Rescuers
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Captain Paddy Brown and 11 of his men responded to the World Trade Center in New York City as they had been dispatched to an unknown terrorist attack. They are the firefighters of Ladder Company 3 of the New York Fire Department.
As Ladder 3 arrived, the North Tower burned, Capt. Brown and his crew exited the truck, packed out, and entered the doomed building. Over the first hour, they worked their way up 35 flights of stairs, evacuating victims floor by floor.
On the 35th floor, dispatch radioed Capt Brown for a status report. He replied that he had many burned victims and that the situation was desperate, but then he uttered his famous words, “We are still heading up!”
Ladder 3 worked their way up to the 44th floor when the following radio communication was Capt Brown’s last words:
Dispatch: “Command Post to Ladder 3, get out of the building!”
Capt. Paddy Brown: “This is the officer of Ladder Co. 3. I refuse the order! I am on the 44th floor, and we have too many burned people with me. I'm not leaving them!”
The North Tower collapsed shortly after his last transmission, killing Paddy and 11 of his men and a total of 343 other firefighters….
…but not before evacuating and saving the lives of 25,000 people.
In every fire or rescue, there are three types of people:
1. Victims - They are the people who, either because of their actions, the actions of others, or the circumstances beyond their control, are lost, wounded, or dead,
2. Bystanders - These are the people who bring no real value to the situation. They have no real purpose for being there beyond not becoming victims themselves.
3. Rescuers - These are the people who are willing, called, trained, and outfitted to bring hope and healing to the situation. They are on mission and focused on success. They move with purpose and execute the with passion.
It’s easy to become discouraged when we consider that our Savior has called us to be a people who step into the messy lives of others. It’s not easy to be disciplemakers. The enemy hates it. We are confronted with our faults. We struggle to know what to say.
I want to challenge you to gear up anyway…. Do not be a victim or passive, but instead, realize that God has given us a holy calling to be rescuers… to move beyond our doubts, anxieties, and sin into a state of readiness to respond with the Hope of the Gospel to those who need help.
I can be accused of being a little dramatic in my description of Christ’s call to make disciples. But check out this passage in the book of Jude. Jude is a half-brother of Jesus and brother of James, and although not one of the original 12 apostles, he writes just this short letter as a rallying cry to the early church. Listen to what he says:
Jude 20-23 CSB “But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
Disciplemaking is a holy calling to grow in your faith, share the Gospel with the perishing, and train believers to grow in their walk with Jesus to be rescuers. Let’s snatch some people from the fire!
CJ Nissen