Slide # 1
The baby with the bathwater!
There is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus! Romans 8:1
Full power-point photo slides are available for this sermon.
Contact the author on:
Baptistpastor@ihug.co.nz
October 29th 2006
Pastor Roger Spackman
Te Atatu Baptist Church
C:\preaching\Abortion Sanctity of Life.DOC
© Research, References & Credit to:…
• NIV Life Application Study Bible – Selected Scriptures
Please turn n your Bibles to Romans chapter 8 verse 1 - and keep your Bible open there for the entirety of this message.
As we do, I want to show you a beautiful photograph by photographer Michael Clancy.
During a spina bifida corrective operation at twenty-one weeks, while still within his mother’s womb, young Samuel thrusts his tiny hand through the surgical opening in his mother’s uterus and grabs the surgeon’s finger!
Slide # 2 - photo
I need to prepare you this morning, and give you a warning.
Today’s message is about The Sanctity of Life.
‘Sanctity’ is a rather old fashioned word, but it is the only one that describes the qualities of:
Holiness
Purity
Innocence
Blessedness
Wholeness
Completeness
These are the words we are going to use this morning to describe the conception, life and development of the unborn child as viewed from the heart of God.
It also deals with abortion.
For that reason, this message is NOT suitable for children.
If you are under the age of 15 this morning, can I please ask you to move into the Sunday School program where you will be have a great and enjoyable time with other children.
You may ask why I have set the age limit at 15.
You see, at 15, a child has the backing of our present government and legal system to have an abortion – without the consent of her parents.
In fact, simply by attending the ‘sick bay’ at your local college, your daughter – if found to be pregnant, can be offered the surgical procedure of an abortion.
She can be taken to an abortion clinic, assisted with an abortion, delivered back to school, return to class, and the parents NOT informed on what just happened!
As parents of a teenage daughter at school today, you have no legal right to be informed of the horrific ordeal your daughter just experienced!
Such is the legal standing of our society and government today!
Part of their pre-election propaganda - was their promise to protect the whales of the South Pacific from harpooning and death,
…to protect the Seals and Kiwis of our native bush and coastline from extinction,
….and yet they promote and allow the extermination and murder of over 17,000 unborn children through abortion each and every year in a country that claims the protection of God in our national anthem!
So, my reasoning is this.
If you are old enough to either get pregnant and be offered the procedure of abortion,
…or you are old enough to get a girl pregnant, you are old enough to know the truth about these things!
You see, statistics tell us that 20 out of every 1,000 women in NZ between the ages of 15 and 44 - have had an abortion.
That’s 2 women out of every 100, or 1 out of every 50.
But do you know what!
The percentage is even higher in the church!
Granted, in some churches, and cultures, it is a very shameful thing to be found to be pregnant and unmarried, but that is NOT the only reason why abortions are more common among those who attend church.
It’s not to say that more Christian women have abortions, but that those of the general population that DO have an abortion, many of them are left with a sense of guilt and remorse that only Christ can remove,
…and for that reason they join the family of God and the church – resulting in a higher percentage of women in the church who have experienced both abortion – and forgiveness!
For every woman that has had an abortion, there is also a man in the equation!
That equates to a lot of people, even some of us here today.
Before we start, I want to encourage you to stay and listen to today’s message.
I will be showing you some very beautiful, and some very disturbing photographs that have only been available in the last ten or twenty years.
Be warned, they will inspire you, and they will upset you!
If you want to leave the service, grab a cuppa, or just have ‘time out’, then please do so now, or when I warn you of the two graphic photos we will show.
You are under no obligation to stay in this service.
However, I still encourage you to stay in the service, and the reason for this encouragement is found in the Word of God this morning.
Slide # 3
Let’s read together ‘out loud’ the words of Romans chapter 8:1.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
There is NO condemnation!
Do you know what the word condemnation means?
It means:
Blame
Guilt
Criticism
Sentence
Punishment
There is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus!
If you have had an abortion, or attempted one – then once you are IN CHRIST JESUS and have repented, then there is NO CONDEMNATION for you – in your life!
If you have advised someone, perhaps a daughter, wife or friend to have an abortion, and you have repented of this sin, then there is NO CONDEMNATION for you!
If you have had an abortion, or advised someone else to have one, than you may well find yourself very upset by what we are about to experience today. You will also find healing and forgiveness!
