How Should we Live as Christians? - The Church Must Be and Do

Well, if you would take your Bible, then turn with me to Acts chapter 3. Now, earlier in our scripture reading, we were in Acts, or excuse me, Matthew, I can't get it right, Hebrews chapter 10. I went everywhere, did I not? Hebrews chapter 10. Now, I left us last week with Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 and 25. We will come back to that passage or those verses later in the message. But this morning we're going to start in Acts 3. We're going to look at quite a few places in the book of Acts. I'll get you to read a few. I'll mention a few. And as always, I ask you to just take good notes.

If I reference a scripture, maybe you jot that down and go back and study on your own. Now, I'll go ahead and let you know this is a difficult message. And what I mean by that is it's a lot of information. Now, we're not going to be extra long this morning, but I'm briefly, quickly going to look at quite a bit of information. And I do challenge you to go back and read some of these scriptures on your own. It's really not fair, to be honest with you. I've been studying all this for two or three weeks. And now you get to get it all in one load this morning.

Now, last week we addressed what I see is a very serious problem in the life of our church. This is something that Brother Keith and I have been talking about. I've been talking about much of this with you. And I have other minister friends been saying some of the same things about life in their churches. But our circumstances that have been brought on by the coronavirus pandemic have truly eaten away, eaten away and pulled out much of the fellowship within our church. In our quick study last week of the birth of the church there in Acts chapter 2, we saw that miraculous work when Peter was preaching.

About 3,000 Jews were there at Pentecost and they believed in Jesus. They were born of God. We see that type of activity in John 1 verse 12 to 13. And we examine how these Jews supernaturally were compelled to identify with the fellowship of the believers right there with that small little church in Jerusalem. Now think about it, instantly, supernaturally and organically. And what I mean by organically, this was not something that man planned. They devoted themselves to that partnership of the believers there in Jerusalem. Their hearts were welded together.

Their hearts and their lives were welded together for God's purposes right there in that fellowship of the believers. And the natural outflow, I like that, a natural outflow of that union was their devotion to the church and really all that the church should do. And we see that outlined in Acts 2 verses 42 to 47. But for us, this pandemic social distancing, this isolation has really pulled a lot of our fellowship out of our church and out of our lives. Fellowship, soon and around, small group Bible studies with our adults. We miss that, do we not? Fellowship over meals and over the wonderful act of worship when we celebrate the Lord's Supper.

And you know, I've thought about it like this many times. There's great fellowship that is involved with many of our important ministries. Ministries like Vacation Bible School and some of the things we do with our teenagers. That involves lots of church fellowship, does it not? Now all throughout the New Testament, we see the manifestation of this fellowship. Now what I mean by manifestation, as the church grows and matures, we see the fellowship exemplified and manifested in many different ways. One example is spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul teaches that all who truly believe in Christ have been given at least one spiritual gift.

And we see a brief explanation of this reality and the purpose of the gifts in chapter 12, 1 Corinthians 12 verses 4 to 7. Let me read these verses for you. Listen close. Paul says, "Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same spirit." Let me pause there. Notice the diversity and then the unity. "Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same spirit." Verse 5, "And there are a variety of service, but the same Lord." See the diversity and the unity?

"And there are a variety of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone." And notice what verse 7 says, "To each," that's each believer, "is given the manifestation of the spirit." That's the spirit and the spiritual gifts for the common good. For the common good. That's the fellowship. Now notice how this applies. Spiritual gifts are given to each believer for the common good of the church. That's the fellowship. And these gifts cannot be exercised, nor can they be a blessing to others when we are spiritually distancing, when we are isolated from one another.

Now this morning we're still seeking to answer the question, "How should we live in these days?" We are still dealing with that broad big question, "What is happening in America?" And we are asking how we should live in the days that are before us. That's the serious title, is it not? What is happening in our land and how should we live as Christians? But this morning I want to show you that the church, our church, this church, and many other churches face another serious problem. And this problem before us is broader than the fellowship problem that we addressed last week.

