Dealing With Disaster

 Pastor Scott L. Harris

Grace Bible Church, NY

September 16, 2001

This past Tuesday, September 11, 2001, will be a day much like December 7, 1941. It will be a day that will live infamy. Our nation was attacked suddenly, without warning, and without provocation. There are, however, some very important differences. The attack on Pearl Harbor was by a nation that was positioning itself for war with us and it was against military targets. While the Pentagon was a military target, the World Trade Center was not. The passengers and crew on board the commercial airline jets that were highjacked were not military either. This was not an attack by a foreign government against our government for disagreements with its policies, but an attack by terrorists against the American people themselves. More than 2,400 Americans lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The number who died in Tuesday's terrorist attacks is _______ and continues to climb.

I am sure that all of you have seen pictures of the multiple disasters that occurred that day. The first plane striking the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Then the second plane striking the South tower. Then fire at the Pentagon from a third plan striking it. Then the collapse of the South Tower. Then the collapse of the North Tower, and finally the collapse of the adjacent 7 World Trade Center. Then there were the scenes of smoke and dust that filled lower Manhattan, and those of the rubble, the burned out cars, busses, and fire trucks, and the injured being taken to the hospital.

We praise the Lord that no one associated with Grace Bible Church was injured, but some of our folks do have business acquaintances that were killed. On Wednesday I talked with Carlos Davila, who was part of our church until they moved to Middletown a few years ago. He worked in a building just one over from the World Trade Center. He described what he saw, felt and heard. He saw the gaping hole and fire coming from the North Tower. He felt his building shudder when the towers collapsed and heard a noise he described as three times as loud as the loudest thunder you have ever heard, and then having the smoke and debris cause a blackness in which he could not even see the ledge of the window he was looking out. He gave his personal account of the evacuation, finally getting out of the smoke and dust when he walked up to the Brooklyn Bridge, then of finally making it to New Jersey where he was hosed down for decontamination and then having a very wet and cold train ride before he made it home - upon which his wife took him to the hospital to have his lungs checked out.

There are tens of thousands of such stories of people who were directly affected by these terrorist attacks and millions of more stories by those of us affected indirectly as we watched the horror unfold that morning.

There are a couple of questions I want us to consider as Christians. First, why does God allow such disasters? Second, How should we respond to all of this?

DISASTERS

Disaster is what occurred on Tuesday morning, but terrorist attacks are certainly not the only disasters that occur. Think of the many major regional disasters that have occurred in just the U.S. over the last decades. Earthquakes are not unusual to Southern California, but the Northridge quake in 1993 was a major disaster. Yet, the harsh winter in the Mid-West and East that same year killed many more people than that earthquake did. There have been many major fires in different areas often followed by subsequent mudslides when the rains finally come. There have been both major floods and major droughts. Then there are the various hurricanes that slam into the Atlantic coast or Gulf coast every year. Andrew, Hugo, Fran, Agnes, and Camille are names that bring vivid memories to many. And we cannot forget the tornadoes that leave paths of destruction in their wake. We also read or hear about other disasters from around the world - earthquakes, typhoons, fires, flooding, droughts, volcanoes and consequences of war. These are major disasters because the effect a large area and many people, but there are also the personal ones.

A flood does not have to be regional to be a disaster to an individual. All it takes is for a water line to freeze, break, and then flood your house to cause a personal disaster. A fire does not have to cover hundreds of acres to be a major catastrophe to an individual. All that is needed is for their house or business to burn down, which happens all too frequently even here in Dutchess County. A loved one does not have to die because of terrorist activity or a volcano eruption for it to be a tragedy. It is also a tragedy when a loved one dies in a car accident or from a disease. Disasters happen both on large scales and on individual levels. Where do they come from? What do they mean? How can we respond to them? Those are the questions I would like to answer today.

WHERE DO DISASTERS COME FROM?

MAN. Tuesday's disasters came from the intentional actions of man. This is very important to point out because there are some who have an incorrect view of the sovereignty of God that want to blame Him for it. The problem is that man is sinful and God allows man a limited amount of freedom in choosing to do evil. This was an act of man's evil against man.

