The Fight for Life

1. Read: John 10:10

2. About the Text:

1) The story of the abortion video at Southwest in the late 1980s.

a. Video was titled, “The Silent Scream.”

b. Ultrasound technology was new.

c. There was no doubt that this was murder.

2) Roe v. Wade

a. Decision made in 1972.

b. Not only legalized abortion but made it a right – no vote, no democracy.

c. Supreme court overturned decision June 24, 2022.

d. It is now a state decision and the states are mixed.

3) Two recent issues.

a. Woman came from California to Texas for protection for her surrogate baby.

b. Massachusetts passed legislation to permit abortions until birth.

3. God is a God of life.

1) “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

2) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

3) What does it take to win the fight for life and have a culture of life?

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. What does it mean for something to be true?

1) It’s not just a matter of opinion.

2) Many believe morality is just a matter of personal taste.

3) That’s what the Devil wants us to believe—take God out of it entirely.

4) The actual conflict is God vs. mankind.

5) “For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh” (Jeremiah 25:31).

6) “For the LORD has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel” (Micah 6:2).

7) That controversy is right vs. wrong, truth vs. error.

2. God gives absolute truth.

1) “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

2) “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

3. We must fight the good fight.

1) It is not a carnal battle, but a spiritual one.

2) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

3) “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

4. What happens when we abandon truth?

1) You can see it in today’s headlines – murder, suicide, theft, transgenderism, etc.

2) When people believe they can make their own truth, it harms people.

3) Consider the harm done by Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler, and others.

5. God’s word must be upheld.

1. What motivates someone to have an abortion?

1) There are some very rare medical problems that can happen.

2) But largely, it’s the desire to fornicate without consequences.

3) “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 4:38).

2. The push of the 1960s.

1) With the invention of the birth control a host of legal changes happened in the 1960s.

2) Women were told that they were in control of reproduction.

3) They could have sex without consequences.

4) They could have career’s without worrying about children.

5) That message is still alive today—Congressperson AOC froze her eggs.

3. Have all of the scientific/medical/legal changes helped?

1) The marriage rate is down, dropped nearly 60%.

2) The divorce rate is 40-45%.

3) Children are still born out of wedlock.

4) The U.S. has three times the world average of households with only one parent, 23% vs. 7% worldwide.

5) The research shows that children need both father and mother in the home.

4. The flesh vs. the Spirit.

1) The real issue is this: do we want to fulfill the desires of the flesh or the Spirit?

2) Paul discusses that in Galatians 5:16-26.

3) A large part of society just wants to pursue the works of the flesh.

4) It comes down to personal responsibility, taking ownership of our lives.

5) Not living in denial to the reality of the world.

6) Living according to God’s purposes in the world.

5. What can we do?

1) Remember Daniel and his friends (Daniel 1).

2) “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank” (Daniel 1:8).

3) They didn’t eat the kings meats or drink his wine.

4) Don’t buy into the devil’s propaganda.

1. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth.

1) “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

2) The church must continue to uphold the truth even when society will not.

3) Will that cause some friction? Yes.

2. Jesus caused friction.

1) “Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”” (Matthew 15:12-14).

2) Jesus didn’t apologize for telling the truth.

3) He also recognized that you can’t prevent people from destroying themselves if they are dead set on it.

4) What did Jesus desire?

5) “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

3. Should the church influence public policy?

1) Why not?

2) There is no secular system that can claim superiority.

3) That means what the Bible teaches is at least as good as what secularism wants.

4) So, let’s engage others with the Bible’s message and fulfill our purpose.

1. To win the fight for life, we must win the battle for

1) Truth

2) Personal Responsibility

3) The Role of the Church

2. Invitation