This problem pertains to the outside pressures exerted on the church that pushes and possibly forces the church not to me. Let me state that again. This problem that we're facing, it pertains to outside pressures that are exerted on the church that pushes and possibly forces the church not to me. I think about all that's going on in California. If you keep up with what's happening in California, you know that California, the governor, those who are in government office and authority have been inflicted to church with some very restrictive laws, have they not?

And I'm very thankful that John MacArthur has stepped up to challenge that intrusion by government authority. And if you look at what's taking place there, state authority is literally trying to regulate when and if and how the church can meet. That's gone on in Nevada, in Michigan, in many of these big cities. And I'm very, very thankful in Mississippi that our governor Tate Reeves has not pushed, he has not forced the church not to meet. He's been very careful in how he deals with the church, and I'm very thankful.

And what I'm trying to show you is there are all types of pressures that are exerted on the church, and many are pushing the church not to meet. And it's different for us, and it's different for others in different places. But we must notice, we must notice what we are facing today. And we have questions, and we have uncertainty, and we have fears, and you know some even have panic, and it's associated with the coronavirus pandemic, and it's pushing the church not to gather together.

And again, in certain states and regions, the government, state government, and even people in federal positions are pushing and even trying to force the church not to meet. And if they do meet, they want to severely restrict them. So the question must be asked. How should individual Christians and the church respond? How should we respond to these pressures, and even government telling the church not to meet? Now, all along throughout the series, I have said that we have many loud voices telling us how we should respond to these things, and you know some of these loud voices can come in our minds and hearts.

Some of them can come from our opinions. We must address this serious problem from the Scriptures. And surprisingly for some, yes, surprisingly for some of you, God's Word is sufficient to tell us what to do as a church even in a global pandemic. Now, this morning we'll go back to the early chapters of the book of Acts, like I said earlier, starting in Acts 3. Now, this is not the birth of the New Testament church, but we're going to start with the church in its infancy. Starting in Acts 3 and all the way through the book, we see the church facing all types of opposition.

The church is facing all types of crises, internal and external problems, and one thing that is always hounding the church, it is real persecution. And there were real pressures, real pressures not to do what the church was supposed to do on many levels. And it starts in Acts 3 and goes all the way through the book. Now, if we pay attention, if we study and we pay attention starting in verse 3, we see a series of crises which come at the church. And I use the word crises purposely. Webster defines crises or crisis as this. Take note. A turning point for better or worse. A decisive moment.

And that is just what we have in the life of the New Testament church starting in Acts 3. Several crises, one right after another, they come up and they were turning points for the church. Each individual crisis was a decisive moment for the church, and we need to see how the church reacted to each crisis. So we're going to examine a couple of these crises in the life of the church. Really, there's a lot to learn here, and it is a lot more relevant than you know. So the first crisis, we see that starting in Acts 3. Really, it goes on over into Acts 4 as well. But the first crisis for the church is seen right here in these two chapters.

Now, here is when a well-known beggar, now what I mean by well-known is he was well-known to all of those there in this great event. And he was there at the temple, and this involves Peter and John. Now, Peter and John immediately became the leaders of that apostolic man, the Jerusalem church. But in chapter 3, verses 1 to 10, we see Peter and John, and they interact with the layman there at the temple. And God heals the man through Peter starting in verse 11. Peter uses this great miracle as an opportunity to preach Jesus as the Messiah to the great crowds that were there before him.

And as we will see later in chapter 4, many of those who heard Peter believed they did. But let's look at Acts 3, verses 1 to 13. Now, Peter and John, they were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer. I stated last week that the early church had not broken away from the temple yet. It had come later in the growth of the church. And a man laying from birth was being carried whom they lay daily at the temple of the gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate to ask alms or to beg of those coming into the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

Peter directed his gaze at him and he said, asked at John, and he said, "Look at us." He placed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have, I give you." In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and raising him up and immediately his feet and his ankles were made strong and leaping up. See the lame man leaping up, he stood and he began to walk and he entered the temple with him, walking and leaping and praising God. And all of the people saw him walking and praising God.

