Allen's Sermons
Go Back to SermonsAbortion
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Hot Topics 3: Abortion Allen R. Hunt Mount Pisgah
1/22/06 Psalm 139
I. Little boy baptized at church – riding home in the car afterward
He was crying and his parents asked why
He looked at his parents and said, “Pastor said now I was going to be part of a Christian home, but I really want to stay with y’all.”
Start with a little humor today as we look at perhaps hottest topic of all – abortion
Divides the nation (Alito confirmation hearings); divides the Church (if we did a poll today, I would expect a split); even divides our souls (most Americans believe abortion is immoral but still think it should be legal at least for first trimester)
Makes it all the more important to look at Scripture to seek God’s wisdom and will
Because this is very sensitive – each time I speak about abortion, I begin my preparation the same way – by writing down close friends and family members who have been directly impacted – to remind myself how personal, how painful, how sensitive this is
Friend who was raped by a stranger and became pregnant; family member whose boyfriend forced himself on her and then never spoke to her again; young woman who had had 3 abortions by age 20 and was simply shellshocked and lost,; young man whose girlfriend got pregnant, refused to consider other options besides abortion and broke off the relationship, leaving him hurting and bewildered; the couple who found out late in life they were expecting a Down’s syndrome child, and the list goes on and on
So I begin today with much prayer – for wisdom, grace, and healing
I. 3 Foundations for a Christian View of Abortion
1) The Precious Value of Human Life
(Gen. 1.26-27; 9.5-6; Ps. 8.5-8; 1 Cor. 6.19-20; James 3.9)
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them. (Gen. 1.27)
One way, ancient kings and emperors would stake claim to their kingdom, establish authority in their land, particularly land that had been conquered
Setting up images of themselves around the land – mark their conquests
So people would know who this kingdom belonged to
And that is exactly what God has done
You and I are made in His image
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over all the earth”
Our Image – Our likeness
Only 2 ways to interpret that – God is speaking to His royal court – angels and heavenly host – we are made in that image
Or God is speaking within Himself – the Trinity
And we are made in the image of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Either way, human life is special, unique, different from every other form of life
We hold an exalted place at the pinnacle of creation – God’s special purpose
We are made in His image – we mark this earth as His Kingdom - His little images
For that reason, Genesis 9 says taking human life is wrong, James say even cursing a human is wrong, i.e., mistreating a human is wrong because each human is in the image of God – it means we destroy the image of God – called to honor and respect that image
It is the image of our Creator – therefore has precious value
2) We are called to protect life from the womb to the tomb
(Exod. 21.22-25; 1 Sam. 2.6; Ps. 22.9-10; 51.5; 139.13-18; Jer. 1.5; Lk. 1.39-45)
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. (Ps. 139.13-14)
Life begins at conception – hard to get around that – everything necessary for human life is present right then and right there
The Holy Spirit conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb – did not adopt Him later – conceived
God says He knew Jeremiah before he was even formed in the womb – by conception He was already God’s friend and chosen prophet
Early Christians explicitly considered abortion immoral because destroys God’s image in creation
Also punishes the innocent and vulnerable for something they had nothing to do with
Mother Teresa: “Any nation that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want”
Death and life are God’s domain – God is at work – not take matters into our own hands
Because each life is made in the image of God
3) Compassion and grace, not judgment and condemnation
(Matt. 25.31-46; Lk. 10.30-37; 1 John 3.17-18)
The expert in the law replied, “The one who showed compassion for him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Lk. 10.37)
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, you remember His response
Love God and love your neighbor
When He was questioned about what it means to love your neighbor, He told perhaps His most famous story – Good Samaritan
At the end, He asked the lawyer, who was a neighbor to the man beaten by robbers
“The one who showed compassion for him”
Jesus replied, “Go and do likewise”
Go and do – action – love is a verb, compassion is a verb
My answer to abortion begins with me and you – not with how you vote, whether you picket abortion clinics, whether you propose legislation – you and me
I have a very simple view – Jesus did not encourage the lawyer to change the laws about robbery and assault – encouraged him to notice the victim and do something
