Rev. David Holwick ZA
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
September 16, 2001
Matthew 24:36-46
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I. World Trade Center tragedy.
A. The event we will never forget.
1) I began viewing TV at 9:00 a.m.
2) Crescendo of calamity.
B. Visit to lower Manhattan on Friday with Cathy Johnson.
1) She was in PATH train station in lower level of towers
and was evacuated after first impact.
2) Saw debris and falling bodies.
3) Had to walk uptown through Manhattan to ferry to Jersey.
4) She went through police line Friday to retrieve her laptop
from her office which is only a few blocks from Ground Zero.
5) I taped up photo of Maile Hale, one of missing, at St. Vincent
Hospital in lower Manhattan.
a) A reporter nearby asked me, "How do you explain this to
your congregation?"
b) Publicized graffiti - store window with "Forgive them" and
pickup truck window with "REVENGE!"
C. Infamous Rapture postcard.
1) Cars crashing, planes flying into buildings...
2) Bystander videotaped fleeing WTC disaster - "It's like an
apocalypse!"
3) Many wonder if this is a sign of the end of the world.
a) Kids in church asked me this question directly.
II. Jesus' warning.
A. Day and hour are unknown.
1) Dramatic - Jesus doesn't know himself.
a) Limitation of his earthly existence only?
2) Plenty of people have tried to figure it out.
a) Date setting of our generation.
1> 1846 and Miller, Seventh Day Adventists.
2> 1974 and Jehovah Witnesses.
3> 1988 and Wisenant's "88 Reasons Why Christ Will
Return in 1988"
4> 1994 and Harold Camping's book.
b) All the dates have been wrong.
1> Yet our world is as apocalyptic as ever.
2> New concern - biological warfare; nukes?.
3) False predictions don't mean it won't happen.
a) Scoffers have existed for 2,000 years. 2 Peter 3:4
b) Jesus will come back.
c) He gives us signs:
1> Wars and famines. (just a preview, called "birth pains")
2> Coming of Antichrist.
A> Revelation seems to indicate a united Europe.
3> Dramatically increased persecution of Christians.
4> Beginning of Tribulation.
B. As it was in days of Noah.
1) Eating and drinking, getting married.
a) Dissipated life?
b) More likely, normal life.
1> They were plenty dissipated but emphasis is on
how unaware they were.
2> In the midst of a regular day, the flood came.
2) The shattering of normal life.
a) Watching TV on Tuesday morning.
b) Tower 1, tower 2, Pentagon, towers collapse.
c) Brought back memories of Kennedy's assassination.
C. God's Judgment is not a TV event.
1) Noah's people were participants, not just observers.
a) Our disasters are media events.
1> We are emotionally moved, yet detached.
2> Hard to imagine what it would be like in a burning
tower.
b) Noah's generation was completely involved.
1> Second Coming of Jesus will be same way.
2) The great separation.
a) Taken away to salvation? (Rapture)
b) Taken away to judgment. (as in Noah's flood)
3) The decision we make now will affect us then.
a) Your family ties won't matter.
b) Where you stand with God is only issue.
III. Keep watching.
A. We would be more prepared if we knew the particulars.
1) Homeowners and thieves.
a) Local inmate - if you knew how good these guys are, you
would lock everything, all the time.
b) America and terrorists.
1> In hindsight, we would have done more.
2) Spiritually, what should you do more?
a) Death will happen to you. Perhaps suddenly.
1> Second Coming may happen in your lifetime.
b) Are you ready for either?
3) We can be prepared.
a) Can't know day, but we can read the signs.
b) Be aware of Bible's teaching on End Times.
B. Act as if everyday could be your last.
1) Changes you need to make, make now.
2) Things you want to do, do now.
IV. Keep working.
A. The master should find you doing your duty.
1) Not up to us to figure out prophetic dates.
2) Just do what you are supposed to do.
a) Don't run away, but minister.
David & Ana D'Amico, Baptist missionaries to New York's
diplomatic community, live eight blocks from the
World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.
They walked toward the loud explosions caused by the
two impacts.
They met people running in every direction and streets
clogged by rescue vehicles.
Among the people they ministered to that morning were
several members of an atheist group who had just
returned from a meeting in California.
One asked, "You are religious people, aren't you?"
Ana replied, "Well, I do not know if we are religious
or not, but we believe in God and believe he is here
right now."
"Then please pray for us," the man said. #20559
B. Be faithful.
1) Don't be swayed by emotions or events.
2) (stories of firemen climbing steps into building, loaded
down with equipment, passing people coming down.
They faithfully did their job to the end.)
3) Stand firm in your faith even when nothing seems to make
sense.
C. Be wise.
1) Understand we live in an often-cruel world.
a) When the reporter asked me how I explained the tragedy,
I said there is still much evil in world.
b) Some of this evil comes from sinful humans.
c) Some comes from decay in world. (earthquakes)
2) Understand God is still in control.
a) He has a plan that includes disaster but ends in
ultimate peace.
=========================================================================
SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#20559 "Baptists In New York Overwhelmed By Tragedy," by Bob Allen,
Associated Baptist Press, APBNews.com; September 12, 2001.
This and 18,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=========================================================================
HOLWICK'S ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION Number: 20559
SOURCE: Associated Baptist Press
TITLE: Baptists In New York Overwhelmed By Tragedy
AUTHOR: Bob Allen
DATE: 9/12/01
NEW YORK (ABP) -- David and Ana D'Amico, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
missionaries to New York's diplomatic community, live eight blocks from
the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.
Walking toward loud explosions caused when two hijacked commercial jets
crashed into the familiar twin-towers landmark Sept. 11, they met people
running in every direction and streets clogged by rescue vehicles.
Pat Anderson, coordinator of the CBF state chapter in Florida, said he
spoke early Sept. 12 to Ana D'Amico, who described the situation there
as "overwhelming."
The couple made their way to the New York University Hospital, Anderson
related in an e-mail account of the conversation, where they helped
medical personnel by washing soot and ashes from the "walking wounded"
seeking help. They distributed clean clothes for victims to change into
after treatment throughout the day and into the night.
Her experience as a hospital administrator helped, she said, as did the
fact they speak more than one language. Under stress, victims who had
learned English as a second language had trouble remembering words. The
D'Amicos translated for many people, helping them reunite with families.
They met one young man who asked, "Where is God at a time like this?"
They also ministered to several members of an atheist group who had just
returned from a meeting in California. One asked, "You are religious
people, aren't you?"
Ana replied, "Well, I do not know if we are religious or not, but we
believe in God and believe he is here right now."
"Then please pray for us," the man said.
"Ana said she and David feel overwhelmed," Anderson said. "They are
grateful for my call and all of our prayers and offers of help."
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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