Text: Various
Introduction: On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 at 7:59 AM an American Airlines Jet Liner lifted its wheels from the tarmac at Boston’s Logan Airport. Only 5 of its 92 passengers had any idea of what was being set in motion. American Flight 11 was a routine daily flight heading for Los Angeles.
2 minutes later, at 8:01 AM United Flight 93, with 45 passengers aboard departed Newark, New Jersey with a final destination of San Francisco.
At 8:10 AM, American Flight 77 with 64 passengers lifted off from Washington’s Dulles Airport on its way to Los Angeles.
4 minutes later United Flight 175 carrying its 65 passengers left Boston’s Logan Airport to wing its way to Los Angeles.
For a short while, everything seemed to go well on each of these flights. Passengers were getting settled into their seats for a long flight. Flight Attendants were doing their best to accommodate each passenger. However, shortly after take-off, the passengers and crews lives were changed forever. Extremists armed with knives hijacked each plane. And even then, the real impact of what was happening did not occur to anyone other than the hijackers themselves.
You know the details. They have been brought before us in vivid images over the past 5 days:
At 8:48 AM EDT, American Flight 11, now being piloted by modern day Kamikaze pilots slammed into the North Tower of the 110-story World Trade Center leaving a gaping hole in its structure. Each of the planes, loaded with as much as 6,000 gallons of highly flammable jet fuel were to be used as “flying bombs.”
At 9:06 AM, United Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The world looked on in stun silence. But the barbaric attack was not finished.
At 9:43 AM, American Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon, collapsing a section of the world’s largest office building.
At 9:55 AM, the doomed south tower of the WTC, still occupied by thousands of trapped workers collapsed. At 10:29 AM, the north tower would follow suit, showering 450,000 tons of debris onto the Manhattan streets below.
At 10:10 AM, United Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
At 5:25 PM the 47-story WTC Building #7 collapsed.
To date, [September 22, 2001] there are 4,963 people missing and 152 dead who were connected with the World Trade Center. On American Flight 11, 92 were killed; on United Flight 175 there were 65 killed, 64 lost their lives on American Flight 77 and 45 were lost on United Flight 93. At the Pentagon, there are 125 unaccounted for, and presumed dead.
These events and statistics are staggering. Indeed, September 11, 2001 is a “day that will go down in infamy”. This is the most devastating attack on American soil in the 225-year history of our nation.
We have all been sobered by the events of the past few days. I’m sure that a number of you have realized that many of the things were have thought were so important, aren’t important at all, or at least not near as important as we thought they were.
We are in a time of crisis and calamity in our nation. In a swift attack, we were brought face to face with our mortality. No longer can we say “Those things only happen over there.” On September 11, 2001 we lost our innocence. America will be forever changed.
As I have pondered the events of the past few days, it has caused me to process many questions in my own mind. The most predominant question is: What does all this mean? What can be learned from these catastrophic events?
This morning, I want to speak to you on the subject “Truth From Tragedy”. You see as tragic as these events have been, it would be even more tragic if we individually and collectively did not learn some truth from them. Let’s talk about that today.
1. Life Is Uncertain [James 4:14]
14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Someone has said that the only thing certain about life is its uncertainty. This is a lesson that must be learned.
§ Don’t mean to be morbid.
§ Don’t mean to bring fear.
§ Simply want to be honest and forthright – none of us has been promised tomorrow.
§ On September 11, 2001 we came face to face with our own mortality.
§ Could there have been a more secure place than The Pentagon?
§ Clear teaching of Scripture: “It is appointed unto man, once to die.
§ Some riddled with guilt. “If only”. However, there is an appointment set that all men will make.
2. Trouble Is All Encompassing. [Matthew 5:45]
“… for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
§ Bad things do happen to good people.
§ Scriptural examples [Job, etc.] and practical examples [birth defects, Jewish holocaust, etc.]
§ Folly of much modern day teaching.
§ Many who have perished were God fearing Christians; upstanding citizens; community leaders.
3. There Is A Place of Safety. [Psalms 27:5]
5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
§ Wanted to hurry to this point.
§ Many ask: Are we safe?
§ What will happen to us, pastor?
§ Fear can be terrible thing. FDR: We have nothing to fear is fear itself.
§ There is a safe haven.
§ Not in finances [WTC]
§ Not in military might [Pentagon]
§ Psalms 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
§ “Pavilion”: Spoke of a tent that would be placed in the middle of camp. David protected by his might men of valor.
§ It wasn’t the tent that was important, it was who was protecting it!
§ We may be in the middle of a battle, but we are hiding in God’s pavilion.
§ Hidden in God’s tabernacle
§ Placed on a rock!
§ Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee
§ You are safe and secure in His pavilion. On His Rock.
§ Our safety does not come from military might, but rather from relationship with God.
§ “The Lord is on my side, whom shall I fear …” [Psalms 118:6]
§ “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help ..” [Psalms 121]
§ “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. [Psalms 46:1-3]
§ “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear for that art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
4. Action Is Required [John 4:35]
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
§ Government is considering appropriate action against Bin Laden
§ Gov’t knows something must be done to stamp out this evil.
§ The time is now for the church to take action.
§ All that is happening has the touch of the end upon it.
§ Last line of the last page of the last chapter of the book.
§ Time to set priorities.
§ Regarding the unsaved lost in the tragedy: I wonder who the last Christian was who had an opportunity to share Christ with them?
§ Events of this week a foreshadowing of Revelation 18 [Not Rev 18, only a foreshadowing]:
9”And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.”
§ No one thought it possible.
5. God Is Speaking To His Church [2 Chronicles 7:14; Rev 3:18-20]
“If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” [2 Chr 7:14]
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” [Rev 3:18-20]
§ All week words have been rolling over in my spirit. These words are a recurring theme in Revelation: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit is saying unto the churches.”
§ God is speaking to His church --- Are we listening?
Conclusion: What truths can be learned from this tragedy?
1. Life is uncertain.
2. Trouble is All Encompassing
3. There Is A Place of Safety
4. This is a Time for Action
5. God is Speaking To His Church
