Security Amidst the Tempest I. Introduction A. Hurricane Katrina, the natural disaster 1. On August 23, 2005, Tropical Depression 12 formed off the eastern Florida coast 2. Two days later, now as Hurricane Katrina, the storm made landfall near Miami as a Category 1 hurricane, stronger than expected 3. The storm entered the Gulf of Mexico and grew enormously, turning into a Category 5 hurricane 4. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall first in southeastern Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane, and then again at the Louisiana/Mississippi border as a Category 3 hurricane 5. The entire coastal area of Mississippi and parts of Alabama were completely destroyed 6. A short while later, three of the levees broke in New Orleans, flooding many parts of that city in many feet of water B. The Great Recession, the artificial disaster 1. One of the first rumbles came in March 2008 when Bear Stearns all but collapsed overnight and was bought up by JP Morgan Chase 2. Things seemed to return to "normal," but it was a mirage 3. September 2008: the same challenge that brought Bear Stearns to its knees led to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the merger of Merrill Lynch with Bank of America, and massive bailouts for AIG and other companies 4. What began as mounting losses from mortgage-backed securities led to great fear and paralysis on Wall Street: banks stopped lending, the money market all but dried up 5. The downturn led to bankruptcy for many companies, loss of approximately 14 trillion dollars, and the most distressing economic period in America's history since the Great Depression 6. Millions lost their jobs; everyone was been impacted in some way! C. In both circumstances, the nation turned to the news and was appalled and astounded at what occurred D. The storms and their impact, nevertheless, have proven many truths that are also applicable in the spiritual world, or provide lessons that we all should take to heart E. Let us spend some time now looking at these matters II. The Power of God and the Weakness of Man A. Hurricane Katrina truly showed the power of God 1. At one point, the clouds from the storm spread from New Orleans to the Yucatan peninsula 2. Furthermore, the storm's appearance was perfectly symmetrical, and simple in its design and organization 3. It is hard to see a hurricane in its simplicity yet utterly destructive power and believe that it came to be by chance! 4. Job 38:25: truly it is God who is the Creator of all these B. Man was perhaps able to chart its movement, predict where it would strike, but was powerless against it 1. Mankind, especially with the great progress of technology, often exalts himself and considers himself to have conquered nature or have imposed order on the world 2. Yet all it takes is one storm to show that man is still at the whim of natural forces, and that civilization is merely a veneer that is easily ripped away C. With the Great Recession, while some were predicting difficult days to come, the majority stood helpless in the midst of the collapse 1. Warnings were ignored; groupthink prevailed! 2. Groupthink failed (cf. Proverbs 14:12) 3. People watched helplessly as wealth accrued over years vanished seemingly overnight 4. Riches most certainly failed and vanished (1 Timothy 6:17) 5. How many now are out of a job, low on possibilities, and could do little to nothing about it? 6. Even the artificial disaster shows how weak we are! D. We ought not trust in works of men, but in the power and truth of God (1 Peter 2:7-8) III. The Level, Speed, and Thoroughness of the Destruction A. Both Hurricane Katrina's and the Great Recession's destructive power was great and thorough 1. New Orleans has not fully recovered after over a decade 2. Similar tales are true for the Gulf coast 3. The economy has been set back decades 4. The effects of the economic crisis defined the next decade! B. Overnight, hundreds of thousands of people lost everything 1. Homes, property, businesses...all gone! 2. Massive corporations bankrupt or under new management! C. Not only was there great loss, but conditions quickly deteriorated 1. New Orleans became like Baghdad according to many 2. After Katrina, there was filthy, undrinkable water, very little food available...things that "should not happen in America!" 3. ...yet are prevalent throughout the world 4. While the Great Recession began with the collapses of 2008, the effects continued throughout 2009 and beyond, leading to an overall shrinking of the economy 5. Jobs, houses, gone; unemployment exhausted! D. These things teach us a critical lesson: we're not entitled to anything at any time! 1. Job 1:21: Job had lost everything but his health and life in one day, yet he praised the Lord 2. Many times, I fear, we get complacent and forget that everything we have could be gone in a flash 3. Furthermore, we might think that "at the worst", we will "at least" have something a. We "at least" can get government aid b. We "at least" can go to a shelter 4. These storms have proven that we ought to take nothing for granted! E. Matthew 6:19-21: let us make sure that we are laying up our treasures in Heaven, where looters cannot seize it nor can a storm blow it away! F. Our lives are but a vapor (James 4:14); tomorrow, and anything we might possess, are not guaranteed IV. Preparation A. The storms clearly showed the fruits of preparation! B. Those who heeded the warnings regarding Katrina and departed were spared, along with whatever they desired to take with them C. Those who had seen the signs of trouble in the market and pulled out their money were not nearly as damaged as those who were all in D. Those who had made preparations for disasters found themselves in much better positions than those who did not E. The same is certainly true in spiritual terms! F. Matthew 25:1-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 1. We must constantly be prepared for the return of our Master! 2. There will be no "second chance" to return to Him once He returns! 