INTRO.- ILL.- A backwoods boy was about to make his first parachute jump. His sergeant reminded him, “Count to ten and pull the first rip cord. If it doesn’t work, then pull the second ripcord for the auxiliary parachute. After you land, our truck will pick you up.”
The paratrooper took a deep breath and jumped. He counted to ten and pulled the first ripcord. Nothing happened. He pulled the second ripcord. Nothing happened. As he headed toward earth he said to himself, “I’LL BET THAT TRUCK WON’T BE THERE EITHER!”
Brethren, Some people are afraid and some people should be afraid. Since the terrorism of 9/11/01 many things have happened to increase the fear of the American people. Most of these things took place in 2001.
ILL.- A Greyhound bus crashed in central Tennessee. At least six people were killed after a passenger slit the throat of the driver.
ILL.- Monday, Oct. 7, 2001 - A passenger tried to enter the cockpit of an American Airlines plane. A young man, described later by his father as having history of mental illness, was subdued by passengers aboard the flight from Los Angeles to Chicago after trying to get into the cockpit.
ILL.- Jim Furlan and his wife, Cheryl, waited at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport for the airliner that would take them home to Los Angeles. Jim was OK with flying, but "a bit queasy." There was no way Cheryl would get on a plane - except that their two daughters, ages 3 and 5, awaited them. "I feel sick," she said.
ILL.- Estelle Faryon, 64, of Winnipeg, Canada, a visitor to San Diego, was on a cruise when she caught herself looking over the ship’s rail and watching a fishing boat approach. "I was watching to make sure it didn’t come too close. It never did that before," she said.
In the aftermath of the terrorism of September 11, 2001, many people are fearful about many things. What about us? Should we fear anything at all? Is fear normal for human beings? Is fear normal for Christian people?
ILL.- A recent article asked the haunting questions, “Will we ever feel secure again? Or are we destined to become a nation of people, fearing a marketplace where jetliners fall from the sky and other yet-unknown horrors await us?”
Joseph D. McNamara is a research person at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is something of an expert when it comes to terrorism and how to deal with it. McNamara concedes there is a threat to be dealt with at home.
He said, “First, you have to realize there is no absolute protection terrorists,” he says. “You cannot prevent them. I doubt you can, even if you have the National Guard search every truck in the country.”
“When you have a huge crowd, and when you have people standing up and singing ‘God Bless America,’ this is a target,” he says.
“There is no way an average citizen is going to look around and say, ‘That guy looks like a terrorist,’” he says. “If you see someone put down a suitcase and walk away from it, go tell a security guard. Odds are about 1,000 to one that somebody absentminded just forgot their suitcase.”
"Exhorting the public to be on guard can do more harm than good. I heard a federal official say that every citizen who sees something suspicious should call 911,” McNamara says. “He just destroyed the capability of the 911 system.”
What is the appropriate role for average citizens? McNamara said, “The model for Americans has to be the British people during the bombing of London. Let the ___ know you’re not intimidated. You’re going to work. You’re going to shop. You’re going to take the kids to school.”
Brethren, that’s rather blunt! I do believe that we have to go on with life as normally as possible. Some fear is inevitable, but our lives should not be controlled by fear.
PROP.- Let’s think about some ways to find safety and security in a seemingly unsafe and insecure world.
1- We must use common sense in all things
2- We must trust the Lord for safety and security
3- We must point people to the only true safety there is
I. WE MUST USE COMMON SENSE IN ALL THINGS
ILL.- Red said to Ted: Did you mark the place where we caught all those fish?
Ted to Red: Yes, I put an X on the side of the boat.
Red to Ted: That was really stupid! WHAT IF WE SHOULD TAKE OUT A DIFFERENT BOAT NEXT TIME?
Talk about a lack of common sense? Those boys lacked it.
Job 39:13-17 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain. FOR GOD DID NOT ENDOW HER WITH WISDOM OR GIVE HER A SHARE OF GOOD SENSE.”
Isn’t that interesting? God did not give the Ostrich a share of good sense. I know of a few other storks and dorks just like that!
We of all people should use the good common sense that God has indeed given us. And in all situations.
ILL.- In Acts chapter 14 Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue. They preached effectively and powerfully. A great many of both Jews and Gentiles believed them, but some of the Jews refused to believe and stirred up the people. They poisoned their minds to the point that they wanted to stone Paul and Barnabas.
Acts 14:6 “But they (Paul and Barnabas) found out about it and fled....” Why did they flee? IT WAS THE SMART THING TO DO! It was a common sense decision. “Somebody is going to hurt us. Let’s get out of here.”
Brethren, when it comes to fear and terrorism we all need to use good common sense. Some people are doing that.
ILL.- At Las Vegas resorts, they were taking no chances - guests were asked for permission to inspect their trunks when they handed over cars for valet parking.
ILL.- Terri Legg, 39, and Freddie Foster, 43, of Elmer, N.J., considered driving to Philadelphia on Monday to shop and sightsee. Instead, they went shopping at a mall closer to home.
