What God is doing through Covid-19
Category: Faith & Trusting God
Key Passage: Genesis 2
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024
It’s a little different with our PA. There’s a sound that goes through the Internet, and then there’s a sound that comes in here in the auditorium, and sometimes are totally different, and right now we’re trying to adjust mainly for the online, the Internet. That’s where most people are, but some of us are here, and it’s not quite as effective. Sometime here with us adjusting the PA, but I thank God for what we have and just doing the best we can with what we got.
And turn your Bible as if you would to Genesis chapter number two. Genesis chapter number two. I praise the Lord, my family serving the Lord in the ways that God’s called them to be and to serve. What a blessing that is. But Genesis chapter number two.
And I want us to focus on, I believe God wants us to focus on this subject: What is God wanting to do in your life through COVID-19? And I want you kind of put out of your mind all the world, if you will. And I know there’s so many different things there in newscasts and beliefs. And I’m not trying to get into all that this morning.
But what is God trying to do in your life? I want you to think about you. I don’t even want you to think about your children or your spouse or I want you to think about your life. What is God trying to do in your life? I do believe God is wanting to bring a lot of good out of this.
I understand Satan has his agenda also. It’s always the case. Satan was trying to destroy Job, but the Lord was trying to purge Job. There’s always that battle. It’s so amazing. Often, God allows us to have the control of the reins, if you will. And so many things God allows in our life. Yes, Satan’s trying to destroy us, but God’s trying to use that.
And I believe that, of course, is going on right now. But what is the Lord trying to do in your life through COVID-19? Of course, I believe, and if you did not get to listen, I would encourage you to listen. I believe it was two Sundays ago when we preached on COVID-19, the next chapter of prophecy. I believe it has brought us much closer to the Lord coming back. I believe that.
But I just want to talk to you individually this morning. What is God trying to do in your life through COVID-19? We’re going to be over in Genesis chapter number two. I’ve struggled, and I’m being honest, I’ve really struggled on how to bring this kind of down to me and you and what God would want. So you pray that God would use it in your life. That’s what we’re after.
But we’re going to start over here in Genesis chapter number two. We’re going to start verse number seven. And would you stand if you’re able to, wherever you’re at, wherever you are if you can, just as we read God’s word. Ms. Barb was telling me she’s going to try to get Brother Larry in the hospital there tuned in where he can watch. And so you can’t always stand, understand that, but wherever you are if you can, that’d be great. By the way, Brother Lambish, if you’re there, we love you. We’re praying for you.
Genesis chapter 2, verse number 7. The Bible says, “And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
Look now in verse number 15, if you would, verse number 15. “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” He gave him a purpose, if you will. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.” Skip verse number 17.
Look at verse number 18. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Brother Anthony was trying to put an emphasis on it’s not good for man to be alone. Mr. Gator is not even in here for him to score points with that one, though. I’ll tell you what.
But jump down verse number 21, verse number 21. “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”
You’ve heard our… A lot of our young men, several years ago, we were joking a lot about they were looking for the prime rib, you know, when a man finds a wife, you know, who so findeth a wife, findeth a good thing. And they were looking for the prime rib. And then it says, you know, later on, Adam called her woman. Someone said, Adam was sitting there. God brought the first, of course, Eve, the first woman. And where’d that name woman come from? And he looked up and never saw a woman before. He said, “Whoa, man.” That’s where the name came from right there, you know.
So, but let’s finish out a couple more verses here. And verse number 23, “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” I believe we’ll cover verse 23 through verse 25 much more tonight on that right there.
But would you pray wherever you are, ask the Lord to do work in your heart. And I know wherever you are is probably a little tougher to tune in. But this is the only Sunday morning we’ll have. And this is where God has us meeting like this. So let’s don’t miss it. God’s got something for you. We need it. And you pray and ask the Lord to speak to your heart. Would you do so as we get started this morning?
