Sermon for Sunday August 12th, 2007

On the Verge of Collapse by James May

James 4:13-4:15

On The Verge of Collapse

Sunday, August 05, 2007 – AM

By Pastor Jim May

We have seen a great tragedy unfold this week in the news. Four days ago, on August 1st, the nation was stunned again as news and video of the collapse of the I35 Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota hit the airwaves. At present count there have been 6 confirmed deaths, over 100 injured and 30 people are still missing. As a result of this bridge collapse, our nation has been thrown into a sort of “bridge-phobia”. Every state in the union has now begun a series of safety inspections on bridges to try to ensure that nothing like this will happen again.

But the sad fact is that there are no guarantees that no other bridges will fail. Nothing that man builds will last forever. The effects of time, use and abuse and weather will all take their toll.

According to the news, most bridges have a lifespan of only about 50 years and the vast majority of our bridges are at least that old and more. I suppose it’s miraculous that we don’t have more collapsing bridges. The I10 bridge in Baton Rouge is close to 40 years old now. (That’s really sobering when I can remember it being built and can still picture the partially constructed spans when I was in college.) The Highway 190 Bridge is much older than that. It has been opened to traffic 67 years this month. Engineers have deemed it safe for use even though it’s in poor condition and there are numerous hairline cracks in its steel girders at each end.

It’s a sobering thing when we begin to think of how quickly life can come to an end. The stories that you hear of those who were injured or killed in the collapse make us realize that these things can happen to anyone, at any time or anywhere. All around us, every day, there are tragedies waiting to happen. We are living in a dangerous world and there is no place where you can be safe from any event.

On that Wednesday evening, while we were getting ready to start the church service, the highways in Minneapolis/St Paul were filled with rush hour traffic. The I35 Bridge is part of the main arteries that people use in their daily commute. It has been estimated that as many as 150 or more vehicles were on the bridge at the time of its collapse. It may be days, or weeks, before they are all found, and some may never be found.

We cannot help but think off those poor folks who sat on the bridge that day in bumper to bumper traffic, probably listening to the radio, talking on the cell phone and anxiously waiting for the cars in front to move so that they could all get home and rest. They could feel the rumble of the bridge below them, but they never suspected that in a moment of time they would be falling into the muddy waters far below.

How many times have you sat in heavy traffic on a bridge and looked at the rusting metal support beams or corroding concrete pillars and wondered if it was safe? I’ve been on top of the bridge in Baton Rouge and felt a little uneasy when the bridge vibrated sending vibrations through the whole car. Of course we simply try to not think about it, or pass it off as something that is normal. When I took engineering at LSU there was once fact that I learned. You can’t stop vibrations or movement in long bridges or tall buildings. They are designed with a little flexibility; otherwise they would crumble and fall.

If you have ever stood on a tall building in the wind you know what I mean. I was on top of the Empire State Building in New York City some years ago. It is said that the building will sway as much as 36 inches in strong wind. There is nothing so unsettling as standing 102 stories above the ground (roughly 4 times as high as our state capitol building) and feeling like the building is moving under you. I can’t imagine the terror of being in a building like the twin towers of the World Trade Center when they came crashing down.

The thing that really strikes me about all of this is that there is never any mention of whether these folks were ready to meet God or not. The news media is concerned about highway safety and matter pertaining to life and limb, but there is never a thought about the spiritual condition of the victims. I wonder how many were feeling great physically, doing great on their job, had wonderful families waiting for them at home, and suddenly were taken from this life?

At time like this we are truly reminded of God’s Word that says in James 4:13-15, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."

But for the grace of God, any one of us could have been a statistic this morning. By the grace of God we are safe for the moment and we have an opportunity to hear the Word of God and to serve the Lord with the time that God has given to us.

I wonder if any of those who died, or were injured, were Born Again Christians? The Law of Averages would probably stand against there being many. Out of those occupying those 150 vehicles there probably were less than 10 who knew Jesus as their Savior.

