In a message a few weeks ago I used the story of the Golden Gate Bridge. At the time it was completed in 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. During the first phase of the project 23 men fell to their deaths in the icy water. Workers were hard to keep due to the poor working conditions and lack of safety. When it was halfway completed, the work was halted, and the project was re-evaluated. They suspended the work and installed a huge “safety net” at a cost of $100,000, a large sum in the early 1930’s and quite frankly, added greatly to an already over-budget bottom-line. Was it worth the cost and the time it took to do this? Ask the 10 men who fell without being injured! Not only did it save 10 lives, the remainder of the work was completed in 3/4 the time because the workers no longer lived in fear of falling. After the net was installed no one lost their life on the project and efficiency on the job increased by 25%. Having that safety-net under them gave the workers confidence and made them more efficient! This morning we are going to examine God’s safety-net.
In December of 2019 the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China. In less than 3 months, the coronavirus, the virus causing COVID-19 was recognized as a Global Pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization. As of today, March 22, there are 317,312 confirmed cases worldwide, including 26,909 confirmed in the US; the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is in full swing. COVID-19 is an acronym that stands for COronaVIrus Disease of 2019. It is a form of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus, a virus first identified in 2003 and it is causing worldwide panic. This morning I want to look at another acronym, COVID: Confidence Over Viral Infectious Disease! We are going to look at the truth of God’s Word that can help us to be more confident and efficient.
The circumstances surrounding our text this morning are nothing new. The Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome, where previously Timothy had been with Him. Paul had been released but had returned some years later and was again censured and imprisoned. This time Timothy was in Ephesus, so Paul wrote for him to come. All of his friends had abandoned him except Luke, and it seems he needed those he could rely on in a time of trial. This is the last epistle the Apostle Paul wrote. He was expecting to soon be put to death (4:6-8). Since it was written just before Paul’s martyrdom, it’s important, and should be regarded as the dying counsel of an important apostle. Every word has weight and there is a sense of last-minute importance of matters nearest Paul’s heart.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
(8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, (10) but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (11) for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. (12) For this reason, I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. (13) Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
(14) Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. (2 Timothy 1:7-14)
Paul understood that we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we DO KNOW Who holds tomorrow! For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. We don’t have to worry, fret and fear instead we can be confident by
I. Resting in God’s Power (7-10) (8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. We know that God is in control! He is sovereign. This virus did not catch Him by surprise. He is not on His throne, wringing His hands and wondering what to do next. He is not insensitive, ignorant OR incapable of action! The word “sovereign” is both a noun and verb. As a verb it means, “to rule,” and as a noun it means “king” or “absolute ruler.” To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times. One definition is this: “He ordains whatever comes to pass.” In a nutshell, God’s sovereignty means that He is absolutely free to do as He pleases and to demonstrate His absolute control over the actions of the entirety of His creation. He permits, for reasons known only to Himself, people to act contrary to His revealed will, but He never allows them to act against His sovereign will. Consider these verses:
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Pr 19:21
“Who can speak, and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” (Lamentations 3:37)
“You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:15)
Job said, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” (42:2)
“Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.” (Psalm 115:3)
By the same token it is important to remember that we live in a fallen, broken world. To say that God caused this is ridiculous. Deadly disease, even death, is a result of the fallen world we live in. It is a result of our world’s brokenness, but that doesn’t mean that God is not in control. Paul was abandoned and imprisoned as a result of the actions of sinful men, yet he understood that God was still in control.
A. God’s Power to Save (8-9)
Look at verses 8-9, according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. The ultimate killer virus is sin and we are ALL infected. Romans 5:12 says, “…just as through one-man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
Yet God sent His Son into the world to redeem and save us. The prophet Isaiah said, “For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22) Jesus said in John 12:47, "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
We can have confidence because of His power to save!
B. God’s Power to Surmount (10)
Paul continues, (10) but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Through Christ we can overcome the greatest futility of all; physical death! Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world." Christ provides confidence that brings peace, not fear. That’s what He meant in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:4 echoes, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.” We have confidence because we can trust His grave defying power!
