But what if I believe that an election was indeed fraudulent even if the legal system says differently?  As a Christian, how do I respond?

As I contemplated this question, I started to consider the prophet Daniel and his situation and response.  We learn at the start of the book of Daniel that he was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar when Babylon overthrew Israel and was forced into the king’s service.  Not exactly an election, but still, he is now living in a land with a pagan leader in office he didn’t choose, working a government job he didn’t seek.  How did he respond?

First, Daniel 1:8 reads, “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself.”  That first word, “but,” intrigues me.  It implies that there were a lot of responses that Daniel could have had, but he chose to resolve not to defile himself.  His first reaction was to look to himself and resolve to obey God.

Later in that passage we see that not to defile himself, he needed to appeal to those in direct authority over him for an exception.  He doesn’t protest or rebel, but respectfully petitions the steward for a kosher diet. He convinces the steward to try an experiment, the results of which were positive.  And God blessed Daniel and his companions with understanding, skill, and wisdom beyond their peers. 

In the next chapter, we see another test.  Daniel learns in chapter 2, verse 13 of the king’s decree that all the wise men are to be killed.  Daniel’s response?  Complain?  Grumble?  Protest?  Write letters to the editor?  Post raging anti-government stories on Facebook?  He could have done any of those things.  Instead, he chose something different.  In verse 14 it says, “Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion.”  What did prudence and discretion involve in this case?  It involved getting information to understand the situation (v.15), requesting an audience with the king (v.16), appealing for more time, and soliciting his companions to join him in seeking God’s mercy regarding the current crisis (v.17).  

When God reveals the mystery to Daniel, Daniel responds with a prayer of praise.  Then he goes to the king and gives him what he wants – he tells him the dream and its interpretation.  In other words, rather than lobbying to change policy or tell the king he is off-base and taking the country in the wrong direction with this decree, he serves the king by giving him what he wants, with the Lord’s blessing.  Isn’t that interesting?  In doing so, though, Daniel is clear and unapologetic about the source of his insight and the reason behind what he is doing (v.30).  By acting with prudence and discretion, and respectfully submitting to (an arguably illegitimate) government authority, Daniel had a platform to glorify God and point others toward Him.  You can read the king’s response in verse 47.

So how should we respond to an election that doesn’t go the direction we think it should?  If we follow Daniel’s example, recognizing as he did that it is God who changes times and seasons, removes and raises up kings, and gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding (Dan. 2:21), then we would: 1) resolve not to defile ourselves, 2) act with prudence and discretion, 3) respectfully appeal through proper means, 4) go to prayer with like-minded companions, and 5) diligently serve those whom God has put into authority so long as those authorities are not requiring that we sin against God.

Your brother in Christ, 

Durward

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In general, the thoughts below reflect the conversations that we have had as elders over the past three or four months. Individual elders may have a slightly different take on an issue, but by and large, these words are intended to represent the elders of Grace Bible Church in relation to the mask mandate. 

First, it may be helpful if I state a few things that I think many of us agree on. I think it would be accurate to say that most (if not all) of our elders, including myself, would agree with sentiments that are regularly shared in one platform or another:

• “The virus has not been as widespread or deadly as was predicted.”
• “The data behind the supposed effectiveness of masks is rather questionable.”
• “Through the course of this pandemic, the government has changed its positions on masks.” 
• “The masks have become a symbol of fear.” 

Many of us also could find agreement in that by submitting to Governor Bullock’s mandate that attendees of places of worship wear masks, we (GBC) are lending some support to the Governor, his liberal agenda, and the agenda of the increasingly radicalized democratic party.

Many of us in leadership share these and other similar concerns. But, the question remains – How are we, as a church, to respond to the mask mandate?

Does the Mandate Apply to GBC?

According to the wording of the mandate, Bullock has specifically asked that businesses, government offices, and other indoor spaces make sure that employees, customers, and members wear a face covering. So, noting the given exceptions and provisions contained in the mandate, if GBC does NOT “make sure” or require face coverings, we would be disobeying the mandate. (I think most will be in agreement with this point.)

So, the question again is…. Should we, as GBC, submit to the leadership of the Montana State Governor or not? 

Although there are other passages that we could turn to, in my mind at least, 1 Peter 2:13-14 is the most helpful. 

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” (1 Pet 2:13–14)

According to this passage, does the Governor’s mandate fit within “every human institution”? Yes. I can’t see a faithful way to make the office of the Governor somehow not a human institution. He is an authority authorized by our state, nation, and constitution to give leadership. 

The Mandate is Not Constitutional

Some have argued that we (Christians) should only submit to the Constitution and nothing else. But the Constitution empowers other bodies of leadership. As an example, in the State of Montana, the law requires that those riding in an automobile wear a seatbelt. As a Christian, based on texts like 1 Peter 2, I believe it is right (God-pleasing) to submit to this law and to wear a seatbelt, even though it is not technically in the Constitution.  

The Mandate is Not Codified Law

Some have additionally argued that we should only submit to codified law, and not executive orders from the governor. I don’t think this argument is legitimate either. If a police officer orders me to “Get out of the car!” and I do not comply, I may face legal charges although the police officer’s order to me is not codified law. Furthermore, based on 1 Peter 2:13-14 (see above), we are called to submit to “every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him [i.e., a governor sent by the king].” The ultimate authority in our country is the Constitution. The Constitution empowers state governors. Therefore, for Christians living in the United States of America, the Apostle Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit calls us to submit to state governors – in our case, Governor Bullock. In other words, we as elders cannot find any biblical justification for concluding that our Montana governor’s mask mandate does not fall within the jurisdiction of 1 Peter 2:13-14. (Please excuse the double negative!) 

Is There a Limit to Our Submission to the Government?

As elders, we would also acknowledge that there is an appropriate time to disobey the governing authorities (e.g., Acts 5:29b, “We must obey God rather than men.”). The biblical principle is this: as Christians, we submit to every human governing institution until that institution orders us to sin, and sin by first-hand commission. In other words, when the government asks us to commit sin, we refuse and disobey the governing authorities. 

It is a Sin For Me to Wear a Mask Because it is Supporting a Corrupt, Unloving Agenda

I added the clarifying phrase regarding sinning “by first-hand commission” because some have argued as follows:  It is a sin to hurt another person (a failure to love, which is a biblical command). Wearing a mask is supporting a corrupt agenda. The corrupt agenda will inevitably hurt people. Therefore, for me to wear a mask, it is a sin. 

