Generated Transcript:
one of the topics phrases we’re hearing
a lot about recently is the phrase
social distancing I don’t recall hearing
that phrase before the last 30 or 45
days and I’m sure it’s been used but
it’s one of those red hot topic button
phrases in our society because of the
coronavirus and all of the impacts that
it’s having upon our world social
distancing which really simply means
just being a part staying apart putting
some distance between us and another
person or other people what we’re
finding right now is it’s a really good
idea as much as we like to be social and
be together because of the dangerous and
serious nature of the virus spreading
we’re protecting ourselves and we’re
protecting other people by distancing
ourselves but you probably didn’t listen
to or tune into this message to hear
about social distancing but we do want
to talk about it in a biblical or from a
biblical perspective social distancing
is definitely not something new we may
just be using that term and using it
specifically for this event the social
distancing is as old as mankind is want
to take a few moments in this message to
look at some biblical examples of social
distancing is it good is it bad it’s
like many other things it can be either
one it’s not always good and it’s not
always bad it depends upon the
circumstances
so let’s look together from the Word of
God some examples of social distancing
and see what lessons that we openly can
learn the first example of social
distancing is found in the third chapter
of the very first book in the box
in the book of Genesis after God created
Adam he created Eve he placed them in a
beautiful garden and they had a
wonderful relationship everything
indicates from what we can read
particularly in this setting that God
and Adam and Eve spent time together
they spent time good time together but
when Eve chose to sin Adam chose to sin
as well it said their eyes were opened
and they were naked and they were
ashamed and they realized quickly that
the serpent that Satan had deceived them
in a very bad way they also realized
that they disobeyed and disappointed God
and so Jim says chapter 3 and verse 8
tells us that Adam and Eve heard the
voice of Jehovah God walking in the
garden in the cool of the day I needed
must have been to have walked with God
literally the clothes of the day around
sunset a beautiful time in the cool of
the day you get to walk and talk with
God how much better could he get than
that
but it says on this particular day Adam
and Eve hid themselves from the presence
of God they socially distanced
themselves from God why would you ever
want to do that why would you ever want
to be separated from God and yet Adam
and Eve did it and we know why they did
because they had sinned and seeing
brought about shame and sin brought
about a desire not to be with God but to
be separated it does the same thing in
our lives today we don’t want
necessarily to be around God when we’re
sinning we’re in sin we don’t
necessarily want to be around Christians
other Christians if we’re not living the
kind of lives that we ought to live we
go on and read in the 3rd chapter of the
book of Genesis and God began to ask
some questions and ultimately they lose
their place in the garden but I think
there’s an example here of social
distancing that would remind us I don’t
want to let
in separating me from God I don’t want
to let sin keep me from wanting to walk
with God and be with God and have a good
relationship with God we also find in
Isaiah chapter 59 verses 1 & 2 an
account of social distancing and God
ultimately is the originator here the
prophet Isaiah says the Lord’s hands not
shortened that it cannot save nor is his
ear heavy that can’t hear but your sins
and iniquities have separated you from
God hid his face that he cannot hear you
sounds a lot like the Garden of Eden
doesn’t it it sounds a lot like the
nature of God is incompatible with our
sins and with our transgressions it’s
not the fact that God’s not benevolent
it’s not that he’s not compassionate or
kind or gracious or forgiving or loving
but our sins and our iniquities separate
us from God spiritually distance you see
that’s another word that we think about
when we think about distancing sometimes
there’s social distancing sometimes
their spiritual distancing and it’s sin
that spiritually distances us from God
and from other people as well the
message there I want to resolve my sin
issues when I recognize my sin I want to
repent I want to be in a relationship
with God that his face is not here but
that his face and his love and His grace
and His mercy is shining upon me not
separating me and my Lord because of
those transgressions we also find social
distancing in the Old Testament in the
Book of Jonah
you remember Jonah Jonah was a man that
God picked for a mission and he had an
important mission for Jonah Jonah’s
mission was to go to the people of
Nineveh and preach to them do you know
God has a mission for you I don’t know
exactly what that is I don’t know
specifically what that is but he has a
mission for you and he has
mission for me and it may not be to
preach to a particular City
but God has enabled if every one of us
to be his mouthpiece he’s enabled every
one of us to be his example and to be
soft and to be light and to be
messengers to others and so God tells
Jonah I want you to go and preach to
this people of Nineveh because they were
being wicked living in a wicked way not
necessarily a task not necessarily a
chore not necessarily direction that
Jonah might have wandered or we might
have wanted it’s not always fun to go
and tell people that their lives are not
in harmony with the will of God but it’s
very necessary and it’s fruitful when
people are willing to listen and to be
obedient but Jonah didn’t want to do it
and in Jonah chapter 1 and verse 3 it
said he got up and he fled to tortious
from the presence of Jehovah and he went
down to Joppa and he found a ship and he
paid his fare and he went to get in it
and the last phrase and gentleman 1
