Worship In A Pandemic Christmas - One In Christ's Love Series

Intro:

How many will feel merry on this Christmas 2020 while we sing “We wish you a merry Christmas? Or even sing “Have yourself a merry little Christmas”? It seems that the word “merry” is a very common word during Christmas. You see the word “merry” means being “cheerful and lively” and it is characterized by festivity and rejoicing. We don’t say merry birthday to you, but happy birthday. Because the word “merry” pertains to a season of everyone is joyful and “celebrative” in nature like Christmas. But what happens when a supposed “merry” Christmas becomes wary, worry, and weary Christmas?

But how do we celebrate Christmas 2020 during a pandemic season instead of the holiday season? It will be 5 days to go before the big event and I remember 2 weeks ago, I preached about our right attitude towards God’s love in a pandemic world. But today God led me to have the right response towards our Christmas celebration in a pandemic season – and what should be our response? Our response should be…

Worship in a Pandemic Christmas

Matthew 2:1-12

If you remember the 1st attitude we should do on the sermon “how to celebrate Christmas love in a pandemic world”, we were exhorted that we should be a worshipper. Why worship in a pandemic Christmas? Well, we can see two people who responded correctly despite of the worst circumstances in their lives.

1. Job – Job 1

Here we can see that Job was a righteous man and God blessed him with wealth, health and a loving family. But 1 day, Satan came to God and asked God to allow trials, sufferings and persecutions to Job in order to test Job’s faithfulness to his faith to God. And God allowed it with a condition that Job will not die. And after that conversation,

V14 – The oxen and donkeys were all killed by the Sabeans including Job’s servants, only 1 left to report the matter to him

V16 – Fire from heaven strike and burned up the sheep and the servants, only 1 servant left to report the matter to him.

V17 – Camels were swept away by the Chaldeans raiding parties and killed the servants leaving 1 servant to report the matter to Job.

V18 – The worst of all, his sons and daughters were all killed while having a party after a strong wind strike the house where they were holding the event, leaving only 1 servant to report the incident to him.

To Job, this is similar to pandemic that we are living right now, as one by one all his belongings, wealth and even his own family were swept away by it.

But what was Job’s response after all of these? In v20-21 we will read…

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.’”

After that incident, Satan asked God again to allow Job to have a pandemic like disease so his wife can despise him and even challenge him to curse God. But Job’s reply to worship God and not sin despite what happen was imminent.

Job 2:10 “He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”

2. David – 2 Samuel 12

After King David committed a sin of adultery with Bathsheba, their sin bore a son who was dying because of a pandemic-like disease as part of David’s consequence of sin. Yet David pleaded with God in v16 despite of his sin, and he even fasted and spent sleepless nights with the child. But then the child died during 7th day.

But what was the response of David? In v20 we will read…

“Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.”

He was even questioned by his servants by acting weird of instead of mourning for his dead son, he refreshed himself by eating and cleaning himself in v21. But look at David’s reply in v22-23

“He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”