Worshiping from Home | Sunday, May 3, 2020
April 30th, 2020Since our time of isolation from mid-March, the Lord has blessed us all with some wonderful teaching/preaching from several incredibly gifted men. We have had access to sermons which have addressed the current pandemic from a biblical perspective, and these faithful pastors have called on God’s people to look to Him as sovereign and merciful as He accomplishes all of His purposes in and through the suffering of this world-wide malady.
As your pastors, we are so encouraged by you, and we are very proud of you all as we see you striving in holiness and in your faith in Jesus as you face the daily challenges brought on by COVID. You can take great comfort from the Lord as these evidences of God’s grace at work in you confirm your faith and work in you the fruit of persevering in joy and with much peace in Christ. God is in control!
It is very likely, that if you were to live another 100 years, you would not experience anything approaching God’s display of His sovereign rule over all of the affairs of mankind like we are seeing with COVID. I’m simply emphasizing what many wise and discerning men are saying, that we are living in a historical moment unprecedented in our lifetime – a moment which will make its presence felt for generations to come. God is working!
Secular sources (like our media outlets) spin and spin their perceptions and interpretations as they critique the current administration, predict outcomes for post-COVID life, offer surface remedies, and vacillate between doom and gloom and varied levels of optimism about restarting the economy. Spiritually, they are empty and darkened in their understanding (Eph. 4:17-18).
The reason for COVID, they say? – an accident; a mistake; a Chinese experiment; nature fighting back; no reason; stuff happens; to make humanity stronger; etc. The greatest purpose our world sees in this pandemic has to do with humanity rising together to greater heights of self-autonomy (I will conquer) and human scientific prowess (We can make our own cure). The message is evident: we don’t need God/God is irrelevant.
These are man’s futile attempts at purpose, comfort, and wisdom apart from a heart humbly surrendered to a sovereign Creator. We urge you, beloved, please do not take the measure of your life or of the world situation according to the measure of the wisdom of man. Be informed, but do not be influenced by man’s view of his life and his world. Do not set your mind on worldly interpretations of reality and the man-centered philosophies which drive them.
“Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:3).
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2: 8).
COVID will not be a catalyst to bring true peace and unity to humanity, to make it truly better, or to rescue mankind from itself; only the gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ can truly deliver mankind from the death of this life and the next. And COVID cannot and will not destroy the world – that’s God’s domain as He has established in Scripture (READ 2 Pet. 3:8-18).
R.C.’s lesson this week helps us have the Lord’s heart and mind on the heavenly purposes of human suffering in the face of “tragedies” in this life. As R.C. will make clear, faith in a sovereign God will not allow us to see anything in this life as random or meaningless. And faith in God does not guarantee that we will be able to discern all of His purposes in our suffering or in the events that He ordains for His world. God knows what He is doing!
“There is no erratic power, or action, or motion in creatures, but that they are governed by God’s secret plan in such a way that nothing happens except what is knowingly and willingly decreed by him” (John Calvin).
Whether we understand them or not, God has His purposes for everything that happens in His world and with regards to His people. Everything that is happening is from God, and everything that is happening is from a good God who does good – always and in everything (Ps. 119:68). That is certainly not the world’s view of things, so do not listen to the world.
In addition to your lesson this week, we are including a link to an article (“What is Providence”) R.C. wrote for his book, Everyone’s a Theologian. We hope it adds favorably to your ongoing study and meditations about God’s providence in His relationship with His world and especially with His people.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10).
Teaching link (for Sunday’s Zoom discussion):
When Worlds Collide: Purpose in Suffering (Lecture 3)
Suggested live-streamed worship service links:
Faith Bible Church (10:30am ET, John Crotts, pastor)
Grace Community Church (1:30pm ET, John MacArthur, pastor)
Grace Immanuel Bible Church (10:45am ET | Jerry Wragg, pastor)
Parkside Church (9:45am ET, Alistair Begg, pastor)