INTRO. - The Galveston Hurricane.
ILL.- There is a book entitled, “Isaac’s Storm” which is about a hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas, in 1900. Apparently, everyone was convinced that a hurricane could never strike Galveston, even as one approached. The author vividly described how the streets began to flood but the people went about their business as if nothing was wrong. Children played in the water, men gathered for breakfast at the local diner, and no one fled from the storm that was about to strike.
Some people didn’t worry because Isaac Cline, the national weather service officer in Galveston, assured them it would not be a severe storm. Other’s simply believed that Galveston was invincible. Some people thought that since they had never seen a hurricane strike Galveston, one never would. So for a number of reasons people assured themselves that nothing bad would happen. And as a result over 6,000 people died one September day in 1900.
Brothers and sisters, just as that hurricane hit Galveston, TX, in 1900 so those planes hit the world trade center in New York and the Pentagon on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. And the people were totally unprepared. The people of Galveston, TX, were given some warning. The people of New York were given no warning at all.
I’m sure that people all across the U.S. thought that nothing like this could ever happen here, because it had never happened before. “Surely, no one would do such a terrible thing to the United States of America!” But it did happen. And the death count was over 3,000.
They called this the “attack on America.”
And it was, but what we experienced, some countries live with all the time. Most Americans thought this kind of terrorism would never happen here. Perhaps some even thought we were invincible. But we’re not.
ILL.- One news item was entitled “America the vulnerable.” WASHINGTON, SEPT. 12, 2001 (CBS News) - Hunkered down, grieving and nervous, America won’t soon be the same. The attacks that rained death on New York, Washington and a field in Pennsylvania brought an end to any idea that a strong country can be an invincible one.
Well away from the destruction, the symbols of American life - its work and play - slammed shut. No Disney World. No Mall of America. The first cancellation of a day’s major league baseball games, for reasons other than labor troubles, since D-Day. U.S. air space closed to commercial flights for the first time ever.
Even the government hid, diverting President Bush to military bases in the nation’s midsection on his way back from Florida and sending congressional leaders to a mountain fortification west of Washington.
"America is forever changed," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. "America is in for a long fight."
Evil exists in our world today! It always has existed and always will exist until the Lord calls a halt to this world as we know it!
ILL.- Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The times are evil; that is, there is much that is evil in them. It would be to our shame and discredit if we failed to recognize that evil; if we wrapped ourselves in a foolish optimism and failed to war with heart and strength against that evil.”
ILL.- When the Gulf War or Desert Storm took place in 1990 and 1991, people got a wake up call and headed to church.
- At the Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX, the preacher said, “Three thousand came to church the night the war broke out.”
- At the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York one priest said, “Our numbers are up. We always have a good attendance, but our numbers are up.”
- Another preacher said, “Young people are coming back to church, searching for more meaning. And they are dedicated to praying about the war in the gulf.”
In the light of this last war in Iraq and continual fighting, I wish Americans would wake up to the reality of evil in our world and flock into our churches! But people are not flocking to our churches.
Brothers and sisters, we are not invincible. We are vulnerable. We are humans. We are capable to being hurt, deceived, and attacked by evil.
PROP.- I call what happened to America: Existing evil - Exhausting evil. These are the two thoughts that I shared two years ago and now repeat them for you. Basically, they answer the questions of “why” and “what.” Why this has happened and what we can do about it.
I. EXISTING EVIL
Eph. 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 heavenly realms.”
There are spiritual forces of evil in this world! Make no mistake about it! Evil exists in our world and is wreaking havoc!
I want to remind you why things like these happen in our world. We need to be reminded why bad things happen to good people, even godly people.
There are several reasons why bad things happen in our world.
1- Some bad things happen to people in our world because of God’s judgment.
ILL.- Remember the great flood as recorded in Genesis? Why did it happen?
Gen. 6:5-7 “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth...’”
ILL.- Remember Sodom and Gomorrah?
Gen. 18:20 “Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grievous...’”
