Sanctity of Life Sunday.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] pray with me father over these next moments I pray that you would make your [0:06] gospel clear that you would give in us a passion for your will of redemption as

[0:16] well as restoration Lord I pray that our words would glorify you and that you [0:23] would open our hearts and open our minds to receive it today give me strength and [0:29] name of Jesus I pray amen well that video that you’ve just seen it’s [0:36] sobering it when you begin to hear the the sheer number if you’re anything [0:42] like me it hit you like a like a sack of bricks the the numbers that since [0:48] 1973 we have seen 54 million lives lost to abortion and we must ask ourselves

[1:01] whether or what is the significance of the sanctity of human life in our lives [1:08] what is our role what is our part what is our responsibility what is it that [1:13] God would have us believe about life what is it that God would have us do [1:17] about life and we over the past year as leadership as staff have been praying [1:24] God what would you have us do and so we have be chosen to take one step and that [1:31] is to take part in what many churches are doing all over our country today and

[1:36] that is to observe a sanctity of life Sunday in kind of memoriam and in [1:43] retrospect that in on January 22nd 1973 in our country in the United States it [1:50] was decided that it would be lawful to abort babies to end human life inside of [1:58] the womb giving the right and the privilege to human beings to frankly kill [2:06] innocent lives we live in a society in which abortion is not murder we say that [2:17] again we live in a society in which the killing of an unborn innocent life is not murder

[2:32] the reality of that should be overwhelming to you and perplexing

[2:41] because if we are a people who build our ethic of life build how we view life on [2:51] scripture on what God has revealed to us then that is unimaginable my hope today is that over [3:01] the next few moments that I can communicate to you that there is no way that we can build an [3:09] ethic of life from the scriptures there is no way that we can have a biblical worldview [3:16] and build that in which we see the potential to be able to abort unborn babies [3:24] that you cannot do that with scripture you cannot do that viewing life viewing the world

[3:31] through the lens of God’s revelation to us and just to to let the cat out of the bag for you [3:38] this morning we are coming from a standpoint in which the Bible is the word of God in which [3:44] we believe that it is God’s specific revelation to us as to who he is and as to what he does [3:51] and as to how the world should be viewed so that’s where we’re going to build our ethic of life on [3:58] today but I want to begin with scripture and then we’re going to build from there and you may be [4:05] wondering why I chose the scripture that I chose today but that’ll all make sense in time but if

[4:11] you’ll go in the book of Matthew chapter 6 I’m simply going to read verses 9 and 10 this morning [4:17] this is Jesus telling his disciples telling his followers how they are to pray it says in verse 9 [4:26] pray then like this our father in heaven hallow it or holy be your name your kingdom come

[4:36] your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and our emphasis is going to be on verse 10 [4:46] this morning this this reality of what God is doing of what God is building of what God would [4:52] have to be the center of our desires in this life as well as the one to come that’s why verse 10 [4:59] the beginning is so significant because it is assuming that there is coming a kingdom and that [5:06] kingdom should be what we desire what we want what we long for and in that kingdom the text goes on [5:16] to say that his will is going to be done but it goes past that it says don’t just long for it

[5:26] pray for it to be done now that his will as it is being done in heaven and that’s a huge view [5:35] that’s a huge unpacking saying that there is a place right now there is a throne on which God [5:41] is in which his counsel is done in which his proclamations are eternal they’re true there’s [5:48] a place where his will is happening and it’s heaven and the scripture then says that we are [5:54] to pray that that will which is so certain face to face with him which we’ll see one day

[6:02] that we should want it on earth right now we should desire it we should long for it and he [6:11] the scriptures what they reveal about prayer it’s something that we should be active [6:18] and seeking for the very lives I want to build on that how is that possible because because [6:25] if you know anything about the human condition we are sinful or we believe that and scripture [6:30] unpacks that if you’ve been here for any length of time I don’t have to convince you that we [6:34] believe that talk about it all the time that we are sinful people and so when we’re dealing with

