THE PERCUSSION OF HATE

THE PERCUSSION OF HATE Matthew 5:4, Psalm 23:4 September 16, 2001 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory Five days ago, as four missiles of steel, jet fuel and human bodies sliced into three buildings, and one misfired into Pennsylvania soil, we citizens of the United States came face to face with evil as we never have before, and five thousand human lives were reluctantly offered at the altar of hate. The great New York skyline will never look the same. The Pentagon building, that paragon of military might, shot in the belly by terrorists on their suicide-homicide mission, will from now on seem strangely vulnerable. Multiple thousands of families are forever changed as their loved ones were instantly burned beyond recognition and buried almost beyond recovery. Thanks to the advantage (or disadvantage?) of network replay, our minds are now tattooed with the memory of those terrifying crashes and are scarred for life. These attacks, and the very real threat of repeats, make us feel helpless and paranoid, sad and burdened, angry and vengeful. We mourn with those who've lost their loved ones, we worry with those who still don't know, but whose pessimism grows, we seethe with emotion at the mere thought of Osama Bin Laden, and we pray in earnest with a nation in horrified shock. Even the salve of the renewed patriotism national unity can't erase the pall of sorrow. Like a sudden, out-of-place tympani drum roll during a flute solo, or the crash of cymbals in the middle of a quiet lullaby, evil has reared its mocking head and devastated our democratic tranquility. And we are startled back to the reality that this sin-riddled world is not what it should be, not as God intended. We are stunned that someone, or some group, could perpetrate such heinous, murderous behavior against anyone. We are shocked once again at the presence of such malice among humanity. We ask, "How can anyone hate so deeply and act so wantonly?" And we are plagued by our questions, doubts and fears. But the Lord would remind us this morning that He is still in control and we can put our trust in Him. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:1-3) It will never serve us well to ask the unanswerable question of "Why?" Why did this happen? Why did God allow this to happen? Why did God not interfere with these malevolent plans? We will not get satisfactory answers to such questions. Please know this-such questions do not anger God or put Him out. Like a loving Father He understands our need for venting. But neither does He blithely dole out answers or apologies for what has happened at the whim of sinful man in our rebellious world, or for what He has or has not done. Such mysteries are locked up in the heart of our omniscient and holy God, and are beyond our reach and our ability to process. Job learned there must be a quick end to the season of asking illegitimate questions of God. When the Lord finally confronted him about his supposed right to know and his capacity to understand such knowledge, Job relented. And he returned to the place of simple trust he had always known. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15) Fellow Christians, we must learn to trust God like that. When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. He will sustain those who trust Him, so that they can look into the very face of evil, march into Armageddon and say "I will trust Him!" With that kind of trust in God, the Prince of Darkness cannot rob your peace or shackle you with fear. For those who trust Him like that, the question of "Why?" is invalid. The more legitimate questions today (and any day) are: "What would God have me learn?" and "What would God have me do?" May I presume to suggest some things we might learn during this historic and tragic week? 1. Something to Learn About Grief The shock and sorrow we experience in the midst of catastrophic events can be redemptive for us. It is Jesus who said "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4) But how can mourning possibly be a good thing, when it hurts so badly? Consider: a. It is a good thing that we CAN mourn. There is a clan of devious men holed up somewhere in the Afghan desert for whom mourning is an impossibility. Hate has dragged them so far down the drain of conscience erosion and distorted thinking that they actually sense no remorse for their part in the loss of 5,000 lives. Would you trade your sensitivity for such insensitivity? The next time you find yourself feeling mournful about the evil in our world, or man's inhumanity to man, be thankful that you mourn and that you are not coldly unsympathetic. b. It is in our sorrow and loss that new dimensions of openness to God are created. In our most desperate hours we discover our capacity to draw near to God is greatly enhanced. In times of intense sorrow and pain I am most open to learning what is in me that displeases the Lord, and I am drawn to repentance. Repentance is the means by which He turns our mourning into dancing. Weep and mourn, and as you do, be thankful that you know Him who listens and understands. Then take advantage of the opportunity your mourning brings you to know Him more deeply. Pray, too, that others who do not know Him will be drawn to Him in this hour of need, and that they would find salvation in Him. c. Remember the promise given by Jesus to those who mourn-they will be comforted. You WILL be comforted! Grief is often our only time of fully appreciating the certain truth that God will satisfy our need. In His righteousness and faithfulness God will bring justice to all that is wrong in this world. He will avenge those who operate in hate. Here is our comfort-the Lord will avenge. Whether He uses NATO forces now, or the judgment throne in due season, the God of holiness, righteousness and justice will avenge. "'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Deuteronomy 32:35, cf. Romans 12:19) Relief pitcher ace Donny Moore served up a home run pitch in the ninth inning that cost his team an American League championship series game several years ago. Do you remember what he did? He tormented himself so badly with his own grief that he shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself in suicide. Contrast that with pitcher Dave Dravecky, who lost not only a game but a career, a livelihood, his pitching arm and his shoulder-all to cancer. But, as a man of deep Christian faith, he is energetically rebuilding his life and looking forward to whatever tomorrow might bring him. We must learn to grieve appropriately or our grief can drive us to ruinous behavior. Pray that as a nation our shock and grief will not turn into anything resembling the hate that has been visited on us. If, in our hurry to retaliate, we do not act in godly wisdom, we will only perpetuate the cycle of hate. We must move forward in a sense of justice, not in a sense of hate and vengeance. 