In Times Like These (A COVID-19 sermon)
Chuck Sligh
August 30, 2020
NOTE: PowerPoint or ProPresenter presentations are available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives.
TEXT: 2 Timothy 3:1 – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”
INTRODUCTION
We are indeed living in “perilous times,” much like Paul described them in our text.
Perilous means “dangerous, hazardous.”
Illus. – Never in our lifetime have we faced anything like COVID-19. Many people live in fear of catching the dreaded virus. COVID-19 has altered our lives, our recreational activities, our workplaces, our religious practices and how we shop. Washing our hands, always a good practice, is now a civic duty. We now hear words and phrases bandied about we rarely if ever heard before: Coronavirus, pandemic, social distancing, community spread, herd immunity, flattening the curve, shelter in place, PPE, and many more.
Illus. – I think we can agree that we are also in perilous times FINANCIALLY. Never in history has any country, not to mention countries around the world, willingly shut down their economies to a grinding halt. Praise God things are looking brighter now on the economic front, but we’re by no means out the woods yet. Some are forecasting that a big Coronavirus spike in the Fall could lead to another lockdown, which could lead to a catastrophic downturn in the economy, wiping away all the gains that have been made in the last few months. We are living in perilous times.
Illus. – Some are worried sick about the election the upcoming election. Someone told me the other day, “Pastor, I’m SCARED! If so-and-so (the candidate she isn’t voting for) gets elected, I’m worried that America as we know it will end.” I’m usually not so pessimistic about elections if they don’t go my way because at 67 years old, I remember that in every election, the opposing sides have said that if their opponent is elected, it would spell the end of our country as a democratic republic. Well, the republic is still around. The constitution our forefathers wrote has served well to keep us from going too far too fast in any single direction. But this particular election, with all the problems our country is facing, does seem different. We certainly need to pray for our country…because we are living in perilous times.
Illus. – We also watch with alarm police shootings of unarmed black men, the resultant lawlessness and mayhem from those who go beyond peaceful protesting to wreak havoc and mayhem in our cities, and the race-baiting and stoking of those tensions by the media.
I won’t go into the rise of Russia as a military competitor, or China as an economic competitor.
I won’t discuss the deterioration of society’s moral standards to the point where pre-marital sex is the norm; adultery is pervasive; pornography is the single largest and most profitable sector on the Internet; and we are being daily assaulted with pressure to give in to the LGBTQ agenda.
Not to mention gangs, street crime, the scourge of drugs in our land, and many more discouraging and worrisome developments in our society.
Yes, without question, these are perilous times we live in.
It was for times like these that a precious song was written many years ago. It was written by Ruth Caye Jones and is titled, “In Times Like These.” It was a mainstay of the church for the second part of the 20th century. I wish someone would write a contemporary version of this song because I think it’s a loss to the church that it’s not part of most churches’ repertoire anymore. She wrote the song at the low point of World War II when it seemed that the allies were bogged down in Italy and other countries and the war was going nowhere. The world economies were at breaking points with rations everywhere.
Here’s how it goes: In times like these you need a Savior / In times like these you need an anchor \ Be very sure, be very sure / Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! The chorus goes like this: This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One / This Rock is Jesus, the only One! \ Be very sure, be very sure \ Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
Today I want to take the words of this lovely song and use them as a springboard for our message this morning.
I. FIRST, THE SONG BEGINS, “IN TIMES LIKE THESE, YOU NEED A SAVIOR.”
Why you need the Savior— Jesus Christ?
First, because without Jesus, you are a sinner, guilty before a righteous God. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” You fall short of God’s standard of holiness. You are a sinner and God cannot allow sin in His presence.
Second, we all need a Savior because of God’s judgment. Jesus told a religious man named Nicodemus this in John 3:36 – “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” It’s pretty black and white: Either you believe on Jesus as your Savior, and have everlasting life, or you have not believed on Jesus, and if so, God’s wrath is laid up in store for you.
