Saturday, October 14, 2017

REFLECTIONS ON SUICIDE



This week I experienced something for the first time in my life.  A close friend of our family, someone who had once worked for my wife, who I had baptized and discipled, attempted to take their own life.

After a spiral of devastating events, including relationship problems, the loss of a job, and the anniversary of a miscarriage, my friend decided she just couldn’t go on with life.  That the only answer was to end it all.

We knew she was struggling.  We had prayed for her.  We had reached out to her as best we could as we dealt with our own trials following the death of a family member.  We knew others were reaching out to her, as well.  But we had no idea of the extent of her depression and despondency.

We finally realized something was wrong when she texted my wife and asked us to take care of her dog because she was going away.  This was unexpected.  We knew she had no plans to go anywhere.  We knew she had no trips planned and responsibilities at home.  My wife texted back, questioning why and where she was going.  No answer.

We called her sister and discovered no one had heard from her for hours.  I was at work and jumped on Facebook to check her page.  What I read was disheartening, “I am sorry I am a disappointment to everyone.  I won’t be any longer.  I am leaving.  Goodbye.”  I called my wife to let her know so they could alert the police, and was told the family had found a similar, longer note with after-death instructions at her home.

Her family and friends began looking for her.  The police were notified, but no one could find her.  No one knew where to begin.  We checked everywhere we could think, including the remote river location where she had been baptized.  Finally, her sister found her by the river near her boyfriend’s house, locked in her running car, barely conscious from the pills she had taken.  Her sister broke the window and got her out and called the ambulance.  She is at the hospital now.  She is going to survive, at least physically.  We still have no idea of her mental or spiritual condition.

This is the first time I have personally been involved in a suicide event, thankfully, although I have ministered to many who have experienced the death of a loved one through their own hand.  It is heart-breaking.  Even though the person who commits suicide thinks they are solving their problems and the effects of their actions only impact them, they are wrong.  Suicide impacts a family forever.  It impacts the lives of both family and friends, and leaves the survivors asking, “Why?” and “What could we have done?”  The answer, in both cases, rarely comes.

If you think a loved one is considering suicide, GET THEM HELP IMMEDIATELY!  Do not take their assertions that they are okay at face value.  If you suspect they are thinking of taking their life, get them to a minister, counselor, or to someone else they can discuss their concerns and issues with.  People who are considering suicide generally feel alone, helpless, and hopeless.  You need to reach out to them in whatever way you can.  If you are in the U.S., contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.  There are other local organizations that can also help.

If you are considering suicide, please know and understand this:  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  YOU ARE LOVED!  You are a special creation of God, and He loves you and cares for you more than you can ever realize.  There is no problem, no issue, no relationship, that God cannot heal or restore.  God created your life and does not want you to take it by your own hand.  He loves you and wants you to life a full and abundant life right now.  Reach out to a minister or pastor in your area or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) and just share what is going on.  People are there who want to help you.  People are there who love you.  Don’t give up.  There is always hope!

Finally, let me address a spiritual issue that has come up time and time again in my ministry:  Is a person who commits suicide condemned to Hell for their actions?  Emphatically, NO!!!  Suicide is a sin, without a doubt.  It is the taking of one’s own life that was given to them by God.  Our lives were purchased at a high cost -- the ending of our lives is not our choice.  To do otherwise is a sin, but the grace of God and the blood of Jesus has offered forgiveness for ALL SINS we have committed.

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to forgive your sins, ALL of your sins are forgiven, not just the sins you committed to that point.  ALL sins -- past, present, and future.  Sins of omission and commission.  Sins that you committed that you don’t even remember.  Sins that you will commit in the future.  ALL SINS are forgiven!

The blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary is sufficient for all sins, including suicide.  Contrary to the teaching of some churches, the sin of suicide is NOT unpardonable and does NOT result in the person going to Hell if they have professed faith and belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

The unpardonable sin that Jesus mentions in Matthew 12:31-32 -- the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit -- the only sin that Jesus says cannot be forgiven -- is the sin of unbelief, NOT THE SIN OF SUICIDE.  If someone doesn't believe in God -- if someone doesn't believe that Jesus died for their sins and doesn't accept His forgiveness and His Holy Spirit in their lives, then they can't be forgiven.  Not because God doesn’t or won’t forgive them, but because they are choosing to reject the path to salvation and forgiveness of sins.  They are rejecting God.  They are refusing to open the free gift of God for salvation and stand in their sins.

