“Practicing
Faith, Hope and Love in Place” 3-29-20
Rev. 1:9-13, 17-18
I read somewhere that the government
phrase “shelter in place” is a lot more scarier than “staying at home” but they
mean the same thing. A rose by any
other name is still the same. We are
encouraged to practice social distancing.
The universities and schools are shut down through the end of
April. So one of the things I want to
talk about is practicing your faith where you are- where we believe in God’s
providence He has placed you.
There are many people who are asked to continue to work and to have more courage and to be strong in the name of helping people. Healthcare workers, cleaners, administrators as someone put it “did not sign up to be martyrs” but they are putting themselves on the frontlines of this fight against the coronavirus and also any other communicable disease.
Perhaps you remember the story of Dr. Kent Brantley who was a medical doctor missionary with Samaritan’s Purse. Six years ago there was a huge Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Ebola is quite contagious through bodily fluids and its death rate is 50- 70%. In contrast the coronavirus is also quite contagious and its death rate is between 1-3%. The missionary doctors were asked to evacuate Iberia where Brantley was stationed. But Dr. Brantley stayed to help. He helped many people, but despite precautions, he caught the disease and was shipped back to Emory Hospital in Atlanta. Some protested that he came back bringing the disease to the United States- but the disease was contained here. Dr. Brantley and another missionary doctor Nancy Writebol were the first to receive an experimental treatment called ZMapp that seemed to work. They both walked out of the hospital 3 weeks later. There is a movie about this called “Facing Darkness.” Today Brantley serves in a rural area outside of Fort Worth Texas. Brantley feels a bit guilty that many have died in West Africa but he got to come home, get the best care and treatment and live. His faith, he says, did not cure him but helped him through. Pray for our Medical Workers, grocery store workers, government officials who still work, all those who go to work for our society. Pray that God would grant them courage and protection.
But pray also that those who have to work, would also be full of God’s amazing grace toward others- showing faith, hope and love to the people they are risking themselves for. For those who are out there- keep the faith as you go out. See yourself as a missionary doing God’s work like Dr. Brantley.
But there are many people who are now at home. They are staying at home or sheltering in place. Children and young people are out of school. Unemployment reached its highest level ever last week. What should those at home do?
I used to think that if you stayed home, you were less likely to sin or mess up before God. But now I know better. Usually people love their families best and they get angriest at the people they love because their expectations are high or perhaps they let down their moral guard at home. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves- with the first neighbors being those shut in with us. This means making efforts to communicate better, to serve one another better, and to love each other.
When I was working on my doctorate I used to go down to the Monk’s Corner abbey a good bit for research. Now the funny thing is that the brothers there are not supposed to say anything but in worship. So not only are they practicing staying at home or sheltering in place- which should minimize sins, but they also were not saying much. But their spokesperson talked a lot about how they have regular confession. Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was a monk who wanted to confess his sins to his abbot- who got tired of hearing him. It seems we find ways to sin. We find ways to hurt other people around us or to selfishly put ourselves first, or be narcissistic. All this is to say- what you probably already know- it is easy to sin at home- even with those you love. Perhaps the guilt and sense of wrong is even greater with those you love. The reformers abolished monasteries. Calvin said that the real monastery- where Christians lived the Christian life was the home.
John was writing the Book of Revelation from being confined. He was confined in a cave. About ten years ago I took a group from LMPC on a tour of Greece and Turkey. One of the most striking places we visited was Patmos where John was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He was confined to a cave at the very top of the island. He had one of the most amazing visions while confined in this spot. He was unable to gather for worship. But on the Lord’s Day- Sunday- He was in the Spirit (that means he was worshiping God and was filled with God’s Spirit) and he heard the voice of Jesus speaking. Jesus revealed this to him and reveals this to us today.
1) DO NOT BE AFRAID- God does not want us to live in fear. The Spirit never asks us to panic- though the Spirit has asked the guilty to repent. For the godly the message is always the same- be at peace- be still- do not be afraid.
Then Jesus tries to calm John down by helping John to focus on the person and power of Jesus.
2) I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST- Nothing comes as a surprise to God. he coronavirus is not “novel” to Him. He has been here in the beginning and will be in the end. No virus, attack, or lack of anything controls God.
