Mar 25 2020
Faith in an Epidemic
(audio sermon by Gary Sampson)
Faith may not keep you from crisis, but it will keep you through crisis. And that’s a whole lot more important!
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Speakers notes follow –
Faith in an Epidemic
Job 2. 1-13
How believers to think in global epidemic?
– say ‘God protecting – won’t come here’ – say ‘Gonna die’ – unhealthy extremes
Believers in hit countries ‘won’t come here’ – Iran guilty – refused self-quarantine ‘people come here for healing’
Nurse ‘are you ready’ – ‘we don’t talk about that here’ – as if talking brings it – want medics to not talk? – help nation? – speech opening door is religious nonsense – dangerous
But spreading fear bad too – act irrationally – beating up innocent people on street that look Chinese
So how a person of faith to act?
First ‘what is faith?’
– Our context ‘Trust in God of Bible’ – our lives in his hands
Does this mean never get sick? – No, Job – Faith – very sick – Paul thorn in flesh ‘grace sufficient‘
Were they trusting God – yes even more so when sick – ‘Though he slays me, yet will I trust in him’ (Job 13.15) – Shadrack ‘God is able to save us – but even if he doesn’t’ (Dan 3.18)
How trust God even if he kills you – you believe he knows best – has good reason – use for good
Job wife ‘Curse God and die’ – someone who lost faith due to circumstance – I know many (do empathize) – Job refused to stop trusting – Paul decided to trust through the difficulty
Trusting God is not about trusting him to make life comfortable – if faith based on him keeping us free of Covid 19, and we get it – will kill our faith
Doesn’t mean don’t pray – should ask – ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t receive’ – but God decides – we can’t control that
Shouldn’t we pray in faith – you can – if you know what he’s doing – Job didn’t know till later – hearing – can only walk on what he had said – ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that comes (precedes continually) from the mouth of God‘ (Mt 4.4)
Same trusting God for church numbers – I’ve said 300 in 5 yrs – some said have more faith – its not about faith – can only have faith for a number if God promised it – I have not heard – 300 just a number we can realistically achieve – its not for us to set goals that God must achieve
We can pray in hope ‘if its your will’ – biblical – being honest about what God has + hasn’t said
Lets talk Wisdom
Proverbs – Listen to your fathers words, they will save you, The wise take advise, Learn from – the ant, stores up in summer – about doing now what will benefit you later – being prepared
Foolish to be unprepared for deadly virus taking world by storm – governments, communities, individuals be prepared – means reading good sources – teaching others – discussing plan of action – means have to talk
Shoprite – Sanitizer at the door – wash on entry
Assuming: Africans are more immune, virus can’t survive in African heat, God won’t allow it here – does not help – it cripples (Africans caught it in China) – need to be wise – original Korean unwise – refused to go to doctor
Lets talk fear
Only way to be unfearful of deadly virus – not worry if you die – no one wants to die – but in face of death believers have significant advantage – believe another life – better – death is graduation – unbelievers assume only his life – if convinced – truly – we keep our heads – even be a comfort to others
Committing our situation into God’s hands – we have peace beyond understanding – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4.6-7)
Student Attack in Nairobi – uncanny peace
Martyrs unusual peace in death – doesn’t promise no problems – but he’s with us in them
Paul spoke this in persecution times – good eg. Stephen seeing Jesus as stoned – Jesus strengthened by angels
Again+again – Hail storm in SA – peace – outside immigration
This peace better to have than good circumstances
Psalm 91 has context
My mum still confesses it – as promise from God – but if they get sick – what we say: not enough trust – sin opened door??
Job is about this – friends said he opened door by sin – Job said no – lets see how it ended
Job 42. 7-11 After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has. So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”
So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s request.
The LORD Blesses Job
After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions. All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.





March 26, 2020 @ 8:05 am
We never heard messages like this before but the opposite; healing healthy ones in religious cycles to amaze worshipers. It means we were not real. From now we need to delete fake doctrines and re study the bible and face head on true challenges of life. Supper natural healing is a miracle not something we can design, conduct and run as has been norm of many contemporary gatherings.