I believe there are five key lessons God is teaching us right now. I put together this presentation for our student ministry. What follows is a summary of the five lessons.
First, as the video above illustrates, God is reminding us of who He is. When we see God in the light of His glory – only then do we begin to see ourselves clearly. God is God. We are not. He has infinite power, perfect wisdom and is defined by unblemished love and justice. We are weak, ignorant and thoroughly stained by selfishness and sin. The fact that a microscopic organism can bring modern civilization to a grinding halt should humble us, reminding us how very weak we are. But God is not limited. He remains in control. He is simply reminding us that we are not in control and is inviting us to trust Him more fully. Because He is God. He is good. He is in control.
Job requested and received a face to face encounter with the living God. He was never the same after that event – after realizing that God is God and even he – the most righteous person alive back then – was not.
The Lord said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
3 Then Job answered the Lord:4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm: 7 “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 8 Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
Job 40:1-8, NIV
We learn our second lesson from Romans 9, where Paul refers to Jacob (the Father of the twelve tribes of Israel) and Pharaoh (the leader of Egypt). Did God choose to bless Jacob because Jacob was so wonderful and amazing? No. It was before Jacob was born or had done a single thing that God chose him. In fact, the Old Testament stories of Jacob make it clear that Jacob was a pretty terrible person.
Conversely, did God bring judgment on Pharaoh because he was that much worse than Jacob and his twelve sons? No. We all stand before God equally guilty of sin. No one stands higher than any other. Jacob was no better than Pharaoh and Pharaoh was no worse than Jacob. Both deserved judgment. Neither deserved God’s favor. That is our second principle: we all deserve hell; anything else is mercy.
As the Creator, God has the right to destroy everything and everyone. It is only because of His mercy that He has chosen to save any of us. And it is a remarkable sign of His grace that He has chosen to save so many and to let history continue on for so long!
The account of Noah and the flood gives us a vivid picture of the judgment the whole world deserves and the salvation that God has provided. Jesus made it clear that a flood of judgment was coming. The wise person could be saved from that flood by believing in Jesus’ teachings and demonstrating that faith through obedience (Matt. 6:24-25). Further, Jesus said the last days (which started when Jesus arrived) would be just like the days of Noah.
God is reminding us that doctors and politicians cannot save us. Social distancing can only delay and reduce the infection rate. Even if the virus does not get you, something else will one day. Only Jesus can save you. He is the only hope for this life and for eternity. As people look for hope, let’s be sure we consistently find ways to point them to Jesus – for He is the only hope!
Our fourth lesson relates to expectations. Check out this visual contrasting the expectations of the boomers with Gen Y. Read the full article on rainbows and unicorns here.
Young people today have wildly unrealistic expectations. God is trying to correct that by reminding us that, as sinners, we all deserve death (Rom. 6:23) and hell (Eph. 2:3). Anything other than immediate extermination is a sign of God’s mercy upon us. But Christians should know better anyway. We shouldn’t just lower our expectations to be more like our grandparents, we should adjust them away from the American Dream and the Disney delusions of “follow your heart,” and “unleash your inner super hero.”
The way of Jesus is the way of the cross. He did not say, “Hop on your couch and check out my YouTube channel.” He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9:24-25).
Jesus set us an example of humble dependence on the Father leading Him to service and sacrifice. He told us to follow in His steps – to do as He did. The way of Jesus is the downward path. It is the path of John the Baptist who said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). The world entices us to find our happiness and fulfillment in the here and now. Jesus warns that in gaining the world you forfeit your soul. The only way to save your soul is to give your life to Jesus – to surrender it completely. Why would we expect a life of surrender and sacrifice to be comfortable?
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Christians should expect increasing opposition and persecution. That is what happened to Jesus. It is what happened to all of the Apostles. In fact, it is how true prophets have always been treated. And Jesus said, as history builds toward its grand finale, it will get worse before it gets better. Read Matthew 24.
This world is on the path to total destruction. Just as in Noah’s day the whole earth was covered in water, so on the Last Day the whole earth will be destroyed with fire. The book of Revelation presents the escalating judgment of God as the seven seals are opened, destroying one quarter of the planet. Then the seven trumpets are sounded, destroying one third of the earth. Finally, seven bowls of God’s wrath are poured out, consuming everything – 100% of the earth consumed.
We are feeling the twinges of early birth pains. As a pregnancy reaches full term it becomes impossible to determine false labor from true. But when active labor kicks in it becomes apparent that delivery is imminent. Jesus told us to keep watch because the signs would be clear when the Day was finally at hand. It may still be years or decades away. The timing doesn’t matter. The point is that we should expect increasing deception, opposition, persecution and eventually execution.
But thankfully, that is not the end of the story. Here is our fifth lesson:
Christians are not promised health and wealth and comfort in this life. “Anyone who tells you different is selling something” (Sweet Westley). But we are promised joy that will last forever – to the point that we should be able to say, “This light and momentary affliction is achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17).
We follow the path of Jesus – through the cross to resurrection and eternal glory. Our story does not end with death any more than Jesus’ did. History, too, is following this path. This broken world, groaning under sin, will be set free from its “bondage to decay” when Jesus comes back and remakes everything. The Day is coming when all things will be new.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Revelation 21:3-5
Until then, we need to pay attention. We need to listen to what God is saying to us. As C.S. Lewis said, “He whispers in our pleasure but He shouts in our pain.” God is shouting to the whole world right now, trying to get our attention. In fact, the gospel is advancing to the ends of the earth at an accelerating pace. (Watch that video below). Are we listening to what God is teaching us today?
