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Biblical
references in Gahanna-Jefferson Church of Christ's nondenominational sermon
outlines are linked directly to text of the
King James version of the Bible.
Bible quotes you hear in the streaming audio may be from the New King James
version of the Bible.
Click Here To Start Audio
Introduction:
1. A Florida man was fined $108,800.00 for poaching 1088 turtle eggs from a
Florida State Park. The public defender argued that a turtle isn’t a turtle
until it hatches. The prosecutor affirmed that though they had not hatched, they
were still turtles. The judge agreed with the prosecutor. Too bad babies don’t
hatch! Swipe 1000 turtle eggs and get fined $100 for each egg. Kill 1000
babies and be rewarded with tax money and be lauded as a champion of
reproductive freedom!
2. Abortion is one of the most controversial moral dilemmas of our day.
3. Abortion affect millions of Americans. Social scientists today estimate that
abortion is the most frequently performed surgery on adults in America.
4. In fact, one out of three babies conceived in the United States is
deliberately aborted, and since 1973, 43,358,592 babies have been aborted in the
U.S. That is 306 per day. More babies have been killed than this country lost in
the Revolutionary war, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf wars combined.
5. However, the question that should concern us most about this issue is whether
or not this action is moral. Does God approve or disapprove of abortion?
Body:
I. A Brief History Of Abortion.
A. Contrary to what many may believe, the debate over abortion is not a recent
phenomenon.
B. Many cultures (Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian, Hittite) considered abortion a
serious crime.
C. A portion of the Hippocratic Oath stated, “ I will not give a woman a pessary
to produce an abortion.”
D. However, Plato and Aristotle thought that deformed children should be exposed
and left to die.
E. Closer to the time of Christ, Josephus wrote against abortion saying,
“The
Law commanded to raise all children and prohibited women from aborting or
destroying seed; a woman who does so shall be judged a murderess of children...”
F. The Didache said, “Do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn
infant.”
G. Athenagoras, a second century Christian, wrote to the emperor, Marcus
Aurelius, saying, “We say that women who induce abortions are murderers, and
will have to give an account of it to God...The fetus in the womb is a living
being and therefore the object of God’s care.”
H. Augustine, a 4th century “Church Father” criticized husbands and wives for
“preferring that their offspring die before it lives, or if it was already alive
in the womb, to kill it before it was born.”
I. In the U.S., laws against abortion were in effect until 1967, when a few
states began to liberalize their laws. By the end of 1970, 18 states had passed
laws that allowed abortion in “exceptional circumstances.” However, on January
22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down its Roe-v-Wade decision, which permitted
abortion on demand.
II. Abortion Methods.
A. Below is a listing of the methods used by doctors and women to perform
abortions. I won’t spend time discussing these methods, but wanted to present
them to you so that you can read and better understand what is involved in an
abortion.
B. Dilation and Curettage or D&C.
C. Suction Aspiration - used in 80% of abortions.
D. Saline Injection or salt poisoning.
E. Prostagandin.
F. Dilation and Evacuation or D&E.
G. Hysterotomy.
H. Dilation and Extraction or Partial Birth Abortion.
III. What Does The Word Of God Say About Abortion?
A. The Bible, in principle addresses all our needs and answers all our moral
questions.
C. First of all, life is valuable.
D. Second, life begins at conception.
1. Doctors testify to this fact:
a. Ashley Montague, Professor at Harvard & Rutgers (who btw, is not at all
sympathetic to the pro-life cause) -
“The basic fact is simple: life begins not
at birth, but conception.”
b. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who has performed over 60,000 abortions -
“Modern
technologies have convinced us that beyond question, the unborn child is simply
another human being, another member of the human community, indistinguishable in
every way from any of us.”
2. The Scriptures testify to this fact:
IV. Pro-Abortion Rhetoric:
A. “Every woman has a right to control her own body.”
1. “Every woman” - half the babies aborted are female.
2. “Has a right” - society does not recognize absolute right over one’s body
(e.g. public nudity, drunkenness, etc.).
3. “To control” - control could have prevented the pregnancy.
4. “Her own body” - pregnancy involves two bodies.
B. “Abortion is every woman’s legal right.” However, legal rights and moral/biblical rights are not always the same
- Acts 5:29
C. “The fetus is mere tissue and not a person.”
D. “Abortion is the best solution to a crisis pregnancy.”
1. What if Mary, the mother of Jesus, had embraced such a view?
2. Abortions involving rape and incest comprise only 1% of all abortions
performed, and while I do not wish to minimize the trauma of such situations,
harming an innocent person is not the proper response.
V. What Can We Do About The Moral Problem Of Abortion?
A. Show compassion.
1. It’s not a sin to have a baby outside of marriage, it is a sin to have sex
outside of marriage.
2. We must condemn sin but lovingly help and support those who have committed
sin and help them to bear up under the consequences.
B. We need to speak out what God’s word says because we can’t expect people to live godly lives who do not know what godliness
entails.
C. Social involvement and support of pro-life organizations.
D. Vote.
Conclusion:
1. People may and probably will continue to argue about this issue.
2. Nevertheless, God has shown us that life is precious and he is highly
offended when we harm his little ones -
Proverbs 6:17,
Matthew 18:3-5;
19:14
3. Friends, make yourself a voice for the voiceless, and defend the innocent and
helpless. You know your Lord would.
Poem - What Was I Supposed To Be?
Author unknown
As Jesus walked upon the earth, on the shores of Gallilee,
He’d say to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me.”
I wonder if up in heaven, do you suppose you’ll see,
Little children asking, “What was I supposed to be?”
“What was I supposed to be?” “What were my eyes supposed to see?”
“Why did I taste of death, Before I even drew a breath,
Or lay my head on my mother’s breast to sleep?”
“Oh, Jesus, what was I supposed to be?”
“Was I to be a prophet used in the ministry?”
“A doctor who would find a cure, for some terrible disease?”
“Even if I had been born imperfect why couldn’t my parents see I’d have been
made perfect,
when you came back for me?”
“Oh Jesus, what was I supposed to be?” “Jesus, What was I supposed to be?” |
Don Treadway,
01/18/2004 |
