Trusting God in a Pandemic

Open: D Day June 6, 1944 the Allied invasion of Fortress Europe from the beaches of Normandy

WW II was in its 5th year when the Allied Forces began the final push to defeat the German Army. Hitler had fortified the French coast and claimed that the German position was unassailable, that no attack could succeed. The Allied forces, led by the Americans proved Hitler wrong. At a tremendous cost of Allied lives, the landings were successful, and the beginning of the end of the Nazi regime was at hand.

Transition: The supposedly unassailable was assailed; the Atlantic Wall was broken, and the attacking forces rushed in to conquer. Because of America’s leadership and material support in the war effort, we developed into a superpower. In the 75 years since the end of WW II we have maintained the status of super power, and we also have developed a sense of pride and superiority. Many Americans believe we are unassailable and will remain inviolate from invading forces.

Yet here we are, the world’s greatest super power, being invaded. This invasion is not from the bombs or soldiers of another country. This invader is incredibly tiny, in fact microscopic. It is invisible to the naked eye, yet this virus is wreaking havoc on our way of life.

The Corona Virus had its beginnings in China sometime in December 2019. The virus spread and moved out of China. Currently the virus is in about 118 countries. While the death rate is low (0.7 to 3.4%), the virus is definitely having a global impact. As of Wednesday, March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the corona virus, abbreviated Covid 19, to be a pandemic.

This is a worship service, not a science class, so let’s move to the point of this message. Given the global attention of Covid 19 how are we as people of faith to respond? What is our responsibility in dealing with this crisis?

Christians are not to ignore the crisis (Proverbs 27:12)

Explanation: It would not be wise for us to pretend that Covid 19 is not having a negative impact. While we are never to give in to panic or despair, we are told to be prudent. God gave us minds so that we can make responsible decisions.

Illustrate: The US has implemented a travel ban from most European countries, Disneyland is shutting down for a month, and the NCAA has canceled March Madness

Argument: Some of these decisions may be unreasonable and / or excessive. We may not agree with the motivations behind the decision, but the point is that people and systems are reacting to this virsus.

As of now, we do not see the need to cancel Church worship services. This is a time for us to come together as people of faith to be used for God’s purposes. This does not mean we pretend this is not a serious issue. As leaders of SSBC we made the decision on this past Wednesday to temporarily suspend our fellowship / greeting time during our Sunday morning services. This is a responsible reaction in light of the contagious nature of Covid 19.

We have also posted on our FB and website some other precautions. For the elderly and those who have compromised immune systems, it may be a prudent decision to stay at home and listen to the message when posted on the website. Or if you want some good preaching, tune into Charles Stanley or David Jeremiah. We want our members to be safe and to be responsible citizens.

Christians are to Trust God in all situations, including Pandemics ()

Explanation: In times of uncertainty and distress the believer always has a place of refuge. We are repeatedly told in Scripture to Trust in the Lord. When overwhelmed by changing fortunes and dismal forecasts, the believer does have a refuge; we find shelter with the Almighty. He is our Rock, He is our Refuge, He is our fortress, and we are called to cling to Him.

Argument: When we are inside the fortress, when we are under the umbrella of faith we are in a very real way under God’s protection. Anything that gets to us has to come through God’s protective covering. It is because all aspects of a believer’s life are filtered through God’s hand of grace that we can live free of faith.

Application: We CAN trust God. We CAN depend on Him to deliver us from fear and anxiety.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Christians are not to abuse or twist Scripture to suit the situation (,)

Explanation: The basic theme of the entire 91st Psalm is protection. The language used indicates this truth: refuge, fortress, deliverance, covering, rescue, and others. To the point of our topic this morning, the Psalmist mentions twice that God will deliver “from the deadly pestilence” (v.3) and that the believer “will not fear … the pestilence that stalks in the darkness” (v. 6). The word pestilence refers to sickness such as plague, which were contagious and deadly. So the Psalmist clearly has an idea that faith in God provides a deliverance from deadly diseases.