[6:40] this issue of sin that we’re in rebellion against God then we know that that his will isn’t being [6:47] done in our lives because we’ve rebelled against him and so I want to begin to build a how we can [6:54] get that back that desire that want that longing and that is number one this morning that the [6:59] gospel restores our view of life if God’s will is something that we are to long for and we’re to [7:06] want we cannot begin anywhere other than the gospel and the fact that the gospel of Jesus [7:14] finds us in our sin finds us in rebellion finds us not longing for his will finds us

[7:23] not desiring his kingdom but rather desiring our own and in that gospel we have restoration that [7:31] God takes us out of our sin he redeems us out of our sin and he then deconstructs how we view life

[7:41] and reconstructs how we view life he tears apart what was selfish what was self-seeking the kingdom [7:49] that we were building for ourselves in our sin or a headed long on the road to perdition and we [7:56] are only seeking that which benefits us and it deconstructs that and gives us a new ethic of [8:03] life gives us a new message in scripture through the holy spirit through what we know about Jesus [8:08] and tells us that we’re now on a new path in which we are having for us through God reconstructed [8:15] a new ethic of life that is being restored by him and that we’ve been redeemed from our sin

[8:22] and that we can look for a life the gospel gives death to our sin and our rebellion and [8:29] rebuilds a new life for and under God Jesus builds a new life through reconciliation on the cross [8:38] here’s what I want us to understand that what we’re talking about today is not an us versus them [8:45] discussion and that’s very quickly what it can erode towards it’s very quickly what it can become [8:53] it can just be we’re very angry that injustice is happening we’re very angry that the ethic of God [8:59] is not happening in life so we’re angry and we make war on anyone that would possibly disagree

[9:04] with us or anyone who has taken part in abortion and that is not what the gospel would have us do [9:12] that’s not the life or the ethic the gospel would have us build but rather the gospel would [9:18] have us build an ethic in which it is us for them in which we’re doing the hard things having the [9:24] hard conversations believing truths from God for the sake of the world for the sake of those who [9:30] do not believe it for the sake of those who need Jesus for the sake of those who need to have those [9:36] wounds that things like abortion cause in life redeemed reconciled and restored under Jesus

[9:42] because we are a people who know how deep our sin goes and so we can have great empathy and [9:49] sympathy for those who are sinful for those who are still lost in their sin for those who are still [9:55] dead in their transgressions as the scripture puts it and so we fight for life for their sake [10:00] so that they could know the restoration that’s available in Jesus Christ not so that we can have

[10:09] enemies because the scripture tells us to love those who curse us to pray for those who hurt us

[10:18] we’re in the same boat as the rest of the world in desperate need of a savior who gives grace [10:24] for sin constantly and as recipients of that grace if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ [10:30] you understand just how difficult it is to fight against sin that sometimes it feels as though sin [10:37] is more powerful than grace but then we believe the words of God and we say no sin is not more [10:43] powerful than grace there’s inexhaustible grace for those who would trust in Jesus Christ for those [10:49] who would have their lives rebuilt through the cross and through the resurrection there’s no

[11:01] that ultimately in the gospel our lives are restored through the submission of our will [11:07] because that’s what we see in verse 10 ultimately is that we are understanding that what we long [11:14] for in this life our default modes what we naturally cling to are not good and wholesome [11:20] and we have to submit that to God and so everything becomes suspect in our lives we hold [11:27] everything in this world in an open hand because we’re the people that pray your will be done not [11:32] my will be done not what I think is the most wise be done not what I think is the most

[11:38] convenient to be done but your will be done so in the gospel we have a grace that causes us [11:44] to submit to God’s will before our very own and we say God what you desire trumps what I may [11:54] naturally be inclined to desire what I may be naturally inclined to seek for my life what I may [12:01] be naturally inclined to want with my life your creator you’re more powerful your wiser you’re the [12:08] one who has saved me you’re the one who rose from the dead therefore what you want is ultimately [12:14] naturally more wise better more wholesome and good for me so there’s a submission to God above

