Saved By A Human Bullet (1 Peter 2:9)

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1 Saved By A Human Bullet (1 Peter 2:9) Introduction: The Story of Debbie Williams On a warm April morning (1987) in Phoenix, Arizona, Debbie Williams seemed on the verge of fulfilling a life-long dream. She always wanted to sky-dive, and on this particular morning she was ready for her dream to become a reality. Debbie had done everything she needed to prepare for her adventure. During the weeks leading up to her jump she had carefully and dutifully attended all the classes. She had listened with great interest to her skydiving coach, Greg Robertson, as he taught Debbie and five other classmates how to fold their chutes, how to count down to wait for the plane to clear their air space, and last but not least, how to successfully jump from the plane. And so, bright and early that fateful April morning, Debbie and her five classmates waited with eager anticipation as the Cessna lumbered down the airstrip, the rugged Phoenix landscape visible through the plane s window. With each tenth mile that ticked off the planes odometer, their excitement rose as did their adrenalin. The planes destination: 9,000 feet where one by one Greg Robertson would instruct each to jump, and then experience the freedom and thrill that only skydiving can deliver. One by one each of the students jumped, and all was going flawlessly until Debbie rose for her turn. Waiting in line, watching her classmates go through the routine, her nerves began to overpower her. As she breached the door of the plane to take her last step, the step into the air, the sole of her left shoe caught the door s threshold, tripping her balance. The force of the hundred miles an hour wind accentuated the problem, and it was clear to everyone that Debbie was in trouble. A moment later, Greg Robertson and the rest of the crew watched in horror as Debbie slammed face first into Guy Fitzwater, breaking her nose and knocking her unconscious. Her rebound flung her out the open door of the plane, and she tumbled toward the ground, face covered in blood, at speeds approaching 150 mph. Manuscript By Win Green 1

2 Guy Fitzwater would later tell reporters: Debbie was flying through the air like a limp rag-doll, no purpose, no clear destination, the only certain thing a destructive end I. Falling To a Destructive End This true story appeared over the AP wire fourteen years ago, but I can t help but think that Guy Fitzwater s description of Debbie s fall serves as an excellent description for the lives that so many of our family, friends, and neighbors are living. Did you hear it? Flying through life like a limp ragdoll, no purpose, no clear destination, the only certain thing a destructive end. Studies and statistics of America lifestyle are not flattering in what they reveal. They say that Americans are flying through life with neither purpose nor any clear destination. Too many are aimless and lost. Families don t feel they have the time to sit down to dinner together. Marriages don t feel they have the love to grow old together. Communities don t feel they have the desire to socialize together. We re busy to be sure. American culture hurdles its citizens in every direction, frantic to gain some advantage over a business competitor, desperate to generate the money needed to pay bills, starving for recognition and significance, but to what end? Family and friends are flying through life alright, but too many have no purpose or clear destination, living in a culture that is not rooted in the most important things of life. What is curious in all this is that statistics also tell us that Americans are more interested in spiritual things than ever before. Recently, George Gallup took a national poll that revealed as many as 96% of the American people have an intense interest in spiritual things. Certainly the events following the September 11 th attack confirmed this. Churches, synagogues, and mosques were flooded by terrified people seeking a connection with God. They were looking for a rock upon which to anchor their lives. They were hungry for spiritual direction in an uncertain and suddenly hostile world. Evidently, it was a moment when they could feel their life falling out of control like a limp rag-doll, and they instinctively reached out for the security of God. So how are we to respond to family and friends who are spiritual hungry, empty at their core, and who are seeking a rock upon which to anchor their lives? Manuscript By Win Green 2

