Spiritual Lessons From Hurricane Katrina Series

Intro: From the events surrouding Hurricane Katrina

and the aftermath, we can learn some important spiritual lessons:

I. THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IS ONLY TEMPORARY

*There is coming an end to this world. Just

as weather forecasters predicted the coming

of Hurricane Katrina, GOD has forecasted that

this world will end. (*REVIEW THE TIMELINE

AND SEQUENCE OF END-TIME EVENTS IN SCRIPTURE

HERE AS YOU UNDERSTAND THEM*)

*Thus, our priorities & dependence should focus

on Spiritual, not material matters.

*One hurricane victim displaced to a shelter

said "I have adequate funds in the bank...I

just cannot access them because my bank was a

local bank and was flooded, so all I have

accumulated over the years is doing me

no good!" (WHAT A SPIRITUAL LESSON THERE!)

II.THERE IS A DANGER IN WAITING UNTIL THE LAST

MINUTE TO BE PREPARED:

*REGARDING KATRINA FORECASTS:

-SOME DENIED: "It won’t hit us"

-SOME RATIONALIZED: "It won’t be that bad"

-OTHERS IGNORED: "I’ll take my chances"

*Many spiritually react the same to God’s forecast

concerning the end of this world:

-Some DENY: "There’s nothing to that"

-Others RATIONALIZE: "A God of Love would

never let that happen"

-Many IGNORE: "I’ll take my chances"

*As the parable of the 10 virgins, the parable

of the narrow door (Luke 13:23ff) and the account

of Noah and the flood indicate, THERE IS DANGER

IN NOT BEING PREPARED!

*Jesus said

-"Unless you REPENT you will all likewise

Perish!"

-"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life...no man

comes unto the Father BUT BY ME!" (John 14:6)

III. THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED SHOULD HELP OTHERS

PREPARE:

*Christians have a moral obligation to witness

just as much as the Nursing Home administrators

had to evacuate those patients who could not fend

for themselves.

*We need to be more about witnessing, and less

about the "inward focus" of our faith.

*It’s easy to say "I’m okay...others know where

the church is"...but MANY need OUR HANDS

OUTSTRETCHED IN CHRISTIAN LOVE...AND WE ARE

TO TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS AS WE REACH OUT TO THEM.

*RESCUERS had to use all means of persuasion to

convince people "if you remain here, you’ll die"

*The truth is: If humans remain as we are...we

will perish...YET JESUS HAS PROVIDED A WAY TO

ESCAPE ETERNAL TORMENT...WILL WE RECEIVE HIM

AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR?? WILL WE "GET IN THE

BOAT?"

CONCLUSION:

1. SOMETHING far more massive than Katrina is

forecast in Scripture...it’s the end of this

world. GOD WROTE THE FORECAST...He warns us

to GET PREPARED because He doesn’t want ANY

of us to Perish.

2. To ignore preparation, or put it off until the

last minute is DANGEROUS. DONT WAIT TOO LATE.

3. Those who are prepared should reach out INTENSIVELY,

REPEATEDLY, AND CONSISTENTLY to those who are not

yet prepared.

Close with Old Song "Rescue the Perishing"