11/10/2019

As Carol shared scripture reading for this morning comes from 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 1 through 5.

As for other matters brothers and sisters pray for us with the message of the Lord May spread rapidly and be honored just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people for not everyone has Faith, but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we come and may the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ perseverance. Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Let us pray. Lord May the meditations of our hearts and the words of my lips be pleasing in your sight our Rock and Our Redeemer. amen

Today is Sunday November 10th. Tomorrow is November 11th. Also known as Veterans Day.

We honor veterans on November 11th, because the first war that the Great War.

The war to end all wars which was a hundred years of war ago. I was indeed on the 11th minute of the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

this morning We are going to be talking about evil.

And it's impossible to talk about evil without talking about the Fallen nest of the world around us. So this morning we are going to be talking about evil. We're also going to be talking about war which will include some conversations about death. So it's kind of a heads up for any parents that might

Once I'm about that stuff.

evil

Not really fully encompassed in like a person right? Like no matter what no matter what you believe about someone like as horrible as you might think someone to be right like they are not evil no matter what like you may tell yourself right? Like there's good. Right? Like there's God's goodness in all people at least opportunity for that right now, whether they live that out or not completely different deal. So the evil that were talking about isn't isn't like one person. You know when I Was preparing this sermon on evil.

I would be remiss rather my great uncle's who a couple of them who helped liberate. Europe would probably be upset if I didn't talk about the Holocaust when I talked about evil in the world. and the killing of over 6 million people it it doesn't happen.

In a way, that's not systemic. one person doesn't kill six and a half million people the system the whole bunch of people. We just allow it to happen. And ended the Nuremberg trials found as the people to be at fault. all German people

all people that lived in Germany or some responsibility for what happened and we know that when our troops liberated camps that they then made people in the communities around them go and help. And they made them go in tour.

This was for them to see what had happened right down the road from them. And it was also to show them the atrocities as well.

We are now. Most most people that would have been in that situation or passing away or has passed away. And believe it or not. There are people that come now and deny that the Holocaust happened.

Because those Who Bore witness to it. Are dying off. You know, there's a there's a science there was a science to the the death camps, especially like the trains that came in you would have one train way down here that would stop and they have multiple tracks and see that one train here on the tracks full of people and then you bring the other train in and before this other train came in you would make sure that the platform was Christine and you'd make sure that there were no signs of death. You want to be able to be a Nicole just to go along with with whatever was happening. And so there was a system to it.

And that's evil. that's that's evil.

Evil happens when good men do nothing. You all have heard that right good or evil happens when good men do nothing.

the reality of

War is that it impacts? Not only the person that serves but also that those who they return to.

And I can't help it that talkin about evil thinking about our brothers and sisters and who returned from Vietnam. the hatred and too many who self-medicated in response to PTSD because

the military told them there was nothing wrong with him. The military told them that it wasn't their responsibility.

And we're in a much different place now than we were then but we still have a long ways to go. What's the number being 22 veterans every day take their online and enlisted an active?

and I think my

my uncles that that served in Vietnam

would you have said if I didn't talk about when talking about evil? talkin about the ability for all of us to witness evil and need to respond to it. you know, some of you all may may remember the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot in Cambodia, which is right next to Vietnam over two million people died in The Killing Fields partially on starvation partially on genocide and

Interesting Lee nuff. Do you know who? invaded Cambodia and took out for pot 2 years after the end of the Vietnam War 2 years after we left Vietnam. Who is the Vietnamese?

That they saw that evil next to them and for a lot of geopolitical reasons, but also for humanitarian reasons. Go pod into the jungle where he stayed until 1997 or 98 when he died never facing trial for any of his crimes. always an extension In Absentia

The reality is that there's evil in the world around us. and God calls us to respond to that but but how

Jesus what the greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

the love your neighbor as yourself part That's what motivates us when we are good people in a world where evil is going on to stand up. skulls for some risk

I have a Jewish friend who? Is the her family line is the Lone Survivor for the Holocaust?

all of her gradients and great-uncles that they all died in the Holocaust just Airline.

I know how you respond to something like that in your family hers is to kind of find some humor in it. And her response is win some lose some think that's the only way you can respond sometimes is when that kind of tragedy effects Generations upon Generations.

I work at the Jewish gentleman in Memphis.

Who's Dad wasn't from Memphis. He was from France. Christmas small town in southern France

one day as a small boy.

He was rounded up by the SS. There was about 10 or 12 these boys that were rounded up. And the sheriff in town? Was told to take them out side of town in to kill them. So they bound them up. and the sheriff it did Stephanie's. But he didn't want them to have to do that that he would take care of the job himself. But they wouldn't put up a fight. They're already bound. So I put them in the truck. Any drill?

You go to the edge of the forest. We got them all out of the truck. Tears in his eyes. He Unbound each and every one of them. And he said right now. Avoid people until the war is over. The Allies came up on these kids. They got them together and they sent them to the US. They put them in Jewish communities. So that's how you have someone in Memphis. Not from Memphis. but from Southern France where Sheriff Step 2 evil

God calls us all to respond to evil in the world around us.

God also calls us all to share the hope and love that we have with others. You know evil. By definition is absence of the will of God. absence of the will of God

We know when we see the absence of the will of God. We feel it.

And we are here on the day before Veterans Day. Because others have responded to it. the stand up evil

to risk Just serve.

I have never met a veteran who's ever glorified War.

And I think the deepest prayer of all of our brothers and sisters and services that peace May Come. There's no one that knows the cost of War greater than those who serve

may God call us. To serve God wherever we are. Responding to evil in the world around us acknowledging that no individual is the embodiment of it, but we know it when we see it. And may God Empower us to respond when we do.

Let us pray.

bored

help us.

to see with your vision to love with your heart

rely on your strength.

enter rest in your faithfulness

We thank you.

for all of those Who is served?

Who sacrificed?

We thank you that we can rest in the knowledge of your forgiveness. of your grace

and if your love

in Jesus name we pray. amen