Sermon Outline:
What is God Up To?
Seeing the Fulfillment of God’s Purposes in the Midst of COVID-19
- Introduction
- Is this really “unprecedented”?
- Antonine Plague – 2nd century
- Cyprian Plague – 3rd century
- The Purposes of God – Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
- What is Our Part? Learning from Movement Leaders Around the World
- Extraordinary commitment to prayer and fasting
- Mark 9:29 “And he said to them, ‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer [and fasting].’”
- Luke 24:47-49 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
- Biblical view and acceptance of suffering as a normal part of Christian life
- Luke 9:23 – “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
- Luke 15:18-21 – “18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
- High correlation between knowledge and obedience
- John 14:15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
- James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
- Challenge
- Extraordinary commitment to prayer and fasting