The Silent Voices!

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The Silent Voices: Honoring the Life of the Unborn

Bernard Nathanson understood abortion better than almost any other American. He had expansive experience as a Manhattan ob-gyn in the 1960s, treating women who were “the victims of self-abortion and hack abortionists.” Nathanson believed abortion should be legalized in order to spare women the pain and suffering caused by unlicensed abortionists and poor surgical conditions. He cofounded the National Association to Repeal Abortion Laws in 1969 and was a leading figure in the legalization of abortion. Nathanson also directed the largest abortion clinic in the world, presiding over some sixty thousand abortions, including taking the life of his own child.
And then he underwent a radical transformation. Nathanson’s attention shifted in 1973 to the medical and scientific facts about the unborn child. He took a good long look at the “intrauterine patient” visible on “the flickering images on an ultrasonic screen.” This highly intelligent, educated doctor was moved by the image of a baby in the womb, his heart was changed, and he spent the rest of his days working to end the very thing he helped start.
The abortion doctor became an articulate and impossible-to-ignore advocate for the unborn. His 1984 film, The Silent Scream, showed an actual abortion via ultrasound and deeply rattled the abortion industry and the country.
Dr. Nathanson slipped into eternity in 2011, but he left behind a withering assessment of the social phenomenon that has taken the lives of fifty-six million unborn children since 1973. With intimate knowledge of the reality of abortion, having been on both sides of the debate, Nathanson reached this conclusion: “The abortion holocaust is an evil torn free of its moorings in reason and causality, an ordinary secular corruption raised to unimaginable powers of magnification and limitless extremity.”
Theologian R. C. Sproul Jr. has said much the same about abortion in America: “You cannot overreact to this problem. This is the most significant, most serious, most dreadful reality in my judgment in the history of the world.”
Brian Fisher, Deliver Us From Abortion: Awakening the Church to End the Killing of America’s Children (New York, NY: Brown Christian Press, 2021).
Fifty-three percent of us say abortion “is not that important compared to other issues.” Another 27 percent say it’s one of many important concerns, and just 18 percent see abortion as a critical issue. White evangelicals, statistically the most life-affirming subsection of the American populace, are a bit more concerned, but not much. Just 29 percent see abortion as a critical issue. It’s just one among many concerns for 35 percent of white evangelicals. Another 35 percent say it’s not a major issue.
Ignorance about abortion may be bliss, but it’s also fatal.
(Brian Fisher, Deliver Us From Abortion: Awakening the Church to End the Killing of America’s Children (New York, NY: Brown Christian Press, 2021).
Summary: This sermon explores the sanctity of life from the moment of conception, emphasizing the value and dignity of the unborn in God's creation.)
1.Is God the author of all human life?
Is God the author of each and every human being? Is every child an image-bearer of God? Is there such a thing as an unplanned pregnancy to God? Or does God have a unique purpose and plan for every person, regardless of how or why he or she is conceived?
2. Does God give man the right to kill innocent human life?
If God does create every person, does the Creator give people the right to kill innocent humans? And, very importantly, does He give us that right at some stages but not others? Is life less valuable before birth and, therefore, allowed to be terminated?
3. Is the Church commanded to protect and defend innocent human life?
If we conclude that God is the author of every life and God does not permit us to destroy His innocent human creations, then the last question addresses our response. Does God expressly command His followers to protect and preserve His innocent human creations?
Teaching: The sermon teaches that every life is valuable in God's eyes, discussing biblical principles that affirm the dignity of the unborn, while addressing the moral, ethical, and spiritual implications of our choices regarding life and family.
Big Idea: Every unborn child is created in the image of God, deserving of protection and honor, and as followers of Christ, we are called to advocate for the most vulnerable among us.

1. Crafted with Purpose: God's Plan

Psalm 139:15-16
Maybe you'll reflect on how God's awareness and ordination of our days even before birth paint a picture of divine purpose and plan for each life. This can inspire a perspective that life is sacred and meaningful from its very inception. Encourage congregants to consider how they can be God's instruments to uphold the dignity and worth of unborn life, acknowledging the broader narrative of God's sovereignty as seen in these verses.

The Bible teaches that God is the ultimate, sovereign ruler of the entire universe. As popular scholar R. C. Sproul has said, “There is no maverick molecule if God is sovereign.”