3. We must therefore be sober-minded, aware of what is going on, constantly striving to obey Him, lest we be caught off-guard at His return! V. Heeding the Warning A. Our ability to track hurricanes and determine where they will strike has greatly improved 1. The forecasters did very well with Katrina: they essentially predicted the affected area precisely, and did so three days before the storm hit 2. Local communities began voluntary evacuations the previous Friday, and many called for mandatory evacuations on Saturday and Sunday B. Likewise, experience with previous economic collapses and the dangers of "bubbles" should have led many to predict economic troubles ahead C. Many heeded the warnings, and departed from the affected areas, or moved their money into more secure investments or to cash C. Many others, however, did not 1. Some were not aware of the warning or of any danger 2. Many had no means of leaving or could not get out of danger 3. A large number, however, consciously determined to continue on despite the danger D. While there are many reasons why people decided to continue as before, many stayed because they had become dulled to warnings 1. Previous storms were not as strong... 2. The storm might lose strength before landfall... 3. This should only impact the mortgage and/or financial parts of the market... 4. Fundamentals of the market are sound... 3. It's not as bad as they say it is... E. Regardless, I am sure that many learned that it was not wise to remain, if they had the luck to survive the experience or to maintain their wealth F. Likewise, many times people are given warnings about their spiritual condition, and they continually dull their ears to it 1. Matthew 13:14-15, quoting Isaiah 6:9-10, speaks of such persons 2. You can preach to them over and over, and they just won't get it! 3. Many times, it takes calamities to cause them to awake... 4. ...and many times, their life ends before that occurs G. This is not limited, however, to unbelievers or denominationalists! 1. Hebrews 5:11 2. Maybe a preacher has been preaching about some need, something to do, some moral matter, whatever: and the audience has become dulled! 3. Exhortation after exhortation is made, but to no avail! 4. Let us continually strive to examine ourselves and be soft, not dull, of heart, lest we do not heed warnings and be in danger (2 Corinthians 13:5)! VI. Sojourning A. The storms have left hundreds of thousands of "sojourners" 1. After Katrina, thousands were displaced; many never returned 2. They had to adapt to new environments 3. Many have been displaced on account of the Great Recession 4. People losing homes, having to move to different places to find work B. We, as Christians, should view our presence in the world in the same terms 1. 1 Peter 2:11: we are as sojourners and exiles 2. Philippians 3:20: our citizenship is in Heaven 3. 1 John 3:13: we should not be surprised to live in a world hostile to us C. Even though we may live in the world, be citizens of America, and establish ties in certain areas, we must remember that we are, in truth, sojourners, with the primary ties being in Heaven VII. Conclusion/Invitation A. The cry is heard throughout the land: we will rebuild! 1. We can only hope that what is rebuilt is built wisely, with more strength, and on more solid ground! 2. There will be, no doubt, more hurricanes, more economic crises B. Let us give heed to our spiritual foundation C. Matthew 7:24-27 1. Jesus' parable probably resounds more forcefully now than perhaps it did before 2. We have seen physical houses that were built more "on the rock" and houses built "on the sand," and have seen many of the latter fall 3. The same goes for financial houses D. What do we build our life upon? Our trusts, hopes, and dreams? 1. Do we build them on the Rock of Christ? 2. Or do we trust in the shifting sand of the world? E. In the end, we have seen our country go through a large feeling of insecurity and instability 1. Institutions we trusted have not lived up to their ideal 2. Government has not acted perhaps as would be desired 3. Powerlessness, in sum, is the feeling F. While we grieve for the victims and pray for those suffering, let us understand clearly that nothing in this world is permanent, nothing is worthy of our full trust…only Christ can be our security amid the tempest! G. Invitation/Songbook Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; But the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). In moments of crisis, whether "artificial" or "natural" in origin, mankind's delusions are exposed. "Groupthink" is proven wrong. The weaknesses of "civilization" become evident. People's confidence is shaken. We ought to learn that trusting in our own ways will always lead to such humiliation. May we trust in God in Christ and obtain life in Him! 2: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14). Moments of distress remind us that we are not as strong as we think we are, nor are we really in control. We are that vapor of which James speaks; we are weak, fragile, and life passes on or away very easily. All such things ought to lead us to put our trust in God the Eternal One. May we recognize who we are, who God is, and trust in Him and not ourselves! 3: "Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). Disasters vividly demonstrate the power and importance of preparation. Those who are prepared will fare far better than those who are not. One cannot just assume that preparation can be made in the last minute. And so it is with life: we must always be prepared for its end or the return of the Lord, and to live always in ways which glorify God in Christ. May we be prepared at all times to meet the Lord Jesus, and live in relational unity with Him in the Father! 4: "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof" (Matthew 7:27). Lives are like houses: the integrity of the foundation generally is only made evident in moments of crisis and trial. If we do not build our lives on the testimony of Jesus it will be made apparent in distress in this life or on the day of judgment to come. Everything not well founded in the Lord Jesus will collapse and fall into ruin at some point. On that day, will we stand or will we fall before the Lord Jesus? May we all repent and live according to God's purposes in Jesus!