Is God sovereign? Yes. No question about it, but God is not the author of evil or the cause of it. His very attributes such as holiness (1 Pet. 1:16; Isa. 6:1-7), righteousness (Acts 17:31; Gen. 18:25), love (1 John 4:8; Eph. 2:4-7), goodness (Mark 10:18; Acts 14:7; James 1:7) and truth (Jer. 17:3; Num. 23:19) preclude Him from being the origin of the antithesis of His own being. It is God's sovereignty and righteous attributes that restrains evil. His goodness is demonstrated in the many amazing stories of survival or protection that have already come out.

One amazing example was the police officer that was somewhere above the 80^th floor when the building collapsed, yet he survived with only leg injuries. But consider as well that both buildings continued to stand long enough so that even those just below the level of the crash sites were able to get out of the building. The North tower, which was hit first, but higher up, stood longer than the South tower which was hit second, but lower down. Both buildings amazingly collapsed upon themselves instead of toppling over which would have crushed adjacent buildings and possibly causing a "domino" effect at a time when those buildings were still full of people.

Do not blame God for man's intentional evil against other humans. Neither should it be said that somehow American deserves this. The evidence at this time is pointing to these acts of terrorism being carried out by Islamic Terrorist groups that hate America because we are not Islamic and give support to Israel. If this is true, then this is in reality an expression of Satan's hatred for God's chosen people and anyone that would support them. In effect, it is persecution for a righteous stand.

Tuesday's terrorism is not the only disaster intentionally caused by man. Israel, among many nations, regularly experiences acts of terrorism against them. There are also the many wars, both just and unjust, that have occurred and are currently going on. The genocides in the last century which include not only the Nazi holocaust, but also those in Armenia, Russia, China, Cambodia, and what is left of Yugoslavia. All crimes are intentional acts of evil, and again, even if it only affects one other person, it is a disaster to them.

Other disasters caused by man are not intentional. Accidents do occur because of ignorance, mistakes or neglect. Cars crash, ships sink, trains wreck, and fires get out of control. Even attempts to help can wrong. Joni Erickson Tada was paralyzed as a result of the rescue effort to keep her from drowning after her diving accident.

NATURE. Many disasters occur because nature is taking its course in following the laws of physics. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur when the pressures within the earth are released. When the pressure along a fault plane exceeds the frictional resistance, the rock formations slip and an earthquake occurs. A lava dome, being less dense that the surrounding rock, will finally be forced to the surface where its material will burst out in a volcano. The differences in the heating and cooling of the earth's surface give rise to high and low pressure zones, and as these pressure zones follow the laws of physics and equalize themselves, weather patterns develop which give rise to both drought and flood, blizzards and blistering heat. Most of the worst disasters that have ever occurred in the history of mankind have occurred simply because nature follows the laws of physics and man was in its path.

Let's face it. If you live in Minnesota you have to expect some mighty cold days; if you live in the North East there will be Blizzards on occasion; if you live in Florida, you will have Hurricanes periodically; if you build your house on the flood plain, don't be surprised when you get water in living room; if you live on the side of a volcano, someday you may find lava flowing through your back yard; and if you build on top of a fault, you had better expect to be shaken out of bed once in awhile.

GOD Himself also brings about disasters. He can strike an individual, an entire nation, or the whole world. Miriam grumbled against Moses and God struck her with leprosy. Korah rebelled against Moses and God had the earth swallow him and all those who joined in his rebellion. Egypt refused to let Israel go and God sent 10 plagues against her and then destroyed her army. The Canaanite tribes allowed themselves to descend into complete debauchery and utter evil and God destroyed them all to make way for Israel. The world Noah lived in had become so wicked that the Scripture describes mankind of that time by saying that "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." God sent a flood that wiped out all of mankind except for the eight people God preserved on the Ark.

We find in the Scriptures case after case where God directly intervenes against man and brings disaster. And since the Scriptures clearly declare the sovereignty of God in all things, we also believe that God has control over and limits the disasters that come at the hands of nature, men, or even from Satan - such as that came upon Job when he lost all of his wealth, his family and his health.

