that you not be too worried about the wrong life.
You say, “What do you mean the wrong life?”
(31-33) “On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. “Remember Lot’s wife. “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
The danger is people who forsake eternal life
Because they are totally consumed with this physical life.
It speaks of a wrong priority.
And as a chief example you have “Lot’s wife”
Who when leaving Sodom turned to look back and became a pillar of salt.
She became an eternal illustration of the foolishness of being too concerned with this life and not nearly concerned enough with the next.
There are far greater and more dangerous things
Coming to this earth than the Corona virus.
Someday Jesus is coming to judge the living and the dead.
If you think stocking up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer is important,
Might I encourage you to consider stocking up on righteousness because that is the only thing that will save you from the wrath that is to come.
If anything good comes out of this Corona virus,
Let it be that during the midst of this virus the church stood strong
And let it be that the fear of death
Drove men to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.
Matthew 10:28-31 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”
