For Such a Time as This
Introduction
I was planning to continue our sermon series today on the “Tools of the trade” We have been going through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the sign gifts but I am sure many of you are aware of the 5 videos that have been released regarding Planned Parenthood selling baby parts from the aborted babies. This is so overwhelming and almost too hard to believe. Feel compelled by the Holy Spirit to take some time today to talk about this situation and what should we do about it as Christians.
I will move do sermon on the Tools of the Trade next week.
VIDEO: “It is time to choose”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ_nONDkcSw
Guy calling people to act 4:26 could cut off at 4:15
Planned Parenthood
A. I know that many of you heard about the videos that were released that show how Planned Parenthood is selling the baby parts of the aborted babies. If you are not aware of what is going on, you should be ashamed of yourself! This is one of those times pleading ignorance is clearly unacceptable. Which by the way our President said that the young man that made these videos is nothing but a right wing extremist and that he fully supports what Planned Parenthood is doing. Of course Planned Parenthood is denying all of it. They are claiming that they are only selling baby body parts that are donated with the mothers consent. Sure it is in the fine print of all the forms they sign. These mothers have no idea of what is going on.
B. Planned Parenthood is making about $22 million a year selling baby parts! This is so terrible, it is almost too hard to comprehend. It is just another level of evil. They are selling harvested baby body parts and what is being done about this? Absolutely nothing! Incredible. We just go on our ways, shake our head, and hope that somebody does something. Most of this is caused because we feel helpless. Like, “What can I do?’ Or ‘Will it make any difference?’” Well it might or it might not, but at least you tried. Doing nothing is unacceptable.
C. Well, here are a six suggestions. I am sure there are many more but at least this will get you started.
1. Contact your congressman, (slide with senator) as well as your Senators and let them know you want to stop giving tax money to Planned Parenthood. The services which they claim they provide are being provided for free by local community health centers which outnumber Planned Parenthood clinics more than ten to one. There are about 700 Planned Parenthood centers. There are over 9,000 community health centers sites in the US. These community health centers provide everything Planned Parenthood does, and more, but without doing abortions, and most of these centers offer their services for free as opposed to Planned Parenthood which charges for all of its services. There is no need for these Planned Parenthood clinics. Instead of offering a simply negative message of defunding Planned Parenthood, ask our government to redirect the five hundred million dollars per year to these nonviolent community health centers.
2. Find out who is donating money to Planned Parenthood. Coca Cola has stopped funding Planned Parenthood and Ford and Xerox, Kohl’s, Toys R US, Cisco, American Cancer Society, American Express and Mrs. Fields have since joined Coca-Cola and are no longer funding Planned Parenthood. Darden which owns Reb Lobster and Olive Gardens was mistaking put on the list that supported Planned Parenthood, but Darden Restaurants has issued a statement that they have never donated to Planned Parenthood. But there are still many companies listed as sponsors of Planned Parenthood, including Bath and Body works, Clorox, Levi, March of Dimes, Pepsi, Starbucks, Progressive Ins, Wells Fargo, Verizon, Bank of America, and Nike. You could contact these companies to let them know your thoughts. We talked about this at our staff meeting and thought we could make a bigger impact if we would all contact one of these two companies: Bath and Body Works, and Starbucks. (slide w/numbers)
3. Educate yourself and bring this up in conversations with your friends and family. They are thinking about it, help them out, and give them some direction. I sent out 40 emails to pastors encouraging them to bring it up in their church’s I am sad to say that only two pastors even responded. I have brought it up with my family, I have posted in my social media several times. I have brought this up with our staff and with my men’s group. I encourage you to bring this topic up in conversation. It is on people’s minds.
4. Make sure when you vote this November, that you do not vote for anyone who supports abortion and wants to continue to fund Planned Parenthood.
5. Make contribution to Pro Life organizations and our Pregnancy Center when we are collecting supplies. You can also volunteer your time to help at our clinic, as a counselor, mentor mom, or offering your house as a safe house, or helping with transportation for pregnancy ladies.
6. This Saturday there is a nationwide planned picket to be held at a Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic located at the Central Ohio Women's Center 3255 East Main Street from 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock. I am planning on being there. Even if you cannot be there you could help spread the word by telling others about it. Now if you have never been to a protest picket, you need to understand they can get a bit crazy. There will be all sorts of people there, some that will not be good representatives of God’s kingdom. But I am all right with that. I am going because I feel like I have to do something and I am praying and believing that God will use it to wake our country up and put a stop to what Planned Parenthood is doing.
Talk about Mordecai’s comment to Esther (Esther 4:14)
A. The story of Esther is the story of the faithfulness of a young Jewish girl who was born into slavery. She was a slave to King Ahasuerus. King Ahasuerus, was offended by his wife, Queen Vashti, so he had banished Vashti from Persia and then sought a new queen among the young women of his kingdom. This is when Esther was forced to become the Queen of Media-Persia and wife of King Ahasuerus. Esther was quite comfortable with her ordinary life and did not like the idea of being cast into the light of public life as a queen. She would rather have stayed at home and been an ordinary girl, but God had a plan for her life that she was only beginning to follow.
B. Now while she was queen a law had been passed by the king to have all the Jews in his empire killed. The king did not know that Esther was Jewish. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, asked her to go before the king and plead for her people. But according to the laws of Persian, she could not go to her husband, the King, without prior approval. If Esther were to attempt to walk into the presence of the King, without permission, she would be instantly killed if he didn’t want to see her. Esther reminded her uncle of this risk that she would be taking if she went in to talk to the king uninvited.
C. Read Mordecai’s answer. “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther went in and the king welcomed her. She pleaded for her people and as a result saved the nation of Israel.
D. I think we are in a somewhat similar situation that Esther was in. Although our risk of getting involved is not the same as Esther’s. I think Mordecai’s answer to Esther still applies today. If we do not do something about what is going on with Planned Parenthood. If we remain completely silent at this time, I believe God will raise up someone else, but judgment will follow! Is it possible that we were born at this time to be the generation that stands up and takes the risk of doing something? Were we born for ‘such a time as this’?
E. This is our time. This is the issue of our day, much like slavery was the issue in our country during the 1800’s, some people did something, and some did nothing. Just like holocaust was the issue during WW 2 and some people got involved but many people in Germany did nothing. Abortion is the issue of our day, and now with the public videos telling everyone that Planned Parenthood is selling baby body parts, it is time to get involved.
F. It is so easy to get overwhelmed by the darkness around us. It is so easy to think we can’t make a difference. Or to think that it might cost us more than we are willing to pay if we do try to make a difference or if we do speak up. But I believe Mordecai’s answer applies to us today. If we don’t speak up, God will raise up someone else to do His work.
G. We need to speak up. We need to speak out. If it does cost us then we need to take the attitude that Daniel’s three friends took when they stood up against the king in their day. They were being forced to worship an idol or be burned alive. And listen to their answer.
H. Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Summary
A. Ask God to speak to your heart. Ask Him what you should be doing about this holocaust that is going on right now on ‘our watch.” He will speak to you about this I am sure. Do something.
B. Don’t get overwhelmed. There is a whole spectrum ways to handle this news. Let’s do something.
C. When it is darkest, even a very little light shines bright. Let’s let our lights shine!