In Gen. 18:32 God said if he could find just 10 righteous people in Sodom he would not destroy it. BUT THEY COULDN’T BE FOUND! And we know the “rest of the story.”
I heard it said many years ago by some preachers that if God didn’t do something to chastise America because of its sin then He’d better apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.
ILL.- Preacher Jerry Falwell of “The Old Time Gospel Hour,” Lynchburg, VA, and Pat Robertson of the “700 Club” said the United States was vulnerable to the 9/11 terrorist attacks because America had insulted God and lost divine protection.
Pat Robertson said, “God Almighty is lifting his protection from us. We have imagined ourselves invulnerable and have been consumed by the pursuit of ... health, wealth, material pleasures and sexuality.’’
Falwell, a Baptist minister and chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., blamed the attacks on pagans, abortionists, feminists, homosexuals, the American Civil Liberties Union and the People for the American Way.
Falwell said, “All of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say, ’You helped this happen,’" He added later, “God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."
Brethren, I do think it’s true that in many ways America is a sinful nation and getting more so, but I can’t say that the attack of terrorism or war or whatever you want to call it in New York and Washington was an act of God’s judgment on America. It might have been and it might not have been.
If it was an act of God’s judgment then we are probably headed for more trouble in America. It is certainly something to consider.
2- Bad things happen to good people because we live in an imperfect world where imperfect things happen all the time.
Rom. 8:18, 19, 22 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worthy comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.... For the creation was subjected to frustration... “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
The Scripture seems to indicate that our world, which God created, is not perfect. We suffer in this life. The whole world is frustrated and groaning because of its imperfection.
ILL.- I walked into a bank on Thursday morning, Sept. 13th,, 2001, to cash my “perfect” IRS rebate or relief check and the cashier asked me, “How are you?” I said, “Well, I just drove over a thousand miles and put my poor mother in a nursing home and she’s not happy. And my wife is having a heart catherization tomorrow. And the world is coming to an end, but other than that, everything is just fine.”
No, obviously, everything is not fine nor perfect and it never will be. Not in America and not in our own homes nor in our own lives.
ILL.- Many people ask Elaine and me, “How do like living in Jonesboro, AR?” I say, “It’s ok, but it’s not heaven.” No place on earth is heaven or heavenly. But Arkansas is better than many places in the U.S. But I do have one complaint.
Elaine and I were here pre-Easter week, looking for a house to buy. That week my relatively new 2002 Ford Taurus got two dings in it. And I thought, “Hey, I don’t know about this place!”
Dings or not, there is no perfect place to live in this world. We are just not living in a perfect world. That’s the truth and there’s not much we can do about it.
Every time my car acts up gets a ding in it, or I get an ache or pain, I am reminded that this is not a perfect world. WE ALL GET REMINDERS EVERY DAY. Cars break down, bodies break down, and planes get hijacked and people get killed.
3- Bad things happen to good people because of sin. Because of our own sin and because of the sins of others.
This thought goes along with the thought of God’s judgment.
Gal. 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” If we sow good, we will reap good. If we sow evil, we will reap evil.
ILL.- Some years ago I buried a whole family, but not at one time. The wife and mother was in her 70’s. Her husband of many years became ill and died. I had his funeral. Several years later their only son who was about 42 years passed away. I had his funeral as well. About a year later I had his blessed mother’s funeral. She passed away from cancer.
That 42 year-old young man died of cirrhosis of the liver. Why? Because he drank most of his life. He suffered because of his own sin.
ILL.- Many years ago I heard about a man in Carthage, MO, who had been a heavy drinker most of his life. One day he went next door to a neighbor, shot him and killed him. When the police arrested the man he didn’t even know what had happened. It was said that he had drank so much throughout his life that he had destroyed his brain and didn’t know what he was doing most of the time.
Another man suffered death as a result of one man’s sin.
Some bad things happen to good people because of sin. Our sin and because of the sins of others.
4- Bad things also happen to good people because evil exists in our world today.