"If there’s going to be an attack, they’ll go for a place with thousands of people, and Philadelphia is very congested," Foster said. "We’re looking to go to places where it’s a little more safe, a little less crowded. We’ve told our kids to lock the doors, too. “Before, it was like ’Who would want to break into our house?’ Now, you don’t know."
ILL.- Brother Ruben Casas is my brother/preacher friend in East Los Angeles, CA. The church where he preaches has a morning service and an evening service, but the evening service is around 4 p.m. WHY 4 P.M.? It’s a common sense decision! They have drive-by shootings in East LA every day. There are 24 known gangs in that area. They don’t dare meet after dark! They are using good common sense!
If you don’t feel like you have much common sense, how do you get it? One thing is for sure; you won’t get it hanging around with “storks and dorks.”
I Cor. 15:33 “Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.”
Prov. 13:20 “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”
Ps. 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers (or dorks). But his delight is in the law of the Lord...”
If you want and need more good common sense then you need to choose your chums carefully. AVOID DUMB PEOPLE! You need to run with people who exercise good common sense.
I realize that you can’t get away from them at work, but you can at other places. Stay away from storks and dorks in life! They will only drain you and drag you down!
Look to the Lord. He is the creator of good common sense. Read His Word. You’ll find the best sense there is in His Word. The Word of God can teach you what is right, rebuke you when you’re wrong, correct your life, train you in right living, and thoroughly equip you for life. II Tim. 3:16-17
And don’t be afraid to ask for help in life. Don’t be afraid to ask wise people such questions as, “How do you do that? What do you think about such and such? Could you teach me about thus and so? Could you help me with this? Would you pray for me about this?”
Brothers and sisters, God gave us brains for a purpose. Let’s use them.
- If you opened it, close it.
- If you dropped it, pick it up.
- If you spilled it, clean it up.
- If you turned it on, turn it off.
- If you moved it, move it back.
- If you borrowed it, return it.
- If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.
- If you blew it, admit it.
- If it’s bigger than you, don’t fight with it.
- If it scares you, run from it.
- If you think it will hurt you, stay away from it.
Use common sense in all things.
II. WE MUST TRUST THE LORD FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY
ILL.- A burglar entered the house of a Quaker and proceeded to rob it. The Quaker heard noises and grabbed his shotgun, went downstairs, and found the burglar.
He aimed his gun and said gently, “Friend, I mean thee no harm, but thou standest where I am about to shoot.”
We must trust the Lord for safety, but a good shotgun might also help the situation. No, seriously, I am not advocating the use of weapons as our source of safety and security, but I am also not against them.
Our source of safety and security will never be in the physical or material things of this world.
ILL.- In 1975, six armed gunmen broke into the deposit boxes in a London bank and stole valuables worth more than $7 million. One lady, whose jewelry was appraised at $500,000, wailed "Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box."
Many people are just like that woman. Their whole lives are wrapped up in the material and physical.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray my Cuisine art to keep
I pray my stocks are on the rise
And that my analyst is wise
That all the wine I sip is white
And that my hot tub’s watertight
That racquetball won’t get too tough
That all my sushi’s fresh enough
I pray my cordless phone still works
That my career won’t lose its perks
My microwave won’t radiate
My condo won’t depreciate
I pray my health club doesn’t close
And that my money market grows
If I go broke before I wake
I pray my Volvo they won’t take.
We of all people should know that material and physical things don’t satisfy and make us secure. If anything, they tend to do the opposite.
ILL.- Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family wrote these words some time ago and they are so true. He wrote “Though I can make no claim to wealth, I have tasted most of the things Americans hunger for; new cars, an attractive home and gadgets and devices which promise to set us free.
“Looking at those materialistic possessions from the other side of the cash register, I can tell you that they don’t deliver the satisfaction they advertise! On the contrary, I have found great wisdom in the adage, ‘That which you own will eventually own you!’ How true that is.
“Having surrendered my hard earned dollars for a new object only obligates me to maintain and protect it. Instead of it contributing to my pleasure, I must spend my precious Saturdays oiling it, mowing it, painting it, repairing it, cleaning it, or calling the Salvation Army to haul it off. The time I might have invested in worthwhile family activities is spent in slavery to a depreciating piece of junk.”
Somehow we need to get out of this rut and come to realize that our only true security is the Lord!
Psalm 11:3-4 “When all that is good falls apart, what can good people do? The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his throne in heaven.”
ILL.- Max Lucado wrote, “Isn’t David’s question ours? When all that is good falls apart, what can good people do? When planes pierce strong towers, when flames crown our fortress, when cities shake and people plunge, what are we to do?
“We’re still hoping we’ll wake up. We’re still hoping we’ll open a sleepy eye and shake our pillowed head and think, ‘My, what a dream.’ But we won’t. For what we saw was not a dream.
“It was unspeakable, unthinkable, but it was not a dream. People did perish. Buildings did fall.
“And we are sad. We are sad for the innocent people who died, for their children who will not see them, for their spouse who must bury them. We grieve the loss of life.