Third, we need a savior because the final destination of the lost is hell. – In his vision of the judgment of all those who have not received Christ as their Savior, John says in Revelation 20:14-15 – “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Let me ask you a question: In these perilous times, if, God forbid, you came down with the Coronavirus and died—where would you go when you died?—to heaven or hell?
Thank God, a SAVIOR has been provided to save you from your sins. Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a sinless life and then died on the cross for your sins. And the Bible says over and over again that if you will turn from sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God would forgive you your sin, and be your Savior. If you have never done that, let me encourage you to do that today.
II. SECOND, IN TIMES LIKE THESE, YOU NEED SECURITY.
The next phrase in the song says, “In times like these you need an anchor.” A ship’s anchor makes it steady and secure, even when the winds are howling around it and the waves are high and rough. In times of trouble and trial, where in this perilous world can we find security?
If you think about it, everything in this world is insecure. You may think you have “Social Security” but I wouldn’t put all my eggs in that basket. You may think you have a secure job, but one accident could leave you jobless. You may think your health is secure, but tomorrow you could down with COVID-19 and you could be one of the unfortunate ones with long-term effects.
The truth of the matter is that in this perilous world, NOTHING that is secure. But in Jesus, you have security if He is your Savior.
You have the security of Jesus’s presence forever.
He said in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” If Jesus is your Savior, you have the security of knowing that Jesus is with you to help and guide you no matter where you go or what trials you go through.
You also have the security that you will never have to fear God’s eternal judgment.
Listen to His promise to those who have made Him their Savior in John 10:28 – “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” If Jesus is your Savior, you are secure in Him.
You need never fear hell again because He promises you will NEVER perish in hell and no one in this universe can pluck you out of His hand, and believe me, His hand is STRONG.
Third, you have the security of God’s eternal love for you
Paul writes in Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The greatest security you can have in all the world is to know that no matter what goes on in this world, no matter who is the president in January 2021, no matter if the economy sinks or has a V-shaped recovery, and even if our country becomes a socialist dystopia, no one and no thing can ever separate you from the love of God.
Brethren, our joy should not depend on who is president, whether the stock market is bullish or bearish or what’s going on in the news! Christians have thrived in good times and bad.
They have found hope and solace in Christ in democracies, under repressive Muslim regimes, and in communist dictatorships.
Some of the greatest Christian movements grew out of the midst of famines and wars and plagues. And the promises of God are just as valid in times of economic depressions, and wars and pandemics and every other kind of disaster.
In times like these, Jesus offers security for our hearts and we can find comfort and joy in Christ if we would just block out all the bad news, and turn off the TV for a little while and refocus on Jesus and spend time in prayer and Scripture.
III. WHICH LEADS ME TO MY THIRD POINT: IN TIMES LIKE THESE, YOU NEED THE SCRIPTURES.
The second verse of our song begins, “In times like these, you need the Bible.”
My, how we need the Bible!—
We need the Bible to understand our times – 1 Chronicles 12:32 – “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”
Listen, I’m not dogmatic about it, but we could be in the end times. I would speculate about how close we are, but I know that Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:1 – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” and we’re sure living in perilous times.
Listen to his description of those last days, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent [lacking self-control], fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof… 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:2-7)
We need the Scriptures to understand what’s going on in our world and what we should do about it.
Second, we need the Scriptures to rear our children in this perilous day when almost every phase of life—government, education and entertainment—conspire to undermine your authority as parents and seek to secularize your children, which will lead to nothing but confusion and destruction if they follow in that path.
Referring to Satan as a thief, Jesus said in John 10:10 – “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Satan wants to steal from your kids and destroy them. It’s only as we bring them to Jesus as found in the Scriptures that they can have life and have it more abundantly. Satan wants to enslave your kids through sin and destructive habits.
Jesus said in John 8:32 – “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jesus is the embodiment of truth in living form, and the Bible is the truth in written form. It is only as our kids find Jesus and learn the Scriptures that they can find true freedom.