And they recognized him as the one who sat at the gate called beautiful. There in the temple asking or begging for alms and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened. Now, I've already explained, Peter uses this great event to preach the gospel. But look at what Peter preached. Look at what he did with those crowds that were listening. First, Peter preached Christ as the promised Messiah. Look at verse 11 on down to verse 13. "When he," this is the lame man, "when he clung to Peter and John, all of the people were utterly astounded." See they were amazed and ran together to them there at the portico called Solomon's.

This was Solomon's porch. "When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, men of Israel." Why do you wonder at this? Or why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we have made this man walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers glorified his son Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate when he decided to release him. What does he do? Immediately he preached Christ as the promised Messiah of God. And then he preached their guilt in the crucifixion. We see that in verse 14.

"But you denied the holy and righteous one, and you asked for a murderer," that was Barabbas, "to be granted to you. You kill the author of life." And then he preached the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. "You kill the author of life," verse 15, "whom God raised from the dead." And then Peter called on them to repent and turn to Christ. What does he say starting in verse 17? And now brothers, what is he saying? They are fellow Jews. I know that you acted in ignorance. And he goes on, and in verse 19, "Repent therefore and turn your back on your sins that they may be blotted out." So he called on them to repent and trust in Christ.

Then notice what happens as the story continues to unfold. Starting in chapter 4, starting in verse 1, Peter and John were arrested by the religious leaders. They were interrogated by the high priest and the other Jewish leaders there. Peter and John used this opportunity of the miracle and their arrest to do what? To again proclaim Christ as the promised Messiah. Look at chapter 4, verses 1 to 3. "And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the temple guard, there in the Sadducees they came upon them, greatly annoyed." Verse 3, "They arrested them." And what does it say? "But many who heard, they believed." In verse 4.

But we need to take note of what God has done. Look at verse 4 again. "But many of those who heard, those were the ones who heard there on Solomon's porch. Many of those heard and they believed, and it came about 5,000." So what do we see? Great evangelistic success. And then Peter and John were interrogated by the religious leaders. They saw Peter and John's boldness. They recognized that they had been with Jesus. But the religious leaders struggled to oppose them because what? There's the lame man standing right there, healed. But look at the reaction of the Jewish leadership.

"They commanded Peter and John not to teach, not to speak in Jesus' name." Look at verse 15 in chapter 4. I know this is a lot of scripture. "But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred." And then we see they had that meeting. But then what does it say? Verse 18, "So they called them and charged them not to speak, not to teach at all in the name of Jesus." So notice the crisis. I know I've zoomed through a lot. Peter and John had gone to the temple at the hour of prayer. But instead of a prayer meeting, notice God had something else planned.

God healed a well-known man, a well-known lame man right there in front of the crowd of the Jews. And what did Peter do? Peter stepped forward. He preached Christ as the promised Messiah of God. And chapter 4, verse 4 says that many believe and the church grew to about 5,000. But they were arrested. And notice the very ones, the very Jewish leaders who coerced the Romans to kill Jesus, they commanded them not to speak, not to teach in the name of Jesus. So this was a major, major crisis. Tell me if Webster's definition doesn't fit. A crisis is a turning point for better or worse, a decisive moment. So a question, what did they do?

Peter and John, as they were there before the Jewish leaders, that council, what did they do? What did they do as a whole? Actually, if we study the rest of the story, we see that they did a lot. Now, I'm going to be very quick here through chapter 4. But if we study chapter 4, we'll see eight essential things, eight essential things that we need to take note of here. Number one, they challenge the Jewish leaders in that command. What does verse 19 say? That Peter and John said, "For it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge." What did they do? They challenged those Jewish leaders.

