My Sermon Outline for 9/11

[Bruce Sidebotham]

Point 1: Love conquers fear (1 John 4:18). Terrorism inspires fear. Fear causes response of flight (“Islam is peaceful”) or fight (“Muslims are evil”). Without love, we lack objectivity, become reactive victims, and follow popular paths of least resistance into either denial or anxiety. With love we seize productive initiative.

Point 2: Prayer for enemies inspires proper attitudes (Matthew 5:44). When Jesus told his followers to love enemies and pray for persecutors, he compared that response to God’s response to us. God sends rain on both the righteous and the wicked. God is never a victim and always has the initiative. Human behavior does not manipulate God.

Point 3: Stephen prayed for Saul (Acts 7:60 & 8:1). Triumphing over the perpetrators of this 9-11 evil takes radical initiative.

Application: Consider “adopting” a terrorist for prayer from ATFP.org .