IF HE HADN’T DIED!

INTRODUCTION:

For nearly all teenagers, accidents are the most common cause of

death, a national study has found. Yet for black males ages 12 to 19

years old, homicide eclipses accidents as the leading cause of

death, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention study.

BEHIND ACCIDENTS SUICIDES IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE

OF DEATH AMONGST OUR YOUTH 19-24. SUICIDE USE TO BE A

TABOO AMONGST BLACK PEOPLE. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING

WE DIDN’T DO. BUT ACCORDING TO STATISTICS SUICIDE

AMONGST BLACK PEOPLE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING.

EVEN THOUGH THE RATE OF SUICIDE IS TWICE AS MUCH

AMONGST WHITES, THE RATE OF SUICIDE AMONGST

AMONGST OUR YOUTH BLACK MEN HAS INCREASED

SIGNIFICANTLY.

WE GATHER TODAY, WITNESSING WHAT TO SO MANY OF

US SEEMS TO BE A SENSELESS DEATH. THERE IS NO

REASON THAT WOULD JUSTIFY IT. AND YES, DEVIN FALLS

WITHIN THAT CATEGORY OF THE 19-24 YEAR OLDS

COMMITTING SUICIDE, BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING,

HE’S WAS MORE THAN JUST A STATISTIC.

DEVIN WAS NOT JUST A NUMBER, OR ONE MORE CHILD

WHO SUCCUMBED TO THE TRAGEDY OF SUICIDE. NO,

DEVIN WAS SOMEBODY’S CHILD. SOMEBODY’S

GRANDCHILD. SOMEBODY’S BROTHER OR COUSIN,

NEPHEW OR FRIEND. DEVIN WAS NOT JUST A NUMBER. NO

HE WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS LOVED. A WONDERFUL

YOUNG BROTHER WHO WE LOVED AND LOVED US. A

YOUNG MAN FULL OF PROMISE AND WITH A FUTURE THAT

WAS BRIGHT. NO HE ISN’T JUST ANOTHER STATISTIC.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HE IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF WHY

WE’VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE. PARTICULARLY OUR YOUNG BROTHERS. ONE

MORE EXAMPLE OF THE COST OF WRONG CHOICES. NO HE

WASN’T JUST ANOTHER NUMBER OR STATISTIC. HE WAS

DEVIN. AND WE LOVED HIM. AND NOW DEVIN IS DEAD.

HE’S DEAD. UNLIKE SOME VIDEO GAME WHERE THE GAME

CAN BE RESET AND SCREEN REFRESHED. DEVIN IS GONE

AND HE’S NOT COMING BACK AND OUR HEARTS ARE

BROKEN.

DEATH IS THE END OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. IT IS THE END

OF OUR EARTHLY VOYAGE. THE TERMINATION OF OUR

ABILITY TO MOVE AND BREATHE AND HAVE OUR BEING.

DEATH IS WHEN OUR ROBE OR BODY FALLS OFF AND THE

SPIRIT OF GOD WITHIN US GOES BACK TO BE WITH GOD.

AND THE SOUL, THAT PART OF US THAT IS OUR PERSON,

OUR WILL, OUR DECISION MAKER – THE SOUL GOES TO

SLEEP.

DEATH IS WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS THE LAST ENEMY.

IT IS A GATEWAY. BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER. TIME

AND ETERNITY. BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

WE STAND AT THE GATEWAY TODAY. WE STRUGGLE TO

FIND ANY REDEEMING VALUE FROM WHAT HAS JUST

OCCURRED. WE KNOW THAT GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR

WAYS AND HIS THOUGHTS ARE NOT OUR THOUGHTS. BUT

FOR THE LIFE OF US, WE STRUGGLE TO FIND SOME SENSE

OR JUSTIFIABLE REASON FOR WHAT WE SEE AS A LOSS OF

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE AND WONDERFUL YOUNG PERSON. IT

WAS OBVIOUS THAT DEVIN HAD A PAIN WE COULD NOT

SEE AND A HOPELESSNESS HIDDEN BEHIND A SMILE. WE

STRUGGLE OVER WHAT ELSE COULD WE HAVE DONE OR

WHAT THING COULD WE HAVE DONE MORE OF OR

DIFFERENTLY. BUT IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, WE LOVED HIM

AND MADE SURE HE KNEW THAT ABOVE ALL ELSE HE WAS

IMPORTANT AND A PART OF A FAMILY AND AMONGST

THOSE WHO LOVED HIM AND ENJOYED THE LIGHT THAT

SHINED FROM HIS LIFE. AND WE DON’T UNDERSTAND.