Grace and compassion – abortion in America really needs grace and compassion
That is why Mount Pisgah invests generously in a Beacon of Hope Women’s Center
Welcome and serve women in all life situations
Desperate for a place to stay after being cast out
Confused upon learning of unexpected pregnancy and weighing life’s options
Seeking counseling and healing years after having had abortion
Needing transportation to receive basic medical care
Desiring coaching and mentoring to provide healthy lives for their children
Women just needing grace and compassion
You and I give thousands of diapers and thousands of hours to volunteer as mentors and guides to women who are scared and alone
Because Jesus said, “Go and do likewise” – Love your neighbor
Mount Pisgah is putting our money where our mouth is
Investing $1MM in a new home – actual cost much higher so contractors, vendors making own contributions to provide what is needed rather than simply what can be afforded – because simply having the right political stance is not enough
Compassion costs something
No need to ask you for money today – Promise Before Us campaign last Fall raised the funding, many of you already giving or fulfilling as we completed end of 1st year out of 3 – thank you
Sermon simply to help you understand why
II. “Go and Do Likewise” Means Building Whole, Healthy People and Families
Beacon of Hope Women’s Center is just one way among many that we do that together
Beacon is just a part of who we are
We show COMPASSION (There)
What the Beacon is – one example of many of why Mount Pisgah is known as a place of compassion
We WORSHIP (Here)
We are never more alive than when we worship
It is when we are together – the body of Christ
Before our maker, whose image we are made in
Worship gets us right with Him – before everything else
Next week, we’ll welcome Scott Harlow as he begins to lead worship – brings marvelous gifts of being able to use traditional hymns, Southern gospel, contemporary Christian music, to create a rich full experience of God’s grace – build whole healthy people and families
We love CHILDREN (Here)
Called to protect life from the womb to the tomb, and Jesus made clear we have a special responsibility to protect children – whole series of messages this Fall on that
They are the mission field – most receptive to God’s grace
So we work together to help families like one in this email
M. lit our first candle on our new Advent Wreath last night, and she also read the first scripture from our Advent calendar. E. is eagerly awaiting her turn to light and read next Sunday. Thank you for spending the time and money on that project. The girls both enjoyed listening to Allen's sermon with me, I took them with me at 9:30. They then went to OmegaZone at 11:00. I think I might continue that schedule through the Advent season since they got so much out of it.
We share DISCIPLESHIP (Here)
We support one another – we are a family
We pray for each other, we share in small groups
And that changes lives – helps people become whole and healthy – like the man who shared in a life group on Champions Built Here series
Reluctant to join in because his kids were grown – by the end of the series, he made decision in prayer to sell home, and move nearer his grandchildren
He discovered part of God’s purpose for his life was to impact the next generation
We do it GLOBAL (Everywhere)
Latin America: Costa Rica and Venezuela
North America: New York City and The Allen Hunt Show radio ministry
Africa: Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa
Caribbean: St. Lucia
Asia: Russia, China, Nepal (10/40 Window)
Europe and Australia: Praying as we await God’s leading
We share God’s grace all over the globe
Helping create whole, healthy people and families
All over globe – not just financial – but partnerships
Like Sonia 1) weekly visits to locations in poorest areas in San Jose, where they feed about 300 people, many of whom are street kids. Additionally, they provide first level health care (like dress and bandage wounds, etc.), and also have a teaching time where they talk about their real-life issues from the perspective of the Bible. Bible study for mothers, plus a Bible study for children and teenagers. They follow this with a hot meal.
Weekly visitation in 2 juvenile prisons, where they minister to young people through friendship, Bible study, and counseling.
A 14-month residence program on a rural ranch 2 hours away from San Jose, where 18-30 young people between 13-18 live. They have the teenagers on a tight and rigorous schedule that includes education (math, reading, history, writing, etc.), Christian education, vocational education (teach them to cook, raise chickens, be commercial bakers, in construction methods and carpentry, etc.). The goal is to provide the teenagers with the tools they will need to make it on their own after their 14 months is complete, so that they will no longer need to live on the streets.