2. Something to Learn About Fear "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4) It is God's will that we would trust Him, and in trusting Him, we would learn the art of fearing no evil. Fear is the signature work of the devil, whose mission is to "steal, kill and destroy." And fear is the cunning craft of those who serve him. The definition of terrorism is the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce by producing a state of fear and submission. Fear drains life and vitality, it robs us of the abundant life and fills us with worry. Fear can smother a nation of freedom and cause it to cower and act defensively. Fear cripples with paranoia. Fear imprisons us in tiny dungeons of mistrust. But God, who saved us in Jesus Christ, who has stored up for us, not fear, but hope for eternity in heaven, who has called us to be His children, safe in His household, can deliver us from the incarceration of fear. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear NO EVIL" People all around us are afraid. It is a natural reaction to the surprise attack our nation experienced. But God has called us who know Him to live "Christianly" in our culture and to influence it with the salt of righteousness and the light of the gospel. Let the peace of God, which passes all understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, and let it have its calming effect on those around you, so that your daily lives may win the respect of outsiders. Our proper response to fear is to look to the Lord and trust in Him. "He has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) If your mind is steadfast toward Him He will keep you in perfect peace. If you are having a difficult time with anxiety, draw near to God through prayer and exposure to the Word. Psalm 119:114 - "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your Word." 3. Something to Learn About The Power of God to Use Evil for Good Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, endured trials and yet sustained his trust in God, even when all was seemingly hopeless. Finally, as he is restored to his family and he forgives them, he explains to his brothers who are fearful of his retaliation: "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." (Genesis 50:20) What happened in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania on Tuesday was clearly meant for evil. There was nothing good about it. The entire scheme was planned in hate and carried out with cold-hearted malice. But I will challenge you to consider God's power to use even this horrible thing for good. Impossible? Not for God. a. In President Bush's speech on Friday, he pledged to "rid the world of evil," according to the headlines. A very ambitious undertaking. But consider, God may well be planning to take this guy out (Osama Bin Laden). Given God's penchant for using people and nations to do His bidding, and His faithfulness to turn evil for good, He may well cause the hate act of this mad man to get the attention of a freedom-loving nation, then turn them loose on him. While we would never ourselves have chosen the elimination of Osama Bin Laden to come at the cost of 5,000 American lives and billions of dollars, expunging him could end any future plans he and his cohorts might have to destroy millions with nuclear, chemical or biological warfare. b. God used the most evil single act in history (the death of His righteous Son as a criminal) to bring eternal salvation to billions. How might God work to bring good out of evil today? He might call an entire nation back to Himself. I have never heard the expression "God Bless America" so many times like I have this week. People are no longer poking fun at the church-they are running to church buildings for prayer and comfort. People are praying and turning to God like never before in this country-and in the rest of the world, too. For the first time since Abraham Lincoln we had an acting president lead the nation in Christian prayer! But then, God always gets popular when our felt needs are high, doesn't He? Listen, we've been praying for the revival of interest in the Lord in America for decades. Let's recognize what God is doing, how He is using this atrocity, and let's pray that it will be sustained even when our circumstances improve. A handful of murderous maniacs may be in a hole in the desert somewhere celebrating that they brought America to its knees in abject humiliation, at least momentarily. But of far greater importance is the way God uses the whole situation to bring us to our knees in abject humility for prayer. These are some things I think the Lord wants us to learn in these difficult days. But let me close with a few remarks on what He wants us to DO. 1. We must pray, repent of our sins, and continue to pray Abraham Lincoln once called our country to prayer and fasting at a time when a devastating civil war tore at the fiber of our nation. We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessing were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. As we pray, remember those in seats of authority. We have need to urgently lift them before God for wisdom, protection and direction. Has it struck you that in this last year, God has placed Christian leaders in high places of authority in this land? In answer to the prayers of the church, repentant of the misdeeds of an immoral leadership, God has placed such men as George W. Bush in key places for such a time as this. Thank God and pray for them. Pray for our military-many in this room are servants of the national defense. Pray for justice. Pray for the families of those who have perished. 2. We must forgive Christian counselor and author Steve Petit says, "On a personal basis, we need to make sure our anger does not crystallize into rage or prejudice, whereby, we fuel the evil ourselves. This event is not just about the enemies of Israel attacking the friends of Israel; it's also about God's Enemy trying to force bitterness into every heart in the world. We need to forgive; otherwise, fear and rage will lead us to make poor choices, personally and nationally. We don't want to make choices while focused on Evil, rather while focused on God." Forgive Osama Bin Laden? Yes. If we would be healthy and holy, we must forgive. I am not saying we should absolve him of his responsibility and not bring him to justice. But in our hearts, we must forgive so we will be healthy. 3. We must trust God to act as He said He would - through government We do not need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. As we pray, we must trust God to work through the governments He has allowed to be in place. The promise of Philippians 4 is still true - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) We must be supportive of our government in its response. Augustine wrote 1600 years ago, that loving God and loving our neighbor may require using force against aggression. Pray that our retaliation will be righteous and that God's will and purposes will be served. 4. We must diligently seek the Lord and urge others to do the same We will never do well if we do not seek the Lord and obey His will; we will always do right if we seek the Lord and obey His will. Another thing Augustine wisely said is that believers are called to be "the best of citizens". Let me urge you to behaviors that honor the Lord. • Volunteer, even if all you can do is give blood • Serve people who are hurting - listen to them, share good news with them • Show sensitivity and overt support for the Arab-Americans among us who are the objects of hate by reactionaries • Show patriotic agreement - fly the flag and celebrate the unity in the nation • Honor God by being obedient to His Word at 1 Peter 2:17 - "Show proper respect to everyone: love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." "God Bless America" [Back to Top]