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the psalm 139 psalm 139 and we'll read the entirety of the psalm I'll begin reading in verse 1 for the chief musician a psalm of David O Lord you have searched me and known me you have known or you know my sitting down and my rising up you understand my thought afar off you comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways for there is not a word on my tongue but behold O Lord you know it all together you have hedged me behind and before and laid your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain it where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence if I ascend into heaven you are there if I make my bed in hell behold you are there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me if I say surely the darkness shall fall on me even the night shall be light about me indeed the darkness shall not hide from you but the night shines is the day the darkness and the light are both alike to you for you formed my inward parts you covered me in my mother's womb I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed and in your book they all were written the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them how precious also are your thoughts to me O God how great is the sum of them if I should count them they would be more in number than the sand when I awake I am still with you o that you would slay the wicked O God depart from me therefore you bloodthirsty men for they speak against you wickedly your enemies take your name in vain do I not hate them o Lord who hate you and do I not love those who rise up against you I hate them with perfect agent I count them my enemies search me O God and know my heart try me and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting amen well please take your Trinity Salter and turn to Psalm number 110 Psalm 110 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] ah well let us pray a blessed God in our Holy Father we gather together on the Sabbath to call upon you to come through your son the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit we acknowledge you that you are God Most High from everlasting to everlasting to her Father Son and Holy Spirit the god of absolute unrivaled sovereignty and power and majesty a god who made the world a god who governs the world and a God who has redeemed his people from the world we acknowledge this your works your your goodness your kindness your mercy your grace and God in particular today we rejoice in redemption accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ we know our Father that there was no way we could commend ourselves to you in light of our own sin there's no moral Reformation and moralism or any virtue that we could pursue in order to make ourselves right with God it took the darling of heaven himself it took the Lord Jesus the second person of the Trinity to come into this world and to take on our humanity to assume all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin the one who lived for us the one who died for us the one who has raised the third day for us we rejoice in the lord jesus christ and that wonderful gospel of our salvation we would pray today that that gospel would be proclaimed here and elsewhere that that gospel would run swiftly and be glorified that your word would accomplish the purpose for which you send it and we know God it will not return unto you void may you cause your face to shine upon the nations may you cause your face to cause your the nations to be glad and calling upon the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and God may you indeed be pleased to meet with us as we gather together this morning we ask that you would cause us to reflect upon the Holy Scriptures caused us to approach you with that reverence and that fear that is consistent with who you are as well God may you mingle that or enable us to mingle it with great joy and with great Thanksgiving for certainly as the psalmist says you load us daily with benefits as Paul says you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ so God as we sing as we pray as we look to the holy scripture may we do so with earnestness and with great zeal may we count ourselves as most blessed as the people of God Almighty and we would pray now that you would forgive us for our sins in our transgression so we reflect upon our own lives and our conduct we echo the hem writer who says that we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love God this always causes us to reflect upon the promise of first John 2 that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so we confess those transgressions now we confess those sins of omission now trusting in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to wash us and to cleanse us in to purify us and God we do pray that those who've come here this morning that are strangers to the covenants of promise those who are aliens to the commonwealth of israel those who are without hope and without God in this world would hear the gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit they would believe the gospel and they would know the joy of being found in Jesus Christ not having their own righteousness which is from the law that that righteousness which is from you through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord do this for your glory do this for the good of souls and God we pray and ask that you would look with favor upon this congregation there are many needs to be sure and we would remember Linda this morning we just commit her to you and to the word of your grace praying that she would undertake on her behalf we also pray for Jimmy who still in the hospital in Vancouver we thank you that there is progress we pray that ultimately he'd be able to breathe unaided by machines that he would eat well and that he would be able to return home and God we rejoice in the precious gifts that you have given this week we rejoice in the of cassia and to the crow family we rejoice in the birth of Norah Jane to the Butler family and God we know as scripture testifies children are a gift from you and we would pray Lord God in heaven that we would see them as that gift that scripture says and that we would see the importance as parents and his grandparents to bring them up in the training and the admonition of the Lord we would pray that you would provide that physical health and strength to each one and we pray that in your time they would call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they would come to know him as their Lord their Savior as the one in whom alone they have forgiveness and a righteousness that avails with God do this for your glory Lord God and do it for the good of your churches we know father that the young people leave the church and in large numbers we pray that if they are converting that they will they will love the church they will love the bride of Jesus Christ and they will want to be a part of it and want to serve and want to want to function in that capacity in a way that that brings glory to the to the head of the church even Jesus Christ the Lord and we pray for our local church that you would grant us peace she would grant us unity in many respects these have been hard days for us that may it be the case that you would bring us closer together as a local body give us grace to value enterprise the people of God and give us grace Lord God in heaven to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace we pray for other churches affected by these situations that you would grant them wisdom grant them Grace and understanding and grant them ultimately that peace of Christ that does surpass all understanding be with the Saints and Surrey we thank you for them and we pray for pastor Kirkpatrick that he would continue to labor in the word and in doctrine we pray for the Brethren gathered together and Vernon that you would just watch over them that you would provide a man for them that would take up the the regular Ministry of the word in that in that part of the world and God we pray for churches throughout the earth that they would remain steadfast persevering by the grace of God preaching the word emphasizing the glorious truth that Jesus Christ came into this world sinners to save and finally Father we pray for the governing authorities as many today refer to this particular day in January a sanctity of life Sunday we know there's a reason for this because there has been such a disregard for human