The Certainty of No Separation: Lessons from a Lockdown
Romans 8:38-39
Rev. Brian Bill
9/2/07
Pontiac made not only the national headlines this week, we even became international news. We could have been named in the same sentence as Columbine or Virginia Tech but thankfully a tragedy was averted. It was a close call but it was also a wake-up call. But if past events are any indication the wake-up will be short-lived.
As you know by now, Pontiac Township High School was on a lockdown for three and a half hours this past Tuesday morning as a result of officials finding six handguns on campus. Because this has rocked our community I want to focus on some “Lessons from a Lockdown” so that we don’t miss what God wants to teach us.
Note: Because information on this incident is in “flux,” my purpose is to focus on what we can learn – not to discuss the specific details of what happened. I’ll leave that to the proper authorities.
We’re starting with the message and then we’ll praise God through song. We’ll end our morning by spending time around the table.
1. Living in a small town doesn’t mean you are safe. I heard one person say, “So much for innocence in Pontiac.” Several have said something like this: “I never thought this could happen here.” This incident has taught us that whether you live in Pontiac or in a surrounding community, our problems are very real – and sometimes very raw. On Tuesday, when information was still hard to come by, our youngest daughter Megan, when referring to Lydia, who is in high school, said this: “Lydia might not have come home today.” We are not insulated, and certainly not isolated, from those things that plague larger communities. Why is that? Because as we have learned in Romans 3:12: “…There is no one who does good, not even one.” While this is a good community, we also live in a sin-soaked society.
As I attended the various briefings, press conferences and parent meetings, I found within myself a strong tie to this community. To say it another way, I’m proud to live in Livingston County and Pontiac in particular. This community has pulled together when we could have fallen apart. It remains to be seen how we will move forward from this but I’m optimistic about the opportunity. During the parent meeting on Wednesday night at the high school one parent raised his hand and said something like this: “If you’re looking for volunteers to serve as hall monitors, put me on the top of the list.”
2. One person can make a difference. The student who had the courage to do what was right and tell the Resource Officer that he had observed some guns deserves to be commended. He is a hero. He did what was right, not what was easy. My other hero in this incident is Officer Bill Reynolds who responded immediately by instituting a “Code Red.” Because Bill has spent time beforehand building relationships with the students, this young man felt comfortable coming to him.
Along with Officer Reynolds, I was impressed with Chief Dale Newsome and the other officers who responded to this incident. They would tell you that they just did what they were trained to do but I think we need to thank every officer we see. I’m serious about this. When you see an officer this week I encourage you to greet him or her and say, “I attend Pontiac Bible Church and I just want to say thanks for what you do.”
I am also very grateful for Superintendent Leo Johnson, Principal Jon Kilgore and LAVC Director Amy Smith for the way they handled the situation. The teachers provided stability and safety for our students in their classrooms and continue to shepherd them through this (Please stand if you are a teacher or on staff at any school – this would include home school parents as well). I’m also thankful for our local media as they worked diligently to get the right information out as quickly as possible.
And I’m extremely grateful for the caliber of the clergy in this community. There were over 10 pastors outside the school on Tuesday morning, mingling with parents. Pontiac Bible Church and First Lutheran Church provided lemonade and water. On Wednesday morning, around 15 pastors were available to meet with students on campus. This was an amazing opportunity to provide prayer and a listening ear for students and staff.
Friend, don’t ever think that you don’t matter. Speak up. Stand up. Step up. The message of Mordecai to Esther in Esther 4:14 is true for each of us: “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” You are where you are for a purpose.
3. People pray when problems occur. Reading the fear on many faces as we stood outside the school on Tuesday morning and sensing the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I asked everyone to gather in a circle so we could pray. Almost everyone joined in. During the day on Wednesday when I was at the school, the Spirit prompted me again and I asked the administration for permission for us to pray after the parent meeting that night. A number of parents gathered down front for a time of earnest prayer. Psalm 121:2-3: “…Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth.” Our entire country turned to the Lord after 9/11. Our challenge now is to make sure that we don’t turn away from Him when this incident fades from our memory.
Here’s an application. Whenever you discover that someone is having problems, simply offer to pray with them. They might not always say yes but they will always be thankful that you asked.
4. It’s time for parents to be parents. At one of the parent meetings I attended, one parent said that he’s partly to blame for what happened because he needs to do a better job knowing what his own child is doing. If you’re a parent, make sure your child knows that you love him or her. Part of loving is disciplining. Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” And part of building discipline into their lives is teaching kids about right and wrong, and about the importance of standing up and speaking out.
Fellow parents, this is a wake-up call for us. Don’t be afraid to tell your child “no” and make sure you are putting them in position to say “yes” to Jesus. In a strange way, our nephews who attend huge schools in the Chicago area have learned lessons from what happened here. Let’s make sure we learn those same lessons. Let me give a caution here. Be careful about blaming other parents for what their kids may have done. I can’t imagine the pain these particular parents are experiencing right now. Let’s look for ways to reach out.
5. Support the Student Ministry. Pastor Jeff and his dedicated platoon of leaders are leading a ministry that really matters. What a joy it was for me to watch him mingle with the students on Wednesday at PTHS as he called many of them by name. Our student ministry right now is poised for some great things and there’s only one thing holding it back. Do you know what it is? They need more leaders and more parents to be involved so they can “go wide” this year. There’s a “parent’s night” scheduled for next Sunday night.