ALL OF US HAVE ENTERTAINED THE THOUGHT OF SUICIDE.

TAKING THE QUICK PATH OF RELIEF AND AVOIDING THE

PAIN OF LIFE AND ITS MANY BURDENS. FOR MANY OF OUR

YOUTH, IT IS REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE A FAR LESS

POSITIVE VIEW OF THEIR FUTURE THEN WE DID AT THEIR

AGE. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY HAVE A GROWING LEVEL

OF HOPELESSNESS AND A MORE NEGATIVE VIEW OF WHAT

THEIR FUTURE WILL BE.

AS A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS, WE MUST SEEK GOD’S

HELP IN ADDRESSING THIS EPIDEMIC OF HOPELESSNESS.

YOUNG PEOPLE YOU MATTER AND THIS WORLD IS

DEPENDING ON YOU. YOU ARE GOD’S ANSWER FOR OUR

TOMORROW. YOU ARE THE SEEDLINGS THAT WILL BEAR

THE FRUIT OF OUR FUTURE. AND BECOME THE HARVEST

THAT WILL NOURISH OUR TOMORROWS.

THERE ARE THOSE AMONGST US WHO ARE CRYING SILENT

TEARS AND IN PAIN HIDDEN BEHIND MASKS OF, I’M

ALRIGHT. THERE IS A GROWING TENDENCY FOR OUR

YOUTH TO NOT TALK ABOUT THEIR PAIN OR SHARE THEIR

FEARS. INSTEAD, WE ARE HIDING BEHIND FACEBOOK

POSTS, TEXTED FEELINGS, AND EMAILED EMOTIONS. OMG!

WE ARE SLOWLY LOSING OUR DESIRE AND ABILITY TO

TALK TO EACH OTHER AND TO COMMUNICATE FACE TO

FACE, LOOKING EACH OTHER IN THE EYES AND SEEING

BEHIND WHAT A TEXT MIGHT NOT CONVEY OR

UNDERSTANDING THINGS THAT CAN NOT BE CLEARLY

SEEN IN AN ELECTRONIC EXPRESSION.

YOUNG PEOPLE, WE NEED Y’ALL. OUR HOPE FOR THE

FUTURE IS IN YOU. WE HAVE INVESTED OUR TODAYS SO

THAT WE CAN HAVE A TOMORROW IN YOU. IF WE HAVE

BECOME SO OCCUPIED WITH PROVIDING FOR YOU AND

TRYING TO LIVE OUR OWN LIVES, THAT WE HAVE

DEAFENED OUR EARS TO YOUR CRIES AND BLINDED OUR

EYES TO YOUR PAIN PLEASE FORGIVE US. IF WE HAVE

BECOME TOO BUSY AND OTHER MINDED, KNOW THAT

WE’RE ONLY DOING WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS OUR BEST.

WE PROMISE YOU THAT WE WILL SEEK TO BE MORE

ATTENTIVE AND TO BE LESS OCCUPIED. WE WILL STRIVE

TO GO BEYOND LISTENING TO YOU AND SEEK TO MORE

EFFECTIVELY HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING AND

UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT YOU FEEL.

BUT TO DO THAT YOU MUST ALSO BE MORE WILLING TO

DO YOUR PART. YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO CRY OUT

WHEN YOU’RE IN PAIN AND TO SEEK HELP WHEN YOU FEEL

HOPELESS. WE NEED YOU TO TALK TO US. WE ARE

LOSING SO MANY OF OUR CHILDREN TO SMART PHONES

AND LAP TOPS. TO VIDEO GAMES AND CHAT ROOMS. TO

VIRTUAL WORLDS AND ELECTRONIC REALITIES. WE HAVE

REPLACED WHAT IS REAL WITH REALITY TV, AND BEGAN

TO PEER INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE IN THE MEDIA, TO THE

NEGLECT OF OUR OWN. WE NEED Y’ALL TO SURVIVE.

MAKING AND KEEPING PROMISES IS A WONDERFUL THING.

IT IS A REFLECTION OF OUR INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY. IT

SHOWS CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT. BUT A PROMISE,

THAT DOESN’T PREVENT WHAT WE’RE FEELING TODAY AND

CAUSES THE REAL TRAGEDY AND THE LOSS OF LIFE,IS NOT

A PROMISE WORTH KEEPING. MAYBE BREAKING THE

PROMISE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT HE

WOULD STILL BE HERE. MAYBE A FRIENDSHIP WOULD

HAVE BEEN STRAINED BUT HEARTS WOULD NOT BE

BROKEN. MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED EVEN THE

SEVERING OF A RELATIONSHIP. BUT WE WOULD HAVE

HAD STILL ANOTHER CHANCE TO WORK IT OUT.

