Don't Do It We're All Here
Notes
Transcript
Handout
It’s always a pleasure to get back on the pulpit to share the Word of God.
Marvin has been doing a great job as our interim pastor. We have been blessed.
I have preached this sermon 2 times in the last year.
SAA Chapel
Last month, during my annual training
I was invited to chapel to speak on a delicate/important subject of suicide. I wasn’t going to give a 15-minute PPT, so I looked for a biblical story that can be related to the subject. But a story with a good ending, filled with hope, that offered transformation.
I came across Acts 16 and the story of the Philippian Jailor.
In this story, I found elements of faith, distress, fear, miracles, spiritual support in times of despair, and ultimately, the invitation to believe in Jesus.
Today, I will repeat the words of Paul and Silas, “believe in the Lord Jesus...”
Believing in Jesus stirs up hope and ignites a spark in life that not only changed us but our entire family.
In this story, hours before Paul invites this man to believe in Jesus, the jailor is on the brink of taking his life. But instead, his life was saved.
It is the Holy Spirit working in a person’s heart that leads to conversion. But God uses us wherever we are and whenever to save someone else’s life potentially. Literally save someone’s life.
Two summers ago, I went to a military installation where sailors and Marines were struggling. Navy leadership there wanted a chaplain to come for 30 days.
I was there maybe 2 days ago when I got a call that a Marine attempted to take his life.
As you’ve probably heard, suicide rates in the military are higher than the rest of the population. More service members have died by suicide during the Iraq and Afghanistan war than by the war itself. A staggering 30,000 plus. Have you ever heard of “22 a day”? An average of 22 veterans die by suicide EVERY DAY.
And, of course, the rest of the population has had an increase in suicides in the last couple of years, with 2021 returning to its peak of 48,000 and increasing to 49000 in 2022.
I’ve mostly dealt with service members when it comes to this topic. People of faith fare a lot better. Belonging to a faith community, taking daily time to pray and read scriptures, church attendance, and belief in God. All of these dramatically reduce the probability.
What exacerbated the stress at this military school for a young man not having the coping skills to deal with the stress of having to learn a very specific skill quickly and be good at it?
Anybody can relate to a high-stress learning and working environment? Working long hours, feeling like you’re not able to catch up, and looking into a future that doesn’t promise anything different besides the daily routine of more of the same thing.
These were very smart “kids” who were now facing probably the greatest challenge of their lives (up to this point). They survived boot camp, but at the next stage of their training they find themselves faced with the question of,
“maybe I’m not cut out for this.”
“Maybe I’m not good enough.”
“Maybe I am a failure.”
“I’m being selfish for being here. I should be home.”
“What’s the point of trying so hard to get ahead when life right now doesn’t make much sense.”
A tone of despair and a desire to go back.
Then, there is the fear of having to scrape barnacles off the sides of ships if I don’t make it here. I signed up for 6 years! This means they want to do something meaningful and change their lives around, but adversity clouds the vision for their future.
(back to the story) This leads him to take too many pills. He attempted to end it all. He was found in time and taken to hospital. That’s where I visited him. He never knew I was there, but I talked to him and prayed with him. He made it, but I never got to meet him.
Wherever God puts you and whenever God puts you…
Paul and Silas happened to be in Jail.
Paul is a fairly new convert to Christianity. Before becoming a Christian, he actually persecuted Christians and put them in jail. It was Paul who consented to the stoning of Stephan.
Paul and Silas had just been dragged, attacked, their clothes ripped off, beaten with rods, and ruthlessly thrown into jail (vs. 19, 22, 23).
Now he is in jail himself (irony)
The Jailer
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Time of the day - midnight.
Who sings at midnight in jail? - What were they singing?
What a friend we have in Jesus
Awesome God
Amazing Grace
sing for consolation, repeating the promises, God’s words.
When I stayed at my grandparents' as a kid, I would be awakened by her singing and the smell of coffee. I don’t remember it bothering me. Maybe someone else would have been bothered...
Her singing told me that God was in her, and she could sing no matter what was going on.
What do Paul & Silas have that they can sing instead of being angry?
Especially since they were locked up for no good reason.
