Abortion

THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IN CHURCH

SERMON 2

ABORTION

INTRODUCTION:

HERE’S AN INTERESTING FACT.

NORMA MCCORVEY, THE INFAMOUS “JANE ROE” IN THE ROE VS WADE CASE THAT LED TO THE SUPREME COURT LEGALIZING ABORTION IN 1973, NEVER HAD AN ABORTION.

BUT LATER IN LIFE, SHE CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM AND EXPRESSED REGRET FOR HER INVOLVEMENT IN THE CASE.

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THE LORD’S WORD TO JEREMIAH IN JEREMIAH, CHAPTER 1, STANDS AS A STARK REMINDER OF NOT ONLY THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, BUT ALSO OF THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH FOR OUR PURPOSES, HUMAN LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION…

IN REALITY HUMAN LIFE ORIGINATES IN THE MIND OF GOD LONG BEFORE A CHILD IS CONCEIVED IN THE WOMB.

THEREFORE, TO ABORT A CHILD IN THE WOMB IS TO END THE LIFE OF A PERSON KNOWN PERSONALLY BY GOD.

AND FOR THIS REASON, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS HAVE LONG STOOD AGAINST THE PRACTICE OF ABORTION.

BUT WE NOW LIVE IN A CULTURE THAT IS INCREASINGLY UNAWARE THAT LEGALIZED ABORTION HAS ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR 45 YEARS.

MANY MILENNIALS AND GEN-Z’ER’S MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE PRACTICE OF ABORTION…THEY MAY NOT BE WILLING TO HAVE ABORTIONS…

BUT THEY NEED TO KNOW MORE THAN JUST THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH THINKS ABORTION IS WORNG…

SO LET ME SHARE A FEW THINGS WITH YOU THIS MORNING THAT I HOPE WILL HELP PROVIDE YOU SOME ANSWERS TO THOSE WHO ARE SKEPTICAL OF THE CHURCH’S POSITION ON ABORTION…

OR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE HAD ABORTIONS AND THINK THE CHURCH HATES THEM BECAUSE OF IT…

1. FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW.

a. WE KNOW THAT MOST EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS CHARACTERIZE ABORTION AS BEING IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THE TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE.

b. WE KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY BELIEVE PERSONALLY, THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE GOD’S SPECIAL CREATION, AND THEY ARE MADE IN HIS IMAGE, THEREFORE HUMAN BEINGS ARE TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.

i. ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE DEFENSELESS.

1. (ESV) – 8 OPEN YOUR MOUTH FOR THE MUTE, FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL WHO ARE DESTITUTE. 9 OPEN YOUR MOUTH, JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY, DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR AND NEEDY.

ii. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE FACT THAT THE UNBORN CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, NOR CAN THEY DEFEND THEMSELVES, THE CHURCH CERTAINLY NEEDS TO TAKE A STRONG STANCE AGAINST THIS PRACTICE.

iii. BUT WE MUST NOT, WE CANNOT, CEASE TO LOVE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS SCHEME OF THE DEVIL.

2. SO HERE’S WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.

a. THE CHURCH STANDS AGAINST ABORTION FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

i. GOD’S WORD TEACH THAT EVERY HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED BECAUSE HE/SHE IS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.

1. ABORTION IS VIEWED AS A MARRING OF THAT IMAGE.

ii. GOD’S WORD TEACHES THAT IT IS WRONG TO TAKE THE LIFE OF ANOTHER PERSON.

1. ABORTION IS ALSO VIEWED AS MAN TAKING CONTROL OF WHAT ONLY GOD SHOULD HAVE CONTROL OF.

iii. THE INTENTIONAL TAKING OF A LIFE IS EXPLICITLY PROHIBITED IN SCRIPTURE, AND THERE ARE NO EXEMPTIONS GIVEN FOR DOING SO.

iv. SO BECAUSE ABORTION CAUSES THE DEATH OF A HUMAN BEING IN THE WOMB, CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT ABORTION IS IMCOMPATABLE WITH THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

1. WHEN GOD SAID, “YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,” HE MADE NO EXEMPTIONS AS TO THE STAGE OF LIFE, LOCATION OF THE PERSON (AS IN, INSIDE THE WOMB), OR WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS CUTLURAL PRESSURE TO ALLOW IT.

2. BY THE WAY, THIS IS WHY MOST CHRISTIANS OPPOSE PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE, AND EUTHENASIA.

v. BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ABORTION IS NOT AN UNPARDONABLE SIN.

1. THOUGH WE CONSIDER ABORTION TO BE ESPECIALLY BRUTAL, REDEMPTION IS STILL AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD ABORTIONS.

