“In God We Trust”
In Isaiah chapter 54, we read;
“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return without watering the ground. They cause plants to sprout and grow, making seeds for the people and bread for the farmer. The same is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They make the things happen that I want to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do.” 54:10,11
Listen - I am totally convinced that God wants to make some things happen through His word today. And as we begin our time together – we will be reading together several passages that will appear on the screen…
Stand Up...if you’re still in shock this morning.
We all have been wandering around in a haze, in a daze, for six days now. Like the clouds of smoke, soot and debris that has blanket lower Manhattan – a dark cloud has blanketed the heart & soul of nearly every American.
We feel helpless, we’re confused, we’re angry, we’re numb - AND blown away by the events of this past week. A powerful storm has blown in from New York and Washington, AND it has knocked us off our feet, and because of it we will walk unsteady for the rest of our lives.
There’s a lot we don’t know. There’s a lot we’ll never know. There is much about this week will never understand,
“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand…” Psalm 40:1,2
Please Be Seated. (Pause in Silence.)
Stand Up...if you’re angry this morning.
What word works?
Unbelievable? Unimaginable? Unthinkable? Horrific? Tragic? Devastating?
What words can be put together?
How Could This Happen? Who Would Do This? Who Could Do This? Can I ever be certain of anything again?
“To you, O Lord, I Lift my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.” Psalm 25:1-3
Please Be Seated. (Pause in Silence.)
Stand Up...if you’ve have got questions this morning?
How could we be so vulnerable? How do we fight against “shadows?” How do we ever step into an airplane or a skyscraper again? How do we ever feel safe again? How do we make our children feel safe again?
“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 attack me, they will stumble and fall.” Ps 27:1,2
Please Be Seated. (Pause in Silence.)
Stand Up...if your heart is breaking over all the pain that so many people are suffering.
[I’m going to mention some who have suffered – and after I mention them – I’d like for you to say, Lord have mercy”]
United Flight 93: Lord, have mercy.
United Flight 175: Lord, have mercy.
American Flight 11: Lord, have mercy.
American Flight 77: Lord, have mercy.
World Trade Center, NYC: Lord, have mercy.
The Pentagon, Washington, DC: Lord, have mercy.
The families who have lost loved ones; Lord, have mercy
Who can ever forget the images of two 110-story buildings filled with people collapsing into rubble? Of trapped secretaries, stockbrokers, moms, dads, husbands and wives - seeing a 90-story jump a more hopeful choice than remaining in a fiery furnace? Of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of police officers losing their lives saving others in a war zone? Of a disaster movie being produced and directed by Satan right in front of our eyes? Who doesn’t feel a loss that’s unspeakable and almost unbearable? Who here, is isn’t in need of some kind of comfort?
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quite waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” Ps 23:1-4
Be Seated. (Pause in Silence.)
Stand Up...if you need God this morning.
CNN newscaster Judy Woodruff admitted on television “Even if you don’t believe in God, at times like this you want to reach out to a higher being for salvation.”
Yes at a time like this we need God, and not the watery, feel-good, "Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul" God. But the unmovable, unshakable, God, we need – the God who is; all present, all knowing and all powerful, when the God who is the alpha and omega – the God who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… We need the Lord God Almighty – the Great “I Am”
We need the God to whom the Psalmist cries out,
"Hear my cry, O God; Listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint; Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, A strong tower against the foe." —(Psalm 61: 1-3)
Be Seated. (Pause in Silence.)
At 8:48 on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the United States of America had a date with the Devil. As Hijackers struck at the economic and military heart of our nation, killing thousands of innocent people… The hijacking of innocent people to kill innocent people…this is not cowardice. This is not terrorism. This is evil.
