Sanctity of Life Sunday

1st TIME GUESTS - CONNECTION CARD

STARTING POINT

MOBILE FOOD PANTRY - this Tuesday

GIVING

ALASKA FUNDRAISER

VISUAL NOTES

Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday.

What’s that mean? Sanctity means “holy”, “set apart”, or “sacred". That’s what Human life is - different from all other life. You aren’t just another animal - as incredible as some of them are.

As we say around here often, “You are VALUABLE made in the image of God.” Where’s that come from, you ask?

Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.

That includes the smallest baby in the womb to the oldest person on the planet. As Christians, we need to be those who treat people - all people -with that kind of VALUE. Let’s not be those who just SAY IT with our lips, may we SHOW IT with our lives.

God later reminds Noah and his family of human value, as they reboot creation. And this time, there’s a warning attached.

Genesis 9:5a–6 (NIV)

And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

God is serious business about people treating others with value. Those who are guilty of harming other humans are held accountable by God by human governing leaders.

There is even talk of what to do if a pregnant woman or her baby is harmed by others.

Exodus 21:22–25 (NIV)

If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

Why? If you harm a human being (mother or child), made in the image of God - then justice should be served. What does that tell you about God’s view of a baby in the womb? A full grown man who causes the death of the baby in the womb, would be killed!

With all that said, what do you think God would say to those who support the killing of innocent human beings inside their mothers’ wombs?

If YOU - men or woman - have participated in an abortion - I want you to know that you CAN be FORGIVEN of this wicked sin. We cannot sugar-coat that reality that abortion is the taking of an innocent human life. That’s the truth. Those who recognize that truth, admit that this is sin before God, turn from it and turn to Jesus - CAN BE FORGIVEN! The reality is that there ARE men & women in this room who HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN for many wicked sins - including abortion.

My goal is NOT to rub your face in your forgiven past. It is to remind us of the reality of the Sanctity of Life - to speak the TRUTH in love, to challenge believers to STAND UP, SPEAK UP and STEP UP to serve those considering abortion - and confront sinners who need to know there is a SAVIOR who CAN FORGIVE YOU!

PRAY

Sadly, as our American culture continues to drift away from God’s commands, many of us turn a blind eye to the wickedness of abortion, which denies and destroys the sanctity of human life. It’s easier to do that than stand up for the unborn.

All the while…hundreds of thousands of babies are murdered in their mother’s wombs in the United States every year.

In 2020 893,000 babies were slaughtered in this way in the US. By the way, those numbers are climbing every year since 2017.

* https://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/

As most of you know, Doak Campbell holds around 80,000.

In 2017 there were 71,050 abortions in Florida. That would come close to FILLING Doak Campbell Stadium or ‘The Swamp’

*https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-florida

As mentioned previously, there were 893,000 abortions in the U.S. in 2020.

That would FILL Doak Campbell Stadium…more than 11 times.

Since 1973 Roe vs Wade there have been an estimated 62,502,904 babies aborted in the United States.

* https://www.foxnews.com/politics/abortions-since-roe-v-wade

That would fill Doak Campbell stadium 781 times!

As you know, our nation is MASSIVELY DIVIDED on the issue of abortion. And just in case you don’t believe me, post anything against abortion on social media, and watch the fireworks fly. Here are some of the responses I have received, and these are likely empty arguments that some of us in this room have even bought into - arguments like:

“No man should ever tell a woman what she can do with her body.”

“Abortion is legal, so who are you to say it’s wrong?”

“Abortion should stay between a woman & her doctor.”

“Abortion needs to remain legal because of rape & molestation.”

“Abortion should be allowed when the pregnancy endangers the woman’s health.”

“You don’t have any right to oppose abortion unless you are willing to care for the children who are born to these women.”

“The fetus is not human. It’s just a blob of tissue.”

How would YOU answer those statements?

Do they seem tough to counter? They’re NOT...

“No man should ever tell a woman what she can do with her body.” - This is simply not true. First, if she were murdering another person, we WOULD tell her she can’t do that with her body. As the baby has separate heart, brain, nervous system, and DNA - the baby is NOT her body to do with as she pleases. The baby is IN your body, but the baby is NOT your body.

“Abortion is legal, so who are you to say it’s wrong?” - Slavery used to be legal too, but that didn’t mean it was morally right.

“Abortion should stay between a woman & her doctor.” - If the woman was going to a doctor to cease the heartbeat of an infant, should that ‘stay between a woman and her doctor?”

“Abortion needs to remain legal because of rape & molestation.” - If we were to allow abortion with the less than 2% of pregnancies from rape or molestation, would you agree that the other 98% of abortions should be outlawed? NO? Then that is just a smokescreen.

* usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/24/rape-and-incest-account-few-abortions-so-why-all-attention/1211175001/

“Abortion should be allowed when the pregnancy endangers the woman’s health.” - Way back in 1980 C. Everett Koop — who later became surgeon general — said “in my 36 years in pediatric surgery I have never known of one instance where the child had to be aborted to save the mother’s life.” My simple response would go like this: If pressed, I would want the baby birthed by C-section, in an attempt to save both. But, if 2 people were drowning and you could save 1 or NONE, which would you choose? I would choose my wife over the child. This is extremely rare and the extreme exception should never be the norm. * politico.com/story/2012/10/walsh-walks-back-abortion-comments-a-bit-082650

“You don’t have any right to oppose abortion unless you are willing to care for the children who are born to these women.” - That’s just silly non-sense. If someone was beating their infant to death in the Winn Dixie parking lot we would we walk past or think, “I shouldn’t stop this unless I’m willing to raise this child after this is all over.”? By the way, there are some people in our church and community that are taking some significant actions to help care for these women and children.