Father Lord, we’re so needy. We’re needy people. I am, Lord. It seemed like you work in my heart the next day. I need it all over again. So, Lord, our people, they’re scattered all over and they sure need something. We all do. We need something from you today. Lord, so this morning help us not miss it. Lord, you put this on my heart this week, Lord, and I don’t know how to preach it. Lord, I just pray that you would touch your heart through it and give us what we need. Grow us through it. Lord, I do pray that we come out on the other side of this thing, more established, closer to you, and more focused on that. And, Lord, we’ll thank you for what you do. We’ll praise you for it. And Father, we ask for this in faith because of Jesus. It’s His name we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing wherever you are. You may be seated. I borrow this from a couple messages ago, a month ago. But a man wrote in to a preacher. The preacher had been on the radio. This is what he wrote in. He said, “I heard you on the radio, so I thought you might be able to help me with a dilemma. I’m sure you’re familiar with the song ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.’ That line could be the theme of my life. It’s a strange feeling since I have, by all standards, achieved everything that most people work their entire life for. Success as an investment banker has given me multiple homes, nice cars, and all the kind of perks and luxuries you would expect. I’m married to a great woman. I have two young kids that I adore. And I enjoy good health. And all this came in a much earlier age than I figured it would take. And yet, I’m just not happy. Not as happy as I think I should be. To be honest, I’m often restless. I’m often bored. I’m often very unsatisfied with my life. Sometimes at night I feel hollow and empty. I keep thinking there’s got to be more to life than this. What do you think I should do?”
A friend, here’s my point. God, God formed us. And I say us, I’m speaking of Adam, and I’m putting mankind there. The first relationship we ever had was with God.
Did you notice, did you notice, and I won’t read the whole verses, but did you notice the relationship between God and man? Very beginning of it all, mankind. Verse number seven, the Lord God formed. Verse number 14, God planted a garden. Isn’t that interesting? God took the time to plant a garden. And there he put the man. God said, “Let me make a beautiful garden. I’ll make this garden and I’ll put you in it.” God made that garden for man.
Verse number 15, “And put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” He gave man a purpose, a calling. Verse number 16, “And the Lord God commanded the man.” You realize, man needs a God that can command and that can speak to them through his word and can tell them what to do and whatnot. Man needs that. We’re created, we’re designed for these needs: to have a relationship, a fellowship, to know God. But we were created with that.
Verse number 18, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” God, God did that. It’s God’s opinion. It’s not good. God said, “Let me, let me go ahead and make you an help meet, uniquely made for you.” God did all these things. God, God saw man. He said, “Let me help you out. You need something else.” And he created a woman. It’s all God did these. It’s the relationship between God and man. Verse number 22, “made he a woman and brought her unto the man.”
And I’m simply saying, you are uniquely created to have fellowship and have a relationship with God. That’s why we often say there’s a God-sized hole in your heart that nothing else can fill, only God, because you are created, you are designed to have fellowship, a relationship with God. And if you don’t have that, friend, nothing else at all in the world will fill that void up.
And you’re made, you’re made to have this. From the very get-go, mankind had this relationship with God: their creator, their designer. The one that gave them a place to live, planted a garden and put him in there, one that gave them a purpose, one that said, “Hey, it’s not good for you to be alone. You need a fellowship,” and created a woman. That’s God and man. And when you don’t have that relationship, friend, you’re going to feel empty. You can have—and I’m for marriage, we’re going to preach a lot about the home tonight—but you can have all that. But, friend, you can have the best marriage in the world if you could. But if you don’t have a relationship with God, you’re going to be empty.
And by the way, you may be putting something on your spouse or responsibility on your spouse. They can never handle it because God’s the only one that can give you that. You’re requiring them to be perfect, and there’s no perfect spouse, and you cannot expect them to fulfill what only God can.
You notice from the very get-go of this relationship. Look over in Revelation chapter number four. Many of you know the verse, but we’re going from Genesis all the way to the last book of the Bible, Revelation 4. It’s very interesting in the beginning, the very first thing, this relationship. And then over here in the last book of the Bible, he tells us why we were created.
Revelation 4, verse number 11. By the way, some sing this song, beautiful song, beautiful song. One day we’re going to have somebody sing it in the church. Wonderful song. Revelation 4, look in verse number 11. Revelation 4 verse number 11: “For thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.” Watch you. Here it is. “For thou hast created all things.”
That’s you and I. We’re included in that, friend. “For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” You were created for God’s pleasure. And see, when I get out of that role that God may be to fulfill, I’m not satisfied. I’m just empty. The man described it so well, “I feel hollow sometimes at night time.” Why? Because the only one that can give you what you’re looking for—the only one—it’s not going to be a certain car, it’s not going to be a house, it’s not going to be a certain spouse, man or woman or child; it’s just going to be God. God’s the only one that can get that to you.
