For me, serving as a soldier during 9/11 was one of the most difficult moments of my life. At the time of the attacks I was serving the United States Army at Schofield barracks, Hawaii. I can remember getting called out to P.T. earlier than normal. We had a mass formation with the post Commander. He came out and told us what had happened, that the United States of America had just been attacked and we as soldiers had better get ready for the inevitable. WAR.
Life had changed for all of us at that point forever. It seemed that fear crept itself into our daily lives once 9/11 took place. As a soldier, we had to be very cautious when wearing our uniforms outside of base. We never really knew who was an enemy and who wasn’t. The fear of not knowing who was for us and who was against us ran our lives in what we did and where we went. Words like jihad, Taliban and al-Qaida became as common to us as Sponge Bob or X-box is to most of you today.
Waiting and waiting for the inevitable. Knowing that war was around the corner and not knowing when we would deploy was a difficult thing.
It wasn’t until early 2003 that I was on my way to war. We were being shipped out to fight in Iraq. Many thoughts ran through my mind, many fears. As we sat in a crowded gymnasium waiting to board the plane I realized that I was supposed to be the one that was strong for others to confide in, I was to be the one that could offer encouraging words and share with the young soldiers about having faith in God that He would get us through this and keep us safe. The fear of responsibility, the fear of inadequacy, and the fear of realization of war was alive and well in my life.
We boarded the plane and the long flight over seas was a surreal experience. Sobbing and the sound of the engine were about the only sounds that were heard during that flight. I questioned myself, “How was I to give comfort and guidance to others as I was in search of comfort and guidance as well?” I too was feeling the same sadness in my heart.
I had small children I had to leave behind. I didn’t know if I would ever hold them in my arms again. Sure I was a highly trained soldier but what if my training alone wasn’t enough. What if I made a mistake? What if I wasn’t alert and paying attention when I needed to? What if?
What if something happened to my children when I was away? I mean accidents happen every day don’t they? I knew that I wouldn’t be there for them, that if something bad happened while I was away, I could do nothing about it. I knew that I had to rely on something greater than myself, something much bigger.
- I had to dig deep down into my soul and have my faith 100% on Jesus! I found peace and comfort in His Word.
Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Don’t these words sound good? To me, Jesus is saying, "I am here for you. I am gentle. I will be gentle with you. I understand what you are going through. I understand your pain. I want to help you, soothe you, and make it better. Come to me. Lean on me. Trust me with your life, your problems and your pain. I can ease the pain. I can forgive the sin. I can make things better." This comfort I felt during my deployment is what I want to talk about with you this morning.
For me God’s Word got me through this difficult time and it still guides me to this day when I am faced with various trials.
-Jesus was, is and always will be the answer to life’s pain and problems.
I. LOOKING BACK
A. What happened 10 years ago today 9/11/01, the day of terror when those jet planes hit the twin towers, another hit the Pentagon and still another (Flight 93) went down in Pennsylvania. A total of 2973 people were killed in those attacks and it’s a day that America and the world will never forget!
VIDEO: “We Will Never Forget”
1.We look back and we feel pain, we feel sorrow, and we feel as if no matter how many years pass by, we may never get rid of the pain.
Illustration: One news item was entitled “America the vulnerable.” WASHINGTON, SEPT. 12, 2001 (CBS News) - Hunkered down, grieving and nervous, America won’t soon be the same. The attacks that rained death on New York, Washington and a field in Pennsylvania brought an end to any idea that a strong country can be an invincible one.
Well away from the destruction, the symbols of American life - its work and play - slammed shut. No Disney World. No Mall of America. The first cancellation of a day’s major league baseball games, for reasons other than labor troubles, since D-Day. U.S. air space closed to commercial flights for the first time ever.
Even the government hid, diverting President Bush to military bases in the nation’s midsection on his way back from Florida and sending congressional leaders to a mountain fortification west of Washington.
2. WE REMEMBER AND WE HURT. We still hurt for the families who lost loved ones on that day. We remember and we pray. We ask for God’s mercy and His grace to be given to all who have suffered.
Could it happen again? Some don’t think so, but it seems to me that we are still vulnerable. It’s a shame that we can’t live in freedom and peace, but this is the way it is in our day and time. And sadly, this is probably the way it will be until God says, “Enough is enough!” and puts His foot down and calls a halt to this sin-sick work.
a. Life is full of trouble and suffering because this is an imperfect world we live in. And when we look back, most of us behold pain.
Illustration: I have visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial many times and each time I have visited, I experienced pain. IT WAS PAINFUL EVERY TIME. Of course, it is more painful for those who lost loved ones during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
3. When we look back and see the pain of the past from losing loved ones, from brokenness in the home, from past failures, etc., how do we deal with these things? We need something to take us above and beyond our pain.
B. Many people have found that exercise or some hobby is a form of relief from the rigor and roughness of this life. Exercise, sports, hobbies, work: all may provide some relief, but it’s not a lasting relief.
Illustration: Two men rested at the top of a high mountain. The first man said to the second, "What brings you up here so often? It’s such a rough climb." The climber replied, "Well, it’s like this. All my troubles and heartaches are down in that little valley, and when I’m down there, they seem pretty big. But up here they seem pretty small."
- We all need a high mountain to climb that will make our pain seem less or be less.
