Lessons from a Pandemic

LESSONS FROM A PANDEMIC

MY HOPE IS I WILL LIVE TO SEE AN APOSTOLIC PANDEMIC

I HAVE PREACHED SEVERAL ON LINE SERMONS WITH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AT THE END. THERE IS ONE QUESTION THAT IS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY ASKED AND THAT IS “WHAT SHOULD THE CHURCH LEARN FROM THIS COVID 19 PANDEMIC?” “IS THERE A LESSON HERE”?

I WILL SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I HAVE LEARNED WHILE ATTENDING THIS 3 MONTH COURSE OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC SCHOOL AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE CHURCH.

FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE LEARNED A PANDEMIC HAS A CERTAIN KIND OF DOCTRINE.

· IT HAS PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF BEHAVIOR

· IT HAS LAWS OF CONDUCT, A MODE OF ACTION AND BASIC INTENT.

METHODS

· HOW IT WILL ACCOMPLISH ITS GOALS AND ITS END

· HOW IT PROCEEDS AND THE TECHNICS IT WILL PERFORM.

TO BEGIN WITH, THE WORD “PANDEMIC” IS NOT A BAD WORD

IT’S OF GREEK ORIGIN THAT MUST BE GIVEN CONTEXT.

· PAN = ALL, THE ENTIRE TOTAL NUMBER

· DEMUS = PEOPLE, EVERY HUMAN BEING

NOTE, COVID 19 DID NOT START OUT AS A PANDEMIC BUT BEGINS WITH ONE PERSON SO BECAUSE IT’S ORIGIN WAS IN ONE IT WAS CONFINED TO A SINGULAR INDIVIDUAL IN A WORLD OF 7.8 BILLION.

IT WAS THE NATURE OF THIS VIRUS NOT TO STAY IN ONE INDIVIDUAL OR ONE REGION, NOT TO BE CONTENT REMAINING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT TO BE BOUND TO A COMMUNITY, A CITY OR A TOWN OR ONE PERSON, THIS VIRUS WAS DESTINED TO BECOME A PANDEMIC, THAT IS, ITS DESTINY WAS FOR ALL PEOPLE, THAT IS ALL 7.8 BILLION PEOPLE.

IF A VIRUS REACHES THE PLACE OF BEING PANDEMIC THEN BY DEFINITION IT MUST BE FOR ALL PEOPLE.

· IT CANNOT DISCRIMINATE.

· IT CANNOT BE EXCLUSIVE

· A PANDEMIC CANNOT BE PREJUDICE

· IT CANNOT MAKE DISTINCTIONS

· IT CANNOT SHOW FAVOR

· IT MUST REFUSE TO SINGLE OUT OR SEGREGATE IF IT DOES IT WILL LOSE ITS STATUS AS PANDEMIC.

A TRUE PANDEMIC DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.

IT DOES NOT CARE IF

· RICH MILLIONAIRE OR LIVING ON WELFARE

· EDUCATED AT HARVARD OR A HIGHSCHOOL DROPOUT

· IT DOES NOT CARE IF YOUR ON TOP OR THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIAL LADDER. DRUG ADDICT, ALCOHOLIC, IN PRISON

· NO CONCERN IF YOU LIVE IN A TENT ON THE STREETS OF SAN FRAN CISCO OR IN THE WHITE HOUSE, DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN

· HIGH PROFILE HOLLY WOOD STAR OR SOME NAMELESS BEGGAR

· LIVING IN OPULENCE OR IN A NURSING HOME,

A PANDEMIC IS FOR EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHO, WHAT OR WHERE THEY ARE. ITS MOTTO IS “WHOSOEVER”

· A PANDEMIC DOES NOT RESPECT BORDERS, CULTURES, COLOR, MALE OR FEMALE, RELIGION, YOUNG OR OLD, TO BE PANDEMIC YOU MUST AFFECT AND INFECT EVERYONE.

· A PANDEMIC CANNOT BE PARTIAL, SHOW FAVOR, OR BE PREJUDICED. IT MUST BE INCLUSIVE AND INCLUDE EVERYONE.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF A PANDEMIC IS TO IMPACT THE ENTIRE WORLD. IT WILL NEVER BE CONTENT WITH A COMMUNITY, A TOWN, A CITY, A STATE, A REGION, A COUNTRY, OR A CONTINENT. IT MUST SHARE ITSELF WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD, IT IS PANDEMIC.

WE SPENT THE LAST DECADE CELEBRATING OUR DIVERSITY I HOPE IN THE NEXT DECADE WE CELEBRATE OUR KINSHIP. OUR ONENESS.