We spend our life, our life trying to climb that ladder and get into a certain position. And I’m not against that if the Lord’s leading in that. But, friend, that will not take the place of the Lord. It will not. Now, here’s the thing. It seems like God in some way is allowing some of those distractions to be taken away. We can’t have the fellowship that we want, and sometimes we need. Not against fellowship. But God’s kind of taken that away. Please some besides your family. Some of this, all working and material things, God’s taking some of that away.
It seems that maybe God’s trying to say, “Hey, let me separate you a little bit from the world because I want to deal with you as an individual.” I mean, it’s amazing how things have changed.
It’s been a wonderful thing a couple weeks ago when this all started. I had a good man in our church, a good man, just one of our recent members, and I love them, great people. And he called and he said, “Hey, Pastor,” he said, “you think maybe God’s trying to get people’s attention?” “Oh, yes, sir.” He said, “Man, he said, I’m not only my wife’s on this Facebook thing.” And he said, “We’ve been on there. And he said, it just seems like everybody’s talking about God now.” And he said, “Somebody on there, they played this song, ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’” He said, “Pastor, I’m telling you, man, God did a work in my heart when I watched on this Facebook, this song, ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’” I had the privilege of telling this story behind the song. It’s a wonderful story. But I’m saying, maybe God’s kind of stirring, trying to get us to get back to the basics.
Never forget my old coach in high school, my basketball coach, a good coach, but hey, he would drill it in us: Fundamentals win ball games. You can have all this fancy, you know, here and there and honor. Well, that’s not going to—you’ve got to have the basics of fundamentals. He’d be screaming, yelling about defense and boxing out and following your shot and all the fundamentals, and he’s right. Maybe God’s trying to get us back to the basics.
God made man. And that relationship is the first. It’s the primary. It’s the most important. You can have all the others, but if you don’t have that one there, you’re just not going to be fulfilled. Or maybe temporarily. That car will satisfy you for a while, but not too long.
Maybe—maybe God’s just trying to—someone else just this week, man, he said, “Pastor,” he said, “I don’t know.” He didn’t come to church, per se, but he said, “Hey,” he said, “it seems like God’s trying to get a lot of people’s attention.” He said this: “He’s got mine now.” I praise the Lord.
Maybe John’s just trying to say, “Hey, let’s get back to the basics.” When I created you, it was me and you, and we had something special, if you will. And that’s the beginning when God would come and walk in the cool of the day with mankind. And it’s not my choosing that it’d be like this. The world just seemed like it’s changed. And everything’s out of whack, if you will, and out of sorts of what. But maybe God’s allowing that to get you close to him. Maybe God’s saying, “Let me weed out some things so I can talk directly with you.” All these things in between us—you know, we’re good. And I’m talking about we, me too. We’re good at bringing clutter into our life. Now, look, if you don’t agree with me, go to your closet. If that doesn’t do the job, go to your garage. If that doesn’t do it, go to your shed or sheds. And I pretty much got it all three. I mean, it just hit me. You know, I mean, go move. You know, when you move and you say, “Where did we get all this junk from?” And then you always say, “I’ll never move again in my life.” But, of course, a couple years down the road, you’re moving again. And you say, “Where’d all this junk come from again?” You know, that’s just—we bring clutter. I’m the same way.
And maybe God’s trying to say, “Let me get some clutter out where we can get back to the basics a little bit, me and you.” I think this may be the biggest reason in America, at least, that we don’t have fellowship with the Lord. I’m talking to Christians here, because we’re just too busy. I believe it was D.L. Moody who said, “If you’re too busy for the Lord, then you’re just too busy.” And maybe God’s saying, “Hey, let me slow things down a little bit.”
You know, we don’t have much of front porches anymore. Brother Calcar, he’s been good at pointing this out, really. He’s the one that got me thinking this way. He used to be in the day, had all these front porches and swings from the front porch and chairs, and they got used. I remember as a teenager going to my Granny Lee’s house—we called her—and it just seemed like I’d go over there, and everything slowed down when I went to Granny Lee’s. And she’d have those rocking chairs on the front porch, and we’d go out there on the front porch and just rock and watch the cars pass by, talk, and, you know, honestly, listen to the dogs bark and she had a little farm with other animals, whatnot. And maybe as a teenager sometimes I was bored to death thinking, “What in the world are we going to do?” But I look back and I’m glad I have that in my life. It added dimension to my life. I kind of was able to learn to slow down and build relationships and fellowship. And maybe God’s just saying, “Hey, I’m going to slow the world down a little bit because we’re getting away from the basic, just not having much fellowship with mankind that I formed.” And I gave them a job. I gave them some way to fulfill. And I built a garden for them. And I’m the one that brought fellowship with a fellow mankind, a woman, into their life. And maybe God’s just saying, “We need to get back to the basics.” Fundamentals win ball games, I believe that.
