Is He Worth the Risk?

Welcome to God, committed to encouraging you to put God while viewing life through the window in the Bible now are other one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let's join Wayne see Thomas for today's message greetings in the name of our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My name is Brian Thomas and as always it is a joy and honor and a privilege to join you on the God first program this week. I have asked my lovely wife to join me as we are going to talk about the pandemic that we are currently going through in the way churches are responding as far as opening for services. So I want to ask the question, is he worth the risk he be it. Of course, our Lord, our God, God the father, God the son God the Holy Spirit. And as we think about this pandemic is a lot of things have been based on risk and we take risk. Every day we go out we decide is it safe to drive on the roads on a nice sunny day you say okay is worth the risk to go out to the grocery store or to go to work wherever maybe when it's I storm you say is not worth the risk.

So surreal to look at is it worth the risk. And when we look at how churches are responding to this pandemic. So let's begin by talking about guidelines there guidelines out there by government officials by medical experts. They have these recommendations. So what do you say as far as how churches are to respond to these guidelines or recommendations I think is about using godly wisdom and discernment. I think that a lot of churches are saying will the government recommends that you know we close and things like that but at the same time there are a lot of places here at this at this point, Neff said things are open, such as grocery stores, bars, different malls and stores like that department stores in South we think about that. We have to say okay I want to be smart about it, but just like people can go to Lowe's and or the Home Depot or something like that to shop for things I know should be able to open the doors of the church and be able to have people come in and be able to worship, being careful, you know where you mask if you want to make masks mandatory where you mask social distance. Let the those who are most vulnerable. Know that they are not required to be at church and you know if they feel and say you know you can make it so that is up to that person to decide if they want to come and serve and worship the Lord and just set your guidelines as far as safety goes, the washing hands you know wait and have 6 feet 'tween each other and those types things and where you mask so those things can be done within your church if they can do it in a store. It can be done within your church and so to clarify, you are not telling people to not wear a mask if people feel like they should wear a mask. You are recommending that they wear a mask like today when were two or three nothing I think about because these are guidelines and recommendations with his Cova 19 been to do something new lost of came out and you know the experts, the medical experts they were making educated guesses right if you remember back about a year ago from today. They were actually saying. Do not wear a mask. There were there were no need to wear a mask… Anthony felt he was and as we've gone from don't wear a mask to now to mask his relies on more say it so the point is, though these are recommendations and so are we required to follow them is about using common sense.

Okay, let's put it that way when you have the Holy Spirit when you have the Holy Spirit, God gives you discernment godly wisdom. And if you don't feel like you have it you could ask for it and gives generously right right so using godly wisdom and discernment and you just being careful. I mean, you can follow the guidelines. I think that you look to the Lord for what you need to do and if the know if your state or stork city or whatever makes recommendations and there just you know where you mask and things like that and you can follow them for the sake of just being safe, but it does not say if someone because they are different people have different health reasons why they may not be able to wear a mask and so I would say you know people need to use their good judgment that I feel like churches can open and steal.

Follow those recommendations. They are called recommendations, and if you feel like in your church that you need to go if a church leader says we need to wear masks and social distance and have sanitizer available to every body. Don't touch the offer and try you can set forth the requirements of the guidelines within your church ends and still do what's best for your your congregation. I think the key is that these are recommendations so the church should not say we are required to follow these things these recommendations as common sense things. But everybody must again make a decision on what they feel is best based on their own personal health and their situation and so some will cite Romans chapter 13 verse one by saying the church should be subject to governing authority. So how do we look at Romans chapter 13 verse one.

In light of the pandemic link that I think some people kind of take that in Canada twisted to how they would like it to be a how it would how they can apply it but governing authorities were put there to punish those who do bad. They are helping to establish law in order and to help people continue no operate under law and order and so that's what I look at when I look at Romans 13 verse one and I say okay. The police tells us that we cannot speed down the road because is an issue with that.

That's the law that is been established and you need to follow that law and so they are doing that to keep people from causing terrible accidents they have done research and I know that we can't have these types of speeds on this road.

So I follow it if I be if I decide to be disobedient and break that law then I'm the bad person and they can take care that that person and so in this situation, though with COBIT 19 that making recommendations but we also is not just.