“The fetus is not human. It’s just a blob of tissue.” - That FETUS (Latin for baby) is the same as YOU were at that point of your growth in your mother’s womb. It’s not HUMAN? Any chance it’s going to grow into a cat or dog? NOPE. It is HUMAN.

Notice that while WE DO have Biblical reasons to oppose abortion, we also have BIOLOGICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, & MORAL REASONS to oppose abortion. So while the person might not recognize the authority of Scripture, they cannot dodge these biological, philosophical, & moral truths.

Christians, it’s time that we STAND UP, SPEAK UP should simply respond with JUST 1 QUESTION.

WHAT IS IT?

Greg Koukl says it well. “If the unborn is not a human person, no justification for abortion is necessary. However, if the unborn is a human person, no justification for abortion is adequate.”

We’ve already mentioned how the Book of Scripture gives us insight into God’s value of human life, we should note that the Book of Nature says the same thing. In other words, both the BIBLE and BIOLOGY (studying life that God created) belong to God - they do NOT contradict each other.

Like the Bible, the BIOLOGY is clear. When human sperm and egg combine, it immediately results in the formation of a HUMAN BEING. There is NO CHANCE it is anything else other than HUMAN. And that HUMAN being, if healthy, he/she will go through the same transformational process that you did when you were in your mother’s womb.

Still, some will counter and say that it might be HUMAN but it is not a PERSON. But this is just silliness - it’s the same deceitful distortion of our language that stirs clear terms & realities into a mixed-up mess.

So, here’s the basic moral reasoning for saying abortion is wrong.

It is WRONG to take the life of an innocent human being.

Abortion takes the life of an innocent human being.

THEREFORE: Abortion is WRONG.

And no counter arguments change that reality. Some still TRY though. Some say it’s not human because it’s small, not fully formed, inside the woman’s womb, or so dependent on the woman’s body.

To those arguments I offer you the SLED Test.

SIZE The unborn is smaller than a toddler, but toddlers are also smaller than teenagers or adults. Is Joyce Howard/Suzy Godfrey less of a human person than Covey Flournoy/Brody Herring because she is smaller?

LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT The unborn is less developed than a toddler, but toddlers are less developed than teenagers and adults and yet still human. Are ADULTS more human than toddlers…or the unborn

ENVIRONMENT Are the children in our Children’s Building somehow LESS IMPORTANT than us because of their LOCATION? Is a person who is in the hospital/nursing home any less human than those who are HERE today? Of course not!

As you probably remember, Alyssa Bass was born to Austin & Adri not at 40 weeks, but 31 weeks (2lbs - 12oz), very premature. What would happen if a nurse snuck in the NICU and smothered her? If caught that nurse would face murder charges. But if Adri wanted to, she could have had Alyssa killed in her womb by an abortion. But how does the environmental change of location of a few inches from the womb to change the reality that Alyssa…is a HUMAN BEING?

DEGREE OF DEPENDENCY Is an infant who needs a mother for food or an elderly person who is dependent on others to help them get dressed, somehow LESS HUMAN?

It is clearly demonstrated from the BIBLE and BIOLOGY that the unborn fetus is HUMAN BEING forming inside the womb of the mother.

3,000 years ago King David, having never seen a sonogram nor ultrasound writes these words:

Psalm 139:13–14 (CSB)

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.

We need to STAND UP & SPEAK UP, but it’s also time to STEP UP to SERVE.

Today we are BLESED to have Jenny Starling with us - the director from our own Pregnancy Center.

JENNY STARLING SHARES

4 Ways to STEP UP & MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

1. KEEP GIVING to Fellowship OR give directly to Women’s Pregnancy Center. Our church gives $2,500 a year to this worthy cause.

Baby Bottles

Baby Shower items are on the YELLOW PAPER on your way out of the front entrance.

2. KEEP SERVING caring for people - the unborn to the most elderly - they are VALUABLE! You might ask Jenny how you can serve with the Pregnancy Center

3. KEEP VOTING to move representatives OUT of office who support abortion and move representatives IN who support LIFE from the womb to the tomb. Elections have consequences.

4. KEEP PRAYING. Our nation is on the edge of minimizing the number of human babies ABORTED, and might eventually outlaw abortion all altogether!

DOBBS Case at Supreme Court

When Mississippi restricted abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy, they got sued and it went to the Supreme Court where

SCOTT STEWART began his argument against abortion this way:

Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court: Roe versus Wade and Planned Parenthood versus Casey haunt our country. They have no basis in the Constitution. They have no home in our history or traditions. They've damaged the democratic process. They've poisoned the law. They've choked off compromise. For 50 years, they've kept this Court at the center of a political battle that it can never resolve. And 50 years on, they stand alone. Nowhere else does this Court recognize a right to end a human life.

From Al Mohler (https://albertmohler.com/2021/12/02/briefing-12-2-21)

Christians - PRAY that our Supreme Court would rightly rule on the moral & medical arguments - that abortion kills the life of precious human beings, and that this wicked practice would be STOPPED.

PRAY for our lost country and look for opportunities to tell people about Jesus.

If you need help, we’re right here to help. You’ve had an abortion or are considering an abortion, please approach our STAFF or DEACONS.

NOW…let’s PRAY - pray for our lost Country and pray for our Supreme Court to STEP UP and defend the innocent ones in the womb.