You know, sometimes when I’m involved in big projects, you know, you get so many tools going. Brother Anthony, we’re like to this one here. He was working on his house. In fact, he mentioned this not too long ago. If I’m not careful, I’ll spend more of my time looking for that tool. “I know I had it. Where’d I leave it? Is it in that room? Is it here, there?” Y’all know? Where’d it go? And I’ll spend half my time looking for that wrench for that screw job. Where’d it go? Where’s it at? Johnny McKin is back there talking, you know, where’s that now going out? You know. And we just, we spend all our time looking. And God may be saying, “Let me take all that away. I want you to look up here at me.”
Why don’t you get focused on me? Can I say this: Christendom, if we’re not careful, we have so many tools. We’re so—we can become very tool-oriented, if you will. “We’re not going to do this, we don’t do this.” But some, “Well, we’ve got to have a worship band.” Or even sometimes, “We’re not going to do that, we don’t do that.” But some will get them, “I’ve got to have my certain Sunday school class this certain way or my curriculum.” And we get so focused on all the tools. Maybe the Lord is saying, “Hey, how about let’s get back to the day where me and you talked about your ministry, and you’re depending on me to do the work. And you got along with me, and we talked it all over.”
A little over a year ago, I had my nose job done. I had no surgery. And most of you know, but I’d had my nose broke three times. I shouldn’t have picked fights with those big guys. I’d tell you why: I lose every time. But two times basketball, one when I was in my 20s and then one later on. And then one time in surgery, and just things weren’t right. And so they went in there and, you know, they got things straightened down and opened up. And they did a lot in there. They rasped it. I remember reading one part that said, “We rasped bone.” And I thought, “That just doesn’t sound good right there,” you know.
And I came out of surgery, and y’all thought that I had black eyes from the surgeries. Actually, we were spending so much time together, me and my wife, and she couldn’t be hitting the notes when she hit me in the eyes. That’s why I had the black eyes there, you know. But here’s the thing for telling all that. So for about a week and a half after surgery, I just stayed at home, really, just, if you will, doing nothing.
And can I say this? It was so good for me. I mean, I had about a week, maybe a week and a half, and it was—it was painful and all that? Yeah, but I had medicine. But I look back, that was an enjoyable time because I could stop everything. And I remember how I was able to relax, and my mind frame even changed a little bit. And I was able to disengage from life. And praise the Lord, had a wonderful wife there with, being with family and church family, you know, as much as we could, but a little bit just being in the Lord. And I cherish that. That was a wonderful time.
And maybe God is—by the way, friend, if he can give you that without no surgery, that’d be a bonus right there, amen. But maybe God is trying to get you alone and get you disengaged. And maybe he’s just saying, “Hey, I want some more me and you time.”
Now listen to me, listen to me. God wants fellowship with you. You say, “Me? I’m so messed up. I’ve veered from following his will for my life.” Yes, God wants fellowship with you. He wants to be close to you. He created you to have fellowship with you. Salvation—yes, it’s to keep you from going to hell. Yes, it’s that. But it’s so he can be close to you for all eternity: fellowship and closeness.
Now, let me add another thought in here. Okay, once this is all over, we go back to normality, whatever it is. Maybe you have gotten closer. Maybe it has been good for you. But let me ask you, when you go back to normal, what will your life be like then? Have we grown any from it? Have we learned? Ever think about this? I wonder, maybe God cannot bless me anymore because it will allow too much clutter in my life and I’m not keeping this primary relationship.
Just think about them. Let’s just take a couple of different areas. Maybe God gave you a more productive ministry with your children—moms, dads, I’m talking about where you have more of an influence, and I’m all for all that, we’ll preach about it tonight—but maybe if God gave, maybe all your attention would be on your kids instead of on the Lord. Maybe if God were to bless your Sunday school class or your bus route or your ministry or whatever it may be, I’m for all these things, I’m for them, or your Bible study at work, or whatever, and maybe if God were to give you more influence in his kingdom for good and right, but maybe, maybe you would get so focused on that, but you don’t have much of that. Do we have enough desire for God and for our relationship with Him that God can bless us? Or those things become maybe a distraction? Let me ask you, why should God give you more blessings if those blessings are going to keep you from him?