They considered their threats and determined to fear God, not man. Verse 20 tells us, they worshiped God in the face of the threats. We see that in verse 23 to 26. They trusted in God's sovereignty. In all of these circumstances, we see that verse 27 to 28. They asked for more boldness in the face of the threats. Look at verse 29. "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness." And then number six, they never stopped meeting as a church. We see that in verse 32 to 37. And then the last two, they never changed their message and they never stopped evangelizing.

Verse 33 says, "And with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to what? The resurrection of Jesus." So notice their reaction. Notice John and Peter and the church, their reaction to this first crisis, and it was a major crisis. Again, this was a turning point, for better or worse. This was a decisive moment. For the entire church, there was a risk, a risk of imprisonment, a risk of death. But this church stepped up and boldly obeyed God and not man. It was God's will that they meet. It was God's will that they worship. It was God's will that they pray. It was God's will that they give.

And it was God's will that they continue to preach and trust in God. They never stopped doing what the church was to do. I won't read these verses, but I want to point something out to you. If you look at Acts 4 verses 32 to 37, it is extremely similar to what we see in Acts 2 verses 42 to 47. I mean, the church is gathering and they are doing these essential things in the life of the church. But notice the two key verses of this entire crisis. I read one of them earlier. Look at chapter 4 verse 19 and 20. "But Peter and John answered them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.

For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and what we have heard.' For the Jerusalem church, it was imperative to obey God rather than man. The Jewish leaders, they were commanding them to disobey what God had commanded them to do." Now, an application, I want you to hold on to two things. They had to be what God called them to be, and they had to do what God called them to do. I'd like you to write that down, the word "be" and "do." Isn't that what we see? In the midst of this first crisis, they stepped up and they had to be what God called them to be, and they had to do what God had called them to do.

But the second crisis, this one's a little shorter, we see the second crisis in Acts chapter 5 starting in verse 12. It goes on to the end of the chapter. Now, here is when all of the apostles, all of the apostles were arrested, but all were miraculously freed from jail. But you know, before we can get into this external crisis, it's important to see what takes place at the beginning of chapter 5. Some of you know they had their first internal crisis. You know the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They lied to the Holy Spirit. They lied to God. They lied to the church. And oh, they died right there in the church, did they not?

This was a great purifying work in the life of the church, and we see that at the beginning of the chapter. But if you look starting in verse 12 on down to verse 16, we see the church at Jerusalem was breaking out with great success. The apostles were performing many signs and many wonders. The church was experiencing great unity. And it says that the community, that would be the lost, they held them in high regard. And many, many were coming to faith in Christ. And the church was growing, growing greatly. Look at verse 14 of chapter 4. And more than ever, more than ever, believers were added to the Lord multitudes, both men and women.

You see the great success? But right there when they were on the mountaintop, another crisis. Another crisis begins to unfold starting in verse 17. I won't read all these verses. The apostles were arrested starting in verse 17. Then the apostles were freed. Look at verse 19 with me. "But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, 'Go, go stand at the temple and speak to the people all of the words of life.' And when they heard this, this is the apostles, they entered the temple and at daybreak and they began to teach.

So they were arrested, the apostles were freed, the apostles were commanded by who? An angel of God. He said, 'Go back and preach.' And the apostles were obedient. But take note of what happens next. The high priest found the apostles right back in the temple. I mean they searched for them there in the prison, but they were not there. And they found them right back teaching the people. So they re-arrested the apostles starting in verse 26. Notice their reaction. The Jewish leaders again had commanded the apostles not to teach. Isn't that what we see in verse 28?

Saying, 'We strictly charged you.' What are they saying? 'We've re-arrested you and we already charged you not to teach in this name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.' But notice this crisis, the second crisis. The apostles have been arrested and commanded not to teach in Jesus name. There was this miraculous release from an angel from heaven, and they were sent right back to teaching the name of Jesus. Again they were arrested, again they were confronted by the Jewish authorities, and this is a very serious time. Look at the risk for the church folks. Look at the risk.

