Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. [2] "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." [3] As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" [4] Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. [6] You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. [7] Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of birth pains. [9] "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. [10] At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, [11] and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. [12] Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, [13] but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. [14] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

What does a person say on an occasion such as this?

• 200 + firemen missing and presumed dead.
• nearly 100 policemen - the same.
• Well over 300 people known dead and more than 4,000 people presumed dead.
• 100's of widows and widowers and yet more children without a father of mother or perhaps both.
• Parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters ripped from a common ordinary life into one which will never be the same by a act of a group of evil, perverted sick, diseased, malignant, miscreants under the direction of equally evil people.

What does a person say?

Well, apparently a great deal.

• In various parts of the world people are throwing parties rejoicing that the "Great Satan," the United States is so afflicted.
• Every television and radio station in the United States perhaps the world has had 24 hours news and commentary.
• Every newspaper has published pictures. And you can be sure that magazines throughout the world will have extensive coverage as well.
• And here and elsewhere others are simply weeping - speaking only by their tears.
• Others are saying, as Pat Robertson did yesterday that

• And President Bush has said that the perpetrators and those who hide them or support them in any way will be punished. And our Congress has agreed and our citizens have agreed, and nation upon nation has agreed.

What do people have to say? Apparently a great deal.

And I want you to know that I am not here today to criticize or correct what anyone says - although I could in some cases.

I am here instead as your pastor and that I want to speak to you about some of the very basic core beliefs that we profess. In times of tragedy people almost always revert to, question, or find support in their troubles with these core beliefs And it is these -

these core beliefs that we need to talk about today.

First of all, God says that what happened on Tuesday last did happen because of the evil and wickedness so prevalent in our country, but not because it is present in our country alone. Sin - the murdering innocents - born and unborn, adultery, fornication, lying, stealing, gossip, idolatry, coveting, cursing, and the like, is found everywhere.

• All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

As St. Paul says.

To put it another way. It is inevitable because we live in a sinful world - a fallen world from the time of Adam and Eve till now - that we will both sin and be sinned upon. And as this world grows older sin will increase and greater and greater evil will be inflicted upon our fellow man by our fellow man.

Thus, when Jesus in our text talks about

• deceivers - false prophets -
• wars and rumors of war, betrayal, and
• denials, and
• the love of many growing cold.

He is not saying these evils are the exclusive property of this or that particular racial, ethnic, or religious group.

No, if all have sinned, then all bear some responsibility for the evil in our world.

And evil is present in all of us. It is not just "they" and "them" but "we", "you," and "me" who have sinned.

• There is none righteous, not even one.

Isaiah says.

Secondly, God says to you and to me today in our Gospel lesson these words. . . (They are serious words and we need to pay attention and teach them to our children as well.)

In other words, if all have sinned - then all need to repent. And it is no trivial thing that we confess our sins.

Some don't like to do that. They think that they are lily white. They're sanctified and no longer sin. Or "it's too catholic." I guess it's too Scriptural for them as well since the Psalmist says,

• I will confess my transgression unto the Lord.

And

They are wrong and like you and me, they need to repent.

Listen again to Jesus' words:

He is really saying that there are eternal consequenses to sin and a little flag waving or burning a candle some kind act won't get us of the hook with God.

• Hating those evildoers who hijacked those planes will not do.
• Driving to New York and volunteering to help (although it is a civil kindness that is "good") is no help with God unless one has repented and seeks forgiveness from God.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin and a saying "No! I do not want to sin any longer and I am powerless to change it myself - God be merciful to me for the sake of Your only begotten son Jesus Christ." This is repentance and faith. This is what St. Paul is talking about when he says,

• Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
  through him who loved us.

We don't look like conquerors. We look like beaten, downtrodden sinners still.

You know some of my sins, I know some of yours and for the life of me I can't see you as a conqueror. Nor you me.

But we are - more than conquerors (note) through him who loved us.

Jesus in our text says:

• Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow
  cold, [13] but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Is Jesus' prophesy coming true? I certainly see it.

I see many of this congregation and other congregations whose love has grown cold.

They are:

• too busy doing what they want,
• finding fault with everything about the church, teachers, pastors, and leadership and rarely lift a hand to help.
• They are insulted when an Elders stops by and says "we've missed you."
• Doctrine is unimportant and they don't have a clue where their Bible is because they are too busy to even read it 5 minutes a day.

And you know what I am sad to say? That just about describes everyone one of us in one way or another. Oh, I don't mean to say you are as great a sinner as I am, but I can see and feel that lack of love on occasion from more than one person.

So where, my friends is the hope?

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and we are still sinning. And if the truth were told we aren't getting better and better, we're just getting better at hiding and rationalizing our sins.

Where is the hope? What does "Don't be afraid mean" in such a situation as this?

Perhaps the closing words of God in our Old Testament lesson provides the answer to this question best.

There was a promise from God.

• It was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - The seed, an offspring of their union would crush the serpents head.
• The promise was renewed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• David and Solomon received it as well.

Each time the promise said that One would come and pay for the sins of mankind.

The perfect peace that had been present in the Garden of Eden would be renewed and the sins of those who believed the promise would be forgiven - forever.

You know Jesus in saying "stand firm" is not talking about you or me standing firm, like "Stonewall" Jackson or as we imagine Luther at the Diet of Worms - "Here I stand I can do not other, God help me. Amen!"

• He's saying stand firm in my word and sacraments.
• Stand firm on the faith once delivered.
• Stand firm in prayer.
• Stand firm in the Gospel that we are saved, by grace through faith alone without the deeds of the law.
• Stand firm in Jesus Christ - the virgin's son and the Son of God.
• Stand firm in your dependence and devotion to Him who went to the cross and declared with His last breath - "It is finished."

Don't be afraid!

Amen.