verse 3 says away from the side of
Jehovah but was he really was he really
out of the presence of Jehovah was he
really out of sight from God children we
used to like to play hide-and-go-seek
and the whole point of the game was to
hide where you couldn’t be seen or you
couldn’t be found we can’t hide we can’t
get to a place where God can’t see us or
find us
Psalm chapter 139 made that very clear
where can we go from the presence of God
it’s not upward it’s not downward it’s
not in the ocean it’s not in the desert
we can’t flee from the presence of God
but Jonah thought erroneously that by
socially distancing himself from God
somehow maybe he would be relieved of
his duty or at the least he wasn’t going
to have to perform it we remember what
happened
we remember the swallowing of Jonah by
the great fish the three days that he
had to contemplate what he had done
and what he’d failed to do and how that
acts he was spit out on the dry ground
ultimately Jonah does go to the city of
Nineveh and he preaches think about that
social distancing did he accomplish what
he hoped no we can never run from God
run from God’s command run from God’s
instruction and ultimately be better off
ultimately be in a position where we
would at some point in time say that was
a good decision
no Jonah sought to flee from God he
sought social distancing but he didn’t
work out very well the book of Matthew
chapter 19 Jesus talks about some social
distancing and he talks about it in
regard to husbands and wives Jesus had
been asked a question is it lawful is it
okay for husbands or wives just divorce
or to get rid of each other for just any
reason before Jesus really answered the
question or as a part of the answer I
suppose Jesus went all the way back to
the Garden of Eden he went all the way
back to the beginning of time and he
said have you not read that he which
made them in the beginning made them
male and female and then he said for
this cause a man would leave father and
mother and cleave to his wife and they
too will become one flesh what Jesus
recommended what Jesus challenged what
Jesus instructed was when a man and a
woman get married they socially
distanced themselves from their parents
doesn’t mean they’re not still friends
with their parents it doesn’t mean that
they don’t still love their parents it
doesn’t mean they don’t ever visit their
parents but he said man will leave the
relationship changes and cleave the
relationship with the spouse with the
wife and so the distancing of may
and woman from their parents is done to
accomplish the bringing or the cleaving
together of husband wife unfortunately
there have been many marital problems
that have stemmed because of a failure
for a man or a woman to leave father
mother in law’s fathers and mothers were
too involved are too involved in the
business of husband and wife and so here
the Lord Jesus himself gives a good
example of when social distancing is a
good thing it’s in the same chapter the
book or say book the book come back to
you chapter 25 where Jesus again talks
about social distancing he’s talking
about the end of the world he’s talking
about the separation on the day of
judgment we know from Hebrews chapter 9
verse 27 it’s pointed out a man wants to
die and after this the judgment and
Jesus talks about that judgment scene in
Matthew chapter 25 and verse 32 when he
said all the nations of the earth will
be gathered together for him and he
shall separate them one for another as a
shepherd divides the sheep from the
goats have you ever wondered I have what
that scene will be like millions
billions of souls gather and the Lord
separating them but even though there
are millions and billions they’ll only
be separated in two places those that
will hear come you blessed it of my
father will go to the ride and those
that hear the words depart from me I
never knew you to the left
socially distancing there’ll be husbands
that will go one way and wives that will
go the other
there will be parents that will go in
one direction and children that will go
in another there will be friends that
will be socially distance and separated
upon that day of judgment but the
seriousness of that is that separation
is
permanent that separation is for all
eternity and when we think about that it
automotive a does it automotive eight us
to make sure that our lives are being
lived in such a way that we here come
you blessed of my father it oughta
motivate us in such a way that those
that would not hear that today those
that our friends and our family and our
neighbors our co-workers people that we
care about people that we don’t even
know we would want to reach out and
encourage them to follow Jesus to be
obedient to be committed to be converted
to be and to get into a position where
there is no separation for all eternity
so Matthew chapter 25 and verse 32 Jesus
points out a time of social distancing
that will be forever just one chapter
later Matthew chapter 26 we find Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane we find
Jesus as he’s in his final hours before
his crucifixion and we find Jesus as
he’s with his disciples as a group then
with a smaller group Peter James and
John but in verse 36 Jesus socially
distances himself even from those three
when it said that he came to a place
called Gethsemane and he said to his
disciples sit here while I go and pray
there two words there here and there he
wanted them to stay in one spot he
separated himself to another spot where
he could pray alone Jesus was a man of
Prayer Jesus was a man that sometimes
spent all night in prayer and he
distanced himself he distanced himself
in this case so he could be alone to
pray it’s wonderful to pray with others
it’s wonderful to pray with our family
it’s wonderful to pray in the assembly
when we come together but there are
times that all of us need to distance
ourself so that we can pray alone Jesus
talked about
that earlier on in the book of Matthew
when when he talked about going into our
