Making Disciples In Lockdown (Part 1) By Pastor Kevin

This blog is my manuscript from last night's virtual meeting with our students. It is a question and answer format that features questions raised by students and parents along with biblical answers. 

If you would like to watch the video version of this three part blog you can find it in two parts on Youtube: 

Video Part 1: https://youtu.be/kVAWK3goWks
Video Part 2: https://youtu.be/S32rD1j_vSM

How do I accept God's will for us in a time like this when our world is turned upside down and our future is unsure?

Introduction: First of all, fantastic question! There are three areas that this question addresses. First, it addresses God’s will. Second, it addresses the issue of fear. Third, it addresses the uncertainty of the future, which causes us to fear. Lets take a look at each part and what the Bible says about them. 

First, God’s Will. There are many things we can say about God’s will and believe it or not, it is a topic that can get quite complicated. I don’t want to get complicated and leave you all confused. So let me just say that God is sovereign which means God has the right, wisdom, and power to do all that he pleases. We see this in a number of passages throughout Scripture: 

Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Job 42:2-3 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Isaiah 45:7 I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Amos 3:6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Summary: God’s will is both good and incomprehensible to us. While God gives us enough to place our faith in there are things that he is in complete control over that are beyond our understanding. When we cannot trace the hand of God we must trust his heart. Which means, even when we don't understand why we face the things we do we can trust that God is in control and he is accomplishing his loving purposes. 

Second, Fear: The most common command throughout Scripture is do not fear. This is directed at God’s people only. The reason God’s people should not be filled with anxiety and fear is because they have a father God who is in control of all things and bringing about his good purposes.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Mark 4:39-41 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

2 Timothy 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Summary: The Bible addresses fear in believers because God understands that in a world that is broken by sin, the most common experience his people will face is fear. Yet, God’s presence with his people through his Holy Spirit is the antidote to fear. In fact, in Mark we realize that the most fearful human experience of them all isn’t a calamity or disaster, it is being in the presence of God as sinners. In this story, Jesus has solved the dilemma caused by the calamity facing them only to realize that a much bigger dilemma confronted them: sinners in the presence of a holy God. Since Jesus has solved this dilemma for believers we have nothing left to fear. Instead of being gripped by fear, believers can stand strong and demonstrate love to a world who needs to be reconciled to God. Parents should do their best to give their kids perspective on these things. 

Third, The Future:  The key passage to address this is James 4:13-17 

James 4:13-17 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Summary: This passage applies to this situation and the way we approach it. What this passage exposes is human pride that is masked in overconfidence in the future. Interestingly, Christians grapple with the uncertainty of the future moreso now than normal. The fallacy here is that our future is less certain now than it was before. The reality is that our future is always uncertain. The fact that we ask this question now actually highlights our overconfidence in our future plans when there isn’t a virus to shut down the world. James tells us that this overconfidence in the future is pride and that this pride is evil. Thus, this calamity can help us to gain the right mindset that we should apply to all seasons of life. In other words, the uncertainty that is caused by the virus can be received as a gift that trains us to depend on God more purely. On the one hand, this passage removes our sense of security in the efficiency of our culture. On the other hand, the passage invites us to find true security in that which is truly stable, the will of God!

Also, parents should examine their own hearts and repent to their kids for the ways they have communicated a sinful, evil overconfidence in the efficiency of culture. There are many ways we reinforce the idea to our kids that tomorrow is a certainty and that our plans are for sure. Explore with them what it would look like for your whole household to live more dependently upon God's will. 

The same is true for fear. Examine your own sinful fear and repent of the ways that you have modeled and trained your kids to fear in like manner. Christians face a tricky balance between the two extremes of overconfidence of the future and sinful fear in uncertainty. The gospel of Christ helps us to discover the middle of those extremes where we confidently yet humbly walk in dependence upon God.

Perhaps one way you can engage your kids in this topic is by asking them how they have observed you respond? Have they witnessed fear? Overconfidence? If they were to describe how one responds biblically to a crisis based on what they observe in you what would they say?