"Just Doing My Duty"

This morning is the 10th anniversary of 9-11. Certainly we want to pause and remember the things that transpired on that day, certainly we want to remember the lives that were lost at the hands of terrorist, who for the first time attacked us on our own soil. I remember the day well. I was an exterminator and had just walked in the First Citizen Bank to exterminate, and one of the tellers asked did you here what happened? I finished my job at the bank and went to my moms house, flipped on the TV and within five minutes of turning the TV on I witnesses the second airplane slam into the second tower. I watched the buildings burn, I watched people jump out of the building plummeting to their death to escape burning up, I witnessed the towers crumbling and falling to the ground. It was a sickening feeling for me, for the first time I didn’t feel secure, I felt like the enemy had violated the sanctity of my country and the only thing I could think of was vengeance. I watched as countless Firemen and policemen, and port authority workers went to work trying to get everyone out they could, only to find that they themselves were going to give their own lives while trying to save the lives of others. 343 firefighters, 23 police officers, 37 port authority officers and 3000 civilians all lost their lives as a result of that day. They should certainly be honored. I know for a fact that there are countless churches today doing memorial type services and have invited fireman, policeman, military personnel and even congressman and senators. I know some churches today are hearing sermons on how “we should never forget” and truly we should never forget, There are sermons this morning on America turn Back to God, some are preaching on vengeance and how we should eradicate terrorism but I believe all these although important, don’t really address those who needs addressing this morning. I think it is you the church that needs addressed. As I think of these service workers and even civilians who died, I wonder why did you do it? Mr. Fireman why did you go into that building, there was clearly jet fuel burning, a lot of people died on impact why put your selves in harms way? Mr. Policeman why did you go in and begin to escort people out it was complete chaos in that building, people were running frantically down those steps, running over on another why did you go into that chaos and put yourself at risk, Mr. Port Authority officer why did you stand right around that building pushing people back to keep them out of harms way while at the same time putting yourself right in harms way? The answer would all be the same they would say “When I put on the uniform, and accepted the badge, it became my responsibility, when I swore that oath it became my duty, to risk my own life to protect someone else’s.” Ok then Mr. civilian why did you do it why did you jump in and begin to help, why was you at ground zero why was you lifting out rocks an debris by hand. Why were you digging people out from under that fallen building, you had no badge, you had no oath, why did you do it? The answer They felt like it was worth it if they could save one person, they felt like it was their obligation to their fellow man. The question has been asked where were you on that day, some ask where was God on that day, but I ask you church, and Christian where were you? When the firefighter and policeman were doing there best to do their duty and pull them out of the building, I wonder how many people that day went from the burning inferno of the trade centers, into the eternal burning inferno of hell. Tell me church what exactly is your duty. We come for memorial services and prayer in our air conditioned buildings and sit on our padded pews, and feel like we are doing something, but we have neglected our duty. If 9-11 reminds me of anything it is that people can go into eternity at anytime, and the day I knelt down and got saved, and I adopted the name of Christ it became my responsibility, it became my duty, to make sure I kept as many people out of hell as I could. If I could just save one, that is my obligation to a lost and dying world. Be we have been guilty of a gross negligence of our duty as Christians. We sit around in comfort all the time. While these men went to great lengths to save one temporal physical life, we want even give up a couple of hours to save one eternal spiritual life. Who are we kidding, we want even sacrifice a few hours a week to come to church, we make excuses for ourselves when we steal God’s time for our jobs, or to spend time with our families, not even realizing then we are sacrificing to hell those in our own homes, and those who work around us, who see our lives. I am telling you now quit convincing yourselves that God understands how tired you are, or that he understands you need the money, or that he understands you don’t spend time together, if it’s that hard for you to do maybe God needs to take some things from you so you don’t have so much on you. I am just trying to get you to realize today we are neglecting our duty. I am confident and so are you that the problems in our nation and the judgments of God are directly related with the lazy, laid back attitude of those who call themselves Christians. So I am going to preach a message on this 10th anniversary of 9-11 on “Just Doing my Duty”