But, even Jesus Himself submitted to governing authorities that were corrupt. He paid the temple tax in Matthew 17:24-27, despite the entire temple system having a godless corrupt agenda. Jesus Himself cleaned out the temple twice. Yet, Jesus still submitted and paid the tax lending support (financial) to the temple system. So we, as GBC elders, have argued that even if wearing a mask is supporting the corrupt liberal agenda, it still does not remove from us the biblical requirement to submit to every governing authority. As elders, we have concluded that our obedience and compliance does NOT require us or our congregation to sin. And, in fact, we believe it is the most God-honoring option. 

Our Stance

Therefore, according to the Scriptures and our commitment to surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we feel that the God-honoring choice is to submit. We are submitting in this particular scenario. 

The Slippery Slope

Some have argued that if we submit here that we will inevitably submit to future directives that will most assuredly come. This is a form of the “slippery slope argument.” I do not believe this argument works because we have a clear termination point to our submission to the government (i.e., when the government commands us to sin). There may be future directives in which compliance would be a sin. I believe we, as elders, are all prepared to disobey governing authorities when the appropriate time comes. 

Isn’t This a Conscience Issue? 

The short answer is “no.” A conscience issue is a debatable ethical difference of opinion or choice that lacks clear biblical support for either side of the issue.  For example, whether to enroll your child in a public school, private school, or educate at home, is a conscience issue. However, the Christian’s responsibility to pay taxes is not a conscience issue. Jesus clearly stated His response to a question about Caesar’s poll tax, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17). One may attempt to skirt paying taxes by stating that to pay taxes would be to sin against their conscience. But, Christ would reject this logic – as He would if Christians attempted to use the conscience-issue argument with every clear command in Scripture. If a person believes that a particular issue is a conscience issue but, in reality in light of the biblical evidence, it is not a conscience issue, then that person’s conscience must be informed by Scripture. I believe that there may be some in our congregation that are convinced that it is a sin for them to wear a mask, but this is because their conscience has not been informed by the relevant biblical passages. Upon understanding and believing the relevant passages, they would become aware that it is not a sin. And, thus, they could wear a mask with a biblically-informed faith-filled conscience. 

To recap the above last two paragraphs, not every issue is a conscience issue. If we make every issue a conscience issue, we will undermine every command in Scripture to the point that we could not expect holistic obedience to any one of them.

What About John MacArthur? 

On this point, I would like to begin by saying, “I love John MacArthur.” I love his ministry, his example, his theology, his books, etc., etc. But despite all this, and despite the fact that I hope to receive a degree from his seminary in the near future, John MacArthur is just a man. He is not the Protestant pope. Just because he has made a decision in relation to their state-issued directives, we are not required to make the same decision. We are called to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ’s directive which is clearly given in the Word of God. 

The government of California ordered all churches in California to not gather in groups of 100 or more. With a church of over 5,000 in attendance, this directive made church gatherings impossible for GCC. Scripture calls Christians to gather as a church and “not forsake our assembling together” (Heb 10:24-25). Therefore, it is a sin not to gather and obedience to the government would require disobedience to God. This is the right time to disobey! We applaud MacArthur and GCC at this point! 

The government of California ordered there to be no singing in California churches. Scripture calls churches to sing (Col 3:16; Eph 5:18-19). Therefore, to not sing would be a sin. Again, obedience to the government would require disobedience to God. This is the right time to disobey! We also applaud MacArthur and GCC at this point! 

The government of California has ordered that those who do attend church wear masks and to practice social distancing. There is no biblical prohibition against wearing masks or standing 6 feet apart. There is a biblical warrant to submit to governing authorities (as discussed above). Therefore, as I play armchair quarterback from Montana, I wish that MacArthur and the GCC elders were requiring masks and practicing social distancing. I don’t believe there is biblical justification for disobedience at this point. But, I love John MacArthur and I’ll continue to trust the Spirit’s leading in his own heart to do what is best for his own church along with the other elders. This leads me to my final point in this overly long blog post…

Submitting to Your Elders

Imagine for a moment that there is biblical justification for refusing to submit to Governor Bullock’s mask mandate. Even if I, and Pastor Bryan, and all the other GBC elders were somehow wrong about our position on masks, you would still have a reason to put on a face-covering before entering the church building on Sunday mornings.

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)

This is one of those verses that as an elder you don’t want to bring out, except about once in a decade. In a similar vein, wives are called to submit their husbands (Eph 5:22). But in my less than a decade of marriage experience, I’ve found that it doesn’t work very well to say, “Honey, you need to submit!” Things don’t usually go well with that approach. I feel similar in quoting Hebrews 13:17. 

The truth is, church, we, as your elders, love you and are doing our best to faithfully lead our church. We want to honor the Lord Jesus Christ by faithfully adhering to His Word. We want to serve in such a way that leads to you and your family’s spiritual flourishing. So even if you disagree with all of the above, please trust our hearts and joyfully come along with us. 

None of us like the masks. We look forward to a change. But, I would say that the masks have not disrupted my family’s fellowship on Sunday mornings. This past Sunday I had about 25 people in my Sunday School class. Everyone wore masks and the time carried on almost as normal. In the worship gathering, we sing with masks on. Some people slip their nose out to get more oxygen, or roll their masks up from the bottom – perfectly acceptable practices. Several in the body are wearing face shields or similar, but slightly strange, face-covering devices! (Feel free to be creative!)

The masks may be an unnecessary limitation placed on us by our governing authorities, but we can continue to worship and fellowship as a church. And for this we are thankful. As 1 Timothy 3:15 states, the church is the “pillar and support of the truth!” By God’s grace, this is what we have been as a church for many decades. And, by God’s grace, this is what we continue to plan to be!

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Isn’t it amazing how a letter written 2000 years ago to a few dozen Christians in Rome is relevant and applicable to the issues the church faces in 2020? I remember in college believing that the Bible was an outdated and irrelevant collection of writings that had absolutely no bearing on my life. Oh, how wrong I was!! The past few months I have wondered in amazement at how Paul’s letter to the Romans speaks so poignantly and directly to our current circumstances! While I’m sure there are dozens of such examples, here are four places that Paul’s letter to the Romans interfaces with the current political and social climate in America and instructs Christians on how to live in the midst of it all.

First, Romans 2 demonstrates that current political protests prove the validity of God’s Word. Whenever Americans acknowledge that racism and other forms of injustice are wrong, they are inadvertently demonstrating the truth of Romans 2:15, which states that even people who have never seen or read the Bible possess knowledge of the Law of God because it is written on their hearts. Is racism wrong? Absolutely! Does our culture possess an innate knowledge of that universal truth? Absolutely! Make no mistake, when a person strongly declares on Monday that people can live however they want and choose for themselves what is right and wrong, and then on Tuesday turns around and protests the injustices of society, they are revealing their hand. They demonstrate to the universe that they know full well God’s Law. On Monday they suppress the truth because they don’t want it (Romans 1:18), while on Tuesday they affirm it because it is inescapable. As Christians, we should not be surprised as this drama unfolds, proving the validity of the Bible. The Word of God has us pegged.