And friend, maybe God’s saying, “I want your undivided attention, at least sometimes.”
It’s interesting. Look over in Exodus, the book of Exodus, Exodus 24, if you would please, and this is the Lord where he’s speaking to Moses. And he’s calling Moses up to Mount Sinai, and he’s giving him the law, the Ten Commandments and so. And it’s very interesting, just a couple words in this verse, just amazing how God puts it in his word. I’m amazed at the word of God. Every word in it’s important. And I want you to see how he words this in his word. Exodus 24, look at verse number 12, if you would please. Exodus 24, verse number 12. It’s interesting. Watch every word of this thing. Here it is: Exodus 24, verse number 12. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there.” Time out for just a second. If he comes up into the mount, he’s going to be there. So why did the Lord, why did the Lord emphasize? Let’s read it again. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and the law, and the commandments which I have written, that thou mayest teach them.”
It’s what I believe God is saying: “Moses, you’ve got all the people on your mind, your heart, you’re busy, you’ve got so much to do. But when you get up on the mountain, I want you to be there.”
And here’s the sad thing for me sometimes. I say, “Oh, I’m going to go to my prayer closet, get along with the Lord.” And I’m not there. My mind is caught up on so many different things. And I’m so pulled. And so many times, even during my prayer times, Lord, I’m so sorry, I’m contemplating things instead of praying about things. I’m so sorry, Lord, my—I was praying to you and I just drifted off and went somewhere else. How would you feel if someone—maybe your spouse, someone you’re close to—and every time you talk to them, they’re always drifting off here and they’re yonder? Now, God’s very gracious, he really is. He’s so loving, mercy endureth forever. But can I say this? God wants your undivided attention from time to time.
Here’s the shame. Sometimes we’re just not willing to even leave our cell phone out of the prayer closet. Hey, if God is telling Moses, “Moses, won’t you come up to the mount and be there?” I just think God wants us alone with him sometimes. Jesus, in the morning, rising up a great while before day, went out into a solitary place, went out and departed into a solitary place. Mark 1:35. God wants you alone with him.
You ever see—who knows, we think they’re married, you know—at the restaurant, they’re having a date night? Here’s the thing: If they’re not married, they’re set beside each other. If they’re married, they’re sitting, you know, away from—I’m joking there, hopefully that’s not true. But here’s the thing: They’re there at the restaurant, and they’re talking, and they’re on their cell phones, and they’re just kind of not tuned into each other. And you want to go over there and grab their cell phones and say, “Hey, talk to each other, focus on each other,” because you want them to have a good relationship. And maybe God’s saying, “I want you to stay focused on me.”
Maybe during this—our lives are changed. Maybe it’s time we put some guardrails in life. You know, on the roads nowadays, so often on the interstates, whatnot, they got these little ridges they cut out in the road so when you veer off a little bit, it makes a noise, rumbling in your tires. And you say, “Oh, man, I’m drifting off,” you know, and you get back on the road. Maybe we need to do something in our life.
I asked one of our people this week, because of this message, I’m just trying to figure out how God wanted to present it: “What’s the biggest help in your life with your walk with God? What helps you?” And I wasn’t trying to find out what helps you more than anything in your walk with the Lord. And I was very—it was very interesting. They said, “I’m not the most spiritual reason, but that’s what they said.” They said, “Reading my Bible through every year. They said that thing just kind of keeps me going. I got to get in there.” That may be a little different for you. I’m not saying this, but just implementing things in your life—guardrails.
I remember a young man I was in Bible college with. He was a young man, James Scott’s his name. He grew up in a children’s home in Florida, but a good man. And man, he just had a heart for God, dedicated to the Lord. And he had said this. He said, “I’m not going to meet with anybody in the morning until I meet with God.” And that’s a good thing. If you could do it, there’s been times in my life when my schedule was different. I could not have my time alone with God until later on in the day. But it’s best for me if I can have it in the morning. If I can truly meet with God before someone else keeps my mind from wandering. Can I admit? Can I confess here a little bit? If the devil can get me to look on my cell phone before my prayer time, he’ll get me distracted.