I also think about the Constitution and the freedoms that we have you know as far as I religious freedoms and then is almost like when they talk about separation of church and state, which is not in the Constitution but is just is that God is the is to help us to not have to. I don't say not operate under the government, but the government cannot come into our church and tell us how we should worship and so they are actually honoring the fact that we have God first, if they're not allowed to come into the church and tell us how to worship and and things like that. So even they are recognizing that we need to put God first.

When we are looking at how we need to worship and praise in and conduct things within our church. But I'm going off in the rabbit hole. But anyway, in Romans 13 I think people are taking it and using it to justify their being closed but I do know that in a lot of states, churches are exempt churches are allowed to be open, so what would be the reason for keeping them closed and so a lot of states did go and say okay we can't tell you to close your church, but these are recommendations and you also have to look at what's going on in your community.

They've given guidelines for other entities within the community and note their open and so you can still be respectful of authority, but if you're not doing anything wrong by opening your church, why not open right because Romans chapter 13 verse one when when God ordained governments. The purpose is to restrain evil that is the primary purpose of government is right restrain evil and when I think about that people say will be in submission to governing authorities will in the Babylonian kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar was the governing authority right right and he said bow down before this golden image. But did they submit to that know because it did not line with with God's will and in the future. The antichrist is coming, the Antichrist is going to be the governing authority and he's going to issue a law which is unless you take his mark, then you will not be able to buy or sell. But the Bible tells us in doing so you will end up in eternal damnation. You were given your allegiance to him.

So is not a blanket statement that we are to submit to everything that the governing authority say so.

So we have to use common sense and I've been and might not think about it in saying whatever they say concerning churches basically say no you cannot open church because the pandemic we are not just supposed to automatically go with that right you you question things that are outside of of God in a sense, so you know if your church if they settled make allowance say you have to recognize same-sex marriage are you going to start doing that in your church. Knowing that that that is outside of God's law. I'm in God's way. You don't do that.

There are certain things that we as Christians have to put before government we do have to put God before government and I think that the way things are going now with the ungodly things are happening rampantly throughout our world that the touch the Christians are being silenced and if you will allow the you know these different guidelines to silence your church by I know people say well I'm online I watch church online, but there is a difference when you watch church online versus being in your church and serving in getting out into your community and they are kind of put a cap on that when they say okay shut your doors and so they're not recommend you of your state or whatever is not out is not saying you know you need to shut your doors even if they do say that you need to question that and fight for your right to have your doors open because God is first above government and he is essential. Man, I agree 100% and we're going to continue to talk about the topic of UC worth the risk. We come back from the other side of the great speaking of how churches should approach opening overweight God first listening to Brian only got more wine God.org library. There you will find articles downloads one very salvation.

Marriage is just the also signed up for our monthly newsletter and God back to the golfers program, joined by my wife and we are talking UC worth the risk. We are looking at it in light of the pandemic is our Lord God the father, God the son God the spirit worth the risk of going to church in light of the COBIT 19 pandemic if you would like to listen to this message in its entirety. You can visit us@god1.org you can also write to us that God first Bible Fellowship, PO Box 266 might deal, NC 27545 or I do need a so the question again is UC worth the risk.

We know there is a risk with this pandemic. There is a risk with so many things in life and we have to have to ask a question though is going to church worth the risk is is God worth the risk. And there are some out there that will say will you hold a church service. Now, in light of COBIT. 19 you are not loving your neighbor as you love yourself, Mark chapter 12 verse 31 speaks about so what is your response. I would say that I primary. As Christians, primarily we are supposed to passionately seek Jesus Christ and proclaim him, and desire to be with him and desire to know to grow with him and grow within him and and I think that when you say I'm not loving I'm not loving my neighbor because I'm I'm at church. I think that after Inc. is to make somebody feel guilty in a sense and say I'm not going to go because I want to make anybody sick or something like that. But everything is in God's control. What he wants for you is to be faithful and I think that when you say you not loving your neighbor will I probably say I love my neighbor so much in my community so much that I'm going to continue to feed on the word of God and proclaim the word of God and go and share that with my my neighbors not just online but I'm going to be there for them physically and I think that when you say my churches close you actually like your cutting off access in a sense, because there are people who need fellowship. They need community and I think I set us up so that we you know it's in our hearts to desire to be with other people and to serve them and to to love them in that way, but I think that you could also say I'll give people the option if you feel like you have a underlying condition. You don't feel comfortable, you know were not going to judge you or anything like that. You're welcome to to not comment you know but I would say you encourage people if you're able.

