12.3 million people think about suicide daily in this country.
3.5 million people planned an attempt.
1.7 million suicide attempts.
48,183 successful suicides happen every 11 minutes in this country.
People are dying to be heard.
What do we do? What would Jesus do today? How would he respond?
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
The 10 commandments show us how to treat our neighbor -- not to bring our neighbor harm. Jesus goes farther -- we are to also love them, show compassion to them.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:7-12
Compassion -- show love in truth.
"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:36
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4
Speak Truth in Love
1. Our words must be saturated with AGAPE love.
"There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers." Proverbs 6:16-19
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23
Our human nature is sinful. We are all alike -- just some of us have embraced Jesus and accepted his forgiveness for our sins.
God hates sin, but loves us.
He hates what sin does to us.
“For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17
"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
2. Earn the right to speak.
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic[a] either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." Luke 6:27-31
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:37-38
You love even when they hate. You love even when they condemn. Love must come first.
Jesus confronts sin (2 examples):
"Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” John 5:14
"And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]" John 8:7-11
3. Go back to the Bible with love:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
"29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[a] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31