[12:25] ourselves secondly this morning because of that submission God’s will should be the aim of my [12:35] and desire so there becomes in our lives an ethic and a building of a life in which we seek [12:45] God’s kingdom values above our very own and we say well how do we unpack that [12:51] all right simply put it is the story of scripture that is what we have that is what we ultimately [12:58] submit to God we’re not just saying some mystical out there reality that we hope to get a special [13:05] revelation of someday it’s something that’s known it’s something that can be seen it’s something

[13:09] that can be grasped and it’s something that in his grace God has revealed to us in his very word [13:15] that his kingdom will look like the word of God his kingdom will have the values of the word of [13:23] God his kingdom will be his will so we are to look in his word we are to say what does a world [13:31] without sin look like all right for that we go to the very beginning we go to innocence [13:37] we go to Adam and Eve we go to revelation we go to all of the things in which God is setting up [13:42] his glory all of the places in which Jesus gives us things that are so countercultural that we

[13:48] even fathom a world that is so beautiful and Jesus says this is my will and then when he says [13:54] this is what you seek he says seek first the kingdom of God seek first those things in which [14:02] give God the utmost glory seek first the restoration seek first the reconciliation of God through Jesus [14:08] seek first redemption from sin seek first the will of God which is our sanctification in Christ [14:15] so in other words what Jesus does to us through saving us is also that which he’s going to keep [14:21] doing for us to us and through us in obedience in submission to his word and it is something that we

[14:30] desire wholeheartedly with our lives so God comes in gives us a brand new set of values that we are [14:37] submitting to where we not only hold God as more significant than ourselves but we also hold others [14:44] as more significant than ourselves as Jesus says when he says what is the greatest commandment [14:49] Jesus answers the question he says love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and [14:54] the second is like it love your neighbor as yourself we say what does that look like well [14:58] Jesus is summing up the 10 commandments the first four are for God the final six are for others

[15:05] Jesus says live my kingdom desire my will seek his name

[15:17] it’s very easy for us in culture I was sitting in a conference one time and usually I’m like you [15:25] on Sunday morning when I sit in a conference and someone’s preaching to me it’s like my brain [15:29] somewhere else so I empathize but I was sitting at a conference and a guy was talking about the [15:35] kingdom of God and he was preaching and proclaiming and I’ll admit I got bored and so he was talking [15:43] about the values of the kingdom of God and he was talking about injustice and he was saying [15:47] that there will be no hunger in the kingdom of God and that’s true so there will be no injustice

[15:51] in the kingdom of God is true there will be life in the kingdom of God no sickness no pain [15:55] that’s true the kingdom of God will be great the kingdom of God is something I long for I cannot [16:00] wait for that and then he’s talking about he’s saying we need to do those things here on earth [16:04] as well we need to seek to feed the hungry we need to seek to help the poor we need to seek [16:08] to right the wrongs and that’s so true but then in my brain as often as I do I said well what’s the [16:13] flip side of that that isn’t going to sound good to some people and I’m not saying this at the

[16:25] end of the day I said to myself that’s all going to appeal to everyone is there anything about the [16:28] kingdom of God that’s not going to be appealing because if all that was true then everybody would [16:33] want in and I said if there is no sin in the kingdom of God then I should fight against sin [16:42] because sometimes we for the sake of making the gospel attractive we can take away that which is

[16:49] offensive and the scripture tells us Jesus himself says if they persecuted me do you not know that [16:54] they will persecute you as a servant greater than his master and so there are aspects of the kingdom [17:01] of God that will not be that appealing to certain demographics there are aspects of the kingdom of [17:07] God and his will that are uncomfortable even for us right now and where we are sitting and I want [17:12] to tell you today that in the kingdom of God there will be no abortion none