If you feel comfortable to come to church and so that we can continue to go about God's business. I think that just trying to do things online. It is actually a limitation to that I agree and I am info so for the listening you rescue question is he worth the risk. If you haven't been able to already.

We definitely say he is worth the risk.

Because we have been in church for two months now almost, almost a year and in a church in which you talk about a thousand members and we've only had a couple of cases of positive COBIT 19 to so we been going in spite of it, and we haven't had any major outbreaks or not any outbreaks in a lot of churches the same thing.

And as you were talking, I know there people out there on the other side of the argument they will say will things that are essential like going to the grocery store. You gotta have food right physical food, but we say spiritual food is essential. Church is essential and I think it sends a very bad message to the world when the church decides where just want to stay close because, well, you know there government officials, as is nonessential but we need the fellowship manager said there's a reason why God said in his word to feel not to assemble yes and I think to with the spiritual food. God also says don't worry about what you going to eat you know don't worry about these things because if you're putting God first, he's going to give you everything that you need to go day to day and I think that it almost. It minimizes God's power you're minimizing what you see is God's power.

When you say I'm just going to close like a normal carnal way of thinking where you're putting the natural before God and his power. My faith is in believing things that are unseen of that unseen you have to trust that God is going to take care you're not going to go in there and be crazy and and you know getting up in people's faces and know they like that, you can still go in and worship with care, but you can be in there with your your the people you love and your neighbors and and still do things with it with Karen in an order but you are able to go and worship because God wants us to be able to find us faithful.

Being faithful means also that you are trusting him and that you are putting his word and his abilities above those of man and on. There are some some people who are giving guidelines who really think themselves so wise that had they don't feel like they feel like they can be the only guiding source of everything regarding COBIT.

19.

But we can meet. We can use godly wisdom and discernment and take care and still worship our God putting our faith in him and he will protect he is our protector. He's our source, and I feel like he gives us wisdom to understand what is okay and what is not and I do feel like God has the power and up to me of where the same people who are called by his name, who says God can heal cancer. God can heal. Diabetes you know God can do all these different things God protects me when I drive on the highway, God, you know he protect my family. He's the same God who can protect you and keep you as you go about especially worshiping him, you know it mean if you're able to go about your day and go to your job. Thank you Lord for your job. You know for the job. But if you can go about get go get gas and put gas in your car go to the store and get your food. You know those types of things go to the post office go to the laundromat or whatever you need to do if you go about your day, you can definitely put God first and go and say I'm going to give you my time. Oh Lord, I'm going to come and worship you because I have faith you mean. If you do that for him. He will cover you and keep you, but he does have a plan and we are to respect his plan, you know, if someone does get coveted we respect God's plan. God has a plan right yeah and we just folks we do we so use common sense. Even prior to code. If I had a cold. If I woke up in the morning and I'm sneezing and coughing are going to church and all over people. I am going to use common sense and say I'm going to sit out today because I don't want to get someone else sick. If it was just a head cold or the flu with a strep throat, but I wouldn't call and say we got shut down the whole church can't have service today because I'm sick so we're saying to use the same common sense in light of COBIT.

If you have some symptoms stay home if you are high risk. Maybe you have a pre-existing condition that makes you very vulnerable then use common sense were not saying to to go out to church but were saying as a church body as a whole.

We need to open because we need that time with God, and there are actual cases out there which there are some church leaders that are encouraging people to get the vaccine before they return to church so what would you say to that helper I just say it's up to me is really up to that person to decide and I think everyone should pray and ask God is this what you want for me.

I personally feel like I don't know enough about this vaccine and they don't have all the information there hasn't been any long-term studies on it or anything like that and I just say that you know you say trust God and you know, pray and ask God about it.

