Suicide and Euthanasia

I was 11 years old and was friendly with a boy school whose name was Dennis with my best friends on the few occasions when I was going home on my bicycle. He would invite me to his house even as 11-year-old boy was obvious that his home was very different from mine. They were not a Christian home when you Dennis was not a believer in Jesus Christ. In fact, I wasn't advantage either. But my home was a strong Christian home and his obviously was not in one occasion going to house explained to me that his father no longer lived with them and asked him why that was at the Casey's and my dad has has moved out his credit is got a girlfriend and he explained that his mother was crying a lot. I can understand this 11-year-old by any man would abandon his wife and that his children and didn't think too much about it. After that either must say, but if you weeks later it's goal Dennis told me that his mother had gone for a long walk along the cliffs of the times when we stated that client was a family were staying on the east coast of Scotland right at the sea and she gone for a long walk he said on the cliffs. The high cliffs I give them well and that she had jumped off the cliffs and had ended her life.

That was my first encounter with suicide was, not to be the last.

But I remember thinking how strange this was, and how could someone do that.

Let me give you some statistics. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US there are twice as many suicides in the US as there are homicides is calculated that in the year 2017.

Over was in this flock a 7000 Americans died by suicide in that year there were an estimated 1,400,000 suicide attempts, firearms account for 50% of all suicides. Men are much more likely to die by suicide than women, and the highest suicide rates is among adults is among adults between 45 and 54 years of age. I was surprised to read that suicide is the second leading cause of death of for those aged between 15 and 24-year-olds in America first is what injury and according to the wealth. World Health Organization worldwide someone kills themselves every 40 seconds. These are sad, disturbing figures and third worldwide and in Ireland country that God has blessed so much. Many people, the reality is in this great country that we love United States of America, the superpowered reality as many people live very sad lives. The battle depression. They have emotional issues.

Some of unbelievably difficult circumstances and tragically think that suicide is the only way out in the cities on wings of Eagles. I plan to speak on the subject. Suicide and euthanasia.

I didn't preach on it because I miss the Sunday through attending my mother's funeral and I had to leave at one of the subjects I thought believer that one on the release talk about suicide and euthanasia, but as this is sanctity of life Sunday. I thought I would speak on this rather unusual, difficult subject. First of all I want to lay a biblical foundation, everything we say has to be based in Scriptures. I've been saying over the last couple of weeks that the Bible is the word of God that irrespective of what is so-called truth out there. We as followers of Jesus Christ are committed to this book, this Bible which is the pure word of God. Someone to lay first of all, the biblical validation because our beliefs on the subject, such as abortion, suicide, euthanasia will flow then from these biblical principles, so first.

If you have your Bible open it to the first book in the Bible, Genesis and the first chapter of chapter 1.

I'm going to say first of all, that all human beings are made in the image of God and are equal in dignity.

All human beings, beings are made in the image of God and are equal in dignity, forcible all of us are made in the image of God.

We tend to forget that Genesis 1 verse 26 then God said, creation first book 1st chapter, God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them and then chapter 9 Genesis chapter 9 just one verse important verse, verse six of verse which has implications in many areas at Genesis 9 verse six whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed. Why is that why is it so wrong to take someone's life. Answer, for God made man in his own image. Every single one of us every single human being is made in the image of God, we learn human beings are distinct from all other creatures in our society today, there is a blurring of that, but only human beings are made in the image of God.

I know you love your dog but your dog is different only human beings, men, women, boys and girls are made in the image of God and the sanctity and the dignity of life arises from that very fact that I would creator who could make is any way he wanted his sovereign is all wise has chosen to make us in his very image we are image bearers of God that they should subject one of them not going to explode in great detail, but to say this, it means obviously that every human life is valuable and precious to believe that every human being. Life is valuable and precious and possesses.

Then God given rights and if that is true, and it is no one has the right to destroy innocent human life. So each individual is equal in dignity with all others I realize were very very different. Think of everyone throughout this world, millions of people great divested a great differences, but this will all have in common that were made in the image of God and that means that we are equal in dignity with all others without a young girl disabled the farm that I say unborn as well, productive, nonproductive, rich or poor. All of us are equal in dignity because all of us are made in the image of God.

So the word of God emphasizes the sanctity and dignity of each human being from the beginning of life from its conception to the end of life and that sanctity of life and that dignity of life remains regardless of the his or her physical or mental state. So I would.