Hearing the singing encouraged those who were afraid, concerned about their fate, and maybe some who had lost hope. Maybe some who had been there for a long time. Most likely, they are feeling lonely.
Would you be able to sing in the midst of difficulties?
Point #1 - Singing soothes the S oul
When you are in a bad place, sing or keep God’s word in your heart and mind.
When we sing, we are releasing our emotions in a verbal, melodic way. There’s something about music that touches a chord within us that talking just doesn’t do. What some find distracting, others consider a blessing. In that jail cell, maybe some were kept awake by the singing, and the words just filled their minds with hope.
Singing in a jailhouse brought light into the midnight hour.
Even when you don’t feel like it, sing! Even if you don’t know the song, sing along anyway. When you’re stressed, anxious, distressed, worried - Sing.
When you are celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, a wedding, a milestone, hanging out with friends… SING. It brings people together, and it opens their hearts to hear God’s word.
Before you let your circumstances dictate your emotional state, sing praises to God. Sing Psalms.
Before you let Satan plant doubt in your mind about God’s goodness when you get arrested, sing praises to God. Praise God in the midst of your trial. Praise You in the Storm (Casting Crowns).
26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
Point #2 - God’s intervention brings blessing and an apparent curse
Foundations were shaken...
How do you respond when there’s an earthquake? If its quick we may not even notice it. But when it opens the doors of your house and knocks over things, you might fear for your life.
You’re in jail, yet you sing about God’s faithfulness. You want God to open the prison doors somehow, but he does it through an earthquake, and you wonder, why would God respond with an earthquake?
This just seems worse…
For us, you may feel trapped in some way to your current circumstances, to your job, your health situation is totally out of your hands, or you think you can’t help it, you’re relationships are troubling you, you’re trapped into the daily routine, a monotonous cycle of life, it’s so routine that you sleep through your shift at work, you can’t hear the singing, the words of encouragement from God’s word.
So now what do you do when things look like things are getting worse?
27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
2 Different reactions to the open prison doors
1 - no one escapes
When you are used to being “locked up” and living in darkness, it’s hard to see the doors that God has opened for you.
Why did Paul & Silas not leave?
When God opens doors for you, it's not just for you. Someone else benefits from your blessing.
The prison guard would most likely be punished. They were there for him too.
2 - The jailer tries to take his own life
Paul’s reaction...
Don’t Do It, We’re All Here
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
Third Reaction
from Paul is to save a life - Save a life and bring him to Jesus.
The jailer, standing watch...
When things couldn’t get any worse for him, now he thinks that his negligence will cost him his life. He comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t deserve to live.
Why? - When the angel got Peter out of jail
Acts 12:19 (NRSV)
When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
Even if the other jailers sleep during the graveyard shift, it's ultimately his responsibility.
He will be an embarrassment to his family.
He will be known as the one who lets the prisoners get away.
He’ll never be able to get a job anywhere else.
He might even be killed.
He was so tired and exhausted that he could not hear Paul & Silas singing Psalms about God, salvation, peace, acceptance, love, and hope.
Have you ever fallen asleep in church? :) You’re just too tired, and the preacher’s voice is just so soothing. Someone is speaking “life” into you with songs and words of encouragement.
Yet, life is just too hectic to pay attention. Distractions from work, school, family matters, and life goals can all divert our attention from the very thing that gives us true hope, meaning and purpose.
Stay awake to God’s voice...
There might be someone in here today who feels like that prison guard… tempted to give up or end it all. You may be at your wit's end, overwhelmed, unsure how you’ll make it.
When you sit here, no one knows what you’re going through. You may not be drawing a sword like the jailer, but you’re holding on to God, crying out to God,
Stay tuned to the rest of the story.
Because there is no mistake too big that you’ve done that you won’t be forgiven for.
There’s no amount of money you owe that can’t be repaid.
No family situation is so messed up that it makes you think you are unloved.
We, like Paul & Silas, can be encouragers - people who are willing to stand fast when they see someone who is struggling and, like this jailer, can’t see beyond the prison walls.
Someone needs to say, “Don’t harm yourself. We are all here with you.” We’re not leaving you. We’re not letting you take the blame. We’re not letting you face this alone. Just don’t harm yourself.
Today could be that day the prison doors open for you.
