“What have We Learned?”
Gen. 11:1-9; Prov. 18:10
It seems like such an ancient, “Once upon a time” sort of story – an egotistical nation so advanced and industrious that she thinks she can do what she wants. So she builds a tower to represent her dominion over the world. Then one day, her plans were blown apart. The tower would not be finished; she knew she was no longer in control. Ten years ago we learned this is not an ancient tale – rather, it was very real. America, the most advanced and powerful nation in the world, built her towers and invited the world to come and join her. The towers became a center of worldwide activity, a symbol of the strength and influence of America. Meanwhile her citizens slowly began to think they were in control - that God, if He existed, had been displaced. Pride replaced humility, rights replaced gratitude and responsibility, and apathy replaced patriotism; invincibility set in. Then, Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the tower fell, and our lives and our nation have not been the same.
You probably remember where you were and what you were doing at the moment you heard about it. And you can still recall what you did the rest of the day. I remember it very clearly. We tried to contact our son whose office is in the heart of downtown Washington D.C. – no answer. We police chaplains were called together to be updated and put on alert. The staff of our church pre-school and learning center asked me to meet with them to help process their emotions. And that was just the first half of the day! Writing the sermon for that next Sunday was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. It’s one of those days we will never forget.
My intent this morning is not to relive that day or week, but to reflect on what we’ve learned in these intervening ten years. Time does not permit lifting up all the lessons, so I am offering my pastoral perspective on just a few. I will not give a full exposition on any of them but, rather, attempt only to plant some seeds that can take root in your minds and hearts.
LESSON #1: BELIEFS ARE IMPORTANT. Radical Muslims, because of their beliefs about Allah, believe martyrdom earns salvation and therefore are willing to be killed in the process of killing those they perceive as the enemies of Allah. Christians, because of their beliefs about Jesus Christ, do not seek martyrdom by killing their perceived enemies, but are to be willing to be martyred if threatened with death for their witness to Jesus. BELIEFS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. As David Shibley points out in Charisma Magazine, “The terrorists …were driven – not by money or fame – but by a destructive belief system. Don’t ever think personal theology doesn’t have public consequences.” What we believe determines how we live and act.
Beliefs are important also because TRUTH TRIUMPHS. I recently read about Fiona Havlish, whose husband was killed in the tower collapse. Her husband’s remains were among the last to be found and identified. She admits the road to recovery has been long and hard. But she said, “I realized I had to make a choice: Do I believe in God, or not? So I went out by the canal and just sat there imagining life without God, without the support…and life with God and with the support. And it was literally night and day. I felt so supported. That began a whole new journey for me…a whole new life.” Jesus said (Jn. 14:6) He was the truth and that (Jn. 16:33) “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Truth triumphs. Beliefs are important.
LESSON #2: GOD IS SOVEREIGN. If we didn’t believe it before 9-11, we certainly discovered that OUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH EVIL. Amid our peace and prosperity we had forgotten what the face of sheer evil looks like – but we were vividly reminded. The face became all too clear when the tower fell. We do know the face of our enemy – and it is the face of evil. But we are not, in reality, fighting a person or another nation or a fanatical religion; we are fighting the powers of evil. Paul painted a brilliantly colored picture in Ephesians 6:10 ff.: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
When we discovered that America was not impenetrable, we realized we are not invincible; we are not omnipotent. WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL. We fear what we cannot control. And we feel the most helpless when we know we are not in control. 9-11, in fact, made many wonder who, or what, was in control.
Therefore one of the most important tasks of Preachers, besides pastoring people through those difficult times, was to remind them that GOD STILL RULES THE WORLD. He is sovereign. He is the King of Kings, He is the Lord of Lords who still reigns, who sits on the throne and rules the world. Psalm 46 states, “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 theheart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging… (and I would add today, though the towers fall)… Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."” John, in the beginning of his Gospel, said that Jesus was the light of the world, and that “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” Martin Luther, in his great hymn, penned, “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.” God is sovereign.
LESSON #3: OUR SECURITY DOES NOT LIE IN ANYTHING MADE BY HUMAN HANDS. When the tower fell, our smugness and invincibility fell as well. Magnificent towers, airport security systems, FBI and defense surveillances, the Central Intelligence Agency – THE BEST OUR HANDS COULD BUILD – ALL PROVED WOEFULLY INADEQUATE. Our American sense of safety and security was shattered. We experienced fear – a deep-seated fear that was previously unknown to many of us. Children had trouble sleeping at night. Some people feared flying for a long time. Who of us did not wonder, “If they could pull this off, what’s next?” Even this week we heard once again that the alert status has been raised and we still wonder if it could happen again – because now we know our security does not lie in anything made by human hands.