So Beacon of Hope is part of who we are – but just one way you and I share in God’s mission and ministry
This is an amazing family – blessed by God’s grace
Amazing to me how God is blessing the people of Mount Pisgah
Beacon of Hope home expected to begin in next 60 days
God is at work - invite you to be a part
1/22/06 Psalm 139
I. Little boy baptized at church – riding home in the car afterward
He was crying and his parents asked why
He looked at his parents and said, “Pastor said now I was going to be part of a Christian home, but I really want to stay with y’all.”
Start with a little humor today as we look at perhaps hottest topic of all – abortion
Divides the nation (Alito confirmation hearings); divides the Church (if we did a poll today, I would expect a split); even divides our souls (most Americans believe abortion is immoral but still think it should be legal at least for first trimester)
Makes it all the more important to look at Scripture to seek God’s wisdom and will
Because this is very sensitive – each time I speak about abortion, I begin my preparation the same way – by writing down close friends and family members who have been directly impacted – to remind myself how personal, how painful, how sensitive this is
Friend who was raped by a stranger and became pregnant; family member whose boyfriend forced himself on her and then never spoke to her again; young woman who had had 3 abortions by age 20 and was simply shellshocked and lost,; young man whose girlfriend got pregnant, refused to consider other options besides abortion and broke off the relationship, leaving him hurting and bewildered; the couple who found out late in life they were expecting a Down’s syndrome child, and the list goes on and on
So I begin today with much prayer – for wisdom, grace, and healing
I. 3 Foundations for a Christian View of Abortion
1) The Precious Value of Human Life
(Gen. 1.26-27; 9.5-6; Ps. 8.5-8; 1 Cor. 6.19-20; James 3.9)
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them. (Gen. 1.27)
One way, ancient kings and emperors would stake claim to their kingdom, establish authority in their land, particularly land that had been conquered
Setting up images of themselves around the land – mark their conquests
So people would know who this kingdom belonged to
And that is exactly what God has done
You and I are made in His image
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over all the earth”
Our Image – Our likeness
Only 2 ways to interpret that – God is speaking to His royal court – angels and heavenly host – we are made in that image
Or God is speaking within Himself – the Trinity
And we are made in the image of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Either way, human life is special, unique, different from every other form of life
We hold an exalted place at the pinnacle of creation – God’s special purpose
We are made in His image – we mark this earth as His Kingdom - His little images
For that reason, Genesis 9 says taking human life is wrong, James say even cursing a human is wrong, i.e., mistreating a human is wrong because each human is in the image of God – it means we destroy the image of God – called to honor and respect that image
It is the image of our Creator – therefore has precious value
2) We are called to protect life from the womb to the tomb
(Exod. 21.22-25; 1 Sam. 2.6; Ps. 22.9-10; 51.5; 139.13-18; Jer. 1.5; Lk. 1.39-45)
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. (Ps. 139.13-14)
Life begins at conception – hard to get around that – everything necessary for human life is present right then and right there
The Holy Spirit conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb – did not adopt Him later – conceived
God says He knew Jeremiah before he was even formed in the womb – by conception He was already God’s friend and chosen prophet
Early Christians explicitly considered abortion immoral because destroys God’s image in creation
Also punishes the innocent and vulnerable for something they had nothing to do with
Mother Teresa: “Any nation that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want”
Death and life are God’s domain – God is at work – not take matters into our own hands
Because each life is made in the image of God
3) Compassion and grace, not judgment and condemnation
(Matt. 25.31-46; Lk. 10.30-37; 1 John 3.17-18)
The expert in the law replied, “The one who showed compassion for him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Lk. 10.37)
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, you remember His response
Love God and love your neighbor
When He was questioned about what it means to love your neighbor, He told perhaps His most famous story – Good Samaritan
At the end, He asked the lawyer, who was a neighbor to the man beaten by robbers
“The one who showed compassion for him”
Jesus replied, “Go and do likewise”
Go and do – action – love is a verb, compassion is a verb
My answer to abortion begins with me and you – not with how you vote, whether you picket abortion clinics, whether you propose legislation – you and me
I have a very simple view – Jesus did not encourage the lawyer to change the laws about robbery and assault – encouraged him to notice the victim and do something
