(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Right now we have Pastor Kevin Sepulveda, if you want to get him going here. Hey, Pastor. Are you there? Can you hear me? I can hear you, but I can't see you. Okay. Where are we talking to him from, Paul? Australia. I mean, what are we using here? The computer. Yeah, you can't see us, but we can see you. I can't see him. You can't see me? Let me go to him. Let me go to him. So you can't see us. Now everybody knows they can put the face to the name. Yeah. Good to see you. It looks like you're right side up. I don't get that joke. Can you please explain that joke? However old you are, if you don't get that joke, you're just going to have to live the rest of your life. He said that joke to me earlier. I don't know. Australia is considered down under. Oh, good night. Yeah, I did not get that joke. Wow. Right over my head. Right over my head. Just to clarify, you guys can see me. You can, you can hear me. I just hear you guys, but I can't see you. Yeah. Right. Yes. I can hear you. Perfect. Okay. Awesome. Talk to yourself. Yeah, exactly. So, you know, I guess you want to know what's going on here in Australia. And the effects that it's probably having on, on churches, on my church and other churches alike. Well, our prime minister came out with an announcement on Sunday nights. Basically banning church gatherings. And of course it wasn't just targeting churches, but it was targeting things like pubs and clubs. You know, that's, that's great things that, you know, some of these pubs and clubs that are being closed, being forcibly closed. So that's a positive. But I didn't receive the message properly. I had the impression that churches could continue to meet so long as there was a minimum congregation and people were spaced out one person per four square metres. So that's two metres per person. And so I had started to make plans of, you know, having multiple services, because obviously we wouldn't be able to have every member attend our church services. Now, thankfully, you know, for us, you know, I don't have the problem that pastor Jimenez has with 200 people, you know, our church here, if we have everybody here, it's about 48 of us, about 50 people. And so my, my idea was basically to space out the different congregations and go from free services to six services. And basically just, uh, have, have a rotation of members coming through and meeting. So that was my plan. That's what I was hoping for only to then be clarified by another pastor, a friend of mine here that say, no, it's actually, you know, churches are completely banned. I had to go and clarify that with our local government office. And yeah, you know, the, the restriction for one person for every square, four square metres was for funerals and weddings. I don't know, just funerals, funerals. And so, um, yeah, that's the case right now. You can see I'm probably dressed. I'm dressed up now with my, with my suit and my college shirt. That's because I'm planning on preaching very shortly to myself and getting that prerecorded onto YouTube. So then that way, uh, our church members can hear some preaching, you know, via YouTube. What time is it there for you? Um, it is 11 am here on, on Friday morning. It's Friday morning, 11 am. But, um, I don't have the resources here to go live streaming. I know some other churches and pastors are doing that. I don't, I don't, we don't have a, uh, you know, a good broadband connection here. We just use the 4g, um, wifi network, just your standard, uh, cellular or mobile network. So I didn't want to go live streaming because the quality doesn't look that great. Um, I was listening to some preaching that was done by live streaming via Facebook and quite often the audio and video was not in sync or the preacher was being, uh, was cutting in and out, you know? Um, so I decided, no, let's just maintain a good quality video, good quality audio. I'll just pre-record my sermons and get them released on schedule, like scheduled released, um, during our normal church times. So you're at new life Baptist church, right? You're like Baptist church, Spanish coast in Queensland. My family moved from Sydney. That's where we're originally from. It's about a thousand kilometers south. You guys have to work out what that is in miles. Um, so we, we moved up, you know, to start this church and, you know, we've, we have the, you know, with a mandate of banning churches, I'm, I'm, I'm personally a bit frustrated because my purpose of being up here on the sunshine coast is for church. And if I can't have church, you know, it's, it's very frustrating. But at the same time, I'm trying to, you know, remain positive. I'm trying to keep our church members positive minded as well. Um, I know it's very frustrating to not be able to gather together with your like-minded believers, sing, you know, sing praise unto the Lord. Um, he, you know, preaching from, from your preacher, you know, live, you know, together, you know, church is not the same. I think if you're doing that on a computer screen at home, but it's the best that we can do at this point in time. And, um, you know, our church, our church members, there's been a mix of reactions. Some have taken the, you know, decision to quarantine