Man, we watched this man, and he had said that several times in our dorm room, and then one morning he slept in. He worked second shift like a lot of us guys, and we thought, “Well, we’ll see. We’ll see if he really meant what he said.” Because he slept in, and he’s not going to have his time alone with God before class time, so let’s see which one gives. It’s been—I mean, I’m only 30 years old, so that’s the only—let’s see here, you know. And I’m lying in church. But anyway, all those years, and I still remember, he skipped a class. Now, I’m not for skipping. Hey, young people, don’t go tell your parents, “You know, Pastor said skipping classes,” you know. We’re good to—that’s what Pastor said, you know. But he did. He skipped a class, and he went and had his time alone with God before he met with anybody else. He’s been pastoring a church in Kansas for, oh, I would say 20-something years. Maybe he was able to establish that basic fundamental: “I’m going to have a relationship with God, and I’m going to be so close to him that maybe he can handle God blessing his ministry and being a pastor and being pulled and all that, the schedule. And God knows he’s going to keep what’s very important where it ought to be.”
Maybe now is the time for you to implement some guardrails, some guidelines.
A great preacher years gone by. He was African American. His dad was a slave before the Civil War. He was supposed to be born free. His mom was free, but he ended up being a slave as a young man and treated like that, worked like that. Yet he became a preacher. And his first church he pastored was in Cape May, New Jersey. It’s where my wife is from. It’s a good place. And just a small church, but God blessed that little church. He had a fruitful ministry. He was in several different places. And finally, he felt led to go to Philadelphia. Philadelphia was the second largest city in the United States at that time. And people would say, “Hey, look, you can do it over there. A little small country church, but you can’t do it to a big city. Don’t go over there. It’s going to mess you up.”
And yet he went there. And eventually he became the pastor of a church that he was previously a janitor at. He said when he took the church, he had about 130 members. And he grew to 300, 600, 1,200, 3,000. Some reports said he had a congregation of 10,000. People were just amazed. And they came to Mr. Tenney—Charles Tenney’s his name—“What’s your secret?” He’d say, “All I have to do is make sure there’s nothing between us. When God brings anything up, I’ve got to get that thing right right away.”
A friend, you notice he had learned the basics, the fundamentals of me and God. He had gotten it so strongly that God had blessed and used him greatly, but he never left that. In fact, he’s the man that God used to pen the song, “Nothing Between My Soul and the Savior.” So that his blessed faith may be saying, “Nothing preventing the least of His favor. Keep the way clear, let nothing between. Nothing between like worldly pleasure, habits of life, though harmless they seem, must not my heart from Him ever be severed. He is my all.” There’s nothing between. He’d gotten it. He’d realized, “Hey, the first thing, God’s the one before me. He ought to be able to command me. He ought to be able to put me somewhere. He’s the one of all my blessings. He’s the one that made me. My blessings are from him.”
If God blesses and to go so far here, I cannot forget my roots, if you will. Man, the Lord God’s hand is moving. I don’t understand it all. I wouldn’t try to act like I do. I’m sure he has got ten million things he’s trying to do, and I’m sure Satan’s working; he’s working also, no doubt about it. But no doubt about it, God’s allowed a whole lot to happen.
If somebody told me a year or two ago they’re going to close all the sports down, I said, “No, they closed down a lot. They’re not going to close it. We’re sports-crazy people. That’s not going to happen.” It’s happened. If somebody were to tell me that in two weeks, 10 million people in the United States alone would file for unemployment—10 million in two weeks—I said, “We’re kind of doing pretty good. I don’t think so.” Somebody who has said, “All the entertainment is going to be closed down.” Now they can still stream movies, but it’s going to close. Friends, friend, I’m saying, our world has been in some ways turned upside down. Maybe it’s the Lord you personally saying, “I want to get back to the basics.” I want to go back to when, maybe when you got saved, you were like that: just you and God. Everything was wonderful because you’re so close to him.
Maybe God says they’ve got so much clutter. I’ve said it so often. I’ve said it so often. I believe Satan learned a little lesson in a bad way in Job’s life. He took everything from Job, and Job said, “No, no, I’m not going to curse God. Look, he can try me, but I’m going to come forth as gold.” Maybe old Satan said, “I tell you what, let me try to reverse that over there at Church of Leo to see.” He gave them everything on their backsliding. Maybe we’ve just got so much, and the Lord said, “Let me clear all that clutter out. Let me get rid of some of the tools. Let me slow you down a little bit. Let’s get back to the basics.” Hey, how am I going to respond when it’s all over? Where am I going to be at? Have I grown in you from it all?
