Social Distancing
Proclaim the Mystery
Anyone who has had Covid-19 and not been asymptomatic
knows it
They felt it, they
experienced it, its suffering and some experienced its death
Contrary to Covid-19
spreading destruction
The spreading of the
mystery of Christ is bringing health and life
This mystery was in
Paul, he was so infected
And so contagious
that even social distancing could not confine the mystery
Paul says, pray for
him so he
May proclaim the mystery of
Christ, for which I am in chains
Pray for the saints
who have Christ in them, have other saints pray for you
Pray that the mystery
of Christ will spread
Pray that we will
find greater ways to proclaim
And spread the Good
News of Christ in you the hope of glory
Rewind time, remember
the first love experience when you received Christ in you
Than look forward to
the changes in your heart and life
Now that you know
what real health and life is and where it comes from –
Proclaim the Mystery!
Don’t let your
family, friends, the world suffer without the antidote for sin
Which is Christ in
you - Our only hope
Proclaim the Mystery
The English meaning for “Mystery” is…
Something that is
difficult or
impossible to
understand or explain.
This definition fits the Coronavirus.
I remember talking to my brother, Mike,
in March, 2020, about
Crovid-19 and saying…
“Lets rewind about 4
to 5 weeks” to how
our knowledge of the virus has evolved.
In January, 2020, I had ordered
some batteries from China.
At that time, I knew
China had a virus
that was affecting their people.
The Chinese New Year for 2020 started
January 25 and ended February 8th.
Knowing this, I knew my batteries would more
than likely not be shipped until after February 8th.
The connection of the coronavirus for me
became real as I was watching China.
The Chinese New Year, their biggest celebration
of the year was shut down.
People were ordered to stay home.
The Chinese New Year, their biggest celebration
of the year was shut down.
People were ordered to stay home.
To my surprise, my batteries came
in the middle of February.
When they came in the mail, we did not
open the package like the rest of the mail.
We first went to the cleaning supply cabinet
and got out the disinfectant to sanitize
the package and everything it touched.
As my brother and I talked about the changes in
us and the changes in the world from the opening
of that package from China to 5 weeks later…
We could clearly see
the
coronavirus was a mystery unfolding.
The coronavirus is a mystery, as we watched
the world health leaders, political leaders,
the media try to explain the mystery of this
virus as we watched it spread around the world.
No nation was prepared for this virus.
As we watched the numbers of those infected raise,
the skeptics who blow it off as nothing more than the
common flu, came to the grips of fear with a new reality.
Data and models were changing, revealing
how big of a mystery we are to deal with.
People wanted an explanation.
But the mystery of
the virus kept us
from the answers we were looking for.
The apostle Paul was in chains because he was
spreading the knowledge of the mystery of Christ.
Paul in the first chapter of Colossians
tells us about this mystery…
I have become its
servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its
fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations,
but
is now disclosed to the saints.
To them God has chosen to make known among the
Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery,
which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory.
Colossians
1:25-27
The mystery of Christ was hidden,
but is now disclosed
to the saints.
The word mystery in the Greek is
somewhat different than the English word.
In the Greek, the word mystery means a secret.
The very secret or mystery of God becomes known
to us by revelation and in the timing of God.
Sadly, there were and still are people who could
not and cannot see the mystery of the coronavirus
because of bios, doubt, and prejudice which
brought unduly suffering and death.
The Mystery of Christ, this secret is being
revealed, but the same bios, doubt, and prejudice
keeps people from receiving the truth.
Paul says…
The mystery that has
been kept hidden for ages and generations,
but is now disclosed
to the saints
Colossians 1:26
Saints, people who have faith,
open eyes to the
things of God…
To them God has chosen
to make known among
the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery,
which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27
Anyone who has had Covid-19 and
not been asymptomatic knows it,
not been asymptomatic knows it,
they felt it, they experienced it, its
suffering and some experienced its death.
Contrary to Covid-19 spreading destruction,
the spreading of the mystery of Christ
is bringing health and life.
The mystery of Christ is spreading because
the mystery is Christ
in you, the hope of glory.
This mystery was in Paul.
He was so infected
and so contagious that even
social distancing could not confine the mystery.
Paul says pray for him so he…
May proclaim the mystery of
Christ,
for which I am in
chains.
Pray for the saints who have Christ in them,
have other saints pray for you.
Pray that the mystery of Christ will spread.
Pray that we will find greater ways to
proclaim and spread the Good News
of Christ in you, the hope of glory.
As my brother and I rewound time to see
the effects of the Coronavirus on our lives…
Rewind time remembering the first love
experience when you received Christ in you.
Than look forward to the changes
in your heart and life.
Now that you know what real health and
life is and where it comes from…
Be a proclaimer of
the mystery.
Don’t let your family, friends, the world
suffer without the antidote for sin.
Which is Christ in you - Our only hope.
Scripture Reading
Colossians 4:2-6 NIV
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.
Colossians 1:25-29 NIV
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me
to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but
is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among
the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with
all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I
labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
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