IT IS MY HOPE THAT WHEN THIS PANDEMIC IS OVER AND WE BEGAN TO SETTLE A NEW NORMAL THAT IT WILL BE MORE PANDEMIC. OUR VISION NEEDS TO BE LESS LOCAL FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN AND MORE FOR ALL PEOPLE WITH NO DISCRIMINATION OR PREJUDICE OR EXCLUSIVENESS.

Acts 1:8

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

IT IS THE INTENT OF GOD THAT THIS GLORIOUS GOSPEL BE PANDEMIC AND NOT EXCLUSIVE. IT MUST BEGIN IN JERUSALEM BUT CANNOT END THERE JESUS WAS AN ADVOCATE OF A TRUE SPIRITUAL PANDEMIC.

John 4:6-10

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. WE ARE DIVERSE NO KINSHIP

· WE DON’T SHOP TOGETHER, IF WE DO DON’T SPEAK TO JEWS

· DON’T GO TO THE SAME CHURCH, MOUNTAIN OR JERUSALEM

· WE DO NOT TRADE WITH, RESPECT, OR HONOR EACH OTHER

· WE DO NOT MINGLE OR HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIP TOGETHER

· WE DO NOT LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN, NOT NEIGHBORS.

· WE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON. WE CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, HERE IS JESUS ANSWER TO HER DIVERSITY, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. THE GIFT OF GOD IS PANDEMIC!

John 4:28-30

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

IT WAS JESUS POSITION THAT LIVING WATERS WERE PANDEMIC, THAT IS FOR EVERYONE, ONE 5 TIME LOOSER, TURNED INTO AN ENTIRE CITY

· PANDEMICS ALWAYS BEGIN WITH ONE AFFECTED WHO WILL NOT BE CONTENT WITH BEING THE ONLY ONE.

· THE DISCIPLES BROUGHT NO ONE BACK FROM SAMARIA THEY WERE CONTENT BEING THE ONLY ONES. THEY DID NOT SEE THIS HOLY GHOST AS BEING PANDEMIC

Acts 2:37-39

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

IT IS ONE THING TO BELIEVE IT’S PANDEMIC AND PREACH IT BUT IT IS ANOTHER THING TO ACT UPON WHAT YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE.

· REMEMBER ITS JERUSALEM, JUDEA, SAMARIA, AND THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH.

Acts 5:28

28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

THE DISCIPLES WORKED, TOILED AND LABORED TO FILL JERUSALEM WITH THEIR DOCTRINE. THERE WAS NO HOME, NO STORE, NO MAN WOMAN OR CHILD, NO STREET, NO HIGHWAY, OR BYWAY THAT HAD NOT HEARD THIS WONDERFUL TRUTH OF WATER BAPTISM IN JESUS NAME AND THE INFILLING OF THE HOLY GHOST. JERUSALEM WAS NOW FULL TO OVERFLOWING.

· BUT JERUSALEM BEING FULL IS NOT PANDEMIC

· THE DISCIPLES HAD THE NOTION THAT SALVATION WAS FOR THE JEWS. IT WAS EXCLUSIVE AND PARTIAL AND INDIVIDUAL AND THEY DISCRIMINATED.

Acts 10:30-32

30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

Acts 10:9-15

Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

THE PRAYER OF CORNELIUS IT BEGINS WITH ONE MAN A GENTILE

FIRST MIRACLE AFTER PENTECOST, MAN HEALED AT THE GATE

Acts 4:16-17

16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

· WE MUST CONTAIN THIS NOTABLE MIRACLE LEST IT SPREAD AND BECOME PANDEMIC.

· THEY UNDERSTOOD IT WAS COMMUNICABLE AND HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, PASSED ON FROM ONE TO ANOTHER. IT’S ALL PERSON TO PERSON.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND STOPPING THIS COVID 19 PANDEMIC IS CONTAINMENT, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AVOID CROWDS, KEEP TO YOURSELF. IT IS TRANSMITTED PERSON TO PERSON.

WHEN THE VIRUS CEASES TO BE PASSED ON IT WILL COME TO A DEAD END. COVID 19 CANNOT SURVIVE IN ISOLATION AND SO THE GOSPEL NEEDS ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN, ONE GIRL OR BOY TO START A PANDEMIC.

· RAHAB WAS NOT CONTENT SAVING HERSELF.

· THIS ONE WOMAN GATHERED HER FAMILY INTO HER HOUSE UNDER THE SCARLET THREAD.

· SHE STARTED A PANDEMIC, RAHAB, SALMON, BOAS, RUTH, OBED, JESSE, DAVID. AND THEN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

Acts 10:43-44

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. IT WAS PANDEMIC, THEN BAPTIZED.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. IT’S THAT SERIOUS.