The world that we live in, the world that we are to reach, changed dramatically ten years ago on September 11, 2001. Do you remember where you were when you heard the news? At first no one knew what was going on, but eventually the horror of the tragedy began to sink in. As well as the fear of what else might happen in the future. People rushed into churches in waves to pray for God’s protection and to seek His comfort.
Today, churches across America are remembering 9/11 on it’s tenth anniversary. Many, including major churches in St. Louis are having services honoring the 9/11 heroes. However, as I was preparing for today’s message, I began to wonder. Is that really the main message that God is speaking to us through 9/11? Honoring heroes? I don’t think so. Unfortunately, I believe the main message of 9/11 has been lost in the ten years since the event in America as a whole.
In Luke 21, Jesus is answering the disciples’ question about His second coming and the end of the age. He goes through a list of disasters that He says are the beginning of birth pangs. Do birth pangs get less or greater as the birth approaches? They get greater and reach their peak just before birth. So how should believers respond in the face of disasters?
Luke 21:36 (NIV) Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
As believers in the face of disaster and calamity, we are to watch and pray. First of all for protection and secondly for perseverance to live a life of faith until Jesus returns. Disaster brings us face to face with eternal issues of life and death, we need to make sure that we are ready. Let’s take a look at another of Jesus’ teaching on responding to disaster.
Luke 13:4-5 (NIV) Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
In this case a tower had fell and killed a number of people. Jesus said that the people who died weren’t more guilty than the people who survived. So I’m sure the people who died in 9/11 were both believers and unbelievers. The believers went to heaven upon death and the unbelievers went to hell. So what does Jesus say is the message of the disaster? People need to repent or they will perish also. Without repentance, eternal death awaits people when they die.
So on this tenth anniversary of 9/11, what is the message that God has for us?
For the answer to that question, listen to or watch my September 11, 2011 message Becoming a Praying Church.
I appreciate a Gospel-centered post involving 9/11. Blessings!