Second, Romans 5 teaches us where to look during the current pandemic for the assurance that God loves us. So many people want to question the goodness of God, or His love for us as they watch the pandemic sweep across the world and observe many of the injustices taking place in our own country. However, if we take the Bible seriously, we should expect such injustices to take place, as well as disease, suffering and death. The letter to the Romans teaches that we do not look to such things to understand God or His love. Instead, we look to the Cross! Romans 5:8 says, “but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The pinnacle of God’s demonstration of love is the sacrifice of the perfect Son of God in the stead of ruined and rebellious sinners. Praise the Lord that in the midst of disease, persecution, health issues, the loss of loved ones, political chaos, and wide-spread fear, Christians can have objective and unwavering knowledge of the amazing love of God for sinners as we look to cross of Jesus.

Third, Romans 12 gives us wisdom for navigating the media, the news, and the ocean of political discussion that is currently taking place.  The temptation exists for believers to consume all forms of media at extremely high rates. It is interesting, it is entertaining, and it is highly accessible. According to the NY Times the average American in 2016 watched 5 hours and 4 minutes of TV every day. That number does not include other forms of media, and has only grown over the past four years. However, while it is important to be informed, it is far more important that Christians are transformed. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” The Lord states very clearly that in response to His immense love and mercy shown to us through the Gospel, Christians are not to allow their culture to force them into its mold. Instead, we carefully choose what we allow our minds to consume because transformation into the likeness of Christ takes place through the renewing of our minds. What goes in, comes out. Amazingly, the letter to the Romans even speaks to media consumption!!

Finally, Romans 13 teaches us that wearing masks in public is an expression of obedience to God, and by resisting the governor’s mandate, we are resisting God. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities,” Paul wrote in Romans 13:1. Don’t you love how clear the Bible is! Praise the Lord for the perspicuity of His Word. Verse 2 goes on to say, “Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God.”  I have always been amazed by the willingness of Christians throughout history to be persecuted and even die for the sake of obedience to their savior. The great irony of these verses is that Paul was calling Christians to be subject to Emperor Nero – the same Roman emperor who, years later, would have him beheaded for his testimony of Jesus Christ. Do you ever wonder how our church would do under such circumstances…? It is an important question to ask ourselves considering Romans 13 clearly and unapologetically called the believers of its day to be subject to Emperor Nero.  Perhaps, the mandate to wear face masks in public is a small litmus test to determine how far you and I would go in our obedience and devotion to Christ.

Oh, how wrong I was back in college to think that the Bible had no bearing on my life. Its truths are clear, applicable, and remarkably relevant! As a church family, let us zealously take up the mantle of obeying Christ in these days and thinking about current events through the grid of God’s amazing Word!! See you on Sunday (as long as my glasses are not too foggy). 

Serving Christ together,
Danny Johnson

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It was recently mentioned at our elders’ meeting that this negative situation has created a positive teachable moment regarding ecclesiology–the doctrine of the church. What does it mean to be church? Why is it so important that we remain in the biblical practices of being church? Many aspects of this doctrinal area that we may regularly take for granted have been brought to the forefront recently, specifically because of their absence. We would all do well to take hold of this moment and remind ourselves of what the church really is, and why it’s so critical that we remain active participants in it.

What is “church”?

The Greek word most often translated as “church” in our New Testament is the word “ekklésia.” Literally, this word is a compound meaning “the called out ones.” The church is the group of people that have been “called out” from the world and called to follow Jesus Christ. For this reason, members of the church in the New Testament are referred to as saints (“hágios” in Greek), which simply means “different ones” or “set apart ones.” The Apostle Peter emphasizes this when he writes, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). 

So immediately we recognize that the church is not a place, nor is it a set of particular programs, but rather the church is a people. And what’s more, it’s a people that is precious in the sight of God, having been purchased by the blood of Christ. The pictures that the New Testament uses to describe the church highlight this. In Ephesians 5 and 2 Corinthians 11, the church is described as the bride of Jesus Christ, while in many other places the church is described as Christ’s own body, with He Himself being the head.

What is the church supposed to do?

Most people think of church as the event that they attend on Sunday mornings. And there is good biblical precedent for gathering in that way! In Acts 20:7, we see that the early church was gathering for fellowship on the first day of the week. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us not to neglect the assembling together. So gathering regularly on Sunday is a good practice, but to what end does it take place? 

1 Peter 2:9, quoted above, is one passage of several that notes one of the most important purposes of church–to “…proclaim the excellencies of him who called out of darkness into his marvelous light.” When we sing truth, pray truth, teach truth, hear truth, and enjoy fellowship, it is with the intention of worship. We are proclaiming the glorious realities of the God who has redeemed us from the wrath and slavery that we deserved. Worshipfully bringing glory to the Lord is one of the most important aspects of gathering as His people. 

Furthermore, in Ephesians 4:11ff, the Apostle Paul explains that the leaders of the church have been given in order to equip the saints, so that we all might engage in the work of the ministry–the building up of the body of Christ (i.e. the church). Thus when the author of Hebrews gives the command that we ought to “obey your leaders and submit to them,” he is giving us a command for our own benefit. 

When we come together as church, we make way for this to happen–for our elders and teachers to hold us accountable and equip us with the knowledge of the Lord and His word, so that we all can be engaged in the ministry of Christ. This is why the teaching ministry is so central at Grace Bible Church! If we want to know how to be disciples, and be equipped to go out and make disciples, we must be trained in the word. 

What is my role in church?

If receiving teaching was the only purpose of gathering as church, then it would stand to reason that “church” on the couch can be every bit as effective as “church” in the pew. However, that’s not the only purpose of gathering, as the Bible makes clear with the abundance of “one another” commands written specifically to believers. Dozens of times, the Scriptures give instructions to Christians to relate to *one another* in specific and often intimate ways. For example…

• James 5:16 instructs believers to pray for and confess their sins to one another.
• Romans 12:10 tells us to love one another to the point that we attempt to outdo each other in showing honor.
• Ephesians 5:19 says that we ought to address one another in songs to the Lord.
• Galatians 6:2 states that we are to bear one another’s burdens.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 indicates that believers ought to encourage one another.
• Finally, Hebrews 10:24, immediately preceding the well known v. 25 mentioned above, commands that we stimulate one another to love and good deeds. 

Nearly all of these commands can be obeyed (and should be!) outside of the doors of the Grace Bible Church building. However, being consistent and intentional about all (or any) of them would be next to impossible if we were not coming together for the purpose of worship. Covid-19 has made this more difficult, but thankfully not impossible. And as we prayerfully look towards the end of this difficult situation, it is our hope that a return to normal will come with a greater understanding of and appreciation for what God has called us to be as church.