closet to pray I realized that the
context there were people standing on
the street corner talking praying loudly
so others would hear them and so others
would think more highly of them and the
suggestion that Jesus makes the
instruction that Jesus gives here is not
that the only place we can pray is in
our closet but there’s something
intimate there’s something special about
that a long time with God a time that is
free free from distraction free from the
cares of the world free from all the
things that seem to reach and grab for
our time and so Jesus talked here or
exhibited here social distancing so he
could be alone to pray with father we
need to practice that as well we need to
take time ourselves to distance
ourselves from everyone else for periods
of time so that we can pray and we can
talk to God as well in the fifteenth
chapter of the Book of Luke there’s an
account of social distancing and it
comes within a family and it Luke
chapter 15 there’s a story about a man
and he had two sons and the younger one
comes and he says father I want the
goods how the things that belong to me
it’s quite an unusual request because
normally he wouldn’t have received those
until the father passed away he’ll be
kind of like us going to our pears and
say I’m like not part of the wheel right
now well the father gave him his part he
gave him the portion that would have
belonged to him and verse 13 of Luke 15
says that this younger son not many days
later gathered all together and took his
journey into a far country and wasted
what he had with ungodly living think
about that for a moment from what we
know about the rest of the story the
father seemed to be a man of some wealth
he had servants he had service they had
plenty to eat the son it doesn’t appear
was starving or in need but the son
thinks the
asses ring or somewhere else and he
takes what he’s got and he doesn’t just
score a quarter of mile down the road he
doesn’t go to the next town but the
record says he went into a far country
sometimes children want to do that and
that’s not always a bad idea but
sometimes they want to get away from
their parents and and do their own thing
and show that they’re durable person
didn’t work out very well for this young
man sometimes young people when they get
out of high school they don’t want to go
to church anymore because they want to
show that that nobody can make them do
anything in and they can do what there
are they’re independent and they can
make their own decisions sometimes when
young people get out on their own they
don’t study anymore they don’t pray
anymore they don’t worship anymore they
don’t associate themselves with God’s
people anymore maybe in part to prove
okay I’m a grown person I’m adult I
don’t have to do what everybody else
does but you know as Paul Harvey would
say the rest of the story Luke chapter
15 things went well for awhile for this
young man he had things he spent things
I’m sure there were many people that
were glad to be around him to surround
him as long as he had the money but his
money ran out of fant
famine came and he didn’t have anything
he didn’t have a job
he didn’t have food he was feeding pigs
and he wanted to eat what the peace
wouldn’t he you ever watch the piggie
there’s very little that the pig turns
down but but he was ready to eat that he
began to think he said you know back
home in my father’s house his servants
they’ve got plenty of food they’ve got
leftovers and he said I’m out here
starving he said here’s what I’m gonna
do I’m going to go back you see the
father had made him believe the father
didn’t run him off and say when he gave
him the goods now get out of here and I
don’t see you anymore he made his own
decision he gathered what he had he went
to the far country but he says I want to
go home now I want to go home I’m gonna
tell my father I’ve sinned against
heaven against you I’m not worthy to be
called your son make me as one of your
hired servants fathers waiting for him
red hugged him kissed him Rover ring
kill the fatted calf
shoes for his feet accepted his apology
because the father’s representative our
Heavenly Father and when we find
ourselves in the hog pen of sin and when
we’re willing to repent of our sins the
father is willing to take us on to he
was willing to receive us back as well
and to give us a place in his family and
at his table and in his house he said
here was a boy it’s socially distanced
himself but he also spiritually distance
himself and when he came to himself he
took that distance and he went right
back home there are a lot of people that
need to go back home they need to come
back home today are you one of those
folks do you know some of those people
do you need to share this message with
some people that have gone into the
spiritual far country that need to come
back home need to come back to the Lord
you see in John chapter 6 there was
another occasion of social distancing
Jesus had been talking with people and
Jesus had been teaching them but also
he’d been feeding them and himbut
charged him for the food and free food
always draws a crowd doesn’t it but he
says in this chapter at least as we have
a record in chapters and verses we’re
not gonna have any picnics for a little
while we’re gonna talk about spiritual
things that didn’t go over near so well
if you have a building of course now’s
not a good time with our social
distancing but in normal times if you
put up a sign free food you have large
building you can probably fill up that
building if you’re truly feeding people
for free but if you put that sign up and
you change it just a little bit for a
spiritual food the crowd won’t be nearly
as large generally speaking and so these
people were just being talked about the
challenges of walking with him they they
began to grumble and moan and complain
and fuss and talk about his relatives
and and all kinds of things and finally
it got to the point where in John
chapter 6 and verse 66 from that time
forward many of his disciples walked no
more with him they separated themselves