[17:21] of that is true and I want to use that example and I’m not reducing down to just that one thing [17:27] but rather I want to use that as our example of what we’re fighting against this morning [17:31] for the sake of his kingdom that his will the will of God [17:37] is not for innocent unborn children to die is not God’s will is that they would live [17:51] God’s will is that no matter what the instance of the conception

[17:59] but that life would reign when it can

[18:06] be [18:06] in the kingdom of God [18:06] and that is why we’ve gone so astray it says therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [18:11] hearts to impurity speaking of all of us this is to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [18:18] because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the create creature [18:24] than the creator who is blessed forever amen

[18:28] what we see in that is something we talk about it’s the great exchange but what I want you to [18:32] hone in on is the dishonoring of our bodies all right that can mean more than this but I want to [18:39] focus in on this one thing right now in that abortion is the dishonoring of the body [18:45] in first Corinthians Paul writes that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit [18:49] and so the question that we must ask ourselves today is is that right is that true does the [18:55] child the unborn child I like the language unborn child I do not like the language that

[19:01] strips away humanity that we use so often which is fetus I know science would have me call it [19:06] that and people would know it’s a child it’s a baby when I was watching my wife develop and [19:13] through two pregnancies that we’ve had where the children have been born I watched as life formed [19:19] I watched as little hands punched and looked like an alien was going to come out and was scared [19:24] to death I didn’t like that she was like put your hand here I was like no not if you want me to love [19:30] that child but we’re seeing life develop and that is a human life and it is a dishonoring

[19:39] and a ramification of our sin that we see it any other way

[19:48] that it is impurity that would have us view it any other way

[19:58] our sin turns us from the will of God to the will of ourselves which quickly leads to death [20:06] when the scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death it is something that for us [20:11] it’s the story of the end of life it was the story of the end of days but in our society [20:16] we’re so sinful that we seek it at the beginning

[20:25] there’s a tendency for us to point out the outliers of abortion to excuse it and what I mean by that [20:32] is that we will throw in these arguments and say what about the life of the mother what about [20:37] incest and rape and I don’t have time to get into all of that today but I will tell you that that is [20:43] not the overwhelming majority of abortion we throw it out there as if that’s what’s happening [20:50] all the time and it’s not the over and I’m overwhelming over 95 percent of abortions are [21:00] matters of convenience

[21:07] we live in a society where abortion is not murder so the question I want to deal with today is when [21:16] does life begin when does life begin and what do we need to do about that when I was we were my [21:26] wife was pregnant with her second child we got to to the 20-week mark it was actually our third [21:31] child our second child has been born but when we got to the 20-week mark we’re so excited and I’m [21:36] not like you people who want to wait to find out the sex of the baby I don’t understand you [21:43] it’s like why would I I need color schemes

[21:50] I cannot stand yellow

[21:55] so so we go go to the ultrasound and it’s just it’s amazing just the imaging that you can have [22:03] right there and and and we see our child and with our son it’s like wow that’s a boy it’s impressive [22:11] but uh and then and then and then with our with our daughter here’s how bad I am with our daughter [22:16] the nurse comes in she doesn’t even wait for the doctor I guess she thought she was really smart [22:20] or something so she goes the goose all over the place and she puts the the little wand on there [22:25] and and and she says that’s a girl and and if you know anything about me I was devastated

[22:30] because I was like check again I’m forming a baseball team here but uh but it was a little [22:37] girl and just you know it didn’t matter at that point you’re just excited you’re like oh she’s [22:41] gonna be the apple of my eye and she is by the way that was she’s a year old this coming week [22:46] and and so so we’re excited and the doctor comes in and what ensued was the most uncomfortable [22:52] conversation I’ve ever had with anyone all right and here’s why because he looked to us [22:58] and he said he said you’re at 20 weeks he said I want you to know and and this is the language

[23:05] that he is if you want to do anything about this we need to do it soon

[23:12] and I know by the look on my face it can’t be comfortable when a 275 pound man gives you this [23:17] look because the look I gave him was was I mean I was just caught off guard I could