Slide # 4
Let’s now look at the marvel of creation and science, as we turn in God’s Word to Psalm 139:13-16.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Let me present to you a photographic description of what we just read in the eternal Word of God!
Slide # 5 – for FULL color PP slides and photos – contact me at baptistpastor@ihug.co.nz
This is an Embryo at 6 weeks of age.
Instead of calling him this, which is so impersonal, let’s recognize that God formed this precious child, and let’s give him a name – Adam, for Adam – like each of us here today, was created in the image of a loving God.
Adam is around 4 mm in length and already has the structures that will develop into arms and legs.
Adam’s head is clearly visible, and blood is already pumping through blood vessels that will later form into his heart.
Slide # 6
8 weeks after conception.
Adam is now from 12 to 18mm in length!
His heart has four chambers and is pumping rapidly.
Fingers and toes have begun to form, and Adam is developing reflexes to react to his environment.
Cells are forming that will soon develop into Adam’s eyes, ears, jaws, lungs, stomach, intestines and liver.
Slide # 7
Adam is now ten weeks old.
Officially known as a ‘fetus’, Adam is now around 40mm in length.
Every part of a fully developed body are present, although not all of them have moved to their correct position.
Muscles and bones are developing and the nervous system is even more responsive.
Slide # 8
Adam is now a 12 week old fetus floating on a cloud of amniotic fluid!
Fingers and toes now have nails.
Adam is moving regularly, although still to early to be felt by his mother.
His heart beat can be heard through a heart monitor.
All major body features have appeared on Adam’s tiny and frail body.
Slide # 9
At 14 weeks of life, Adam can swallow, and naturally pass urine.
Adam has full body movement, and his eyelids and nose are developing clearly.
At this age, the gender of the baby can be clearly identified.
Slide # 10
Here is Adam at just 18 weeks of life, measuring around 100mm.
Adam can support the weight of his own head, and his limb movements are more coordinated.
A fine layer of hair begins to grow on Adam’s beautiful little head.
Slide # 11
20 weeks of life.
Adam’s skin is pink and transparent, and his ears are clearly visible.
Adam can blink, grasp his hands and move his mouth.
Hair and nails are now visible.
Adam now ‘kicks’ frequently, often times noticeable by his mother.
Slide # 12
Life is getting a little pressured for Adam after 22 weeks in the same environment!
He is completely formed, all he needs to do from now until birth – is grow!
God provides his skin with a ‘rain coat’ to protect him from the fluid in which he lives, called vernix – a greasy layer of protection.
Adam is even breathing – his lungs filling with the fluid in which he swims.
Slide # 13
24 weeks old!
Adam sucks his thumb for comfort inside his protective womb.
His kidneys are working well and his brain is growing at an extreme rate.
Adam has the ability to hear and recognize the sound of his mother’s voice from within the womb.
If born, with the aid of respirators, Adam would have a good chance of survival.
From now until birth, all our little man has to do, is grow fatter!
Slide # 14
After 33 weeks of growth, Adam has a regular sleep cycle, and is very responsive to his environment outside his protective womb.
Brain waves resemble a full term baby.
If born, Adam’s lungs would have a good chance of breathing on their own.
Adam’s breathing and body temperature are now controlled by his own brain and nervous system.
Adam opens his eyes regularly and his pupils dilate when exposed to bright light from the outside.
Hair covers his beautiful head, and his skin is pink and smooth.
All this little guy is doing, is waiting another 7 weeks to be born!
Slide # 15
Dear little Adam – welcome to our world!
Slide # 16
Psalm 139:13-16.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Part two…
Slide # 17
Footprint…
Mommy keep me safe,
Mommy keep me warm,
handle me with all your love,
Mommy keep me from all harm.
I’m only six weeks old today,
this birthday gift of me,
a pair of bright blue eyes,
that someday you will see.
I’ve barely got ears,
and a little puppy nose,
and at the end of my feet,
little things called toes.
Looking forward to my life,
toys, teddy bears, boats with sails,
and listening to you tell me,
long and funny fairy tales.
Where are we going Mommy,
will we be gone all day,
are we going on a bus ride,
are we going far away?
Where did we go?
what are they doing Mummy,
I hear a whirring sound,
why are they pushing on your tummy?
Don’t let them hurt you Mommy,
why are the people dressed in green,
the whirring noise is getting louder,
if they hurt you Mommy, just scream.
What’s happening to me Mommy?