PROMISES ARE GREAT. WE ALL LIKE WHEN PEOPLE MAKE

PROMISES THAT THEY KEEP. BUT LET ME TELL YOU

SOMETHING. IF YOU’RE GOING TO PROMISE SOMETHING,

PROMISE THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HELP ME MAKE THE BEST

OUT OF MY LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT. PROMISE THAT WHEN

I HURT, YOU’RE GOING TO HELP ME FIND HELP. PROMISE

THAT WHEN I FALL IN A DARK PLACE, YOU’LL HELP ME FIND

MY WAY. PROMISE THAT COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

THAT I’LL NEVER LET YOU STEAL FROM ME THE CHANCE TO

BE LOVED, OR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE LIFE LONG

FRIENDSHIPS OR THE CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

THIS WORLD. PROMISE THAT YOU'LL HELP SOMEBODY

HAVE THE CHANCE TO OVERCOME THEIR SITUATION AND

FIND A VICTORY THAT COMES INSPITE OF MY PAIN. A JOY

THAT COMES AFTER A NIGHT OF TEARS. AN ACHIEVEMENT

THAT COMES EVEN THOUGH IT LOOK LIKE THEY WERE

GOING TO FAIL. THAT'S A PROMISE WORTH KEEPING

TAYLOR BRANCH, IN HIS EXTENSIVE BIOGRAPHY OF DR.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SHARES A STORY ABOUT THE

REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING WHEN HE WAS A CHILD.

AND ONE DAY WHEN HE DISCOVERED THAT HIS

GRANDMOTHER WAS VERY SICK, THAT HE WENT UP STAIRS

AND JUMPED OUT OF A WINDOW. HE FURTHER SAYS, THAT

WHEN SHE DIED, HE JUMPED OUT OF THE WINDOW AGAIN.

J.EDGAR HOOVER, IT IS ALLEGED, REALIZING WHAT

SEEMED TO BE A SUICIDAL TENDENCY, ATTEMPTED TO

HAVE HIM KILL HIMSELF BY PLACING INORDINATE

PRESSURE IN HIS LIFE. THE DEVIL IS THE SAME WAY. HE

KNOWS THAT YOU HAVE FEELINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL

HOPELESS. HE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE PRESSURES ON

YOU THAT MAKE SUICIDE SEEM A REASONABLE

ALTERNATIVE. BUT THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT AMONGST

Y’ALL ARE DR. KINGS, AND MALCOLM X’S. BEYONCE’S AND

LADY GAGA'S, USHERS AND JUSTIN BEABERS. EVEN

BARAK OBAMA’S. HE KNOWS THERE ARE EINSTEINS

AMONGST US. THE DEVIL KNEW WHAT DR. KING WOULD

ACCOMPLISH ONE DAY THAT WOULD CHANGE THE COURSE

OF THIS WORLD. AND HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO

MAKE HIM EXTINGUISH HIS OWN FLAME. TO AVOID HIS

DESTINY AND BE TAKEN FROM THE WORLD WHAT GOD HAD

ORDAINED TAKE PLACE. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF

DR. KING HAD SUCCEEDED. WHAT IMPACT WOULD HAVE

IT MADE ON THE WORLD. EVEN THOUGH HE HAD

FEELINGS OF SUICIDE, LIKE SOME OF US MAY HAVE HERE

TODAY. LISTEN, GOD SHOWED HIM A REASON TO LIVE

FOR. HE REVEALED TO HIM THAT HE HAD A DESTINY TO

FULFILL AND A WORLD TO CHANGE. HE HAD A CALLING TO

FULFILL. AND EVEN THOUGH IT WASN’T CLEAR AS A CHILD.

GOD MADE IT PLAIN. HE JUST HAD TO HOLD ON. DON’T

LET THE DEVIL STEAL YOUR FUTURE. DON’T ALLOW THE

DEVIL TO FOOL YOU INTO THINKING THAT YOUR LIFE ISN’T

WORTH THE STRUGGLE. NOT WORTH THE PAIN.

A STORY IS TOLD OF A LUMP OF CLAY THAT NEVER LIKED

ITSELF AND FELT QUITE USELESS AND WITHOUT REAL

PURPOSE. ONE DAY, THAT LUMP OF CLAY WAS SNATCHED

OUT OF THE PLACE WHERE IT FELT COMFORTABLE AND

PLACED ON A TABLE TO BE PUSHED AND PRODDED.

