Abortion – Proverbs 06:17

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(Abortion Sermons presented in 2005,  2006,  2008,  2012,  2013)

Text: Proverbs 6:17

Introduction

1. Illustration

A Florida man was fined $108,800.00 for poaching 1088 turtle eggs froma Florida State Park. The public defender argued that a turtle isn’t a turtle until it hatches. The prosecutor affirmed that though they had not hatched, they were still turtles. The judge agreed with the prosecutor.

Too bad babies don’t hatch! Swipe 1000 turtle eggs and get fined $1,000 for each egg. Kill 1000 babies and be rewarded with tax money and be lauded as a champion of reproductive freedom!

2. Abortion is one of the most controversial moral dilemmas of our day.

3. Abortion affect millions of Americans. Social scientists today estimate that abortion is the most frequently performed surgery on adults in America.

4. In fact, one out of three babies conceived in the United States is deliberately aborted, and since 1973, 40 million babies have been aborted in the U.S.

5. However, the question that should concern us most about this issue is whether or not this action is moral. Does God approve or disapprove of abortion?

Body

I. A Brief History Of Abortion

A. Contrary to what many may believe, the debate over abortion is not a recent phenomenon.

B. Many cultures (Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian, Hittite) considered abortion a serious crime.

C. A portion of the Hippocratic Oath stated, “I will not give a woman a pessary to produce an abortion.”

D. However, Plato and Aristotle thought that deformed children should be exposed and left to die.

E. Closer to the time of Christ, Josephus wrote against abortion saying, “The Law commanded to raise all children and prohibited women from aborting or destroying seed; a woman who does so shall be judged a murderess of children”

F. The Didache said, “Do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant.”

G. Athenagoras, a second century Christian, wrote to the emperor, Marcus Aurelius, saying, “We say that women who induce abortions are murderers, and will have to give an account of it to God…The fetus in the womb is a living being and therefore the object of God’s care.”

H. Augustine, a 4th century “Church Father” criticized husbands and wives for “preferring that their offspring die before it lives, or if it was already alive in the womb, to kill it before it was born.”

I. In the U.S., laws against abortion were in effect until 1967, when a few states began to liberalize their laws. By the end of 1970, 18 states had passed laws that allowed abortion in “exceptional circumstances.” However, on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down its Roe-v-Wade decision, which permitted abortion on demand.

II. Abortion Methods

A. Below is a listing of the methods used by doctors to perform abortions. I won’t spend time discussing these methods, but wanted to present them to you so that you can read and better understand what is involved in an abortion.

B. Dilation and Curettage or “D&C.”

C. Suction Aspiration – used in 80% of abortions.

D. Saline Injection or salt poisoning.

E. Prostagandin.

F. Hysterotomy.

G. Dilation and Extraction or “Partial Birth Abortion.”

III. What Does The Word Of God Say About Abortion?

A. The Bible, in principle addresses all our needs and answers all our moral questions.

B. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

C. First of all, life is valuable.

1. (Genesis 1:26-31).

2. (Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:21-22).

D. Second, life begins at conception.

1. Doctors testify to this fact:

a. Ashley Montague, Professor at Harvard & Rutgers (who is not at all sympathetic to the pro-life cause) – “The basic fact is simple: life begins not at birth, but conception.”

b. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who has performed over 60,000 abortions -“Modern technologies have convinced us that beyond question, the unborn child is simply another human being, another member of the human community, indistinguishable in every way from any of us.”

2. The Scriptures testify to this fact:

a. (Jeremiah 1:5).

b. (Psalm 139:13-16).

c. (Luke 1:41,44).

d. (Job 3:11).

e. (Exodus 21:22-23).

f. (Proverbs 6:17).

IV. Pro-Abortion Rhetoric

A. “Every woman has a right to control her own body.”

1. “Every woman” – half the babies aborted are female.

2. “Has a right” – society does not recognize absolute right over one’s body (e.g. public nudity, drunkenness, etc.).

3. “To control” – control could have prevented the pregnancy.

4. “Her own body” – pregnancy involves two bodies.

B. “Abortion is every woman’s legal right.”

1. Legal rights and moral/biblical rights are not always the same (Acts 5:29).

C. “The fetus is mere tissue and not a person.”

D. “Abortion is the best solution to a crisis pregnancy.”

1. What if Mary, the mother of Jesus, had embraced such a view?

2. Abortions involving rape and incest comprise only 1% of all abortions performed, and while I do not wish to minimize the trauma of such situations, harming an innocent person is not the proper response.

V. What Can We Do About The Moral Problem Of Abortion?

A. Show compassion.

1. It’s not a sin to have a baby outside of marriage, it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage.

2. We must condemn sin but lovingly help and support those who have committed sin and help them to bear up under the consequences.

B. We need to speak out what God’s word says.

1. We can’t expect people to live godly lives who do not know what godliness entails.

C. Social involvement and support of pro-life organizations.

D. Vote.

E. Pray (James 5:16).

Conclusion:

1. People may and probably will continue to argue about this issue.

2. Nevertheless, God has shown us that life is precious and he is highly offended when we harm his little ones (Proverbs 6:17; Matthew 18:3-5; 19:14).

3. Friends, make yourself a voice for the voiceless, and defend the innocent and helpless. You know your Lord would.

 

What Was I Supposed To Be?

As Jesus walked upon the earth, on the shores of Galilee, He’d say to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me.”

I wonder if up in heaven, do you suppose you’ll see, Little children asking, “What was I supposed to be?” “What was I supposed to be?”

“What were my eyes supposed to see?” “Why did I taste of death, Before I even drew a breath, Or lay my head on my mother’s breast to sleep?”

“Oh, Jesus, what was I supposed to be?” “Was I to be a prophet used in the ministry?”

“A doctor who would find a cure, for some terrible disease?”

“Even if I had been born imperfect why couldn’t my parents see ‘d have been made perfect, when you came back for me?”

“Oh Jesus, what was I supposed to be?” “Jesus, What was I supposed to be?”