Faithroots Live: Discipline, Punishment and the Coronavirus
Here are the seminar outline notes for our Faithroots Live session coming up at 2pm. Feel free to use these to add your own notes
A. Introduction
- We rightly stop to ask “What is God doing in this?”
- The challenge of current issues in the world and The Church
B. Big Picture – What the Bible says about justice and judgement
Genesis 1-3
- A good world but fallen. Humans under the judgement of death.
- All Creation groans (Romans 8:18-24)
Genesis 6 – 9
- Flood and Rainbow
Genesis 12
- Blessing
Deuteronomy 11:26-32
- Blessing or curse and the covenant
Isaiah 6:8-11
- Judgement prophesied
Matthew 7:21-23
- Judgement in the Gospels
Revelation 20:11-15
- Final judgement and the Lake of Fire
C. Specific Punishment in the Bible
- David and the plague
- What about 1 Corinthians 11?
D. God’s Discipline
1 Corinthians 5
- Through Church Discipline
Hebrews 12
- – Through Circumstances
E. CAUTION
Luke 13
- Disaster and tragedy
John …
- The man born blind
F. So … How are we to view the current situation
- General Judgement but not specific
- Cause and effect
- We become like our idols
G. If not specific judgement … then what? (Conclusion)
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Questions for discussion and Reflection
1. How would you counsel someone who has lost a relative to coronavirus and has been told by another Christian that it was God’s judgement
2. In what ways might the behaviours of society act as causal links to a pandemic crisis like this?
3. In what ways might the culture of The Church have exacerbated the suffering experienced?
4. In what ways is this crisis acting to teach/discipline God’s people?
5. What has God been teaching you through the pandemic? How are you growing? What will you do differently even after the pandemic as a result?