[23:26] I looked at him and I said what do you mean [23:32] he said well here in Virginia we would have to do something very soon [23:37] and there there were tests for certain disabilities which we had chosen not to have and he said [23:42] I have no reason because of that to think that there could be any disability here and I just [23:47] looked him square in the eye and I said sir I don’t think you understand no matter what this is my baby

[24:00] and I tell you that story to tell you that we live in a society in which the ethic of our [24:06] life and the sanctity of life is not held high and that conversation let me know that [24:17] because it was just another conversation for him it’s not for me

[24:24] so I want to begin to build so number three this morning I want you to understand I want [24:28] us to understand that we must form an ethic of life built on God all right and that foundation [24:36] is extremely important for you to understand that it is on God it is not on man it is not on [24:43] what’s easy it is not on convenience it is not on leisure it is not on what’s going to give you a [24:49] comfortable life it is on God and it is a ruthless radical trust and I want you to understand that [24:58] we’re mostly we understand evangelism and I think it’s because we want people to believe the gospel

[25:03] so what we often do is is that we make it as pretty as possible and we avoid hard conversations [25:09] because we don’t want it to distract from the gospel and I understand that but here’s the [25:14] reality we also have a responsibility in our evangelism to the next generation so that they [25:21] will believe truth and we must teach them that and it will cause some uncomfortable moments in culture [25:31] but here’s what I want you to know what is assumed in one generation therefore neglected [25:37] in teaching is lost in the next generation and that much of why the coming generation does not

[25:46] hold life high is because we have neglected to have those hard conversations we have neglected [25:54] to teach those truths and so I want to do two truths to unpack this one from both from scripture [26:00] but they kind of build on each other and first is that through scripture we see that humanity [26:06] is given a special dignity from God and I just want to go through some scriptures very quickly [26:12] for us to see that all right first I want you to understand that God made man in his image and in [26:19] our soul in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27 at the very beginning God created man in his own image

[26:25] in the image of God he created him male and female he created them man is given special [26:31] dignity everything else God just speaks and it is even a living creature but with man God comes down [26:38] lifts the dust of the ground forms man then breathes life into him saying this is my image [26:47] there’s a special dignity given to man we are not equal to animals

[26:55] secondly physical life begins at conception Psalm 51 5 behold I was brought forth in iniquity [27:03] and in my sin did my mother conceive me right you say wow that’s kind of a negative thing [27:09] but here’s here’s what I want you to see it says that there is a soul that is sinful from [27:17] conception it’s marred but it’s from conception formed by God God is at work in the womb and the [27:26] unborn child bears his image look at Psalm 139 13 through 16 for you formed my inward parts you [27:33] knitted me together in my mother’s womb I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made

[27:38] wonderful are my works for my soul knows it very well my frame was not hidden from you when I was [27:43] being made in secret intricately woven in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unformed [27:49] substance in your books were written every one of them the days that were formed for me when as yet [27:54] there was none of them here’s what that script that text says it says number one that God is at work [28:00] when the baby is in the womb forming and making for his purpose we have to trust him for that [28:07] but more than that the text is telling us that life where God’s perspective is begins before

[28:17] conception that in eternity past God has us in mind our purpose in mind then it says that God [28:25] forms the purpose for our life before birth look in Jeremiah 1 4 through 5 now the word of the [28:31] Lord came to me Jeremiah speaking here the word of the Lord said before I formed you in the womb [28:36] I knew you two things again before he formed him in the womb he knew him but then it says that in [28:43] the womb he formed him and before you were born I consecrated you God designed a purpose for life [28:51] before you were born appointed you prophet to the nations humanity is given a special dignity

[29:00] from God and he allows us a picture of what we are to God before we breathe our first breath in this world

