I Want To Tell You About A Man By The Name Of ...

I want to tell you about a man by the name of Rick Rescorla

He was the Vice President of Security for Morgan Stanley

He predicted the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center

Worked 12 hours helping rescue workers looking for survivors

Then he predicted that the Terrorists would try again – using airplanes

He suggested the company move to a diff. location

The Port Authority and the management of Morgan Stanley ignored his pleas

Rick could have left the company, but instead he made detailed evac. Plans

Conducted evacuation drills every few months.

Morgan stanley was on floors 40 – 70

Rick was ridiculed, Rick was yelled at. People didn’t like what he had to say, didn’t believe him – Rick stuck to his guns, Rick was convinced, and he wanted to be ready to save peoples lives

When the first plane hit tower 1 on 9/11/2001,

The Port Authority told everyone to stay put – no danger

Rick ignored those instructions and began evacuating the people. Morgan Stanley had 1000 people in tower 1, and 2700 more in tower 2.

Rick got on his bullhorn and began singing songs like God Bless America to keep people calm during the evacuation.

When the 2nd plane struck tower 2, Rick and 3 of his deputies went back into the building to help people escape.

The last time he was seen was on the tenth floor, on his way UP into the burning building.

Rick Rescorla had the burden of knowing a truth that people around him didn’t believe and didn’t want to hear. They scoffed at him, they mocked him

But Rick never backed down, Rick never wavered because he KNEW

He KNEW that even though the people around him didn’t believe what he knew to be true, Rick knew that the reality of that truth would still bring death to those people around him.

Whether they believed it or not, whether they ridiculed him or not, the deadly truth was just as real.

What about us? What about you?

We know an even greater truth – don’t we

We know the truth – the reality of the gospel.

We know the truth – the reality of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ our LORD

The people around us – they may not believe, they may even ridicule

But the truth remains the truth, and the reality of that truth with bring DEATH to those people just as surely as those planes brought death to the people in the World Trade Center.

Rick withstood shame and ridicule for a truth he held through intuition – He suspected what might happen.

But when that intuition became reality, he was ready to DIE to save his fellow man.

We know the gospel of Jesus Christ to be true for certain – it is already a Reality.

Where do you stand?

Are you ready to take a little criticism for sharing your testimony?

Are you like Rick Rescorla,

Rick is called a HERO for saving peoples lives.

When Alex shares his testimony with one of his friends at school –

When one of you share your faith with a co-worker

that is just as HEROIC.

Don’t feel like a hero? You don’t have to be – It’s not about you (remember last week)

A Christian sharing their faith is a heroic act, but you are not the HERO

ITS the HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN YOU and THROUGH YOU