Don’t be a bystander and let the prison guard hurt himself.
Don’t let your friends hurt themselves.
Tell them, “Don’t do it. We are all here with you.”
That means that you have to be standing watch and listening to God and having good situational awareness and self-awareness.
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
If you think you want to harm yourself, ask this question of your friends, teachers, pastors, your parents.
What must I do to be safe.
The jailer must have remembered why Paul and Silas were in prison in the first place.
The slave girl herself proclaimed that Paul and Silas were servants of the Most High God who “proclaim…the way of salvation.” (vs. 17).
How dumb is the devil that he tries to turn people against us by telling others that we proclaim a way of salvation? Today, that might actually get you in jail if you say it in certain places where people feel threatened because the word we proclaim offends them.
When the devil thinks this will turn people against us, there are those who hear the accusation and see us singing in the midst of the trial. Fine, put us in jail. We’ll proclaim the way of salvation there.
The jailer wanted what Paul & Silas had.
Many people don’t know they want God. Many times it's not until an earth-shattering season comes into their lives.
I’ve spoken to those who really haven’t paid much attention to God. They’ve succeeded through their own intelligence, by their determination, trying to prove something to someone, until the foundations they’ve trusted begin to shake, and they’re not so firm anymore. These are not just the young person trying to figure things out. I’m talking about middle-aged professionals, successful, well-to-do.
They begin to contemplate ending it all...
I listen… I ask… are you alone? Will you be safe for today? I listen some more… I ask some questions.
“But I’m not trained for this kind of intervention...” What was Paul’s training… he was filled with the Spirit of God and the love of God compels him.
I go through the immediate things - I ask this person to check themselves into the emergency dept. The person’s not too thrilled about it. I ask them to call the suicide hotline 988.
I’m praying, asking God to give me wisdom. I proceeded to say, “I just want you to know that you are loved. You matter. You were created for a higher purpose. God has plans for you. You will be sorely missed if you are no longer with us. God loves you with an everlasting love. Someone gave you my phone number. That person loves you enough to care. The sobbing became more intense.
It was a “don’t do it, we’re all here” moment. Sobbing
I implored her to go to the hospital; I will check in with you later. Can I pray with you? Yes! As I prayed, the sobbing continued, but I could tell a little bit of peace was setting in.
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
It sounds like a simplistic thing to do. You may have already tried this. Believe in Jesus, believe Jesus. Today, this probably would be called malpractice in psychology. What must I do to be saved? Believe in Jesus probably wouldn’t be the first thing that is said.
Jesus Words
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
3 the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
The jailer went from falling asleep on the job, almost taking his life, to seeing his life transformed - that same day, which ultimately impacted his family and generations to follow.
If you’ve fallen asleep at the wheel of your life and thinking that you’re better off dead, give yourself another chance. There is a bright future up ahead. Not only your life but possibly the life of your own family.
Don’t do it. We are all here.
The opposite of this is, I’m going to do this; there’s no one here. Even though you may not have someone physically next to you, you have battle buddies, or friends, or family. There will always be someone.
Coming to church is a therapy for many. Mingling with the saints, hearing a word from God, singing, praying.
Some have a circle of friends to lean on.
Don’t do it. We are all here (tell the person next to you)
Church! We really need to really be “all here.”
Connections are important, connected to God and to each other.
Whatever your situation is.
You are either singing through and encouraging others through life.
You are one of the prisoners.
Or you are like the jailor.
If you don’t see yourself anywhere in this story… you can be ready for when life throws a curve ball at you, and things unravel.
The solution and answer for you is the same one Paul told the jailor...
Don’t waste your life. We are all here.
Believe in Jesus, for your sake and for your family’s sake.
Prayer -
Heavenly Father, after reading this story of faith and resilience, we are reminded that there is no situation bad enough that can’t be overcome. The jailor goes from almost taking his life to giving his life to you. Talk about literally a night and day difference. In the darkest time of life, when we don’t see any other way, you open doors, you break the chains, set us free, and we see the daylight of life.
Give us the faith of Paul and Silas to have a song in our hearts, the faith to know that prison doors do not determine our freedom. That we find our freedom in You.
In Your Name, we pray, Amen.