You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Matthew 24:6

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

When I go into the studio tonight to do our national show, my producer will ask me as he often does, What did you preach about? I want to be able to tell him, I preached about Jesus Christ and Him Crucified! I don't want to tell him that I preached about planes falling from the sky and buildings crashing to the ground.

And yet, none of us are able to ignore what happened Tuesday — nor would we want to.

So, first let's clear the room of some possible questions: 

• Was Tuesday morning God's punishment? No. God punished the sins of all men once and for all in His Son Jesus at the Cross. There is no more punishment left. Discipline, yes, but punishment, no.
  
• Was Tuesday morning God's judgment on the American nation? Yes and no. Yes, Tuesday morning was God's judgment, small "J." God often permits man's sin and its consequences to run their
  deadly course unhindered for a time. Why? To warn us sinners to repent and to trust Jesus, because, as we confess, He will come to judge the living and the dead. That will be Judgment, capitol "J."
  
• And no, Tuesday morning was NOT God's judgment on the American nation in particular. Not that we don't deserve it. We do. But in God's eyes America is just another one of the nations. Do we have the best system of laws and good government? Yes. But still, in God's eyes America is no different from France or Germany or China or Italy or any other nation. Tuesday's call to repent was for all everywhere, not just for America.

Jesus says today: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Was Jesus talking about Tuesday morning when He spoke these words? Yes, among many, many other such things which have happened and will happen; many, many other such things which history records and which history has forgotten. What does He say? Don't be alarmed; such things must happen. 

Why must such things happen? Well, it's just like Jesus Himself tells us in the Gospel reading: They happen so that we might endure until the end; so that we might be saved in the end.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Why must such things happen? They happen so that we might endure until the end; so that we might be saved in the end.

If God did not occasionally permit the course of man's sin and its consequences to run their deadly course, to wake us up and call us —even us Christians— to repent, then we would quickly grow self-satisfied and self-righteous and turn away from Him entirely. But He allows such things to happen to call us to repent of our sins and to trust Him. In this way God causes us to endure until the end even in spite of ourselves.

Today we repent as we are called to do by all such things which God sadly permits. Today we pray for protection as we ought to, for who can protect us if God doesn't?

But why should we repent? Just because we are shocked to our very core by what we saw on television? Just because a tragedy beyond our worst nightmares has touched within the boundaries of our nation? Don't we have a better reason to repent than that?

We don't repent because we are shocked, or stunned, or frightened. We repent because we are sinners. We sin.

I have heard a lot of praying on radio and television in the last few days. Christians saying that God is punishing America for the sins of abortion, homosexuality or godlessness. Now, don't get me wrong, these are sins. But I hear such Christians praying: God, We have sinned. We have offended you. They say "we" but, do they mean, God, I have sinned, I have offended you? No, they don't. You see, in God's ears such prayers sound like: God, it's those nasty people in New York or Hollywood or at the abortion mill. They're the sinners, not us.

We don't repent because someone else has sinned. We repent because WE have sinned. Believe me, I don't need to repent of someone else's sin, I have enough sin of my own to keep me repenting all week long and for the rest of my life.

Let me tell you, if you don't think God is calling you to repent of your own sin by Tuesday's tragedy, then don't repent. But certainly don't repent just to go along with everyone else. Don't repent just because it's what "good Americans" do at times like this. That would be a lie. And God doesn't like lies, especially when we lie to Him.

And sins have names. God isn't calling us to repent of our hypothetical sins, our theoretical sins, our possible or our probable sins. If you can't think of any sins of your own, then go back and read the Ten commandments. I'm sure you'll find something in there that fits. If you still can't think of any, then remember that you are a son or daughter of Adam. Cats have kittens, Dogs have puppies, and big sinners have little sinners. That fact alone should be enough to drive you to your knees every day.

Why should we pray for protection? Because we need it. And only God can provide it. The Psalmist says: 

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

There is no army or navy or air force or FBI or CIA or NSA that can protect us if God does not protect us. God has put all of these into place among us as His servants to punish the evildoer and reward the good, and to protect us. Now, they may hold the sword in their hands, but make no mistake, it is God Who protects this and every nation. If He withdrew His protection, no army could protect us.

Jesus says: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Jesus speaks of war. Three times in my short life I have heard of war involving our nation directly. Vietnam, the Gulf War and whatever we will be calling this one. How many times in your life have you heard of war? Several more I imagine.

Jesus speaks of rumors of war. How many, many, many times have we heard them? Wars that never get started, wars that are over even as they begin, wars far away that never touch us here in this nation.

Then Jesus utters the most mysterious words in this whole account: See to it that you are not alarmed. 

How can we NOT be alarmed? Did you see what happened on Tuesday? Thousands killed and injured in a matter of minutes, even seconds! How can we NOT be alarmed?

In Romans, chapter eight Paul makes his laundry list of dangers and perils that were all too real to him in his day: hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, the present, the future, any powers, height, depth, and anything else. As he makes this list, what does he say?

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

As Paul lists the dangers that still linger and thrive among us today he points us to Jesus and His cross. He says, If God is for us, who can be against us? 

How can we know that God is for us? Is it because God has blessed this nation? Is it because we have a good economy, or good government? Is it because we promise to clean up our act and get our nation back on track? No, no and no. 

How can we know that God is for us? Because He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us, that's how.

The very One Who warns us today, Such things must happen, also assures us, Don't be alarmed. And He is the very one Whom God did not spare but gave Him up for us all into death at the Cross. Jesus bore in His body the punishment for even the terrible sins of Tuesday morning. He bore in His body my sins and your sins as well. 

That is how we can NOT be alarmed today. Such things must happen, but God did not spare even His own Son, but gave Him up for you.

That is why we repent. Not because we are scared of what God may do next. We repent because we know that God is for us. He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all. Jesus has already paid for our sins, that is why we repent.

That is why we pray for protection. Not because we are worried that God will not provide it, but because we know that he will! He did not spare His own Son!

And that is precisely why God forgives and protects. Not because we promise to be better in the future, or clean up our act, or get our nation back on track. No, God forgives and protects because of Jesus…Alone!

So, do not be alarmed. Repent, mourn with the victims' families, be deeply concerned, be ready to help in any and every way — but do not be alarmed. 

I looked at that mushroom cloud of smoke and dust and fire that cast its terrible shadow over all of lower Manhattan on Tuesday. Two gigantic towers had just come thundering to the ground. But the Cross of Jesus our Savior still stands tall today and will until the end. It does not bring horror and fear. It brings comfort and assurance because it brings the forgiveness of our sin at times like these and at all times. It stands among us today in Jesus' words, I forgive you all your sin. It stands among us today in Jesus' words, This is my body and my blood, given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins. And when every building has crumbled and every tower has tumbled, Jesus Cross will still stand. 

So, do not be alarmed. Amen.

This sermon was given by the Rev. Todd Wilken on the Day of Repentance and Prayer, 2001.  Rev. Wilken is the weekday host of Issues, Etc.