God still is in the business of intervening into the lives of men in the midst of the various calamities that come whether they are directly from His hand or if it is his merciful limiting calamity caused by nature, evil men, or Satan. The declarations of Job, the Psalms and Proverbs are still true. It is God that sends the snow, the rain, the wind and the storm. Nature may be following physical laws, but it is God's hand that guides it all. In addition Romans 1 declares that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." God is still in the business of judgement and His wrath still comes against the ungodly that will not submit in humble obedience to Him. That is also true for Christians who fail to live properly. 1 Cor. 11:30 tells us that because of some of them were not properly celebrating the Lord's Supper, some were sick and some had even died.

Disasters happen and they can arise from different sources, but what do they tell us? What do they communicate to us?

WHAT DO DISASTERS COMMUNICATE?

MAN IS EVIL

First, the disasters that man brings upon himself, whether intentionally or unintentionally, tell us that man is sinful. Remember that sin means to "miss the mark." It is the failure to achieve that which is good and right before God and it includes acts of commission (something you did), and acts of omission (something you failed to do). We have no problem understanding that the disasters mankind suffers due to war are the direct result of the actions of sinful men. We all understand that the actions of people such as Adolf Hitler, Emperor Hirohito, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Mihn, Saddam Hussein and Usama Ben-Laden are evil. We all understand that someone who commits a crime is doing evil. But we also need to understand that the failure to do right is also a sin. A car crash caused by either a drunk or by someone who simply went to sleep at the wheel is still the result of sin. One is more heinous than other, but both still sinful.

When we trace disasters to a human origin, we can be sure that we will find a powerful reminder of man's sinful nature. Adam's fall has far reaching effects in all his offspring which is all of us. The more we are aware of our fallen nature, whether we are the ones suffering or causing the suffering of others, the greater our desire for redemption from it should be. Disasters of human origin communicate the fallen nature of mankind.

NATURE IS CURSED

Natural disasters tell us that the earth is cursed. The neo-pagan environmentalist that tell you that disasters such as fires, flood and volcanic eruptions are just nature's way of renewing itself have their heads in the sand. When a natural disaster occurs, we do not see "nature renewing itself" in the sense of it is now going to be better because of the disaster that happened. That is simply idiotic. Instead it is nature "renewing" itself in the sense of recovering from all the damage inflicted upon it. Mount Saint Helens in Oregon blew its top off in May 1980 - 21 years ago. Even an idiot can compare the pictures of what it was like before and what it is like now and tell you that the natural world there was in better shape before the volcanic eruption. I can take you to many, many places in Southern California that have never recovered from the fires that burned 10,20,30,40,50 years ago. What was once green hills covered with trees, bushes, grass and flowers are still barren with only the hardy wild flowers and scrub growing on their slopes. Romans 8:19-22 tells us plainly that nature itself is cursed is longing for its own redemption. "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of god. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now."

Natural disasters tell us that nature itself is cursed and longing for the day of redemption.

GOD IS POWERFUL

Disasters also communicate the power of God regardless of the origin of the calamity. Anyone who has ever been in any kind of natural disaster - earthquake, hurricane, tornado, flood, volcano, severe storm, etc. knows that there is no denying the power of God in those things. Over and over we find that Scripture uses the power of what God has created to demonstrate that God Himself is powerful. In Job 38-41 we have recorded God Himself declaring His power to job by pointing out what He has created and controls. In 38:4-7, 31-33 God speaks of the vastness of the universe itself and He is the one that set the constellations in place. In 38:8-11 God declares that He is the one that set the boundaries of the mighty sea itself. In 38:19-24 & 34-38 God declares Himself the one that controls the weather - the clouds, the rain, the wind, the lightning & thunder. God brings the cold of winter and the warmth of summer. In addition God declares in these chapters the power of the creatures He has made including the Behemoth and Leviathan, the descriptions of which can only fit dinosaurs, and Leviathan a fire breathing one at that. Man is insignificant by comparison. And yet throughout this whole section, it is not just His power that God is declaring to Job, but also His mercy, tenderness and compassion of how God cares for His creation and limits what is done.

