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It is really a unique game. The players are actually not against each other but working together to prevent an apocalyptic pandemic. Your job as the players on this board game are prevent global outbreak of different viruses and diseases. It takes strategy, and coordinating together as a team to prevent the outbreaks. What is also interesting, is each person at the table receives a character card that shows your role in the game and each person has their own unique skillset.
Good morning Church family. It was about a year ago I preached in this church a sermon, entitled, “A wonderful Pandemic.” This title was inspired by playing the board game “Pandemic.”
The game is surprisingly hard, because the outbreaks could very quickly turn into the name of the game, a pandemic very quickly, at which point, everyone loses.
It is really a unique game. The players are actually not against each other but working together to prevent an apocalyptic pandemic. Your job as the players on this board game are prevent global outbreak of different viruses and diseases. It takes strategy, and coordinating together as a team to prevent the outbreaks. What is also interesting, is each person at the table receives a character card that shows your role in the game and each person has their own unique skillset.
Good morning Church family.
I must say, at the beginning of this month my thoughts were on preparation for the Alive Youth Rally and making sure we had all of our ducks in a row. While we had been hearing rumblings of the Corona Virus out there, I don’t think there were many Americans who envisioned what the rest of this past month would become. It has been a humbling reality to witness much of our world come to a standstill in the midst of this Corona Virus outbreak. I believe the current reality can serve as a reminder, that our one true constant in our lives if the eternal gift of God’s love. This love is unrelenting, unwavering, and withstands the test of time. His love will carry us through this.Lately it has felt
Lately it has felt
The game is surprisingly hard, because the outbreaks could very quickly turn into the name of the game, a pandemic very quickly, at which point, everyone loses. To win is work together to isolate and destroy the spread.
I must say, at the beginning of this month my thoughts were on preparation for the Alive Youth Rally and making sure we had all of our ducks in a row. While we had been hearing rumblings of the Corona Virus out there, I don’t think there were many Americans who envisioned what the rest of this past month would become. It has been a humbling reality to witness much of our world come to a standstill in the midst of this Corona Virus outbreak. I believe the current reality can serve as a reminder, that our one true constant in our lives is the eternal gift of God’s love. This love is unrelenting, unwavering, and withstands the test of time. His love will carry us through this.
Those of you feeling isolated at home, wondering when this social distancing will be over, wondering when when we can buy toilet paper at will again, wondering when we don’t to use hand sanitizer every time we open a door, I want you to understand this world is not our home! While I am not suggesting this pandemic THE end of the world as we know it. I do think we are getting a glimpse of how quickly things can in our lives. The greatest constant we have is our faith in Jesus. I know he will be with us as he has been with His people down through the ages. When we know we are in His hands, we know we are in a safe and secure place.
(TURN TO GROUP) I want to say a big thankyou to our team for being here today and helping. You know the Bible has lots of stories of God’s protection. It also has stories of those who have experienced isolation, not unlike the social distancing we are currently practicing. I’d like to examine a few of those scriptures? Would you guys be willing to help read some texts and join me in attempting to answer some questions?
Awesome! thankyou!
Before we go any further, lets go to God in prayer.
So as most everyone is pretty isolated in their homes for the foreseeable future I started to ponder stories in the Bible where some of God’s servants found themselves in some form of isolation or containment. Some instances were self-imposed such as Jesus himself going into the wilderness to fast and be tested. Some experienced this out of being placed in prison. There are also those who went into hiding.
story #1
When I was thinking of someone who was experiencing fear while in Isolation was actually none other than the great prophet Elijah.
This is a rather interesting case here. Elijah has just experienced a great victory at Mt. Carmel where God revealed himself in a big way. He had answered Elijah in his challenge to the prophets of Ba’al to see whose God would burn their sacrifice. God had shown himself to be the real God and the prophets of Ba’al had been basically shown to be frauds, and ended up being killed. I think in my head if I had been there, I want to say I would never ever have a reason to be afraid again because I would know God was with me. I want to say this, and yet Elijah, one of the greatest prophets ever, one who would literally be taken away in a chariot of fire to Heaven, had a very quick moment of fear following this great victory.
Levi, Can you read for us (change slide)
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
1 Kings 19:1-4
What state of mind is Elijah is at this point?
Does he sound as confident as he had in the previous chapter?
Why do you think Elijah was afraid?
