"Looking Back on September 11
th - Part 2" Sermon Transcript for November 25, 2001 By Rev. Mike Beck
Last Sunday, and continuing this morning, I’m encouraging us to look back on September 11th to reflect on some of the things we hopefully learned in the midst of this tragedy. And in doing so to be able to see a little more clearly how God wants us to live each day of life that we have been given. I have selected three brief passages of Scripture to provide a foundation from God’s Word for our reflection. I invite you to read those with me again this morning.
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
II Corinthians 4:8-9
I have told you these things so that with me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose". Romans 8:28
I continue to pray that we will never be the same as individuals, as a nation, as a result of what occurred on September 11th. That we won’t quickly forget the lessons we learned and return to previous ways of thinking. Last week I shared four points with you. I’ll review them now quickly. I think September 11th reminded us anew that LIFE IS A PRECIOUS, FRAGILE GIFT OF GOD not to be taken for granted. In that same light, we’ve learned that we probably ought TO LET OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW A LOT MORE OF HOW MUCH WE CARE ABOUT THEM, HOW MUCH WE LOVE THEM. WE’VE LEARNED AGAIN THE PROFOUND TRUTHS AND RESPONSIBILITIES CONTAINED IN THE SIMPLE PHRASE, "GOD BLESS AMERICA". But let us remember, friends, God’s blessing upon America is not an automatic thing. A gentleman came to me after the service last week, and I think very profoundly said, "We ought often to turn that phrase around so we are reminded "America Bless God" because if we want God’s blessing upon our land, there are certain responsibilities that go with that. And then, fourthly, last week we talked about that in this life there are OFTEN THINGS like September 11th that puzzle through them as much as we can, they still DON’T MAKE SENSE. And we’re reminded as we look at the stories of Scripture, authentic faith is normally best hammered out not in times of ease, but in times of difficulty in the midst of our fears, in the midst of our unanswered questions.
I want to share three additional thoughts with you today. I think we’ve learned from the events of September 11th that THERE IS INCREDIBLE EVIL PRESENT IN OUR WORLD. Any of us who believe that we are by nature naturally good, that evil is not alive and well in our world, were quickly woke up on September 11th. For we looked at evil personified in the person of Osama Ben Ladin and his network of terrorism.
What about the evil that lurks closer to where you and I live--the evil that exists in pornography? I’m on Juno for my e-mail. I am just about to change over to another Internet provider because I’m tired of having to delete all the messages related to pornography that come across that free Internet site. Pornography is a horrible evil that’s permeated our life.
What about the evil that exists in corporate greed that takes advantage of workers for corporates’ bottom line? What about the evil that exists in the casual disregard for unborn human life? What about the evil that’s all around where we live in the misuse of drugs and alcohol? Friends there will be far more people in this country killed this year by the evils of drunk driving than were killed in the terrorists actions of September 11th.
And what about the potential for evil that lies in my own heart and in your heart? It’s been easy for us to conjure up righteous indignation for what took place in New York City and Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11th. But my challenge and prayer is that we would learn to have the same Godly anger—and yes, friends, those two words can go together! There’s a place for Godly anger toward every expression of evil in God’s world including the evil that is not so readily seen. Let me give you two examples.
One million black-skinned persons in Congo have been slaughtered in the past three years. We lost 4,000 in the horrible tragedy of September 11th but one million of God’s children have been slaughtered in the Congo. Are they not as important to God as affluent Americans who worked in the World Trade Center? And what about 300,000 children here in America that are used each year for prostitution, for pornography, or are otherwise sexually molested. 300,000! That’s almost twenty cities the size of Franklin. Every person within them would represent those children in our own land sexually exploited every year. Where is our anger about that? And so I hope we have re-learned our responsibility as people of God to speak out against evil in all of its expressions
And then, sixthly, it’s kind of the opposite side of the coin to what I’ve just shared. We’ve learned that THERE IS TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR GOOD ALSO AMONG PEOPLE. No greater example of that can be found than in those brave fire fighters and police officers who were running up the stairs of the World Trade Center at the same time that everybody else was running the opposite direction for safety. Friends, in life I’m convinced we will find whatever we are looking for. Some persons in the events of September 11th saw the absence of God. But others with eyes of faith saw in the example of those brave firefighters the very epitamy of the God revealed to us in Scripture. A God who saw every one of us trapped in the wreckage of our sin with no way out. A God who responded to our 911 call; and at the cost of His own Son, came to rescue us and to help us find the way to life abundant and eternal. I think we saw that lesson illustrated so well on September 11th.
And then, finally, many since September 11th have RELEARNED THE SOURCE OF THEIR SECURITY. Friends, our security is not found in the government no matter how important that institution may be. I don’t care how carefully they check your bags, how many safety checks federal agencies do, as long as airplanes fly periodically, some of them will fall from the sky. It isn’t found in our job, in our possessions, or in our bank account. The events of September 11th reminded us that if we think our security is found in those things, they can be gone in an instant. And it also isn’t found in "playing it safe". Hear me carefully here. I read these words recently. They’re filled with humor and truth.
"You can live on bland food so as to avoid an ulcer; never drink tea, coffee, or other stimulants in the name of health; go to bed early; stay away from night-life. Wear a mask to avoid germs; refuse to fly on airplanes; never ride on a motorcycle or go to an amusement park; avoid involvement in other people’s problems; spend money only on necessities; avoid investing in the stock market; hide money under the mattress for emergencies; and you can still break your neck in the bath-tub, and perhaps it would serve you right!"
Our security is not found in the government. Our security is not found in our bank account or our possessions. Your security is not going to be found in seeing how safe you can play it as you go through life. Friends, the reason we will continue to get on airplanes, that we will continue to buy our Christmas presents and make long-term purchases, and hear me carefully on this, and the reason we will turn off the television set when endless, exaggerated commentary about anthrax will tend to throw us into the media induced panic. I don’t know about you, I just have to turn it off. I am concerned that there is someone out there that has slipped that powder into certain envelopes. But, friends, the media has totally blown that out of proportion. If there is any fear in this country over anthrax, the media induced it. Because more persons will probably be killed by a drunk driver this week in the state of Indiana than the whole number of persons who will die from anthrax this year!
The reason we turn off the TV in those kinds of times is that we know where our true security lies – in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Like the disciples there in the Upper Room, we have heard Jesus say, "In this world you will have problems". But we have also heard him say, "But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." In these trying times, we resonate with the words of Apostle Paul. We acknowledge that, "we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. We are perplexed, but we’re not in despair. We are persecuted, but we are not abandoned, we are not alone. We are struck down, but we are not destroyed."
Why can we confidently say that? Because of the words that resound so strongly in the Christmas story that we will tell again in the coming weeks. I urge you as you re-read those Scriptures, see how often characters in the Christmas story are told, "Fear not, for I am with you". Scripture also tells us, "Greater is He that is in You," speaking of the Holy Spirit, "than he that is in the world." So I ask each one of you this morning to search your hearts. Do you know for sure the source of your security? Do you know Jesus Christ, not in the abstract, but do you know Him in a personal way? And if not, even before the service ends today, there is someone that would be happy to pray for you. Or as you go to your home, if you don’t know the source of that security, slip to your knees and you’ll find God is waiting there.
That’s why I’ve chosen the great hymn of hope for our closing hymn. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand." Let’s stand.
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