Holman’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines God’s sovereignty as
[the] biblical teaching that God possesses all power and is the ruler of all things (Ps. 135:6; Dan. 4:34–35). God rules and works according to His eternal purpose, even through events that seem to contradict or oppose His rule.
It’s important to note that God is sovereign even though life sometimes seems out of control, unfair, or downright unjust. As we’ll explore below, God is sovereign over life even when life is created through tragedy, hardship, crime, or challenging circumstances.
Both Testaments are filled with references to God’s sovereignty. A brief survey of the Old Testament shows a constant theme—God is in complete control of all things, even when things appear out of control.
The Psalmist speaks about the power and majesty of God when he writes in Psalm 103:
The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. (Ps. 103:19)
Psalm 135 declares:
Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. (Ps. 135:6)
Isaiah reminds his readers in chapter 46:9–10:
Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, “My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”
When Nebuchadnezzar returned to his senses after a period of divinely-ordained madness, he recognized God for who He is:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” (Dan. 4:34–35)
Perhaps the Old Testament poster child for discovering anew the sovereignty of God is Job, who suffered greatly yet remained faithful:
But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does. (Job 23:13)
While the Bible talks about God’s sovereignty over all things in relation to kingdoms, rulers, and the universe, it also makes clear God is divinely involved with the smallest of details. For example:
O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. (Ps. 139:1–4)
Likewise, we see in Matthew:
Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Matt. 10:29–31)
Whether the fate of nations, the movement of winds on the earth, or the number of hairs on our head, there is nothing outside of God’s control, knowledge, and plan.
The Sovereignty of God and Creation
Brian Fisher, Deliver Us From Abortion: Awakening the Church to End the Killing of America’s Children (New York, NY: Brown Christian Press, 2021). intimately forms every individual within the womb, God is the owner of our inmost parts and has fashioned them in a marvelous canvas of creation. So, God does not indwell us as an observer only, but the acknowledge Lord and possessor of my innermost self. He is the proprietor of all his creation and he has hidden me away as a treasure until he sees fit to bring me forth into the light of day. As such I have no right, as another of image bearers, to end or destroy the canvas of another of His image bearers.
His deep care and intentionality behind each life. This highlights our Creator's meticulous love and presence in the beginning stages of life. Suggest that if God values and intricately designs us from conception, then we also should hold every life in great esteem, advocating for the protection and rights of the unborn as God's unique creations.
‌The abortion culture in America is fundamentally based on one simple premise: life inside the womb is worth less than life outside. Whether a child is aborted for financial reasons, relational pressure, inconvenience, disability, rape, or guilt, very few people would view the same factors as valid reasons for killing a toddler. And, as I noted earlier, the American church generally falls in line with the culture’s thinking. Whether we admit it or not, the church’s silence about abortion is approval of the devaluation of children in the womb.
Does God agree?
Brian Fisher, Deliver Us From Abortion: Awakening the Church to End the Killing of America’s Children (New York, NY: Brown Christian Press, 2021).
Psalm 139:1–16 (ESV)
The Psalms are a wonderful place to go to explore this subject. David pens these words. The Psalms are often written emphasizing the middle. The beginning is a declaration, the middle is the emphasis and the end is a restatement or conclusion to the main point.
David, the writer of the psalm, starts with a declaration that God has “searched” him and knows him fully. The original Hebrew word has a sense of considering in detail, analyzing, or exploring. God knows David better than David does.
In fact, the first six verses outline God’s omniscience, His knowledge of all things: (1-6)
David then proclaims that God is omnipresent—He exists everywhere. There is no night to God, there is nowhere in the universe hidden from Him (7-11).
God is omniscient and omnipresent, but He is also omnipotent, or all-powerful. David describes this through the act of God creating David himself (12-17).
God has power over all creation, He is responsible for the origin of every human life, He ordains all of our days, and His ways are infinitely beyond our ability to grasp or understand. (16-18)
In a fashion somewhat typical of David, he responds to God’s greatness with a proclamation of loyalty: (19-24)
Billions of people have and will inhabit the earth, and each one is singularly unique. Why? Because God is an infinitely creative God. Even in our diversity, God shows us His creative genius. Each person, whether planned or not, is a masterpiece of a majestic God. Not only is each of us created uniquely, but we each have a unique purpose. We each come hardwired with gifts, talents, and skills.
Let’s qualify when life actually begins, both medically and biblically. Modern medicine has shown that human life begins at conception. There may be very subtle nuances when using the word “conception” in the cases of twinning or in vitro fertilization, and I acknowledge that fertilization may occur at slightly different times in those circumstances. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll use the term “conception” to cover fertilization even in those rare examples.
More than forty years ago, as noted earlier, the California Medical Society acknowledged the obvious in an editorial in its journal California Medicine when it referred to “the scientific fact, which everyone really knows, that human life begins at conception.” Embryology textbooks recognize this fact in how they define the zygote:
This cell, formed by the union of an ovum and a sperm (Gr. zyg tos, yoked together), represents the beginning of a human being. The common expression “fertilized ovum” refers to the zygote.
Brian Fisher, Deliver Us From Abortion: Awakening the Church to End the Killing of America’s Children (New York, NY: Brown Christian Press, 2021).
Incarnation
The cornerstone of the Christian faith is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Have you ever wondered why God didn’t send Jesus to earth as a grown man? Why He didn’t send Christ as a teenager or toddler? Why Jesus didn’t arrive on a chariot of fire surrounded by angels?
Because Jesus was fully God and fully man. And, in order to claim his humanness, He came to earth in the same manner every other human being does—through conception:
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:20–21)
We see the same theme here reflected everywhere else in the Bible. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was conceived and born.
If you contemplate the Incarnation in light of the sacredness of human life, it is revolutionary. The Savior of the world was conceived. We often say that Jesus came to earth as a baby. We tend to picture Jesus as a small baby, just born, lying in a manger. But even more startling is that He came as a zygote, grew into an embryo, then a fetus, then a full-sized baby.
I can think of no better reason to equate the value of life in the womb the same as life outside. God Himself came to earth, and He came as a zygote.
Brian Fisher, Deliver Us From Abortion: Awakening the Church to End the Killing of America’s Children (New York, NY: Brown Christian Press, 2021).
2.Called for Greatness: Before Birth
Jeremiah 1:4-5
This is the potter shaping the pot according to his own intentions and Jeremiah would be a powerful metaphor of God’s sovereign governance of History. God says “i know you” this is not casual or impersonal, rather it is an intimate awareness -committed to relationship and it clear that God’s choice was before birth- this removes any ground of pride. “ I set you apart” the initiative belongs to God. While this call to Jeremiah was to a specific task, it should remind us that all of life is precious and that God has formed us and everyone of us need to submit too the authority of God.
God’s calling and knowledge of Jeremiah before his birth underscores a biblical understanding that life has divine significance even before entering the world. Therefore, recognizing the voice of God on this issue calls believers to be active in affirming the value of lives not yet seen. Challenge the community to be a voice for the voiceless, inspired by how God sees every life as intentional and valuable.

