Pastor Dan Eddy
1 John 5:1-5
Let’s Roll
9-11-11
Todd Beamer was trying to
get a hold of his wife while aboard United Flight 93. He tried to use the phone
on the back of the seat, but he was having trouble using his credit card to
make the call. He was connected to GTE supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Beamer
reported that the plane had been hijacked and one passenger was murdered. He
knew of the other terrorist attacks of the morning on the
With the hijackers
piloting, the plane was see-sawing up and down. Todd, Jeremy Glick and other
passengers were planning to jump the hijackers. Over the phone Todd, who was a
Sunday School teacher for six years, married with two sons and another child on
the way, prayed The Lord’s Prayer with Lisa and then asked Jesus to help him. Todd
knew he wasn’t going to make it, asked the operator supervisor to call Todd’s
wife, Lisa, to tell her he loved her and their family. Then Todd put down the
phone and said off mic “Are you ready? Let’s
roll.” He never came back on.
Soon the plane, flown
exactly 10 years ago to the hour, was believed to be heading to crash into the
White House, Capitol building or another Washington D.C. structure. Instead it crashed
in a lonely farm field near
It seems almost
inconceivable that in the face of unbelievable danger and certain death that
the last thing a person would say is “Let’s
roll.” Beamer’s words 10 years later echo well as we look at the incredible
challenges of life today and how our faith in Christ calls you and me to live
that faith courageously and victoriously. On this Rally Day Christ is along
side of you and me compelling us to say “Let’s
roll.”
Our text from 1 John 5 was
first heard by Christians in the early church who were being confused by the
worldly influences regarding the nature and purpose of Jesus Christ. The
Apostle’s inspired Word of God was meant to draw a connection between the faith
we are given by the water and the Word (point to the Baptism font), and the
faith that we are living, today.
In this text John is
saying that faith in Christ is not static; it’s not a cliché; it’s not nebulous,
abstract or vague, but active, powerful, and victorious, reflecting the certain
and tangible conquering Christ did over our sins, yours and mine, from the
Cross and the Easter grave.
And from that faith comes true
love…not mushy, elusive, or idealistic, but the highest form of love, Agape
Love, based on the actions of doing
God’s Commandments. It’s a love that’s a natural way of life; the way of life
in Christ. It’s how we show the world we really do believe in Jesus. It’s
constant, ongoing, and never ending. It’s not burdensome, even if you should
face down terrorists. It’s the fruit
that comes from the branches of the Cross.
And one of the most powerful
ways to live that victory in Christ is not with anger toward our
enemies…whoever we may perceived them to be…family members, employers,
politicians, terrorists. No, one of the first and most powerful ways to live
that victory is with forgiveness.
Take
Joseph from our Old Testament reading from Genesis 50. Here is the second most
powerful man in the world, who fought, scrapped, and earned his way to the top
of the Egyptian empire finally faces the arrogant, selfish brothers who were at
one time were filled with jealousy and vitriol for Joseph to the point where
they stripped him of his beautiful coat, threw him into a hole to die, but
instead sold him into slavery and lied to their dad, saying a wild animal
killed him.
So
if anyone had the right and the power to dispense justice by rightfully
executing his brothers, it would be Joseph. As his brothers cowered in fear for
their lives…Joseph instead showed God’s love and mercy, and forgave them. And
yet, in Genesis 50, Joseph does not look like the loser…he is God’s victor.
What
an example for us to follow as we may seethe with anger for those who have
deeply hurt us. Let me repeat verses 4 and 5 of our text: “For
everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world” (meaning worldly sinful
influences). “And this is the victory that has overcome
the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?”
On the Rally Day let the
Lord declare to you that we have already won. Celebrate that victory at the His
Supper with His real body and true blood, because Christ overcame and conquered
at the Cross. Our victory is our faith in Christ…to live today as a bold and
loving confession for God…even in the face of death, like Todd did. What a
great example Todd serves as a Sunday School teacher. He lived what he taught.
The
events of 9-11 have caused many of us to rethink our life and the meaning of
it; it has motivated some to serve their country even to the point of
sacrificing their lives for our protection.
The
events of 9-11 have strengthened many of our faiths in Christ and have brought
others to this faith, to this victory, because of the way this tragedy has affected
them. It forced many of us to pause and to assess what is important for our
lives today, and to see what motives us to serve our God by loving others with more
compassion and conviction. The sermon I heard the Sunday after 9-11 was on
humility. The event of 9-11 and how it humbly affected my faith was one of the
reasons that less than three years later I left my advertising career to embark
on being trained as a pastor.
The
events of 9-11 don’t allow bad things in life to paralyze us…but we grow from
tragedy in life. Why?
Verse
3 (LSB 861) of our sermon hymn says it well:
Christ be my Saviour in calm as in strife;
Death cannot hold me, for He is the Life.
Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain
Can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.
Christ
is saying to you today: “Let's roll,”
not “let's be pessimistic” or “Let's cower in fear” or “Let's wait until the next opportunity.”
Jesus is standing along side of you this
day saying, “When wrong comes along
let's roll to live the victory today. And, let’s find more ways to live the
victory tomorrow.” We do not allow our problems in the world to get the
best of us but rather see them as blessings from God.
Contemporary
Christian Songwriter Laura Story said it this way in her song, Blessings
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are (point to the
cross) Your mercies in disguise.
One
of the ways that the Lord may be moving you to be His “mercy in disguise” to
others could be to donate gift cards to the families in the unit that Michael Kelley
served. Colleen Kelley will briefly speak about this at the end of the service.
She is in charge of a Military Family Readiness Unit, Michael’s unit. This unit
served in
So,
wouldn’t it be wonderful to welcome home those who have fought
victoriously…then to shower them with a Welcome Home Care Package which would
consist of gift certificates for various things around the house or restaurant
cards so that the transition back to home life will be easier on these solider
families? And then for each family that receives a gift card from us…we can give
them a note of encouragement that shows our love, our faith, our victory in
Christ.
In her book, Let’s Roll! Ordinary People, Extraordinary
Courage, Lisa Beamer said: “I know I can’t change the tragedy of September
11 or even those who caused it. Ultimately, I can be responsible only for my
own choices. The Bible says that God causes all things to work together for
good—not that everything is good, but he will work it for good---those who love
God. Todd didn’t claim to be perfect, and neither do I, but we do fall into the
category of those who love God. That means as we choose to trust God and follow
his desire for our lives, he promises to work everything for good to us both
now and in the future.”
That’s
what it means to live our faith…Christ’s victory given to you that has overcome
the world. God’s blessings as we do that for our lives today, as we journey
together toward eternity. Amen.