Christ and the Unborn

Amen. Feel free to grab a seat.

I'll ask that you take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you this day.

Our exposition of the book of Romans, we're going to pick back up here in a couple of weeks in chapter 9.

And we have been working together through a sermon series called Christ in Culture.

We've been talking about how it is as Christians, now as the body of Christ,

we should be engaging culture for the sake of the gospel.

In fact, seeking to change culture with the gospel.

Our theme verse for the series has been 1 Corinthians, the second part of verse 22 of chapter 9 and verse 23,

where Paul says,

I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessing.

And so Paul was arranging his life in such a way that people would come to know Christ,

that he might have joy in that process, in joining God in what it is that he's doing in the world.

This morning's topic is Christ and the unborn.

And I have to tell you, this has been an incredibly difficult two weeks for me as I've studied abortion itself.

I have been so mad, I've been trembling at times.

I've had to put down the research I was doing and walk away from it.

I have cried.

I have been confronted by my own apathy.

I didn't learn anything new over the past couple of weeks.

But as I prayed that God would allow the truth of abortion to run down in me and what he has to say about it,

that I might share that with you.

It's been troubling to me.

I'm very thankful that I got a last-minute call to officiate John and Mallory's wedding yesterday

and had a little joyful experience in the middle of all of that,

that I might have my spirits lifted a bit.

So let's begin this morning.

Let me read this text.

We'll pray together and I'll show you what I've been learning on the topic.

Proverbs 24, verses 10 through 12.

Proverbs 24:10–12

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

Rescue those who are being taken away to death.

Hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

If you say, behold, we did not know this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?

And will he not repay man according to his work?

Let's pray together.

Father God, I ask by your spirit that you will save us from ourselves this morning.

That you will help us to think rightly about the issue of abortion.

And that you will show us how it is we should engage culture for the sake of the gospel

and for the souls of those who are lost.

Please, Father, use me to speak powerfully from your word this day.

And I pray this in Christ's name.

Amen.

So the text, and I'm not going to spend a lot of time in it.

The issue to speak against abortion, to be pro-life is certainly something that the Bible speaks to,

but it does so very plainly and very briefly.

It's not a really very difficult biblical argument to make.

The sixth commandment is, thou shalt not murder.

And it's really that simple.

But I've kind of arrived at Proverbs to see, help us to see,

what is said of Christians who shrink back from the challenge of our culture.

A culture that is very pro-choice, which I won't use that term much more.

I'll use the term pro-abortion.

Pro-choice is a term used to distract us from what's really happening.

We could use the term pro-murder, really, in its case.

But you see in verse 11 of Proverbs 24,

we're instructed to rescue those who are being taken away to death.

Hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

And the writer here is not referring to unborn children being murdered.

That's not what he's talking about.

He's talking about people who are living in sin and their ultimate resting place,

the place they will go, and I shouldn't even use the term resting,

is death and slaughter, eternal judgment.

That there's a judgment coming on them one day.

And we have, in our culture, a mass that's moving in that direction

because they bought this cultural lie that it's okay to murder unborn children.

We live in a day of adversity, verse 10.

And if we don't become a louder voice,

I think it'll be said of us that our strength is small.

And you'll see in verse 12, we can't say,

we didn't know.

We didn't know it was an issue.

Because here it says that God knows what's in your heart.

He knows you know.

And that he'll repay man according to his work.

And so I desperately want us to get this right.

And I want to show you today how aborting unborn children

is not just bad for unborn children,

but it's bad for all of society.

I want you to see that today.

And if we love people, if we love the world,

if we want to see culture transformed by the renewing power of the gospel,

we must see this together and we must act together.

This is an issue that touches everyone's lives.

43% of women of childbearing age have had or will have an abortion in America.

I'm only talking about America this morning.

43% of women in childbearing age,

which is said to be 15 to 55.

I think that's a little extreme.

But 43% of women.

43% of those women who have abortions identify themselves as Protestant.

27% as Catholic.

And 18% as evangelical or born-again Christians.

This is a topic very close to home.

If you'll allow me, 18% of these women are members of Bible-believing churches.