“But our grief goes even deeper. As we mourn the death of people, we mourn the death of an image. Just as the skyline of the city is forever altered, so is our view of the world. We thought we were untouchable.
“With the loss of innocent lives is the loss of innocence itself. Perhaps we should have known better, but we didn’t.
“So what can we do? "When all that is good falls apart, what can good people do?" Curiously, David doesn’t answer his question with an answer. He answers it with a declaration. ‘The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his throne in heaven.’
“His point is unmistakable: God is unaffected by our storms. He is undeterred by our problems. He is unfrightened by these problems. He is in his holy temple. He is on his throne in heaven. Buildings have fallen, but he has not. God has made a business out of turning tragedy into triumph.
“What we saw on Sept. 11th is what the followers of Christ saw on the cross. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Heavens tower of strength was pierced.
“Mothers wept, evil danced, and the apostles had to wonder, When all that is good falls apart, what do good people do?’
“God answered their question with a declaration, with the rumble of the earth and the rolling of the rock he reminded them, ‘The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his throne in heaven.’
“And, today, we must remember: he still is. He is still in his temple, still on his throne, still in control. And he still makes princes out of prisoners, counselors out of captives, and Sundays out of Fridays. What he did then, he will do still.”
A great message of faith and trust. That’s exactly what we must learn to do more of: TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS IN SPITE OF! In spite of death, devastation and destruction! In spite of terrorism and trouble!
And when we do here is what will happen: Prov. 3:24-26 “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. (You will) Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, FOR THE LORD WILL BE YOUR CONFIDENCE...”
We must trust the Lord for safety and security.
III. WE MUST POINT PEOPLE TO THE ONLY TRUE SAFETY THERE IS
ILL.- Mrs. Brown was shocked to learn that little Junior had told a lie. Taking the youngster aside for a heart-to-heart talk, she graphically described the consequences of lying.
She said, “A tall black man with red fiery eyes and two sharp horns will grab little boys who tell lies and carry them off at night. He takes them to Mars where they have to work in a dark canyon for 50 years.”
“Now,” she said to Junior, “you won’t tell a lie again, will you?”
“No, mom,” little junior said, “YOU TELL BETTER ONES.”
Brethren, some people are better at telling lies than others, but none are better than false prophets.
Jerm. 14:14 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.”
ILL.- A preacher friend of mine told of his listening to a radio program in the Joplin, MO, area some years ago. A prophet of sorts was being interviewed. This prophet claimed to have inside information from God that other people were not privy to.
In addition to exclusive information from God he claimed that he had a special friend named King Alpha from the planet Alpha.
King Alpha was only 2 1/2 inches tall, but could lift fantastic weights, like 100,000 pounds. King Alpha seemed to be interested in what was going on in the world and had a way of slipping into secret White House meetings and then reporting this information to “Mr. Prophet.”
Brothers and sisters, what do you think of such a man as this “Mr. Prophet”? You probably think he is either crazy or else one of the biggest liars around. He is not the only one.
ILL.- A lady prophet preaches, “Who needs to be worshipped? Indeed, you do! And who needs to save your hide? Indeed, you do! And, indeed, who can answer your prayers? You do!”
These are the words of Ms. J. Z. Knight who claims to be the medium through which a 35,000-year-old warrior/king from the lost world of Atlantis speaks. Actress Shirley MacLaine listens or has listened to her. Thought you would want to know.
ILL.- WHO SAID THESE WORDS? “If the Bible is true, then I’m Christ. But so what? Look at 2,000 years ago. What’s so great about being Christ? A man nailed to the cross. A man of sorrow, acquainted with grief. You know, being Christ ain’t nothing. Know what I mean?” David Koresh of the Branch Davidians, Feb. 28, 1993.
Brothers and sisters, our world is full of false prophets and false preachers who claim to be God or be from God.
Another one of these false prophets is none other than the infamous Osama Bin Laden. If he is indeed behind the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001, or any other terrorism for that matter, he is a false prophet. I wouldn’t even call him a prophet, because he is preaching a message of hatred.
John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Phil. 2:9-11 “God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Brothers and sisters, I believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God! I believe it’s message and the message is clear: Jesus is who He claimed to be: the Christ, the Messiah, the son of the living God and Savior of the world and WE MUST POINT PEOPLE TO HIM!
I Pet. 3:15 “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have…”
ILL.- Claudette and Floyd Nelson, retirees from Mora, Minn., endured a 30-minute wait in bitter cold and passed through a metal detector to see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Claudette Nelson, 67, said "It’s telling that little slug (Osama Bin Laden) over there that we’re not afraid of him. He’s not going to succeed. No way."
Osama Bin Laden will not succeed, but it’s not because of who we are. It’s not because of the American people. It’s not because of the leadership of our country. It’s not because of our strong military power. IT’S BECAUSE JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD!
And we must continue to point people to Him! Jesus is our only hope of life here and now and there and then! He is our only hope of safety and security.
CONCLUSION------------------------------------
ILL.- Someone said, “We are saved by a person and only a person, and BY ONLY ONE PERSON.”
That person is Jesus Christ. If you have not surrendered your life to Him why not do it today?
