CORONAVIRUS CAUSES MILLIONS TO SEEK GOD
2 Cor. 5:14
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Rachel Nichols says, “Our fourth grader celebrated his birthday on crutches, so he couldn’t carry the cupcakes into school without help. So she asked her 6th grader, Noah, to help carry them in. “I could,” he said, “but I prefer not to.”
2. Rachel’s husband, spotting a teaching moment, said, “Noah, what would Jesus do?” Noah answered, “Jesus would heal little Billy so he could carry his own cupcakes!” [RD, June 2020]
B. OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
1. Christian leader Mark Gauthier says, “This is one of the greatest moments in the history of the church for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”
2. He’s referring to the Covid-19 virus and how it’s driven millions of people out of their comfort zones. All the things they trusted in – science, media, government, technology, medicine, etc. - proved inadequate to solve the stark problems of health survival, job security, isolation, family problems, and shortage of money.
3. So today I’m pointing out that we still have a rare opportunity to speak to friends and family about our hope in Christ and invite them to salvation.
4. The title of this message is, “Coronavirus Causes Millions to Seek God.”
I. SIGNS OF OPENNESS ACROSS THE GLOBE
A. PEOPLE BEGAN TO CRY OUT TO GOD
1. In the Philippines, a woman named Grace went to a Christian website about coronavirus fear, “Please help me not to worry about everything,” she wrote in a chat with a volunteer counselor. “What’s happening now is very confusing.” The counselor explained that only Jesus can bring lasting peace, and Grace received Jesus as her Savior.
2. In the US, a volunteer at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) chatted online with a young mother named Brittany who worried that COVID-19 would take her life and her children’s lives. The volunteer offered hope and peace, and Brittany too accepted Christ.
3. A 17-year-old named Donmere, told a chat volunteer, “I’m not really a religious person, but I don’t know who else to turn to but God.” Forty-five minutes later, Donmere was a follower of Christ and was pointed to discipleship resources.
B. SKYROCKETING INQUIRIES FOR HELP
1. Three of the largest online Christian sites (GMO, BGEA, and Cru) say the number of people seeking online information about knowing Jesus has dramatically increased since early March.
2. Global Media Outreach (GMO) saw a 170 percent increase in searches about finding “hope;” a 57% increase in searches about “fear,” and a 39% spike in searches about “worry.” Overall, there’s a 16 percent increase over 2019.
3. This surge corresponds with a University of Copenhagen study that searches about “prayer” in 75 countries skyrocketed to their highest levels in five years in March. “We are seeing millions of people open to talking about faith in the face of fear,” said Michelle Diedrich.
4. This points to the need of Christians to step up as witnesses to those who are seeking help.
II. 4 REASONS WE OUGHT TO SHARE OUR FAITH
A. JESUS REGULARLY SHARED HIS FAITH
1. Jesus said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10) and “Follow Me, and I’ll make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19). Jesus obviously intends for us to be soulwinners.
2. We constantly see Jesus confronting a). the Woman at the Well; b). Zacchaeus; c). Nicodemus; d). the Man Born blind; and others. He set us the example of how to conduct our lives.
3. Jesus was the Light while He was here; now we’re to be the light to those in darkness. “You are the light of the world…” Mt. 5:14.
B. WE’RE ENTRUSTED W/ THE SAME MISSION…
1. After Jesus’ resurrection He appeared to the 11 disciples and said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Jn. 20:19-21
2. The destiny of the human race was placed into the hands of Jesus. But now, Jesus has placed the destiny of other people’s lives into OUR hands. GOD IS COUNTING ON US!
3. Nothing is more VALUABLE than the human soul. Jesus said, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Mt. 16:26 NLT.
4. WHAT LEGACY WILL YOUR LIFE LEAVE BEHIND?
a. Louis Pasteur, the pioneer of immunology, lived at a time when thousands of people died each year from rabies. Pasteur had worked for years on a vaccine. Just as he was about to begin experimenting on himself, a nine-year-old, Joseph Meister, was bitten by a rabid dog. The boy’s mother begged Pasteur to experiment on her son. Pasteur injected Joseph for 10 days – and the boy lived.
b. Decades later, of all the things Pasteur could have had etched on his tombstone, he asked for three words: “Joseph Meister lived.” Our greatest legacy will be those who live eternally because of our efforts. 3rd Reason to Share the Faith:
C. IT’S THE GREAT COMMISSION AND NOT THE GREAT SUGGESTION…
1. Jesus commanded: “Preach the Gospel to every creature!” Shedding a few tears at the altar won’t do it. God asks, “Whom shall I send and who will GO for us?”