PRESSURED AND MADE TO CHANGE. THEREAFTER, IT WAS

MADE TO TAKE THE EMBARRASMENT OF BEING COVERED

AND DEFACED. AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THAT

LUMP OF CLAY, AFTER BEING SNATCHED AWAY FROM ITS

COMFORTABLE BAG, AND PRESSURED AND PUSHED. AFTER

BEING COVERED WITH WHAT MADE IT ASHAME AND

DIFFERENT. AFTER ALL OF THAT, IT WAS PLACED IN A

PLACE THAT WAS UNCOMFORTABLY HOT AND EXTREMELY

DISGUSTING. IT CRIED FOR RELIEF BUT NO ONE SEEM TO

HEAR. IT SHOUTED FOR SOMEONE TO LET IT OUT OF ITS

TORMENT AND TORTUOUS SITUATION. BUT NO ONE CAME

TO ITS RESCUE. BUT AFTER THE PAINFUL, HURTFUL,

UNEXPLAINABLE EXPERIENCE IT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE

OVEN AND BECAME A BEAUTIFUL TEA CUP OF GREAT VALUE

AND WORTH.

YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T GIVE UP BECAUSE YOU DON’T

UNDERSTAND. DON’T BARGAIN WITH DEATH OR TAKE THE

EASY WAY OUT BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN SNATCHED AND

PRESSURED. EMBARRASSED AND MADE TO FEEL

DIFFERENT. DON’T GIVE INTO THE HEAT OF CONFLICT AND

DISAPPOINTMENT. GOD IS DOING SOMETHING THROUGH

YOU THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN’T SEE IT, IT’S GOING TO

BE BEAUTIFUL IT’S GOING TO ALL COME TOGETHER. JUST

HOLD ON. IF YOU FIND ANY OF YOUR CLASS MATES

FEARFUL OR TALKING ABOUT TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT.

TELL THEM" TO HOLD ON. TROUBLE DON’T LAST ALWAYS.

WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH IS ONLY MAKING YOU

STRONGER. DON’T PREVENT GOD FROM MAKING YOU INTO

SOMETHING PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL.

AS I THOUGHT ABOUT TODAY. I WAS WEARY ABOUT

BRINGING THIS MESSAGE TODAY. WHAT WOULD I SAY TO

THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED BY THIS PAINFUL

ACT. WHAT GOOD COULD POSSIBLY COME OUT OF SUCH A

LOSS. AND GOD SHOWED ME SOMETHING.

DEATH WHICH IS SO FINAL AND THE END OF OUR EARTHLY

LIVES, IS ALSO A VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH GOD IS ABLE

TO DO SOMETHINGS THAT HE ORDINARILY WOULDN’T BE

ABLE TO DO. DEATH HAS A WAY OF GETTING OUR

ATTENTION AND CAUSING US TO STOP WHAT WE’RE

DOING AND LOOK FOR ANSWERS.

THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO ISAIAH IN ISA. 6.1, IN THE

YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED, HE SAID, I SAW ALSO THE

LORD.

IF UZZIAH HADN’T DIED HE MAY NOT OF EVER SEEN THE

LORD HIGH AND LIFTED UP. IF HE HADN’T DIED…

HE MAY NOT OF EVER SEEN GOD AS WHO HE IS. WHO IS

GOD, HE IS THE ONE WHO MADE US. WHO IS GOD? HE IS

THE ANCHOR WE CAN HOLD ON TO HOLD US STEADY. HE

IS THE HAND WE HOLD WHEN WE ARE AFRAID, HE’S THE

PLATFORM WE STAND ON WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS

TO BE SINKING. HE IS THE SAVIOUR FOR THE LOSS, THE

LIGHT FOR THOSE IN DARK PLACES, HE IS THE ONE WHO

CAN HEAL YOUR HURTS AND EASE YOUR INNER PAIN.

HE IS THE ONE WHO CAME TO SAVE US, TO GIVE US LIFE

LIVING FOR. A FUTURE WORTH WAITING FOR. AND A

PROMISE WORTH STRUGGLING FOR.

IN THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED, ISAIAH SAW

SOMETHING THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE. HE SAW GOD.

IF DEVIN HADN’T DIED… WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.