[29:13] but then secondly as as many people will do today I would like to show that scripture does [29:18] tell us that there is sanctity of life before birth but life is also seen through general [29:25] revelation that it begins before birth right here’s the thing for a long time it was science [29:33] and they said nope science shows that that life does not begin at conception but friends I want [29:39] you to understand that that is not any longer true that we have so many advancements since 1973 [29:45] that have shown us so much about the unborn child that we can easily look and say no

[29:52] there’s life I want you to understand that the textbook that is currently being used [29:57] for embryology and this is all of the textbooks for embryology uniformly state that new human [30:04] life comes into existence upon completion of fertilization all right and that is stated [30:12] not in Christian textbooks but that is stated as scientific fact not a theological belief [30:21] all right more recently in our history we now have the ability to have 3d sonograms [30:28] that let us see babies smile at 20 weeks

[30:33] we found out that before between this is between the span of 8 to 12 weeks in the womb [30:39] babies suck their thumbs they respond to sound [30:45] I found out last week that there is now evidence that babies dream in the womb [30:52] they recoil from pain when needles for surgery go in I have a friend in Washington DC whose [31:00] child was seen to be lacking in heart valves and they went in utero in the womb to repair her heart [31:08] heart

[31:12] all major organs are functioning between 8 and 12 weeks the heart is pumping the liver and kidneys [31:18] are working there’s a fingerprint before week 12 the baby can actually squint open her mouth flex her fingers and toes

[31:31] at 21 weeks there’s a 50 chance of survival outside of the womb [31:39] of the over 1 million abortions last year a majority of them were after 20 weeks

[31:51] I was watching a video and you can do this [31:56] of 3d sonograms that showed development and this morning I was in my office looking at one and [32:02] there was a 3d of a 15 week old baby and it just showed that the body was fully formed

[32:15] friends science is on our side

[32:20] I know for many of us that have experienced loss of a baby

[32:27] we know that the pain of losing a child in the womb also hurts as well as outside of the womb [32:33] but my wife and I on our second baby we went through a miscarriage and there was no doubt [32:37] in the pain that we were feeling that we suffered great loss

[32:45] of a baby [32:46] we should not as a people ignore that because I believe that is an instinct that God has placed [32:51] inside of us I’ve grieved with some of you I’ve prayed with some of you for your children [33:02] I’ve wept with some of you

[33:07] and we should not ignore the pain of loss because society would tell us it’s not real [33:15] oh friend that is a life greatly valued by God greatly loved by our creator [33:24] greatly cared for in heaven

[33:28] because of the changes in science and because of our new leap into a post-modern world [33:34] mentality we now are besieged by the thought that even science does not matter in this aspect [33:41] and last year to celebrate Roe vs Wade there was a woman who wrote an article for an [33:48] online magazine called Salon and her name was Mary Elizabeth Williams and I wonder if she knew [33:53] when she wrote that that most churches will be quoting her today I have no idea but she [33:57] wrote an article which was entitled so what if abortion ends life the subtitle was I believe

[34:04] life begins at conception and it’s never stopped me from being pro-choice in that article and I’ll [34:10] just quote one line she writes all life is not equal that’s a difficult thing for liberals like [34:16] me to talk about lest we wind up looking like death panel loving kill your grandma and your [34:21] precious baby storm troopers yet a fetus can be a human life without having the same rights as the [34:28] woman in whose body she resides she’s the boss

[34:34] friends that’s ultimately to me an understanding that it’s not about science it never has been [34:43] about science it’s about sin it’s about our struggle to be self-authoritative [34:49] we do not men women children everyone we do not have authority over our own bodies

[35:00] god does this is the exaltation of self above god this is the reality that we do not desire [35:08] for there to be any responsibility to a higher being or a higher power but rather that we would [35:15] to be the authority of our own lives the scripture teaches us that god has authority he gave life and [35:21] it is in his hand and we answer to him our feeble transient existence on this earth is enough to [35:29] show us that we are not in control yet we believe the delusion of self psalm 33 six through nine [35:41] tells us that by the word of the lord the heavens were made and by the breath of his mouth