Can I just say this? Friend, you’re not going to know him. You’re not going to have this relationship as you ought. You’re not going to have much relationship at all beyond him being your creator if you’re not saved. You see, before you’re saved, you can know about God, and you can learn a lot of facts. You can learn a lot about him, what he is and what he isn’t, but you don’t know him. See, there’s a difference in knowing about someone but knowing them. By the way, if you’re not saved, Matthew 7:23, we talked about it last week, but if you’re not saved, he says, “I never knew you.” And you’re not going to enjoy that. The man that wrote that letter, the first thing he needed, he needed to get saved.
And, friend, if you’re there and you’re not saved, you don’t—it never came at time when you realize, “I can’t save myself. I’m lost. I’m a sinner. I need to get saved through Jesus Christ.” Friend, that’s the problem of the man in Matthew 7. He was depending on all his works. No, that’s what Jesus said: “I never knew you.” Maybe you’re there and you say, “You know, I admit it. I’m a sinner and I’m not saved. Never been a time of my life when I was saved.” Jesus called it being born again. And friend, there’s a process when a lady’s expecting, that child is developing and so on and so on. Well, there comes a point when that child is born, and there ought to be a time when you’re born again, you’re saved.
Friend, you’re not going to enjoy that basic fundamental relationship, fellowship with God, unless you’re saved. If you’re there, you’ve never been saved, right now you can do—he’d be thrilled to save you. You can start this fellowship as far as him being your Savior, him being your God, your Dad, your Father, and you can be his child. If you’re there, you don’t have that right now where you’re at, would you bow your head?
Right there yet, wherever you may be, and just right there, in the secret of your heart, would you call on him? It may be these words, but you may word it differently, but this is the truth of it: “Dear Lord, I admit it. I’m a sinner. I understand my sin has separated me and you, that would mean hell for all eternity. But oh Lord, would you pay my sin debt? Jesus, would you be my personal Savior? I want you to save me, take away my sin. I want to be back close to God through you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.”
Friend, if you just asked Jesus to be your Savior, you just called on him. Right at the bottom of the screen there, would you just click that? “I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior.” We’d be thrilled. We want to send you a Bible for free. We want to send you a book that’ll help you so much. Would you do that? We rejoice with you in that.
You say, “Preacher, I’m already saved. Are you walking with God like you ought?” That great prophet, through the leading of God, he said, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Are you walking with Him? Enoch walked with God, and was not. Have you drifted some from this fundamental, primary thing, just being close to God? How close are you to Him?
“Preacher, God spoke to my heart about that, and I believe he’s trying to work through all this, and I want to respond right. And God spoke to my heart about being close to him.” That’s you right there, you at with our heads bowed and eyes closed, right there. Would you do that? Just kind of get along right there with the Lord right there, and you just make an altar wherever you are. You said, “Preacher, God’s doing a work in my heart, and I’ve got a desire—I think it’s from the Lord—and I want to be close to him, and I want to stay close to him where he would have the opportunity to bless and maybe add some things in my life, but I won’t lose sight of him.” God spoke to my heart about that. “I want to get back,” or maybe you say, “I’m going to put some things in my life, or I’m going to determine I’m going to keep that fundamental basic thing being close to the Lord.” God spoke to my heart about that. If that’s you right there, wherever you are, would you slip your hand? Wherever you are, would you slip your hand? “I want to keep that. I want to get back to it. I want to stay firm. It’s a fundamental thing.” God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Me too.
It’s a continual thing we must work at. I have to work at it for him. Now, it’s an ongoing thing. You’ll get close, and things in life will pull away. And it’s about to cut some strings to get back close. Would you stay in that good fight? Would you stay in that struggle to be close? He’s a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.
Now I want to get back to this saying of just having sweet closeness and fellowship with God, my Lord. Would you pray? Would you make an altar wherever you are? I’m going to have a word of prayer. The sins are done praying. Our pianist or organ will play. Would you just spend some time? Would you draw nigh unto him and say, “Oh, I won’t be close to you again? I’m going to stay close to you no matter what.”
Lord, thank you for this time now. Help me to learn and grow and keep this basic fundamental thing of being close to you. Would you do that, Lord? Thank you for your love. Lord, would you get across the truth that you love these people, that you love us, and you want to be close to us? Lord, would you put your fingers on individual things in their lives, our lives, how we can keep this saying priority always, no matter what’s going on, wherever we are? We’ve got this fundamental thing of our closeness to you. Bless our people during this invitation, and Lord, I pray, would you meet with them in a special way in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Would you wherever you are spend the time with the Lord?