If you'll allow me that phrase today.

Which means each year,

about a quarter of a million unborn children

are murdered by those who say they're born-again Christians.

This is not a topic far from who we are.

I hope everybody today already agrees with my stance.

If not, I pray that it'll change.

If you have more questions,

there's no way for me to exhaustively cover this topic today.

Please, please come talk to me.

So firstly,

aborting unborn children is bad,

is unhealthy for unborn children.

In our culture,

this issue has not really become a debate of morality.

Our culture at large,

save some psychopaths and sociopaths,

our culture at large would say that murder is in fact wrong.

It's become a question of when is a life a life?

When is a child a child?

And then therefore,

when is murder murder?

I recently read an article

by two bioethicists

whose names I'm just not even going to try to say for you.

They argued in the Journal of Medical Ethics

that afterbirth abortion

should be legal in all cases where abortion is legal.

Did you catch that?

So currently,

it is legal to abort a child

who's tested for Down syndrome

and found to be positive for that.

It's legal to do so, to abort them.

Their argument is

it should also be legal

to abort them

after they're born.

And sadly,

it's not a reductio ad absurdum

intended to show how illogical abortion is.

It's a philosophical argument

for infanticide.

And they're not the only people making this argument.

Have you heard recently of the court case

where the couple was awarded $3 million

because they had a Down syndrome daughter

and they were told by a test

that she didn't have Down syndrome?

Four years old,

this little girl is,

when this court case is decided.

And this family is awarded $3 million

because they said

we would have aborted her

had we known

that she had Down syndrome.

That

is the society we live in.

That's the debate

that's going on.

Let me ask you this question.

When did your life

begin?

At what point would you say

you were who you are

today?

David writes in Psalm 139, 13 and 14,

speaking to God,

for you formed my inward parts.

You knitted me together

in my mother's womb.

I praise you

for I am fearfully

and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works.

My soul knows it

very well.

David knew

when his life began.

It began

at conception.

Do you know

that the person you are today,

the shape that you are,

your mental capacity,

all of that

was given to you

in your genetic code?

When your mother's egg

joined with your father's sperm,

everything needed

to form you

was present

at that time.

Before that joining,

you were not you.

After that joining,

you were you.

So,

what is the difference

between an unborn child

and a newborn?

What is the difference

between a child

in the womb

and one who

is outside

of the womb?

And I have found

four arguments,

four differences

given,

which make no sense

to me.

The first is

size.

But does how big

you are

determine how alive

you are?

Does that even

logically make sense

to anybody

in the room?

If that were the case,

then Chris Stewart

is more alive

than me.

And Eddie

is more alive

than Chris Stewart.

Right?

And my son,

Cademan,

who's two,

is less alive

than I am.

It's absurd.

How about level

of development?

Am I more alive

than Cademan,

my two-year-old,

because I'm smarter

and stronger,

at least for now?

Am I any more alive

than he is

as a result?

Environment

is the third.

Does being

in this room

make any of us

more alive

than someone

who is outside

this room,

those who are

across the hall

right now?

Are they less alive

because of their

location?

Certainly not.

Or how about

degree of dependency?

Is a small-born child

less alive

than an unborn child?

Is Judah,

my five-and-a-half-month-old,

less alive

than Cademan

because he's more

dependent on his mother?

Is someone

with Alzheimer's disease

who needs

intensive care

or someone

who's mentally

disabled

less alive?

How about me?

I'm a type 1 diabetic.

I require insulin

from external sources.

I'm dependent

on my insulin pump.

It's not a pager.

It's an insulin pump

to stay alive.

Does that make me

less alive?

Have I digressed

when I was diagnosed

with diabetes?

Certainly not.

Any attempt

to say

that an unborn child

is not alive,

is less alive

than any other

human being

is absolutely

absurd.

I began to do

a ton of research

this past two weeks

over child development.

I'll encourage you

to do that.

It's incredibly fascinating.

But I want to talk about

just one

particular age.

I want to talk about

a 12-week-old

unborn child.

In the state of Georgia,

first-term abortion

is considered

up to 12 weeks,

six days old.

