Learning From 9 / 11 Text : Luke 13 : 1-9, II Pet. 3: 8-9

Transcription

1 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 1 INTRODUCTION : Learning From 9 / 11 Text : Luke 13 : 1-9, II Pet. 3: 8-9 A. This is the 10 th anniversary of the most devastating attack on our homeland in the history of the United States of America. 1. Though it was a political event, it is so much on our minds that it must be addressed. 2. Many have placed great emphasis on it as being a message from God. a. In the absence of revelation, one can never definitively attribute anything to God. b. However, from studying the O. T. one can observe God s modus operandi. 3. God uses the workings of nature and of man to serve as warnings or judgments. a. We see plagues of locusts sent both as warnings and as judgments. ( droughts ) b. It s revealed that the conquest of the Promised Land was a judgment on nations. B. HOWEVER, Satan also works on the earth. 1. Job 1: 12 2: Notice that Satan used : a. Natural disasters ( great winds lightening ) b. Actions of invading armies ( Sabeans descendants of Ham ) c. Physical illness ( sore boils ) d. Loved ones tempted him ( wife & friends ) ( Don t automatically blame God. ) C. God does not personally bring evil on anyone. 1. James 1: Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God ; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 2. God limits the evil activities of Satan and of those who serve Satan. a. Job 1: 12, 2: 6 b. I Cor. 10: God uses the evil of the wicked to accomplish good for His followers. a. Joseph sold Gen. 50: 20- you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good b. Rom. 2: 28- God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,

2 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 2 With these truths in mind, let us search for lessons to be learned from 9 / 11. I. Attacks may catch us by surprise, but they re not so unusual as to be unexpected.. A. America has been attacked at major points of transition in our history. 1. On March 22, 1621 Powhatan lead a sneak attack against the Jamestown colony. a. Came into the settlement unarmed to sell deer, turkey, fish, fruits, etc. b. Without warning they grabbed anything they could use as a weapon killed 347. c. A protracted war was started resulting in westward expansion. 2. Incensed by unfair taxation, our forefathers declared their independence on 7/4/76. a. On July 12, 1776 British Gen. William Howe arrived to quell the rebellion. b. Began occupation of New York and disarmament of the colonists. c. The revolutionary war ensued. ( We fought them again in ) 3. April 1846 the Mexicans came across the border and attacked Capt. Seth Thornton. a. They besieged Fort Texas, but were soundly defeated in a series of battles. b. The border with Mexico was drawn again. ( They felt cheated and still resent it. ) *c. When Texas was annexed into the union, we fought Mexico again. ( Alamo ) 4. In 1917 we were drawn into W.W. I by the sinking of the Lusitania a. The Lusitania was a British transport ship sailing from New York to London. b lives were lost including 128 Americans. c. This attack dramatically and permanently changed American foreign policy. 5. Dec. 7, 1941 The Japanese attacked our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. a Americans were killed in the attack. b. 8 ships were sunk and 350 aircraft destroyed c. The goal of the Japanese was to make us unable to help others is Southeast Asia but instead they provoked the instrument of their demise. 6. September 11, 2011 a group of Muslim radical attacked us using hijacked planes with the passenger in them as guided missiles. a victims from 90 countries plus the 19 Muslim radicals died in the attack. b. 55 military personnel were killed in the pentagon; 343 firemen; 72 policemen c. Muslims around the world rejoiced and celebrated by giving sweet treats to others. *d. Like Pearl Harbor Day 9/11 is a day that will go down in infamy.

3 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 3 B. What made the 9 / 11 attack different from other attacks. 1. Others : a. Resulted in significant loss of life. b. Some resulted in wars which cost more lives than the attack / 11 was an attack on civilians, not on our military. 3. It was an attack motivated by pure unvarnished hatred. ( Evil seeks to destroy. ) II. What can we learn from those fanatical Muslims that crashed those planes?. A. They thought they were glorifying God by their actions, but ended up in Hell. 1. As they flew into those towers they were shouting "Allahu Akbar." 2. The Apostle Paul had the same attitude as these terrorist as he killed Christians. a. Acts 22: 4-5 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. b. Acts 23: 1 Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day. 3. No one s conscience is a safe guide. ( Thinking it right does not make it right. ) a. Conscience is only as good as its programming. b. Jesus said many lost people will appear before God with a clear conscience. Matt. 7: Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? 23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. B. Those radicals were the victims of false teachers with a political agenda. 1. It was their desire to know God, but they were only taught about Mohammad. 2. The message about the Christ was available, but they rejected their only hope. John 14: 6 - Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. ( cf. Acts 4: 12, Jn. 6: 68 ) 3. Though they were in the same condition as Paul, they did not have their sins washed away in the blood of Christ. Acts 22:16 ( I Pet 3:21 - cf - Heb 9 :14 )

