The Right to Life | Pastor John Mozingo

Welcome to Family Church's Sermon of the Week.

We're so glad you're here.

Each week we share a message from God's Word to encourage your heart, strengthen your faith, and help you grow in your walk with Jesus.

We hope this time blesses you and draws you closer to the heart of God.

You know, I I grew up in a church that that was an amen church.

You know, when the pastor was preaching, people would shout, Amen, Amen, all through the sermon.

And the more amens uh the the that that the pastor heard, it's like the more hellfire and brimstone you got.

And uh, and so that was always cool to hear the men shouting amen when the pastor would get going.

Then I went to a little Bible college in Atlanta, and I found out that amen is not the only thing that you can say in a in a in a in a sermon.

Okay, so so in in Atlanta, the men would start shouting, preach it, preach it, brother, preach it, you know, and that would get the pastor going even more.

And then then all the guys from Alabama that were there in that school in Atlanta, they'd yell, bring it, bring it, brother, bring it.

You know?

So so when I and when I started preaching, man, when people respond like that, it really does something for you when you're speaking.

Maybe it's just my ego, but uh, it really does something for you when when people are responding that way.

But today, I'm gonna ask you not to respond.

I'm gonna ask no amens, no bring it's no preach it's because today we're gonna talk about something that is that it's a very sensitive subject.

Um and and and uh we're gonna talk today, uh just continue our conversation from last week.

We're gonna talk about the the uh amendments that are being proposed on the ballot um next month, and we're gonna talk about the first one, and that is the uh it's titled the uh uh Reproductive Freedom Amendment.

And so we're gonna talk about we're gonna talk about abortion today, and I don't want you to respond today.

I know I'm I'm probably in a room where most of you agree with with what I'm gonna say.

I understand that, but I also know that it's very possible that there are people in this room that that maybe have different opinions, and and I know that there are probably people in this this room that maybe have had abortions in the past or have been a part of that, and I don't want what anyone hears today to bring shame or condemnation at all.

And and though, you know, as much as I appreciate amens and bring it and preach it's you know, somebody else might feel condemnation hearing that today.

So I'm just gonna ask that you not not uh uh respond in that way.

Um because more than anything else, I you know, I want people to know the the that our God is a God of compassion and mercy and grace.

And and you know, if you made choices like that in the past, you know, the God we're not here to condemn you.

We want you to know the God of grace and mercy.

That's our that's our uh desire today.

But but it is something we need to talk about.

Um so we're gonna continue that discussion that we started last week.

Uh we'll we'll talk about some of it more next week.

Um and I want to be I want to be kind of specific about some things because you know the amendment that is gonna be put before us, the language on the amendment is confusing.

And I think it's intentionally confusing.

You know, when when Satan when Satan spins things like this, he makes them sound wise and compassionate.

You know, he he takes the attributes of God and and adds that to the spin of these subjects.

And so so that's why, you know, they use words like reproductive freedom or or right to choose or my body, my choice.

You know, those all sound compassionate and and and wise, but that's the way Satan spins things.

So rather than going through the uh the the ballot and the the amendment that's being proposed and in great detail, because it really would take a long time to explain all of that.

I've made this available in the lobby.

It's at the connect table.

Um there's actually one for each of the two amendments, um, but this one is front and back, and the front uh is written the the actual amendment on the ballot.

This is what you'll see on the ballot, and the red marks are are things to explain what is actually being said.

The reverse side is what will be added to the Virginia Bill of Rights, to our Constitution, and the exact wording that will be added if this passes, and the red is explaining this is what it actually means.

This is what it opens the door to because the way it is worded, it it like I said, sounds sounds compassionate, sounds merciful, sounds sounds like there's even some wisdom to it.

But what it will do is open the door, it'll open the door to to things that that maybe are not listed specifically on there.

But but this if this amendment is passed, it will open the door to abortion in the third trimester at the discretion of the patient.

Right now, abortion is is permitted in the third trimester if three physicians will agree to it.

Okay?

