To paraphrase a past President, Tuesday, September 11, 2001 will forever go down in history as a day of infamy. I remember watching as a child the funeral of John F. Kennedy. I remember as a young college student watching the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. The bombings of embassies, the barracks in the Middle East…I could go on.
But Tuesday morning as Benji woke me with the news from the radio of the first plane crash into the World Trade Center, then watching live television as the second plane hit…the crumbling of the towers and the untold lives lost as millions watched.
So many different emotions flooded my heart and I’m sure yours as well; horror, grief, fear, anxiety, frustration, helplessness, anger…
Why? I’ve listened for hours to the commentators, politicians and even a lot of my friends attempt to give explanation for something that is ultimately unexplainable. Sin and destruction is a part of this sinful world in which we live.
My thoughts turned slightly by mid-afternoon Tuesday as I thought not only of the thousands who had already died as a result of this terrorist act, but of the thousands who die every year needlessly – all a result of someone’s sinful act. Each death is personal and individual to the one who dies and those who know them. People really don’t die together, they die alone.
That’s what led to the question asked of Jesus in our text this morning. The question was asked after a terrorist attack. The King, Pilate, had determined to strike terror into the worshipers at the Jerusalem temple. Read with me from Luke chapter thirteen:
Luke 13:1-5(NLT) 1About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem. 2“Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than other people from Galilee?” he asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3Not at all! And you will also perish unless you turn from your evil ways and turn to God. 4And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish.”
Jesus deals with two different types of evil that we face in our world today: terrorism and tragedy. Terrorism is evil that others impose upon us. Tragedy is simply when bad things happen.
In both cases I’m amazed that Jesus does not deal with either the perpetrator of the crime or the issue of liability. Pilate was guilty of murder. Someone or “some-ones” were at fault for the construction project at the Tower of Siloam. Yet Jesus goes to the real heart of the matter – each individual.
“Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than other people from Galilee?” he asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3Not at all!... . 4And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5No…
Do some suffer more than others in this life because they sin more, because they are worse than others? All we have to do is look around us and see those who seem to get away with evil to answer that question.
Are the victims of terrorism or tragedy actually to blame for their misfortune? Obviously not. What did the 245 passengers on four hijacked airliners do to deserve their fate? Nothing more than to simply go about their lives. Tragedy happens and terrorism is not the fault of the terrorized.
Yet again, Jesus forces the issue on the living – not the dead. He takes no time to deal with the why? Attempting to answer the “why” for sin is futile. People are sinners.
Jesus instead answers the what question. What can we do? If we can not prevent all terrorism or tragedy – at least how can we prepare for it?
Jesus tells His listeners: And you will also perish unless you turn from your evil ways and turn to God.. He says it twice! “and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish.”
Tragedy and terrorism. As tragic and terrorizing as the events of this week have been – let me share with you something even more tragic. Among the thousands who died senselessly this past week – many, many of them not only died needlessly, but they will spend an eternity separated from God in a place He calls hell because they senselessly and needlessly failed to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and leadership in their lives.
To die suddenly, pointlessly, is one thing – but to spend an eternity separated from God because one either did not know or did not care – that’s a tragedy!
Yes, bad, evil things happen in this world. They happen because this world is filled with sin: an attitude that says I will not allow God control of my life: I will live as I please in spite of God’s warnings. We live in a world where evil is rampant – and sin is considered normal and accepted.
When that sin gets out of control we are shocked – but sin is still sin.
Jesus’ warning: unless we repent, someday we, too, will perish – not just from this earth, but for eternity.
Does that sound harsh? Is that hard to take? Yes it is.
I suppose if the types of precautions and actions that America is taking today would have seemed harsh, uncalled for just this past Monday.
As one of my friends said, “It’s amazing how quiet the ACLU is right now…” No one’s talking about “rights” right now.
