Sermon Central
-
World Trade Center Hero
Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016 (message contributor)
Matt Chandler tells the story of Dave Karnes. When the World Trade Center tumbled to the ground on that dreadfully dark day, more than 3000 people lost their lives. But a few who were buried beneath the rubble miraculously survived. Two of these were Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, a pair of Port Authority employees who responded to the attack and were on the bottom floor as the south tower fell. Trapped without water and breathing smoke filled air, both men had little hope for survival. Yet as they lay there under a mountain of debris, something was stirring inside an accountant in Connecticut. Dave Karnes who spent 23 years in active duty in the Marines, was watching the scene play out on TV like the rest of us. But more than just allowing it to trouble him, he decided to do something about it. He went to his boss and told him he wouldn’t be back for awhile. He went home and put on his fatigues and then drove 120 MPH to ground zero, arriving by late afternoon. While rescue workers were being called off the site, Dave was able to stay because of the clout and credential of his uniform. Finding another Marine, the two joined forces and walked the pile of debris together, seeking to save a life. After an hour of searching, they heard the faint tapping on metal pipes. It was Will and John who had been trapped for nine hours. This Marine who had been working a spreadsheet just hours before found them, began to dig and then freed these two men. Of the 20 people pulled out of the rubble to safety, Will and John were numbers 18 and 19. And all because Dave Karnes took off his suit, put on his rescue fatigues, (rolled up his sleeves) and stepped into the despair and darkness of Ground Zero.
And then Matt Chandler writes, “In the same way but to an infinitely greater degree, God took off his royal robes, stepped into our dark and depraved culture, and served us. We were buried in the depths and rubble of our own foolishness with zero chance of pulling ourselves out of our own sin. We were without hope until the Holy One clothed himself in humanity to rescue us, to become sin for us on the cross. Our service (to others) must be grounded in the truth of the Gospel…Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection for us. It begins and ends with Jesus – begins there because he is our original motivation and ends there because in Him we are empowered to serve (and save) others.”
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Legend Has It That When The Famous Frontiersman ... PRO
Contributed by Bud Brown on Oct 14, 2004
Legend has it that when the famous frontiersman Davy Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827, a newspaper reporter asked him if he’d ever been lost. Crockett had grown up in the woods and wilderness of middle and western Tennessee and was often gone out on hunting trips ...read more
-
Do You Know That You Already Have The Gift Of A ...
Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Sep 30, 2005
Do you know that you already have the gift of a consuming passion for hungering and thirsting? You activate it when you surrender your life to the Spirit’s working. Billy Graham was asked, “What is the most important ...read more
-
Have You Ever Noticed That Good Feeling That You ...
Contributed by Michael Trask on Jan 18, 2007
Have you ever noticed that good feeling that you get when you give of yourself? Perhaps you gave time to help someone with a flat tire on the side of the road, or perhaps you helped a lost child be reunited with his mother in a crowd, or maybe when the clerk at the store gave you too much ...read more
-
Trust Is A Learned Behavior PRO
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Nov 20, 2004
TRUST IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR. Susie is one of the most trustworthy people I know; I trust her with my life. Imagine she is in a long line at the bank. The individual behind her is holding $1,000 cash with a completed deposit ticket. This person is obviously anxious and in a hurry, so Susie ...read more
-
Bob Had Been A Christian For About 6 Years And ... PRO
Contributed by Bruce Willis on Jan 2, 2007
Bob had been a Christian for about 6 years and had come to Dallas to head up a major city wide evangelistic campaign, hosting a daily radio program and working with some of the largest churches in America. He was beginning to think he was close to reaching the ultimate in Christian maturity - ...read more
Related Sermons
-
A Ministry Of Mercy Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Aug 7, 2013
A sermon examining the importance of extending mercy to others.
-
Behold, I Come Quickly! Series
Contributed by Michael Blitz on Jul 19, 2013
Based on Rev 22:12-end and John 17:20-26. The invitation at the end of Revelation is made to the Great Feast, and we as a church should set aside pride and in unity reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ.
-
Making The Best Of A Bad Situation
Contributed by Kraig Pullam on Feb 17, 2014
God takes the disadvantages of our dead ends and uses them as an opportunity to propel His plan into the spectrum of His greater glory and our greater good, as seen in the discourse between the disciples and Christ prior to His ascension.
-
The Seed Of Promise Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 31, 2017
Jesus came to do 2 things: save the lost and build His church. But how was He going to build His church and what tool did He give us to use to help Him do that?
-
Until The Day Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Apr 20, 2014
A sermon examining what Christians should do until our Savior returns.
