911: Christians Answering the Call
Ballard Assembly Pastor Bob Briggs September 16, 2001
This week America as we have known her took a dramatic and tragedy change of course as terrorists attacked the financial, military and governmental nerve centers of our great nation. Secretary of State Colin Powell has identified Osama bin Laden, a leader of a fanatical Muslim group, as the prime suspect in orchestrating this reign of terror.
I am sure we all have felt a wide range of emotions. From disbelief, as if watching something out of a Hollywood movie as the two planes struck what was the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, to horror as we watched the buildings collapse, to sympathy as the stories of families waiting for their mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles to come home when deep down we know most will not, to anger for those involved in this tragedy and other acts of terrorism to be brought to swift justice. My emotions have run the gamut.
America has drawn closer this week. Although a nation of diversity, we have pulled together, united in common cause. Setting aside for the most part political differences, we stand as one against this evil that has expressed itself on our shores. Continually through this ordeal that is not over yet, we have rallied together, prayed for the nation and for those who have died, innocent victims of the madness of some minds. President Bush quoted from Psalm 23, though we walk through the shadow of death, we fear no evil.
Before I get into the message, I would like to share with you the Pledge of Allegiance that Red Skelton said he learned from his schoolteacher as a boy.
I - - Me; an individual; a committee of one.
Pledge - - Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.
Allegiance - - My love and my devotion.
To the Flag - - Our standard; Old Glory ; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody’s job.
United - - That means that we have all come together.
States - - Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.
And to the Republic - - Republic--a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands
One Nation - - One Nation--meaning, so blessed by God.
Indivisible - - Incapable of being divided.
With Liberty - - Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one’s own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice - - The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.
For All - - For All--which means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.
And now, boys and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too?
We are a nation that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, principles that have sought to include not exclude, and principles which have sought to bring people together not to divide. Principles that have the love of Christ not the seething hatred that causes people to blow up planes loaded with innocent victims and places of work.
It is time for the Church to rise up and answer the call of this hour. It is time for the church to start a revolution, not of hatred of a revolution that mirrors the life of Christ in all of our actions, in all of our deeds. We have been given the 911 calls, a wake-up call, to respond to a world searching for answers to questions that seem to have no answer. Amidst the hopelessness of the moment, there is a sound of hope that the Church can bring to bear in the darkness of the hour, when people are asking the fundamental questions of life, searching for answers in the chaos of the moment. It is time the sleeping giants of faith be awaken from their slumber and called into action.
Some have said this is a holy war and those who know the Bible understand behind these actions lies the diabolical work of Satan and his workers. It is a spiritual battle manifested through humans plunging people’s lives into despair.
Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us 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.
Bin Laden and those associated with his reign of terror need to be brought to justice but let us not forget whom our struggle is with and how we can and should respond to the world around us.
As I watched the plane crash into the second tower, as I thought of the lives of the people in the plane who saw their fate, as I thought of their final moments and the hopelessness which was there, the senselessness of it all, I am reminded of the words of Paul in Romans 8:27-29 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.
There is no good done in their death, the good that will be done will come from our lives. In the tragedy of this past week, I hear the sound of hope coming through louder than ever, do you hear it?
As I watch rescuers stand pulling debris from the ground, as I listen to those who have worked away and found no survivors I am reminded of those who stood in Jesus day at the foot of a cross. They had believed in the ministry of Jesus then they came to a place of death, a place of crucifixion and in the moment when Jesus hung suspended between heaven and earth their hope had drained out, many had fled, given up. What good could come from that moment? What good? There was a sound of hope when Jesus cried out from the Cross-, “It is Finished.” Do you hear that sound of hope, it is found in an Old Rugged Cross a place of death which has now become a place of hope for on the Cross Jesus battled against Satan and took back the keys to death and the grave. Christianity is a message of hope to a hopeless world, there is something beyond today, there is something worth living for, there is something which is keeps on going on even in the face of disaster, even during the storms of life, even when it looks hopeless, there is a sound of hope and it is growing even stronger as Christians respond to the 911 call echoing not only throughout this nations but the world.
As I listened to people on CNN speak of the hope they held for their loved ones to be found in the twisted wreckage which was the World Trade Center and the gaping whole that broken up the Pentagon I thought of Mary going to the tomb to finish the burial process with Jesus. When she arrived the stone was rolled away and an angel told her, “He is not here, He is risen.” The sound of hope began to resound. You see, hope is found in an empty tomb for what Jesus said about Himself and what He told of the Christian life is true. Do you hear the sound of hope? In this room, for those of us who know Jesus Christ, we have a message that cannot only bring comfort to those who are living; it can bring help and peace in our present time of danger and uncertainty.
How many of you this week have thought, oh, if I could only do something. If I were in New York I could have helped them dig, or put myself to use helping others. You can. Not in New York, you can right here in Seattle. The sound of hope is heard at the foot of an Old Rugged Cross and at the entrance to an empty tomb. Not only there, the sound of hope is heard in the lives of men and women who have given themselves wholeheartedly to pursue the purpose of God.
As much as I am proud to be an American and how I stand united with our country in our hour of need, I am even more proud to be a Christian and I want to stand as a Christian reaching out to those who are caught in despair, lost, in need of someone to show them the way.
If bin Laden could have been reached as a child, youth or young adult, and shown the love of Christ in a practical sense, we would not be hearing this sermon today. I wonder how many more bin Laden’s we will find in the world today?
Digging through the wreckage of the world trade center is a daunting task because more likely than not, it will at this stage only yield is buried dead. Digging through the wreckage of humanity offers much greater hope when we dig with the message of Jesus for there is no pit that is so deep that Christ’s arm is not deeper still to lift them from the wreckage and set their feet on solid ground. This is the kind of revolution I want to start, this is the kind of answer I want to bring to that 911 call, this is the Christian response to the tragedy that is in our yard.
It will never be like it was before, America has been changed forever. It should never be as it was before in the church, we need to respond and be changed forever. Who in this place will answer the call? Who in this place is going to invest themselves into a life saving ministry? It might be working with children on Saturday morning, or helping with the free senior luncheons we are going to start next month. It could be taking over the ministry of The Edge Café so people can fellowship after the Sunday services, or starting an ESL, English as a second language, or starting a ministry for after school tutoring helping students to excel in their class work. Finding opportunities to share the sound of hope with others and be the example they need to see Christianity does work because it is working in you.
The worship team is coming and we are going to sing God bless America. Why does God bless America, why does God bless you? Isn’t it so you can turn around and share that blessing with someone else?
If God is stirring your heart to action, and you may not even know yet what that action might be, but if you are being stirred, I want to encourage you to come and join with other revolutionaries here at the front. The American Revolution brought freedom to a nation, the Christian Revolution is going to bring spiritual freedom to the individual, and only then will we see terrorism ebb. Who will be a revolutionary with me?
altar
