The Value Of One!

“The Value of One”

Pastor Glenn Newton 1-15-00 Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Text: John 10:1-18

In my 8 years as a Pastor I have received more criticism when I speak about my

pro-life stand than I do on any other topic. Responses have ranged from sarcasm to anger

to apathy. Yet, the defense of the unborn and the less fortunate must be at the forefront of

who the church is and what the church does.

Sadly, today the facts speak out for themselves. I am going to read some statistics

and give you some information that will inform you as to the Status of Abortion in

America today. (I have included a copy of these statistics in your bulletin)

Read Marked Stats..........

“If we teach a young mother it is OK to take the life of her own child in the

womb, we inevitably pull the thread that permeates the entire garment of the sanctity of

life -- forever.” Martin Palmer- a pro-life advocate

This morning, my desire is not to only approach the Sanctity of Human Life from

the abortion point of view, I want to address the Value of Life. Life is of Great Value,

and in a society where life has become something manipulated by the hands of men, We

need to be Reminded that God, and Only God is the giver of Life, and because it belongs

to him, We should defend Life, Celebrate Life, Uphold the Standard that says Life is

Valuable. Friends, Christians, it is our responsibility to honor and protect life. That will

be my goal this morning as I preach God’s Truth.

In our passage this morning, Jesus presents himself as the door (10:8) .... and He

warns us about those who would come to do us harm ..... to teach us falsely ........ to

distract us from the truth. In John 10:10 He warns of those who promise life but in the

end bring death and suffering. Satan comes to destroy everything that has value to God.

Namely you, and your family. What sick kind of joy Satan must have when a confused,

scarred, many times pressured 17 year old girl walks into a abortion clinic and allows a

murderer to abort that precious life.

I can’t imagine the pain that these young women live with as they come to realize

what they have done. This morning there is only one cure for that type of pain, His Name

is Jesus, and His Love and His Forgiveness can bring healing even in the case of abortion.

God’s grace is amazing.

God values life my friends, the lives of the unborn, the lives of the elderly, and

aged, the lives that have been broken by sin and the world, He Values You no matter the

baggage you bring with you. If your glad say Amen!

You see Jesus wasn’t your typical Religious Leader. In fact Jesus was one who

was rejected by those who promoted themselves as spiritual leaders. He demonstrated this

determination ..... to value all life. He detested Heresy, or Hypocrites. He said, “I am the

good shepherd! I know my sheep and my sheep know me and I lay down my life for the

sheep.” V. 14

The First Thing I want you to Catch this morning, We Have an Example.

Jesus demonstrated the Value of One. In John 10:14 Jesus speaks about “giving

His life for His sheep.” As He ministered, He saw people one at a time, and placed great

value on each individual. But in the end He realized He must finally face the greatest

enemy -- the “cross” -- and in doing so he ministered to those He met along the way with

a sense of urgency ... for His ultimate gift was eternal life.

God’s Word is so rich for many reasons, but one reason that God’s Word speaks

to me is because we not only can Read the Words of Christ, but we can See Christ in

Action, how he lived out what he taught. Jesus gave us many examples of how he reached

out to ONE in his flock:

The Leper - in Matthew 8: 2-30 -- Jesus touched the leper who asked Him for

healing and by doing so He touched the AIDS epidemic of His day. He understood the

suffering and the rejection of the victim.

The Elderly Woman - with the “issue of blood” in Luke 8:43-48 -- This woman

touched His garment and was healed. She came to Him trembling. He saw value in life

even in the aged, and brought comfort and hope to this women.

The Little Children - in Mark 10:13, Matthew 10:14, and Luke 9:47 - Jesus took

the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them. He realized the “little