The coronavirus has quickly filled people the world over with fear and anxiety. However, this crisis has also provided Christians with unique opportunities to do good and to glorify God.
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The Opportunities God Is Giving Through The Coronavirus
Psalm 103:19
It seems like the whole world is focused on the coronavirus. The virus has now been introduced into 162 countries around the globe. There are over 175,000 confirmed cases around the world, and over 6,700 deaths to date. To put this in perspective, the World Health Organization estimates that between 250,000 and 500,000 people die of the flu every year. So, in terms of how many deaths will result worldwide, the flu is far more deadly. However, there are some important differences between these two illnesses. The coronavirus is more contagious; it has a higher mortality rate; and, unlike the flu, currently there is no vaccine for it. The good news is that even though the coronavirus has a higher death rate than the flu, the vast majority of people that become infected from it will recover. According to medical authorities, approximately 2-4% of those infected with this disease will die, leaving 96-98% to recover. Even of those infected over 80 years of age, around 80% will recover.
However, because this is a new strain of virus, and we don’t know how many people will be infected, panic and fear are at a fever pitch. We have seen this panic expressed by stores being overrun and all the toilet paper, hand sanitizer and canned goods being bought out. Stores are now only allowing 2 packages of toilet paper to a customer. Sander van der Linden, an assistant professor of social psychology at Cambridge University, said, “When people are stressed their reason is hampered, so they look at what other people are doing. If others are stockpiling it leads you to engage in the same behavior,” he said. “People see photos of empty shelves and regardless of whether it’s rational it sends a signal to them that it’s the thing to do.”
Well, in light of all of this uncertainty and fear and panic, how should the Christian respond, and more importantly, what is God doing in all of this?
I want to focus on four different blessed opportunities that we have because of the coronavirus. Instead of cursing the darkness, let’s light a match. There are many good things that God is going to do through His people during this time. Let’s focus on them.
1. He Is Giving You An Opportunity To Test Your Faith In The Sovereignty Of God
Now, just what is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God? It is the teaching that God rules over all people, things, and events. It is the teaching that God is the One who is in ultimate control, not men or demons. God gives limited power and authority to men and demons, but He always retains final authority. This truth means that nothing can happen in the world unless God ordains or permits it. Where does this teaching come from? I will share a few passages of Scripture that point to God’s ultimate rule over all things.
Psalm 103:19, “The Lord has established DHis throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”
Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”
Isaiah 45:7, “The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.”
Isaiah 46:9-11, “Remember the former things long past, for I am KGod, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”
Daniel 4:35, “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
Amos 3:6, “If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?”
Ephesians 1:11, “having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will…”
Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Do you really believe these passages of Scripture? If you do, you must believe that you are indestructible until God’s plan for you is fulfilled. If you believe that, you will have courage to face whatever trial or challenge or affliction comes your way.
What is the reason for so much widespread fear and anxiety? What is at the root of it all? What are people afraid of? I believe it is the fear of death, either of their own death or a loved one’s death. But the Bible says that Jesus came to deliver us from the fear of death. Listen to Hebrews 2:14-15, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” Let me ask you a personal question. Do you fear death? Are you afraid to die? I can understand you might be afraid of the pain that accompanies dying, but are you afraid of death itself? If you are, you need to believe the gospel. You need to truly believe that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. You need to believe what Paul said in Philippians 1:21,23, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain… having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.” Do you agree with Paul? Do you believe that is true? If you do, you should not be overwhelmed with fear concerning any disease or danger, whether it is the coronavirus or cancer or heart disease or a plane crash, etc.
Of course, it goes without saying, that just because you don’t fear death, and believe in the sovereignty of God, you should not test the Lord. We must still be wise and take the necessary precautions so that the disease does not continue to spread. We wash our hands with soap and water, refrain from shaking hands, and wear a face mask if we have become infected with the coronavirus. But, with that being said, we of all people can face the future with peace and courage and confidence, because we know that our God reigns, and our future is everlasting life with Christ in glory.
Do you believe that God is sovereign over all? Have you been delivered from the fear of death?
2. He Is Giving You An Opportunity To Sacrificially Love Your Neighbor
If you have been delivered from the fear of death, you are now in a position to be able to take risks in order to love your neighbor. What do I mean? Let’s suppose that our hospitals are overrun with patients, and there is just not enough room for all those who are infected. Let’s suppose that volunteers are urged to step up and care for their neighbors who have contracted the virus. Actually, this is exactly what happened in 1918 with the introduction of the Spanish Flu. Health workers pleaded for volunteers to care for the sick. Few would do so. In Philadelphia the head of emergency pleaded for help in taking care of sick children. No one would comply. If the same situation appears again, would you do so? Why or why not?
In the early 4th century, a plague hit the city of Caesarea. Most of the inhabitants of Caesarea fled the city, but the Christians stayed behind. Why? Let’s let Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea and a noted historian, tell the story. “All day long some of them [the Christians] tended to the dying and to their burial, countless numbers with no one to care for them. Others gathered together from all parts of the city, a multitude of those withered from famine and distributed bread to them all.” Eusebius went on to say that “the Christians’deeds were on everyone’s lips, and they glorified the God of the Christians. Such actions convinced them that they alone were pious and truly reverent to God.”