I want to talk about

a 12-week-unborn child.

I have this really incredible

that I've been

carrying in my pocket.

This is

a

life-size

scaled sculpture

of a 12-week-old

unborn child.

I'm going to pass this around.

I want you guys

to just pass it around

and hold it in your hand.

This is the approximate size

based off of

a miscarried child.

A 12-week-old

unborn child

has

eyes and ears,

has fingernails

and toenails.

All of its major organs

are intact.

It begins producing

white blood cells.

The kidneys

begin producing urine

at that age.

Little baby peas.

The synapses

in the brain

are forming

at 12 weeks old,

which means

that it's beginning

to learn.

Different reflexes

begin,

sucking motion,

opening and closing eyes,

grabbing and curling toes.

A 12-week-old

unborn child

plays

with its umbilical cord.

Swallowing,

kicking,

flipping,

and waving arms.

All of that is happening

at this age.

I will give

a

brief warning

at this point.

I'm going to try

to keep this PG.

I'm going to explain

a little bit

of the abortive procedure

and if you have any

children in here

you don't want to hear that.

Now's your time

to run out of the room.

But I want to tell you

a little bit

about what happens

to a child

of this age

in a surgical abortion.

The procedure

is called

dilation

and evacuation.

It takes

about five minutes

and

the woman,

the mother,

is dilated

and a

catheter

attached to

a suction machine

is placed inside of her

and that baby

is sucked out

of the inside of her.

The amniotic fluid

is pulled out

and the baby

comes out

usually

in pieces.

That's this age.

Not long after,

up to

24 weeks

and 6 days

here in the state

of Georgia,

that procedure

begins to be

a little more

graphic

and I just

wanted to read

to you,

this is from

the Atlanta

Women's Medical Center

and Abortion Clinic.

This is the way

they describe it.

The surgical abortion

after dilation

is complete

in a manner

similar to

but more extensive

than

the method

described

for first trimester

abortions

and glaze

what's happening

over.

Let me tell you

what's happening.

The second trimester

abortion,

the woman is

dilated.

The same

suction is used

to pull out

all the amniotic fluid

at which point

the baby suffocates

and then

the doctor

sticks a long

pair of forceps

up inside the woman

and blindly

feels around

until he grabs

something,

clamps down

and he yanks it out

so an arm

comes out

and then a leg

comes out.

His goal

is to get

everything out

from inside

the woman.

Eventually the head

has to come out

but he has to

crush it

for it to come out

and that's what

he does.

The whole procedure

takes about 15 minutes

and he pockets

about $1,000.

That is what's

happening

to the unborn

children.

It's atrocious.

I'm trembling

talking about it

right now.

Approximately

1.3 million

unborn children

a year

are murdered

in America.

There have been

over 53 million

unborn child murders

since Roe v. Wade

was passed

in 1973.

53 million.

This is a genocide

much larger

than anything

that happened

during the Holocaust.

You history buffs

can tell me

if I'm wrong

but at the hands

of Adolf Hitler

I believe

about 41 million

people died.

It's about

30 million Russians

6 million Jews

and about

5 million

of the Allied

troops

were killed.

41 million.

This has surpassed

even the casualties

of that war

and if we're

going to be

consistent in our

logic as

these bioethicists

do

we would justify

the Holocaust

and the

atrocities of that

war.

We would say

well

these people

were an inconvenience

to Hitler

and his plan.

Hitler wanted

to rule the world

he didn't care

for some of these

people

and therefore

it was okay

for him to choose

to just dismiss

them

and dispose

of them

and move on

and that is what

we're doing

with the unborn

children.

1.3 million

a year

that's about

3,800

abortions

that are performed

each day.

3,800

and in the hour

and a half

we will have met

this morning

237

unborn children

will have been

murdered.

