Preventing The Spread Of Infection
2 Cor 6:16-18
This time of year, you hear a lot about the flu. What is the flu?
(Medically known as Influenza)? According to the U.S. Government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent this illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is by getting a flu vaccination each fall.
When I moved to the Columbus area in 1989, I went to work for a company that offered free flu shots every year. So, I received my first flu vaccination that year. I can’t remember a year that I got sicker than that year. I haven’t had the flu shot since, and I haven’t had the flu very often since then. I am not here tonight to try to discourage you from getting the flu shot. That is your decision and it might be very advantageous for you to get it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depending on your health condition and age.
Did you know that every year in the United States, on average:
• 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;
• more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and;
• and every year in the U.S., about 36,000 people die from flu complications.
Some people, such as older people, infants, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Symptoms of Flu
Symptoms of flu include:
• fever (usually high)
• headache
• extreme tiredness
• dry cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle aches
• Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults
Complications of Flu
Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections.
How Flu Spreads
Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets caused by coughing and sneezing. They usually spread from person to person, though sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
Good Health Habits
Good health habits are also an important way to help prevent the Flu.
• Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. How many of you are careful when you see someone that is sick?
• Stay away from others when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. How many of you are ready to get out of bed and hug a dozen of your best friends when you are sick?
• Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Clean your hands often.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. I hear of more and more people that work around the public carrying hand disinfectants with them to work.
I left empty space on your handouts for a reason. Now, for the reason.
Now for the spiritual side of something that we can see so easily in the physical.
The evil that affects the world will affect the church in some measure. The attitudes of the world will try to invade the church. We live in the world. We interact with the world. We touch this world that has become sickened by the inflections of sin. The world is constantly touching us in one way or another. The world has been infected with a sickness that is constantly trying to creep into the church. Unfortunately, it is getting into many of the churches and is causing spiritual infections, sicknesses, and many times, death. Why are we so careful about the physical side of our life and its infections, but many Christians have no concern about the spiritual side?
Let’s look at the parallels. On your sheet…
How Flu Spreads
“Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets caused by coughing and sneezing. They usually spread from person to person, though sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.”
We have to realize that there is an infected world that we live in. That is why there has to be precautions in every thing that we do. We live in the world, but we still have to be separate from the world.
2 Cor 6:16-18
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate , saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
“Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.”
Just as when a person comes in contact with the flu virus, he doesn’t get sick two seconds later, so it is with the spiritual side. We all know that a person does not backslide overnight. Has anyone started to feel like you are about to come down with something ever before you got bedridden? What do you do? Some people may start taking added dosages of vitamins such as vitamin C. Some of you may go to bed earlier to try to get added rest so your body won’t be so tired that it can’t fight the sickness. Some of you may have Grandma’s special concoction that you mix up that you believe will help. You do this even if all of the symptoms haven’t shown up yet.
Since we don’t backslide overnight, often the first signs are not external, they are internal, but they should still be recognizable. We know when the world has started to plant infections in our minds. We know when our thought life has been entertaining viruses to the spiritual life, and those thoughts are contrary to what God desires of us. It should be then that we start to saturate our thoughts with the Word of God and with prayer to start to counteract the spiritual infection. We are often quick to react in the physical, but often lazy in the spiritual.
2 Cor 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Good Health Habits
Good health habits are also an important way to help prevent the Flu.
• AVOID CLOSE CONTACT.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. How many of you are careful when you see someone that is sick?
1 Thess 5:22-23
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• STAY AWAY FROM OTHERS WHEN YOU ARE SICK.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. How many of you are ready to get out of bed and hug a dozen of your best friends when you are sick?
On the spiritual side, this is saying two things, “Don’t take your infected spirit around others where they can be infected.” And secondly, “Be at a place where you can recover rapidly.
James 5:14-20
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
• COVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
Matt 15:19-20
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
1 Peter 3:10
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
• AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE OR MOUTH.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
In the physical, these are the only areas of intake where infection can take place. It’s not like poison ivy that can affect anywhere it touches. There has to be access to the inside. Spiritually, anywhere where there is access to the inside is dangerous for you to allow the infection of the world to touch. The eye. You should be careful what touches your eye in the spiritual. The ear. You should be careful what goes into your ear. Your mouth. There are some things that can defile your body that goes into the mouth. Any access that can get to your brain should be guarded.
2 Cor 7:1
7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
• Clean your hands often.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. I hear of more and more people that work around the public carrying hand disinfectants with them to work.
James 4:4-8
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
If we don’t pray and fast, we bring spirits into the church just like not washing your hands will carry germs.
Preventing The Spread Of Infection (Handout)
How Flu Spreads
Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets caused by coughing and sneezing. They usually spread from person to person, though sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
Good Health Habits
Good health habits are also an important way to help prevent the Flu.
• Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay away from others when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Clean your hands often.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