Eph. 6:12 “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 heavenly realms.”
I Pet. 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
It should be obvious to us who are in Christ that evil exists in the world today because of the evil one called Satan, the devil. HE IS BEHIND ALL EVIL BECAUSE HE IS EVIL!
Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Jesus prayed in John 17:15 “...protect them from the evil one.”
Perhaps you recall that at one time Satan appeared before God. And God said, “Have you considered my servant Job?” Job 1:8 and 2:3
Job 2:6-7 “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, he (Job) is in your hands; but you must spare his life.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.”
Satan was out to destroy Job, but God wouldn’t allow Satan to kill him.
SATAN IS OUT TO DESTROY PEOPLE TODAY, HAVEN’T YOU HEARD? This is the news. It’s old news and it’s new news to some people!
ILL.- Let me remind you of what American preacher Billy Sunday once said, “I know the devil is real for two reasons. “Number one because the Bible says so. And number two because I’ve done business with him.”
Whether we realize this or not, there are multitudes of people in our world today who are doing business with the devil. They may not know it, but they are!
ILL.- Secretary of State, Colin Powell, whom most people consider to be a very intelligent man, was asked why anybody would do such a horrible thing to America. He said,” because they hate America! They hate what we have, they hate our lifestyle, etc.”
Hatred in people is from the devil! Hatred is the result of people doing business with the devil!
In John 8:44 Jesus said that Satan was a murderer from the beginning. And he is behind all murders and murderous acts, including what happened in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania!
THE DEVIL IS BEHIND ALL EVIL IN THIS WORLD! Make no mistake about it! He is the real evil one! He is our enemy! He is the one with whom we must fight with all our strength and might!
Evil exists in our world and will continue to exist in various forms until God gets fed up and says, “No. I’ve had it. This is it. I can’t stand it any more. I am going to put a stop to it right now. Jesus, it’s time. You can go back to earth now.”
II. EXHAUSTING EVIL
Eph. 6:13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground...”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
I Pet. 5:9 “Resist him (the devil), standing firm in the faith...”
Resist. Stand firm in the faith. Put on the armor of God.
We must think about what we can do to exhaust the evil that exists in this world. In other words, put a stop to it! WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
ILL.- Here is a response to 9/11 by a retired Navy veteran. He wrote, "Yes, I was horrified, repulsed and shocked. BUT I AM NOT TERRIFIED.
“Yesterday, Mr. Bin Laden or whatever your rotten name is, I had an extra value meal, watched my 63" TV, drank the best beer and smoked the finest tobacco money can buy. And, for your information, I’m just the average Joe here. So, eat your heart out.
“Your people will NEVER have what we have. And that is security, and peace of mind in knowing that my neighbor isn’t scheming to slit my throat. So have a nice life hiding in dark holes in the earth, because when you show your ugly head, we are going to blow it off. I only wish it was me who saw the color go out of your face, and my mouth over yours eating your last worthless breath. God Bless America.” Dave Thomas, Rochester, Minnesota, US Navy (ret)
The reason I have given you this letter from Mr. Dave Thomas is because I think his response to this terrorism is a bad response. It’s an incorrect response. It’s an unchristian response, at least, in part.
Rom. 12:17-19 “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
Ultimately and eventually, God is going to square all things. He is going to set all things straight. He is going to pay back evil people for their evil deeds. NOTHING GETS PAST GOD!
God is not a wimp to be pushed around and told what to do. He will take vengeance. He will punish the wicked. He will right the wrong.
Breathing out threats to the people behind this terrorism will do no good. Verbal threats mean nothing to evil people. They will only laugh in our faces.
What can we do about this terrorism? About this evil?
1- We must let God do His thing. We must pray for God to settle this matter in His way. He is God. He knows what is best.
We must pray, “Lord, thy will be done. Do what is best for everyone involved, but could you please slap those people around a bit. Pay ‘em back. Let ‘em have it. Get ‘em, God.”
