Biblical Perspectives on Space Shuttle Challenger

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin establishes a biblical precedent for addressing current events from the pulpit, citing Jesus's use of shocking incidents in Luke 13 to underscore vital truths…

Jesus used the shocking current event of Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices to teach about repentance and perishing, setting a precedent for addressing contemporary tragedies.

who, according to Luke chapter 13, took as an occasion to underscore some vital biblical truths to shocking current events in His day. We read in Luke 13, in verse 1, that there were some people, present at that very season, who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. We know nothing for certain about this incident, but apparently there was an incident involving some Galileans who were either as imposters or perhaps as innocent worshippers who had some political alliance, that were threatening to Pilate, were nonetheless, in the midst of offering up sacr...

1:34 - 3:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin establishes a biblical precedent for addressing current events from the pulpit, citing Jesus's use of shocking incidents in Luke 13 to underscore vital truths…

Jesus used the tragic death of eighteen people crushed by a falling tower in Siloam to underscore vital biblical principles of God's moral government, further establishing the precedent.

Or, and now He takes a second current event, or a recent event, in which there was the tragic death of eighteen people, crushed to death, when a tower in Siloam, in Siloam, fell upon them. Here was an event that caused a thrill of shock to go through Jerusalem, when people heard that a tower fell upon eighteen so-called innocent victims, and they were snuffed out in a moment of time. Here our Lord takes a second current event that captured the attention of men and women, and used it as the occasion to bring to bear, upon the living, some vital biblical principles of the moral government of Alm...

3:13 - 4:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Young people, lay to heart that you do not control your destiny.

Martin illustrates man's utter lack of control over his destiny by imagining someone protected in a bomb-proof cell, yet still susceptible to choking on their own spittle by God's sovereign will.

You could lock yourself up in a cell three feet thick, reinforce concrete, put there your dried food, canned water, expert ventilating system, something that supposedly could protect you through a direct hit of a hydrogen bomb. And God could make you choke in your sleep over your own spittle.

28:21 - 28:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second perspective is that man cannot boast with arrogant pride in his achievements without provoking God to humble him. Martin illustrates this with the examples of…

The story of King Nebuchadnezzar's arrogant boasting about Babylon and God's subsequent humbling of him to live like a beast serves as a classic Old Testament example of God abasing the proud.

Turn to Daniel, the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar, king over the vast, impressive. Empire of Babylon is to this place of influence by the sovereign will and power of God. Yet he is full of boastful, arrogant pride in what he regards to be his achievements.

29:41 - 30:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And those that walk in pride, he is able to abase.

The account of Herod Agrippa's oratorical pride, accepting praise as a god, and God's immediate judgment by striking him down to be eaten by worms, illustrates God's swift response to human arrogance.

But now in the New Testament, Acts chapter 12. Acts chapter 12. We read the record of a man who was given great ability as a leader and particularly as an orator. He could take words like a handful of diamonds.

32:56 - 33:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second perspective is that man cannot boast with arrogant pride in his achievements without provoking God to humble him. Martin illustrates this with the examples of…

Martin suggests that the 27 successful shuttle launches led to a national attitude of 'we've got it in the bag,' implying an arrogant confidence that provoked God to humble the nation.

And I am convinced that what God was saying in that fireball was this. It is enough. We have been on a trip down the street now. Twenty seven successful launches.

37:38 - 37:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third perspective, the heart of Martin's burden, is that a nation cannot forever flagrantly disregard God's moral law without receiving His judgments. He questions if the…

Martin draws an ironic parallel between the national 'madness' of Super Bowl Sunday (desecrating the Lord's Day) and the 'sadness' of the Challenger disaster two days later, both viewed through the same television 'tube.'

For the good of the creature and the glory of the Creator. Could it be that there is an umbilical cord of moral relationship between January 26 and Super Bowl madness. And January 28 and challenger sadness. And the irony is the sadness came through the same instrument as the madness.

41:39 - 42:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop Christian minds who think biblically about history and reality, and about the dignity of human life.

Martin uses the biblical example of a soldier shooting an arrow 'at a venture' that providentially strikes a king, to illustrate God's sovereign control over seemingly random events.

Except one man and his family. Or whether according to the Bible. He moves a soldier to take a arrow at a venture. And say I'll just shoot somewhere somehow.

46:21 - 46:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The fourth perspective presents the Challenger explosion as a vivid illustration of the Last Day, which will come with sudden, inescapable destruction like a thief in the night…

Martin uses the Challenger's explosion, a half-million pounds of hydrogen and oxygen, to illustrate the immense power of God's final judgment, comparing it to the 'fireball of the released energy of deity.'

If 500,000 pounds, a half a million pounds, of, two of God's most elementary elements in His universe, a little thimble full of God's hydrogen and oxygen, half a million pounds in that central tank, if a fireball like that exploding can take that massive space shuttle and everything in it and disintegrate, what would it be when the creator of heaven and earth and all the galaxies, the fireball of the released energy of deity in this world, in its present state, and all His enemies?

56:47 - 57:37 Read in full sermon