In 1519, the Black Death reached Zurich, Switzerland, home of Ulrich Zwingli, the great Reformer and Pastor. Zwingli was on vacation when the plague broke out. When everyone else was fleeing the city, he dove back in to care for the sick, and comfort them with the hope of the gospel. As Zwingli risked his life, he ultimately caught the disease and nearly died. In the midst of his sufferings he wrote poems. Here are some of his lines:
In faith and hope
Earth I resign.
Secure of heaven.
For I am Thine.
Later, as the illness worsened, he wrote:
He harms me not,
I fear no loss,
For here I lie
Beneath thy cross.
Zwingli’s hope of heaven filled him with courage and enabled him to risk all for the sake of others.
Later when a cholera outbreak reached London, Charles Spurgeon admonished his flock, “Now is the time for all of you who love souls. You may see men more alarmed than they are already; and if they should be, mind that you avail yourselves of the opportunity of doing them good. You have the Balm of Gilead; when their wounds smart, pour it in. You know of Him who died to save; tell them of Him. Lift high the cross before their eyes. Tell them that God became man that man might be lifted to God. Tell them of Calvary, and its groans, and cries, and sweat of blood. Tell them of Jesus hanging on the cross to save sinners. Tell them that — “There is life for a look at the Crucified One.” Tell them that He is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by Him. Tell them that He is able to save even at the eleventh hour, and to say to the dying thief, “today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.”
My friends, this coronavirus may open the door to unprecedented ministry for the church. It may cause an awakening, the magnitude of which we have not seen in decades. It may force people to consider their mortality, and what waits for them on the other side of the grave. Folks, we have the answers to these things. We need to be prepared for God to use us at such a time as this.
For the Christian, the life to come is our best possible future. For those outside of Christ, the life to come is their worst possible future. Are we willing to risk losing life here in order to seek the everlasting welfare of others? If we die, we go to be with Christ. If they die, they go to hell. Let’s pray that God will use us in this hour for His glory and the salvation of souls.
3. He Is Giving You An Opportunity To Show The World The Difference That Christ Makes
It is clear that there should be an obvious difference in the way a Christian lives and the way everyone else lives.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:46-47, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Obviously, Jesus expects that His disciples are going to do more than tax collectors and Gentiles.
1 John 3:10, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” According to the apostle John there should be an obvious difference in the way the world lives and the world a disciple of Jesus lives. The disciple of Jesus practices righteousness.
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” Brothers and sisters, that promise is as good today as it was 2,000 years ago! Jesus has left His own peace with us. We don’t have to have troubled or fearful hearts.
Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Folks, a situation like the coronavirus is good for us as believers, because it helps us to see what we are really made of. Are the promises of Scripture really real in our lives? Can we really be anxious for nothing? Do we really experience the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension? Does the peace of Christ calm a troubled and fearful heart? If not, why not? These tribulations are very good for us. They help us to see the state of our souls, and the quality of our faith in Christ.
I really think that the way Christians are going to stand out during this coronavirus is through our love and our peace. Will we love others sacrificially, even when it means taking risks? When the world is freaking out, and buying out all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the stores, and participating in the mass hysteria, will we stand out by comparison? The follower of Jesus who knows his God and trusts Him, can be at peace in the midst of the storm. Why? Because he knows in whom He has believed, and he is convinced that He is able to guard what he has entrusted to Him until that day (2 Timothy 1:12).
Right now, does your life stand out? Or, is the way you are reacting to the situation the same as the way the world is reacting? I’m not saying that we should not take common sense precautions like washing our hands, avoid hand shaking, and wearing masks around those who are infected. But I am saying that we should be able to face this situation without fear because of our relationship to God through Christ. What is your level of inner peace and calm right now? On a scale of 1 to 10, what would it be?
4. He Is Giving You An Opportunity To Point Others To Christ
It is in the most fearful and stressful of times that people become the most receptive to the gospel. The coronavirus is practically all anyone is talking about right now. Use that situation to point others to Jesus. Your words will have even greater power if you embody the love and peace of Jesus Christ to them. So, look for opportunities to share the truth of Christ with others at this time. You may need to share with them remotely, through phone or Facebook or online forums, or email. Thank God for the technology that allows us to communicate with others without having to be physically present. Seize any opportunity that God gives you right now, and tell others about Christ.
Share with them how God has overcome your fear of death. Let them know that God is in control and is working all things after the counsel of His will. Tell them that even if God permits you to get this disease and die, you will immediately be ushered into the presence of the King of the universe to experience His everlasting love.
Conclusion
Folks, the Lord has placed us here at such a time as this to glorify Him by trusting Him. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Let your light shine! Let the world see that followers of Jesus don’t need to be afraid, because their Father loves them and has a good eternal plan.
Seize the opportunity to demonstrate your faith in the sovereignty of God.
Seize the opportunity to love your neighbor and serve them.
Seize the opportunity to demonstrate that Christ really does make a difference in all those who follow Him.
Seize any opportunities for witness. Point others to Christ. Jesus has defeated death and given us the victory over it.
Let’s pray.
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