Most of us tend to take matters into our own hands when something negative happens to us. BUT WE MUST LEARN TO LET GOD SETTLE MOST THINGS, IF NOT ALL OF THEM.
I Pet. 2:23 “When they hurled their insults at him (Jesus), he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
2- We must support our country as best we can. How? With our prayers, with our assistance, with our sympathy, with our hearts, etc.
Rom. 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
There are still thousands of hurting people in New York and Washington to this day, and across this country. People who are related or knew those who were killed on 9/11.
WE MUST WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP. We must have compassion for them, because it could have been us. It could have been our family members!
We must pray that God will have mercy on all those hurting people and give them grace to endure, survive and continue to live as best they can.
We must pray that they will look up and see their need for the Savior who alone can bring comfort and salvation to their lives.
3- We must not treat people evil just because we have been treated in an evil manner.
Rom. 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
ILL.- I agree with Chuck Colson who said, “Our instinct for self-preservation will cause us to see someone in traditional Muslim dress or with Arabic features and wonder if he or she represents a threat. At the same time, we know that most Arabs living in America are Christians -- Christians who have fled from the kind of militant Islamic leaders who are suspected of the 9/11 terror. Beyond that, the vast majority of Muslims living in the United States are peaceful and law-abiding people. Christians should be the first to recognize this and befriend those who will find themselves shunned by many.”
4- We must support our President and our government during this difficult time.
I Tim. 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
ILL.- Again, Chuck Colson, whom I consider to be a very intelligent Christian, said, “We need to pray. Pray fervently for our leaders. President George Bush has a devout, evangelical faith in Christ. I know from our conversations. National Security Advisor Condolezza Rice, speechwriter Mike Gerson, and others in the administration are strong believers as well. These brothers and sisters need God’s wisdom and our prayers.
“Commentator Tim Russett pointed out what a difficult decision the President faces. Enormous wisdom -- nothing less than God’s wisdom -- is required.” We must pray for our leaders.
5- We must fall down before the Lord, asking for mercy and forgiveness. We must personally “get right” with the Lord if we want to see His blessing and protection in the future.
II Chron. 7:14 “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Rom. 13:11-14 “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime.... Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Many people have said that what happened in New York and Washington was or should be a “wake up” call to America. Of course, most of the people who are saying this are making reference to our “less-than-perfect” security across the U.S. And to our lack of attention to terrorist activity in the world and in this country.
Personally, I think what happened in New York and Washington should be a “wake up” call for all Christians in America!
If we who claim to follow Christ would have been living a faithful and fruitful Christian life there is a good possibility that there wouldn’t be any terrorist activity in our beloved country!
If we were committed to Christ and to His church the way we should be there be less evil in our country and more Christian people! There would be more love and less hate! There would be more hugging and less hurting!
ILL.- No bats, no balls the weekend of 9/11. Major league baseball put off the resumption of the pennant races to that next Monday, deciding it wasn’t ready to restart its season while America dwelled on terrorist attacks that wiped out the World Trade Center and smashed the Pentagon.
Big Mac (Mark McGwire) said during that time, "It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out sporting events are absolutely meaningless compared with what’s going on in Washington and New York.”
If “Big Mac” said it then we should believe it! And all he was doing was echoing what God’s Word says!
Let me paraphrase Big Mac’s words. Let me put a little twist on his words. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if we Christians don’t quit playing around and stop playing Christianity; if we don’t get serious about it and get with the program, God’s program, then we aren’t going to have a church or a country in the future!”
CONCLUSION---------------------------------------
Ps. 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL.”
Ps. 27:1 “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?”
Ps. 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear....”
ILL.- Preacher Vance Havner once told a story about an elderly lady who was greatly disturbed by her many troubles--both real and imaginary. Finally, someone in her family tactfully told her, "Grandma, we’ve done all we can do for you. You’ll just have to trust God for the rest." A look of absolute despair came over her face as she replied, "Oh dear, has it come to that?"
Havner commented, "It always comes to that, so we might as well begin with that!" “Have thine own way, Lord.”