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There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and kills them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

How ought the Christian respond to events that result in lives being disturbed and even lost? What is the Christian’s response to catastrophes? An appropriate title for Jesus’ words above might be: A Theology of Catastrophe. In this passage, one gets a glimpse as to how God would have people respond to tragic events that take place in our world.

Here in Luke 13 there is insight given by Jesus as to how we should in part respond to devastating events or catastrophes. In responding to tragic life events there are many appropriate biblical responses that we may take. For instance, believers should weep when lives are lost (Rom 12:15) whether it be a result of acts of wickedness or whether it be the results of a natural disaster.

Who more than Christians value human life? Christians respond to the loss of life with great sadness. Further, more than any other people group, Christians truly understand how tragic death really is because it was not part of the God’s original design.

Therefore, in general, death is a sad and somber thing. But, here in Luke 13, Jesus gave us another response that we may often overlook. In this passage, Jesus taught that tragic death should provoke all people to brokenhearted repentance.

Given the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Luke 13:1-5 challenges Christians to respond with an eternal perspective as this catastrophic crisis unfolds nation by nation right before our screens. Within these verses, I would like you to see three things: (1) The Catastrophe Report (v.1), (2) The Catastrophe Perception (v.2), and (3) The Catastrophe Response (vv.3-5).

The Catastrophe Report (v.1)

Luke informed us in verse 1 that, “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” The phrase, “That very time,” refers to the time that Jesus was preaching amidst a large multitude. As Jesus was ministering to a large crowd on this occasion, He was interrupted by some people in the audience who wanted to report to Him a catastrophic event that had taken place in their midst. What was this event? Precisely, it was a slaughter at the temple.

There happened to be a group of Galileans who journeyed down to Jerusalem for the sake of celebrating the Passover. Upon their entering of the temple to partake in the sacrificing of their animals, there was a group of Roman soldiers who entered immediately behind them. Those soldiers proceeded to kill the Galileans.

This was a brutal act of murder. As one could imagine, this news was far reaching. If there was such a thing like The Jerusalem Chronicle it easily would have made it into the headlines. In addition to making the headlines, it made its way to Jesus on this occasion presented in Luke 13.

The Catastrophe Perception (v.2)

In Jesus’ response given in verse 2, it can be understood how certain persons were processing such an event.  Jesus stated, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?” This was an all too common perception amongst the Jews of Jesus’ day. In short, what they believed was that “bad things happen to bad people.”

Thus, in response to the tragic temple event people were saying, “Those Galileans that were slaughtered must have been very, very wicked people.” We find similar logic employed in John 9:1-2, “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” The assumption made by Jesus’ disciples was someone must have sinned to cause this blindness. That was the only reasonable explanation in their minds. Jesus didn’t agree with this assessment, however. In the Luke 13 account, Jesus corrected this type of over-simplistic thinking and delivered THE message unbelievers must hear in the midst of tragedies.

The Catastrophe Response (vv.3-5)

Jesus responded to the report and the perception of the catastrophe in two unique ways. First, He dispelled the idea that the Galileans who were slaughtered in the temple suffered such a fate because they were worse sinners than others. At the beginning of verse 3, Jesus responded to their common misconception with, “I tell you, no.” In this short negative response, Jesus rejected the common theology of the day.

Secondly, He called the individuals who reported the event to repentance. In the second half of verse 3 Jesus said, “…but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” What can be learned from Jesus’ response? There are six implications that can be drawn from Jesus’ response. These six implications can be applied to any devastating event that occurs in the world.  

Implication #1: God is Sovereign Over Death

Jesus communicated this by doing away with the common perception of the day regarding the fate of certain individuals.            Jesus basically says this: “People don’t necessarily die because they are worse than other people. And conversely, certain people don’t necessary live because they are better than others.” There some wicked people who live long lives, and there are good moral people who die young. (Consider the blessed life of the wicked in Psalm 73.) God is sovereign over all people including the numbered days of their lives. Psalm 115:3 says, “God is in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases.” This sovereign reign includes the timing and cause of everyone’s death. Job 14:5 reads, “Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.” 

Implication #2: All Are Sinners and Thus All Will Die

The Galileans didn’t die because they were worse sinners than others. They died because they were sinners in general. Thus, so will all others die who have sinned in like fashion, which is all of mankind. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.”

Implication #3: A Person’s Time of Death is Unknown

I am sure that the Galileans whose blood Pilate had spilled upon entering the temple did not think to themselves, “This is the day that I will die.” The same could probably be said of those eighteen people in Jerusalem who were crushed by the tower in verse 4.  One of the realities that Jesus was communicating in His response was the fact that people step into eternity at a time unknown by them. Thus, they better be prepared to step in correctly (i.e. in repentance.)

Implication #4: Life is Short

The individuals who made the report to Jesus about the tragic events were soon warned by Him to repent on the spot. Why didn’t Jesus wait until later on in their lives? Why didn’t He wait until they had had a bit more fun in their unbelief? The obvious reason is that their lives were short. James 4:14 says, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Implication #5: A Person’s Most Important Need in Life is Repentance

Rather than addressing the event that was being reported to Him, Jesus addressed the souls of the reporters. Like the reporters in Luke 13, there are many people who are worrying about other people’s issues and problems and neglect to pay attention to their own pressing issues. This is a tactic of Satan: to get a person to not focus on the state of their soul. J.C. Ryle, writing on this issue, says,

Are you thinking you will pay attention to these things tomorrow? Remember the words of Solomon, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). “I will worry about serious things tomorrow,” said an unsaved person, to one who warned him of coming danger; but his tomorrow never came. Tomorrow is the devil’s day, but today is God’s. Satan does not care how spiritual your intentions are, or how holy your resolutions, if only they are determined to be done tomorrow. Oh, give no place to the devil in this matter!

Christians must warn people to stop focusing on all the wrong things and to give attention to their eternal souls.

Implication #6: If People Don’t Repent, They Will Perish

In verses 3 and 5 Jesus gave His listeners an ultimatum. This goes without saying, but the command He issued isn’t a suggestion. The word for “perish” is the Greek word apollumi (ἀπόλλυμι), and it means here to be destroyed metaphorically speaking. In this context it means to be given over to hell; to suffer the consequence of hell. Jesus’ ultimatum, then, is: Turn from your sin OR experience the wrath of God in everlasting torment.