Grace and compassion – abortion in America really needs grace and compassion
That is why Mount Pisgah invests generously in a Beacon of Hope Women’s Center
Welcome and serve women in all life situations
Desperate for a place to stay after being cast out
Confused upon learning of unexpected pregnancy and weighing life’s options
Seeking counseling and healing years after having had abortion
Needing transportation to receive basic medical care
Desiring coaching and mentoring to provide healthy lives for their children
Women just needing grace and compassion
You and I give thousands of diapers and thousands of hours to volunteer as mentors and guides to women who are scared and alone
Because Jesus said, “Go and do likewise” – Love your neighbor
Mount Pisgah is putting our money where our mouth is
Investing $1MM in a new home – actual cost much higher so contractors, vendors making own contributions to provide what is needed rather than simply what can be afforded – because simply having the right political stance is not enough
Compassion costs something
No need to ask you for money today – Promise Before Us campaign last Fall raised the funding, many of you already giving or fulfilling as we completed end of 1st year out of 3 – thank you
Sermon simply to help you understand why
II. “Go and Do Likewise” Means Building Whole, Healthy People and Families
Beacon of Hope Women’s Center is just one way among many that we do that together
Beacon is just a part of who we are
We show COMPASSION (There)
What the Beacon is – one example of many of why Mount Pisgah is known as a place of compassion
We WORSHIP (Here)
We are never more alive than when we worship
It is when we are together – the body of Christ
Before our maker, whose image we are made in
Worship gets us right with Him – before everything else
Next week, we’ll welcome Scott Harlow as he begins to lead worship – brings marvelous gifts of being able to use traditional hymns, Southern gospel, contemporary Christian music, to create a rich full experience of God’s grace – build whole healthy people and families
We love CHILDREN (Here)
Called to protect life from the womb to the tomb, and Jesus made clear we have a special responsibility to protect children – whole series of messages this Fall on that
They are the mission field – most receptive to God’s grace
So we work together to help families like one in this email
M. lit our first candle on our new Advent Wreath last night, and she also read the first scripture from our Advent calendar. E. is eagerly awaiting her turn to light and read next Sunday. Thank you for spending the time and money on that project. The girls both enjoyed listening to Allen's sermon with me, I took them with me at 9:30. They then went to OmegaZone at 11:00. I think I might continue that schedule through the Advent season since they got so much out of it.
We share DISCIPLESHIP (Here)
We support one another – we are a family
We pray for each other, we share in small groups
And that changes lives – helps people become whole and healthy – like the man who shared in a life group on Champions Built Here series
Reluctant to join in because his kids were grown – by the end of the series, he made decision in prayer to sell home, and move nearer his grandchildren
He discovered part of God’s purpose for his life was to impact the next generation
We do it GLOBAL (Everywhere)
Latin America: Costa Rica and Venezuela
North America: New York City and The Allen Hunt Show radio ministry
Africa: Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa
Caribbean: St. Lucia
Asia: Russia, China, Nepal (10/40 Window)
Europe and Australia: Praying as we await God’s leading
We share God’s grace all over the globe
Helping create whole, healthy people and families
All over globe – not just financial – but partnerships
Like Sonia 1) weekly visits to locations in poorest areas in San Jose, where they feed about 300 people, many of whom are street kids. Additionally, they provide first level health care (like dress and bandage wounds, etc.), and also have a teaching time where they talk about their real-life issues from the perspective of the Bible. Bible study for mothers, plus a Bible study for children and teenagers. They follow this with a hot meal.
Weekly visitation in 2 juvenile prisons, where they minister to young people through friendship, Bible study, and counseling.
A 14-month residence program on a rural ranch 2 hours away from San Jose, where 18-30 young people between 13-18 live. They have the teenagers on a tight and rigorous schedule that includes education (math, reading, history, writing, etc.), Christian education, vocational education (teach them to cook, raise chickens, be commercial bakers, in construction methods and carpentry, etc.). The goal is to provide the teenagers with the tools they will need to make it on their own after their 14 months is complete, so that they will no longer need to live on the streets.
So Beacon of Hope is part of who we are – but just one way you and I share in God’s mission and ministry
This is an amazing family – blessed by God’s grace
Amazing to me how God is blessing the people of Mount Pisgah
Beacon of Hope home expected to begin in next 60 days
God is at work - invite you to be a part