COVID-19
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The CoronaVirus is not overblown
The CoronaVirus is not overblown
Americans worship sports and they have cancelled seasons
The almighty American God of sports has fallen
Schools all across the nation have cancelled school and are uncertain as to when or if they will come back this school year.
The stock market is plummeting and the government is looking at how they can help those who can’t sustain this time of quarantine.
At least within the last one hundred years we have never seen a pandemic that completely halted American society.
As of right now, there are 36 confirmed coronavirus cases in Alabama
In the U.S. there are 4, 226 cases and 75 deaths spanning across 49 states and the District of Columbia
Worldwide there have been 185,200 cases and 7,454 deaths from COVID-19
These numbers are rising by the day
I say this because it is important for us to realize that this situation is serious.
It is a waste of our time and effort to suggest that this is overblown or somehow a conspiracy.
These are real people who are sick and real families who are losing loved ones.
However, though this is a serious situation that we are dealing with, we must remember that Jesus Christ is still king. The God you serve is not crippled.
If he could take the scourge and beating that he took, and if could carry up a hill the cross that he would be crucified upon, and if death could not even hold him and defeat him, do not make the mistake of believing that the coronavirus is beyond him.
Though this virus is serious, we must make sure that we do not give in to fear and anxiety.
Do Not Give In to Fear and Anxiety
Do Not Give In to Fear and Anxiety
Matthew 6:25-
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 6:28-
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:31-
A pandemic brings incredible amounts of worry and anxiety
Even before the Coronavirus outbreak we were an anxious people
Did you know that we are 3x as likely to suffer from anxiety and depression as the generation before us?
And with each generation our anxieties go up.
And teenagers specifically are especially susceptible to anxiety and depression.
Did you know that 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder?
Did you know that over the past decade hospital admissions for suicidal teens has doubled?
You guys have so much to deal with and the culture of pressure we have created for you causes unbelievable anxiety and depression.
Do people like me at school? What if they don’t? What if they make fun of me?
Am I making good grades? What is going to happen if I fail?
Where am I going to go to school? What if I don’t get in to where I want to go?
What career path am I going to take? What is going to happen if I can’t find a job?
Who am I going to marry? What if no one wants to marry me? Will I die alone?
And dumped on top of all those anxieties and worries that already existed is the questions with uncertain answers brought with the coronavirus pandemic
This sickness has brought so many people to the edge of insanity
People are fighting in the isles of Walmart over hand sanitizer.
For some unknown reason, some people have bought so much toilet paper they could build a house with it.
I am struggling to find formula for my little boy because ADULTS are buying it up in case we have a milk shortage!
Are you kidding me?
Our culture and society has given in to anxiety. Don’t you do it.
Jesus’ words here in tells us that he wants us to lead an anxiety free life.
Not that our anxiety should be limited, but that it should be eradicated.
God created and loves you. He has your best interest in mind.’
You are greater than all of his creation.
He is more concerned about your well being than flowers, the birds, or anything else.
Besides, anxiety and fear doesn’t contribute to the solution.
Jesus said,
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
If we will trust in God, be totally dependent upon him, and seek to follow him with all of our heart, he will take care of us.
That doesn’t mean he will preserve us from pain or suffering
Though we pray not, we may get sick
But it does mean that God always has our best interest in mind
But it does mean that God always has our best interest in mind
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.
Which leads us to why we don’t have to be anxious or worrisome in difficult circumstances
God is Sovereign in the Midst of COVID-19
God is Sovereign in the Midst of COVID-19
COVID-19 is inside of God’s plan
Listen to what he tells the Israelites in :
15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.
He could have stopped this virus a long time ago if he wanted, but instead, he has decided for it to persist.
This should be a huge comfort to us and why we should not worry or be anxious.
We serve a good God. And since he is good, everything he does is good.
Therefore, God has a particular and good purpose for this virus.
It is not beyond him and he will use it for his glory and for our good.
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.
Romans
You can use this time to spend more time in prayer and God’s Word since you are out of school.
We have a tremendous opportunity to grow closer to God in the midst of all of this.
If for no other reason, I believe that God is trying to show us how dependent we are on perishable things and how much of our time we spend on pointless things.
We have a grand opportunity to suffer well for God’s glory, if it comes to that.
Make no mistake, the world is watching us, the world is watching you, to see how we respond and how we act.
Will we show them we don’t believe in the Gospel we have tried to sell them for years?
Or will we show them that the God we serve is not only real, but present in our lives.
Do not be anxious because no matter how bad this situation gets, God has an almighty purpose for it.
One last thing:
We Must Continue to be the Church
We Must Continue to be the Church
Paul described the Church as Christ’s body
We are his hands and his feet.
I don’t know how long we will be apart, but no matter how long we are apart we will continue to be Christ’s Church.
We are called to be together a living breathing organism that marches forth for God’s glory.
Jesus told Peter:
Matthew 16:
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
If the gates of hell cannot prevail against Christ’s Church, coronavirus won’t either
But if we stop being the church simply because we can’t meet together on Wednesdays, we were never the Church to begin with.
We must continue to strive for the furtherance of the kingdom of God
But what does that mean? What does that look like?
First, it means that you will continue to hunger and thirst for righteousness
Matthew 5:
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
If you simply stop seeking after God while we are in this time of quarantine, your spiritual life will significantly drop off.
God desires to meet with you every day through prayer and His Word.
Utilize the YouVersion Bible app and start a Bible reading plan to complete during this time.
Don’t waste this time and this opportunity to strengthen your faith by binge watching Netflix
Do not waste your mind on small frivolous things such as constant entertainment.
When you get done watching every season of Grey’s Anatomy, what have you accomplished?
But spend your time reading the entire New Testament and you will accomplish something that is eternal and will enrich your soul.
This is not huge break from church.
One of the positives of a situation such as this is that it provides many opportunities for us to shine the light of Christ.
Take advantage of the opportunities of service that are made available to you.
Don’t be a lazy Christian that refuses to do what God asks of you.
Conclusion:
So, remember, these uncertain times are serious, but they are not hopeless.
There is no need to worry or be anxious.
We are beloved by our Father and he will take care of us.
God is sovereign over this situation and it is not outside the scope of his plan. His plan is good and for our betterment.
And we cannot cease to be the church.
Christ, through this situation is calling us to shine, not hide in our house.