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Living Hope SDA Church

Christian Martin

Three Promises to People in Pandemic Captivity

Let's by faith see the hands of God coming down close to us and holding us close to his heart as he prepares to speak to us through his living word.

So as we get started, as we open the Bible, the Scriptures, would you bow your heads with me as we ask him to speak to us?

Thank you for that sweet assurance that you hold us with your hands.

Thank you so much for your word, the scriptures, where we can find comfort and strength and hope in these difficult times.

So Father in heaven, would you now just help us to tune off the noise or the distractions that may come our way and give us a listening heart to listen to your voice.

My message today is entitled, 3 promises to people in pandemic captivity.

You know, as we deal with fear and worry and uncertainty that surrounds our lives, that surrounds our communities, that surrounds our homes today, while at the same time attempting to find a sense of optimism, attempting to find hope in these troubling times, we really don't know what to expect next.

From 1 day to the other, things can change rather drastically.

While reports indicate that the deathly death toil in the USA due to COVID-19 is dropping, experts say that the virus is not going to disappear.

So we hear time and time again that the downward trends are being disrupted by a spike of cases.

For a moment we think that there's a reason to have hope and to have courage.

While in the very next moment we find ourselves hearing bad news.

Truly we can echo the words of Charles Dickens written in his classic novel, A Tale of 2 Cities, that we are living in the best of times and in the worst of times.

As of today, all states, all 50 states have eased restrictions, mostly due to downward trends.

But at the same time, the sobering fact is that COVID-19 cases have risen in several states.

It's a reminder that we are still living in disheartening times.

And during the time that reopening phases are being activated, People are getting excited about reopening once again.

At the same time we have infectious disease experts saying there's a real risk That you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided.

So as a result, in attempts to slow down or to stop the virus or the spread of the virus, mandates and executive orders are made by governors.

And these things vary from state to state and we find ourselves confined or restricted as it were to rules and regulations for the sake of slowing down or stopping the spread of the disease.

And in the light of these circumstances, as you consider what our situation is right now, Could it be that we are truly a people in pandemic captivity?

According to the dictionary, let's examine a term that is used often these days, pandemic.

The dictionary defines pandemic as an outbreak of a disease that is prevalent over a whole country or the world.

But just as the COVID-19 virus is invisible to the naked eye, yet Evident by its symptoms of coughs and fever or fatigue, there is another invisible and deadly disease That has created much pain in our country as evidenced by symptoms of cruelty, pain, and even death.

And at the very roots of this disease is undiluted sin.

And it has once again, once again produced bitter fruit.

Racism with George Floyd in Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, as his latest public victims, among others that we'll never, never know about.

We're dealing with a pandemic that is more than just a mere virus.

We're dealing with yet another pandemic that's creating havoc in our country right now as I speak.

Racism is a disease like belief, which at its very core is actually not hatred but love.

Love of self, love of the most perverted kind.

It is a love for self supremacy where Christ himself is even dethroned when the color of self is loved as being superior.

It keeps its members confined to its evil grip.

Grip, as does lust, as does gluttony, as does greed, as does sloth, as does wrath, as does envy, as does pride, deadly sins.

And sadly, humanity is collectively characterized as being slaves to these deadly sins.

I must say and conclude that we are today a people in pandemic captivity.

And the apostle wrote about this spread of this disease.

I invite you to come with your Bibles to Romans, Romans, Chapter 5, Romans, Chapter 5.

And read with me, verse 12, Romans, chapter 5, verse 12.

Notice how the Bible speaks of the spread of this disease.

Paul wrote, therefore, just as through 1 man sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned.

Truth be told, We are living in captivity in a strange and foreign land.

God created us for eternity, and this is not our home.

There is a reason to believe that our citizenship is not on this earth, it is in heaven.

We are captives in a strange and foreign land.

Since the day that Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden.

Jesus said in John chapter 8 verse 34, Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Taken captive in our own planet by a rebellious angel, a rebellious fallen angel.

Humanity being held captive by the enemy to do his will, as Paul explains in 2 Timothy 2, verse 26.

And these Things are leading us to a path of destruction, whether with a knee on the throat or a virus in the throat, deadly diseases and dangerous beliefs are taking our breath away, resulting in death.

We are people in pandemic captivity, the worst of times.

At any given moment, truth be told, any of us can expect exposure or contamination by the deadly virus.

Others fearfully can expect cruelty just because of the color of their skin.

We are captive in a world of discrimination, the worst of times.

Yet despite this dense darkness, the God of heaven, Our Creator God has given us a beam of light through His promises.

God has given us His Word to speak to hearts today and to help us understand we must, as a people taken captive in a world of sin.

Look to the past to see what God has done with the people in captivity.

To see what God has done and how he has related to and what promises he delivered to a people before us who are also in captivity?

I invite you to come with me to the Old Testament, to 2 Kings chapter 23.

The context of this passage is a time of great reformation.

King Josiah, he sits on the throne And King Josiah, his record, his track record that is written in the Scriptures, is 1 that is highly distinguished.

In fact, he was unlike any other king before and after him.

It is written of King Josiah that before him there was no king like him and after him there was no king like him.

And the question is, What made Josiah unlike any other king?

Let's take a look at verse 25, 2 Kings chapter 23, verse 25.

Now before him, there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all of his heart, with all his soul, and with all of his might, according to all the law of Moses, nor after him did any arise like him.

He was a king who turned to God with all his soul, with all his heart, and with all of his mind.

And during his reign, there was A great reformation that took place.

During his reign, the sacred scrolls were pulled out and read in the hearing of the people.

Something that had not been done for generations.

His leadership, no doubt, led to a time of great reformation unlike any other time period in the history of Israel.

But the words of Jesus, spoken centuries later to scribes and Pharisees, would be true, would be true, and even applicable to ancient Israel.

Jesus said, these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

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Three Promises to People in Pandemic Captivity

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