4 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 4 C. Those terrorists were willing to die for their faith. 1. They flew into their target screaming Allah Akbar. ( praise Allah ) a. Their sacrifice was willing. b. It was a response to their conviction. ( They were willing to kill and be killed. ) 2. How many Christians do you know who would willingly lay down their Christ? a. Many who call themselves Christian won t even inconvenience themselves. b. When they have family or recreational events they take the Lord s Day for it. 3. We endorse none of what they did or believed, but must emulate their commitment. a. Jesus warned that one CANNOT be His disciple without commitment. Luke 14: If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. b. Jesus asks only as much commitment from us as He made to us. III. What about the victims who perished in that attack?. A. Most died in unimaginable terror. 1. Just doing their jobs. ( typing, making calls, having meetings ) 2. Some were just visiting the famous buildings. 3. When the planes hit the towers were rocked. a. Everyone in the building knew something major was wrong. b. Those in the first tower had seen the plane hit the first. 4. Those trapped realized they were going to die, but could do nothing. 5. The heat became so unbearable many jumped. B. In our grief, we try to dwell on the virtuous qualities possessed by many. 1. Great husbands and fathers 2. Civic minded individuals 3. We point to the heroism displayed by the first responders. C. We should grieve for all the souls that were lost in that attack.

5 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 5 1. For sure, those crazed Muslims immediately heard but one response to their cries of Allah Akbar. That response was : Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels Matt. 25: But the truth is there will be many more than those terrorist who went from fires of the towers to the fires of Hell. a. Too often we apply the same theology as the terrorist, i.e., believing that God will save one who dies in the act of heroism or virtue or who dies as an innocent victim at the hands of an oppressor. b. This may give us comfort in our time of grief, but it is not true. 3. ALL who are guilty of sin will be condemned to the devil s Hell regardless of the circumstances of their death. ( No forgiveness after death. Heb. 9: 27 ) D. Sin condemns one s soul to an eternity with Satan and his angels. 1. Rom. 3:10 There is not one righteous person on the face of the earth. 2. Rom. 3: 23 Every single person sins. 3. Rom. 6: 23 Every sin condemns one to spiritual death separation 4. Spiritually dead people can be made alive again by having Jesus forgive them. Col. 3: having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ( born again ) 5. Sins are forgiven only in Christ. Eph. 4: 32- Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. ( cf.- Eph. 1: 7, Col. 1:14 ) 6. One must place his faith in Christ and commit his life to Him to be saved from sin. Gal. 3: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ( cf.- Heb. 5: 9 ) * As much as we feel compassion for those who are oppressed or Killed, they have sinned, in doing so they separated themselves from God, but Jesus has provided the only way for them to be reunited with God. II Thes. 1: 7b-9 when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, Thus : As we remember, we grieve for all those who died outside Christ that day.

6 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 6 CONCLUSION : A. The 9 / 11 terrorist demonstrated that there is real evil in the world. 1. The radical Muslims want to destroy us ( Christians ) just because we exist. 2. They hold their evil up as a virtue. B. Likewise, all mankind lives in the face of spiritual terrorism. ( Destroy Souls ) 1. Eph. 6 : 10f We live in a constant state of war with Satan. 2. I Pet. 5: 8 Like a terrorist, our enemy is always seeking an unguarded target. B. Everyone is a victim of sin and Christians are the first responders take gospel. 1. We have no way of knowing when the plane will hit our towers. 2. Death may come any day while we re concentrating on our jobs, our families, etc. C. 9 / 11 was a terrible tragedy which we could not prevent, but our friends and neighbors are facing an eternal tragedy which is preventable. 1. We must be as watchful spiritually as our national security forces. 2. We must be a zealous as to warn as those crazy Muslims are to destroy. D. They are willing to die for the promise of many wives? Are you willing to live for the promise of eternity in Heaven with God? INVITATION :

7 Sermon : Learning From 9 / 11 Page 7 Lesson Texts : II Peter 3: But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Luke 13: Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had shed along with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 6 And He began telling this parable: A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground? 8 And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.