This is one of those events that will NOT simply be recorded in history books – but it will be forever etched in the hearts and minds of all us in this room today. Most people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when; President Kennedy was shot, when the Space Shuttle blew, when the war in the Gulf war started…AND we will remember exactly where we were AND what we were doing when we first heard of these terrorists attacks…
Tuesday morning – I was working in my office – preparing the second part of my message on the family – “Bringing Out The Best In Our Kids…” AND then Lauire called and asked me if I knew what was going on? THEN she told me that about the 2 hijacked planes crashing into the WTC…
I turned the radio and once the Pentagon was hit – I left for home. My emotions were flying – as I drove I felt I needed to do something to protect my country… ALL day Tuesday like so many Americans I was glued to the TV – going from channel to channel.. fire, flames, smoke, explosions, planes hitting, terror, panic, buildings collapsing, people running.. I felt numb, speechless, helpless, angry, sad, - I was blown away – it was surreal…
AND SINCE Tuesday I like every Minster across this nation struggled to find the words – that am I supposed to say in response, why do I need to say, what does God want me to say… AND how do I say it? It wasn’t until Thursday afternoon that was able to sit down and actually begin typing down some of the thoughts I had scribbled on paper…
AND what I decided to do this morning is to answer 3 questions that many in this room and across the nation are searching for answers to….
The first question is;
WHY Did This Happen?
One night this week on CNN, Larry king had several guests on including James Dobson – and what they were discussing was the age old question – “if God is all powerful and all good why did this happen….?
Listen we need to understand that God created humans with the ability to choose, He has given man free-will, God has given mankind the ability to choose their actions… we can choose to DO good and we can choose to DO evil. (understand that with out this freedom to choose we would be nothing more than puppets on a string)
AND when men like those who hijacked those airliners choose to do evil – many times innocent people suffer… 2,000 years ago God’s own son was the victim of the choices of evil men…
NOW – we may not like this answer – we may think it is too simplistic – we may want another answer, but that is really the bottomline…
We live in a sinful fallen world and the innocent often reap the consequences of the actions of evil men…
The NEXT question is;
Where Do We Turn?
This week our eyes have been flooded and overwhelmed by SO many images this week – ONE image that is burned into my mind is that of people running and fleeing from those buildings, FRANTICALLY looking for a secure place, a safe place, a stable place – a place that was not shaking…
AND - Over this past week we have heard many of our nations leaders make the statement that though the terrorists have shaken our buildings – they have not shaken our spirit. AND that “American Spirit” has been seen in so many ways…
Rescue workers both professional and volunteers working day and night
Long lines of people to give blood
Flags being bought and hung all over this country, candles are being burned
Millions of people praying
Republicans and democrat’s coming together in unity….
Mayor Giuliani saying, “We’re gonna come out of this stronger than before…you can’t stop us.”
I think the terrorists, the world and even some Americans have underestimated that American spirit… At the present time it remains unshakable…
Yes it’s good, it’s comforting to know that some things are unshakable?
AND listen – there is something that is even more unshakable then the American spirit – the Hebrew writer talks about it in his 12th chapter;
“Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire…”
Hebrews 12:28,29
Circle; “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken…”
Question – WHY is the kingdom that we are receiving unshakable…? Answer - Because we worship & serve an unshakable God!
Where do we turn in the face of such tragedy? We turn to God… Listen – buildings, stock markets, armies and even the American spirit can be shaken – BUT Almighty God cannot be shaken… He is all powerful. Nothing – Absolutely nothing shakes my God!
And as CNN newscaster Judy Woodruff admitted on television this week, “Even if you don’t believe in God, at times like this you want to reach out to a higher being for salvation.”