3. Celebrating Presence: Joy in the Womb

Luke 1:41–44 “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”
Consider discussing how Elizabeth's unborn child leaping at the presence of Mary and Jesus highlights the spiritual recognition and value present even in the unborn. This might help illustrate the joy and sacredness associated with life within the womb, pointing to the wonder of God's work. Invite the audience to rejoice in and support life at all stages, becoming advocates for the unborn and influencing society to recognize their silent voices.

4. Created in His Image: The Imago Dei

Genesis 1:27 ESV
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
You could advance how being made in the image of God fundamentally affirms every human's value and worth, including those not yet born. This affirms our advocacy as followers of Christ—to protect, honor, and cherish each life as God's handiwork. Encourage the church to reflect Christ's compassion and justice in conversations and actions about life, embodying the imago Dei ethos which binds our responsibilities to uphold the sanctity of life.
How this passage could point to Christ: The theme reflects God's ultimate gift of life, which culminates in Christ, who came to give us life abundantly. The value of the unborn child is seen in that all life is created, maintained and used for the Glory of God as image bearers of their Creator. We are fashioned to reflect His Glory , made after His image and are not to be trifled with as inconvenient and disposable. Christ gives life He is the one who died and rose again that we might have
Application: This message encourages Christians to advocate for the sanctity of life, offers hope and healing to those affected by abortion, and equips the church to better support families facing unexpected pregnancies.
Learn: lots of literature and posdcast regarding the dangers abortion, legislators who are pro-abortion and how to speak to those regarding this issue.
Pray
Teach : Purity and forgiveness .
Give: Local Right to life. give of you time to them as well.
Disciple: Be an advocate of those facing unintentional pregnancy. Teach young woman of God’s plan for them as mothers, wive’s, ect.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
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