2. If a person in the military disobeys orders, they are court-martialed. Commands are given to be obeyed. Jesus commanded us to go. Have we obeyed?
D. IF JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR IT…
1. If something was so important to Jesus that he gave his life for it, and if Jesus is important to me, I would make sure the work He cared about was completed.
2. This has been the case of many missionaries who died trying to reach a people-group; friends or family have often (out of love & desire to honor the fallen), taken up their banner and completed the task they had started. How much more shall we honor the Life of Him who loved us and died FOR US!
III. HOW CAN I WITNESS?
When I bring up sharing your faith, people often say, “But Pastor, I’m too shy to speak out about my faith; I’m not trained to witness.” But think:
A. IF A DOG CAN WITNESS, WHY NOT YOU?
1. I remember the true story of a group of soldiers encamped near Shanghai, China, during the ministry of Jonathan Goforth.
2. One day a dog came into their camp with some pages from a book in his mouth. The soldiers caught the dog and began to read the papers. They were pages from a Bible being printed in their language.
3. They became very interested and followed the dog to a Christian hospital & the soldiers asked for more of this kind of literature. The Christian hospital was glad to help. This brought forth an opportunity for Mr. Goforth and a Chinese evangelist to visit the camp. Two hundred men made professions of faith.
4. If God can use a dog to deliver his Word, then he can use any of us, including you! [Walter B. Knight, Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations, 622.]
5. Sharing your faith is EASY; you just tell them what Jesus has done for you! “I was blind but now I see.”
6. A missionary is defined as “a person sent on a mission, especially a religious mission.” Well that describes every Christian as a missionary. The last words of Jesus were to take this Gospel to the ends of the earth, (Acts 1:8) When Jesus left this world, He had missions on His mind. God’s people ought to have the same excitement about missions too!
B. HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? 6 WAYS
1. INVITE. Simply invite friends and family to church.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA. It’s the easiest way to speak of Christ. 20% of Christians say they’ve shared their faith online [Pew Research, 2014]. Barna Research (2018) reported that 58% of non-Christians said someone had shared their faith with them on Facebook. This is almost “incognito witnessing.”
3. NEIGHBORS. Relationships with your neighbors that can open doors of evangelism. One man said, “I’ve lived across the street from my neighbor for 10 years, and [because of a stay-at-home order] I went across the street and shared the gospel with him for the first time ever!” He was receptive.
4. BE PART OF CHURCH OUTREACHES. Normally every quarter we hold an outreach. Join us in evangelizing!
5. MEMORIZE THE ROMAN ROAD (3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10) or a simple plan like “Steps to Peace with God” on how to lead someone to Christ.
6. GIVE TO MISSIONS. Give monetarily to get the Gospel to the rest of the world. That’s why we have a Missions Department. Did you know YOU can be a partner in supporting a missionary on a foreign mission field? Make all this a matter of prayer.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. A Scottish missionary to Africa, Alexander Clarke, told the very striking story of an African man who had been mauled by a lioness and almost died.
2. Alexander Clarke, also a physician, cared for the man’s wounds. When he got well enough, he left.
3. After 3 months he came back to Mr. Clarke and said, “You know the Law of the African forest, that the redeemed belongs to the redeemer. I was dead, but now I am alive. I am yours. Here are my six wives and my children and my cattle. Do with them as you will.”
4. Are we willing to surrender all to Christ like that? THE “REDEEMED BELONG TO THE REDEEMER.” Since Jesus died for us, we belong to Him. Jesus said, “No man takes my life; I lay it down of my own accord” John 10:18. Jesus came to die; He took your place on the cross. He died for you so that you could live for Him.
5. If a first responder, like a fireman, picked up our unconscious body and lowered us down out of a blazing house, but then he perished in the fire, it ought to mean something to you. That’s what Jesus did; He was Heaven’s First Responder who saved us. We should be grateful for what He did. We should seek to honor Him & please Him.
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you would say, “Pastor, I need to surrender my life completely to Jesus?
2. How many of you know someone who needs to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ?
3. How many would pray, “Lord, make me your witness?” All those who’ve raised your hands please stand and let’s pray for a new burden of souls. Prayer.
[This message used information from a Christianity Today article; “Coronavirus Searches Lead Millions to Hear About Jesus” by David Roach (4/7/20)].