So it's already legal, but this will open it up to the discretion of the patient.

So the patient can say in the third trimester, I want it, and the doctor can't argue with it.

Um it will open it will open up to abortion on demand for minors without parental consent.

It will open up uh the option for abortion up to the moment of birth.

It opens up the door to taxpayer of funded abortion abortion, uh punishment to surgeons who refuse to perform abortions.

The abortion industry will benefit from this.

They will make money off of this.

And it even includes, and we'll talk about this more next week, puberty blockers and transgender procedures performed on minors without parental consent is included in this reproductive rights amendment.

So there is a lot at stake with this.

And all of this is outlined in that paper in the lobby, so I encourage you to pick that up.

Um and again, I'm giving this to you because the language in the ballot is intentionally misleading, and I want us to understand what is really happening.

I want us all to understand that because this is not just a political issue.

It's not just a political issue.

It's not it's not a particular party trying to uh uh meet meet the desires of its constituents.

It's not it's not simply a left versus right or a conservative versus progressive issue.

This is a spiritual battle.

It's a spiritual battle, and our enemy is not anybody that's running for office, it's not anybody that's voting differently than us, our enemy is not anybody on a different uh uh uh uh political party.

The enemy is Satan.

Satan is the enemy in this, and his fingerprints are all over this.

This is Satan's battle, not man's, and here's why.

Look in Genesis 1, verses 26 to 28.

Genesis 1:26–28

It says, Then God said, Let us make human beings in our image to be like us.

They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and all the small animals that scurry along the ground.

So God created human beings in his own image.

In the image of God, he created them, male and female, he created them.

Then God blessed them and said, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and govern it, reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.

There are two important phrases.

I mean, it's all important, but two important phrases in here that tell us what God's purpose for mankind is.

This is why God created man.

Number one, it says, in our image, we were made to be the image-bearers of Christ.

We were made to be the image bearers to bring glory to God.

And it says, Then they will reign over the earth.

God gave man dominion over all creation.

God gave man dominion over all creation.

We are his image bearers, and we are to reign over the earth.

Now, how do we do that?

How do we reign over the earth?

Well, it starts by being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth.

We're fruitful.

We have children.

We raise those children to love God, to know Jesus, and we pass on that godly heritage.

We multiply.

Part of teaching our kids that we teach them, hey, you need to be an image-bearer of Christ, and you need to, you need to uh uh be fruitful, and you need to have children, and you need to carry on that godly legacy.

We're fruitful and we multiply and we fill the earth.

We spread out all over the earth as believers, and we grow our families so much that God's word and the people of God are present all over the earth.

That's what God was talking about.

That's what God meant by be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.

And throughout Scripture, there is a pattern of Satan attacking that plan.

And that plan, Satan's attack always includes an attack on children.

Always includes an attack on children.

You remember in Exodus chapter 1, uh Pharaoh commanded that all the male children be killed at birth.

Exodus 1 · chapter mention

He told the midwives, as they are being born, I want you to kill the male children.

The female children can live.

The male children must die at birth.

Pharaoh commanded partial birth abortion is what that amounts to.

The midwives, when Pharaoh's men came to him and said, How come there's all these little babies, little little baby boys running around?

The midwives were like, Well, you don't you don't know what it's like when an Israeli woman gives birth, man, they are so fast and efficient, we don't have time to do it.

It just happens so fast, they're born and we miss that, we miss our chance.

You know, so they they covered for it.

And maybe God made them have babies really fast so it couldn't happen.

But but that's what Pharaoh demanded partial birth abortion.

Then when that wasn't working, he just commanded that his army would walk around and grab every male child under two years old and throw them in the Nile River.

And that was a sacrifice, not the Nile was their God.

That wasn't just the easiest, quickest way to dispose of them.

That was a sacrifice to their gods.

And that was part of Satan's plan.

And then when the Israelites settled in the promised land, God delivered them from Egypt.

They wandered in the wilderness, finally, they settled in the promised land.

God said, Don't bow down to the pagan idols.

