Last week we discussed the Christian... And Non-Christian… REASONING... For why the Roe V. Wade Reversal was the only right decision...Not only morally... But legally....And this week we will not take the time to revisit these evidences. This 49 year battle... And especially the recent overturning of Roe V. Wade... Has brought about more division, anger, hatred…And even violence... Between opposing side...Than anything since the Civil Rights Movement…During the 50's and 60's! Today we are not going to discuss the fairness or morality of Roe V. Wade...Today I would like for us to seriously look at…The Bigger Picture... Through the Eyes of Scripture...Because... Now that we've caught the car…We've been chasing for 49yrs...We have to LEARN what to do with it! The work is NOT over...
The work has intensified a hundred fold! Anyone NOT ticked off last week… Here’s your turn! Our struggle comes from a couple of very real challenges...Which we must recognize... And rise up to meet! First... The probability for a dramatic increase…Of unprepared mothers…Giving birth to unwanted babies...May very well prove to be overwhelming…To an ill-equipped system...And if we are not totally devoted... To lovingly, sacrificially stepping into this void...Then all we have been doing for 49 years... Is boasting a false righteousness for show...And playing Pharisaical Legalism! True Followers of Christ...Those who have fought hardest... And resisted most... MUST be the ones who now rush in the quickest...To give all of the love and worth to these children...And the mothers…That we have told the world they deserved all along! Secondly...We have to address a SIN…WITHIN the Christian Community... Which has existed for decades now...And TRULY, DEEPLY... Have and share the Love of Christ...With a sinful, unbelieving world... In desperate need! We have rightfully declared the sins of abortion...We have rightfully stood against laws which would impose it!...But we have often done so...With the SAME vigorous hate and intolerance...For the PEOPLE who have bought Satan's LIE! People who are so often a VICTIM of that LIE! Many Christians... Have marginalized, and judged…The SOULS of those involved...Rather than judging their actions... And LOVING the sinner... As Jesus loves us...The sinner! In our honest and earnest desire to…Separate ourselves from the world's ways...We have unfortunately…Separated ourselves from the world's people!! God's People... Worthy of God's Blood! Because... We sometimes... Take on the role of Judge...Rather than Servant! LISTEN VERY CLOSELY: We were NOT called to place ourselves…ABOVE the world... In Judgment of it... After we were Saved by the blood of Our King...We were called to place ourselves…BENEATH the world...As a servant and caregiver to the lost and broken...BECAUSE... We were Saved by the Blood of Our King! Let's remind ourselves of...WHY EVEN THE ONE WHO IS CALLED TO JUDGE US... CAME TO THIS WORLD: Mark 10:45 (NKJV) 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) 18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Many, many of those who seek and have abortions...Are the brokenhearted... Are in bondage...Are blind...WE...Are NOT called to be the Fires of Judgment to their souls...BUT THE ACT…We are called to be the SALT that works…To preserve what is rotting...We are called to be the LIGHT that shows…A Better Way to the blind! In complete honesty...If someone has become pregnant out of wedlock...Or through adultery...Especially if they are supposed to be a Christian...Very often... Church... Other Christians...ARE THE LAST PLACE…THEY WOULD FEEL SECURE TURNING TO FOR HELP! They would feel more comfortable and accepted…Telling a sinful crowd...They'd feel more accepted in a bar full of drunks...WHY?...Because these people know they are imperfect as well...These people know they have things…They can be judged for as well...These people remember... They are sinners...And they hesitate to cast the first stone at anyone else...Lest they be judged in their own sins! Our problem as Christians... Is that WE often FORGET...WE TOO ARE SINNERS...WE TOO WOULD... AND STILL COULD MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES...WE TOO have our OWN SINS and failures…WE TOO SHOULD BE SLOW TO CAST THE FIRST STONE... LEST WE BE JUDGED! LISTEN CLOSELY… SO WE DON’T GET WRONG IDEA! Matthew 7:1-5 (NKJV) 1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. This does not mean we cannot judge another's sin!! We are CALLED to make the world see their sins... And REPENT! ONLY AFTER we have removed the plank of sin from our own eye! That "Plank" very often being…The self-righteous, unloving contempt...For the PERSON...RATHER THAN THE SIN! “With what judgment you judge… You will be judged!” Remove your own sin... Your own self-righteousness FIRST...THEN... You will judge their sin properly and lovingly!...BECAUSE we are ONLY to judge SIN... NOT the heart or motives of the one in that sin! 