Finding Peace In A Troubled World

PEACE IN A TROUBLED WORLD

SEPTEMBER 11, 2002

MEMORIAL SERVICE

GARLAND, NC

AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE TO REMEMBER THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. THE DAY THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES AND BECAME HEROES.

WHILE COUNTLESS OTHERS HAD THEIR LIVES CHANGED FOREVER.

THE RELATIVE PEACE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM HAD CHANGED FOREVER. THE STATEMENTS OF IT CAN?T HAPPEN HERE BECAME A PARADOX IN ITSELF BECAUSE IT DID HAPPEN HERE.

SINCE THE ATTACKS UPON OUR GREAT NATION, WE HAVE BEEN LIVING IN TROUBLED TIMES.

TIMES TROUBLED BY THE EVER PRESENT THREAT OF ANOTHER ATTACK.

TIMES TROUBLED BY A COUNTRY AT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. TIMES TROUBLED BY A FAILING ECONOMY, HURT EVEN MORE BY THE ATTACKS.

TIMES TROUBLED BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT IF THEIR JOBS ARE SECURE.

TROUBLED TIMES, FOR A TROUBLED NATION.

SO THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE REGAIN THE RELATIVE PEACE THAT WE HAD ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2001.

THE ANSWER TO THAT BURNING QUESTION LIES IN THE SCRIPTURES. IT LIES IN THE WORD OF GOD. IT IS NOT A SECRET, IT IS NOT HIDDEN IN SOME SECRET CODE IN THE BIBLE THAT MANY WOULD HAVE YOU TO BELIEVE.

IT IS AS PLAIN AS THE NOSE ON MY FACE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST FOCUS OF WHAT IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO HAVE PEACE.

OUR COUNTRY IS CONTINUALLY FOCUSED ON THE EVENTS OF 911. NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT SOME MENTION OF THAT TRAGIC DAY IS NOT MADE ON THE EVENING NEWS, OR IN THE DAILY PAPERS.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED OR THOSE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES. NOR DO WE NEED TO FORGET WHO PERPETRATED THOSE TRAGEDIES UPON OUR NATION.

BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE TRUE PEACE IN THIS NATION, AND IN OUR LIVES; ONE THING NEEDS TO HAPPEN, AND IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN QUICKLY.

IT IS A PROMISE OF GOD, THAT WE NEED TO RELY ON IN ORDER TO HAVE THIS PEACE. BUT AS WITH ALL PROMISES THERE IS ONE CONDITION.

THIS CONDITION IS WHAT WE MUST DO TO HAVE PEACE.

ISAIAH 26:3 TELLS US ?THOU WILT KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE: BECAUSE HE TRUSTETH IN THEE.?

IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE PEACE, ALL WE NEED TO DO IS FOCUS OUR MINDS ON GOD.

WHEN WE FOCUS OUR MINDS ON GOD, THEN ALONG WITH THAT FOCUS COMES TRUST IN HIM AND HIS POWER.

THAT IS ALL WE AS INDIVIDUALS NEED TO EXPERIENCE A PEACE THAT THE WORD OF GOD CALLS PERFECT.

WHAT WE AS A NATION NEEDS TO DO THEN IS TO FOCUS ON GOD AND TRUST IN HIM DURING THESE TIMES.

THIS SCRIPTURE DOES NOT MEAN THAT TROUBLES WON?T COME, BUT WHAT IS DOES MEAN IS THAT WE CAN FACE THESE TROUBLES WITH THE PEACE OF MIND THAT GOD IS GOING TO WORK IT OUT FOR OUR OWN GOOD.

THIS IS THE PEACE THAT WE NEED IN OUR LIVES TO GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP. THIS IS THE PEACE THAT ALLOWS US TO REALIZE THAT TERRORISTS CAN HURT US, MAIM US AND KILL US.

BUT THEY CAN NEVER TAKE THE ETERNAL PART OF US AWAY FROM GOD AND THAT IS OUR SOUL.

IF WE HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, WE HAVE PERFECT PEACE. WE HAVE BELIEVED IN HIM, AND HE TELLS US THAT IF WE BELIEVE IN HIM, THEN WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN GOD.

THAT BELIEF, THAT FOCUS CAN GIVE US THE PEACE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE TROUBLED TIMES THAT WILL COME OUR WAY.

WE SHOULD NEVER COUNT ON A LIFE THAT IS TROUBLE FREE. THAT IS NOT A PART OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

BUT THE ONE THING THAT WE CAN COUNT ON IS THE PEACE THAT GOD GIVES HIS CHILDREN DURING TROUBLED TIMES.

WE NEED TO STOP FOCUSING ON WHAT HAPPENED ON 911, AND START FOCUSING ON GOD.

WE NEED TO QUIT LIVING IN THE PAST, AND LIVE FOR THE FUTURE, AND THAT FUTURE STARTS WITH A MIND THAT IS STEADFAST ON GOD.

WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT WHAT WE HAVE DOWN HERE IS TEMPORARY AND WILL NOT LAST, BUT THE ONE THING THAT WILL LAST IS OUR SOUL,

AND THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE PEACE OF MIND CONCERNING OUR SOUL IS TO HAVE A MIND STEADFAST ON GOD.

WE NEED TO LIVE LIVES THAT ARE READY TO MEET JESUS. BECAUSE WE ARE NOT PROMISED TOMORROW. NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO PERISHED LAST YEAR, KNEW WHAT WAS IN STORE FOR THEM WHEN THEY WOKE UP THAT FATEFUL DAY.

WE NEVER KNOW WHAT IS IN STORE FOR OUR LIVES WHEN WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING. BUT THE WAY TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO US AFTER WE DIE, LIES IN A MIND THAT IS STAYED ON CHRIST JESUS.