Dignity is not lost through illness through disability through disfigurement through age through dementia or pain. We see that illustrated dumb way in the Lord's incarnation as would the Gospels read Matthew Mark Luke and Luke and John. The four Gospels. Not amazing how our Lord Jesus reaches out to each individual is true.

He teaches the multitudes it's true he feeds the multitudes, but we see our Lord Jesus in many different circumstances. Reaching out to the small child, I had the privilege of holding two little boys in my arms the Lord to that of course he did remember the parents wanted the children to come to the Lord so he would bless them and that disciples drove them away. Now they think Jesus is too important is too much a big deal he can be bothered.

I would little children and then Jesus is no allowing them to come to me for of such is the kingdom of God that he takes them and blesses them. We see the Lord not only healing the leper leper who was outcast and that's assigned eight with an incurable disease ceremonially unclean isolated ostracize Jesus not only heals the leper he reaches out and touches him heals the blind heals the paralyzed one occasion. He's leaving the timing of Jericho that happened to be a couple of beggars of blind everyone knows them and they shout out in the crowd, son of David, have mercy on us and Mark records. Amazing statement, Mark says that Jesus stood still unite with a kept on going. Who are these people, Jesus the son of God, the Lord of glory. The great Creator stops at the call of the blind beggar.

Not only does he stop, he does what you and I can do heals them.

He reaches out to the poor.

He reaches out to the press. The church demonstrated that God places value on every human life God's love embraces everyone as the wonder of the gospel that God so loved the world and God's love embraces every individual and therefore you and I who are made in the image of God and are here to represent God and be the ambassadors of God, so that when people look at us they see something of Christ our love, also is to reach out to every person that is every human being has intrinsic value.

I know you love your parents.

But if you love your pet should you love human beings more.

Remember when our son Christopher was in his early teens living in Michigan and the big stores � I guess it was a money maker wasn't appreciated by parents, but the store sold packs so you're going to to buy your Milken and the Redwood of his people buy in the stores and the selling price of good news in and that our son sees a couple of gerbils in the show and what we want to buy gerbils but we come home and hitters to gerbils. This happened to you: right. It will thousand and that we call them Willie and Jimmy and the one day I'm told that Willie or Jimmy.

I could ever make a difference between the two had some problem with his mouth. This is a durable from the way the tooth was going or something and little Jimmy or Willie was in some discomfort and is laughing. Yes. And what happens. My wife is normally pretty smart. She goes with my son and takes little Jimmy or Willie to the vets I mean is adjustable ascent of this book is that less than good is that you pay for that.

She said I could barely remember, but I know it Might of my savings are not good nights but you know we laugh about these things, parts if we have compassion for the animals and we should because they are also created by God and the under the Old Testament while you were to be kind to animals or something wrong with someone who beats a dog or cat to cat as we are to be kind to the animals, but remember there animals and human beings are only human beings we made in the image of God.

If you are kind to your dog.

If you are kind to your cat have much more should we be loving to every human being. So first of all human beings are made in the image of God and are equal in dignity.

Secondly, God is sovereign in the giving and taking of life. God is sovereign in the giving and taking of life turn to the book of job or some of you say Joe is J OB and it is chapter 1. You know the story. The disaster that comes on job and that he makes an amazing statement of the end of chapter 1 which is very very important when he hears of all of the disasters on the dance he says this chapter 1 verse 21 he said naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. Very true.

You come in with nothing and you go out with nothing. The Lord gave on the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord, the Lord gave him his family and the Lord took away his family answers Job. I bless the name of the Lord because Job this righteous man understood that the giving of life at the taking of life is in the sovereign purposes of God that God is sovereign in the giving of life that if you believe in personal autonomy. I will do and say whatever I want. You may believe and abortion. You may believe in euthanasia rather than believing God is sovereign in the giving and taking of life, you may want to decide your own rights and your own wrongs.

It is my body. I can do what I like with it forgets that a very important truth that God not you know me. God is the one who gives life. God is the life giver, hundreds that little some that we love called old 100 verse three. Some hundred verse three know that the Lord his God. It is he who made us and we are his. That is, life is a gift from God. Why do we encourage parents to dedicate their children to the Lord because we are recognizing public delay as well as privately that these children are gifts from the Lord that they belong to the Lord and that we as veterans have the privilege and the responsibility of helping them, being raised in the ways of the Lord, but the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. And in both cases, we say Blessed be the name of the Lord and then some hundred and 39 well-known some David is writing Psalm 139 verse 13 he says for you formed my inward parts that's going you knitted me together in my mother's womb. When you're in your mother's womb, God was at work needing you together in your mother's womb, leaving you together. I praise you for fearfully and wonderfully made. Think of these little boys. I took my arms to think we could make her stop.