Because if you do, you're going to start worshiping the pagan idols.

And they did.

They did.

And one of the main idols that was that was worshipped was a god named Molech.

And Molech, in their mind, demanded child sacrifice, and children were sacrificed regularly to Molech.

When Assyria attacked the northern kingdom of Israel, babies were removed from the mother's womb.

When Babylon took the southern kingdom captive, King Nebuchadnezzar took the brightest and the best of the young men and boys, men who would be fathers and leaders in Israel.

He took them, he made them eunuchs, and he made them slaves in his court.

There was an attack on being fruitful and multiplying with the brightest and best of Israel.

Then in the New Testament, Herod commanded the murder of every child under two years old after Jesus was born.

That's why Jesus and Mary and Joseph had to flee and go to Egypt to protect Jesus, because there was a command that every child under two years old was killed.

That has always been Satan's plan of attack was to attack children and stop the godly heritage, stop them from being fruitful and multiplying.

And in our culture, abortion is Satan's Satan's plan of attack.

And and he makes it look very normal.

He makes it look almost logical in certain cases.

What about this?

What about this?

What about this?

What about this?

But it's all about what is the heart of God in this?

What does God's word say?

What does God's word say?

And and as followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility to stand on the word of God, and wherever we have influence, we take that influence.

And right now, we have an opportunity to have influence in the voting booth, and we have a responsibility to do that.

We have a responsibility to stand up, go into the voting booth, and vote no on these two measures.

And especially this one that says that that will that will make abortion easier, it'll make it available to minors.

All it's doing is glorifying Satan and accomplishing his attack.

So if you've never voted before, if you're not registered to vote, registration for voting is open until October 23rd, and it's never been easier in the state of Virginia.

You can you can register online.

I've got a QR code up there behind me, I think.

You can go to that and you can register to vote online.

You could do it before my sermon is over, and if that's all you heard is to register to vote, if that's the only part of the sermon you hear, I'm okay with that.

It's that important.

Okay?

If you've never registered, it's time to register, it's time to step up, and it's time to take a stand on the Word of God in the voting booth.

And early voting is open.

I think it's open, I think it's open until the 23rd, maybe even, maybe even longer.

So there's no reason.

You know, we can't get to November 3rd and go, oh, I missed my chance.

There's no reason.

Every believer needs to step up and and and walk into that voting booth and say no to this satanic attack.

Because this is not about political parties, it's not about it's not about uh anything else other than standing firm on the word of God and accomplishing his plan instead of Satan's plan.

I want you to look with me at Psalm 139, starting in verse 13.

Very familiar.

Uh you're probably hearing this a lot, hearing these verses a lot, uh, if you're listening to pastors and things this time of year, especially in Virginia.

Um, but Psalm 139, 13, I want to show you three things from this passage that demonstrate the heart of God towards the unborn child.

Demonstrates the heart of God towards the unborn child.

Verse 13.

You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex.

Your workmanship is marvelous.

How well I know it.

Okay?

The heart of God towards the unborn child is that God made the unborn child.

God made that child.

God made man and woman, gave them the ability to make that child.

God made that child, and it says, You made every part, you knit me together, you've made me complex, your workmanship is marvelous.

You know, and the big question in this debate is, well, when does life actually begin?

When does life actually begin?

That amening church that I grew up in, they used to stand for the rights of the unborn child, even back in the 70s, when this was a brand new debate.

It was a brand new debate.

That church would stand uh uh for the for the the life stand for the life of an unborn child.

And we didn't do it because we had had uh all the technology.

We don't have we didn't have sonograms and and 3D imaging and and all these things that that show us the the viability of life in the womb.

We didn't have all that stuff.

All we had was the word of God.

And in that time, the argument was had nothing to do with when life started.

The argument was and still is, God values that life.

That's why it needs to be protected.

No other reason.

God values that life.

And honestly, you know, the we we don't need to we don't need to uh uh defend the word of God with technology, technology proves that God's word is true.

Over and over again.

We see that.