We also need the Bible to reach our Jerusalem for Christ, which for us is Grafenwoehr, because the Bible says that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom. 10:17)
Only as we teach others the truths found in the Bible can the people in our community be saved. Only as we tell others about the salvation that is offered in the Scriptures, can they find the Lord.
In times like these, as never before, let us go to the Bible!
IV. LASTLY, IN TIMES LIKE THESE, YOU NEED SERVICE
The second line of the second verse of our song says, “In times like these, O be not idle.” When there is trouble and peril in our world, that’s the time as never before for God’s people to be out in the vineyard to do all we can to reach people for Christ and invite those who we know are saved to our church where they can experience spiritual growth, fellowship and community. Surely, knowing the state of our world, we should be serving the Lord with all of our hearts, as never before in our lives.
John F. Walvoord writes, “Now is the time for Christians to face the task of evangelism, prayer, devotion and service. All of these are pressed upon us urgently by our present world situation.”
God help us, in these perilous times not to lose heart; not to become discouraged; not to be gloomy; not to be fearful; not to be idle, lazy, apathetic. Each passing day brings greater peril to this sin-sick world. However, each passing day also provides us greater opportunities for service and brings us one day closer to the coming of our blessed Lord.
Listen to me this morning!—In times like these, LET’S NOT BE IDLE! Let’s be about the Father’s business. Let’s put aside our weights and our sins and get serious about serving God because the times we live in are times of great peril that requires our best efforts; because times like these call on each of us to give our best—our all.
Illus. – Think of the those running for president and all those trying to help their candidate get elected. – For the next nine-and-a half weeks their goal is to reach as many people as possible to tell them about their presidential candidate and his policy proposals and what he can do for them.
Illus. – Think about our governmental leaders working unceasingly to stop this coronavirus in its tracks and our economic experts who are trying to stave off a depression and get the many of those laid off because of the pandemic back to work. – They work and labor tirelessly to do all within their power to find solutions and keep the entire house of card from falling in on itself.
Candidates, government officials, financial experts—they are giving their all for noble causes. Why?... Because they believe in their causes. Because they believe what they’re doing is important. Because they believe what they’re doing is serious business that must be done.
God help us to be just as diligent about serving God and giving Him our all! Why?... Because we believe in our cause. Because the work for the Kingdom of God is important. Because we believe God’s work is a serious and noble cause worth our time and effort and commitment and sacrifice.
CONCLUSION
Yes, we do live in perilous times.
In times like these you need a Savior. Have you met the Savior? Have you come to know Him, to have Him in your heart and life? If not, don’t leave this building without making Him your Savior.
In times like these you need SECURITY. Believer, Jesus is your security. In times of trouble and trial and turmoil, go to Jesus, your anchor in a turbulent world.
In times like these you need the SCRIPTURES.
Though the cover is worn,
And the pages are torn,
And though places bear traces of tears,
Yet more precious than gold
Is the Book worn and old,
That can shatter and scatter my fears.
When I prayerfully look
In the precious old Book,
As my eyes scan the pages, I see
Many tokens of love
From the Father above
Who is nearest and dearest to me.
This old Book is my guide,
’Tis a friend by my side,
It will lighten and brighten my way;
And each promise I find
Soothes and gladdens my mind
As I read it and heed it today.
In times like these, as never before, let’s read and heed the Bible! Get into God’s Word and spend time in prayer with the Savior.
In times like these you need SERVICE. Yes, the world needs your service and yes, the church needs your service. But most important—YOU need to serve.
It’s in service for God to others that we grow and know the joy of being used by God. It’s in serving others that we become the hands and feet of Jesus.
This pandemic has led to unprecedented isolation and loneliness and depression and suffering. What an opportunity to be a blessing to those who need to find hope in the Savior and by being a friend to those who are lonely, and by encouraging the downhearted and by pointing people to Jesus and His Word. God help us to step up to our calling and serve God and others.