Bringing it Home for the Christian in the midst of a Catastrophe

Christians must remember that (1) God is sovereign over death, (2) all are sinners and thus all will die, (3) a person’s time of death is unknown, (4) life is short, (5) a person’s most important need in life is repentance, and lastly (6) if people don’t repent they will perish. Let catastrophes like the ones of Jesus’ day or COVID-19 of today, break your heart and cause you to weep. Let them also drive you evangelistically because all will die and all need Jesus.

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It has been mentioned before that while stating the reality of God’s complete control in difficult times is helpful, it doesn’t go far enough in giving an accurate picture of the God of the Bible during times of trial. Quite recently, there was a pastor who preached on this very thing. The topic he addressed was the need to be biblically balanced in our presentation of the sovereignty of God. He painstakingly went on to clarify that he was not equating “being balanced” to compromising an essential biblical truth. Pastors must, he stated, preach on the sovereignty of God. This is the doctrine that Spurgeon declared to be the sweet pillow that every Christian lay their head on at night. But speaking of balance, he also encouraged pastors that while it is possible to be theologically precise as it relates to God’s power over all creation, if that truth is not explained in the light of the whole counsel of God, it is possible to distort who God is. He spoke very pointedly saying, “If you preach a totally sovereign God to your people, that He is in complete control over every square inch of their lives, but you do not also preach that He is good, you’ve preached to them a false god.” The late James Montgomery Boice might’ve agreed with such an assessment. During his last sermon to his congregation he expressed what the Lord had been teaching him through his bout with terminal liver cancer. The first thing he mentioned was the reality of the sovereignty of God. He said, “God’s in charge. When things like this come in our lives they are not accidental. It’s not as if God somehow forgot what was going on, and something bad slipped by.” But then he went on to add to this truth. There was another conviction that God had impressed upon him during his time of suffering. He said to the church, “What I’ve been impressed with mostly is something in addition to [God’s sovereignty]. It’s possible, isn’t it, to conceive of God as sovereign and yet indifferent? God’s in charge, but He doesn’t care. But it’s not that,” says Boice. “God is not only the one who is in charge; God is also good. Everything He does is good.”

So very essential to the reality of the sovereignty of God during trials is the goodness of God. Though this can be a hard topic to broach when considering sickness, it is a crucial one. God is indeed operating in every recent event in the world without exception. But in addition to this, it must be understood that He is directing all things for a good purpose. His intentions and motivations are always good. He always does what is right and the outcome of His plan is always wholesome. Therefore, God is not some wicked ruler smiling at the fact that His creation is being inflicted by a ferocious virus. Make no mistake, the Coronavirus is not a good thing in and of itself. But the Bible does teach that the all-powerful Creator is bringing about good from this particular sickness. Being that He is the sum, source, and standard of that which is beneficial and beautiful, His allowance of such a pandemic are those very things.

So with the sovereignty and goodness of God before us, how is God orchestrating these recent events for the good of His people and mankind as a whole? Or to ask it another way: What is the sovereign goodness of God doing amidst COVID-19? Most Christians realize that the ultimate answer to such a question is: He is bringing about His own glory. God’s glory is the ultimate purpose of both His complete control over all things as well as His goodness. But that answer is far too generic. So here are five things (not exhaustive) that the sovereign goodness of God is doing during this pandemic:

God’s sovereign goodness is conforming us to His Son

Romans 8:28 teaches that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him. This doesn’t mean that all things are good. COVID-19 is not a good thing. But Paul’s point is that God is even using this virus to bring about good. Specifically, that goodness is a conformity to the image of Jesus Christ (v. 29). God is sanctifying the church through various means through this pandemic. Possibly He is conforming us by causing us to fix our eyes on heaven (more on that below). Perhaps He is conforming us by showing us that we don’t trust Him as we ought to with food, finances, and other things. Or maybe God is making us more like Jesus in helping us get our eyes off of ourselves and to others in the heart of Philippians 2:3-4. However it may be that God is conforming us to look more like Jesus, this we know: He IS using this virus to make us more like Him. Perhaps ask yourself how God is shaping you.

God’s sovereign goodness might be humbling us

According to 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, we are given a paradigm for how God works as it relates to difficulties in our life. In that passage Paul mentions how he was given a “thorn in the flesh” for two purposes. First it was to keep him from being prideful. Paul had received a tremendous privilege of being caught up to a heavenly scene, and it is doubtful that such an experience would produce humility in him. Therefore, to keep him from exalting himself, the Lord used the thorn to keep him low. Although Paul’s was a unique scenario, a principle that can be taken from this is that the Lord uses trials to humble us. 

A second purpose for Paul’s thorn in the flesh was to highlight God’s sufficient grace against the backdrop of Paul’s weakness. This, of course, is a different side of the same coin. But in and through Paul’s weakness, God wanted to demonstrate His own strength to sustain Paul. It was not Paul who was sustaining Paul. It was not something or someone else who was sustaining Paul or providing him strength. This was all the Lord. So for the believer who has been inflicted by the Coronavirus, or any sickness for that matter, God uses their illness (or time of weaknesses) to demonstrate that He is truly their strength. This is not intended to be cliché. Oftentimes when I have something as small as a sore throat I am first reminded that I am not invincible. I am reminded that God doesn’t have limitations like I do. But I am also reminded that as an earthen clay pot, who is frail and weak, my strength has to be the Lord. My body will fail me, but the Lord’s grace will never fail.

God’s sovereign goodness is focusing us on heaven

I am sure that this recent pandemic has caused the church to look above. This is something that we are commanded to do in general (Col. 3:2). But unfavorable times have a way of refocusing wandering eyes on things of eternity. In Philippians 3:20 Paul speaks of our heavenly citizenship through which believers are eagerly waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to return. In Romans 8:23 he speaks of a longing that suffering Christians have for the redemption of their bodies. This is the glorified state. So when we are facing difficult times, or the world seems to be in an uproar, God focuses the believer on eternal things. He provides for them a heavenly gaze that implants in them a longing to exit the chaos and be at home. 

God’s sovereign goodness is giving us opportunities to share the gospel

Now while Christians are the individuals who long to depart from this world and be with the Lord, it is equally true that they are the ones who plead with people to join them in heaven. At the most basic level, the Christian existence is for this very purpose. We are to be fishers of men (Matt. 4:19). We are to be disciple-makers (Matt. 28:18-20). We are to plead with people to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).This is true regardless of the daily circumstances, but our evangelistic senses must rise in tumultuous times. We have a prime opportunity at hand. Now more than ever, the world is thinking about sickness, death, and the afterlife. Thus what an opportunity to speak to them the truth of Scripture. We ought to be telling them that sickness is a terrible reality. But it is a reality that was brought about by man’s rebellion against God. And because of this death will come to all. Some will die due to Covid-19. Others will die of natural causes. But the Bible is clear that all will return to the dust (Gen. 3:14). Yet this is not what’s most important. What is essential is not how we die but the state of our soul when we die. This affects our afterlife. All people will live forever, but it’s a matter of where they will be in eternity: either in the presence of the Lord or away from the presence of the Lord. This, of course, all depends on their relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is God in the flesh. He came to earth two thousand years ago, lived a perfect life, and sacrificed Himself for the world, according to John 3:16. Therefore, the question we ought to be asking everyone during this outbreak of COVID-19 is: have you believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ?