Technology proves that the word of God is true, archaeology proves that the word of God is true.

All of that, all it does is prove that the word of God is true.

And and I love that David says, You made me complex.

You know, not that God's word needs that kind of confirmation, this kind of confirmation, but the development of DNA technology confirmed that complexity more than anyone ever imagined.

Your genetic code in your DNA predetermines most of your life, most of how you exist, most of how you function, all of what you look like, your genetic code determines that.

It determines your gender, your blood type, physical traits, congenital and genetic conditions, disorders, things like that are often written in your genetic code.

Your eye color, hair color, certain elements of your physical health, your metabolism, immune system, uh, even certain behavioral and psychological traits are written into your genetic code, and so, so much more.

All are determined, all of that are determined or influenced by your DNA, by your genetic code, and your entire genetic code is established at the moment of conception.

Your entire genetic code at the moment of conception.

Everything about you, what you look like, all of that is determined at conception.

God uniquely and made you in his image, and God values you, he knit you together at conception.

At conception.

Now look at the next verse, verse 15.

You watched me as I was being formed and utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You watched me.

So I know God values the unborn child because God watches the unborn child.

You know, he watches the unborn child.

My son Jacob, he's now uh uh uh pushing 30, he's in the army, and uh um, you know, awesome kid.

When when he was a teenager, when he was still living at home, he got a job at Wendy's down in Warrington, and he wasn't driving yet, so we'd you know, we'd take him to work, and then we go pick him up at closing, and uh he's a great worker, hard worker.

And uh so so uh uh one day I'm taking him to Wendy's, and I don't remember what happened that day, but he was angry as all get out.

He was angry at me.

And so when we got to Wendy's, I dropped him off for his shift.

I said, I'll be back at closing to pick you up.

He goes, Don't bother, I'm walking home.

And I just thought, he's just spouting off, he's gonna forget.

You know, he's not he's not gonna walk home at you know 11 o'clock at night or whatever.

He's not gonna walk home.

And so I just left and thought nothing of it.

So closing time, I went back and uh parked where I always parked, ready to take him home, and he walks out and he looks right at me and he just walks right by.

And uh so he walks out of the parking lot, he walks up, starts walking up uh Broadview Avenue, and uh so I pull up next to him and roll down the window and say, Come on, buddy, get in.

He keeps walking.

I pull up next to him again, I say, Come on, buddy, this isn't safe.

Let's get in the car, we can talk about it.

He doesn't say a word, he keeps walking.

And he walked all the way up Broadview Avenue, on the 29 Bypass, on 29 North, took a right on 605 all the way home, five and a half miles at like 11 o'clock at night.

Took him almost two hours, and the whole time I watched him.

And I don't know, I don't know if he knew I was there the whole time, but I would pull up where I could see him, I would let him walk till he was almost out of sight, and I'd pull up again.

If he walked some more, I'd pull up again.

For the entire two hours, five and a half miles that he walked, I never let him out of my sight because I love him and I care about him and I value him.

So I watched him.

And when the Bible says God watches you in the womb, that means that God loves you and he values you in the womb.

You have value to God in the womb, and we know that because God watches us.

Look at the next verse.

Psalm 139, verse 16.

Psalms 139:16

It says, You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

God values the unborn child because God has a plan for the unborn child.

He has a plan before the unborn child.

We we talk all the time about God has a plan for your life.

God has a plan for your life.

We we teach the uh Discover Family 301 class.

It's all about the fact that God has a plan for your life, a very specific plan, and we teach you how to figure out that plan in that class.

And we talk about this verse, Ephesians 2.10.

I love this verse.

For we are God's masterpiece.

He is created as new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

You are God's masterpiece.

The unborn child is God's masterpiece.

You're his personal work of art.

And the phrase uh in that verse that says, we are created uh or or uh it says that we are created so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

That phrase the good things comes from a single Greek word, ergon.

And that word is translated employment.

It is very specific.

You were created to do something very specific, a very specific kingdom work.

And that's what we do in 301.