These are made by God fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the third reference to the darkness of the womb. Your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written every one of them. The days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

David is acknowledging the door that planned out his life for him. Even before he was born. How precious.

Verse 17 to me your thoughts. Oh God, what's appoints basic pine God is the divine giver. God is the divine designer. The children are not an accident are not an inconvenience that a gift from God. Some hundred 27 verse three children at a heritage from the Lord, is the point. They are gifts from God our life comes from God, and the process of development in the womb is sacred, then from the moment of conception onward. God is sovereign in the giving of life God is sovereign in the taking of life, the Lord gives the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job one verse 21 but listen to the writer of Hebrews Hebrews 9 verse 27 the writer says, just as it is appointed for man to die once, who makes the appointment who decides the day of your dad you know is appointed for man to die. Once that is appointed by God. And after that comes judgment barred from the return of the Lord Jesus death is inevitable for each one of us. Our days are numbered that is numbered by God.

I don't know when I will die could be today could be in a few years.

But one thing I know is that God knows and God has decided and when we die our eternal destiny is fixed is appointed unto men to die once and after that the judgment know no reincarnation, no coming back and that's because that God is sovereign in the giving of life and the taking of life that dog that Scripture commands us not to take human life. One of the 10 Commandments, you shall not murder and medically and scientifically the fetus which is Latin for the little one offspring defeated is is a human being at every stage of its development from conception from the moment of conception that life in the mother's womb is human life and has a unique genetic structure. Yes, wonderfully, from the moment of conception and because conception is a sovereign act of God. No one has the right to take the life of an innocent, helpless children, born or unborn. I had some of our politicians running for office talking about abortion and it always is focused, isn't it on the rights of the woman that all other rights is the right of the child, and even more importantly, a recognition that not life in the womb is given by God. And surely I helpless innocent baby and her mother in his or her mother's womb desires the protection of any society that we call themselves civilized. That means that abortion, infanticide, results of God.

Results of God on his sovereignty. What about specifically, a biblical perspective on suicide and euthanasia will first of all, suicide was suicide. I think you know it's a willful taken of your own life in this wrong can I say that it's wrong to take your own life. Why, because God made you, your body belongs to God and God is the one who decides when you die therefore never contemplate suicide never threatened suicide. Never attempt suicide. Think of the devastation on family and friends. Some of you know this, who are left with. There is a suicide God gives us life and it is God's decision is much wiser than any of us to decide when we die. The Lord gives the Lord takes away less admitted name of the Lord and in Scripture, suicide, Old Testament and New Testament is always associated with a person's spiritual collapse. Old Testament think of King Saul. New Testament think of Judas suicides in the Bible. Yes there there but there associated with a person's spiritual car that claps life is given to us by our Creator and is therefore self-evident, that suicide is wrong itself. Murder is a violation of being made in the image of God. And if you're contemplating suicide today. Let me remind you that your circumstances are not hopelessly so yes the are you don't understand know they're not hopeless. God made you God loves you. God's plans for your I say to you place your hope and your trust in God we had calibrate love. You will do all we can to help you through the difficult circumstances in which you find yourself. I can also say that suicide is not the unforgivable sin. Someone recently was trying to argue with me that suicide is the unforgivable sin. I realize there are people in churches that say suicide is the unforgivable sentence I would try to say abortion is an unforgivable sin because you've taken the life of another is not right. The belief that everyone commits suicide goes directly to hell and some teachers without biblical foundation some misunderstanding of the gospel. What is our salvation based on is it based on our works.

Is it based on their spirituality is its mate isn't based on us, always doing the right thing and always obeying the commandments of God, no, it's not written all over Scripture is this great war that I say to you over and over again that we sought sampling through our study of Romans is grace. Grace was grace.

Grace is what you do not desire you can work for it yes is wrong to commit suicide yes is wrong to take someone else's life in an abortion or any other way of merger, of course, that goes without saying but think of the wonder of the gospel that when my Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross he died for all of my sins. He conquered that he conquered sin and he's alive, and when I is a boy of 12 placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. God did an amazing thing, something I sadly didn't deserve. He forgave all of my sins. Not only did he forgive all of my sins, he gave me eternal life on the promise of the gospel is this, that if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, your sins will be forgiven and you will never please him never search nothing nothing business falls argument in Romans eight there is nothing in the whole universe.