237

this room

has in it

I don't know

I'm going to guess

about 70 people

so we're

what is that

a fifth

of that number

and if a man

walked in the back

of this room

today

and killed

all of us

it would be

national news

there would be

outcry

it happened

recently

did it

in a movie theater

12 people

lost their lives

and that's a tragedy

I'm not

making light

of that

it's a tragedy

that those 12

people died

but in an hour

and a half

237 people

are going to be

murdered

this morning

and we're

quiet

secondly

aborting

unborn children

is bad

it's not healthy

for women

the pro-life

argument

has often

been framed

as an

anti-woman

argument

I heard on

conservative talk

radio the other

day that

Romney

is losing

the woman

vote

because he's

pro-life

it's often

framed that

way

but

let me show

you that

pro-life

is actually

pro-woman

it's pro-women's

life

as well

the effects

the physical

effects

and the

psychological

effects

that abortion

has on women

is rather

atrocious

and let me

just start

with the

physical

effects

Dr. Elizabeth

Shatigan

testified before

a senate

subcommittee

in 2004

this

start quote

abortion

increases rates

of breast

cancer

placenta

previa

preterm

births

and maternal

suicide

statistically

all types

of death

are higher

with women

who have

induced

abortions

end quote

ectopic

pregnancy

which is

when

the egg

and plants

in the

fallopian

tube

and not

in the

uterus

that is

something

I learned

this week

are responsible

for 12%

of all

pregnancy

related

maternal

deaths

and it's

increased

500%

since abortion

was legalized

Dr. Joel

Brind

said

the single

most

avoidable

risk

factor

for breast

cancer

is

induced

abortion

end quote

women

who have

abortions

have a

minimum

a minimum

50%

greater

chance

of having

breast

cancer

to as

much

as

a

300%

greater

chance

of having

breast

cancer

abortion

also

ends

in

death

for

women

on

July

20th

just

recently

national

news

a woman

named

Tanya

Reeves

went in

for a

second term

abortion

in

Chicago

and she

hemorrhaged

on the

table

it took

five

hours

for her

to bleed

out

and you

know what

the abortion

clinic did

kept her

there

so it

would have

looked real

bad to rush

her off

to the ER

wouldn't it

for this

procedure

this

thing

that's

touted

as

just

another

procedure

just

another

surgery

to be

done

psychological

effects

dozens

of studies

tie abortion

to a rise

in sexual

dysfunction

aversion

to sex

loss

of intimacy

unexpected

guilt

extramarital

affairs

traumatic

stress

syndrome

personality

fragmentation

grief

response

child abuse

and neglect

and an

increase

in alcohol

and drug

abuse

women

who have

abortions

are five

times

more likely

to abuse

drugs

there was

a study

done

of a group

of women

just eight

weeks after

abortion

and many

of these

things don't

show up

until much

much later

in a woman's

life

but just

eight weeks

after an

abortion

44%

of these

women

reported

nervous

disorders

36%

sleep

disorders

31%

deep

regret

about

their

decision

and

11%

had

already

been

prescribed

psychotropic

medication

just eight

weeks

after their

abortion

the group

women

exploited

by

abortion

has

chapters

all across

the United

States

for women

who decide

they'd like

to reach

out

and receive

support

for the

trauma

they've

experienced

in abortion

has

30,000

members

in the

US

psychological

effects

are also

so deep

and if

abortion

is just

another

surgical

procedure

why is it

that we

don't see

support groups

for people

who have

had their

wisdom teeth

taken out

or

an appendectomy

!