God’s sovereign goodness is allowing the church to be the church

This perhaps is one of the sweetest ways in which the Lord is sovereignly working through these interesting times. Not only has he refocused the church on heaven and used them to share Christ with the unbelieving world, He is also providing opportunities for the shepherds to lead their sheep in a different way. He is giving the young and able-bodied individuals a way to honor the old and needy through grocery shopping and attending to others’ needs. Through GBC’s Basic Needs Ministry there has been, in a sense, a reenactment of Acts 2:42-47, where the early church in Jerusalem all came together and shared with one another as each had need. This wasn’t socialism by any means; this was sacrifice. And it has been sweet to see and hear of young and old in our body sacrificing for one another. It has been sweet to hear how certain individuals are making time to appropriately fellowship and pray with other believers. This is the church being the church. 

Church family, God is in control and He is good. Rejoice and take rest in how those two realities are manifesting itself in our current events.

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Worry is a troubling concern with the future over which we have no control. Jesus warned in Matthew 6:34, “do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Worry is the opposite of “trust/faith,” which are the only effective means by which we can address the unknown. Paul points us to God in 2 Corinthians 1:9, “Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” There is something to be learned in hard times.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the means by which we grasp the promises of God to make them a reality in our daily lives. The Psalmist expresses assurance and conviction in God’s care in Psalm 46:1–3:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.” 

The coronavirus is an opportunity to challenge our faith and to grow in our trust/faith in God. 

A lack of faith leads us to focus our attention and energies on tomorrow which is not yet here.  As a result today’s responsibilities suffer. The unmet responsibilities from today add pressure to tomorrow, and worry continues to grow.  By consuming the time, worry keeps us from serving God and others today (consider Matthew 22:37-39).    

All we can do is plan as much as we can, then trust God to establish our steps and to prepare us to meet tomorrow with faith. 

God Has a Plan

Work at praying and praising. In Philippians 4:6-7 the apostle Paul writes, “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.”

Use worry as a loudspeaker that shouts, “It’s time to pray.” List the things you are worrying about and use them as a prayer list. Be specific. Convert news reports and church emails into prayer lists. Call friends, family, neighborhoods and ask them how you can be praying for them.  

Be ready to ask a couple of general non-invasive questions to prime the pump. “Has the coronavirus affected your work?” Or, “Is there anyone in particular about which you are concerned?”

But pray “with thanksgiving.”  To conquer worry we need to change our focus to the two great commandments. 

Worry focuses on:                               

• What I DON’T have                                                                                              
• What COULD happen                         
• My SIN                                               
• MYSELF                                

Thanksgiving focusing on:

• What I DO have 
• God’s PROMISES
• God’s SALVATION 
• GOD and NEIGHBOR

The resulting promise is the “peace of God,” the emotional restoring of our soul that comes from trusting in our Good Shepherd (see Ps 23).

We see another aspect of refocusing in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Thoughts impact emotions. Use the eight topics stated and list three things your thoughts can dwell on under each one. Don’t worry about where an item might fit. Carry the list with you.  When you begin to worry, refer to your list and choose one on which to ponder, pray, and praise.

As we pray, praise, ponder, and practice we will begin to experience God’s peace more and more. It doesn’t happen overnight, but peace will come. It’s God’s promise.“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

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Over the past week, I have been racking my brain in search of ways that we as a church can capture this unique time for the sake of gospel influence. I believe that God has positioned us for a time like this to advance the Kingdom of Christ. As a church you know the gospel and the Word of God well – now, like always, is the time to deploy the Word, pray, and watch the Holy Spirit work. 

And yet, some of our normal means of evangelizing have been taking away from us. So we need to adapt and come up with new strategies – thus, my mental racking. For a few days, some of us on staff were working on a paper tract that we could give to our neighbors as an attempt to reach out to meet practical needs as well as pointing them to Christ. However, more and more in this strange season it seems like knocking on a door or giving out a potentially contaminated piece of paper would be despised in the eyes of a social-distancing world. We desire to “keep our behavior excellent among” our neighbors and coworkers. So we tossed that idea.

We don’t want our efforts in sharing the love of Christ to unnecessarily be seen as a blatant disregard for conventional wisdom or as an unloving act of foolishness. May we be slandered for our gospel, and not our indiscretion! 

So, what can we do? Here are a few evangelistic ideas I would encourage you to consider: 

• Reach Out to Unbelieving Friends and Neighbors. We have been encouraging you to be in contact with other members of our church, but this is also a strategic time to check in on neighbors. Of course, this assumes that you already have some means of communicating with them. Give them a call, send them a text message, or utilize some other form of digital communication. Ask them if they have any needs or even things that you could pray for. Offer to share what you have (like, your stash of stock-piled toilet paper. Just kidding!) We of all people should be generous in seasons like this. We have a heavenly Father who is providing for all our needs (Matthew 6:33). As well, pray for opportunities to speak the truth to them.
• Contact your HOA. One of the members of our church, who has requested to remain anonymous, had this wonderful idea. I asked her to explain what she did:
  • “After considering James 2:14-16, I wanted to help the people God has placed around me. I sent an email to my HOA offering to start a group where we can share needs/extras. They liked the idea and agreed to send out the info. About one-third of the subdivision responded. One neighbor who is “high-risk” shared her concerns about her husband’s health with me privately. It was an opportunity to let her know that I’m a believer. I offered to pray for them and for his protection. As a group, we started up a private page on Facebook where we can communicate needs and check in on each other. I’m hoping for opportunities to speak to my neighbors about their spiritual need for Christ as we care for them physically.”
    What a wonderful idea! I was encouraged by her example and have since sent an email to my HOA manager. I would encourage you to do the same.
• Share Your Story. In the midst of today’s restriction, if you have a successful opportunity to communicate the gospel with a lost person, please let me know. Send me an email (joes@gbcmt.org) explaining what happened and how you were able to faithfully share the gospel. I would love to compile some of these stories to share them with our Body for the purpose of encouraging others to share Christ. I believe that it is generally true that when we hear stories of how other normal people are faithfully, not perfectly, sharing Christ it encourages us to do the same. So for the sake of the lost, share your story! (I’ll be happy to leave your name out of it.) 
• Keep Dreaming! Finally, as a church let’s dream up new ways to get the gospel to our community. I’ve been encouraged by stories of many companies who are meeting this Coronavirus challenge head-on by producing new products such as gowns and facemasks. As a church, I wonder how we can do the same for the sake of the gospel. No, we won’t be mass-producing medical products anytime soon. But, are there creative ways that we could leverage the resources that we have as a church for the sake of spreading the gospel? Are there opportunities to love and serve our neighbors who are most impacted by this crisis, like the medical community, with the ultimate goal of gospel proclamation. Send me your ideas – let’s prayerfully dream and innovate for the sake of Christ! 