from Jesus they didn’t walk with him
anymore
maybe they were more interested in the
physical food maybe they weren’t up to
the challenge maybe
weren’t truly serious about following
Jesus but they separated themselves from
Jesus they socially distanced themselves
and walked no more with him some people
do that in the church today
some people want things really easy and
they want salvation they want Jesus to
be their Savior but they don’t
necessarily want him to be their Lord
and they don’t necessarily want to make
sacrifice and they don’t necessarily
want to make commitment and I feel it
appropriate to ask myself the question
am I willing to walk with Jesus all the
way am I willing to walk with him
through the challenges as well as
through the good stuff these people had
said went back and walked no more they
weren’t like the boy in Luke 15 they
didn’t come back they walked no more
with Jesus I think it’s fair to say
that’s a decision that regret there are
people that have stopped walking with
Jesus today many many people I hope
you’re not one of them but if you are I
hope you’ll seriously consider this
message that will at one day wish they
had reunited which they had gone by
where’s that not as the boy Luke 15 this
social distancing is certainly not good
there are certain people we need to
socially distance ourselves from and
first our 1st Corinthians chapter 5 and
verse 11 Paul says I wrote to you don’t
keep company if a person’s a fornicator
a brother is covetous a dollar a
drunkard or vile extortioner with such
an one know 90 there are some people we
need to keep our distance from Paul also
makes this statement evil companions
corrupt good morals while we seek to
teach and influence and help any person
their folks are spending concentrated
time with not going to be in our best
interest we’re far better off
spiritually to socially distance
ourselves from people that are of the
practice of sin and have no intention of
changing in second Timothy chapter 4 and
verse 10 there’s another occasion of
social distancing and this involves a
young man
that Paul was very fond of he had gone
with Paul was with Paul and what we call
missionary journey and and was doing a
good work was being good helper
his name was Dimas the record says the
Paul stated that demas has forsaken me
having loved the things of this present
world wasn’t easy being a companion of
Paul
it wasn’t easy being a fellow traveler
with Paul because Paul got beat up Paul
got ridiculed Paul got persecuted and my
assumption would be those that with him
probably suffer some of those things too
but what Paul was doing was to work in
the will of the Lord and they must
looked around and he saw things that
apparently were more pleasant to him he
saw that things that that maybe were not
so burdensome and it says he forsook all
loving the things of the world
he socially distance himself from a man
that was doing the will of God people do
that today they socially distanced
themselves and spiritually distanced
themselves from God and from God’s
people because it’s a challenge it’s
difficult their sacrifices to be made
for walking with the Lord I hope we
don’t find ourselves as demas distancing
ourselves from those that are good and
from those that are seeking to follow
the Lord Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25
talks about people socially distancing
themselves not forsaking the Assembly of
ourselves as some are or is some dude
there were some that evidently had made
the practice of not being together with
people God I suppose you’re like me I
really don’t enjoy the fact that we’re
not able to be together as the people of
God in our normal assemblies I realize
we’re assembling in smaller groups and
we’re worshiping God and that’s good and
and God’s thankful for that but I longed
for and I’ll look for that time when we
can be together again there are some
people that don’t treasure that too
governess that don’t treasure the
assembling together with the sayings and
the warnings made by the Hebrew writer
here don’t do that don’t force a
sometimes we get that a little bit
confused and people think well if I’m at
home with 104 fever and I don’t just
suck it up and go then
you know I’m forsaking the assembly
that’s not what that word means that’s
not what that context is the context
there’s folks that just choose those
that this is not important to not for
those that have legitimate reasons that
God completely understands spiritual and
social distancing here of those that
choose not to be a part of the assembly
and then finally ours to note social
distancing from the devil it’s in James
chapter four and it’s in verse number
seven that this instructions given
submit yourselves to God resist the
devil and he will flee from you did you
hear that correctly did I hear that
correctly the devil will socially
distance himself from me and from you
that is exactly true exactly true how do
I know the Bible tells me so resist the
devil but note that part you got to
resist you got to put up a fight I’ve
got to put up a fight and before
resisting the devil I’ve got to submit
myself to God now I’ll tell you it won’t
last forever when Jesus was tempted by
Satan it said Satan left him for a
season oh the devil will come back
you’ll have to resist him again but
there are times that all of us all of us
can make the devil flee kin socially
spiritually distance ourselves from a
devil well what have we got to do we’ve
got to submit to God and we’ve got to
put the fight up we’ve got to resist the
devil Jesus did it using these words it
is written social distancing it may be a
relatively new phrase for us but the
concept is as old as mankind I want to
figure out who and where and why I need
a socially distance myself from
I want to figure out who and where and
what I don’t want to distance myself
from those that I want to cleave to
those that I want to stay near so as you
hear the phrase and you will again
social distance I hope you’ll remind us
of some things that God teaches us in
his word