THE LIFE OF G.R.A.C.E.
“A Servant’s Heart”
Sept. 11, 2005
Intro: Four years ago, our nation was rocked by incredible terrorists’ attacks. We thought that it could never happen here, but it did. Thousands of people died and thousands were wounded.
*** Pictures of WTC, NYPD and Firefighters
One of the amazing things that came out of 9/11/01 was stories of courage, sacrifice and servant hood demonstrated to people by complete strangers. I want to read you a news paper article that came out the Sunday after the attacks. It tells one such story.
***Picture of Todd Beamer
Story of Todd Beamer
The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say: ’Are you guys ready? Let’s roll’
Sunday, September 16, 2001
By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Staff Writer
"Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!"
That’s how Todd Beamer lived.
And that’s how he died, helping to lead a takeover by passengers on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed Tuesday in Somerset County. It was the fourth plane to go down in last week’s terrorist attacks.
Beamer, an Oracle Inc. executive from Hightstown, N.J., and others are being credited with foiling hijackers bent on crashing the Boeing 757 into what authorities say might have been a second target in Washington, D.C., possibly the Capitol or the White House.
Flight 93 had left Newark, N.J., at 8 a.m. Tuesday, bound for San Francisco.
"That’s Todd," his wife, Lisa, said yesterday of the "Let’s roll!" command, which he made over the plane’s in-flight telephone. A GTE supervisor talked with him for about 13 minutes before the plane crashed.
"My boys even say that. When we’re getting ready to go somewhere, we say, ’C’mon guys, let’s roll.’ My little one says, ’C’mon, Mom, let’s roll.’ That’s something they picked up from Todd."
Beamer, 32, told the GTE supervisor, Lisa D. Jefferson that he and others on the plane had decided they would not be pawns in the hijackers’ suicidal plot.
Jefferson told him about the other hijackings and Beamer made her promise to call his wife and their two boys, David, 3, and Andrew, 1.
Beamer’s call connected at 9:45 a.m. He told Jefferson there were three hijackers, armed with knives. He did not know their nationalities or their intentions.
One of the men had what appeared to be a bomb tied to his midsection with a red belt.
Beamer said he could account for 37 of the plane’s 38 passengers. The hijackers had forced 27 of them into the first-class compartment near the front.
Beamer, nine other passengers and five flight attendants were ordered to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane.
He did not know the whereabouts of the pilot, copilot and the remaining passenger. He said a flight attendant had told him the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Two of the hijackers were in the cockpit with the door locked behind them. The man with the bomb stayed in the back of the plane, near Beamer’s group. ’
With him were others who placed cell-phone calls from the plane, Jeffery Glick, 31, a sales manager for a technology firm, Thomas Burnett Jr., 38, a California businessman, and Mark Bingham, 31, a former college rugby player from California. Beamer mentioned Glick by his first name in the call to Jefferson, Lisa Beamer said.
Toward the end of his conversation with Jefferson, Beamer said the plane appeared to have changed directions a few times. Later, it would be determined that it had flown west from Newark to near Cleveland, then turned back to the southeast toward Pittsburgh.
Beamer became anxious.
"Oh! We’re going down!" he shouted at one point.
He paused, then said in a calmer voice, "No, we’re OK. I think we’re turning around."
Beamer then told Jefferson that he and the others had decided to "jump on" the hijacker wearing the bomb.
Jefferson could hear shouts and commotion and then Beamer asked her to pray with him. They recited the 23rd Psalm.
He got Jefferson to promise that she would call his family, then dropped the phone, leaving the line open.
That’s when Jefferson heard what Lisa Beamer believes were her husband’s last words: "Let’s roll."
Then there was silence. Jefferson hung up at 10 a.m. EST, realizing that the plane had gone down. Officials said it crashed at 9:58 a.m.
Although it’s not yet clear what Beamer, Glick and the others were able to do, they are being hailed as heroes for forcing the plane down in a remote strip mine area in Stoneycreek, Somerset County, about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
"When the plane started to fly erratically, he said he knew he wouldn’t make it out of there," said Lisa Beamer, who is expecting their third child in January.
Lisa Beamer said reports of her husband’s heroic role had "made my life worth living again." Jefferson kept her promise and called Lisa Beamer at 8 p.m. Friday.
"It was the best thing that I could’ve gotten [Friday]. It totally changed the mood around here," Lisa Beamer said.
Lisa Beamer said the call she received from Jefferson had lifted her family’s spirits.
"We all knew what kind of person Todd was. We know he’s in heaven. He was saved," Lisa Beamer said.
"Just knowing that when the crisis came up he maintained the same character we all knew, it’s a testament to what real faith means.
"It’s been a real uplift. It’s put a spring in my step that I didn’t have since Monday."
"He’s a great guy in a crisis. He would have had his family in the forefront of his thoughts. And he would not let other people overpower him," Lisa Beamer said.
Todd Beamer was a follower of Christ. In fact, a friend of mine went to college with him and his wife and knew of his walk with Christ.
Todd understood what it means to be a servant.
Today I want to look at three reasons why we must live a life of a servant. And I want to share with you an exciting way that Countryside is going to model that life of service.
I. Servanthood is Commanded By God
Scripture calls us to a life of serving others and serving God.
“Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:11 (NLT)
Service for God is an act of worship.
“Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, ’You must worship the Lord your God;serve only him.’ " Luke 4:8 (NLT)
When we serve, we are demonstrating that we truly believe what God has called us to.
“Holy living consists of doing God’s work with a smile.” Mother Teresa
We were saved by God to serve Him.
“It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began--to show his love and kindness to us through Christ.” 2 Timothy 1:9 (The Living Bible)
Why did God use so many scriptures to tell us to serve? Because in doing so we become the type of followers he is looking for.
“Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
Service is deciding who you are going to follow.
“We don’t serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy and deep gratitude for what he’s done for us.” Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life
II. Servanthood Demonstrates Love
By serving others, we are demonstrating the love of Christ to the unbelieving world.
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35 (NIV)
The world around us does not understand unselfish love. Christ has left us to be a demonstration of that to the world.
“My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.”
Galatians 5:16 (The Message)
True service destroys selfishness.
III. Servanthood Makes Life Bearable
“Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law.”
Galatians 6:2 (The Message)
Part of what Jesus has planned for us is to bring hope to others lives.
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
Serving others gives us a platform for hope.
IV. Servanthood is Practical
God has called us not to embrace an idea of being a servant, but the action of being a servant.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17 (NIV)
Countryside is going to love practically.
God has blessed us. But, we should not allow our desires or needs to keep us from putting into practice the commands of Christ.
We need a new building. We need more space. But, as long as I am the Lead Pastor, we will not become so focused on our needs that we ignore the needs of others.
It is time for Christians to stop complaining about what government and others ought to do, and start doing what God has called us to do.
***Pictures of New Orleans
Facts of Hurricane Katrina Relief
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief-
More than 3,000 volunteers on the ground
235 Mobile Disaster units from 36 states
Prepared more than 500,000 meals
Assembly of God- Convoy of Hope already sent 27 semi trucks
Samaritans Purse already on the ground
Countryside’s Personal Response:
a) Jack Krivanek share about Adopt-A-Church
b) November Trip To affected area
How to be involved:
1) Register for the Adopt-a-church ministry on your card.
2) Sign-up for our Pastoral Care Team Ministry
3) Sign-up for November trip
4) Serve on your own in the name of Jesus.