Although many things have changed, much remains the same. Evangelism still requires a knowledge of the gospel message, the conviction to obey Christ (Matt 28:19-20), and faith-filled boldness. May we pray for opportunities to share Christ and boldness for when the Lord grants the opportunity. Remember these words from our GO Conference speaker Mack Stiles: “Awkwardness is better than silence,” and “A little effort is better than no effort.”

1 Peter 2:9 — “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

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This past Sunday I briefly chatted with Mrs B in the hallway at church. She said to me, “How I miss my Sunday school kids!” I agree! I really missed seeing our teachers arrive in the early morning preparing crayons and lessons and music to share the love of Jesus. I missed you, moms and dads, boys and girls, in the hallways and classrooms. Each of you is such a blessing to our church. You are loved! I would add that your family is brought before the throne of grace by the prayers of your pastors, elders and Sunday school teachers.

I would like to write a personal note of encouragement to you, dads and moms, to spiritually ‘lean in’ during this season as the world experiences changes and uncertainty.  Many of us parents right now are watching the news, texts, Facebook feeds, and anything that we can observe to discern how to think and how to care for the needs of our families. I would like to remind you of this: our kids are watching us. We are leading our families, all the time. The question is this: how are we leading them?

Our Heavenly Father has given us a mandate on how to lead our families. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 instructs God’s people to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength,” and parents, we are to teach our children diligently. The Apostle Paul instructed Father to “bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Parents, this is a time for us to be diligent in leading our families toward Christ.

These next few weeks as we spend a little more time together, I would like to encourage you, dads especially, to take up the reins of spiritual leadership in the home. For many of you this will not really be that different, just more of the same. For others this season may be very disorienting; I encourage you, this is your opportunity!  As Daniel purposed in his heart to continue to honor God and not defile himself with the King’s delicacies when separated from his people in captivity (Daniel 1:8 – a great passage to read as a family). We need to have a similar resolve, that we will honor Christ in our home first.

In much humility, I would like to offer us a few basic tools and guidelines as you lead your family in daily worship.

1. Pick a time

As Paul instructed Timothy, “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7), so are we to create spiritual disciplines or habits that foster spiritual growth. Habits are helpful! Daniel’s habit was to get on his knees and pray three times every day (Daniel 6:10 – another great devotional here!). What an example for us! 

The Gospel of Luke records Jesus “going out to the Mount of Olives as was His custom” (Luke 22:39). Jesus picked a regular time that he devoted to prayer. Now parents, check out the rest of the verse, “and His disciples followed Him.” What an example for our entire family as we lead our children toward Christ.

2. Read

Read to your family. Read God’s words. Pick a book in the Bible and read, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Do not read too fast; this is not just an activity to endure. For younger children read stories (the Gospels are great). Read to understand, know, and obey our great God and Savior. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Take your time, explain those big words to those little ones.

Read enthusiastically. These are words of life. “My soul clings to the dust, give me life according to your word”, said the psalmist (Ps. 119:25). The Word brings joy: “Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts” (Jer 15:16).

Read thoughtfully.  How about memorizing a passage together as a family? I cannot tell you how encouraging it has been to memorize Psalm 34 in my own life. You could pick a short section like Psalm 1, John 3:16, James 1 and memorize a verse or even a chapter together as a family.

3. Pray

We need to pray together as families. Yes, of course at dinner times, but why not have other designated and spontaneous times of prayer throughout your days as a family? As concerns and praises come, we should pray together. As we close our day, we should pray together. Over sleeping children, we should pray together. Prayer can easily be directed by the passage you have just read. For instance, consider Psalm 23. After the first verse, thank the Lord that He is our good shepherd. Then, ask God to shepherd through the issues facing your family. Continue this pattern working verse by verse through the psalm. 
Spend time thanking the Lord. As families in prayer, rejoice over God’s many provisions – temporal and eternal. 

Pray for others. Prayer can teach our children to intervene for the needs of family members, others in the church, and for our neighbors. Pray for the lost that they might come to salvation. Pray for boldness to proclaim the gospel. Pray for wisdom for our leaders.

4. Sing

I know for some of us Dads this may be uncomfortable. Fellow laborers in the home, I want you to know that singing praise to God within the home has a long heritage among godly Christian families. Not to mention, God calls His people to sing! He is worthy of our imperfect praise! Let’s not let singing in the home stop with our generation. If you don’t have any lyrics, google them. If you have an old hymnal laying around, dust it off. Ask your children what songs they have learned in Sunday School and sing them. Just the other day my son taught me “Oh the fruit of the Spirit is not a Coconut” while we drove down the road. We had a wonderful time singing and laughing. I know that God was praised in this simple way. I understand that singing, especially without the help of the congregation to drown out our voice may intimidate you. What if no one else in your family sings with you? Sing still louder! Singing can demonstrate to your family godly humility, and that is something to praise God for.

To this day I can still hear my grandmother singing “God is so Good,” and my Dad singing at bedtime “Only a boy named David.” I encourage you to allow your children to remember you leading them in singing.

In closing, I would encourage you to not over complicate family worship. You don’t need to prepare a sermon or lead a choir. Just lead. Plan for an appropriate amount of time – often less is more. If it’s your first time leading in this way, shoot for 5-10 minutes. Choose a time, gather the family, open God’s word, pray, and sing His praise… together.

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Over the past week or two, one of the common discussions I have had with family and friends is how we ought to handle the anxiety we feel over the COVID-19 virus and the subsequent fall-out.  Society has many differing voices proclaiming a view of the virus.  Some think of it as extremely serious.  Others think of it as a hoax.  Still others find themselves struggling to understand the hysteria created by the virus.  Whatever the case, tucked behind many of these discussions is a very common struggle, a struggle that we dare not be flippant about.  Some people are anxious because of their own health issues.  Those who are elderly or who have immune problems find themselves battling anxiety.  Those who have loved ones who are elderly or who have a history of respiratory struggles (pneumonia, asthma, etc.) find themselves gripped by anxiety.  It seems that in this season, we are all tempted to be anxious about the health of some beloved person in our lives. 