But, if we had know Monday or even Tuesday morning what we all know now – I would dare say we would all have acted differently. Bags and pockets would have been checked more thoroughly. Parents and spouses would have huged a little tighter. We would have been different.
That’s the point Jesus is making! Yes, tragedy happens. Terror may be inevitable – death certainly is. So we must be prepared for it – or our fate will be ultimately no different that those who needlessly died this week.
All of us will eventually leave this earth. None of us would wish to go as a result of events like this week. Yet all of us will go.
The Apostle Paul talked about us going in First Thessalonians. In that little letter Paul talks about the return of Jesus Christ when Christians will be taken out of this world to be with Him in heaven. Paul tells us that the coming of Christ will be unexpected – as a thief in the night.
I know that the coming of Jesus – the rapture as some have come to call it – will only take true believers – but if you think about it, the certainty of death is very much the same. We know it’s coming – but we simply do not know when. Death is like a thief. If we knew when we would prepare.
And though we may not know when – we do know if. We know that it’s certain. Here’s what the Apostle Paul shared with the readers in Thessalonica:
3When people are saying, “All is well; everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape.
4But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.
6So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be sober…
8But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
9For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.
11So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
This passage is speaking about our Lord’s return. It will neither be tragic or terrorizing for those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. We’re looking forward to His return.
Yet for those who are unprepared – whether it be death or Jesus’ return for His children – for those who are unprepared it will be a terrible time.
Paul reminds his readers of several important facts:
First, there is no peace or security in man’s provision. Though our motto here at FirstFamily is “It’s Safe Here” that safety is not in the things of this world, but in Jesus Christ!
Secondly, as believers we shouldn’t be surprised when sinful, bad things happen. This world is controlled by sinners!
Thirdly, just because there is sin, wickedness in this world, as believers we don’t have to be controlled by it.
• We are children of the Light.
So what do we do to prepare ourselves for terror and tragedy…the very same things we do as we wait for the Lord to return!
• We are to be on guard – alert and sober. It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security. Sure Jesus is coming back some day. I’m a believer, so I’m “safe”.
We allow ourselves to become tainted with this world and it’s sin. We allow the Evil one to get us side tracked from our mission to share the Good News with this world. We assume there will be plenty of time.
Well, there’s no time left for those who died Tuesday…what if a friend or family member had decided to wait until Tuesday evening to share the Lord with one of them. What if a stock broker on the 87th floor of tower two decided that he would wait until next Sunday to accept Jesus Christ?
Alert, on guard, sober…
But beyond our mental – spiritual sharpness, Paul also tells us we have at least three tools to protect us from terror and tragedy…
“protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation”
• The body armor of faith and love –
o Faith is our confidence that God is in control. Love is the action we take based on that confidence.
o Faith says, “God, You are in control and I will simply obey in spite of the circumstances. I put my trust in You as the One who forgives me of my sin and I will follow you as my Lord, by Leader.
o Love acts on that faith. Love is reaching out to others based on God’s work in your life and His desire for theirs.
o Love says, “In spite of who you are, what you are, I will show God to you, I will behave with His attitude toward you.”
• And wearing the helmet of confidence of our salvation –
o Wow! There’s confidence. God is big enough, powerful enough to save me no matter what the circumstances. If His will is that I leave this world – I am confident of my place with Him in heaven for eternity.
• The body armor protects my soul, the helmet protects my thinking!
Conclusion: How does this all tie together?
Jesus warned those He spoke to, in the midst of tragedy and terror – make sure your life is prepared. The question is not why do bad things happen, but are we ready when they do?
We do not know when our life will end. As one old preacher said it, “Each of us will either meet the undertaker or the “Upper-Taker”. Are you prepared.
If your eternity is security – you don’t have to live as those who live without the hope of heaven. You can have confidence in your salvation.
If that confidence is sure – then let your faith in Jesus allow you to reach out to others with His love. Listen to Paul’s concluding words in 1 Thessalonians 5…
9For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. 11So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
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