September 8, 2002
Profound events drive us to sometimes larger-than-life actions. Almost a year ago my wife’s cousin, John was at his downtown New York office on a bright September Tuesday morning.
There was a buzz of excitement as someone announced that one of “the towers” had smoke coming from it. John turned to look out the window to the Trade Center towers just down the street. In that one profound moment a jet airliner thundered just above the office building.
Amid the deafening noise, John, horrified, saw what couldn’t be true; the plane rammed right into the second tower, in what we have all seemingly relived a thousand times – a nightmare in the middle of morning. More than three thousand innocent people lost their lives. For John, life has not been the same.
Today, nearly a year later, we are faced with related possibilities and realities.
We have a new emphasis on “Homeland Security”, complete with airport strip searches.
We wobble precariously on the brink of war with Iraq.
Osama bin Laden is (or isn’t) alive and planning more attacks.
Kabul, Afghanistan suffered massive car-bomb explosions and attempted presidential assassinations just this week.
In the midst of it all, Ariel Sharron appeared on CNN last Thursday proclaiming there is finally a genuine prospect of peace with the Palestinians.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN TIMES LIKE THESE?
There was another profound event that immediately affected a similarly-sized group of about three thousand. However, instead of innocent victims dying, this was a group of guilty folks given a second chance…life was restored.
It began in a second story banquet hall. About 120 followers of their executed leader were waiting. They probably knew very little about what they were waiting for; they’d been told to wait, and so they waited.
Suddenly the question about what they were awaiting was no longer a problem. These followers of Jesus, Like Elizabeth’s cousin on 9-11, (also in an upper room) heard a mighty rushing wind. In a few moments the experience changed their lives forever. The Bible says the Spirit of God appeared like “tongues of fire” setting on them. The phenomenon known as “tongues” was an event that spread into the outer courtyards of the temple, where thousands were gathered. They began to speak to anyone who would listen. The opportunity to spread the good news of the resurrection of Jesus had arrived. This is that for which they had waited.
What followed confused the listeners. It seemed this was a multi-cultural crowd; there were many languages represented in the gathered audience. Yet, as these disciples of Jesus spoke in one language, all understood in his own tongue. It was as much a phenomenon of “ears” as tongues! Of course there were the cynics – some thought it was simply a matter of early morning hangover…that the disciples were still drunk.
Peter was the head disciple at that moment. He stood up and preached the first Christian sermon. It only lasted two minutes:
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself,
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:14-36
You could not have gripped that crowd more dramatically. Their lostness, sense of terror and panic was similar to what most of us felt last September 11th. It was ground zero!
The answer to our question, “WHAT DO YOU DO IN TIMES LIKE THESE?” is much the same as it would have been in that day. In fact, those listening to Peter asked that question…and he answered:
37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
What shall we do? It’s a good question. What DO you do in times like these? Peter had an answer for the crowd. He told them what they needed.
REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED
38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.Acts 2:37 - 41 (KJV)
Why repentance and baptism? How does that speak to the unspeakable misery of 9-11? The group listening to Peter got the point, even if we in the 21st century have largely missed it. About three thousand folks responded to the promise of Joel (2:28) by calling on the Lord, repenting of their sin, and they were saved, and then baptized. However you see the events of last September – Satanic or evil attack – Jihad, Islamic holy war – Schizophrenic madness of a cult; any of those can be debated. What cannot be debated is that God speaks to us in that misery and carnage; He calls out to us to call upon His name to be saved.
God calls to us saying, See, I have better things in mind for you.
God calls to us saying, Men may lie in wait to destroy, I will love you.
God calls to us saying, Without My forgiveness you will hate just as much as the ones who attacked you.
Repenting and calling upon the name of the Lord, and then following Him in believer’s baptism isn’t about whether you feel different, better, wiser or even saved. It is all about obeying Him in times like these.
Once you do obey, you will find out God has a wonderful plan for encouraging you along the way. The example of the first church teaches us that plan…
WALK WITH OTHERS WHO FOLLOW HIM WHILE YOU’RE FOLLOWING HIM.
42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:39 through Acts 2:47 (KJV)
The early church operated like a large family. That’s a good description. We sing a chorus sometimes, I’m So Glad I’m a Part of the Family of God. There are those who prefer a “Lone Ranger” kind of Christianity. The Bible knows nothing of that. When you’re born into the family of God, you’re supposed to unite with a local body of believers to be part of that visible church. You’re to be blessed, and be a blessing in that way.
Did you see the animated movie “Ice Age”? A baby boy whose mother died is discovered by a wooly mammoth named Manfred, a sloth name Sid, and a saber-tooth tiger named Diego. They decide to take the baby to his father. Along the way Diego the tiger falls into a crevice, and Manfred the elephant leaps in to save him. Later Diego questions the elephant, saying, "Why did you do that? You could have died trying to save me." Humbly, the mammoth responds, "That’s what you do when you’re part of a herd. You look after each other." Sid muses aloud. "I don’t know about you guys, but we are one strange herd."
That is God’s view of the church. Peter quoted Joel saying that the promise (to be saved) is to them, their children, and all who are far off. Everybody is welcome in the kingdom…everyone who accepts the promise of salvation by humbly repenting of sin. We are a strange and wonderful herd. And herds stick together. Mavericks get stolen, skinned or eaten by wolves.
So, If I’m Saved and In the Church I’ll Understand It All, and Things Like 9-11 Won’t Happen To Me?
No, that’s not it at all. Christians aren’t insulated from evil or calamity. In fact, most of the time God lets some of us get right in the middle of it so that the world will understand the difference of how believers face these events. It was that way last September 11th. It will be that way the next time something bad happens.
It was that way for Peggy Broadway. No dear Christian lady ought to have to spend her last years bed-ridden. But her faith strengthened the weakest of us.
It was that way for Ruby Luhrs. Ruby suffered with stomach cancer for a half-dozen years before it finally took her. All she had in this life was an old house, three dogs and a ’58 Ford. She was poor, but her kindness shone like a beacon in a community where poor people weren’t well-received.
It was that way for Paul, Peter, and Stephen. You know those names. The best of the best in the church. They wound up martyrs.
Stephen was stoned to death;
Peter crucified upside down;
Paul was beheaded.
And there were Christians in the World Trade Center and in the Police and Fire Departments and emergency services who responded and lost their lives.
Osama bin Laden? We don’t know.
Sadaam Hussein? We don’t know.
We do know that God knows, and God will take care of whatever needs to be balanced. Our job – see if this story my friend shared with me helps…
There was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was very scared, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. She climbed to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn’t there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."
Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it on it’s back.
Brenda’s father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You."
That’s what you do in times like these.
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(1) Ice Age (Twentieth-Century Fox, 2002), rated PG, written by Peter Ackerman, directed by Chris Wedge; submitted by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois
