08/14/2022 - Part 6 - God’s Heartbeat on Abortion …For His Children

Part 6 August 14, 2022 . God's Heartbeat on Abortion... for His Children John 17: 20- 23 20 "I do not pray for these alone [the Apostles], but also for those [us]who will believe in Me through their [Apostle's] word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 1 Cor 1:10-13 I'm of Paul, Apollos, Cephas Psalm 106: 1-3 Amplified Bible 106:1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever! When I have no mercy or mine runs out, God's mercy endures forever Philippians 3:15-16 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) GM GP This morning we are continuing our teaching on abortion from a Biblical Perspective. This is final installment of our series which has carried us for about 6 messages. This message has come in response to all the uproar, hype, and concern that has erupted in the past several months over the issue of abortion and the overturing of Roe v. Wade. I've approached this headline issue in a way that I believe is aligned with the heartbeat of God hence the title of this series: God's Heartbeat on Abortion... for His Children The focus of today's culminating message is Jesus' heartbeat for us with regard to what is priority with Him regardless of what is going on around us personally or in the world in general. Jesus saw a time that many things like issues, assaults, problems, and challenges would come to the Body of Christ to test and divide the Church; so, He prayed in John Chapter 17 that one thing would be protected - the oneness of the family of God. Just as the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) foreknew and foresaw the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden and provided a remedy for man's sins, Jesus did the same thing for the church when He prayed what is termed the true Lord's Prayer. In this prayer, He could have prayed a lot of things, like: perfect health (total healing) and wealth (no more debt) for all born again people; or no more aging for the Saints; or no more having to deal with the troubles of this world - but He didn't. Instead, of all the things He prayed for - the one thing that was most important to Him was as a family of God, as children of God - no matter what - We Be One and Remain ONE; One Unified Believing People - as He and His Father are ONE. This was Jesus' most personal, most hopeful prayer He could pray for the Church. ... Jesus knew there would be distractions, instigators . . . So, if any of us wants to know what was most important to Jesus about His church and His Children, it is found in John 17. He prayed it and asked the Father to bless it. So, when dividing issues emerge in the world and find their way into the church, no matter how hotly contested they are - it is Jesus' strongest hope and instructions for us to remain ONE. It's OK for Believers to be affiliated with opposing forces and still be Christian; affiliations such as: * Republican or Democrat * Pro Life or Pro Choice * Divorced or Never Divorced * For Biden and Obama or for Trump and Ron DeSantis * Women's Right vs. Unborn Rights * Critical Race Theory or Uncle Tom's Cabin * Global Warming or Not * For Black Lives Matter v. All Lives/Souls Matter But when it comes to the church . . . : * The Body of Christ, * the Household of Faith, * God's House for All Nations, * The Pillar Ground and Truth, . . . * The Rock Upon Which Christ Built His Church; When it comes to God's House we must leave divisive personal, worldly interests and issues at the door so to speak, at the ballot box, at the dinner table, and in check so that such issues that have nothing to with the divine eternal business of God don't distract us from what Jesus prayed we must be about as His followers. [On the converse, when we allow our faith to be dominated by our political party of choice or racial biases, or subjugated to issues Satan says are important, then we lose our voice, our way, our shine, our preserving power, and distinctiveness in a world that desperately needs to see Christ. We forfeit a divine opportunity to do in this world what Christ prayed we must be about in commanding the attention of lost people. Our power and influence are linked in the ONENESS UNITY prayer prayed by Jesus for believers. If we fail, we leave the world suffering and groping in darkness. We are called to be the brightness of Jesus' John 17 prayer. Jesus' concern yesterday, today, and for generations to come is to protect the unity of Oneness among the living saints - the church. He knew that as long as the Oneness Unity was protected and preserved - the world would change. But if ever any generation of Believers were divided and splintered things would stalled out. Anything outside of Jesus' prayer request is a non-lifegiving issue and none rise to the certainty of Jesus prayer for the church: That We Be One! Nothing eclipses the oneness unity that Jesus prayed for every generation of Believers to live out. We can be divided at the ballot box, or over our favorite sports team (Gators vs. Bull Dogs; or Saints vs. Falcons) or over Abortion, or Critical Race Theory; or How to Raise Children or certain Religious Doctrines - but all that ends when it comes to Christ's command for ONENESS. We must protect the "ONENESS Unity" given to us by God. Even when it comes to the sins and evils of human life that Satan uses to draw us in and turn us against one another, we must be careful to not let them polarize us, or divide us, but to know that remaining ONE is Jesus' most heartfelt prayer for us. So we should heed the warning given to us in Galatians 5:14-16 (NIV). It warns . . . 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Even when sin creeps in, we have been given direction from the word on how to address it. One thing we have to guard against is allowing the world and its politics, its spiritual wickedness in high places to dictate to the church what its position should be. In every way, we must protect the unity, we can't afford to be divided or splintered - and the worst kind is internal division. Look at these examples: from the mild to the extreme: Disagreements between two Believers (4 steps to handling). . .- Matthew 18: 15-17 (NIV) 18:15 "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Similarly Matt. 5:21-26) Take not your brother to the law . .. - 1 Cor. 6:1-6 (NIV) 6:1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord's people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Threats to Oneness Unity in the Church - 1 Cor 1:10-13 I'm of Paul, Apollos, Cephas . . . An egregious example of an inhouse sin - 1 Cor 5 Young man having relations with his stepmother. The church must handle a case like this in a way that brings glory to God in the eyes of the world. This issue of abortion has polarized the church. It has created a civil war in the pews among believers, between denominations, and among family members. It has dwarfed the ONENESS we as believer's are called to abide in. This was Jesus' prayer above a hundred different things He could have prayed for on behalf of everyone who would be saved by the Apostle's Gospel. But He prayed one primary request: That every Believer would be one like He and His Father. His prayer was not a suggestion or recommendation, but a heartfelt plea that His followers would embrace. Jesus has cleared the path for us as His children to live out the Oneness Unity that He has prayed for us in one of His most urgent prayers. So, what exactly did Jesus pray? Stay tuned for next week's message. END 1