There is no circumstance that you can contemplate that is nothing, including suicide including abortion, including the greatest of sins. That is nothing which can separate the true believer and I emphasize a true believer, the authentic believer not someone who merely professes, but there is nothing which can separate the authentic believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord is a well they've done wrong is the super agent.

Yes you and then think this applicant is a believer and perfect people around here. Yes authentic followers of Jesus Christ sometimes commit serious sentence wants to put up their hands and the knowledge it and when we do so we don't lose our salvation. Paul's eyes were sealed with the promised spirit for the day of our redemption in Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 4. Often those I'm not. I don't profess to be an expert on the subject about some experience as an attorney. As a pastor regarding suicides, but those who commit suicide are often under extreme stress and depression.

I understand we are people of all we people of a new beginning where people of a transformation of love rather than despair and self-hatred. Yes, and I would say to anyone who is suicidal thoughts that God loves you that God is the future for you and you should never regard suicide as an option that is not an option is a bad option, your pain, your distress will pass. Look to the Lord Jesus was promised to give us all of the help. All of the strength, all of the grace that we need for each day. What about euthanasia.

Euthanasia literally means a good or easy day euthanasia, sometimes called mercy killing is the intentional killing by an act or omission of the patient in the course of medical care when the killing is currently died at the patient's request and when the patient is believed by the doctor to have good reasons to be killed because of his or her present or foreseeable medical condition and quality of life. So euthanasia patient is usually killed if the doctor believes the patient's life lacks value to the logic of euthanasia depends upon the con from the concept that life is sometimes not worth living. At least in the view of the doctor but is the person who is suffering is the person who's in pain really able to make a rational decision to end their life. What about misdiagnosis, what about temporary depression of the patient.

What about pressures by relatives where there's a will, you would say that would never happen which world do you live in all Tom's about to die uses a law where there's a will is a relative, I mean people come flocking out its alums are going to live my he's hanging on the ready bought the new car. The ready plan their world cruise. God says you shall not kill, and the consent of the patient doesn't relieve the killer of the guilt of killing no euthanasia which is causing a person's death must be distinguished from doctors please innovate allowing a patient to die in peace when the dying process is already well advanced, irreversible, and when death is imminent. So we would draw a distinction idolizes on the always easy to draw, but we must draw a distinction and I believe a distinction can be drawn between killing a patient's which is wrong, which is against the commandments of God and letting a patient die by not prolonging the dying process. In cases where the death is both immanent and inevitable was a difference that I think we understand that for the Christian medical society says that dying begins when a person rapidly and irreversibly deteriorates. So when death is imminent when the person is beyond reasonable hope of recovery. Then the person has the right not to have his or her life postpones the difference between killing someone and letting someone die without pursuing extraordinary means to sustain their life for another few days and, under certain circumstances, difficult circumstances. Some of you have been in this position. Life-sustaining treatment can be with helped or withdrawn.

If that's the wish of the patient's I've known many people with terminal illness, including my older brother lived in the UK who died in their home surrounded by masses of medical technology but dying in their own home, surrounded by loving, caring family and friends in these circumstances, the role of the physician.

The role of the nurse. The medical profession is one of healer, not of executioners is why we hold the medical profession we hold doctors and nurses somewhere in all because God has given them this this wonderful ministry. This wonderful role in our society of abusing them in the healing process rather than being executioners is wrong to take human life as each life is sacred and this dignity we need to remember that the only safe. We forget that were made in the image of God.

At least the brutalization at least of the horrors of abortion slavery, war, racism, ethnic cleansing, euthanasia, suicide assistance, suicide, violence, exploitation, and using others.

God is the one who gives life.

God is the one who decides when each person dies psalmist says God's way is perfect. Our times are in his hand is not does not give you tremendous security in life. The Lord doesn't come none of us will choose the circumstances which we dined with her as a car accident, whether as a its art as something that where there is a terminal drawn out situation. None of us chooses that we may have our preferences but one thing we know is that God is good and that God is kind of the God is with us and we demonstrate our commitment to the sanctity and dignity of life. When you lovingly care for that person who is terminally ill. You show your respect for human life and the dignity of all life. When you open your home to an unwanted child when you treat that person who's very different from your and who may have different views of you. Can I say even political different computers as you interact with them.

