Pastor Asif M Sadiq (Sunday Sermon Delivered Live on 22-03-2020)
HOPE
“ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)
God has already informed us in the Bible through prophets and prophesies long ago concerning the things and problems world is facing today.
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11),
Therefore, I urge you to not ignore this message which is directed by the Holy Spirit, many have engaged themselves with the world and keep ignoring the message of God.
God the Father has always wanted us to hear the Spirit, the echo sound of these words we hear in the Gospel through Jesus “those who have ears to hear will hear it”, that is exactly what the Holy Spirit says in Revelation.
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches...” (Revelation 2:7)
This proves that the Holy Spirit kept communicating to the world throughout the history of mankind through prophets, messengers and even through missionaries and Church leaders in the modern ages, yet many either rejects or do not hear.
We are all globally plagued by a pandemic and the world is experiencing her worst in the history and is in uncertainty. No one knows what will happen next.
Today humanity is experiencing both the positive and negative sides of mankind in these hard times, the selfishness of humanity and the Passion and love of humanity. We see many profiteers, opportunists and selfish people who consume food and other essentials of daily life either with the fear of tomorrow or stocking up for making profit and selling on high prices and are not thinking of others. Despite of being advised on national level that be wise whilst shopping so that everyone could have enough. But still certain groups of people and cultures are shopping and looting everything rationally and unfairly which shows that most of humanity is still possessed by evil thoughts. We see in the Bible that famine of Egypt was a natural disaster or God’s plan to teach his laws to the evil generation of that time and to save latter world, but this time maybe we will bring down disaster on us by our own hands.
However, we also see a positivity and a hope that humanity is not totally dead yet. Many are trying to do something good and positive to others, some are urging people to stay safe by posting suggestions and remedies through social media and internet, TV or any possible means. Many are worried for others who are suffering or dying, some are passionate, sympathetic and hoping for a positive change, many are turning to God and praying according to their beliefs. NGO’s and charities are engaged for the goodwill and wellbeing of humanity.
Its a fact that thousands are dying daily due to this new pandemic call Corona virus. However, there is another bitter truth which no one can deny that natural and other disease morbidity statistics are also in many millions on daily basis such as;
Common Coled Suicide rate
HIV or immorality
70, 000 155, 000 240, 000
Malaria Accidents Alcohol
140, 000 194, 000 360, 000
Tobacco 720, 000 Cancer 12,00, 000 And natural death 1500,000
Collectively there are millions of people dying in this world on daily basis and people are afraid of death.
Let us talk about another death “Spiritual Death” which is far more dangerous and hapless. Spiritual death toll is far greater than any other death statistics.
Today people are escaping from a virus called corona virus, I wish they could run away and escape from the root cause of all viruses the “Sin-Virus”. Sin is much more dangerous than any known or unknown viruses and any fatal disease. In the Bible sin is described as leprosy.
90% of our world is in quarantine today, but I am sure, that this will not last forever “IF” we “believers” do our part and know our obligations then we can cut these hard times short. This plague is not for a specific nation or a tribe but the entire whole world and humanity is suffering of this pandemic. Now only “believer’s prayers” can cut these days short. Jesus said that only because of the church these days will be cut short, means only saints and believers can save this world now. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).
This is God’s promise that His wrath will pass away, but for a while people need to separate themselves from the businesses this world and businesses like Sodom and Gomorrah. “And of course this planet Earth needs a rest of her Sabbaths too which she haven’t had for decades.” “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doorsbehind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins.The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.” (Isaiah 26:20- )21
It doesn't mean that we merely sit down inside, but we ought to pray. Now is the time to pray to God and call upon Him to save the world. We ought to pray for God’s mercy and divine understanding and intellectual for those who are fighting to control overcome on this plague. Especially for scientists and medical related people that may God grant them the wisdom find the cure of this virus and may they be able to develop medicines and vaccines against it.
The development of medical science is because of the wisdom that God has given to man. That very wisdom has also enabled man to find solutions of many problems. There are many examples of medical wisdom in the Bible, Isaiah told King Hezekiah to tie figs on his boil. (Isaiah 38:21)
Despite of all our scientific advancement and inventions, we desperately need God’s mercy and help. Perhaps the time has come now when the world needs a change. Or maybe a new world order is going to be introduced or people are going to be given marks of the beast to buy or sell nobody knows yet.
