This morning is the 10th anniversary of 9-11. Certainly we want to pause and remember the things that transpired on that day, certainly we want to remember the lives that were lost at the hands of terrorist, who for the first time attacked us on our own soil. I remember the day well. I was an exterminator and had just walked in the First Citizen Bank to exterminate, and one of the tellers asked did you here what happened? I finished my job at the bank and went to my moms house, flipped on the TV and within five minutes of turning the TV on I witnesses the second airplane slam into the second tower. I watched the buildings burn, I watched people jump out of the building plummeting to their death to escape burning up, I witnessed the towers crumbling and falling to the ground. It was a sickening feeling for me, for the first time I didn’t feel secure, I felt like the enemy had violated the sanctity of my country and the only thing I could think of was vengeance. I watched as countless Firemen and policemen, and port authority workers went to work trying to get everyone out they could, only to find that they themselves were going to give their own lives while trying to save the lives of others. 343 firefighters, 23 police officers, 37 port authority officers and 3000 civilians all lost their lives as a result of that day. They should certainly be honored. I know for a fact that there are countless churches today doing memorial type services and have invited fireman, policeman, military personnel and even congressman and senators. I know some churches today are hearing sermons on how “we should never forget” and truly we should never forget, There are sermons this morning on America turn Back to God, some are preaching on vengeance and how we should eradicate terrorism but I believe all these although important, don’t really address those who needs addressing this morning. I think it is you the church that needs addressed. As I think of these service workers and even civilians who died, I wonder why did you do it? Mr. Fireman why did you go into that building, there was clearly jet fuel burning, a lot of people died on impact why put your selves in harms way? Mr. Policeman why did you go in and begin to escort people out it was complete chaos in that building, people were running frantically down those steps, running over on another why did you go into that chaos and put yourself at risk, Mr. Port Authority officer why did you stand right around that building pushing people back to keep them out of harms way while at the same time putting yourself right in harms way? The answer would all be the same they would say “When I put on the uniform, and accepted the badge, it became my responsibility, when I swore that oath it became my duty, to risk my own life to protect someone else’s.” Ok then Mr. civilian why did you do it why did you jump in and begin to help, why was you at ground zero why was you lifting out rocks an debris by hand. Why were you digging people out from under that fallen building, you had no badge, you had no oath, why did you do it? The answer They felt like it was worth it if they could save one person, they felt like it was their obligation to their fellow man. The question has been asked where were you on that day, some ask where was God on that day, but I ask you church, and Christian where were you? When the firefighter and policeman were doing there best to do their duty and pull them out of the building, I wonder how many people that day went from the burning inferno of the trade centers, into the eternal burning inferno of hell. Tell me church what exactly is your duty. We come for memorial services and prayer in our air conditioned buildings and sit on our padded pews, and feel like we are doing something, but we have neglected our duty. If 9-11 reminds me of anything it is that people can go into eternity at anytime, and the day I knelt down and got saved, and I adopted the name of Christ it became my responsibility, it became my duty, to make sure I kept as many people out of hell as I could. If I could just save one, that is my obligation to a lost and dying world. Be we have been guilty of a gross negligence of our duty as Christians. We sit around in comfort all the time. While these men went to great lengths to save one temporal physical life, we want even give up a couple of hours to save one eternal spiritual life. Who are we kidding, we want even sacrifice a few hours a week to come to church, we make excuses for ourselves when we steal God’s time for our jobs, or to spend time with our families, not even realizing then we are sacrificing to hell those in our own homes, and those who work around us, who see our lives. I am telling you now quit convincing yourselves that God understands how tired you are, or that he understands you need the money, or that he understands you don’t spend time together, if it’s that hard for you to do maybe God needs to take some things from you so you don’t have so much on you. I am just trying to get you to realize today we are neglecting our duty. I am confident and so are you that the problems in our nation and the judgments of God are directly related with the lazy, laid back attitude of those who call themselves Christians. So I am going to preach a message on this 10th anniversary of 9-11 on “Just Doing my Duty”
I want to start by showing you what is your duty because Some will say well I would do my duty if I knew what it was. I will show you three areas that area your duty.