But, thankfully, God, through His prevenient grace, works in the life of all people to reach out to them and show them the truth of the gospel and to convict them of their sin of unbelief so they might respond and turn to Jesus for salvation.  God’s will is that all might be saved and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

To receive salvation, you don’t have to pray any special prayer.  You don’t have to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” you see in the tracts or hear in churches today.  All you need to do is come to Jesus with an honest and repentant heart, admitting you are a sinner, that you have disobeyed God’s commands and that you have done wrong things.  Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and put your faith and trust in Him as your Lord and Savior, believing in your heart and in your mind and trusting that His death on the cross paid the penalty for your sins.  There is nothing you can do for your salvation except trust in Jesus through faith.  God doesn’t require you to do anything else.  You can’t get to heaven by doing good works.  You can’t get to heaven by going to church or by reading your Bible or by doing spiritual practices.  You can only get to heaven and receive salvation by trusting in Jesus and His atoning death on the cross for your sins.  His resurrection proves that He conquered sin and death, and He promises that if you believe in Him for your salvation, that He will raise you up to eternal life with Him.

I pray that those affected by the suicide or attempted suicide of a loved one finds comfort in these words.  And I pray, pray, pray that if someone is thinking of ending their own life in this way that they would find hope and peace through Jesus and that they would reach out to a friend or family member or a minister and seek help.  Hope is never lost!  Hope and help is as close as a phone call (National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255).



Sunday, October 08, 2017

SERMON: ANTICIPATING HOPE




8 October 2017

I.  Introduction
            -- turn in Bibles to Zephaniah 3:9-17

9“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10
From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.
11
On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.
12
But I will leave within you
    the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust in the name of the Lord.
13
They will do no wrong;
    they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
    and no one will make them afraid.”

14
Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
15
The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
16
On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
17
The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

            -- last Sunday evening the deadliest shooting in American history occurred as Stephen Paddock began shooting at concert-goers in a nearby venue from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel -- in the aftermath of the shooting, 58 people were killed and over 500 wounded before police stormed Paddock’s hotel room and found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound
            -- this incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks in our country, and although crime and violence has trended down over the last fifteen years, attacks like this one in Las Vegas point to the devastation and heartbreak involved -- especially when the attacks involve multiple fatalities or injuries
            -- since 9-11 there have been over 210 terrorist attacks in this country, with many more being thwarted by law enforcement -- in the last decade, there has been an increase in violent protests over a variety of issues -- and our news is commonly filled with stories of violence
            -- adding to all this are the unprecedented natural disasters -- experienced not only here, but around the world -- just this year, we have had major hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico -- a large earthquake in Mexico -- and continuing famine in Africa
            -- everywhere we look, we see tribulation unfolding -- trials unimaginable -- difficulties abounding
            -- the question on everyone’s lips this week -- the question we always ask after an act of violence or a natural disaster -- is always “Why?” -- why is this happening? -- Why doesn’t God do something about it?
            -- that’s exactly what the Book of Habakkuk was about -- that was the indictment of Habakkuk against God -- “God, why don’t you do anything about the evil in the land?” -- Habakkuk 1:2, we read, "Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save?"
            -- those very same questions were heard this week around the country
            -- so, what is the answer to this question? -- why do trials and troubles and tribulations come to all of us? -- since we know God to be all-powerful and all-loving, why does this happen?