3 II. Chosen for Priestly Work: Some of us feel we don t know enough to offer any answers. Some of us believe we are too young and inexperienced in the Faith to share the Gospel. If you feel this way you are no different than the generations of Christians who have gone before you, because Christians have always felt overwhelmed and inadequate when it came to saving the world. Many years ago, when the Apostle Peter was helping a group of new believers understand what it means to be a Christian, he offered a description that is still useful for us today. Peter told His new believers: But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be holy people, God s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night and day difference He made for you (1 Peter2:9) St. Peter tells his new believers that they were chosen by God to do priestly work. I suspect that most of us assume this priestly work is to do the kind of work that a Catholic priest does to lead worship, serve communion, conduct weddings & funerals, counsel and pastor people. But this wasn t what St. Peter had in mind. You see, this isn t the original meaning of the word priest. The word priest comes from the Latin word PONTUS and the literal translation for the word Pontus is bridge. In the truest sense of the word, a priest is a bridge builder someone who helps to bridge the gap between God and people. It s tempting to think that only professionals do this priestly/bridge building stuff, but this isn t what St. Peter had in mind when he instructed his new believers. He told them they were chosen by God for the high calling of priestly work of bridge building that each of them was to help bridge the gap between God and men. When Stephanie and I were married, she gave me as a wedding present, a beautiful Cherry desk for my study. I cherish that desk. Each time I sit there I think of her. But when people enter my study I ve noticed that the desk, beautiful as it is, is not the first thing they focus on. What they notice is the wire model of the Brooklyn Bridge that sits prominently atop my desk. I ve been asked on numerous occasions why I have a model of the Brooklyn Manuscript By Win Green 3

4 Bridge occupying such a prominent place on my desk, and my reason is simple. It is there to remind me of what St. Peter said the Christian faith is all about bridge building helping to bridge the gap between God and people. We are to help bridge the gaps of doubt, cynicism, despair and grief. We are bridge the gaps that attempt to destroy faith in the face of terror and disappointment. New Christians and experienced Christians alike are to help build bridges to God. III. The Story of a Priest Doing Priestly Work If any of you have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan you will remember that the movie ends with a battle over a bridge. The Germans were trying to blow up the bridge, and the Americans were trying to save it. Recently, I heard a story told by Chuck Swindoll about a real Saving Private Ryan moment during World War II, the story of a priest who did some spiritual bridge building. The story begins with three American soldiers in France who went through training and combat together and of course became very close friends they were like brothers. Tragically, in the middle of a fire fight one of them was shot and killed by an enemy sniper. The remaining two soldiers didn t feel it would be right to just leave the body of their brother on the battlefield to decay ignominiously without the dignity of a proper burial. So they carried his body as long as they could, until they came upon a little church in a small French town. They knocked on the door of the parish priest, who opened. He was a small man, but his face, and most especially his eyes, suggested a big heart. The soldiers explained their blight as best they could in their broken French and the Priest s broken English. They told the priest that their friend had died in battle and could they please burry him inside the fence of the Church graveyard. The priest was very attentive and sympathetic, but when he asked if the fallen soldier was Catholic the soldiers honestly didn t know, so they looked at his dog tags, which informed them their friend was protestant. The priest stared down at the ground as if in prayer and then shook his no saying, I m so very sorry, but I cannot allow you to burry your dead brother inside our Catholic graveyard. Night soon fell, and under the cover of darkness they decided to burry their friend just outside the fence of the graveyard, after which they made camp in the woods just beyond the Church yard. In the morning, they wanted to pay their final respects to their dead friend before rejoining their platoon, but Manuscript By Win Green 4

5 they couldn t find his grave. They looked everywhere, but they just couldn t find it. In desperation they knocked again on the priest s door, and asked him if he knew anything about the grave their dead brother. The priest responded by saying, I want you to know that after we talked last night I spent the first half of the night feeling ashamed for having refused your request to burry your friend, and I spent the second half of the night moving the fence. God has called each of us to do priestly work, to build bridges and move fences, to welcome everyone into the church, so that everyone can connect themselves with Christ. As the scripture says, God is not wishing that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9) There are all kinds of fences that keep people out of God s kingdom. As Christians our job is to remove the barriers and build the bridges that connect people with Jesus. The French priest of this story did what he was commissioned by God to do he built a spiritual bridge for the two American soldiers to cross over and experience for themselves the love of God in Christ Jesus. He didn t just make a place for a dead man in a cemetery. He offered a place in God s heart for two weary soldiers to find divine comfort. It doesn t matter whether you are a new Christian or an old Christian, each of us who claims to follow Jesus is called to do priestly work, to roll up our sleeves and reach out to others by building bridges to God. This is the greatest work of the Christian believer the work of reconciliation. The work of the Christian is not to focus on being good there lots of good people in hell. It is not to focus on being religious; there are lots of religious people in hell. It is not to focus on being happy, there are lots of happy people who go to hell. The priestly work God has called each of us to is to build bridges between God and men. To reconcile God and mankind. To let the world know that God s heart is open to all of us (Jews and gentiles, Americans and Afghans, liberals and conservatives). God wants to be friends with all of us. As the Scripture says: Our message is that God was making friends of all men through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins against them, and He has Manuscript By Win Green 5

