A Biblical Response to the Covid 19 Virus

Hello to my fellow Grace Bible Church family members. I trust that as you listen to this message from home that you are well and that you have everything you need. If you don’t have everything you need, please let someone in the fellowship know. This is a time for coming together, even though we can’t meet together. There are people willing to help you get what you need.

We are doing fine at our home. I hate that we cannot be together on the Lord’s Day to worship together. Let’s pray that this situation does not keep us separated for an extended period of time. I value our time together so very much and I know that the fellowship of our church is an extremely important part of who we are and what we do. Let’s be praying that we can be back into our normal routine very soon.

 We made the decision to cancel services, not as much out of fear of the spread of the Corona virus, as it was out of a sense of responsibility to the community. If the information we are receiving is correct, the threat of anyone at Grace Bible Church contracting this virus is small at this time. However, as the men of GBC gathered Wednesday evening to discuss what we should do, it was pointed out that the lack of available test kits may be the reason the infection rate is still being reported as so low. This is a good point. Up until this point, if I had a fever and cough, I would not suspect the Covid-19 virus. I would think I had a mild case of the flu, or something else. As an infected individual I would be putting others at risk. Since we don’t know the exact infection rate, we think it wise to exercise extra caution.

 There is also the issue of living under the authority of our government officials. Our President and other state and local leaders are strongly encouraging that we not meet in large groups because this facilitates the spread of this virus. We have an obligation biblically to submit to these authorities, especially since they are not asking us to do anything sinful. Some might argue that we are forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but we are not. We are assembling in smaller numbers. We are still devoting ourselves to the worship of our Lord and the study of His Word. We are just doing these things in a different format.

 There is also the concern that if we assembled at our church location during these times, we might be perceived by the community as uncaring, rebellious, and calloused to the needs of others. We don’t want to give our neighbors the impression that we do not care about one another and others. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is for these reasons we are not meeting as a church family at our location today, March 22.

 Because the information regarding the spread of this virus is changing daily, we have not decided to suspend services indefinitely. We will assess the situation week by week and make decisions based on current information. If this threat persists, we may work out a plan whereby we can meet in smaller groups on a rotating basis. This will meet the need to be together as beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, while minimizing the threat of a larger group setting. We are simply going to deal with this issue on a week to week basis.

 The message I want to share with you this morning is entitled “A Biblical Response to Covid-19.” The only other time I shared a message like this was on the Sunday following 9/11. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need encouragement in these times of uncertainty. We need to know what the Bible says about how we should be responding to the situation. We need to know what God’s Word says about what we should be doing. As always, God’s Word is a reliable guide in every situation. There is not situation, no threat, no circumstances that is so great, so severe, so devastating that it can void the instructions of the Scriptures. As we saw in the conclusion of Ephesians last week, God gives peace, along with love with faith, and grace to His people. That was true last week and it is still true this week and it will always be true, no matter what is happening in this world.

 So let me help you put this health crisis in perspective. Perspective is the first point of this message. Let me assure you that this is not an apocalyptic plague that is going to kill a fourth of the world’s population. We have been hearing that the drastic measures being taken to prevent the spread of this virus are necessary, and if we don’t, then what has happened in Italy will happen here. Italy has been one of the countries hardest hit by the virus and certainly the hardest hit European country. But consider this. As of Wednesday morning when I did this research, there had been approximately 32,000 cases in Italy. There were about 2,500 deaths. This is a serious issue. I don’t want to downplay the fact that 47,000 are sick and 4,000 have died. But I do want to point out that there are 60.5 million people in Italy. If you do the math and divide 47,000 by 60.5 million, you will discover that even in Italy there is a 99.92% chance that you are not infected. And yes, in all likelihood there are more infections than those reported, but even if the infection rate is 4 times the reported rate, the chances of infection are still quite low.