II.  Trials and Tribulations
            -- there are many reasons we experience these in our world today:
            -- first, we experience trials and tribulations because we live in a fallen world where sin and chaos abound -- as we saw this week in Las Vegas, the consequences of sin and evil reach beyond the individual and impact the many -- and much of the trouble in this world comes because of sin
            -- additionally, the chaos and the curse from the fall in the Garden of Eden affected not only mankind, but all creation -- the Bible tells us that thorns and thistles came after the fall -- and, as we move farther and farther away from God’s original, perfect creation, all of nature is affected -- resulting in the chaos of natural disasters that affects all our lives
            -- thankfully, as horrendous as these trials and tribulations may be, we experience God’s grace in the midst of the storm -- God redeems these trials through acts of grace -- speaking out to an unbelieving world to call them to the cross and a saving knowledge of Jesus
            -- the second reason why believers might experience trials and tribulations may be because of unconfessed or unrepentant sin -- the Bible tells us that God brings chastisement and discipline on believers as an act of loving kindness -- the same way we discipline our children to steer them from wrong to right, God disciplines those He loves to lead us towards repentance, renewal, and restoration
            -- the third reason is that God sometimes allows trials and tribulations into our lives for the purpose of testing our faith -- Spurgeon wrote: “our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith -- if your faith be worth anything, it will stand the test -- it is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable -- but [it is a] true faith which holds by the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden”
            -- this testing of our faith serves to strengthen it so we can withstand the storms of life without wavering -- just to give you an example -- right before the hurricane, we had a timber harvest at work -- we went through a stand and thinned it -- removing about half of the trees there and leaving the rest so they could grow -- these trees had been sheltered their whole lives -- they had been surrounded by other trees and so had never felt the effect of the winds and rains alone -- because of this, their roots had not grown deep -- they were not as strong as a tree which grows alone and experiences stresses to make it strong --so, when the hurricane hit our area last month, the majority of the remaining trees fell -- they could not resist the storm and were toppled over -- by testing our faith, God strengthens it so we won’t topple and fall when trials and tribulations hit us
            -- one of other thing these trials and tribulations do for believers is to increase our longing for heaven and the presence of God -- to quote Spurgeon once again: “present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy -- could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? -- will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? -- will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified?”
            -- suffering trials and tribulations here make us look longingly towards our eternal rest and the glories of heaven that await

III.  Scripture Lesson (Zephaniah 3:9-17)
            -- we all have to go through trials and tribulations in our lives -- we experience loss and heartbreak -- sickness and death -- some of us experience violence and crime and the effects of natural disasters -- regardless of what we are going through -- regardless of the reason why God allows it -- we certainly have asked the question, “Will it ever end? “
            -- that is one of the themes of the Book of Zephaniah -- Zephaniah is one of the twelve minor prophets -- the minor prophets is the term used for the last twelve prophetic books of the Old Testament -- they are called “minor,” not in terms of their importance, but because of the length of the book -- these are all small books with few chapters, but it includes such notable authors as Jonah, Habakkuk, Zechariah, and Micah -- Zephaniah is one of these authors
            -- Chapter 1 through the eighth verse of Chapter 3 is a prophecy of trials and tribulations awaiting the nation of Israel and the world -- it points to the exile of the people of Judah as a consequence of their sins and addresses God’s wrath on the nations surrounding Judah during the Old Testament days
            -- however, scholars agree that the trials and tribulations identified in this book point to the coming Great Tribulation from the Book of Revelation -- when God’s wrath will be poured out against all the nations because of their sin and their rejection of His Son Jesus Christ
            -- the basic premise and warning of the Book of Zephaniah is that judgment is coming -- that the wrath of God is coming to purge the earth of sin and evil in order to cleanse and purify the earth in preparation for the second coming of Jesus
            -- but after his dire prophetic pronouncement of God’s wrath and tribulation coming against the earth, Zephaniah answers that question, “When will it end?” -- let’s look at his answer to this question now

            -- if you would, look back with me at verse 9

9“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

            -- verse 9 opens with the word, “then” -- when reading prophecy, pay attention to words like “therefore” and “then” -- these indicate a turn -- a change -- a time when the Lord is moving in response to what went before -- when you see the word “then,” you should ask, “When is then?” and “What happens then?”1
            -- in this case, “then” marks the transition between the horrors of God’s wrath and judgment on the world -- of the effects of the trials and troubles of the Great Tribulation -- to the glorious coming of the Lord -- the inauguration the millennial kingdom -- the restoration of all things and the passing of evil and sin once and for all
            -- God tells us that He will purify the lips of the people -- “purified lips” speaks of salvation -- of being born again -- of being pure inside and out -- as Jesus said in Matthew 15:18, “the words we speak come from the heart” -- it also calls to mind Isaiah’s vision before the throne, when the seraphim touched his lips with a hot coal to purify them
            -- it says, “all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder” -- this is the realization of the moment Paul wrote about in Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord -- the picture here is of one people -- a holy nation comprised of Jews and Gentiles together -- existing in one accord and serving God together to bring Him glory
            -- the holiness and unity of the people stand in stark contrast to the sin, rebellion, and division in this world today