II. Resting in God’s Provision (11-13)
(11) for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. (12) For this reason, I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. There are at least 3 things that gave Paul this uncanny confidence. Previously, in 1 Timothy 1:5, Paul had written, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
A. Love – Love is the hallmark of Christianity. We learned from 1 John 4:16-21 on Wednesday nights that God’s love is:
1. Pervasive (12-16)
a. Proves God Exists (12)
b. Confirms Our Relationship (13)
c. Infiltrates Darkness (14)
d. Promotes Unity (15)
e. Confirms and Builds Faith (16)
2. Perfected (17-19)
a. Faith (17)
b. Fearlessness (18)
c. Fruitfulness (19)
3. Proof of Love (20-21)
a. Comprehend the truth (20)
b. Capitulate to the Savior (21)
c. Continue by faith (Galatians 3:1-5)
Listen to verse 18 of 1 John 4, (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
B. Good Conscience – This speaks to a moral consciousness. We might say a “clear conscience”; the ability to experience peace and rest knowing your actions and motives were pure. Many times, we are disquieted by guilt over our actions or motives. Paul said having a good conscience leads to peace and peace conquers fear.
C. Faith – In 2 Timothy 1:5 he writes, “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you…” Paul had faith in the Sovereign Savior, and it gave him confidence, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. That’s faith! Paul wrote to the Romans, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8:38-39) With Christ, we are more than conquerors! (37) That doesn’t mean we are unaffected by COVID; it means COVID can throw its worst at us and we will STILL COME OUT ON TOP! He is Sovereign and He still reigns; He’s still in control! Love, Good Conscience, Faith, and finally
D. The Word (13) – (13) Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
The Word of God can bring you confidence. It reveals the futility of sin, the fulness of salvation, and the faithfulness of the Savior! The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 36, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. (Psalms 36:7-9 ESV)
We can gain confidence by resting in God’s power, resting God’s provision, and finally,
III. Resting in God’s Presence (14)
(14) Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. His presence in your life will give you the kind of confidence Paul spoke of. His presence is the key factor to overcoming fear and doubt. Jesus said this Holy Spirit “is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (John 14:17). He lives in the heart of every believer and He is the catalyst for comfort, confidence, and conquering! Hebrews 13:6 promises, “…so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"” We need to realize His presence in our lives. When you realize who your Helper is, you are on the way to overcoming fear. There has been a lot of talk about shortages, yet the One who can help you is able, available, and anxious to help you and He is as close as the mention of His name! I don’t know what you’re going to face tomorrow. I don’t know what I am going to face this afternoon, but I DO know we can boldly say, “The Lord is my helper.”
In closing, here are some action steps for gaining confidence:
1. Evaluate your fear
– Is it based on truth or fiction?
– Is it something you can do anything about?
In his book, Scared to Life, Douglas Rumford cites a study that shows why we shouldn’t let fear rule our lives: 60% of our fears are totally unfounded; 20% are already behind us; 10% are so petty they don’t make any real difference; 5% are real, but we can’t do anything about them, and only 5% are real, and we can do something about them. Evaluate your fear.
2. Economize your fear There is an old adage, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.
– Don’t allow a headache to become a tumor.
– Don’t allow a careless comment from a friend to become a vicious attack.
– Don’t allow things to spin out of control!
3. Evict your fear
– Fill your mind with thoughts of good things. In his closing remarks to the Philippians, Paul wrote, Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything, worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
– Captivate your thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
4. Eliminate your fear
– Attack them head-on.
– Keep your focus on Jesus.
– Call out to Him to deliver you.
Conclusion
Like Paul, we are facing uncharted territory as a nation, as a community and as a church. The fear mongers are broadcasting 24/7, and I don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be, but I DO KNOW this:
A. Jesus is my Perfect Helper
1. He Helps Us with Our Burdens. 1 Peter 5:6-7, “…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, (7) casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
2. He Helps Us with Our Battles. Romans 8:35-37, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." (37) But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
3. He Helps Us with Our Bewilderment; He clears the fog! He is the Light of the world and He illuminates the darkness. He reveals the things that go bump in the night for what they truly are, powerless threats; nothing to fear!
B. Jesus is my Past Helper (Psalm 63:7) “For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.”
C. Jesus is my Present Helper (Psalm 46:1) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
D. Jesus is my Precious Helper (Isaiah 41:10) “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