themselves earlier than what was mandated by the government. Um, some have done that just, uh, you know, you had to protect themselves. Yes. But also they're keeping in mind the other members in the church. They don't, you know, in case they get sick, they don't want to pass that on to others. So, you know, even though we've had some people not attend church services, I know they're doing it for the right reasons. You know, they're trying to be mindful of others. And, um, then we've had some others who were elderly or maybe have chronic sicknesses that have, um, not attended church, but now nobody's attending church. So how about soul? So, well, that's the question. We're not sure. I do have some people going soul winning over the last couple of days. Um, I had planned to go out today and do some soul winning, but we did do some soul winning on Sunday, uh, last Sunday. And there was a noticeable difference. I found by the people at home, you know, obviously people already don't like you going door to door soul winning. They don't like that message. They don't like you coming and bothering their pride, bothering them. They think, you know, in the private homes, but I noticed a further resistance as we were going, we could definitely, we definitely knew people at home. They just weren't coming, opening their doors. Some people, um, just sort of made mention of the fact that there's a virus out there and that we shouldn't be doing these things. So there is a resistance from the general community here. Um, we have people going door to door. So look, I'm not sure, you know, my plan is to continue soul winning for now. I, you know, I've not told my church members to stop doing that. Um, and I guess we'll have to see, you know, what further instruction or mandates have been passed in by our local prime minister and by the health department here. Um, they are difficult decisions to make. And I know some decisions I've made have not always been popular with our church members. Uh, but, um, you know, as far as the church goes, you know, I'm, I have, I hold, I hold the office of the Bishop here. I'm the pastor. I have to make those decisions. You know, I have to be accountable to God for these things. I have to have a clear conscience before God. And so as long as I'm considering those things in mind, you know, I do believe we're taking the right approaches here. I do believe we should obey the government officials at this point in time, at least, um, with, uh, the decisions they've made at this point in time, at least. And, um, we'll see what, what goes forward. I mean, that there's been changes almost on a daily basis. It feels so things are changing very quickly here. Um, so yeah, I hope that answers the question. Are you, are you paying attention to the news and what your leaders are saying in your country there? I am paying attention to some extent. I'm usually hearing from my church members first. They're usually passing on the information to me and then I'm looking into it. I'm trying to stay away from the media. Um, obviously their purpose is to scare manga people. I mean, they operate on ratings. It's a TV show. They've got the advertisements that they need to broadcast. So, you know, obviously just like any other television show, they try to keep you on the edge of your seat. They try to keep you coming back for more. Um, whereas I've just noticed if you just go and get the official information just a little bit, maybe a few minutes every day, you'll be up to speed with everybody else. Um, so at the end of the day, I don't think everyone's got all the information. I don't believe the media is necessarily portraying, you know, um, the most accurate information either when you go on online, when you're on the internet, there are different reports, different graphs, different statistics, all pointing one way or another. And I just realized, you know what, I'm not going to worry myself too much about these things. I'm just going to, I guess, roll the punches as best as I can and just react with the mandates that have been passed down. And, um, obviously going to the Lord God first and foremost for wisdom, for guidance, for instruction, for comfort as well. And I'm just trying to set a good example as a pastor to the church. You know, the church here on the Sunshine Coast isn't the only church I pastor. We do have a church down in Sydney, which was a satellite church. It's called Blessed Hope Baptist Church, but now it's its own independent church. But I'm still the pastor and I would, uh, fly down there once a week or almost once a week now, um, uh, to run midweek services there. We have another, we have a few other men that preach for the Sunday services. Um, and unfortunately I, my, my flights have been restricted. I can't fly down to Sydney. In fact, uh, one of the most recent changes made here in Australia is that our borders, our state borders have been closed. Um, so I'm not sure what kind of restrictions that, you know, people are having to cross borders. I know if you are crossing into, into Queensland, which is a state that I'm in, um, you've got a self quarantine for 14 days. So it's not just international, uh, visitors. It's state visitors as well. Interstate visitors come and they've got