You do it with love and respect you show your respect for human life. When you serve breakfast to the homeless person when you're confused about the child for the doctor say the that child may have a disability. You show your love and respect for human beings. When you love and honor your father or mother who has dementia. We recently went through that with my own mother. The last couple years. She had dementia at the privilege of going over and seeing her so thankful that my brothers and their wives and their families cared and love for my mother. She was a great mother. It's tough seeing someone who's got dementia and in the July to that oldest grandson Alex over at this apartment for the first time you want to the taste of civilization.

He told the site I to come to Scotland and we visited my mother and there she was, try to explain to mom who Alex was Shelley's hands.

She looked into his eyes and said he's got he's got Bonnie eyes doesn't have Bonnie eyes boyars mom to recheck touches his hair is really beautiful presence usually tends to me is that mom all these years you never said that to me and my mom dementia. She says very seriously. You are a very silly boy in the Pok�mon will be doing so glad that my grandson was able to show some tenderness in care to women who we did more than in the short time was going be in the presence of the Lord is not practical way that we show that every human being. Yes, you may be mentally out of it to make you sometimes say bizarre things like your silly person. I mean come on mom. We love her and we have an opportunity to show that every human life, not just within her own family a bit is loved by God and cared by government to speak directly to those of you who discourage depressed, possibly thinking of ending your life because you think life is pointless, possibly because you're unable to bear and deal with your heart and your pain and I realize I've never experienced such pain and hurt to some of your member.

The member the song was a secular song very popular. Everyone hurt sometimes when your day is long and the night is yours alone when you're sure you've had enough of this life. Well, hang on, don't let yourself go as everyone tries send everyone hurt sometimes. If you're on your own in this life. The days and nights are long. When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on everyone hurt sometimes everyone cries and everyone hurt sometimes. So hold on hold on hold is a great song but is not the gospel on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Because would like to ask the writers I would like to ask the writers but who do you hold onto. Who do you hold onto when the future seems hopeless because some people that I've spoken to lender you've spoken to Phil that life is absolutely hopeless that it be far better to end her life than to go through this pointless agonizing, tenable life you do you hold onto when your pain is too great.

Let me remind you that not only created by God, we saw that that God loves you and the God who loves you could hear.

This is a good God. Oswald Chambers says that the root of all sin is the data that God is good you� Is good news about God is good.

You take away my pain. If God is good, he wouldn't have arrange the circumstances, I don't think he's a good God is a good God, I understand you don't feel that we've all been there when we think God should have arrange things differently, but I'm to remind you that the God who made you is a God who loves you and God is good. He's always good and you always love you and this great God who created you, loves you more than you could ever know is how do you know that because he sends his son, our Lord Jesus Christ into your world to come and to die for people just like you rising again and if you receive this Christ our Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

He will give you eternal life. Yes, an abundant life, eternal life, and nothing with all of your difficulties will immediately disappear. Nobody will give you the strength to give you the resources will give you his presence. He will give you eternal life, and you will never ever perish not a matter of you holding on. He will hold you and he will hold you fast and he'll never ever let you go, he'll never desire to heal, be always with you when your friends and your family may have abandoned you.

The Lord Jesus is with you. That is the promise of the gospel that my Lord Jesus Christ size to me.

John, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And he says that to those in the family of God. I realize that life is sometimes painful analyzes very difficult. I possibly couldn't identify with your particular struggle that may be case be the case but God does is a God who suffered our Lord Jesus Christ is known as the man of sorrows, and remember, do not do not ever contemplate suicide. Don't attempt to don't think about it out enemy the devil is a murderer from the beginning. Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ comes to give us life abundant life eternal life if you place your trust in him and as you do that each day as each day you surrender your will to the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses speaking to the people not close with this I echo his words he says are set before you life and death. Choose life and you will live.

We do that when you choose life and live, you say, why have you not known, have you not heard the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength even use shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint but your trust in this God wait on him, he will renew your strength and your mom talk with wings like eagles father died this. We pray will need a touch from you today as we think of the serious subjects but to bring us back to the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you and not only do you save us and forgive our sins you give us eternal life, and you promise that you give us eternal life, and we shall never perish.

No one is able to snatch us out of your hand, we thank you that you hold us and you hold as fast in all of the circumstances of life, we praise your great name