It seems to me, he is taking a look at the prophetic landscape and is feeling quite alone.
Is it just a poor memory of how God has come through for him time and time again?
Could it be that Elijah feels like he has let God down in some way?
Lets keep reading a little further:
And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
So God provided the food that seemingly sustained him for quite a journey.
1 Kings 19:5
So
okay now if you can read
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
For time’s sake I won’t make you read the rest, but what happens is God sends a great wind and then earthquake, and then a fire…It says each time these calamities take place, “The Lord was not in them”....however what he does hear after that was a whisper. Some versions say “that still small voice.”
God takes this time to tell him, He would not be the last prophet, that there would be one to pick up his mantle in Elisha. He’s telling him, essentially, “Your work has not been in vain!”
Have any of you had a “still small voice” experience?
What do you think we need to do to hear God’s voice amongst Earth quakes, ( think you were out there in Utah during an earthquake recently) or the panic of coronavirus? How do we hear God’s still small voice amongst the chaos?
I think an important detail is, God’s voice was not the chaos itself, but was present during it. I think in moments of isolation or quarantine that we are currently in, I think we have a grand opportunity to seek a greater intimacy with God in these moments.
For those of you watching, I want to encourage you to seek the still small voice like Elijah, in moments of fear and trepedation, listen for the STILL SMALL VOICE. It is there you will find your protection.
Bible story #2
Let’s move to another story. One I’m sure you may be a little bit more familiar with. Let’s go to .
shares the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den.
Now talking about Isolation, I’m really not referring to simply his experience in the Den. Daniel was known to self-isolate so he could have quality time in prayer. God had always been with Daniel, he had been the advisor to several Babylonian and now Persian rulers, and still had been able to remain faithful in personal time with God.
Sarah, if you can read:
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
You almost get the sense that Daniel, when he learns about the signed document, that he kind of shrugs his shoulders, and continues as normal. He, in no way, attempts to hide his prayer life, he continues as normal.
Why do you think Daniel is not afraid? Why is he so confident?
i think you guys are aware of what happens next, these high officials trap the king in his foolish signing of this document. They force the King to enact the consequence of breaking his law.
Lets pick up in verse 16 and read through verse 24
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Daniel 6:16
Why do we not seem to have the same confidence in God to protect us the way he did Daniel?
What are ways we can gain confidence in God’s protection?
Part of the reason I think Daniel had confidence in God to protect him was because his faith in God was not contingent upon God sparing his life. He had the same faith of his friends who famously stood before Nebuchadnezzar and said, “Oh King we believe our God can save us, but even if he doesn’t we still will not bow down to your image.” Daniel’s confidence in God was not contingent upon a rescue. His confidence seemed to come from having an incredibly intimate relationship with God.
Story #3
Okay one more story: and there are all sorts of stories we could go into: joseph, Jonah, David, Paul, Esther, John, and so many more, BUT
In keeping with this quarantine we are under, I don’t know how we could skip the story of the 10 lepers.
Josh, you lucked out, I’m asking you to read the shortest passage.
Would you read for us
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
We think we have it bad with COVID-19…Can you imagine living in a time when leprosy could so easily spread without modern medicine to treat it. At this time the practice was, if someone had leprosy, they had to live quarantined away from the rest of society. The only way to be accepted back into society was to be declared clean by a priest.
When I look at this encounter with Jesus and the lepers calling out to Jesus for Him to take pity on them. I think about all of us calling out to Jesus to wipe away this pandemic from the world. We cry out to Him when we are in the midst of natural disaster, and financial crisis, and every other tragedy in our lives. Yet when God does respond and answer us, How do we respond?
Why do you think we remember God when we are desperate, but forget him once our prayers are answered?
Why is it so important to praise God in good times and in hard times?
My friends, we can know of God’s protection by remembering his promises. Jesus declared to the lepers to go to the priests to be seen. The only reason he would command this is if they would be healed. Yet we see only 1 return, because of remembering Jesus. He praised Him and thanked Him. Jesus tells Him, that it was his faith that made Him well. His faith was His protection.
Church family, How much faith do you have? Will a world pandemic shake our trust and faith in God? Will you listen for that STILL SMALL VOICE like Elijah.? Will you seek an intimacy with God like Daniel? and will you remember His promises like the one leper?
Today I am asking each of to trust God to see us through this difficult time in the world, and know that no matter what happens, God has protected us.