to quarantine themselves for 14 days. So again, that's another frustration that I personally have. Um, and you know, I've passed on the same instruction to the church and in Sydney, uh, that they, we cannot meet for services right now. Um, now obviously for some people, this is difficult for them. Um, you know, they, they believe that, uh, they need to continue meeting and you know, I've just told the church members, listen, at the end of the day, what, what people want to do in their own homes. That's up to them. You know, every, every father, every husband is the head of their house and they've got to make the right decisions for themselves and their families. You know, if they don't agree with the decision, decision that I've made with the churches, well, that's, it's not stopping them from meeting in their own homes. Uh, though the government is trying to pass further, further restrictions on meeting your own homes. So if people want to have prayer meetings, if they want to gather together, listen to the preaching, you know, that's up to them, but they also have to, uh, you know, take into consideration the risks, count the costs that might come their way. So I'm, I'm not sure what they all are, you know, at the end of the day, we're, we're trusting God. You know, every, every person has to do what's right, have that clear conscience before God. And so, you know, I, I encourage, you know, people to, you know, even if they disagree with my decision that they have, they are personally accountable to God themselves and they need to do what's right in their, in their eyes. Correct. Amen. Now, um, I didn't ask pastor Mantis. I kind of wanted to ask pastor Mantis Mantis this question, but I'm gonna ask you this question. So, um, you know, a good leader clearly makes decisions based on the evidence put in front of them and, uh, you know, not on speculation. It's not really good to, but what, but what a, what a good leader will do also would, would maybe be able to entertain a thought and, and consider like, what would they be willing to do? Right. Or where is the line for them? And to kind of know that in advance going ahead. And, and so right now it's, it's not lawful in many of these areas not to assemble in a church. And there's the reason given bottom line. The reason given is because of this contagion that is, uh, putting people's lives at risk. Now, whether that is a justified, um, reason, whether we think that, well, are we going to just stop going to church because of a small chance of something happening? But at what point, like how far down the road? What if, what if the lives, the lot that, what if it just, this is what people consider now that you just got to cross the bridge when you get there. But say, say the death toll pretty much levels off and it just doesn't seem to be, um, the black death, you know, which some people imagine it could end up being, right? But say it just, it just levels off and they just kind of keep things in place where they don't allow people to assemble or, because in the end we know that there will be something that prevents Christians from gathering together and that will become illegal to, to be Christian or that they will, it will be outlawed at some point in the end. So we know that, um, that that's going to come at some point in time. But if that came a little bit more, uh, under the radar than just straight out, like, so people wonder like, well, if this doesn't pass, if this doesn't blow over and this could be the, like everybody's expecting it to be like later on, but they just make it, I'm just speculating, right? And this is just speculation. But where is it for you? What, when do you think it is enough or what would, what would somebody do as a leader, um, with their people? Would you, what would you do? Yeah. Well, thanks for giving me the hard question. Can we just, uh, can we just ring up pastor Jimenez and see what he says? At the end of the day. Yeah. I mean, I have thought about this, of course. And, um, you know, we don't know how long this might go on. You know, this might be, you know, this might go on for several weeks, several months. This could go on for a year, a year and a half. I don't know how long these restrictions last. And I think, um, the way I have considered this, and this, this is my process of thoughts, um, my process of thought when it comes to different authorities, institutions, and I teach them this quite heavily in my church, is that, you know, God has allowed certain institutions to exist. And of course that first institution is the family home. And in it, in each institution, there's a head and there are people that are to be in obedience or to follow that head. And in the family, that's the father, that's the husband in the church, that's the pastor. And the members are expected to be in obedience to that authority within the church structure. Then we also have government and, you know, God did institute government. You know, I know we, we look at our governments and we know how corrupt they are. We know how ungodly and how, uh, you know, that the laws they pass just seem to be more on biblical as the time goes on. But at the end of the day, that, you know, the government is, is, has certain powers that God has given