BUT listen we do believe in God – and therefore we KNOW that we are not just reaching out to some higher power – Listen - we are reaching out to THE ONLY higher power…We are reaching out to the Lord God Almighty, The one who spoke this universe into existence, the one who hung each start in it’s lace – we are reaching out to the All Powerful, K of K and L of L – we are reaching out to the unshakable God…
And understand this moment, is not the first time people who love God have had their world shaken… Time and time again throughout the pages of scripture we see people who were shaken by their circumstances turning to the unshakable God…
WHY? because in our times of trouble, in those moments when our world is shaking – we want a stable place, a safe place, a secure place – AND our God in these times = is a solid rock, a secure refuge, a mighty fortress…
Hannah whose life for years was shaken as she lived with an empty womb and the insults of her husbands other wife – Came to God in her time of sorrow and He gave her a son, and in response Hannah sung these words of worship to the Lord;
“…there is no Rock like our God…” 1 Sa 2:2 [repeat]
David after God had delivered him from all his enemies wrote these words;
“I love you Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.” Ps 18:1-3
Jeremiah as he saw the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians cried out in Jeremiah 16:19;
“O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of distress…”
NOW, I don’t know about you – BUT – I find it very comforting in troubled and uncertain times like these, to be reminded THAT THERE IS > a Rock (a rock, that is higher than we are), that there is a fortress (that is strong, safe and secure), and that there Refuge (in which I can always seek shelter from the storms of life)…
I love this words of David; “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings…”
If you don’t mind I just have to read a few more passages of scripture that remind us of how unshakable God is…
“God is our protection and our strength, He always helps in times of trouble. SO we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea, even if the oceans roar & foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea….” Ps 46:1-3 (NCV)
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken…” Ps 62:1,2
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run into it and the are saved…” Pr 18:10
“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up, the flames will not consume you…” Is 43:2,
Listen things of this world can, are and will be shaken… The WTC a symbol of our strong economy was shaken – the Pentagon the symbol of our military might was shaken… Understand everything in this world can be shaken… That is why we need to turn to the The Rock… That is why we need to turn to the unshakable God…
His LOVE is unfailing
His COMPASSION knows no limits
His PEACE is beyond understanding
His HOPE can never perish, spoil or fade away
His GRACE is always sufficient
His MERCY endures for ever
AND His PROMISES are everlasting
Do you hear what I’m saying? Our God is unshakable, He is steadfast, sure and true…
Jesus on the night that His disciples world was to be rocked to the core said these words;
“Do not let your hearts be troubled TRUST in God TRUST also in me. In my fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am…” Jn 14:1-3
TRUST in God/in Jesus….
You say, "But we don’t know what the future holds."
I say, "Yes we do!"
We know exactly what the future holds. Listen - whatever turns this earthly life takes, the power of that cross can take us around every corner with confidence and victory. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor principalities nor powers, nor hijackers, nor terrorists, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”?
Yes we do know what the future holds, and in that future...
The lion will lie down with the lamb. The wicked will cease their troubling, The weary will get their rest. There will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more hatred. No more death, no more disease, no more hunger. No more war.
No we may not know how the road bends or where it will wind in the next few months, years, or generations. But we already know where the road ends.. At home with Jesus
Listen because God is unshakable;
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in man…” Ps 118:8
BEFORE we move on to the next question – I have some other ground that I want to briefly cover….
You know, there is a verse that we all know well, it is a verse that we especially go to when a senseless tragedy like this, slams us to our knees… It is found in the 8th chapter of the book of Romans;
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according his purpose…” 8:28
Listen - God wants to use this recent tragedy for good. AND I can already see a lot of good coming from this – BUT – to me perhaps the greatest good, the good that will have the most lasting and far reaching impact… Will be for American to once again imprint not mindlessly on our currency - But rather with great reverence imprint on our hearts and in our lives – “In God We Trust..”
As I reflected this week on the need for our country to turn back to God…The words of a great leader from America’s past who lived in a time of tremendous trouble…
"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness".
Abraham Lincoln April 30, 1863 as he proclaimed a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer.
NOW – I do not want to stand up here today and dog our country… I love my country. I love America – for 9 ½ years I wore the uniform of the USN. BUT, I think we all know that our land needs to turn back to God…
AND it needs to begin with God’s people, his church – it needs to begin with YOU….AND it needs to begin now!!
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land…” 2 Chron 7:14
The final question is;
What Should We Do?
Besides giving blood and whatever material ways, what should we do in response to this tragedy? I’d like to suggest 4 things that we as God’s people should do.
AND to help us remember them I’ve made an acrostic of a word that we are hearing quite a lot lately… The Word pray….
