Intro: From the events surrouding Hurricane Katrina
and the aftermath, we can learn some important spiritual lessons:
I. THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IS ONLY TEMPORARY
*There is coming an end to this world. Just
as weather forecasters predicted the coming
of Hurricane Katrina, GOD has forecasted that
this world will end. (*REVIEW THE TIMELINE
AND SEQUENCE OF END-TIME EVENTS IN SCRIPTURE
HERE AS YOU UNDERSTAND THEM*)
*Thus, our priorities & dependence should focus
on Spiritual, not material matters.
*One hurricane victim displaced to a shelter
said "I have adequate funds in the bank...I
just cannot access them because my bank was a
local bank and was flooded, so all I have
accumulated over the years is doing me
no good!" (WHAT A SPIRITUAL LESSON THERE!)
II.THERE IS A DANGER IN WAITING UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTE TO BE PREPARED:
*REGARDING KATRINA FORECASTS:
-SOME DENIED: "It won’t hit us"
-SOME RATIONALIZED: "It won’t be that bad"
-OTHERS IGNORED: "I’ll take my chances"
*Many spiritually react the same to God’s forecast
concerning the end of this world:
-Some DENY: "There’s nothing to that"
-Others RATIONALIZE: "A God of Love would
never let that happen"
-Many IGNORE: "I’ll take my chances"
*As the parable of the 10 virgins, the parable
of the narrow door (Luke 13:23ff) and the account
of Noah and the flood indicate, THERE IS DANGER
IN NOT BEING PREPARED!
*Jesus said
-"Unless you REPENT you will all likewise
Perish!"
-"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life...no man
comes unto the Father BUT BY ME!" (John 14:6)
III. THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED SHOULD HELP OTHERS
PREPARE:
*Christians have a moral obligation to witness
just as much as the Nursing Home administrators
had to evacuate those patients who could not fend
for themselves.
*We need to be more about witnessing, and less
about the "inward focus" of our faith.
*It’s easy to say "I’m okay...others know where
the church is"...but MANY need OUR HANDS
OUTSTRETCHED IN CHRISTIAN LOVE...AND WE ARE
TO TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS AS WE REACH OUT TO THEM.
*RESCUERS had to use all means of persuasion to
convince people "if you remain here, you’ll die"
*The truth is: If humans remain as we are...we
will perish...YET JESUS HAS PROVIDED A WAY TO
ESCAPE ETERNAL TORMENT...WILL WE RECEIVE HIM
AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR?? WILL WE "GET IN THE
BOAT?"
CONCLUSION:
1. SOMETHING far more massive than Katrina is
forecast in Scripture...it’s the end of this
world. GOD WROTE THE FORECAST...He warns us
to GET PREPARED because He doesn’t want ANY
of us to Perish.
2. To ignore preparation, or put it off until the
last minute is DANGEROUS. DONT WAIT TOO LATE.
3. Those who are prepared should reach out INTENSIVELY,
REPEATEDLY, AND CONSISTENTLY to those who are not
yet prepared.
Close with Old Song "Rescue the Perishing"