 I don’t want you to take this statistic and use it as an excuse to throw caution to the wind. I only want to bring some balance to our thinking. As of Friday evening there were 49 confirmed cases in Oklahoma. This is up from 4 on Sunday. That is a very alarming rate of increase. There will be more confirmed cases, so we should be careful. But we should also keep in mind that there the statistical odds of contracting this virus, at this point is very small. As long as we follow the precautionary guidelines we face very little risk. Now that is my perspective, and you all have heard me say that my life’s motto is “often wrong, but never in doubt.” I want to conclude my thoughts on perspective by admitting that I am not an expert in the spread of communicable diseases.

 The next point I want to make is in response to the panic which this virus has causes. As followers of Christ we should not panic. Donna and I started to see the beginning of the hoarding practices which result from panic about three weeks ago. We went into Sam’s in Tulsa and the meat counters were empty. This situation has only gotten worse. We have been in many stores recently trying to find things that we and others need and it is crazy. Panic has caused selfishness to the surface. This is not right. If everyone would calm down and purchase only what they need, there would be plenty of everything for everyone who needs basic supplies like toilet paper. We should be setting the example for others in this area. Let’s not panic.

The root cause of panic is fear and we should not be characterized as a fearful people. In the midst of panic we should be peace-filled. I know you are familiar with these words but I would ask you to look at Romans 8 with me for a minute. Read Romans 8:28-39. We can add corona virus to the list of those things that will never be able to separate us from the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 We are also familiar with the words of Paul from Philippians 4. Let’s turn there. Read and discuss verses 4-9.

 Not only should we be peace-filled during this time, but we should also be prepared. From a practical standpoint there is nothing wrong with having an extra package of toilet paper. If you need some, let me know. We have some at the church that we are ready to share with anyone in need. While I hope that made you chuckle a little, I want to use it as an illustration. When I challenge you to be prepared, I want you to be prepared to help anyone in your circle of influence who might have a need.

 We have been talking about how the church at Ephesus made an impact on the city in which it existed. As an example of that we talked a couple weeks ago about the people of Jerusalem after Pentecost. The church in Jerusalem had a massive influx of new believers who were not from Jerusalem. These new believers had traveled to Jerusalem from all over for the feast of Pentecost. They were saved when Peter preached his famous message after being filled with the Holy Spirit. These new followers of Christ wanted to remain with the Apostles so they could be grounded in their new found faith. They lacked resources. The needs were so great that everyone was selling their possessions and bringing them to the Apostles so that the needs of the people could be met. I’m not suggesting you sell your homes, but I am suggesting that this isn’t the time to be selfish with anything we have that someone else might need. Be prepared to share what you have with those in need.

 We may well see that the economic impact of this virus far exceeds the health impact to our nation. We could be headed for tough economic times ahead. Again, I don’t want to cause fear or panic, but there could be unprecedented opportunities ahead for Grace Bible Church. We want to be prepared to meet the needs of our church family and those we know outside this church family. We need to be prepared to help others.

 We also need to be prepared to share the hope of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel with anyone to whom God opens that window of opportunity. This health crisis will open the door of opportunities for us to share our faith and the hope offered through Jesus Christ. It is not hard to do. We simply need to follow the example of our Lord. Let me invite you to turn to Luke 12. Let me set the context. In Luke 12 Jesus is preaching a message to a large crowd. The beginning of this chapter tells us that so many people had gathered that they were stepping on one another. Jesus begins to preach to this large crowd and if we were to put a title on His message the title would be, “Living in Light of Eternity.” At almost every point through this message Jesus keeps bringing the people face to face with the importance of being ready for eternity.

 In verses 2-3 Jesus tells the crowd that every word they speak will be revealed in eternity. In verses 4-5 He tells them not to fear those who kill the body only, but rather to fear the One who has authority to cast into hell. In verses 13-21 you find the parable of the rich fool. This was a man who concerned himself with everything in this life and did not realize that his time on this earth was going to be cut short. When he stood before God his earthly treasures would do him no good.