If the apostles were kept in prison, if the apostles were killed, the entire leadership of the church at Jerusalem would have been wiped out. But what did they do? These apostles, including Peter and John as their leaders, what did the churches a whole do in this crisis? Again there are some essentials, but four here. They challenged the Jewish leaders in their command. Doesn't that sound familiar? They confronted the Jewish leaders with their sin. Doesn't that sound familiar?

They preached Christ crucified, Christ risen, and Christ exalted back to the right hand of the Father in verses 30 and 31, and they preached repentance for forgiveness of sin. Doesn't that sound familiar? But that's not the end of things. The Jewish council, the religious leaders were so enraged they wanted to kill them. Again this was serious. The apostles, if they would have been killed, the entire leadership structure of the Jerusalem church, it would have been wiped out. But it seems that one man, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, stepped up and he changed the course of the council. So notice their reaction to this second crisis, a major crisis.

Again I'm leaning on Webster's definition. This was a turning point for better or worse. This was a very serious, decisive moment. I know I've not read many of the verses, but look at verse 41. "Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer honor in the name of Jesus. And every day in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that Jesus is the Christ." So what do we see? They rejoiced. They rejoiced into suffering. They continued to meet and worship. They continued to preach. And they trusted Christ. They trusted God.

They never stopped doing what the church did. And they never stopped doing and being even in the face of arrest and even if death was right around the corner. There's one key verse in this crisis as well. You have to go back to verse 29. "But Peter and the apostles answered," this was a collective answer. "We must obey God rather than men." We've heard that before. And so for the church, it was again imperative for them to obey God and not man. Under the threat of death, under the threat of arrest, yes. They had to be obedient to what God called them to do. Now in application, we just hold on to the same two things.

They had to be what the church had called, what God had called them to be. And they had to do what God had called them to do. It's rather simple. Now honestly, there are two more crises that I'd like to examine. But we just don't have time. We just don't have time. There are two more major crises before there's a major shift in the growth and the development of the church. Really there are three because there's a second internal crisis. Remember the internal crisis that comes next? There was a conflict between the Greek widows. They were being overlooked for their daily needs.

There was a conflict between the Greek widows and the Jewish widows. But there was no problem there. The apostles, they called the people to appoint seven men, and seven godly men stepped up to wait tables to take care of the widows. But then the third crisis, it involves one of the table waiters. I heard one commentator say it like this, "These seven men stepped up to be busboys." But lo and behold, Stephen, one of the table waiters, he preaches Jesus as the Messiah. And what happens? They are enraged. And he ends up being stoned. He was one of the first martyrs. And starting in chapter 8, we see a great persecution.

It breaks out against the church there at Jerusalem. And the Scriptures say that all were scattered except the apostles. But what did they do? This was a great turning point. This was a decisive moment. They just simply preached Christ everywhere they went. If you know the rest of the story, we have Philip. He goes as a great evangelist with gospel success everywhere he goes. And then the fourth crisis, it involves the great persecutor of the church, Saul. In Acts 9 and Acts 8, we know that Saul is dragging Christians to jail. He's having Christians killed. He sees them as blasphemers.

But look, in this case, Christ himself steps forward personally. And Saul encounters Christ there on the road to Damascus. And he's miraculously converted. And what happens after Christ? After this event, Saul, the great persecutor of the church, becomes Paul. And then the whole direction of the church is changed. And he takes the gospel all over the non-gentile world. And the whole time, Paul faces privation, prison, and great persecution. So what do we see in this third and fourth crisis that I've gone through so fast? They continue to be what God called them to be. And they continue to do what God had called them to do. So what do we have?