If you haven't been to 301, we help you figure out what that is.

We help you figure out what has God created me to do.

But God has created you to do before you were even thought of on this earth.

God had a plan for your life.

And it involved kingdom work that identifies you.

Just like I'm a pastor, so I am identified by the work that I do.

Okay?

I am employed as a pastor, so I'm identified by the work that I do.

Melinda's a teacher.

She's identified by her work.

My sons are soldiers.

They're identified by the work that they do.

You are identified by something God created in you to do kingdom work before you ever thought of on this earth.

That's what 301 is all about.

We want to help you discover how God created you.

But God did not assign that to you at birth.

He didn't assign you that kingdom work.

He didn't develop a skill set over time.

God planned this before you were in the womb, before sperm met.

God had a plan for your life.

And that's how I know God values the unborn child.

God values the unborn child.

God said this to the prophet Jeremiah.

God was calling Jeremiah to be the voice of God to the children of Israel who had been taken captive in Babylon.

He was to be the voice of God to those people.

And Jeremiah looked at God and said, You've got the wrong guy.

It can't possibly me be me.

I'm too young.

They're not going to listen to me.

I'm just I'm just a kid, just a young man.

They're not going to listen to me.

And here's what God said to Jeremiah.

I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.

I knew you.

Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.

Before you were born, God had a plan for you.

Before you were thought of on this earth, God had a plan and a purpose for your life.

And if you're here today and you're watching this, this isn't, or you're watching this online, this is not a question of when life begins.

It's not a question of anything like that.

This is a question of what does God say about the unborn child?

This is a question of does God value that unborn child?

And the answer is absolutely yes.

And we have a responsibility to stand on the truth of God's word in that voting booth.

Now, if you're here today or watching online or listening on the podcast, and and and maybe you're here today and you've you have in some way participated in an abortion in the past.

Okay?

Whether you've had one, you've you've uh encouraged somebody to have one, you know, maybe maybe there's a physician that's gonna listen to this down the road that has said, I've I've I've performed abortions.

You know, I'm I'm not here to condemn you, I'm not here to bring condemnation on you.

I want you to know the love and forgiveness and redemption of a loving God.

God, the first time God introduced himself, we talked about this last week, he said, I'm a God of mercy and compassion.

And I I lavish unfailing love on a thousand generations.

That's the God that I want you to know today.

I don't want you to walk away feeling like, wow, I'm awful.

I did something terrible.

I don't want you to walk away feeling like that.

I want you to walk away feeling, in spite of every choice that I make, and this is true for everybody in this room, in spite of every choice we've made our entire life, God still loves us.

And God is still pursuing us, God still wants a relationship with us.

And and no matter what your choices were in the past, I'll tell you the same thing I just said about God's heart for the unborn child.

He has the same heart for you.

He made you, he watches you, and he has a plan for your life.

And and and you can't cancel that plan.

You can choose to follow the plan or choose not to follow the plan, but God still has that plan.

He had it before you were born.

And so I'm gonna do the invitation just a little bit different today.

I do want every head bowed and every eye closed, but I'm not gonna ask anyone to raise their hands.

I'm not gonna ask anyone to come forward or whatever.

I'm just gonna say, if you're here today, and whatever it is, you you you need, you need to feel the repentance and the redemption of God in your life.

Doesn't matter, doesn't matter what life was like this morning when you woke up, you know, before breakfast, before the donuts and coffee this morning, your life could have been a total disaster, scarred by poor decisions and sin.

But right now, your life can have totally new meaning.

And so if you're here today and you've got things in your past that that you, whatever it is, that you need to say, God, I need to settle this once and for all.

I need to repent of these things, and I need to know the redemption of a holy God.

Then you just pray and talk to Him about that.

If you're a believer here and you you've got things that you've never expressed before, things that deep down they've been eating at you.

Maybe over the last few weeks, God has brought these things up.

We talked a few weeks ago about what what that repentance looks like, and it's something that happens over time, and God, God reveals one layer and you you find peace with that, then he reveals another layer, and you find peace with that.