Those who survived will be forever scarred. This will be a moment that they will never forget as long they live, but I wonder if they will really change? I wonder if they will really give their lives to Jesus? I wonder if they will heed the warning, realize how close they came to Hell’s flames and learn from it. Again, the Law of Averages is against them. Most will simply allow the events to fade into the back of their mind and go on with life as though nothing happened. In the end, they will face a far greater tragedy than a collapse of a bridge. Their whole life will collapse and they will fall once again, but this time there will be no escape.

Jesus made a point to tell each of us in His Word that time and circumstance happens to us all. Being a Christian doesn’t make us immune to the tragedies that strike this world. But Being a Christian makes us ready to face those tragedies with faith, knowing that no matter what happens, God is in control; that nothing takes him by surprise; and that in the end, we win, no matter what comes. We can go through life without fear, unlike most of the world. We can drive across the bridges, even the oldest ones, without fear, because we know its all in God’s hands. We can get on an airplane, and though we may sometimes be nervous or a little apprehensive, we have the calm assurance that no matter what happens, it’s in God’s hands. Our fear, nervousness, apprehension and concern are directly related to how much faith we have in God.

In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus makes the point that none of us are promised safety all the time, "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

The important point to remember in all of this is that none of us will live forever. The next great tragedy may fall on any of us at anytime. We live in an area where danger lurks at every corner. It may be something as small as a drive by shooting or a drunk driver on the highway, or it could be any one of a thousand poisonous chemical leaks from the industries that surround us. Whatever may occur, we must make sure that we are always ready to meet God, for we never know when something might happen.

In a wisp of wind, in a moment of time, life can be over. Like a shot of spray from a can life vanishes into eternity and we never know when God is going to press the button. It pays to be ready always.

The thing that we need to keep in mind is that all of creation is on the verge of collapse. As we are getting ever closer to the coming of the Lord, the whole world gets closer and closer to the day when it will cease to exist in its present form.

The Book of Revelation tells us that “Babylon” will fall. The worldly system of religion, governments, finance and economics will simple cease to exist.

Revelation 14:6-8, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

The Lord halts the corrupt systems of men in preparation for the beginning of his Millennial Kingdom. In that kingdom there will be no unjust business practices; no false religions and no courts that be bought with money. Righteousness, justice and holiness will reign as Jesus rules as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God will set all things right once again and the earth will see 1000 years of peace and prosperity.

But even that won’t be enough to change the hearts of men. There will also come a day when all of creation as we know it will face the final collapse.

2 Peter 3:10-13, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Just as the crumbling of a bridge takes place under your feet before the final collapse comes, this world is crumbling all around us. We can take time to examine a bridge and see its damage, but do we take time to inspect our hearts and lives in preparation for the Day of the Lord?

The noise of a bridge falling, with the concrete and steel breaking, bending and twisting, and automobiles being thrown and crushed, people screaming and water splashing, explosions, must be a terrible sound to experience.

But there will be a greater noise one day soon. It will the noise of screaming souls falling into the flames; of every element of nature being utterly destroyed; of all of man’s great cities and creations being obliterated; and of God’s great Creation being utterly destroyed.

Why does God have to do this? He must destroy it all in its present state because of the effects of sin upon it all. Sin must be judged by God’s righteous fires and burned away completely so that a new Heaven and new Earth can take its place.

Luke 12:54-56, "And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"

The collapse of a bridge, the collapse of the Twin Towers, the collapse of our economy, the collapse of world governments – all these are signs to remind us that all things are coming to an end so that we may be prepared for that day.

Don’t ignore the signs. Never convince yourself that it couldn’t happen to you. All of these things come as warnings to be ready always.

Don’t allow anything to come as a thief in the night and leave you without hope. Make sure that your heart is right with God all the time.

The collapse of a bridge and the loss of life is a great tragedy, but it pales in comparison to the loss of your eternal soul. Be prepared to meet God at any moment for you never know which moment will be your last on this earth.