Social Distancing Proclaim it Clearly

Social Distancing

Proclaim it Clearly

Paul writes “I am in chains”

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message,

so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Colossians 4:3,4

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:9-13

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

It is this incompleteness that lends to lack of clarity

In these verses are three things to help us proclaim a clear message

Faith, Hope, and Love

Don’t get side tracked by questions that don’t focus on these three things

Help people to have faith to believe and not fear

Help people to find hope even if this life comes to an end

Help people to love; to love God and love others

With all the questions about the Coronavirus

America and the world needs Faith, Hope, and Love

To do what is needed to overcome the unseen problems of the virus and sin

Proclaim it Clearly

There are a lot of questions about Covid-19.

Where did it originate?

How is it spread?

There are a multitude of questions

concerning the health factor.

There are a multitude of questions

concerning the economic factor.

The President of the United States and

 his Task Force on Covid-19 daily bring

updates on the virus and what is being done.

Those updates are done in a Press Room.

 

There is never a lack of questions in that room.

The President and his task force are

proclaiming something that is unseen and real.

They are also proclaiming something that

they only have a partial knowledge of.

Even though the team has worked very

hard at getting an understanding,

they know in part and predict in part.

The health and welfare of every
American depends on the President's
actions and the clarity he proclaims it.

Jesus gave His final command

to His disciples in Acts 1:7-8…

 "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth."

Those who heard these words of Jesus

like you and I, don’t know the times

or dates our heavenly Father has set.

There are many things we are not clear on.

It is important to see where Paul is at

when he wrote the Book of

Colossians and how he got there.

Paul was brought to Rome to complete

the mission of bringing Jesus’

gospel to the ends of the earth. 

With the coming of Paul to Rome,

the gospel was brought from the Jewish

capital of Jerusalem in the east to the Gentile

capital of the world in Rome in the west. 

The Lord Himself had told Paul…

 “Continue to be courageous!

 For as you testified these things

about me in Jerusalem,

so you must also testify in Rome.”

Acts 23:11

While Paul was in Jerusalem there were those who

made a vow not to eat till they had killed Paul.

Paul was arrested to protect him from this plot and

taken to Rome after finding out Paul was a Roman.

Paul wrote the Books of Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians,

and Philippians during his first imprisonment in Rome.

It is here in Rome, Paul writes…

 “I am in chains”

And pray for us, too,

that God may open a door for our message,

so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ,

 for which I am in chains.

Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Colossians 4:3,4

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:9-13…

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

 Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

 But the greatest of these is love.

It is this incompleteness

that lends to lack of clarity.

But in these verses are three things

to help us proclaim a clear message… 

Faith, Hope, and Love

Don’t get side tracked by questions that

don’t focus on these three things.

Help people to have faith

to believe and not fear.

Help people to find hope even

if this life comes to an end.

Help people to love…

 To love God and love others.

With all the questions about the Coronavirus…

America and the world needs

Faith, Hope, and Love

to do what is needed to overcome

the unseen and questionable.

Scripture Reading

Colossians 4:2-6

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."