 In verses 22-34 there is a discourse about being overly concerned about things in this life and concludes with instructions about investing in the unfailing treasure of heaven. In verses 35-48 are two parables about readiness and faithfulness in light of the certain return of our Lord. If you had to write a one sentence summary of the theme of Luke 12 it would be, “We should be living in light of eternity.”

 Then we come to verse 54. Jesus gives an illustration. Read through verse 56 and explain. Then Jesus gives another illustration about going before the magistrate. Read through verses 59 and explain.

 Then there is another interruption to the message and Jesus masterfully utilizes what is reported to illustrate the importance of what He has been teaching since the beginning of His sermon. Read Luke 13:1-5 and explain. Then read the parable of verses 6-9 and explain.

 Here is the sobering reality every human being needs to face. We are all going to die. Some are going to die early, through sickness or tragedy, and some are going to live a full life, but all are going to die. Nothing will happen to anyone with the corona virus, even if they die, that will not eventually happen to every one of us. This is why it is important for every person on earth to live in light of eternity. Death is going to happen to everyone. The thing that every person needs to understand is that they have an opportunity before they stand before the Righteous Judge of all Creation to settle with Him before they get there. Jesus is the settlement. He is the only Settlement. He satisfied the wrath of the Righteous Judge when He paid the penalty for our sins on the Cross.

 I believe any of you are capable of talking with someone and opening your Bible and reading through Luke 12 and the first part of Luke 13 and explaining to someone who is worried about the corona virus the importance of eternity and settling their case with the magistrate before they get there. Be prepared to share the gospel when the opportunity presents itself.

 To respond biblically to this situation, keep it in perspective. Be peace-filled. Be prepared. I would also encourage you to be productive. This is a great time for some rich family fellowship. Use this time to read something together. Use the time to work on some project together. If you don’t have a project of your own, reach out to a neighbor and offer to pull weeds from their flower beds. There are projects that need our attention at the church building. You can go there and paint or pull weeds. If you lack something to do, let me know. It is important to stay productive. The Bible never encourages idleness.

  Finally, be prayerful. Be praying that God would have mercy on our world, our nation, our state, our city, our church, and our individual families. 2 Chronicles 7 is about God and His people, the nation of Israel, right after the completion of the Temple which Solomon built. We are probably all familiar with verse 14 of that chapter but I want to include what comes before and after verse 14. Speaking to Solomon, God said beginning in verse 13, “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.”

 The eyes of God are open and the ears of God are attentive to the prayers of His people. Let’s be prayerful. Let’s be examining our own lives, humbly seeking the face of God, and willingly turning from any sin in our lives. God will hear from heaven. He will forgive our sin. He will heal our land.

 Let’s pray. Lord, we do humble ourselves in Your presence. We confess our wickedness. We stand as a people in need of Your mercy. You are full of compassion. Your lovingkindness is from everlasting to everlasting. Your mercies are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness to all generations. God we ask You to move in a mighty way among our nation and in our world. We want You to be glorified. We pray for Your glory. We long for Your exaltation among Your people. We ask you to forgive our sin and heal our land. We ask You to restore us so that we may continue to worship you in peace.

 God we need You to supernaturally intervene in our world and stop the spread of this virus. We don’t deserve for you to do anything. We deserve to all be stricken with every disease known to man. We are sinful. But in Your great mercy we ask You to deliver us and heal our land.

 Our Father in heaven, we thank You that You have offered peace to us through the blood of the Cross of our Lord Jesus. Draw multitudes to the Cross where they may find peace. Embolden us as the messengers of the gospel that we might offer hope in these troubling times. Help us to point people to eternity and judgment and salvation through Jesus Christ.

 Father, help us to keep this crisis in perspective. Help us, as Your children, to be filled with peace. Help us to be prepared to help those in need and to share the gospel of hope. Help us to be productive. Thank you for hearing our prayers.

 Now we commit the days ahead to you and we humbly and honestly seek to live to bring honor and glory to the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.