INTRODUCTION
1. Please open your bibles to Psalm 139:13&14.
2. Over the past two weeks there has probably more on TV and more from various news sources about Haiti and the loss of the 200,000 due to the earthquake than any other news story covered.
3. The story of Haiti and the tremendous difficulties encountered in getting the food, the water, the medical supplies and other necessities to the people of Haiti after those things arrived at the airport has repeatedly been covered on the news and every bit of it needed to be on the news.
4. Reports tell us that besides the 200,000 that were killed, there are over 2 million that are homeless. Reports also tell us that there are at least 250,000 that were injured! Reports tell us that there are probably 20 to 30 thousand Americans have not been found in Haiti.
5. All of these and many more statics are heart rending!
6. However, do you know what this Sunday represents to the United States?
7. Did you know that this last Sunday in the month of January represents Sanctity of Human Life?
8. “Sanctity of Life” refers to life being sacred. Life being precious and important.
9. In January of 1973, the Supreme Court declared open season on unborn babies when they shamefully invented a "right" to abortion in their Roe v. Wade decision making null and void laws protecting unborn babies in all 50 states.
10. Over the past 37 years over 51,000,000 innocent babies have been murdered.
11. Today throughout the United States those who disagree with the Supreme Court and the legalizing of abortion will renew their drive to unite and try to overturn abortion by emphasising that life for a baby begins at conception.
12. This group refers to themselves as the National Pro-Life Alliance, a national grass-roots, pro-life organization with more than 650,000 members nationwide. The Executive Director of this group is Mary King.
13 The tragedy of Haiti is a horrible tragedy and it will take years to help them rebuild.
14. However, the abortion tragedy is a greater tragedy and it is right under the nose of everyone that lives in the United States.
The abortion tragedy exist in the large cities. The abortion tragedy exist in small towns and rural communities.
We are talking about a problem nation wide throughout the United States.
15. Let’s discuss some things about the unborn and abortion.
DISCUSSION
I. FIRST, LET’S NOTICE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE UNBORN WHILE THAT THEY ARE IN THE WOMB.
1. Turn to Psalm 139:13&14. This passage teaches that the unborn are formed by God.
Let’s read Psalm 139:13&14, “………………………” Not just conceived by parents, but also “formed” by God!
2. Turn to Isaiah 44:2. This passage also teaches that the unborn are formed by God.
Let’s read Isaiah 44:2, “……………..”
3. Turn to Jeremiah 1:4&5. This passage again teaches that the unborn are formed by God. Let’s read Jeremiah 1:4&5, “……………..”
II. SECOND, LET’S OBSERVE WHAT THE UNBORN ARE CALLED IN DIFFERENT OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES.
1. Turn to Genesis 25:21&22. Here, the unborn twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah (Esau and Jacob) are called “children”. Let’s read Gen. 25:21&22, “………………”
2. Turn to 2 Kings 19:3. Again, the unborn are referred to as “children”. Let’s read 2 Kings 19:3, “…………………”
3. The Hebrew word for “children” is “ben”. An easy to spell Hebrew word!
4. Turn to Genesis 4:25. Here, when Seth was born to Eve and Adam, Seth is referred to as a “son”. Interestingly, the same Hebrew word that was used for “children” is the one that is here translated “son”.
Let’s read Gen. 4:25, “………………….”
III. THIRD, LET’S OBSERVE WHAT THE UNBORN ARE CALLED IN DIFFERENT NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGES.
1. Turn to Luke 1:41-44. This passage tells of “the babe John the Baptist” leaping when Mary came to John’s mother, and told her that she was going to give birth to baby Jesus. Let’s read Luke 1:41-44, “…………………………..”
2.The Greek word that is translated “babe” is “brephos”.
3. Turn to Luke 2:12-16. This passage tells of the shepherds being told, by the angels, that they would find the “babe” Jesus lying in a manger. The word “babe” comes from the same Greek as when John the Baptist is referred to as “leaping in the womb of his mother”.