We don't see

support groups

for people

like that

because there

is no

psychological

damage done

for such

a simple

surgical

procedure

abortion

is so

much

more

so

the pro-life

movement

those of us

who hold

to that

is also

pro-women

I care

about

women

care deeply

about their

health

and their

psychology

I want

to see

culture

reformed

and I want

to see

women

healthy

thirdly

aborting

unborn

children

is bad

for men

men

also report

some of

the same

psychological

effects

however

many men

are not

involved

at all

in the

decision

80%

of women

who obtain

abortions

are single

and have

no support

from the

father

80%

this epidemic

has allowed

men

and I use

that term

very loosely

really I should

say boys

playing at

men games

to ignore

their responsibilities

is that it has

permitted them to

do as they

please without

any regard

to the

consequence

this week

I was

I was watching

Cade

and he

for quite

a while

has climbed

up onto

the back

of our

couch

and crawled

down the

length of

it

on Thursday

he decided

it would be

awesome to

stand up

on the back

of the

couch

and take

a header

off the

couch

and literally

he jumped

onto the

cushion

and then

onto his

head

on the

floor

boys don't

think about

consequences

do they

he just

did that

now

fortunately

he learned

the consequences

in this

case

these boys

the consequences

of their

action

is taken

out on

somebody else

not on

them

and legally

we permit

that to

happen

so aborting

unborn children

is also

bad for

men

it has

permitted

many men

to stay

boys

and lastly

aborting

unborn children

is bad

for the

church

I want you

to turn

with me

to Isaiah

Isaiah 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

I'll begin

reading

in verse

11

what to

me is

the multitude

of your

sacrifices

says the

Lord

I have

had enough

of burnt

offerings

of rams

and the

fat of

well-fed

beasts

I do

not delight

in the

blood of

bulls

or of

lambs

or of

goats

when you

come to

appear

before me

who has

required

of you

this

trampling

of my

courts

bring

no more

vain

offerings

incense

is an

abomination

to me

new moon

and sabbath

and the

calling of

convocations

I cannot

endure

iniquity

and solemn

assembly

your new

moons

and your

appointed

feasts

my soul

hates

they have

become a

burden

to me

and I

am weary

of bearing

them

when you

spread out

your hands

I will hide

my eyes

from you

even though

you make

many prayers

I will

not listen

your hands

are full

of blood

wash

yourselves

make

yourselves

clean

remove

the evil

of your

deeds

from before

my eyes

cease

to do

evil

learn

to do

good

seek

justice

correct

oppression

bring

justice

to the

fatherless

plead

the

widow's

cause

through the

prophet

Isaiah

God said

to his

people

you're going

through the

motions

of religion

doing

things that

he had

commanded

them to

do

making

sacrifice

he had

told them

to do

that

but they

were just

going

through the

motions

of doing

that

and how

many of

us

do the

same

come here

and sit

to go

through the

motion

of going

through

church

how many

people

this

morning

across

the

united

states

are

doing

just

that

and what's

the correction

he brings

to them

verse 17

learn to

do good

seek

justice

correct

oppression

he's saying

defend

the

defenseless

fight

for those

who

cannot

fight

for

themselves

in

surveys

26%

of

Americans

have

strong

pro-choice

opinions

that I

use the term

again

pro-abortion

opinions

29%

of those

survey

have strong

pro-life

opinions

which leaves

55%

of this

country

that

doesn't

really

know

where

they

stand

they

might

lean

one

direction

or the

other

the church

has a

responsibility

to work

it's not

hopeless

it's not

the 29%

of us

against

the 71%

it's the

29%

against

the 26%

and there's

so many

opinions

to be

swayed

we can

have

an impact

on this

issue

we must

stand up

for the

defenseless

we must

fight for

those

who cannot

fight for

themselves

and I

don't just

mean

unborn

children

I also

mean

the women

who are

being led

astray

the culture

this narrative

that speaks

so loud

as we

looked in

proverbs

all of

those

who are

being taken

away to

death

who are

stumbling

to the

slaughter

we must

become a

voice

of reason

to them

we also

must be

consistent

young ladies

this is

especially

for you

although none

of us

should ignore

this

there are

pills

that are

certainly

abortive

there are

after

morning after

pills

certainly

abortive

but birth

control methods

that most

women use

known as

the pill

can also

be

abortive

hear me

carefully

the pill

that most

women take

does three

things

number one

and primarily

it tricks a

woman's body

into believing

it's pregnant

so she won't

ovulate

there's no

egg to be

fertilized

no big deal

that's not

abortive

secondly

they thicken

the mucus

in the cervix

making it

more difficult

for sperm

to reach

any egg