But the temptation goes beyond the health risk.  Some are not so much anxious about the virus, but they are anxious about the financial repercussions.  Some have had their jobs put on hold; others are seeing their business coming to an end.  Many are staring bills in the face, mortgage/rent, electricity, car payments, etc., and wondering, “How will we pay the bills?”  This is an all too real struggle.  What do we do?  Where do we turn?  How does our God want us to respond to this potentially monumental dilemma we find ourselves in, as a nation, a community, as individuals?  

One dangerous temptation is to casually use God’s word in the same vein as “Take a couple aspirin and call me in the morning.”  We dare not handle God’s Word like this as we formulate an answer to the battle with anxiety.  We dare not shepherd the souls of people who are gripped with fear and anxiety with a “read a couple of verses and call me in the morning” approach.  That’s careless.  That’s unloving.  So where do we go?

If you were to survey the Christians who make up the church today and ask them, “Where do you go in Scripture to address anxiety?” the common answer you would most likely get is Philippians 4:6-7.  Ah, these are such precious verses.  But in your familiarity, don’t just blow past them.  God says in these two short verses, “Be anxious for nothing (that’s pretty all-inclusive), 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   These are excellent verses that we must ponder during times of anxiety.  God gives us an imperative/command to not be anxious about anything.  That includes a virus.  That includes financial struggles.  That includes… (you fill in the blanks). 

But God doesn’t just lay down a command and end it there.  In fact, He continues and tells us to pray and let our requests be made known to Him.  This is not you providing new, unknown information to an All-knowing God.  He already knows your needs before you even ask.  Jesus said that clearly in Matthew 6:32.  He knows.  But when we make our requests known to God, we are giving much glory to Him, because we are turning to Him, acknowledging that we are dependent upon Him (living by faith) and seeing Him as the answer to the problems that stir up our anxious moments.  Now, in this Philippians passage, there’s a little two-word phrase in verse 6 that we often-times skip over.  Don’t miss it.  Yes, pray.  Yes, cast your cares on God for He cares for you (I Peter 5:7).  Yes, petition God.  But don’t miss the two words, “with thanksgiving.”  Part of the answer to being anxious is found in being thankful.  Oh, we as God’s people have so much to be thankful for, even in the midst of instability!  Listen to what one author wrote, “God’s promises support the wisdom of gratitude.  He has promised that no trial believers face will be too difficult for them to handle (I Cor 10:13).  He has also promised to use everything that happens in believers’ lives for their ultimate good (Romans 8:28).  Even suffering leads to their being perfected, confirmed, strengthened, and established (I Peter 5:10).  Believers should be thankful for God’s power (Psalm 62:11; I Peter 1:5; Rev 4:11), for His promises (Deut 1:11; 2 Cor 1:20), for the hope of relief from suffering (2 Cor 4:17; I Peter 5:10), for the hope of glory (Romans 5:2; Col 1:27), for His mercy (Romans 15:9), and for His perfecting work in them (Philippians 1:6).  People become worried, anxious, and fearful because they do not trust in God’s wisdom, power, or goodness…”  

The believer can truly find many things to thank God for, even in the midst of a culture that is shaking.  Paul continues and tells us that as we practice praying to God with our requests and with thanksgiving, that the outcome is that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.  This is a radical peace.  It’s not superficial.  It’s not a peace that one can fabricate by simply stirring up the power of positive thinking.  It’s the peace of God.  Such peace goes beyond human comprehension.  In other words, it is a supernatural peace directly connected to believing and trusting that God is wise, that He is powerful (more powerful than a virus and an unstable economy), and that He is good.  

This is all well and good but don’t miss the bookends in this passage.  I think it is interesting that at the end of verse 5 we are reminded that “the Lord is near.”  Ponder this.  Your Lord (Master) is near.  Not off in some distant galaxy, withdrawn from all that is happening in your life.  Unlike the view of the deist, who believes that there is a God who created, spun the world into existence and then pulled away to let nature run its course without any supernatural involvement, we are told here that our Lord-our God- is near.  If our Lord is not near, we should tremble!  We should be gripped by anxiety.  Panic attacks should be the norm for us.  But our Lord is near.  He is oh so aware of your situation.  And, He cares for you (I Peter 5:7)! This is almost too much to comprehend. The God of Creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Triune Father, Son and Holy Spirit care for you.

Look at the other bookend of this passage.  One of the most overlooked verses in the discussion about anxiety is verse 8.  Notice that Paul gives us eight categories in this verse:  True, Noble, Just, Pure, Lovely, Of Good Report, Excellent, Praiseworthy.  Paul ends this verse with this statement: “Let your mind dwell on such things.”  The Greek wording that Paul used is not just an imperative, but it also is saying that this should be on-going.  We should have our minds dwelling perpetually on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and praiseworthy.  I think I can speak for most of us, when we battle with anxiety.  In those moments our minds rarely think on things in those categories, yet we have this imperative.  God wants our minds.  He wants us to take our thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5) and have them dwell on specific things. 

Now, lest one is tempted to respond and say, “Yeah, I can quote that verse, it’s nice and I’ve known that verse for decades,” maybe a specific assignment is in order.  Since many people are quarantined, take some time and get out several pieces of paper.  Under each of these categories (True, Noble, Just, Pure, Lovely, Of Good Report, Excellent, Praiseworthy), write a list of things that fit in the category.  For example:  What are specific things that are true?  Think biblically.  List those things.  If you gave some time to this category you could come up with many items that are true.  What things are noble or “worthy of respect”?  List the specific things.  What things are just—that is, what things are right?  Think of things that are in harmony with God’s standard of holiness.  List them.  What are things that are morally clean and undefiled-pure?  Put them on the list.  What are some things that are lovely, pleasing, kind, or gracious?  Look around you.  Look at God’s creation.  List those things.  What are some things that are highly regarded or thought well of, things like kindness, common courtesy, caring for others, and respect for others?  List those items.  And last, what things are excellent and what things are worthy of praise.  List those things.  The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul’s pen-tells us to let our minds dwell on these things.  My friends, in the midst of times of temptation to be anxious, let’s turn our minds to think on the specific things found in our list.  

As we, as God’s people, walk through this valley of instability, remember that the Lord is near.  Since He is near, pray.  Since He is near, be thankful.  Since He is near, start your days and throughout the days, have your mind think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and praiseworthy.  The peace of God is a reality that you can know.  We, my friends, can know such peace, when we turn to our God for He and He alone is the source of comfort, provision, direction, and stability.  He, as our only source of hope, wants us to trust in Him with all of our hearts.  He wants us to not lean on our own understanding.  Trust in Him, my friends.  Trust in Him.

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