I've just zoomed through a whole boatload of scripture. But we see four major crises. And each crisis is different. But all four were this. Great turning points for better or for worse. They were great decisive moments. And in each crisis, the church responded perfectly. What did they do? They stepped up and they said, "We will obey God and not man." So now for us, we come to the point where we ask ourselves a question. How are we going to respond to these outside pressures that are being exerted on the church? These outside voices? These outside opinions and threats that say that we should not meet or we cannot meet? What should we do?

I think we must do as the New Testament church did time and time again. I mean, it's the same old story, is it not? Remember last week, my example of the broken record? You know, if you take one of those old-fashioned records and you scratch it, it's just going to skip and say the same thing over and over. And what do we see through all of these crises? It's the same thing. They stepped up to be and to do what God had called them to be and do. Now think about how some of these essentials relate to us. They stepped up and they challenged the Jewish leaders in their command. Is it that what we see certain Christians in our land doing today?

They're stepping up to government leaders who are saying, "No, you can't meet." And what are they saying? "No, we choose to obey God, not man." They considered their threats and they determined to fear God and not man. See, it's these times, folks, that show us if we're going to fear God or if we're going to fear man. It's these times when people are revealed if they're going to fear God or if they're going to capitulate to what man says. They worship God in the face of the threats. Did they not? The threats were bearing down on them.

And look, as the outside voices get louder and louder, we're either going to have to determine to fear God and not man or fear man and not God. And look, if we step up to fear God, then we can worship God no matter the threats. And then they trusted God's sovereignty in the circumstances. Listen, folks, this is where we must trust God. We must trust God. God was lord over these Jewish leaders. God was lord over the Romans. God was lord over every circumstance in their day. Was he not? When he wanted to release his apostles, he sent an angel to just let him out of jail. Did he not? And so we must trust God and God's sovereignty.

Yes, we exercise caution. Yes, we must make wise decisions. But God is lord over these days, and he is lord over this unseen virus. They asked for more boldness in the face of the threats. Now notice, these circumstances were opportunities. And we must see that these days are an opportunity. And we must have boldness to step forward to be what the church is to be and to do what the church is to do. And then they never stopped meeting. They just never stopped meeting. They just never stopped meeting. They just kept meeting. Even when they were scattered, they continued to meet. And they never changed the message.

And they never stopped evangelizing. Peter said over and over, he stepped up with great boldness, and he said, "I will never stop sharing the name of Jesus." Now remember what I asked you to hold on to. I think you know. They had to be what God called them to be, and they had to do what God called them to do. And for us, that is right where we are. We must be what God has called the church to be, and we must do what God has called the church to do. Now you know I've not put any information on the screen. So much of it is really just narrative. Really the heart of what I want us to see comes in the title of the message.

I mean, we've really just asked these questions over and over and over. What is happening in America? What is happening in our land? We're seeing it. We're watching. We're paying attention. And we've narrowed it down to how should we live as Christians. And listen, the church must be what the church is supposed to be, and the church must do what the church is supposed to do. Now as I move towards closing, I want to make some observations here for our circumstance. I'll just make some more application and we'll close this out.

During this pandemic shutdown, this limited socialization, this isolation, we hear this language of what is essential all the time. Do we not? We hear this language of what businesses are essential, what activities are essential. You know, right now some are arguing if sports are essential. I mean, some folks just want their football, high school football, college football, professional football. There are respected voices that are saying, "We just need some normalcy in our society, and it would be good for us to be able to just root for our favorite football team." You know, all along, certain businesses were deemed essential.

Hardware stores were deemed essential. Grocery stores were deemed essential. Banks were deemed essential. Funeral homes were deemed essential. But you know, there was a big debate as to what was essential. And if your business was not on that list of what is essential, well then you felt like you were excluded, isn't that right? And what am I trying to show you? There's just this language of what is essential. And I want us to turn to the passage that I ask you to meditate over this week, the passage that we've read several times. And you tell me what God says is essential.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and to good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Listen, folks, the church, the meeting of the church, and all the church is and does, it is essential. These things are not suggestions. These are commandments. Remember what Peter said in Acts 4, verses 19 and 20? And then he repeated himself in Acts 5, verse 29, he boldly stated that they were going to obey God and not obey man. I thought about it this week. I thought about it last night. I really thought about it this morning.