6 given us the message of how He makes them His friends. ( 2 Corinthians 5:19, GN ) God has called us to be a light in a world of world of darkness. Jesus Himself said, You are the light of the world Let us be mindful that Light never waits for darkness to come to it. The light always shines into the darkness. This is our mandate from God our divine calling - To build bridges - To move fences - To shine our light into the darkness - To reconcile others to Christ It is also our heritage. Outside Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore Kentucky, where I completed my doctoral studies, there is a huge bronze statue of Francis Asbury, the founder of American Methodism. It is an imposing statue, and underneath the horse, there is emblazoned a plaque for all to read his story. In part it reads: Francis Asbury Dispatched to America by John Wesley in On horseback he trekked the yet uncharted wilderness paths to unnamed places wherever men and women had ventured Extolling God winning minds and hearts to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At first on a borrowed horse, he set out though wanting in health he spoke untold numbers of sermons and passed by some 270,000 miles on horseback before his end on earth. This is our tradition our heritage. We Methodists don t just sit back and wait for others to find their way to God. We are determined to reach out and build bridges so that God will find His way to them. Now, let me give you some practical examples of how we can do this: On Thursday evening October 18 th Sandra Lipman is organizing an opportunity to build a bridge to the neighbors in our community by stationing members of ECC outside Wall Mart and Publix and handing out free drinks with a simple message of good will and hope attached to it. We Manuscript By Win Green 6

7 would love for you to help us build that bridge with your smile and good will. On Saturday, October 20 th, Pete Heng, Cristina Montanez, Jody Kerr, Janet Metcalf are offering an opportunity to build a bridge to friends and neighbors in our community by organizing a Free Family Fall Festival. Our purpose is simple, to demonstrate in real practical terms that God s love is free without any strings attached. Our hope is that hundreds of neighbors will come and fellowship with us that we might begin building God s bridge to them. This is what ECC was created for to build bridges with God to those who don t yet enjoy Him. This is the high calling of our priestly work to reach out that others might be saved. IV. Conclusion: Guy Fitzwater said, She was flying through the air like a limp rag doll, no purpose, no clear destination, the only thing certain was a destructive end. Well, Debbie s sky diving coach Greg Robertson wasn t going to let that happen. Greg dove out of the door of the plane and straightened his body to form a human bullet. Weaving his way through the air at speeds approaching 200mph. He finally reach Debbie, turned her around in mid-air, pulled her rip cord, spun himself away from her and pulled his own rip cord. The two safely floated to the ground, Debbie still unconscious. Greg later estimated he reached Debbie and deployed her chute nine seconds before they both would have slammed into the ground. Nine seconds. Later, Greg was asked a simple and yet probing question by awed reporters. What would possess you to make yourself a human bullet and risk your own life for someone you barely knew, with the odds stacked against you? Greg s response was classic: Somebody was dying in my drop zone, and I wasn t going to let that happen. My friends, people all over our community today are spiritually dying in our drop zones, and I just want to ask you, are you willing to let that happen? Amen. Manuscript By Win Green 7

A Heart Filled With Thanksgiving

1 A Heart Filled With Thanksgiving The Thanksgiving season is upon us. We Americans have a lot to be thankful for. Our freedom, our freedom to worship, our freedom to choose our leaders was exercised earlier