On February 16, the fourth Sunday since the lockdown of Wuhan, Wuchang Church conducted its Sunday service on the Internet. With the title "Come out, My People", Pastor Zhang explained the verses of Revelation 18:4-5 to encourage believers to escape from the sins of the world.
As the believers of Wuchang church were planning a wonderful year at the beginning of the year and were just about to make it happen, a sudden and overwhelming epidemic brought everything to a halt. "The world is no longer a lovely, normal world as it should be. Rampant egoism, increased money worship, and popular hedonism are unprecedented. On several occasions, people have called for the embrace of Nature, but in fact, they are getting farther away from it, which also means they are drifting away from God, in typical human nature. It is the insatiable greed of mankind that has led to bloody catastrophes", said Pastor Zhang.
In the face of disasters, some people angrily accused God of not bringing salvation. Pastor Zhang quotes Deuteronomy 30:15 &19 and John 1:11 to explain God's will, "God has already given humans the law of life, and he has already set forth before the world life, death, disaster and blessing. He called heaven and earth for the world to choose life, but the world has turned a deaf ear. The Lord Jesus himself came into the world in the flesh, but the world did not accept him and finally, he was crucified. People have rejected God again and again, but he has always loved the world, and since he has created it, he does not wish it to perish.
"Revelation 18:4-5, God is still appealing to humanity 'Come out of her, my people, so that you may have no part in her sins and in her punishments. For her sins have gone up even to heaven, and God has taken note of her evil-doing.' It doesn't mean that we should leave the city of Wuhan, but escape from the evil of the world. The voice is apparent throughout the history of the Hebrews and God is always calling his people to renounce sin", Pastor Zhang continued.
During the disaster, some brothers and sisters of Wuchang Church were also infected and one brother died. Seeing all this, the church members are under heartbreaking pain, but feel helpless. Pastor Zhang comforted and told them that "we believe that God will not allow us to suffer in vain. God has told us "For our present trouble, which is only for a short time, is working out for us a much greater weight of glory (2 Corinthians). We also know that life is not measured in length, but in value. This also helps you know how to better love and cherish the people around you, to reflect on the value of life, and thereupon, with fear of God, to purify your own lives."
According to Pastor Zhang, during the epidemic, the faith of the church's brethren was revived to an extent. For example, some people who usually sleep late are no longer as such, with some of them beginning to pray at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning; some others who never prayed have started learning to pray to God.
Finally, Pastor Zhang urged everyone to pray and praise, shake the earth, scatter the enemies, and drive away all the shadow of the epidemic.
-Translated by Sophia Chen