P – Pray for our country & our countrymen
Now, it is unfortunate that is takes a tragedy like this to NOT only to bring our nation to her knees,
But to bring God’s church to her knees…
BUT HEY -= we are there NOW…. SO let’s pray…“When believing people pray great things happen” James 5:16
Pray for all the hurting people who have lost SO much
Pray for our leaders – especially George W…
Pray that our nation will turn back to God
Pray that those who did this will find the true God
Pray that the church will get really sold out for Jesus
R - Remember What Matters Most
Back in June in our sermon series on restoring balance to our lives we talked about how in the frantic pace of modern life we often toss what really matters most, into the ovens of our business. AND what really matters in life is NOT – the size of your investment portfolio, the square footage of your house, the make of your car…the size of the diamond in jewelry
What matters most in life is loving God and loving people…
AND listen - THIS week was a huge wake up call, a 911 call for us to remember to what really matters…
We have heard story after story of people on the highjack airplanes and in the world trade center making last minute calls… These people knew that their time, their life – was down not to years, months, weeks, day or even hours – these people knew that they were down to the final minutes of their earthly life – they knew they were about to die at any moment…
And wives called husbands, husbands called wives, children called parents. Question - WHY did they call? Because they were hit with the reality that what matters most in life, is people and they had to say I love you just one more time…
Think about that….(put yourself in their place)
At that final moment it wasn’t their career, possessions or money that mattered – it was the people – God had placed in their lives..
Question - What is important in life? Tall towers of wealth and fame? Or quality relationships with those you love. What really matters? Listen - It’s time to recommit ourselves to spiritual values. Who cares if the package didn’t get there on time? Who cares if the carpet has a Kool-Aid stain on it? Who cares if your portfolio has headed south. Who cares if you’re going to miss that plane. What matters most is people…
You know I imagine that in those 2 tall towers ws a lot of expensive stuff and equipment – BUT all of that now is lumped into a single word – debris – debris that must be removed so they can get to what really matters people…
Back in June – in that message on remembering what matters most – I said that the best use of life is love – that the best expression of love is time and that the best time to love is NOW….
Question – DO YOU have some calls to make, letters to write, words to say, hugs to give - to those closest to you….
“Dear children, let us stop saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.”
1 Jn 3:18 (NLT)
A – Always Put Your Trust In God
“Some trust is chariots, others in horses, but we trust the Lord our God. They are overwhelmed and defeated, but we march forward and win." Ps 20:7
Listen - We must resist the temptation to put our trust anywhere – but in God… We saw in the most dramatic way how in mere minutes the things of earth can come crashing down…Don’t put your trust in them…
I’d like to paraphrase something Jesus said in the sermon on the mount;
“Do not put your TRUST in things on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but put your TRUST in God – where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal..”
Question – where have you placed your trust? A better question – where will you in light of this weeks events…?
“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore.” Ps 125:1,2
Y – You Go Be Light
“You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. LIVE so that they see the good things you do and will praise your father in heaven.” Mt 5:14-16
“Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling, because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases Him. DO everything without complaining or arguing. THEN you will be innocent and without any wrong. YOU will be God’s children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among who you shine like starts in the dark world. You offer the teaching that gives life.” Phil 2:15 (NCV)
Listen - it is past time for the church to be the light – that God wants her to be…
There is a world, a nation, a people that is immersed in darkness that needs to see that light on a hill, that needs to hear that teaching that gives life…A world and people who need to hear that they can be born again in to a living hope and into an inheritance the can never spoil, fade or pass away…
THIS TIME – THIS MOMENT - is the greatest opportunity for light of Christ to shine in our lifetime…
Listen - We need to do whatever it takes… To take the light of Christ into this dark world… and we need to pay whatever cost there is in order to pay to rescue those who are lost in their sins….
Paul in Philippians 2 which we just read, talked about being a light in this dark world, and he concluded that thought we these words;
“But even if my life is to be poured out like a drink offering to complete the sacrifice of your faithful service (that is, if I am to die for you), I will rejoice, and I want to share my joy with all of you.” Phil 2:17 (NLT)
IF Paul had to die in order to save lives – he would do it…
LET me close with 2 graphic pictures of that kind of passion to saves lives…
Picture #1;
By now we all have heard of the heroic efforts of those on United flight 93; Thomas Burnett a 38 year old executive with a California research company - called his wife and said, “I know we’re all going to die – there’s three of us who are going to do something about it…”
“Greater love have no one than this than they lay down their life for another…
Question – if they in order to save people GAVE their life when they knew they were going to die – How much more should we not be willingly to lay down our lives to save people when we know we are going to live…
Picture #2
Thousands of workers from around the world – are digging through rubble trying to find anyone that is alive… around the clock – 24 hours a day….rain or shine…
Should we not with the same passion be willing to wade throughout he rubble of sin and the debris shattered lives in order to save someone…