that may

exist

that's the

second

method

but thirdly

they prevent

a fertilized

egg

an unborn

child

from implanting

and that's

abortive

now I

can't

I can't

draw a line

in the sand

about this

I'm not

even nearly

well read

enough

it's my

understanding

that all

of those

contraceptive

methods

known as

the pill

do this

they have

a primary

and a secondary

and a tertiary

methodology

Sam and I

used birth control

she used birth control

when we were first married

we won't anymore

because of what I've learned

I can't say that's

the thing you need to do

but you do

need to be informed

and you do

need to do your research

and you do need to

prayerfully consider

what you do

what you put in your body

and the effects

that it may have

please be aware

of that

so question

if allowing the murder

of 1.3 million

unborn children

this year

is so bad

for everyone

why do we

continue

to permit

this to happen

why do we just

go on with it

there are some

that say

that this is an issue

that's a distraction

from the gospel

these social

narratives

these things

that we try to

drop to do

is a distraction

from just simply

going out

and preaching

the gospel

but I would say

to you

in the closing

record of the book

of Matthew

we see what's commonly

called the great commission

beginning in verse 16

it reads

now the eleven disciples

went to Galilee

to the mountain

to which Jesus

had directed them

and when they saw him

they worshipped him

but some doubted

and Jesus came to them

and said

all authority

in heaven

and on earth

has been given

to me

go therefore

and make disciples

of all nations

baptizing them

in the name of the

father and the son

and the holy spirit

teaching them

to observe

all that I have

commanded you

and behold

I'm with you

always

to the end

of the age

we're not

just told

to go and make

converts

we're told to go

and make

disciples

those who follow

after Jesus Christ

and therefore

we must

teach his ways

and we also must

model his ways

Jesus cared

deeply

about

the oppressed

look at who

he hung out with

the lepers

were put off

in another area

they were considered

less than human

culturally

they were considered

non-human

and Jesus went to them

that's who we are

to be

as we make

disciples

it's very

gospel

motivated

to care

about

women

and men

and unborn

children

we must

act

I don't know

yet exactly

how this church

is going to act

but it will

if I have anything

to do with it

you're going to have

to run me off

or we're going to

do something

about this issue

in America

I don't know

what we can do

to impact it

on such a large

level

can we prevent

the abortion

the murder

of 1.3 million

unborn children

gosh I pray so

I don't think so

I don't think

that God's going

to use us

in that kind

of a way

but we can

do something

and if we'll

rise up together

as evangelical

Christians

and speak

against this

I believe

a greater thing

can be done

so what can we

practically be doing

and we'll do

some things together

I promise

understand the

politics

Roe v. Wade

needs to be

repealed

certainly

that needs

to happen

but you know

that the

power to punish

crime

this is not

a federal

issue

certainly vote

for people

who are pro-life

don't vote

for anybody

who's pro-choice

vote for people

who are pro-life

but this isn't

even a federal

issue

you know

who punishes

murderers

the state

of Georgia

the federal

government

doesn't do

that

that's not

a power

given to them

in the

constitution

we can affect

what happens

on the state

level

much more

readily

than we can

on the national

level

we need to

see Roe v. Wade

repealed

but then we

got to go

after our

state government

the people

want this

to happen

I believe

it can

I still

maybe foolishly

but I still

believe

in democracy

we need to

be involved

with our

local

efforts

the Dahlonega

Care Center

and the

Gainesville

Care Center

are phenomenal

resources

they do

lots

for women

with unborn

children

who are

considering

these types

of options

and we

will be

further

involved

with them

in the

future

we need

to be

alternatives

we've talked

to you

quite a bit

about our

church

we want

to foster

and adopt

children

beyond that

we want

to support

young mothers

single mothers

who decide

to keep

children

it's something

we call

the ABBA

initiative

and you'll

begin to hear

more and more

about that

but we also

need to be

offering some

alternative

to this

immoral

dilemma

I would

ask you

today

I kind

of hope

I haven't

blown your

mind

with any

new

information

I hope

that you've

been very

aware

of what's

going on

but I would

just ask

today

that you

have God

search your

heart

and expose

your apathy

he did

to me

this week

and I

pray that

he'll do

the same

for you

that we

might move

together

to see our

culture changed

with the

redemptive

gospel message

and we

can see

an end

put to

the murder

of unborn

children

let's pray

together

a

ending

a

Thank you.