And and maybe you're at a layer now that is just so hurtful and so hard to talk about.

This morning you can you can you can have forgiveness and redemption.

So let me pray for you.

God, thank you so much for your love for us, Lord.

I thank you for for everyone in this room.

God, I thank you for everybody that's listening online, everybody that's watching this on YouTube, however they're hearing this message, Lord.

I pray that that all of us would just walk away praising a God who loves us, who sent his son to die for us, so that we can have forgiveness and redemption.

We can have a right place in standing before a holy God.

So Lord, as people throughout this room right now are praying and confessing their sin, asking for your redemption, God, I pray that you would you would help them to know and understand and feel that that redemption.

Lord, Lord, Psalm 86 says, show me a sign of your favor on me.

Lord, I pray that that you would give those people a sign of your favor on them, that they are redeemed, they are forgiven.

Lord, whether it's knowing in their heart and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit or or somebody praying for them or whatever it is, Lord, give them that sign of your favor on their life because they have confessed and repented of their sin and you have shown them mercy.

Still with heads bowed and eyes closed, if you're here today and you've never accepted Jesus as your Savior, it's simple.

It's a matter of trusting in Him, trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection for your salvation, and trusting in His shed blood for the forgiveness of your sin.

And if you've never accepted Him and you need to do that today, it's just a matter of talking to Him and saying, God, I trust you.

I trust in your sacrifice for my salvation.

I ask forgiveness of my sin.

And you can talk to God any way that you want.

But if you're struggling to put that into words, you can just pray something like this and say, Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus.

Thank you that Jesus paid the price for my sin so that I didn't have to.

So today I ask forgiveness of my sin and I trust in the shed blood of Jesus for that forgiveness.

And I trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for my salvation.

And today I commit my life to following Jesus.

I'm gonna close in prayer here in just a second.

Our prayer team is up front.

If you have anything, if you've got a burden that you're bearing, you just got to talk to somebody.

These are the people to talk to.

And these are people that will pray with you.

And they won't just pray with you now.

They will keep praying for you.

I know these people.

They will keep praying for you.

They are gonna lift you up to God.

They're gonna go to the throne of grace for whatever your need is.

And so if you've got, if you if you need to talk to somebody, that's what they're there for.

God, thank you so much for your love for us.

Lord, thank you for uh your word.

Lord, thank you that we don't have to have so many unanswered questions.

And Lord, when when Satan spins lies that sound like the truth, and when the world, when the world offers information that is confusing, Lord, we can always go back to your word for the truth.

Lord, help us to know the heart of God through his word.

Help us to know your heart through your word.

God, I pray that everyone in here would just be be uh committed to spending time in the Word of God.

Lord, grow a church in this place full of people that love you and they know you personally, they know you intimately because of the word that you've placed in our hands.

God, I pray that you would uh just these these next few weeks, as churches all over this state are talking about very uncomfortable uh issues, I pray that your spirit would move.

I pray that it would move in the hearts of believers.

I pray that it would move in the hearts of unbelievers so that during this time they would come to know Jesus as their Savior.

Lord, thank you for raising up this amazing church.

Lord, thank you for putting us in this place at this time.

Lord, help us to be effective.

Help us to be used in a way that reaches people with the gospel.

Lord, as 3,000 homes are built in the next five years.

God, I pray that family church would be there for every one of them.

To show the love of Christ and to share his salvation.

So, God, put somebody in our path this week that needs the love of Jesus.

Give us the spiritual insight and wisdom to recognize your hand in that and help us to show the love of Jesus to those people.

So, God, we love you.

Thank you for being here with us, and we ask all of this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thanks for listening to Family Church's Sermon of the Week.

We pray this message encouraged you and helped you grow in your faith.

If it blessed you, share it with a friend and follow so you never miss a new episode.

You can learn more about Family Church at myfamilychurch.com.

If you are in the area, join us on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.

We meet at Patriot High School 10504 Kittle Run Drive.