[35:45] all their host he gathers the waters of the sea as a heap he puts the deeps in store houses let [35:52] all the earth fear the lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him for he spoke and [35:59] it came to be he commanded and it stood firm who is the power who is the authority it is god [36:06] he is the author and authority of life not us

[36:14] we do not have the authority to redefine reproduction and sexuality in any way [36:23] we must submit to god’s will that is part of our restoration through the gospel [36:30] but also i want us to understand that our view of children needs to be redeemed [36:36] look at what the word of god says in psalm 127 behold children are a heritage or a blessing [36:44] from the lord the fruit of the womb a reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children [36:51] of one’s youth blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them he shall not be put to shame

[36:56] when he speaks with his enemies in this gate we need to recover a view that life and reproduction [37:04] through marriage is beautiful is wonderful that motherhood is great that fatherhood is wonderful [37:13] these are the high callings of god

[37:21] scripture would tell us that we are to value it as a blessing from god

[37:30] yet now in culture we’re seeing that people are so much happier without children married couples [37:38] proclaim so much more happiness without kids i don’t understand it apparently i’ve never had [37:46] children because i can’t imagine more happiness than what i received from mine [37:53] but here’s the reality this morning we live in a culture that will redefine everything about our [37:58] selves and so we’ve taken authority over the womb we’ve said we are the boss of this

[38:07] but here’s the reality it is a sign an example of the authority that we’ve taken over god in [38:14] all things reproduction gender identity sexuality it is all us saying god we are more authoritative [38:25] than you

[38:30] many

[38:33] within our culture and even within our church we we shy away from hard conversations and i [38:40] think it’s because we’re we’re frightened that we’re going to get it wrong we’re going to say [38:45] something wrong but here’s what i want you to understand i want you to understand that the [38:50] fight for life is about god’s will so fight for life is about and we saw in matthew six ten that [39:00] this is not fighting for god’s will is not an option it is a calling it’s a command

[39:10] look in aphesians chapter five verses eight through eleven scripture says for at one time [39:16] you were darkness but now you are light in the lord walk as children of light for the fruit of [39:24] light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the [39:28] lord take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness note this but instead expose them

[39:39] an aspect of our restoration to an ethic of life in which god would have us to seek [39:44] is this understanding that we are to work in our lives to expose sin to a world that is buying a [39:51] lie do you understand that it is not loving to allow people to believe lies that are not beneficial [39:58] for them but rather we should work to expose them will they respond in vitriol at times will they [40:03] vilify us absolutely but that’s because we have a definition of love that disagrees with their [40:09] definition of love but we are to seek that above theirs for them

[40:19] so what is our response and our action all right this past week a pastor in texas matt chandler [40:27] gave gave four things and i couldn’t come up with four better things i’m just going to use his four [40:31] things of how we should respond first we need to respond with repentance [40:39] we need to respond with repentance here’s what i mean by that

[40:45] first off i know that in our own church [40:50] and especially in our culture that there are people who have believed lies and because of that [40:57] they’ve had abortions and and they have had wrong views and they need to repent of those but [41:02] here’s the reality if you’ve had an abortion i do not want you to hear me saying that you’ve done [41:07] the worst thing imaginable your sin is not unredeemable but rather your sin should cause you [41:15] to cling to the cross that’s what i hope you believe this morning

[41:21] the gospel is offensive because it finds us in a place where we are in need of great redemption [41:27] and i cannot take that term sin away because it is what god says that it is but here’s the reality [41:34] you have hope in the cross as i have hope in the cross for my sin [41:40] so what i want you to hear this morning is not rebuke but rather a call to restoration [41:47] because the cross can restore you the cross can make you whole

[41:53] if you will repent of your sin and cling to it

[41:57] but secondly for those of us that are believers and have an unbiblical view of life we need to [42:03] repent of that repent of your unbiblical view of your purpose repent of your unbiblical view of [42:09] sexuality repent of your unbiblical view of parenthood and family