2. MANY WOMEN REGRET THE CHOICE TO HAVE AN ABORTION.

3. WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

a. LOSE THE HATRED.

i. THE CHURCH HAS NEVER MOVED FORWARD BY ADOPTING AN ATTITUDE OF HATRED.

ii. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE BIBLE IS CLEAR THAT WE ARE TO SHOW LOVE…EVEN TO THOSE WE CONSIDER OUR ENEMIES.

1. THIS APPLIES TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD ABORTIONS, BUT CHURCH, WE NEED TO HEAR THIS…

2. IT APPLIES TO THOSE WITH WHOM YOU DISAGREE, THOSE WHO YOU THINK MAY HAVE SLIGHTED YOU, AND THOSE YOU HAVE A HARD TIME LOVING.

3. (ESV) – 43 “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.’ 44 BUT I SAY TO YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, 45 SO THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. FOR HE MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST. 46 FOR IF YOU LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU, WHAT REWARD DO YOU HAVE? DO NOT EVEN THE TAX COLLECTORS DO THE SAME? 47 AND IF YOU GREET ONLY YOUR BROTHERS, WHAT MORE ARE YOU DOING THAN OTHERS? DO NOT EVEN THE GENTILES DO THE SAME? 48 YOU THEREFORE MUST BE PERFECT, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.

4. THE GOAL FOR THE KINGDOM SERVANT IS TO BEHAVE LIKE HIS FATHER…

5. AND IF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES THOSE WHO ARE HIS ENEMIES, THOSE WHO REJECT AND RIDICULE HIM, THOSE WHO REJECT HIS PLAN OF SALVATION, AND THOSE WHO HAVE SINNED AGAINST HIM…

6. THEN CHRIST-FOLLOWERS CANNOT JUSTIFY BEING UNLOVING TOWARD ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING…

iii. SO WE HAVE TO LOSE THE HATRED.

b. WE ALSO MUST COMMUNICATE THE FACT THAT REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE.

i. THE ONLY SIN FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REDEMPTION AVAILABLE IS BLASPHEMING THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH IS GIVING CREDIT FOR THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE DEVIL.

ii. SO FOR ABORTION, REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE…

iii. AND IF REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE, THEN KINGDOM EFFECTIVENESS IS A POSSIBILITY.

iv. AND BECAUSE REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE, AND KINGDOM EFFECTIVENESS IS POSSIBLE…

c. THE CHURCH IS TO LOVE AND HELP BRING HEALING TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD AN ABORTION.

i. OUR JOB AS BELIEVERS IS TO LOVE PEOPLE TO CHRIST…

ii. WHEN WE PLACE LABELS ON PEOPLE AND BEGIN TO CATEGORIZE PEOPLE BASED ON THE LEVEL OF THEIR SIN…

iii. WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING IS MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO ELEVATE OURSELVES ABOVE OTHERS…

iv. LOOKING AT THEIR SIN AS GREATER THAN OURS…AND THEREFORE NOT ONLY ENGAGING IN SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT ALSO, IN MANY CASES, JUSTIFYING THE SINS THAT WE OURSELVES COMMIT.

CONCLUSION:

SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, IF REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE FOR ME, REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE FOR THE ONE WHO HAS HAD AN ABORTION.

GOD STILL LOVES YOU, AND HE WILL FORGIVE YOU.

THERE IS NO WAY I CAN KNOW WHAT’S ON YOUR HEART THIS MORNING…

BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS, IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS SUFFERING WITH THE PAIN AND SHAME OF ABORTION…

FORGIVENESS AND REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE…

YOU NEED TO KNOW A COUPLE THINGS…

- FIRST, YOU CANNOT OVERCOME YOUR SIN PROBLEM ON YOUR OWN.

o THE BIBLE SAYS IN THAT EVERYONE HAS SINNED, AND EVERYONE FALLS SHORT OF GOD’S STANDARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

- BUT HERE’S THE SECOND THING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

o THE BIBLE CONTINUES IN BY INFORMING US THAT YOU CAN BE JUSTIFIED IN THE EYES OF GOD BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE CROSS…

o WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY GOD’S GRACE AS A GIFT, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

- YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND ETERNITY SEPARATED FROM GOD.

- GOD LOVES YOU AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM.

- AND IF YOU WILL AGREE WITH GOD THAT YOU ARE A SINNER, AND ASK JESUS CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOU AND SAVE YOU, HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERLASTING LIFE…

- MAYBE YOU ARE READY TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS…

- I’D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.