3) I AM THE LIVING ONE WHO WAS DEAD- BUT AM ALIVE FOREVER- Even death by the coronavirus or the hands of Roman executioners is not more powerful than Jesus. He knows what it is like to suffer, to be afflicted, to be in pain, to have it hard to breathe- on the cross as in the coronavirus- you die of respiratory issues and contiguous heart issues.
4) I HOLD THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL- It may look to us that death is locked tight. But He has the keys to get people out of death. It may look to us that there is no way out of hell or our suffering- or even the coronavirus- but Jesus holds the key.
This was all revealed to John while He was worshiping by himself- confined. You have many choices of how you will use your coronavirus time- just as you will have choices when it is over. But perhaps the choices are clear. You can waste it- you can zone out watching TV, Netflix, or playing video games; Or you can find out that you can sin just as much at home as you can at school or work; or you can be in the Spirit- or any combination. I challenge you to be more “in the spirit” and look to love your family.
South Carolina colonists had a very hard time. Walter Edgar writes that “between 1670 and 1775 South Carolina faced 59 major epidemics. Yellow fever struck 18 times; smallpox 9; influenza 4; For three years Carolinians faced both yellow fever and small pox while malaria continued to be born by mosquitos. Childhood morality was about 80%. In Charleston’s Christ church parish 86 of the 100 children were buried before they reached twenty. In 1760 smallpox was brought from the Cherokee to the colonists and of Charleston’s 8,000 residences, 6,000 contracted the disease and 730 died. Yet in all of these problems the churches continued to meet as the only source of solace. People refused to give up fellowship and kindness and faith. Let me encourage you, as we seek to be considerate of this temporary life, to hold forth the real hope of the world. Be kind to one another. Be thoughtful in your homes or wherever you are riding this virus out. The first medical heroes were families who took their sick loved ones in, and the doctors who visited them in their homes. Hospitals are a relatively new invention (Roper was the first in 1850, and Baptist in Columbia in 1914). The families were the first responders. We are going back to that today.
I challenge you to remember who really holds the keys to coronavirus relief. It is not some vaccine company. It is not the government. It is not the media. God holds the keys to life and to death. He invites you to spend time alone with Him as John did, as Jesus did- during this time in which you have more control of your time. Spend time praying for people on our prayer list- or your relatives that you know need it, or someone on the frontlines or who has to work., ot our government officials. Now is the time to get caught up in prayer. May you find as you do this your fears will melt and your strength will grow.
There are many people who are asked to continue to work and to have more courage and to be strong in the name of helping people. Healthcare workers, cleaners, administrators as someone put it “did not sign up to be martyrs” but they are putting themselves on the frontlines of this fight against the coronavirus and also any other communicable disease.
Perhaps you remember the story of Dr. Kent Brantley who was a medical doctor missionary with Samaritan’s Purse. Six years ago there was a huge Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Ebola is quite contagious through bodily fluids and its death rate is 50- 70%. In contrast the coronavirus is also quite contagious and its death rate is between 1-3%. The missionary doctors were asked to evacuate Iberia where Brantley was stationed. But Dr. Brantley stayed to help. He helped many people, but despite precautions, he caught the disease and was shipped back to Emory Hospital in Atlanta. Some protested that he came back bringing the disease to the United States- but the disease was contained here. Dr. Brantley and another missionary doctor Nancy Writebol were the first to receive an experimental treatment called ZMapp that seemed to work. They both walked out of the hospital 3 weeks later. There is a movie about this called “Facing Darkness.” Today Brantley serves in a rural area outside of Fort Worth Texas. Brantley feels a bit guilty that many have died in West Africa but he got to come home, get the best care and treatment and live. His faith, he says, did not cure him but helped him through. Pray for our Medical Workers, grocery store workers, government officials who still work, all those who go to work for our society. Pray that God would grant them courage and protection.
But pray also that those who have to work, would also be full of God’s amazing grace toward others- showing faith, hope and love to the people they are risking themselves for. For those who are out there- keep the faith as you go out. See yourself as a missionary doing God’s work like Dr. Brantley.
But there are many people who are now at home. They are staying at home or sheltering in place. Children and young people are out of school. Unemployment reached its highest level ever last week. What should those at home do?
I used to think that if you stayed home, you were less likely to sin or mess up before God. But now I know better. Usually people love their families best and they get angriest at the people they love because their expectations are high or perhaps they let down their moral guard at home. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves- with the first neighbors being those shut in with us. This means making efforts to communicate better, to serve one another better, and to love each other.