But if God is saying no you notice on your heart to say I don't I don't feel comfortable getting it, then you should have that you have that right.

I personally feel like when you are saying that you recommend that as a leader to get a vaccine before you return the charger, putting more faith in that vaccine you are into God. Nothing that sends a bad message all right. The last thing I want to talk about is there are churches that in light of COBIT 19 different part of their reopening plan to have restrictions like new singing window in the state of California.

The government actually the governor said that people did not seem to church with some church leaders are saying no singing, no choirs there. Even limiting the length of the service so how do you feel about putting those counter restrictions around the worship service. Honestly, I just file is another way out this latest Satan wants us to not church. He does not want us to come together and assemble and grow in Christ and become even bolder and stronger in the Lord because that makes his battle harder and I think that when you say don't saying and things like that.

Pray God inhabits. He inhabits our praise.

He comes in and sits with us and dies with us when we praise him and so to say don't saying I that's I just that I can't get with that when I'm sorry and I damage you can social distance, people can wear their masks. That's the purpose of having the mask on. Also, if you have enough distance to where people can saying safely. Why not, why not allow them to to seeing you as I don't under I don't quite understand that. And as far as the lit time limit. People really love for the time limit on church that you know is that again for three hours and enjoy yourself.

But you can't sit in. You know, worship the Lord and listen to the word of God for more than an hour because sports arenas are opening up right now for basketball games and football games you talk about 23 hours or more than three hours and there there all the time but yet there are churches that are saying all we can be of service that long and I you look at these things you look at how the world is just carrying on and doing what they would like to do and they are churches that are close and I what I kinda wonder if God sits there and he wonders why people folding why are my people, not fighting, and have this passion to get back together to worship me. These are things that I feel like if the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit should be nudging on you saying I got. I have got to get to church. I have got to go in and be with my people and stand there with them in this fight.

We are where we are Christ's ambassadors.

We are supposed to be the watchmen where that were supposedly setting the example for the world and yet the world is going on and doing all their things that they would like to do that had nothing to do with God but yet the things that we have that require that have to do with God where just sitting on our hands can't do that and I don't think God is pleased with that.

I think he would say if you don't fight for anything else. Don't worry about five Walmart open you or your church, your church to be open and having the right to worship and praise him because I am your source I provide everything for you. I I am the breath of life.

I give life. I take life away so I would say you know first and you fight for him and you have that passion and if you feel like you just don't have it. Pray for you because of you when I hear about putting the time restriction on it. I do. I cringe because I can't put I can't put a box around God, I can't put a box around the Holy Spirit. When Holy Spirit wants to move. Just think about this. Maybe what you been praying for seeking deliverance for the Holy Spirit may say at the one hour, five minute mark. I'm going to give you that deliverance.

But if you say will church as a unit one hour, then your opportunity for deliverance was, it was missed because you put a time limit on the Holy Spirit. So I do not believe in putting the time limit on the Holy Spirit. Like you said if I can go out and go to work.

That's the interesting thing about it we can put in 40 hours a week on a job yet people complain even prior to the pandemic people complained of a church service. Last more than two hours. What Mrs. does that seem to God that he's not worse more time than that we should be willing to give more time to God into our jobs because it is he who blessed us with the job and I think about two times.

It is coming, in which there is going to be great persecution during the tribulation already on the earth. There are people who were losing their lives for the sake of the gospel and I asked myself the question, people that now are going to stay away from church. All because of the pandemic in which over 99% chance of surviving. What are they going to do when that time comes I don't see them standing for outdoor so folks that that is where we are. We asked the question you see worth risking his work is worth every single risk even if the mortality rate was even worse than what it is we will still see worth the risk.

Because he's our Lord and we must be eternally minded you know if we go in view COBIT 19 we God will we ever going to be with Jesus Christ just gold. Anyway, so in light of that, folks, we want to thank you for tuning in with us this week. I will Lord God is deftly worth the risk to please if you are in a church that is not yet open we want to encourage you to do so after you have trust in our Almighty Lord please come back next week. Until then, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem blessed God's remission of Israel. The only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ, forever. You can blame God for Ryan and I first was protected under our copyright is available@ourwebsite.org until next time great nation of Israel first