5 I have personally discovered that any time I am laid low...low from the suffering of the present or the past...I find peace and comfort and strength from climbing the mountain of God’s Word. God’s Word can strengthen our faith and lift our spirits in the midst of pain like nothing else can!
Illustration: A young man by the name of Joseph Scriven lost the woman he loved in death. The woman he was engaged to be married died by drowning. Scriven was for some time unable to cope with her death. Finally, after months of bitterness he came out of it by writing a hymn. "What a friend we have in Jesus."
- Jesus is our burden-bearer. He is our pain reliever. He is our mountain of majesty.
II. LOOKING FORWARD
Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
A. God wants us to press on past the pain. He wants us to make progress in the faith.
Illustration: Henry J. Ellsworth, commissioner of the U.S. Patent office, assured people that his resignation was really of no great concern. "Mankind," he declared, "has already achieved all of which it is capable. There will be no more inventions requiring patents." The year was 1844.
- Mankind has come a long way in the last 100 years or more. And we as a Nation have come along way as well since 9/11. Isn’t it amazing how we have progressed? But have we really?
II Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever." We are to grow in Christ. Grow in His grace and graciousness. Grow in knowledge of Him.
1. Have we really grown in Jesus? Perhaps but not nearly enough or fast enough. We have progressed tremendously in the realm of material things, but not so much spiritually.
2.When 9/11 took place we had our Chapels full to capacity. Soldiers, families, and civilians were packed into our services praying, weeping, repenting and growing closer to Jesus.
3. For the first year or so, Americans, for the most part had a revival not only as a Nation but as a NATION under God!! It seemed that we had re-claimed our Christian heritage that we built this Country on. We were stronger than ever because we went back to bended knees and could admit that we needed God once again.
4 This was a glorious time for America. People realized that spiritually speaking they had more to be done. There is always room for more spiritual growth.
5. We were in a place in our lives collectively when we could admit our weaknesses and we weren’t afraid to bow before God.
6. We didn’t allow the 9/11 attacks to shut us down. We respectively moved forward with honor and integrity as a NATION. We pressed on toward a common goal. We took it Day by Day and Minute by Minute. We knew we couldn’t stay where we were and allow our pain to hold us back.
Illustration: When Thomas Carlyle had finished writing his history of the French Revolution, he took the manuscript to a neighbor, John Mill, for proofreading. A few days later, Mill came to Carlyle’s house with devastating news. His maid had used the manuscript to start a fire in the fireplace.
Carlyle raged like a madman for several days after that. For two full years he had poured his whole being into the manuscript. Now, it was gone. Two years of his life were reduced to ashes. In view that disaster, Carlyle thought he would never write again.
One day, however, Carlyle stood looking out his second story window. Across the way he saw a stone mason and he slowly and patiently began rebuilding a collapsed wall, putting one stone on another, until finally the wall took form.
For the first time Carlyle accepted the unfortunate mistake of his past and began to rewrite his book. Diligently, one page at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, he wrote and finished what was probably his finest work.
7. To make progress in the future we must not dwell too long in the past. Instead, we must realize that no matter what has happened we can rebuild and we must!
Illustration: I was fired from my first job in a grocery store in Winfield, KS when I was a young teen. The manager had it in for me. He just didn’t like me and that’s why he fired me.
That man has been dead for many years now but I have resurrected him time and time again and beat him up in my mind. IT NEVER HURT HIM AT ALL, BUT I’M SURE IT HURT ME!
8. If we are ever going to make any progress in the future we need to realize that some things are just unhealthy and won’t do anything other than tear us apart!
9.Some people spend their whole lives thinking about their past pain and they never get anywhere because of it. They may proudly complain and give their two cents about it but other than that, they are not willing to move forward in life.
10.All of us have painful pasts, but somehow, we must go forward and get on with living a productive life. How do we do that?
B. We do what is necessary. We do what is helpful in a positive way. After 9/11, we had an overwhelming response from Americans enlisting into the service. People band together to do what was necessary, to do what was right. People sacrificed careers and their very lives.
Illustration: Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was a Professional Football player who left his multi- million dollar football career with the Arizona Cardinals and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
After participating in the initial invasion of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in September 2003, he entered Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and graduated on November 28, 2003.
Tillman was redeployed to Afghanistan. On April 22, 2004, he was killed by friendly fire.
1.Here was a man that had it all and yet when was willing to sacrifice everything to do what was necessary because He believed in America and for what she stood for.
So Looking at the big picture: We had an over pouring of souls coming the Jesus and we had tremendous sacrifices of people giving all they could for our NATION.
What America about today?
III. LOOKING AT TODAY.
A.Today we see churches struggling to pay the electric bills. We see churches with more vacant seats than occupied.
B.Today we see a Nation that is more concerned with the national debt than we are with individual lives.
C.Today we see our own leaders turning their backs to God as they have shoved God out.
D.Today we see a Nation that is no longer united, no longer under God, a nation that no longer asks the question what can I do but rather what do I have to do and how can I avoid doing anything.
Conclusion: Looking at today, we can make a difference. We can get back on our knees, find the strength to move forward and change THIS NATION. Let us remember and let us honor those that have sacrificed so much let us remember what it was that once made our Nation so great. Let us remember God!