them. And in this scenario, when it comes to disease or viruses and quarantine government, you know, God did give the government that authority. You know, it is found in the, in the, in the law of Moses, in the Leviticus book of Leviticus. So how priests were required to shut people in that were, uh, potential contagious, you know, leprosy or have diseases like that. And so at this point in time, and I don't know exactly, you know, I won't be able to answer this question fully, but I'm willing to give the government that authority that God has already given them. Like, it's not, it's not my job to give them that authority, but to honour that authority that God has given them, I'm willing to give them that, um, power at this point in time. And so if they are being deceptive, if they are, you know, um, doing things that are ungodly and let's say this virus is nothing, let's say it is just an attempt for them to gain power and attempt to flex their muscles against churches. Well, then I'll be praying that God will bring swift judgment upon those politicians, upon that government, because at the end of the day, it's their decision to do that. And I believe it is my responsibility to, um, honour that, that power that God has given them. So for example, I'll just, I've got a passage here in, um, we'll just read it here. It says in Titus chapter three, verse one. And of course, Titus was a pastor, and this is the instruction that the apostle Paul gave to Titus. And this is what his Titus is expected to teach his church. It says, put them in mind, and this is Titus chapter three, verse one, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. And so I'm trying to show meekness. I'm trying to be gentle and not to be a brawler toward the government with this decision when it comes to quarantine and banning churches, because I do believe this is something that they do have the authority over. And, um, you know, how long do we wait until we open up our churches? I'm going to leave that right now in the hands of our government. Now, if this is indefinite, if this goes on forever, well, I'm already praying that God will, you know, change the hearts and minds of these, these people in authority. And that if their hearts are hardened against God, I'm already praying that God will take them out, that God will wipe them out and God will bring in proper authorities that would then lift these restrictions. You know, if this is nothing but a power grab, um, but, you know, right now I'm going to give the government the benefit of the doubt. You know, I hope they are doing this to prevent the spread of disease, um, that, you know, I'm trying to, you know, be positive minded in that sense. And so that's what I feel about it right now. You know, I do not believe that God will judge me as a pastor for making this decision of, of, uh, closing our doors at this point in time, because that it is a power that God has given to the government. So those authorities are accountable to God for what they decide to do. That is a good answer. I like that one. That was, that was good. I'm glad that you went there because that's something that, uh, people need to hear as Christians. Also is, um, you know, that if, if we're right in our heart, we're doing what we should with the, according to the scriptures, um, according to the truth, then, you know, God will see that. And that's where, why, why we have faith in him, because we know that he's a just God and we'd rather put our hands, our fate in his hands than in, uh, the hands of men. And because we know that men are wicked and the rulers, um, will, uh, definitely ultimately come after, um, the Lord and his anointed. Right. So, um, yeah. Did you have anything that I missed brother Paul? No, I mean, that's it really. I really appreciate you pastor coming on and talking with us. Uh, is there anything else you wanted to say? No, I just thought maybe I'll share some stats with you very quickly. Um, so right now in Australia, as of today, there's been 2,985 confirmed cases of people with the coronavirus and our population is very different compared to yours. Of course, we're only about 25 and a half million people in Australia. So as a percentage that comes to 0.01% of our population, we have this virus. So I mean, it's, it's a very, it's a very small percentage and you know, I'm not putting so much faith in these numbers with these stats. I know I've seen a lot of stats that, you know, that compare the coronavirus with, uh, your seasonal flu, for example. Uh, though I think it's, it's good to look at some numbers and stats, but at the end of the day, the reason we can trust the, um, the numbers on with the seasonal flu is because it's something that we're used to. It's something that we have every year. I'm pretty sure I come down with that. We've a flu every year. My entire family does. And we've got 10 kids. So, you know, usually there's one kid with, with flu every year. So this is something that, you know, you can look at over a number of years and you can have some consistent data. But when it comes to this coronavirus, at the end of the day, it's, you know, we're going off this data. We're not even sure how accurate these are, you know, is China really giving us their correct numbers? Is