It is a fact that past experiences always prove God. How we can experience God’s existence and how we can see God? To experience and to understand this we need to understand metaphor of Bible in the case of Moses when he prayed to see God.
“Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the LORD said, “.....you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.... You will see my back. ? ? ? (Exodus 33:18-23)
What does it mean that God passed by him as a human?
No! Not at all; it is a metaphor, which means looking back in history. We need to look back in History to see God’s existence and power how he rescued his people from Egypt the house of slavery, Whenever world try to be equal to God, God revealed himself and shows His mighty hand that all our power and glory and knowledge is nothing more than a piece of dust in the sight of God.
The remnants of civilizations around us, reminding us that despite of power and scientific knowledge and progress God is still in control. Men try to build tower of Babylon to be equal to God, God simply put him back to his limits by blowing wind, Man rejected God’s authority in Noah's time, and God simply washed them away with a stream of water. Sodom and Gomorrah refused power of God; God consumed them with fire and brimstone overnight. Egyptians trusted on their chariots against God, God allowed the Red Sea to swallow them. if we still remain stubborn and not turn to God and repent, perhaps we are inviting God’s wrath on us. “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands;” (Revelation 9:20)
Man’s greatest need is repentance today but sadly many have changed their course against God today than ever before and have ruined God's Word and are misleading many evils work by deceiving many. “....because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God...” (Jeremiah 23:36) Misguidance is all around us and we ought to be vigilant too.
Jesus Himself declares that misguidance would be on the rise and therefore it was necessary for the church to have right fellowship. We ought to present ourselves to establish God’s Kingdom; we ought to be the part God's kingdom. Let us be the Kingdom of God. We are the Kingdom of God. Word of God said that, God's kingdom will not come in manifest, but it is within us. “...The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21) The Kingdom of God is the people who worship Him and fear Him and make people to repent of their evil deeds.
Are we ready to meet our God, to consecrate ourselves to God? “The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.” (Exodus 13:1-2)
“you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. ... Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery....” (Exodus 13:12-14)
We need God’s mercy and healing by consecrating ourselves for God, Word consecrate in Exodus means deep in Hebrew that no one else shares it. It’s a metaphoric example of two animals (donkey and the lamb) is explained in this context, how we can be saved. Bible declares that without shedding of blood there is no redemption, (Hebrew 9:22)
Also “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4) how we can be redeemed? Here donkey is an example of an unclean animal while Lamb is
the example of a sacred one. In Exodus we see God commands Moses to exchange the unclean with the Clean so that unclean should be clean. Bible also declares
“It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (Hebrews 9:23)
Word of God declares, we all are unclean, every human is a sinner, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Bible very clearly states that all have sinned and are deprived and fall short of the glory of God because of sin, we transformed from a pure to an impure unclean person. We are inherited sinner. On the other hand Christ, the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, whose blood was given as an exchange for us so that we can be pure and clean through Him. Born of the Spirit is actually sanctifying and consecrating ourselves to God. On this earth we are all born naturally in the state of defilement. Only Jesus Christ was born of God, he was not born by the desire of flesh; he is holy and became perfect sacrifice to God and a complete ransom and exchange for all so that we can be acceptable to God. “...when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)
Don’t put God second in your life, put God first and we will be healed and He will accept us,
Never forget Cain and Abel, Cain never put God first he simply brought some fruits and not
the FIRST fruits whilst Able brought offering of FIRST-born “In the course of time Cain
4
The only hope for mankind today is “Jesus Christ” the First of God, the Son of the Living God. Put the cross of Jesus first in your life not the world. If God is the first in our lives, the rest will be in order automatically and we will have His favor. His Son will set us free indeed, from the sufferings and troubles of this world and we will be acceptable to God.
brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour...” (Genesis 4:3-6)
The only hope for mankind today is “Jesus Christ” the First of God, the Son of the Living God. Put the cross of Jesus first in your life not the world. If God is the first in our lives, the rest will be in order automatically and we will have His favor. His Son will set us free indeed, from the sufferings and troubles of this world and we will be acceptable to God.