            -- vs. 10

10
From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.

            -- “from beyond the rivers of Cush” -- Cush is another name for Ethiopia -- “from beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, my scattered people” -- the Lord is referring here to the true believers scattered in the lands beyond Israel -- including both the believing Jews outside of Israel -- the Diaspora -- and the believing Gentiles
            -- the picture we are given is of all peoples and all nations streaming to Jerusalem to worship Christ as King and making offerings of love and gratitude above those prescribed in the law -- if you remember from John’s vision of the throne in Revelation 4, he wrote of the twenty-four elders and the worshipers who would throw down their golden crowns around the glassy sea -- these are the offerings Zephaniah speaks of here
           
            -- verse 11

11
On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.
12
But I will leave within you
    the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust in the name of the Lord.
13
They will do no wrong;
    they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
    and no one will make them afraid.”

            -- these verses speak of the coming revival among the Jews, as the Jewish people come to know Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah -- in the Book of Revelation, we read of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses who God raises up during the Great Tribulation to preach to the remnant of Israel -- what we are seeing in these verses is the result of their efforts -- it speaks of the remnant of Israel who have come through the Great Tribulation and have come to faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior
            -- Zephaniah writes of the change in these believers -- they will no longer feel shame from the wrongs they have done -- their pride is replaced with humility -- they do not wrong -- they speak no lies -- there is no deceit in their mouths -- and they live in complete peace and unity
            -- these verses demonstrate the spiritual principle that true repentance leads to righteousness -- to removal of sin and shame -- as we put our faith and trust in Jesus’ atoning death on the cross
            -- sin and shame and guilt will pass from us forever -- these will not be present in heaven -- these will only be a memory eclipsed by the grace of God

            -- verse 14

14
Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
15
The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
16
On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
17
The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

            -- these verses dramatically answer the question, “when will the trials and tribulations -- when will these troubles end?”
            -- this is a passage of triumph, as God’s wrath and judgment come to an end -- His atoning and restoring work is completed -- the Kingdom of Christ is established -- sin and death are vanquished and the bride of Christ is finally joined with her Bridegroom
           
            -- the scene we are given in this passage is one of joy and love and exultation and happiness -- we will finally experience the true meaning of the emotions expressed in the song, “Oh, Happy Day”: 

“Oh, happy day
Oh, happy day
Oh, happy day

When Jesus washed
Oh, when He washed
When Jesus washed
My sins away, yeah

He taught me how, how to watch
How to fight and pray, fight and pray
And living rejoicing everyday

Oh, happy day
Oh, happy day”2

            -- keep in mind, this is a Jewish prophet speaking to the Jewish people -- this passage is, first and foremost, concerning the return of the Jewish people to the true Messiah -- it speaks of the joy they will experience as they come to know Jesus and see the long-awaited for redemption of Israel
            -- however, this passage also speaks to us, because our joy will be made complete when we are finally joined with our Lord and Savior in the heavenly kingdom -- what Zephaniah says the Jews will experience and do in these verses can certainly be extended to us, although we can never share the joy they will feel as they see Jerusalem and Israel redeemed and restored as promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to the remnant that experienced the exile into Assyria and Babylon

            -- the scene around the throne proclaimed to us here will be one of exultant praise -- Zephaniah tells us we will sing and rejoice at our salvation made whole -- eternity with Christ will be a time of “unsurpassed joy”3 -- as J.B. Phillip wrote: “only a redeemed people can truly sing” -- Zephaniah tells us that the Lord, the King of Israel, would be with us -- we will live with Him and in Him -- we will truly experience Jesus’ words where He told us He would never leave us nor forsake us -- and we will truly know Him as Immanuel -- God with us forever