Some have said the disasters caused by these acts of terrorism - as well as many of the other disasters that have occurred in recent times - are the acts of an angry God demonstrating His wrath against wicked Americans. I have already said that I do not believe that is true about the events on Tuesday, though it may be true with some of the natural disasters. However, to whatever degree that is true, please understand that the message is not just to the "sinners." Jesus said in Luke 13:4, "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." The point is simply that all people are deserving of God's judgement of their sins. Those who suffer in a disaster are no more wicked than those who do not. It is God's mercy that all of us do not suffer His immediate holy wrath because of our sins. We should marvel as much about God's mercy and grace as seen in the stories of survival as we do about His wrath as seen in the disaster itself.

Disasters communicate the evil of man, the curse upon nature and the power of God in displaying both His wrath & judgement and His mercy and grace.

HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Disasters, both those that are widespread and those that are personal, are going to happen. They are a fact of human existence. They come from various sources and they communicate that man is sinful, nature is cursed, and that God is powerful. The remaining question is how will we respond to them?

NATURAL REACTIONS

A person left to follow his or her natural inclination could respond in a number of ways. None of them are good.

The response of Pharaoh to the many plagues thrown against him was resistance. It would not cause him to change his mind and the course of his life. His resistance eventually cost Egypt its glory and Pharaoh his life.

In 2 Kings 20 we find that King Hezekiah was told by Isaiah the prophet that the illness he had would kill him. This was a personal disaster. Hezekiah's response was one of depression. He turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly. Though he had seen the Lord do great and marvelous things, Hezekiah still centered his life in himself and so news of disaster brought depression.

In 1 Samuel we find another response to disaster. King Saul had raised his first army of 3,000 men, but now the Philistines had come against them with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and people "like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance." As far as they were concerned, disaster was imminent so they hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, cellars and in pits where they trembled. They shook with fear. When disaster is upon you or looks inevitable, fear can control you. I remember being in a store in California a few years ago when a 5.3 earthquake hit. That was a pretty good jolt which caused things to fall of the shelves. I heard quite a few people screaming and running for the door which was not a good idea since the front of the store was all plate glass. They were controlled by fear and panicked, and that is another common response to disaster.

Another common response is bargaining with God. We find an example of that in the book of Jonah. He had set sail on a ship going to Tarshish and suddenly there was a great storm upon them. These pagan sailors first became afraid, then started crying out to their gods, then they threw the cargo overboard, then they went down and tried to get all the passengers to cry out to their gods. They wanted to find some way to appease the right deity to make the trouble go away.

In the midst of a disaster you may have many sinners making a lot of heartfelt promises to God that they forget all about once the danger is past. Such is the story of the shipwreck victim whose promises to God kept diminishing as he got closer to shore. At the same time you will find the self-righteous that blame the disaster on the "sinners" and fail to see any message to themselves. As I mentioned earlier, that was the reason Jesus spoke about the tower in Siloam that collapsed and killed 18 people. The self righteous claimed that those killed had to be great sinners. Jesus rebuked them and stated that they were no more wicked than anyone else, and that unless the repented they would likewise perish. All are deserving of such judgement and only the mercy and longsuffering of God withholds it from happening. Repentance should be the proper response.

The natural response to disaster can be denial, resistance, anger, depression, fear, bargaining with God, self righteous condemnation of others or any combination of these things. But none of these are good. How does God want us to respond?

GODLY REFLECTION

We just saw from Luke 13 that we can not be self righteous, but must be humble and repentant ourselves. Homosexual AIDS victims are reaping the just consequences of their actions according to God's warning in Romans 1:27, but the godly response to them is not condemnation, but sincere praise to God for His mercy to me while having compassion on them and calling them to repentance and receive God's gift of forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ.