But, thank God, WE ARE SAFE AND SECURE IN JESUS CHRIST. Listen to the words of Scripture. Psalm 27: “The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident… For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock… Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” This invincible tower is one not one we run from in fear but towards in faith. Its name is Jesus. America’s tower may have fallen but at the resurrection and ascension of Jesus another, greater one rose up. We are safe and secure in Jesus. (Jn. 10:28-30 CEV) “I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. No one can snatch them from his hands, and I am one with the Father.” Our security does not lie in anything made by human hands; we are safe and secure in Jesus.
LESSON #4: THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT CHAINED. Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 2:8-9 NLT): “Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained.” Consider two movements that have happened since the 9-11 attacks. One is that PERSECUTION AGAINST CHRISTIANS HAS INTENSIFIED. While clergy and churches were called in to assist in so many ways after the attacks, since then they have been largely ignored. While people flocked in droves to churches 10 years ago, it proved largely temporary. In fact David Shibley, in the article I referred to earlier, wrote that in the past 10 years the increase in persecution against Christians has been significant worldwide. “Paul Marshall of the Hudson Institute estimates that at least 600 million – and maybe closer to 700 million – Christians world-wide are experiencing some level of persecution. That means roughly one in every three people who profess the name of Christ is suffering for his or her devotion to Him…An increasingly diverse population, more radicalized terrorists, and a newly vocal, venomous atheism indicate that from now on America’s church may join millions of other Christians in the fellowship of His suffering.” I find it more than interesting that clergy, of all stripes – who were called to do so many tasks in the aftermath of 9-11 – are being ignored at and uninvited to events across America today. But this should not surprise us. Paul wrote (2 Tim. 3:12 NLT) “…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Jesus Himself, when speaking to His followers, said (Jn. 16:2-4) “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.”
Yet there’s a second movement taking place. While many Muslims have become more aggressive and radical since the 9-11attacks, millions of other Muslims are conflicted and dissatisfied. As a result MORE MUSLIMS ARE COMING TO JESUS CHRIST. Accounts of miraculous Holy Spirit visions are largely unreported, even though wide spread. Jesus is appearing to Muslim housewives, businessmen, and influential imams. Some missiologists estimate literally millions of Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus Christ. The Word of God is not chained; Holy Spirit fire cannot be quenched.
LESSON #5: TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION. The root word in the Bible for salvation is wholeness, healing. We need now to be repaired, to be made whole, to be healed – to be saved. 9-11 continues to remind us that LIFE IS FRAGILE. That Tuesday morning in 2001 thousands of people, just like you and me, got up, had breakfast, went to work, got their cup of coffee and went about business as usual. Then the tower fell. It was their last moment. They entered eternity. Scripture repeatedly reminds us life is fragile. James 4:13-17 (CEV) is very clear. “You should know better than to say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!" What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. You should say, "If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things." Yet you are stupid enough to brag, and it is wrong to be so proud. If you don't do what you know is right, you have sinned.”
So WE MUST MAKE SOME DECISIONS NOW. Do you know your last moment? Then now is the moment to decide. If this was your last moment, what would you want to be doing? Do it. Need to spend some time with your family? Do it. Need to reconcile some relationships? Do it? Need to let somebody know how much you love him or her? Do it. Need to be more serious about witnessing for Christ? Do it. Need to get right with God? Do it. Need to give your life to Jesus? Do it. Are you ready to enter eternity? Now is the time to get ready. The questions are, “How will you live? Where is your security? In what or whom is your peace?” You must decide now. Salvation is at stake.
Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the tower fell, and our lives have never been the same. But “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” I invite you this morning to run to Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – trust Him – and be saved – eternally. Amen.
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David Shibley, “The Day That Changed the Church”, Charisma, Sept. 2011, p. 30
Quoted in “9/11 Widow Recounts Her Living Nightmare”, by Kenneth R. Timmerman, Newsmax, September 2011
David Shibley, “The Day That Changed the Church”, Charisma, Sept. 2011, p. 30
Ibid, p. 31
Ibid