This has really been on my heart a lot lately. Let me show you how essential this is. Many of us have children, teenagers. We have many children and teenagers in the life of our church that are not converted. You know, we don't push for cheap decisions. I've repented of that long time ago. And see, I want you to see where in the world are our young people going to hear the words of eternal life.

Yes, we can teach them in the home, but there's no substitute for gathering as the church and them hearing the words of life in a Sunday school class, in a Bible study class, in vacation Bible school, yes, in a youth camp, but week after week after week from this pulpit. Remember what the angel said to Peter? He said, "You go back." And you go back and do what? Give those people the words of life. We are teaching and giving out the words of life. But second, I want us to see what's happening all around us. Many are not going back to church. I mean, look around folks. There are many that are not going back to church.

I talk to pastors all the time, pastors that live in this area and pastors that don't. It's almost the same thing. It's rare if a pastor says, "Oh, our folks are coming back strong." A few weeks ago, I was making a visit, and I bumped into a pastor that I have known a long time, pastored for many years. And he had a very sober spirit, very stern look on his face. And he said, "Most of my folks are not coming back." He said, "They can go on vacation, they can travel, they can go to every business in town, but somehow, someway, they just don't want to come back to church." They're all saying the same thing.

All those who won't come back to church, they're going everywhere, they're doing everything else. And as time goes on, many, many ministers see who they really are. But you know, another part of the not going back is the attitude and the approach of many pastors in many churches. I'm afraid that many pastors in many churches kind of see this as some type of a vacation or something. My wife and I were in a business here a few weeks ago, and we bumped into an older couple. They go to another church in the community. We know these people, we love these people. We don't know them that well.

And you know, one of the couple looked at us and said, "You know what? I'm tired of my pastor saying don't come back." She said, "I'm ready to go back. I'm not worried about the risk. I'm ready to go back and sing and hear the Word of God." What was she saying? "I want to go back." Now, as I close, I do want to show you what's right before us, what these days truly are for the church. These days are an opportunity. In every crisis, those men saw every crisis as an opportunity. This is a great day to advance the gospel and to tell people about Jesus. Many people are fearful. Many people have questions.

Many people do not know what tomorrow holds. And those who are without Christ, I'm sure they grip with fear. Listen, folks, if I get the coronavirus and I die tomorrow, I'm just going to be okay. I'm going to be better off. This is a great opportunity. But something else, folks, listen, this is just a pre-season game. You know we're talking about football. You know the NFL has pre-season. Most of the college football teams, you know, they have a couple of warm-up games before they really get into the meat of their schedule. Listen, folks, the coronavirus, isolation, social distancing, it's really just a pre-game.

Because if things keep going the way they're going, we're going to be staring down the barrel at government regulation and government shutdown. And let me tell you, that's when the big game hits. And if we can't handle a coronavirus pandemic, how in the world are we going to handle it when laws are formed against us and we really do risk jail, we really could lose our job, you see? Now look back at Hebrews 10, 24 to 25, and then we'll close.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and to good works, not neglecting to meet together as it is the habit of some, but encouraging one another all the more as you see the day drawing near. The big question, what's happening in America? And the second question, how should we live as Christians? Simply the church must be the church, and the church must do what the church is supposed to do. And I really believe God can handle the rest. He can. Let's pray. As always, we'll sing a closing song of worship. We're finishing up what we have been studying all these weeks. And I trust and I believe that this has helped us.

Many of us have had questions about so much. I think this will help us to be able to advance in the future. And I do believe that we will be able to be used in the days to come because of what he's taught us these past few weeks. Let's pray.