Iran really passing on their numbers properly? You know, I mean, I don't, I don't have any faith in these numbers is what I'm trying to say. So I'm not trying to make any decisions based on the graphs and the stats that we see. I'm having to make a decision on what the government authorities are saying and sort of making, you know, responding to that with the best way possible. You know, but I do want to end on this if I can. And, you know, it's, it's James chapter one verse two. And, you know, I'm, even though I'm frustrated, I'm actually very excited. You know, I'm excited for, for the, for the fear as well, because, you know, I have said this many times in Australia is that Australian, Australians do not have a fear of God. You know, the average Australian, we live in a very, you know, it's called the lucky country. It's a very, you know, blessed with finances and resources. And generally speaking, no one really suffers in Australia. In comparison, at least to the rest of the world. And so generally speaking, people do not have a fear of God. Whereas, you know, you guys, I'm sure have heard about the fires that ravaged Australia in previous months. And now we have this coronavirus. And what I believe I'm seeing is that people are finally waking up and saying, Hey, you know, life can be short. You know, life is precious. You know, I believe people are wanting to get right with God. And, you know, maybe the fear of God is returning to the nation. And so I'm excited about that response, that the fear of God is returning to the hearts and minds of Australians. But I'm also excited for believers, because I think this is a great time for us to make some self-examination. You know, how are we responding to this? Are we fearful? Are we fearing God? You know, are we going to the Lord in prayer? Are we are we open in our Bibles? You know, more than we had before. I think it's a great time to say, Hey, how are we responding to this? And if I could just end with James chapter one, verse two, the Bible reads, My brethren counted all joy when you fall into diverse temptations. Well, this is counted all joy. Hey, we need to be excited. We need to be happy that God is allowing us to go through these trials. And it says in knowing this, that prying of your faith, work of patience, but let patience have a perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing. So as believers, we need to take the opportunity that God has given us to allow God to test us, test our faith. You know, go to the Lord, maybe more than you ever had before. Go in prayer, confess your sins, read your Bible. If you've not read your Bible. Hey, you're probably quarantined at home. You've got more time at home. It's not time to turn on the Netflix. It's time to open your the word of God. Read that Bible cover to cover and let the trying of your faith work that patience, you know, being perfect, being complete. You know, God wants to do a great work in us. And yes, so don't let this opportunity pass you by and let God, you know, let God use this opportunity to work in you so you can be stronger in the faith. Amen. That was a great passage as well. So I really appreciate you for just bringing us back to that reminder that that the government has been given the power by God's judgment, that God has put those rulers in place according to his plan and to the hearts of the people. And so that's including us as well. And there's a lot of wicked people around us that that that need to be saved. And there's there's lost people out there who who want to be saved, even even if if the outward appearance of our nation nations is that people don't care about God. There are people interwoven among the people who will be saved. And so let's let's just trust the Lord that that even though. There are elements that we don't necessarily trust because they they're not Christians. Our leaders are not professing. They're not quoting scripture. So but God has put them in a place and guy can bless us and guy can bless anybody even though they're in that position. So it's a it's a good reminder to trust in the Lord in this matter. And even if even if everybody even if it's a we're going to get into it tomorrow, but even if it's a total wicked plot to to move forward the jet devil's agenda and they're they're manipulating the numbers and manipulating the the media. And and even if that's the case, Like our job is not to to take it to him. And our our our job is what the pastors would have us to do. And so I'm so glad that the pastors that we've spoken to. They're aware at different levels or they'll speak on different levels of of what what people are thinking about with this. This could be a power play and what could be coming against our rights, but they're coming back to the scriptures. They're letting us know our place, keeping us humble and helping us to remember what God would have us to do. And that's going to save lives. Forget the, you know, washing of your hands. Like what's going to save lives is the fact that we're going to be in the will of God. And thank thank God for pastors like you who help keepable the right size in this matter. Thank you. God bless you. Amen. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. Thanks, Pastor. Have a good one.