I’m starting to cry,
Mommy come quickly,
they’re making me die.
They are killing me slowly Mommy,
the whirring is pulling me apart,
everything inside of me,
is pulled out, there even goes my heart,
Oh how I wanted to hear,
a rustling breeze and a bird’s sweet song,
and see the birdies in the trees,
but it hurts so badly and all seems wrong.
One last thought Mommy,
before I die,
I wish you could hear,
my last good-bye.
I love you Mommy,
oh, I really do,
I just wish
you could love me too.
I have a few other photographs to show you now, on the darker side of life.
Please be warned, these photos are very graphic and horrific and contain the results of an aborted baby.
If you want to leave, or cover your eyes, please do so now.
Slide # 18
This first photo is the result of a suction abortion.
Slide # 19
This second photo is the result of abortion by deadly salt
Slide # 20
Psalm 139:13-16.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Let’s turn briefly to God’s Word and allow the Spirit of God to ‘raise up a standard’ ( Isaiah 59:19 ) in a world of moral decline.
Slide # 21
The Bible says in Proverbs 31:8,9
8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Over 17000 babies were aborted, murdered in the last year alone in New Zealand.
Who will speak up for them?
Who will defend them?
I dare to suggest that you and I have a part to play in ‘speaking up’ for God’s forgotten ones.
17,000 each and every year.
That’s 1,426 every month.
354 every week.
50 every day.
Over 2 every hour.
Statistically, over FOUR unborn babies have been murdered since I arrived at church here this morning.
The Bible says that Christians, that’s you and me, that we are called to be examples.
We are to be: ‘lights shining in the darkness’. (Matthew 5:14)
We are to ‘hold out the Word of life and truth’, to be the ‘salt of the earth’. (Mark 9:50)
The world might not like what we have to say, and preaching messages like this might not fill this church,
…but it is the Truth of God and His holy Word that will set this sinful world free.
I would rather have 150 people who love God and the truth of His holy Word attending here each Sunday, than 500 who come to be entertained and ‘have their ears tickled’. (2nd Timothy 4:3)
Due to advances in science and technology that allow us to see inside the veil of the womb, the ‘age old debate’ of whether an unborn child is ‘human’ or not has largely been answered.
It is interesting to note, that if a person intends on ending the life of the unborn, they refer to that life as the ‘fetus’ or ‘embryo’.
On the other hand, when someone is intending on keeping the unborn child, it is almost always known as ‘my baby’, or ‘my child’.
Have you ever heard a pregnant mother say, ‘I’m giving birth to my first fetus!’
Or an abortionist say, ‘We’re going to remove your baby by lethal suction!’?
The respect for the unborn in our society, and the words we choose to use to describe it, seems to be strangely affected by our situation.
That’s why we need the absolutes of God’s Word to direct our understanding and choices in life.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, He then created humanity ‘In His own image’. (Genesis 2:7)
From the Psalm we have already referred to, and Jeremiah 1:5 that states similar views, we can see that God’s Word upholds the sanctity of human life BEFORE birth!
That’s where new age philosophers have got it so wrong when it comes to interpreting the stars and horror scopes as guidance for your life.
They take your birth date as when your life began!
But as we know and understand, life begins at conception, not at birth!
To help us understand this further, consider the marvelous occasion in the New Testament when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, several months pregnant with John the Baptist.
When the good news of the Messiah’s coming was declared, the Bible says that; ‘The baby leaped in her womb!’ (Luke 1:41-44)
The gospel of Luke further states that John was, ‘Filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb’ (Luke 1:15)
In the Old Testament, if a pregnant woman was harmed and this resulted in the death of her unborn child, the person who caused this death would be held responsible.
The same is true today in our society.
If a woman is harmed and loses the baby prematurely, the one who caused this can be charged with manslaughter,
However, the same law supports a woman if she chooses to kill the baby herself through abortion.
As I said before, we live in a nation that ‘saves the whales’, but ‘kills the unborn children’.
The fine for killing a cat is $500, and possibly a jail sentence – as we saw in horror several months ago as some teenagers set fire to a council cage that had been used to capture several feral cats.
But killing the unborn is not considered a crime, providing the mother approves.
May you never forget what you have seen and heard this morning.
May it affect you so deeply that you are never the same.
May you be one of those whom God chooses to ‘raise up as a standard’ against the moral decline in this nation that was once known as ‘God’s Own’!