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NKJV) 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness AND reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. James 4:12 (NKJV) 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? We are called to separate ourselves…From the SIN of the world...NOT those who are lost IN that SIN... 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 12-13 (NKJV) 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world... 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges..." If we could be known for our…REAL love and acceptance of sinners...NOT SIN... BUT SINNERS! If people could see that we hurt with them...We care about THEM...Even when they are wrong... Dirty... Broken...They MIGHT be drawn to us FIRST...EVEN in their mistakes...Knowing we won't agree with the sin... BUT... We will love them like no other! But we are often too busy…Holding them at arms length...To protect our righteousness and reputation...Or because we honestly…Don't care enough to be bothered. Walk A Mile In Their Shoes! Jesus Became Human... To Die for Our Sins... Yes! We recently studied how He ALSO Became Human...So that He might Become Our Great High Priest...Who understands Our Weaknesses and Temptations...That WE might come to Him knowing…HE UNDERSTANDS OUR PAIN! The FIRST STEP... And maybe the most important step...In reaching, loving, touching, helping those...Who may be seeking abortions...Or who may already have had an abortion...Or even who angrily and violently defend abortion...Is looking beyond the sin only...And seeing... Caring about... The person behind the sin... The person just like us... What has driven them to such a decision? What beliefs do they hold about life? What pressure is on them? - What pains have they suffered? NOTICE… In the Book of John... The first convert spoken about in Jesus' Ministry...Was a distastefully selfish & loose Samaritan woman... (John 4:1-30) Who had driven 5 husbands away... And was now living with a man in sexual sin! Jesus saw past her outward sins...To her pain and loneliness... Her searching! Here is a picture of abortion seekers in our country...From a Christian anti-abortion source: (2019) 1)86% of all who seek abortion are unmarried... (1) 2)Many say in a bad relationship…Or partner unsupportive of baby... (1) 3)4 in 10 minors have an abortion...Without parental knowledge, guidance or care. (1) 4)Women in their 20's…Account for the majority (57%) of abortions... (1) 5)Women who have never…Had an abortion previously (58%)... (1) 6)Twice as many living in metropolitan areas…Versus rural or urban...(Influence, culture) (1) 7)Three times as many…Who are poor enough to receive Medicaid... (1) (1) ABORT73.COM, U.S. Abortion Statistics, 2022, Retrieved on 7-9-22 from https://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ So... Get this TRUTH!The majority of those seeking abortion...Are not in a marriage...But facing pregnancy alone or unsupported by mate...Very often not financially able to handle their own lives...Are young... Often embarrassed or shamed... Are very often ignorant of the truth of what they are doing...Because they are living…In a fallen world that is proud of sin...Telling them it is a procedure, not a child...Encouraging them in the direction of abortion...Teaching not only acceptance of the practice... But pride in exercising their rights as a woman...Many being taught a "worldview" from childhood…Which believes...We are all accidents anyway...We have no purpose in life...We have no accountability... WE make our own morality...You are actually helping, because we are overpopulated... THE TRUE PICTURE OF MAJORITY: "Poor, alone, embarrassed, uninformed, encouraged by society..." "Don't know their baby's worth... Or their own... In the Eyes of their Creator!" THIS... IS THE PICTURE... Of the majority of those who...Many Christians condemn…Scream at, hate, and marginalize! Rather than love, minister to, and help! If abortion wasn't such an easy, accepted, and encouraged…Road to take...If it wasn't chosen at such…Fearful, desperate and alone times...WHY... DO YOU THINK... 