What has the pandemic taught you?

Hopefully, eachof us has learnedsomething through this pandemic.  Perhaps you have learned to be gratefulfor the smallthings like Lysol or toiletpaper, or to appreciate those “non-essential” services such as getting a haircutor going to the gym. 

But for me, I have learned that I really enjoydoing what God has calledme to do.  I really do enjoy sharing the word of Godwith His people and ministeringto their needs, it is not just something I do.

I realized how much I really enjoyed it when it was taken away.  Because it was difficultto get up and preach to empty unresponsiveseats every Sunday.  It was hard to go week after week and not be in fellowshipwith my brothers and sisters in Christ.  

But how great and awesomeit was when we were able to meet in personagain.  How significantis the church, the body of Christ, which Jesus gaveHis life for.

The Pandemic Has Brought Great Significance to The Church

During this Pandemic nearly half of Americansreport that the coronavirus crisis is harming their mentalhealth.  Experts are seeing a significant increasein panic attacks, overdoses, depressioneven suicide, during this unprecedented time.

But as the church, we have the answer.  I was encouraged to read about Franklin Grahamand the work that he and his organization are doing during this pandemic.  How they set up tentsoutside of the mainhospitalsin New Yorkand Italywhich were impacted the most by the virus.  They had prayer teamsto reach those who were infected.  They also had aprayer linethrough which they received over 65,000calls.  They shared the gospel of Jesus, and many were saved and healed. 

The truth is everyoneis looking for answers, everyone is looking for peaceof mind or looking for a way to overcome fearand worry.  We know that we overcome all things through the blood of Jesus Christ.

This pandemichas created a need for peace, or a need for answers.  People are searching, looking for some sort of hopeand we as the church have the answer. 

How significantit is for the churchto shineits light in a dark world.  How importantit is for brethrenand sistersto come togetheras the church, not just into a building but members of the body of Christ.  We are to be an extensionof His loveto this world.

Just to give you a few more reasonsfor the significanceof the church:

Matthew 18:20

²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

1. The church is significantbecause the presenceof the Lord fillsthe place where believers are gathered. If we need anything in this day and age, we need moreof the presence of God.  Only the presence of God can bringfreedomto those who are held captive.

James 5:14-15

¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

2. The church is significantbecause it is a place where we encounterthe powerof God. When we gather in one accord and begin to pray for one another, God’s power does what only He can do.

Hebrews 10:24-25

²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

3. The church is significantas it is put in place to encourage one anotherand to stir upone another to do good works. While you can beencouraged by watching online, there isnothing like being herewith other believers.   There is just something about coming together as a group of believers that brings healthand wholenessand even clarityto our lives.  

As a result of coming together we are encouraged to love othersin a way which brings God glory.

During this pandemic, the Churchwas able to show the world how to respond to suffering.  We respond with hope in Jesus,love towardsour fellow man, acts of kindness.  As opposed to those who are not in Christ, who respond out of fear, self-preservation, every manfor themselves type of mentality.

This pandemic has brought significanceto the church.

The Pandemic Has Shown the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be More Relevant Than Ever

Amid all the bad newseven fake newsin the headlines, the news that remains the samethroughout time is the good news of Jesus Christ.

That Jesus is the Son of God, and that He came in the likenessof sinful flesh.  He walked this earth just as you and I.  He was temptedand tried just as you and I, yet He did not sin.  He was beatenand murderedupon a cross.  With this act, God had condemnedsin in the flesh.  His death is accountedto us as our dying to our flesh.

Jesus was buriedbut then He rose again.  All so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins and inherit eternal life.

That message is unchangingeven during a pandemic. When the world is looking for a Saviorto deliver them from their current troubles; Jesusis our Savior who has already paid the price once and for all, on the cross.  He delivered usfrom our eternal trouble, damnation of hell, which is prepared for all those who are not in Christ.  WhetherHe removesour current sufferingsin this life or not is irrelevant.  Because ultimately, by the work that He has done on the cross, He has removed the penalty of oureternal suffering, through His blood. 

Romans 3:23 

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9

⁹  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This message is still relevanteven in 2020. Perhaps with even more relevance as the thought of dyingfrom this virushas probably crossedall our minds, the believerand unbelieveralike.  Perhaps during this pandemic, we realized just how fragile lifeis.  That we are here one day and gone the next.  Which hopefully led us to consider wherewill we spend eternityafter this life is over.

This messageof the cross which portrays Jesusas our savior, is vitally important to uswho are looking for hopein an uncertain world.  While this world is broken, we should set our eyes on a future glory.

The Pandemic Has Taught Us That God Is in Control and We Are Not

One thing that we seenat the very beginningof this pandemic and are still seeing to some degree, is the fight to maintain controlover our lives.  When it became obviousthat we were about to be on lockdowndue to the spread of this virus, suddenly everything that we had knownand grown accustomedto, was threatened.

Many people were rushing to the storesand stock pilingon supplies, why? Because we still want to be in controlof our lives.

However, this pandemic started spiraling outof anyone’s control.  Suddenly, hospitalswere overcrowded, businessesand schoolshad to shut down, along with parks, theaters, and even churches. 

There were no answers, there was little hope.

But was God removedfrom His throne during that time? Or was He surprisedthat this virus came to be?

Isaiah 40:28

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, (time cannot contain Him)the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; (He continues to be who He is) his understanding is unsearchable.  (There is no limit to His understanding, He knows all things)

He knewthat this would happen, He was not surprisedor caught off guardas His understanding is unsearchable.  Some might ask, why then did God allowthis to happen if He knew it was going to happen. 

God certainly allows sufferingto occur even in the lives of believers.  But we must realize that our suffering is a result of man’s rebellion toward God. Sin entered the world through one man’sdisobedience and death resulted because of that sin.  

Romans 8:19-21

¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

All of creation was affectedby Adam’s sin, that is why we have such things as pandemicsand naturaldisasters.

If God does not removean earthly afflictionfrom us the way that we think He should, we must thentrustin His sovereignty.  We must rest in the fact that He is all knowing, and infinitely wise. He is God, we are not.  He created the starsand hung them in outerspace, we did not.  He created humansin His image and likeness distinguishingus from the animalsand has given them the ability to think, to reason, He has given us a soulto be able experience various emotions, He has given us a spirit, in which He dwells. 

Through His Spirt He reassures us that 

Romans 8:28

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Also, He walks with usduring those difficult times of suffering.

Jeremiah 24:23

²³ “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ²⁴ Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. 

There is no placethat we can go to escape from God, which means He is with us always.   He is a God at hand and not far away. 

The Pandemic Has Taught Us That God Is in Controland We Are Not

The Pandemic Has Brought Great Significance to The Church

The Pandemic Has Shown the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be More Relevant Than Ever

The Pandemic Has Taught Us That God Is in Control and We Are Not

What has the pandemic taught you?

• If the church plays a significant role in bringing hope to the hopeless, then what is your role to play?
• If the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to set captives free, then what is your obligation to your fellow man?
• If God is in control, then why fret about things that are beyond your control?