[42:15] as well as those of us who are followers of jesus we need to repent of our indifference [42:20] we need to repent of our apathy on this issue and many others

[42:30] just because you can avoid those tough conversations through your indifference

[42:39] that does not make it right

[42:44] secondly we need to pray [42:48] we need to pray for life we need to pray for people that are hurting [42:55] we need to pray for people that don’t see another way out

[43:03] thirdly this is why i might get myself in trouble with some of you we need to let this inform how [43:09] we vote you say don’t get political everyone’s political here’s what i mean by that

[43:18] i can no more vote for a pro-choice candidate than i can vote for a pro-rape candidate

[43:27] that’s why i think the issue of the the proclamation that you shouldn’t be a [43:32] single-issue voter is dumb if somebody who i thought was awesome stood up and said i think [43:38] we should legalize rape i you everyone would immediately become a single-issue voter that [43:44] night say that guy’s nuts but here’s the reality abortion is murder

[43:51] i cannot vote for anyone no matter how good they are on anything else for a moment [43:59] allow the murder of the innocent

[44:04] finally we need to get off the sidelines we need to get involved how can we do that [44:11] well you had in your handout this morning some information about two organizations [44:18] grace home and the pregnancy resource center these are two organizations that we support [44:27] and you should too you can volunteer you can help them financially tomorrow night there’s a [44:33] meeting about the grace home which is a home to promote adoption you should be involved in those [44:40] we should be involved in the pregnancy resource center of richmond that helps people who do not

[44:44] see another way out other than abortion and it provides them with ultrasounds and sonograms [44:49] provides them with education for babies it provides uh uh the father with education on how he can be [44:55] a better man and for this child how you can raise a child it provides help for the mothers

[45:05] more information about these is on the city our social media site but also we should proclaim the [45:11] gospel friends our ultimate hope is the gospel of jesus christ everyone’s is but we should be [45:19] and make disciples we should evangelize those who are hurting those who have found themselves in [45:25] situations where they saw no way out and therefore think that they’re unholy and therefore think [45:30] that they’re unredeemable and we have the great opportunity and the great privilege to go to them [45:34] and say no you are loved by god through the cross we also need to start having some uncomfortable

[45:44] conversations

[45:48] sometimes you need to talk about religion and politics sorry

[45:53] but here’s the reality this is not a political issue this is a biblical issue this is a gospel [46:01] issue and we should talk to people in loving and charming ways i’m not talking about protesting [46:08] i’m talking about loving talking about building relationships i’m talking about having [46:14] conversations with people who disagree with you and lovingly disagreeing with them but giving them [46:20] the ethic of the gospel that you have the grace of jesus is enough the gospel of jesus is more [46:29] powerful than any sin we talked about that we believe that that’s how i want to finish this

[46:34] morning as the band comes up i want us to understand that we have been given a great lease on life [46:41] through the gospel of jesus christ and that we are called to go out into this culture [46:48] into this community reinforce the ethic of life for them

[46:55] reinforce the ethic of why do we believe life why do we fight for it why do we protect it [47:00] we protect it because god valued it enough to send his son as a sacrifice for the world [47:07] he who knew no sin for those who were covered in sin exchanging his righteousness for our sin [47:14] for that is the ethic that we take to the world that’s the ethic of life [47:20] a god who protects life a god who loves life and a god who loves you this morning as we do every [47:27] week what i want to do is is i want to come together as a church and reflect on the lord’s

[47:32] supper the broken body of jesus the shed blood of jesus and may for us this represent a great trust [47:39] in grace that’s greater than any sin a great trust in god

[47:46] and a great reason to fight for life if you’re in here and you’ve not trusted in christ

[47:55] today can be the day of salvation for you if you’re in here and you think your sin is too [48:00] great for god to cover and you’re struggling to trust in him he’ll forgive any sin there’s no [48:07] depth the which you’ve sunk that he will not come and redeem you from

[48:12] for those of you that are believers when you’re ready come proclaim the gospel