Shepherd Thoughts

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Being a Church in Challenging Times

Thomas Overmiller

A Godly Response to a Pandemic – Part 1

Series Overview

Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” The COVID-19 outbreak certainly shows that this is true. When 2020 began, we had no idea we would face this new kind of challenge. Though it caught us by surprise, we know God was not surprised. He knew this would happen and will guide us through this challenging time.

This study guide is the first in anew Faith Baptist Biblestudy series called “A Godly Response to a Pandemic.” Each lesson will provide biblicalteaching that enables us to think, feel, and live in a Christlike way throughoutthis pandemic experience.

Download a PDF Study Guide

Together, we’ll tackle topics like fear, anxiety, and loneliness. We’ll also examine our behavior as a church. Most importantly, we’ll learn about our loving, sovereign God who is all-knowing, almighty, always present, and trustworthy in every way.

Series Guidelines

This serieswill continue throughout our period of “social isolation” in New York City. Toparticipate, please take the following approach.

  1. A new study guide will be provided each Saturday at Shepherd Thoughts. You can follow the guide online or download and print it as a PDF.
  2. Use each guide for an in-home Bible study from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
  3. If you live with a Christian family, you can study together. If not, try studying together with another believer from Faith by phone or internet using a service like Facebook Video Chat, Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom.
  4. For each study: (1) begin with prayer, (2) read the Scripture passage, (3) work through the study guide, then (4) end with prayer.
  5. Then tune in early to the Faith Baptist Livestream on Facebook at 10:45 a.m. to post questions, feedback, and comments about the lesson. Pastor Overmiller will respond to your feedback before the 11:00 a.m. service begins.
  6. You can also leave comments on the blogsite at the end of the study guide page and Pastor Overmiller will respond by sometime Sunday.
  7. As a bonus, memorize a verse or more from the passage and think about it throughout the week ahead.

Lesson Introduction

It’s easy to take for granted (tonot appreciate) the value and privilege of gathering together as a church. Nowthat we’re unable to meet together due to COVID-19, we find ourselves wantingto get together even more, but we can’t.

Perhaps this unprecedentedexperience will increase our desire and determination to gather together morefaithfully and enthusiastically once this pandemic is over. But what abouttoday? How can we be a church when we can’t even leave our homes? Three versesin the book of Hebrews can help us answer these challenging questions.

Hebrews 10:23-25

v.23     Let us hold fast theconfession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

v.24     And let us considerone another in order to stir up love and good works,

v.25    Not forsaking theassembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting oneanother, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Study Guide

Consider the Background

The book of Hebrews was written to first-centuryChristians living in the Roman Empire. Gathering together with other believersas a church was a relatively new experience, having begun only a few decadesbefore.

It was hard to be a church – and risky.Both Jewish religious leaders and the Roman government opposed what they weredoing. As a result, believers often faced major difficulties and suffering.

Search the Scripture

What happened to the first-century churchin the city of Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-4)?

Consider Church History

Today we’re not facing persecutionlike that. We’re facing a pandemic instead. Though this is a new experience forus, it has happened before in church history. A pandemic called the “bubonicplague” (Black Death) ravaged Europe from the 14th to 16thcenturies.

The bubonic plague (Black Death) devastatedEurope a little more than 500 years ago. From 1347 to 1350, it killed 25% of Europe’spopulation. Similar outbreaks occurred afterward, with mortality rates rangingfrom 30 to 90 percent.

A well-known pastor, Martin Luther,wrote a pamphlet that gave godly advice on how to respond to the plague. Heencouraged “practical steps to contain the spread of the disease.” Beyond this,he urged believers to make choices “in light of the Word of God.”

To learn more about Martin Luther's advice for Christians and churches during the bubonic plague, click here.

Examine the Scripture

Hebrews 10:23-25 provides some godlyadvice from the Word of God about how to be a church during challenging times –whether we are facing persecution, natural disaster, financial crisis, or evena pandemic like COVID-19.

These verses give two main principlesfor Christians to follow, both beginning with “let us.” Can you find them?

Examine the Scripture

The first main principle is “let ushold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.”

  • Hold fast means “to hold or grasp something tightly and not let go.” This is what we’re supposed to do.
  • The confession of our hope refers to our profession of faith. It describes how genuine believers have trusted in Christ alone for salvation, then announced their faith openly to the world through baptism (see Rom 10:9-11 and Acts 8:35-38).
  • Without wavering means “to remain steady and not be shaken.”

