The week of September 11th, 2001, pastors across our nation took to their pulpits to address a populace in panic. A nation confused about the future after one of the most horrific attacks carried out on American soil. Today we find ourselves in another unprecedented time of panic and confusion, albeit for a very different set of concerns. Yet the task is still the same. Offer the comfort of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!
At all times and especially in moments like these pastors have a responsibility to shepherd God's Church in helpful and meaningful ways (1 Peter 5:1-4).
The task set before us is to bring about a greater focus on God and His Kingdom over and against the sinful world in which we live (that is to say, the harsh realities of this life). In doing this, we are to teach (both in word and deed) the Biblical response. That response is summed up in the phrase' walk by faith' (trust).
But there are unique challenges in accomplishing this task, particularly in today's online world. In a culture like ours, where there are so many voices saying so many things, the challenge is in cutting through all the noise.
You see, each of us can get online and find personalities that tell us exactly what we want to hear. We can and often do choose voices that simply confirm our biases. If it's fear, we find voices to stir that fear. If it's faith, we find those voices. However, picking and choosing biased voices leaves us unable to be corrected by the people God has put in place to shepherd our souls. (Ephesians 4:11-12; Hebrews 13:17) And by the way, this tendency is as true for faith as it is for politics and even our current crisis.
The product of a postmodern world, the attitude of the masses, is that there are no absolutes in life or that you and I can have our own truth. When confronted with a correction from God's word, we resist because 'we just see things differently.' And if this were taken to its logical conclusion, there would be no sense in 'rightly dividing the word of truth' after all what would it even mean to RIGHTLY divide the word and better still who gets to decide? But there remains an absolute and those given by God to deliver it.
With that said, here's my promise, in this message and any other message, I will stay in my lane. But please hear me, I have a lane. I'm no expert in pandemics or disease prevention and control. You should listen to the CDC and other organizations that are tasked with these matters. It is terribly irresponsible for anyone (especially pastors) to pretend they know more than these people do. Instead, what I will do is focus on how, as Christians, we should interact with one another, the world around us, and how those interactions affect our testimony. I want to focus today on living by faith vs. fear in our current circumstances.