In Luke 1 the Greek word “brephos” refers to a “babe in the womb”. In Luke 2 the Greek word “brephos” refers to a “babe in the manger”.
4. Let’s read Luke 2:12-16, “……………..”
5. Turn to Luke 18:15. Here, the word “brephos” is translated “infants”. Let read Luke 18:15, “………………………..” Jesus, even calls them children.
6. From these three passages we learn that the Greek word “brephos” is translated to refer “to an unborn John the Baptist in the womb of his mother”.
(1) Secondly, we see the same Greek “brephos” referring to an already born “baby Jesus lying in a manager.”
(2) Thirdly, we see the same Greek “brephos” referring to “infants being brought to Jesus”.
IV. FOURTH, LET’S OBSERVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE DEATH OF THE UNBORN CHILD.
1. Turn to Exodus 21:22-25. This passage teaches what God commanded to happen to a man if a man struck a woman that was expecting a child and she had a premature birth.
2. Verse 22 teaches, if, after the premature birth, there was no harm to the child, the man would be fined. Let’s read verse 22, “………………….”
3. Verses 23-25 teach, if harm or death comes to the premature child the punishment would be rendered to the one who caused the harm or the death in a proportionate manner. Let’s read verses 23-25, “……………….”
4. These passages teach that the unborn fetus is just as much a human being as the mother in this passage. Taking the life of the unborn brought as much guilt as taking the life of the mother.
5. Turn to Exodus 21:12&13. Here, we learn that the Jews were taught that if one unintentionally took the life of another adult, then that unintentional murder would be held against the guilty, but instead of his life being taken, he would be given a city of refuge to flee to.
(1) As a contrast, if one unintentionally killed one that was unborn, the guilty one was not given the privilege to flee to a city of refuge.
(2) We learn that there was stricter punishment for taking the life of an unborn, than there was for taking the life of an adult. An adult would be killed if he unintentionally took the life of an unborn child.
(3) This should tell us that God does not approve of abortions.
(2) Let’s read Exodus 21:12-13, “…………………”
CONCLUSION
1. It is easy to see that God does not agree with the Supreme Court decision to allow legal abortion.
2. Abortion is man devised, but is not approved of by God.
3. Christians must teach their young people (and adults alike) “the value of life”.
(1) Young people and adults alike “must be taught sexual morality and to abstain from all sex before marriage.
(2) Young people and adults alike “must be taught a higher standard than “safe sex”.
(3) According to God, “the only safe sex before marriage” is “no sex at all”!
4. Turn to John 3:1-5. Here, Jesus teaches Nicodemus the fact that one “must be born again before they will have opportunity to enter into the kingdom of heaven”.
(1) Other New Testament passages teach that the kingdom and the church are the same institution. [Matt. 16:18719; Colossians 1:13&18].
(2) Jesus teaches that to enter the kingdom or the church one must be born of the water and the spirit.
(3) This type birth is learning and obeying what the Holy Spirit has taught the inspired writers of the New Testament to teach that men and women are to obey in order to be saved.
(4) As one obeys that plan of salvation, which has the commands for one to believe, repent, confess and be baptized, they are promised to receive forgiveness of sins and at one and the same time be added to the Lord’s church [Acts 2:38&47; 1 Cor. 12:13 &
1 Peter 1:23).
(5) God’s desires for all that have been conceived in the womb the opportunity to experience a physical birth!
(6) God also desires for all that experience a physical birth to also experience a spiritual birth!
(7) Let’s read John 3:1-5, “……………………..”
6. If need to respond and be born again or if you or are already a Christian and need to respond and ask for prayers, please come to the front as we stand and sing.
Acknowledgments go to Mark Copeland for helpful writings on this subject. His web site is executableoutlines.com
And to Jerry Shirley and his web site is: http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BigNumbersLittleOnes.html