Amen. I hope all week long, all week long, you focus on this. I want to keep that fundamental thing there. We hear so much bad about things right now and whatnot. I want to try to focus on the good of it. God’s trying to do something. He’s working. He’s moving. And we don’t want to miss the move of God. I watched a video this week, actually yesterday afternoon, along this line, from a pastor. Many of you know him. I trust him as a good, godly man, a man of God, been living for the Lord for years and years. He used his old King James Bible. In fact, Brother Warren, a man in our church years ago, was in his church. And when Brother Warren was young also, and Clarence Sexton used to pick up his kids and take him to school every day and whatnot. And I know him. I say, they say, I know him. So I want you to know that. But I thought this might touch you. And I hope it gets us all a little bit more into what God’s trying to do in my life. And even more, maybe even nationally, but it starts with individuals. And so I’m going to do a little different today. We’re going to watch a video very quickly. Then as soon as that’s over, we’ll have a dismissal prayer. Would you just hang right? It’s almost five. It’s just shy of five minutes long. And I wish our quality is a little better. We’re working at that. But I want you just to pay attention to maybe just let God speak to it: What does God try to do in my life and in our country through this thing here? And we’ll watch this video at this time. Maybe we get—can we get somebody get the lights over here and I’ll get these lights here and we’ll play this thing.
There was a great revival in the Hebrides in the early 1900s. It began to move, moved up to the pleading for it into the 40s. Maybe we could say it topped out in the early 50s.
Two old women, one was 84 years old and one was 82 years old. One was blind and one was humped over so badly with the spine she was just arched over. But they had passion for revival. They wanted God to work. This is what happened. They couldn’t even get out to the church to pray. They couldn’t even get out to the church to worship. Their house became a place to meet. People came in. They got so passionate about revival coming to their isle, the Isle of Lewis. They got so passionate about it. They confronted the preacher and wanted to know if he was thoroughly right with God.
And they prayed and prayed and prayed. And they’d seen the Lord, they said, with the church filled up, and God blessing, the great overflow, and the fire of God struck that tiny little obscure place off the coast of Scotland. And when it happened…
There was a young teenage boy that got saved in it. His name was Donald. And the preacher became so dependent upon Donald and so close to Donald, he would ask him to lead in public prayers and help him with the meetings. And he did. Oh, how God worked. People began to hear about it, and the revival fire spread. It spread. God blessed in a great way. Those two old women, the people—people don’t want in their church anymore.
And from that same island, there was a young girl who was a cousin to Donald Smith who immigrated to America. Her name was Mary Ann Smith MacLeod. She came to America in 1936. She met a man named Fred, and they were married. They fell in love. They were married. God blessed in a great way. And those old women were her aunts, and they came out of that fiery revival, that fiery revival. They really experienced revival.
And they sent a Bible, a copy of the Word of God that had been used in a special way in that revival, to Mary Ann. She started having children. I think it was 1937. She had her first child. They named him after his father, Fred. Then she had her second child named after herself, Mary Ann. Then she had her third child, Elizabeth. Then she had her fourth child, and she was so impacted by this teenage boy God had used in that revival of the Hebrides, she named him Donald. And she gave him that Bible, that Hebrides revival Bible. He was born in 1946. He is now the 45th President of the United States. And that revival Bible is in the Oval Office.
I’m saying to you, I don’t know how, why, I don’t know how it all comes together. But I believe God is putting some things together to give us just a window, just a window, if he could find some open people who know what the window is for. Can this be the time the window is open? Providentially, God has prepared the moment, and we will become the people of prayer, pleading with God. This is a plea: “Will thou not revive us again?” Will you be a part of that? Will you?
Would you pray, and we’ll be dismissed at this point. You need to pray. Lord, we know, Lord, you have a purpose in all these things happening. Lord, help us not to miss it. Father, I pray that we as individuals, Lord, as a nation, we don’t want to miss it, Lord. Father, we know it starts with individuals, churches, and people. Lord, I pray that our church would not miss what you’re trying to do in our lives. Lord, I pray that our nation would not. Lord, as individuals, help us not miss it. Father, would you put these truths and these thoughts in the minds and hearts of our people wherever they are? Lord, help us all week long to be seeking what you’re trying to do in our lives. Lord, we’ll thank you for what you do. Father, we ask for this in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Original File: What is God trying to do in your life through Covid-19 - Pastor Paul