I also need not fear, resist, be angry or depressed about any disaster I may face during my life. Why? Because the godly response recognizes that my life is totally in the Lord's hands to use as He sees fit. My life here is unimportant except in how He uses it for His own glory. I died with Christ and the life now in me is His life. I can expect tribulation to come for Jesus said it would, but in Him I can have peace because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). This is accordance with the very nature of being a Christian which is following Christ. The more your life is marked by Christlikeness the more you will respond with godliness to any disaster that comes in your life. Instead of fear there will be peace. Instead of depression their will be joy. Instead of anger there will by grace. Instead of seeking revenge, you will seek forgiveness. Instead of tragedy you will find triumph.

This scene was repeated many times on Tuesday. Doug Welch told me he saw many people preaching on the street corners and handing out tracts. Carlos Davila told me that he gathered his co-workers and prayed with them - which is not and activity you would generally find in a financial firm on a normal day.

As I said last week, the definition of a successful Christian is "a person who has been saved from their sins by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and as an adopted child of God is bringing glory to His name by being conformed into the image of Jesus by submitting themselves to the will of God in faithfully pursuing holiness and blamelessness along with serving the Lord in doing the good works He has prepared before hand."

The person who is successfully living the Christian life does this even in the midst of disaster. What really matters in your life? Don't wait for some disaster to come before you find out. Set out now to make sure your living for eternity. Take the admonishment in Hebrews 12:1,2 to heart . . . "lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith . . .".

Sermon Study Sheets

KIDS CORNER

Parents, you are responsible to apply God's Word to your children's lives. Here is some help. Young Children - draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children - Do one or more of the following: 1) How many times is the word "disaster" is mentioned? 2) Talk with your parents about the reasons for disasters and how we should respond to them

THINK ABOUT IT!

Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others.

What were your own thoughts as you saw the tragedies unfold on Tuesday, 9/11/01? How did it affect you personally? What kinds general disasters have you experienced? What kinds of personal tragedies have you experienced? What evidences have you seen of man's sinful nature? Of your own? If God is sovereign, then why isn't He to blame for Tuesdays terrorist attacks? What stories are you aware of that show God's mercy and grace in the midst of Tuesday's multiple tragedies? How can man unintentionally cause tragedy? Why do natural disasters happen? How could man avoid many of these? What do disasters communicate about man? What do disasters communicate about the nature? What do disasters communicate about God? What are the natural ways that people respond to disasters? What was wrong about the responses of Pharaoh? Hezekiah? Saul? Why can't you bargain with God? Are those who suffer in a disaster more wicked than those that do not? Why or why not? What responses does God want us to have? What must change so that you do so?

Introduction

Disasters in General

Where Do Disasters Come From?

Man

God is not the author of evil or the cause of it. His very attributes such as holiness (1 Pet. 1:16; Isa. 6:1-7), righteousness (Acts 17:31; Gen. 18:25), love (1 John 4:8; Eph. 2:4-7), goodness (Mark 10:18; Acts 14:7; James 1:7) and truth (Jer. 17:3; Num. 23:19) preclude Him from being the origin of the antithesis of His own being.

Nature Many disasters occur because nature is taking its course in following the ___________________________

God

What Do Disasters Communicate?

About Man - Disasters of human origin communicate the __________________ of mankind.

A car crash caused by either a drunk or by someone who simply went to sleep at the wheel is still the result of sin. One is more heinous than other, but both still sinful.

About Nature - Natural disasters tell us that the earth is ______________

Nature does not "renew itself" in the sense of getting better, but only in recovering from the damaged caused by the disaster

Romans 8:19-22

About God - God is ________________

God's claims in Job 38-41

Disaster demonstrates God's __________ & ____________ as well as His ________ & ___________

How Do We Respond?

Natural Reactions

Denial & Resistance

Depression

Fear

Bargaining with God

Self righteous condemnation (Luke 13:1-5)

Godly Reflection

The more your life is marked by Christlikeness the more you will respond with godliness to any disaster that comes in your life. Instead of fear there will be peace. Instead of depression their will be joy. Instead of anger there will by grace. Instead of seeking revenge, you will seek forgiveness. Instead of tragedy you will find triumph.