Ask Yourself Some Questions

  • Haveyou believed on Jesus Christ as your God and Savior?
  • Ifnot, this pandemic crisis is a crucial time to turn to him alone for salvationfrom sin so that you’re prepared to die. Would you like to do that today?
  • Ifyou’ve already believed on Christ, then have you declared your faith publiclythrough baptism? You can contact your pastor today to talk about taking thisimportant step.
  • If you’vealready believed on Christ and been baptized, then how might this pandemic “shake”your faith or confidence in God?

Examine the Scripture

Why should we remain steady in ourconfidence in Christ during times like this pandemic? Hebrews 10:13 gives animportant reason: “for he who promised is faithful.”

Ask Yourself Some Questions

What are some ways that God isfaithful to those who believe in Christ (see Lam 3:23; 1 Cor 1:9; 1 Cor 10:13)?

Examine the Scripture

The second main principle is “let usconsider one another.”

  • Considermeans “to be concerned about, understand, pay attention to, thinkabout, and notice” something.
  • Whatare we supposed to notice? “One another.” This means that in times of crisis, wewho are members of a church should never feel alone and without help. Why? Becauseother members are paying close attention to our needs.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

  • Whatare some needs that you have during this time, whether spiritual, social,emotional, financial, or physical? Who can you reach out to in the church to expressthese needs during this time?
  • Whatsteps are you taking to “pay attention” and “think about” other members of ourchurch and their needs?

Examine the Scripture

Hebrews 10:24 goes on to say, “inorder to stir up love and good works.” This is the purpose of “considering oneanother.”

  • Stir up means “to stimulate a response” or “to encourage further, increased action.”
  • Love refers to having feelings of genuine compassion which lead to being selfless – more concerned about others than ourselves.
  • Good works refer to acts of kindness that benefit others but require personal effort and sacrifice on our part.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

  • Whatcan you do during this time to grow in your love and true compassion for theother members of our church?
  • Whatacts of kindness can you do for someone else in the church that will require personaleffort on your part but will meet a genuine need?

Examine the Scripture

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsakingthe assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.” This is whathappens when we either deliberately refuse or mistakenly fail to do whatHebrews 10:23-24 tells us to do.

  • Forsake means “to stop doing something that has been going on for a long time.” In this case, the ongoing activity is gathering together with your church (“assembling of ourselves together”).
  • “As is the manner of some,” tells us that when the early church faced difficult times, some of their members fell into the habit or custom of regularly missing church. Gathering together with their church became unimportant to them and other things became more important, so they stopped doing it.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

  • Beforethe COVID-19 pandemic occurred, how would you describe the way that yougathered together with your church? Were your regular or irregular?
  • Ifyou had been more regular at one point in the past, what caused you to stop or decreaseyour participation?
  • Howdoes the encouragement to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together”contrast with what churches did in the beginning? (See Acts 2:42; in thisverse, the phrase “continued steadfastly” means “to keep on doing somethingwithout stopping.”)

Examine the Scripture

These verses finishby saying, “but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Dayapproaching.”

  • “Exhortingone another” is one of the things that we should do when we (and one of thereasons why we must) gather together as a church.
  • Exhorting means to “encourage one another to keep doing what is right.” Thiscan take a variety of forms: sometimes uplifting words of comfort and sometimeswords of needed correction.
  • “Somuch the more” is another way of saying “do it even more, not less!”
  • “TheDay approaching” may refer to times of increased persecution and difficultythat lie ahead. It may also refer to the second coming of Christ when he rescuesall believers from this world to our everlasting home in heaven with him.

Whichever is the case, these are future realities that are getting closer – though only God knows when they will occur. The first-century church thought Christ would return in their lifetime! When the bubonic plague happened, it probably felt as though Christ would come at that time, too. One thing is sure, we’re closer to today than ever before.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

Since we’re working from home and practicing “social isolation” due to COVID-19, it will be easy for us to grow farther apart from one another as a church, not closer.

  • During this time, how can we increase and intensify our efforts at “gathering together?” How can we stay connected and be a worshipful, supportive, and effective church even more now than ever before, even though we cannot get together physically?
  • Though we are unable to gather together in person, how can we “exhort one another” during this time?
  • How will our response as a church to one another prepare us better for the future, whether that means more difficulties ahead or Christ’s return?

Share YourFeedback

Now that you’vefinished this study, don’t forget to tune in early to the Faith BaptistLivestream on Facebook at 10:45 a.m. to post questions, feedback, andcomments about the lesson! Pastor Overmiller will respond to your feedback beforethe 11:00 a.m. service begins.