IF HE HADN’T DIED, MANY OF US WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO WITNESS THE TRAGEDY OF A PROMISE THAT

CAUSES SO MUCH PAIN AND A PROMISE THAT STEALS

SOMETHING SO BEAUTIFUL FROM US ALL.

IF HE HADN’T DIED, I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU

ABOUT A GOD WHO LOVES INSPITE OF WHAT YOU DO. IF

HE HADN’T DIED, I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO LET YOU KNOW

THAT GOD SENT HIS SON TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH THE

STORMS OF YOUR LIFE TO SHOW YOU HE CAN GIVE YOU

PEACE. IF HE HADN’T DIED, I WOULDN’T OF HAD THIS

CHANCE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT GOD PROMISED NEVER

TO LEAVE YOU AND NEVER TO FORSAKE YOU, IF HE

HADN’T DIED I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL

YOU THAT GOD WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET YOUR

ATTENTION AND TO SAVE YOU FROM A BURNING HELL

WE GATHER HERE TODAY… IF HE HADN’T DIED, WE

WOULDN’T BE SITTING HERE TODAY, RIGHT NOW ON A

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IF HE HADN’T DIED…

BUT NO DEATH IS WITHOUT MEANING IN THE LORD. AS A

MATTER OF FACT, THE BIBLE SAYS. RO 8.28.

I BELIEVE GOD HAS ALLOWED THIS DEATH TO BECOME AN

OPPORTUNITY, AN OPEN DOOR. AS WE ALL STAND AT THE

GATEWAY BETWEEN…

I DECLARE TO YOU THAT IF HE HADN’T DIED SOME OF US

HERE TODAY, MAY OF NEVER CONSIDERED OUR SALVATION

AS WE WILL TODAY. IF HE HADN’T DIED, I MAY NOT OF

EVER HAD THIS CHANCE. AND SO…

IF HE HADN’T DIED, I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU

ABOUT A GOD WHO SO LOVED THE WORLD…

HE GAVE HIS SON TO PAY THE PRICE OF GETTING BACK

WHAT ADAM AND EVE GAVE AWAY

IF JESUS HADN’T DIED WE WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT IT

MEANS TO REALLY HAVE LIFE NOT JUST BE ALIVE. TO BE

FREE FROM BONDAGE AND HAVE LIGHT IN DARKNESS

IF HE HAD NOT DIED…

I WOULDN’T KNOW JUST HOW MUCH HE LOVED ME.

HOW FAR HE WOULD REACH DOWN TO LIFT ME UP

HOW GREAT HIS POWER IS TO SAVE.

IF DEVIN HADN'T DIED I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO

TELL YOU TODAY THAT GOD HAS PROMISED NEVER TO

LEAVE US. HE PROMISED NEVER TO FORSAKE US. HE

PROMISED:

PEACE IN THE STORM. JOY IN OUR SORROW. STRENGTH IN

THE MIDST OF OUR WEKNESS. LIGHT IN DARKNESS. HOPE

FOR THE HOPELESS. HELP FOR THE HELPLESS. HE

PROMISED ME. AND BECAUSE HE PROMISED ME THAT HE

WOULD FORGIVE ME AND GIVE ME ETERNAL LIFE THAT I'VE

TAKEN HI, AT HIS WORD.

AND IN RETURN I PROMISED TO SERVE HIM AND GO WITH

HIM ALL THE WAY.

SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE:

GIVING UP, BUT I PROMISED...

THROWING IN THE TOWEL...

JUMPING OFF A BRIDGE...

TAKING MY OWN LIFE...

SWERVING INTO THE OTHER LANE. NOBODY WOULD

KNOW ANY BETTER. BUT I PROMISED.

I PROMISED HIM THAT I WOULD SERVE HIM TILL I DIE...

ON THE BATTLE FIELD...

LIFE IS A BATTLE YOUNG PEOPLE. MAYBE WE TRIED SO

HARD TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SUFFER LIKE

WE HAD TO, THAT WE NEGLECTED TO TEACH TO COPE

WITH THE REALITY THAT LIFE IS A BATTLE. THAT WE LIVE

ON A BATTLEFIELD. BUT WE WHO HAVE GOD IN OUR LIVES

MAKE A PROMISE THAT WE WILL SERVE HIM TIL WE DIE

AND IT'S A PROMISE WORTH KEEPING.

DEVIN FELL THE OTHER DAY, HE FELL DOWN. AND IF THE

TRUTH BE TOLD, WE ALL FALL DOWN. BUT WITH GOD’S

HELP WE GET UP. YOU SEE, A SAINT IS JUST A SINNER

WHO FELL DOWN AND GOT UP.