            -- couple other things before we move on:
            -- in verse 15, Zephaniah prophesied the atoning death of the Messiah -- this is a description of the redemption of Jesus on the cross of Calvary -- Jesus took our punishment -- He endured the wrath of God so that we might have forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with the Father -- He turned back our enemies of sin and death

            -- one other interesting note about these verses -- there is a parallel between verses 14 and 17 -- it is almost a duet, as we rejoice in God and sin our praises to Him and He rejoices in us and sings His glory over us -- look at the similarities:
                        -- we rejoice in God and God rejoices in us
                        -- we sing to God and He sings over us
                        -- we pour out our love and we experience the quiet and rest of His love poured out onto us  

            -- these verses are verses of joy and hope for those caught in the midst of the storms of life -- it is light for those in the darkness -- it is salvation and redemption from the trials and tribulations of earth
            -- as someone once wrote: “You may be downcast, despairing, depressed, or disillusioned this day, but look up dear one, for a new day is dawning -- a day of righteousness and truth and justice in the presence of the Righteous One Himself, the long awaited and longed for Messiah -- Hasten that glorious day, Lord God, when our mourning is turned into dancing!”1
            -- the message of the Book of Zephaniah is that when things look the darkest, know that God is with us -- He is mighty to save -- His hand will redeem and He will restore us and protect us in the day of evil

IV.  CLOSING
            -- so, while we look forward to joining the Lord in the realization of this passage in heaven, we are still going to leave here and go back to a world filled with sin and evil -- we will walk out those doors and into a world where evil destroys the innocent -- where lives can be lost because of the sin of just one man
            -- so, until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ again -- until we experience the wedding feast of the Lamb in heaven and rejoice before the throne forever -- what do we do
            -- in light of the events of Las Vegas this week, what can we do when evil and sin -- when trials and tribulations -- enter our lives and our world?

            1.  Just as God taught Habakkuk, we should wait for the Lord’s judgment -- in Zephaniah 3:8, God tells us, “therefore, wait for Me -- elsewhere in Scripture, God said, “vengeance is mine”
            -- although it may sometimes feel like evil is winning, know that God is still in charge -- He is not incapable -- He is merely holding His hand at this moment -- judgment is coming -- God’s wrath will come against the sin and evil -- we should wait on His hand to move -- as it says in Zephaniah 3:8, God Himself will right the wrongs and restore the righteous

            2.  In Zephaniah 3:2, we are told to seek the Lord and be obedient to His commands -- we should seek righteousness and humility -- we are to walk humbly with our God and strive to demonstrate His love in our loves to those around us
            -- we should not react to evil in similar fashion, but show love to those who strike us -- love to those who do us wrong -- in this way, we will live pure and holy lives in the light of God’s grace and mercy

            3.  We need to pray to God that those who do not know Him would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ -- pray for our families, our friends, our neighbors, our country, and our enemies
            -- Christians should remember that the government does not hold the answer to sin and evil -- you cannot legislate morality -- people’s hearts will not change in response to legal mandates -- also, laws are fickle and change based on the current political, social, and cultural environment
            -- our country has been instituting laws for years that are opposed to the laws of God -- what was once considered immoral is now celebrated in our streets -- so laws will not change this world -- gun control will not change the hearts of those bent on destruction -- the only thing that will change this world is the saving grace of Jesus Christ

            4.  We need to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission -- we need to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength and we need to love our neighbor as ourselves -- we need to reach out to those around us with the love of God and make disciples of all nations
            -- this means ministering to people around you physically, materially, financially, and spiritually
            -- how can you help those in Las Vegas? -- how can you help those affected by the natural disasters? -- one way is to reach out to them by supporting organizations that are on the ground ministering to them or by directly ministering to them if they are in your area

            -- the message of the Book of Zephaniah is one of hope -- despite events like Las Vegas -- despite the hurricanes and the earthquakes -- the crime and the violence -- hope springs eternal -- good is coming -- the King is coming -- and His kingdom will be established on earth
            -- by holding on to the promise of Heaven, we will be strengthened in our faith and will be able to stand against the storms of life
            -- do not give up hope -- do not despair -- for God is in control and all things will come to pass as His word proclaims
            -- let us pray


2 http://www.metrolyrics.com/oh-happy-days-lyrics-aretha-franklin.html
3 NIV Study Bible