In conclusion, know this:
God is with us from the start of our existence.
He knows when we sit and rise, slip or fall.
He knows how many hairs are upon our heads.
He knows you better than you know yourself.
He was there from the beginning, watching, waiting, brooding over us like a mother hen.
If you are considering an abortion, or know someone who is – DON’T!
Ending a life is not the answer to making yours more convenient.
There are other options – mainly keeping the baby, or adoption.
For those of us who have experienced an abortion, there is forgiveness.
Slide # 22
Do you still have your finger in Romans 8:1.
If not, let’s turn there together right now.
1 ¶ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
By accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and declaring Him Lord over your life, you can have absolute confidence in the forgiveness of your sins – past, present and future!
In my Bible, I have Psalm 103 underlined.
Let’s read it together from verse 8
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
In the margin of my Bible, I have a small drawing of a lake, or a pond, and right in the middle of it, is a sign that says;
No Fishing!
You see, what God has cast into ‘His sea of forgetfulness’, we have no right to bring back into existence!
No Fishing!
In Isaiah 1:18, God speaks these loving words to our hearts and lives today:
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like pure white wool.”
Let’s pray together
So – how do I become a Christian?
The central theme of the Bible is God’s love for you and for all people.
This love was revealed when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
Because Christ died, your sins can be forgiven, and because He conquered death you can have eternal life. You can know for sure what will become of you after you die.
You have probably heard the story of God’s love referred to as the "Gospel." The word Gospel simply means "Good News." The Gospel is the Good News that, because of what Christ has done, we can be forgiven and can live forever.
But this gift of forgiveness and eternal life cannot be yours unless you willingly accept it. God requires an individual response from you. The following verses from the Bible show God’s part and yours in this process:
God’s Love Is Revealed in the Bible
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." —John 3:16 (NIV)
God loves you. He wants to bless your life and make it full and complete. And He wants to give you a life which will last forever, even after you experience physical death.
We Are Sinful
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." —Romans 3:23 (NIV)
You may have heard someone say, "I’m only human—nobody’s perfect." This Bible verse says the same thing: We are all sinners. We all do things that we know are wrong. And that’s why we feel estranged from God—because God is holy and good, and we are not.
Sin Has a Penalty
"For the wages of sin is death." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Just as criminals must pay the penalty for their crimes, sinners must pay the penalty for their sins. If you continue to sin, you will pay the penalty of spiritual death: You will not only die physically; you will also be separated from our holy God for all eternity. The Bible teaches that those who choose to remain separated from God will spend eternity in a place called hell.
Christ Has Paid Our Penalty!
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8 (NIV)
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, has paid the penalty for all your sins. You may think you have to lead a good life and do good deeds before God will love you. But the Bible says that Christ loved you enough to die for you, even when you were rebelling against Him.
Salvation Is a Free Gift
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." —Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
The word grace means "undeserved favor." It means God is offering you something you could never provide for yourself: forgiveness of sins and eternal life, God’s gift to you is free. You do not have to work for a gift. All you have to do is joyfully receive it, Believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ died for you!
Christ Is at Your Heart’s Door
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." —Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. Picture, if you will, Jesus Christ standing at the door of your heart (the door of your emotions, intellect and will). Invite Him in; He is waiting for you to receive Him into your heart and life.
You Must Receive Him
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." —John 1:12 (NIV)
When you receive Christ into your heart you become a child of God, and have the privilege of talking to Him in prayer at any time about anything. The Christian life is a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ. And best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity.
Although being a Christian is a life long journey, it often starts with a decision of the will.
You must choose to follow Christ. You can’t ignore this choice, the Bible says that you are: either for Him or against Him.
There really is no neutral ground!
If you are wanting to follow Christ today, you can choose to do so RIGHT NOW!
When you are ready, you can pray a simple prayer like the following.
Please remember, this prayer has no ‘power’ of its own, the only power to save, is in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Dear Lord Jesus
I believe in You! I believe in Your holy Word, the Bible and all it has to say about the love and forgiveness You have towards me. I want to receive this love, receive Your forgiveness. I ask You to come into my heart and life and make me Your child! Please help me to repent – to stop doing the things that are wrong and hurtful towards You, other people, and myself. Give me the strength to follow You for the rest of my life.
In Jesus Name I pray.
Amen
If you are making this commitment to Christ today, please let us know. We would like to send you Bible study materials to help you grow in your faith.
