Loss

We have been given a finite number of days on this earth, a span determined by the Lord; and we have an infinite number of days to spend with Christ in eternity.  A New York City firefighter, whose story we will consider on The Meeting House, in encountering the deaths of a number of colleagues,
brought the perspective of the fleeting nature of life on earth. James 4 states:
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

Yes, we can plan, and seek God's wisdom and direction.  The Holy Spirit will lead us as we surrender to God's will.  But, ultimately, we also know that God has a master plan for each of us and a certain number of days allotted to it, to our lives on earth.  So, we are called to place our attention on heavenly things, setting our minds, as Colossians 3 states, on "things above."  But that doesn't mean we don't attempt to maximize our lives on earth.  No matter our location - heaven or earth - we can make it our aim to live in God's presence.

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As we'll discuss today, spurred on by the testimony of a New York City firefighter, we recognize the temporary nature of our lives on earth and how we need to be good stewards of what God has
entrusted to us. Ephesians 5 states:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

On this day, we remember the 3,000 who lost their lives in the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.  And, we pay special attention to the first responders who perished in attempting to save lives.  In the FDNY, the Fire Department of New York, 343 firefighters lost their lives.

Jerry Sillcocks was not one of them.  He was off work on September 11, 2001.  But, he lost 29 friends that day, according to a Focus on the Family feature story.  Jerry and his wife, Diane, were not unacquainted with loss.  Just four years before 9-11, they had experienced the death of a child, their daughter, Hannah, who was 12 days old.  According to the story, "Jerry and Diane leaned on each other and grieved deeply together. This gave them the compassion and fervor to help others who lost loved ones on 9/11. Hannah’s death was a wake-up call, Jerry said, making faith in God their focus 'every day, every hour, every minute.'”

After she died, of an infection she received at the hospital, Jerry started a chapter of Firefighters for Christ.  The article says that, "...by 2000 the group had placed a Bible in every firehouse in the city. FFC made presentations to each new class of firefighters and always used the opportunity to share the Gospel. One of those presentations was on Sept. 7, 2001. Ten who heard the salvation message that day died in the line of duty four days later."  We can hope that they responded to that message prior to what occurred on the 11th.

Jerry continued the ministry of FFC at Ground Zero and participated in the recovery and cleanup efforts at the former World Trade Center site.  The Focus story states that Jerry and Diane are "quick to admit that after 9/11 there were many days when they thought the grief would never end." The article continues:

“After 9/11, the first place I went was to God’s Word to find some comfort,” Diane says. “As a firefighter’s wife, my heart was broken to hear that so many firefighter husbands had died.” A few weeks after the attacks, Diane hosted a tea for 9/11 wives and widows. About 100 attended, and more than 80 committed their lives to Christ.

Jerry Sillcocks still works with Firefighters for Christ and serves as the FDNY Chapter Leader. Just two days ago, an Instagram post related that he was speaking in Louisiana.  The post reports that he was speaking at a "Spirit of Louisiana" event, which has a tie-in to 9-11.  According to the post:

A Louisiana manufacturer built a fire engine pumper as a gift to the New York City Fire Department, after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The department lost 343 firefighters that day, as well as dozens of vehicles. The “Spirit of Louisiana,” made by Ferrara Fire Apparatus in Livingston Parish, arrived at a Brooklyn station house a week before Christmas 2001. It was the FDNY’s first arrival to meet department code after the attack. New York’s first responders returned the favor after August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. The FDNY sent the truck — plus 350 firefighters — to aid recovery efforts in New Orleans.

Sillcocks is continuing to be devoted to ministry to his fellow firefighters - in New York and beyond.  He recognizes that he could have been on duty on 9-11.  He certainly values the time spent with his family. The Focus on the Family article says that:

The most important message from 9/11 is that “life is a vapor,” Jerry says. Firefighters know that any day could be their last, but the same is true for everyone, no matter their occupation. “The most important thing you can do,” Jerry says, “is share the Gospel with people and spend quality time with the Lord and your family.”

So, one of the Biblical takeaways has to do with the certainty of tomorrow (or the lack of it).  We are not guaranteed another day on earth. How many of the 3,000 victims of 9-11 really thought that would be their last day on earth?  We never know when the Lord will call us home.  But, we can have the certainty of where we will spend eternity when He does - through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

But, we can consider how we are using and applying the gift of time God has given to us.  The Bible speaks of redeeming the time.  And, we can make sure that we are aware that God is calling us to be obedient and to not be wasteful with that gift.

Finally, we can consider how tragedy can give birth to ministry.  You'll hear a story today of a man who was motivated by the events of September 11 to join the military, and Carlos Evans ended up losing his legs and a hand when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan.  Despite his struggles, God is using Carlos and his wife, Rosemarie, to provide encouragement to people. Siran Stacy, who was on the radio show recently, lost his wife and several of his children in a vehicle accident; yet, God, out of his tragedy, has brought forth incredible fruit for the Kingdom.  While we are on this earth, God has a purpose for us, and even though we may encounter tragedy, that can be a catalyst that God can use for His glory.