Tag: Grace

Prophecy Brief: Christian Character in the Context of a COVID-19 Culture

Two ends of the spectrum, both can go too far: Living in fear vs living with an unbiblical bravado

1. Not afraid of contracting 

• Enormous recovery rate
• It’s not so about whether I get it, but legit concern about having it and unwittingly passing it on, especially to those in a high-risk demographic

2. It’s not even about the government, 

• There’s not a law forbidding the gathering of the saints in TN, there is a different situation in different parts of the country
• Those leaders of those bodies need address re-entering based on their own convictions (some may turn out well, some may bring on repercussions by way of increased infections within their fellowships
• For our part, we took the standard precautions from an early point, and made the decision last week to begin meeting publicly again

3. Priority: In particular, a Biblical priority

• Approaching our general and particular interpersonal responses with Christlike Character

Biblical priority

• Thankful for brothers in our prayer meeting

Texts

• 1 Cor. 8, Romans 14: Being willing to support brothers and sisters of varying levels of conviction, not wounding their conscience
• 1 Cor. 13:4-5: Love is not arrogant or rude, and does not insist on its own way
• Phil. 2:1-11: Having in ourselves the mind of true & sacrificial humility that was in Christ
• Col. 3:14: Put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony

Our Biblical response/approach

1. Regarding our own people
2. Love should motivate our personal response

• Taking into consideration our brothers and sisters who might be at higher risk
• Taking into consideration our brothers and sisters own convictions or level of pandemic comfort, and weighing that into our own decisions about even the way we discuss these things (so as not to intimidate, etc)

2. Practically: 

• We will set up on the platform 6ft apart from each other
• I’ll wear a mask in the general fellowship, but remove it from the platform in order to be better understood when teaching
• We will not require anyone wear a mask, we will recommend it in the general fellowship
• If you’re sick, have a fever, or obviously test positive for COVID-19, please stay home for your own safety and that of others (just as you would if you were sick in general)
• While I am a hugger, and am comfortable with it, please be thoughtful before assuming someone is comfortable for the time being

2. Regarding our witness to the outside
3. There are clearly reasons to be suspicious of the way so much of this has been handled 

• E.g. From a federal government standpoint, etc

• Certainly Satan, the ultimate conspirator against all that is good and right (who comes to steal, kill and destroy) is behind so much of the fear brought on by government overreach as well as many of the current conspiracy theories 
• The mechanisms of movement toward a New World Order continue to drive things forward, and we should not be unaware of such things!

2. This is an important time to take God at His Word

• It is God Himself Who has told us that times like these were coming
• We should not be surprised

We should Gird Up:

• By definition, we are not of this world, and stand firmly against the undercurrent of evil that drives so much of what we see in this deteriorating world
• There will be times where civil disobedience may become a necessity 
• We should think, as Paul said, like soldiers, fully committed to the Lord’s service
• We are also ambassadors of Christ, declaring a message of salvation and deliverance from this world and to another

Therefore…

3. This is an important time (and may well be the last times) to live out a Biblical priority

• Search & Rescue Mission
• We are called to stand against evil, but we are not called to salvage this sinking ship, we are called to seek and save people from going down with it
• Our marching orders are simple, and they have very little to do with following every conspiratorial rabbit-trail…
• Matt. 28:19-20