There is a significant need on Wednesday nights in the Junior High ministry. Please consider joining this team so that these students can be trained to live out loud on their campuses. We have a wide open door for ministry in this community. Let’s make sure we walk through it. Let me say it this way: Student ministry is imperative, it’s not optional. By the way, “See You at the Pole” will be held on September 26th. I’m praying that the whole front of the school will be filled with students who will be praying for their campus. There’s also a Moms in Touch group that meets every Thursday morning at the First Christian Church.
1 Timothy 4:12 is a challenge to our youth, but it begins with a challenge to adults: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Let’s make sure we are not looking down on teens or marginalizing them just because they’re young. Instead, let’s seek to understand them, to love them, and to learn from them. Remember, they are not the future of the church…they are the church.
6. Reject rumors. As the events of Tuesday were unfolding, dozens of rumors began circulating. Some of these seemed very credible but have since been debunked. Unfortunately, even after the truth comes out some people want to hold on to a rumor. Why is that? Proverbs 26:22: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” Be careful about allowing a rumor to ruminate in your heart. The Living Bible puts it this way: “What dainty morsels rumors are. They are eaten with great relish.” That means that gossip is usually fun and interesting because it appeals to our desire for information and details. The danger is that when we feed on gossip we’ll always crave more.
Be even more careful about passing hearsay along. One good way to handle this is to not hang around with someone who gorges on gossip. Proverbs 20:19: “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.” And do what you can to quash rumors when you hear them. As an example of this, I heard a younger child declare to a number of other students that there was a “shooting” at the high school. I immediately corrected that misinformation. That reminds me of the person who was gossiping to his friend about someone in the church. When the friend asked a question to get more of the juicy details, his buddy replied, “I’ve already told you more than I know!”
7. We are only safe when we seek refuge in God. We live in a world with constant threats and uncertainty. And now it’s come to Pontiac. There’s no place to hide that is safe anymore except when we find our refuge in Jesus. What are you focused on? If you focus on the threat, you’ll be anxious. Run to the One who will never let you down. Choose to not go to that frenzied place. Before our prayer time on Wednesday night I read these verses from Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
I realize that the information that has come out now is different than the fears that were flying around earlier in the week, but I think one of the lessons is this: Are you ready to die? It’s good for us to ponder our death because it helps us focus on what we’re living for. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do it today (see John 1:12).
Meditate on these words from Romans 8:38-39 when life feels unstable and you wonder what’s going to happen next: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” How comforting to know that there is nothing that can sever our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Notice that Paul is personally persuaded and completely convinced about this. The words “neither” and “nor” are absolute negatives and can be translated “not even anything.” Paul then lists some things that will never be able to separate us from the love God.
* Death. For the believer, death is the doorway to heaven and its sting has been removed by the Savior (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Death is mentioned first because if the love of Christ can sustain us through death, there is nothing else left to fear.
* Life. For some of us, life seems more challenging that death. That may be exactly how many of our students felt this week. There’s nothing that can happen while we are alive, no matter how difficult or scary that can separate us from the love of Christ.
* Angels. No matter how strong, they cannot sever us from the Savior.
* Demons. 1 John 4:4: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
* The present. There’s nothing that is happening right now that can move you out of the arms of Jesus.
* The future. And there’s nothing you will face in the future that will fracture your relationship with Him.
* Powers. Every power in the world is subservient to the power of Almighty God.
* Height. You can never go higher than God.
* Depth. No matter how deep the valley is; God is there.
* Anything else in all creation. Paul adds this just to make sure he didn’t miss anything. While it’s tough to feel safe in today’s society, if you know Jesus your relationship with Him is completely safe.
God’s love for us is unconditional and sacrificial, and is fully expressed in the death of His Son on our behalf. Let me point out that Romans 8 begins with “no condemnation” and it ends with “no separation.” It doesn’t get any better than that!
8. It’s time for the church to be the church. Are you more lukewarm than hot? The words of Jesus in Revelation 3:15-16 are very abrupt and arresting: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” May God move us out of our mediocrity and lift us from our lethargic lives. Refuse to be a “Chameleon Christian” or a “Pew Potato.” Live your faith authentically and make sure you are surrendered completely to the Savior.
Let’s get supremely serious about our faith and about sharing it with others. As I was mingling with parents on Tuesday I introduced myself to another dad and found out that he is searching for God and has some questions about the Bible. I was able to share a few things with him, invited him to church, and then sent him some material.
Let’s redouble our efforts to live out our mission as a church by connecting people to Jesus and equipping them to be growing and faithful followers.
Let’s look for the good that God will bring out of this. God weaves His ways for His awesome glory and for our ultimate good. Romans 8:28: “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.” I’m excited to think about what good God is going to bring from this.
Let me also be quick to say that God would still be good even if something worse had happened. People are scared. They have questions. It’s time for us to get our eyes off of ourselves and ask God to help us see people like He does. Let’s ask Christ to give us compassion for the lost sheep in this community. I love what is said about Jesus in Mark 6:34: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”
Let’s be compassionate and caring…just as Christ is. Let’s make sure that everyone is not only welcome at our table but also receives an invitation to join us. Wouldn’t it be great if Pontiac would be known as a community that learned these “Lessons from a Lockdown” and that Pontiac Bible Church would take the lead? That would be a headline we could all be proud of.