When I was working on my doctorate I used to go down to the Monk’s Corner abbey a good bit for research. Now the funny thing is that the brothers there are not supposed to say anything but in worship. So not only are they practicing staying at home or sheltering in place- which should minimize sins, but they also were not saying much. But their spokesperson talked a lot about how they have regular confession. Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was a monk who wanted to confess his sins to his abbot- who got tired of hearing him. It seems we find ways to sin. We find ways to hurt other people around us or to selfishly put ourselves first, or be narcissistic. All this is to say- what you probably already know- it is easy to sin at home- even with those you love. Perhaps the guilt and sense of wrong is even greater with those you love. The reformers abolished monasteries. Calvin said that the real monastery- where Christians lived the Christian life was the home.
John was writing the Book of Revelation from being confined. He was confined in a cave. About ten years ago I took a group from LMPC on a tour of Greece and Turkey. One of the most striking places we visited was Patmos where John was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He was confined to a cave at the very top of the island. He had one of the most amazing visions while confined in this spot. He was unable to gather for worship. But on the Lord’s Day- Sunday- He was in the Spirit (that means he was worshiping God and was filled with God’s Spirit) and he heard the voice of Jesus speaking. Jesus revealed this to him and reveals this to us today.
1) DO NOT BE AFRAID- God does not want us to live in fear. The Spirit never asks us to panic- though the Spirit has asked the guilty to repent. For the godly the message is always the same- be at peace- be still- do not be afraid.
Then Jesus tries to calm John down by helping John to focus on the person and power of Jesus.
2) I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST- Nothing comes as a surprise to God. he coronavirus is not “novel” to Him. He has been here in the beginning and will be in the end. No virus, attack, or lack of anything controls God.
3) I AM THE LIVING ONE WHO WAS DEAD- BUT AM ALIVE FOREVER- Even death by the coronavirus or the hands of Roman executioners is not more powerful than Jesus. He knows what it is like to suffer, to be afflicted, to be in pain, to have it hard to breathe- on the cross as in the coronavirus- you die of respiratory issues and contiguous heart issues.
4) I HOLD THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL- It may look to us that death is locked tight. But He has the keys to get people out of death. It may look to us that there is no way out of hell or our suffering- or even the coronavirus- but Jesus holds the key.
This was all revealed to John while He was worshiping by himself- confined. You have many choices of how you will use your coronavirus time- just as you will have choices when it is over. But perhaps the choices are clear. You can waste it- you can zone out watching TV, Netflix, or playing video games; Or you can find out that you can sin just as much at home as you can at school or work; or you can be in the Spirit- or any combination. I challenge you to be more “in the spirit” and look to love your family.
South Carolina colonists had a very hard time. Walter Edgar writes that “between 1670 and 1775 South Carolina faced 59 major epidemics. Yellow fever struck 18 times; smallpox 9; influenza 4; For three years Carolinians faced both yellow fever and small pox while malaria continued to be born by mosquitos. Childhood morality was about 80%. In Charleston’s Christ church parish 86 of the 100 children were buried before they reached twenty. In 1760 smallpox was brought from the Cherokee to the colonists and of Charleston’s 8,000 residences, 6,000 contracted the disease and 730 died. Yet in all of these problems the churches continued to meet as the only source of solace. People refused to give up fellowship and kindness and faith. Let me encourage you, as we seek to be considerate of this temporary life, to hold forth the real hope of the world. Be kind to one another. Be thoughtful in your homes or wherever you are riding this virus out. The first medical heroes were families who took their sick loved ones in, and the doctors who visited them in their homes. Hospitals are a relatively new invention (Roper was the first in 1850, and Baptist in Columbia in 1914). The families were the first responders. We are going back to that today.
I challenge you to remember who really holds the keys to coronavirus relief. It is not some vaccine company. It is not the government. It is not the media. God holds the keys to life and to death. He invites you to spend time alone with Him as John did, as Jesus did- during this time in which you have more control of your time. Spend time praying for people on our prayer list- or your relatives that you know need it, or someone on the frontlines or who has to work., ot our government officials. Now is the time to get caught up in prayer. May you find as you do this your fears will melt and your strength will grow.
No comments:
Post a Comment