1) Your duty upward-This is your duty to God. What do you owe God? Let me tell you something because there is confusion in this area, God does not just want your best, God wants everything, not just parts of it, job, family, car, hobbies
A. He wants your time- If God has your time then everything you have will fall into place it is when you begin to take God’s time and use it for personal use that you start seeing things in your life fall apart. You ask anybody when the best, happiest times were in there lives and I guarantee you they will say when the were giving God the proper attention an time. It amazes me that we will spend hours w/ God trying to get what we want, then when He gives us what we want we don’t have time for Him anymore, maybe if He was to take that back from you, you might start giving Him time again.
B. He wants your talent- If you have an ability give it to God. If you can swing a hammer at work, swing one at church, if you can sing in the shower sing at church, if you can teach on your job teach at church. You have now idea how many people waste their talent because they just won’t let God have it.
C. He wants your tithe-I shouldn’t even call it your tithe because it is not yours, it was never yours and will never be yours. A tenth is His now that is not too bad giving God 10% and you keep 90%. If you steal that from God, I promise you He will get it from you through your mechanic, or your chiropractor, or maybe even a State Trooper.
2) Your duty inward-This is your duty to your church.
A. To attend- Your duty to you church is to be here. Every time you lay out, you are saying I don’t need that church, you are voting to close the doors. You have an obligation as a member of this church to abide by what God told you to do and that is to be here, and to exhort your church family.
B. To amend-means to correct and behave better than before; You have an obligation to this church to live right, and to live clean. None of us are perfect, but if you have sin in your life it needs to be addressed so that your life does no bring reproach on our church. This church does believe that once you get saved your saved, but this church does not believe nor does it endorse you living in open sin. Those of you that come in here week after week and you still in the same old mess your obligation to this church is to get it right.
C. To amen- This means you should vocally back and promote your church and what goes on here. When singing takes place you should vocally back it and encourage it, when preaching goes on you should back it and encourage it. If it is true, even if it makes you mad it deserves an amen. Which means I agree with that truth.
3) Your duty outward -This is your duty to the world.
A. Live in front of them- You should live a life where Christ is visible in you
B Witness to them- You should tell every one you get the opportunity to that God can save them
C. Pray behind them- When you have you should continually pray for them that God would reveal the truth to them.
Now these three things and I could have said more is your duty, but let me very quickly give you a couple of things on just doing my duty, now we know what our duty is what should we know about our duty.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Luke 17:10
I. It is the Minimum- Duty means to owe, or obligation “a reasonable service or the minimum required of you” Our text teaches us that when we do what is our obligation or duty, not to look for praise or a pat on the back, but to say you know, I just did what I had to do. We tend to think when we actually go on visitation or when we actually do show up for two services in a row that we have really done something, let me tell you, you have done the minimum required. Do you want to stand before God and say I did as little as I could get by with, or do you want to stand in front of Him and He say you went well beyond the call of duty, well done.
II. It is Mandatory-Notice again in the text it says when ye shall have done, then it says we have done. The bible leaves no room for someone to say I was going to do, it says when you have done these things which shows me God requires us to have done our duty, not to have thought about it, not to have tried and failed but to have it done. It is mandatory for me, it is mandatory for you. You say I don’t know how, then learn because it is required of you.
Now in closing I want us to think back on 9-11 these men did what was there duty to do and save as many lives possible even at the risk of there own. The greatest tragedy on 9-11 was not just that lives were lost, but that some of them are lost for eternity. The police did what was there duty, the fire dept did what was there duty, but when is this church going to accept it’s duty and do it, through prayer, through missions, through going ourselves and being a witness. I do know of one man on the 107th floor who realized that he wasn’t getting out, and witnessed to at least 50 people before most all of them died. When is God going to be first place again, when are we going to realize that we need to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, that we may please Him who hath called us to be soldiers. You say preacher where do I start. Well, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Eccl 12:13-14 The place I would start today would be in this alter of sacrifice, we need to get uncomfortable, we need to move, there is nothing wrong with praying at your pew, but I believe it would do you good this morning to show God your willing to move, you are willing to accept what is your duty.