Negative Example: Pastor Brian Tamaki of Destiny Church, a well-known multi-site megachurch headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, told his congregation Sunday that God has promised to protect faithful followers of Christ from the coronavirus. He quoted portions of as proof of immunity.

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday,” he read from his Bible. Tamaki continued, “We needn’t fear it. There is a lot of hysteria that has been engendered by certain elements about this pandemic.”

Tamaki told his congregation that God allows things such as “epidemics, pestilence and famine” when people have turned their backs on the faith. But for those “blood-bought born-again, Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, Holy Ghost-filled, tithe-paying believer[s],” they are protected by God.

Argument: While Pastor Tamaki and other prosperity preachers would disagree with me, I believe he is distorting and abusing Scripture. He is basically saying those who have faith (and, more importantly, are tithers) will be supernaturally protected from Covid 19.

Pastor Tamaki is portraying God as a supernatural bell hop who exists to meet our needs. His heretical teaching of immunity from bad things happening to Christians is opposed to the message of Job, other Psalms, and the teaching of Jesus. Pastor Tamaki is a false teacher and this type of message is dangerous!

A balanced understanding of the meaning of is found in many conservative evangelical voices. Commenting upon this issue in is Alexander Maclaren who states:

The triumphant assurances of this psalm, ‘There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling,’-’the pestilence shall smite thousands and ten thousands beside thee, but not come nigh thee,’-seem to be entirely contradicted by experience which testifies that ‘there is one event to the evil and the good,’ and that, in epidemics or other widespread disasters, we all, the good and the bad, God-fearers and God-blasphemers, do fare alike . . . whatever it means it does not mean that, with regard to external calamities and disasters, we are going to be God’s petted children, or to be saved from the things that fall upon other people. No! no! we have to go a great deal deeper than that . . . we have to come to the belief that the evil that is in the evil will never come near a man sheltered beneath God’s wing. The physical external event may be entirely the same to him as to another who is not covered with His feathers.

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday,” he read from his Bible. Tamaki continued, “We needn’t fear it. There is a lot of hysteria that has been engendered by certain elements about this pandemic.”

Tamaki told his congregation that God allows things such as “epidemics, pestilence and famine” when people have turned their backs on the faith. But for those “blood-bought born-again, Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, Holy Ghost-filled, tithe-paying believer[s],” they are protected by God.

It would serve us well to remember that Satan quoted from when he was tempting Jesus. Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and told Him to jump if He was really the Son of God. Satan said Jesus could do it because “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone” ()

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

Jesus responded by stating “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (). God may or may not keep an individual believer from contracting the virus, and He may or may not allow that believer to die from the virus. If death comes in that situation it does not mean that God did not deliver; He just chose to deliver and fully heal on the other side.

12  On their hands they will bear you up,

Application: For our part we are called to live by faith, not fear. As Paul told Timothy, “God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7)

lest you strike your foot against a stone

Christians are to be prayerful and open to the opportunity to use this crisis to share the Gospel

Explanation: Many of the actions and reactions of those around us are based on fear. As previously stated there is a need to be prudent. But this does not mean hunkering down in fear. I was at Sam’s Tuesday afternoon when I heard the cashier tell a customer they had a limit on bottled water. Customers have been stockpiling water, toilet paper, and other items so they can retreat into seclusion.

Christians can go about our daily lives being confident instead of cowering. We don’t have to do stupid stuff like purposely trying to come in contact with an infected person to try to “prove” that God will protect us. That’s kind of like some of these snake-handling churches - seems like I read about how some of their pastors die from rattlesnake venom!

Application: Paul also told Timothy to be “ready in season and out of season” (), and Peter told us to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (). Pray for opportunities to have Gospel conversations

If you find yourself outside the faith at this time, I urge you to place your faith and trust in Christ. No, Jesus is not a good luck charm and trusting Christ will not give you immunity from bad things. Jesus does, however, not only prepare you for Eternity, He gives you purpose and peace in the midst of the storms. You don’t have to fear death.