1 IN EVERY 4 WOMEN…SITTING AROUND YOU RIGHT NOW... WOULD MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE? What They Need... The HEARTLESS ACT of Abortion NEEDS to be passionately resisted! HEAD ON… WITHOUT BACKING AWAY! But… That 1 in every 4 women in our lives...Who have already... Or will soon...Live with the physical, emotional and spiritual…Scars of this sin...Don't just need to be condemned in their mistakes...They need to be genuinely…Cared about in their difficult time... They need to be genuinely…Loved and accepted in their shame...They need to know…They have help and support in every way...If they will choose life! They need to be taught and shown...Their worth before us and most importantly Christ! They need to be taught to focus beyond themselves... And realize their baby's worth before us and Christ! They need to see the REAL PLAN FOR LIFE, FAMILY, LOVE… FROM CHRIST! THAT A Pregnancy Center provide! They need to know that..."Doing the RIGHT THING... Will never ruin your life!" They need to know that...The seemingly unfair position...Of being the only one left with the burden to bear…After conception...Is NOT UNFAIR AT ALL… BUT AN UNFATHOMABLE BLESSING…THAT THEY ALONE… Are the ones with the privilege…To carry, bond with, and nurture Life...As God works in YOU... To Create an eternal soul! Carry and protect that overwhelming honor... With soberness and excitement! "With great blessing... Comes great responsibility!" Luke 12:48 (NKJV) 48 ...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Here is where Satan can be BEATEN... Not JUST in LAWS on a book somewhere!!! Here is where the battle for hearts and souls is won... Lives are changed for better...And Christ's Love is LIVED! If WE loved, reached, taught and brought assistance to...More broken souls... In their time of need...And even after their life changing mistake...Rather than simply screaming judgment...From self-righteous and uninvolved armchairs and pews...LISTEN NOW... If WE let our own lives be interrupted...And let our own willingness to sacrifice be known...And lived our own convictions for what we proclaim...By showing the worth WE place on an unwanted child...By emptying out…The Foster Care and Adoption Systems...Full of those we say are human, innocent & worthy of life...Full of those we say were "Too sacred" to be aborted...But seemingly not "Too sacred"…To be abandoned by us if not aborted! If we did more to help those who DO choose life...In their struggles and uncertainty...While they "do the right thing!" THE REAL BATTLE WOULD BE WON...RATHER THAN FIGHTING THE SYMPTOMS…OF THE REAL BATTLE! In Biblical times...A woman was not left alone to support her home and family… (Brother or other kin would step in!) But if she DID end up that way… It was usually as a widow... With no one to help! In comparison... We have many such "widows" today...Not just by death of a husband... But because one was never present... Or has left them in need...With this understanding in mind... Note the number of times God gives Command...To take in the fatherless child...And help the woman who's family has been abandoned! James 1:27 (NKJV) 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Isaiah 1:17 (NKJV) 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Psalm 146:9 (NKJV) 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. Psalm 82:3 (NKJV) 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deuteronomy 27:19 (NKJV) 19 'Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!' Exodus 22:22-23 (NKJV) 22 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; Psalm 68:5 (NKJV) 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. James 2:14 (NLT) 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Let the biggest battle over abortion... Which still lies ahead...Be fought and won WHERE it is actually raging...In the HEARTS and MINDS…Of troubled, misled, fearful and lost...Mothers and fathers...In the true care and worth...Children of God… Are actually called to show and give...To those in sin and need...During their struggle...And even after their mistake...And in the sacrifice WE make to care for those we say…Are so worthy of life... In their abandonment... AFTER BIRTH! Matthew 25:37-40 (NKJV) 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' NOW WHAT?! WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? GET IN THE CAR! TAKE A RIDE WITH THOSE IN THE SEAT! COMFORT AND HELP THEM... EVEN IN THEIR MISTAKES.
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