life on the part of persons on the part of individuals as well on the part of governments and we pray for our government that you would put the fear of God in the hearts of those who are in high places we know it's a task that requires a great deal of wisdom but ultimately it is a task that is accountable to a to a holy God and we pray that you would humble them under your mighty hand cause them to kiss the son lest the son be angry and they perish in his way with his wrath is kindled but a little grant wisdom to those Lord God that they would bow the knee confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and if they will not repent if they will not come to the Savior we pray for your powerful restraining hand to govern them and keep them from further acts of lawlessness and wickedness and evil and we pray these things now in the name and for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen well you can turn with me in your Trinity hymnal - number 446 446 again we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] ah [Music] to turn in your Bibles to the Gospel according to John or in John chapter 6 for our scripture reading this morning John chapter 6 last week we read the first 21 verses and essentially what we have there is Jesus feeding the multitudes with bread and that sets the stage for the discourse that we're about to read this is the bread from heaven discourse with the background being the bread that he just provided to them the physical bread for their nourishment beginning in John chapter 6 at verse 22 on the following day when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there except that one which his disciples had entered and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples but his disciples had gone away alone however other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples they also got into boats and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus and when they found him on the other side of the sea they said to him rabbi when did you come here jesus answered them and said most assuredly I say to you you seek me not because you saw the signs but because you ate of the loaves and were filled do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father has set his seal on him then they said to him what shall we do that we may work the works of God jesus answered and said to them this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he sent therefore they said to him what sign will you perform then that we may see it and believe you what work will you do our fathers ate the manna in the desert as it is written he gave them bread from heaven to eat then jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you Moses did not give you the bread from heaven but my father gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world then they said to him Lord give us this bread all and Jesus said to them I am the bread of life he who comes to me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me this is the will of the father who sent me that of all is given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day the Jews then complained about him because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven and they said is this not Jesus the Son of Joseph whose father and mother we know how is it that he says I have come down from heaven Jesus therefore answered and said to them do not murmur among yourselves no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day it is written in the prophets and they shall all be taught by God therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the father comes to me not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God he has seen the father most assuredly I say to you he who believes in Me has everlasting life I am the bread of life your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead this is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die I am The Living bread which came down from heaven if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever and the bread that I shall give is my flesh which I shall give for the life of the world the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat then jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh as food indeed and my blood is drink indeed he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him as the living father sent me and I live because of the father so he who feeds on me will live because of me this is the bread which came down from heaven not as your father's ate the manna and her dead he who eats this bread will live forever these things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum therefore many of his disciples when they heard this said this is a hard saying who can understand it when Jesus knew it himself that his disciples complained about this he said to them does this offend you what then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where he was before it is the spirit who gives life the flesh profits nothing the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life but there are some of you who do not believe for jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who would betray him and he said therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father from that time many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more then jesus said to the twelve do you also want to go away but Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go you have the words of eternal life and we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ the Son of the Living God jesus answered them did I not choose you the twelve and one of you as a devil he spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon four it was he who would betray him being one of the twelve amen this is obviously a dense section of Holy Scripture just a couple of observations before we conclude the reading here first of all we see the emphasis that Christ places on faith in Christ some see this reference to eating his flesh and drinking his blood as sort of Roman Catholic or it gives the the rationale behind the the the abomination of the mass Christ in context is speaking about belief in him the idea of eating his flesh and drinking his blood are metaphors they are similes they are word pictures to highlight the emphasis that one must have with reference to Jesus Christ you believe on him like you eat your daily bread you believe on him like you drink your daily water you need Christ as the the savior for your soul because you send a guy a holy God and the only way of salvation and escape is through this one it's not actually advocating cannibalism he's not actually advocating a rewriting of the whole law of God that forbid or prohibited the ingestion of blood he is speaking metaphorically and we need to appreciate appreciate them appreciate that the metaphor highlights the importance of faith in Christ you read this section again alone this afternoon and see the emphasis that our Savior places on belief in him as Savior and as well we notice that Christ highlights what we call divine sovereignty he highlights the the glory of God the majesty of God the supremacy of God and when some of his disciples fell away now disciples there doesn't necessarily mean they had made a profession it was legit and they were genuine believers and then they lost their salvation disciple has a broader term as well somebody that for a time follows well there was a group of people that followed him for a time there was a group of people that ate the food that he provided there was a group of people that listened to him until he started to press the claims of divine sovereignty and they said these are hard things we don't like them we don't want to receive them so we will no longer follow him not as Jesus readjust the message does Jesus tailor it for this new situation does Jesus now scale back the emphasis on divine sovereignty no he continues on with reference to the power of God most high in the saving of sinners you cannot you cannot miss that in this particular section and then the final observation is Peters words to our Lord Jesus says in verse 67 do you also want to go away speaking to the twelve his chosen apostles one of which is a traitor one of which is a betrayer one of which is the one who will will sell an out for thirty pieces of silver but he says to these twelve do you also want to go away listen to Peter's response Lord to whom shall we go you have the words of eternal life that's what we ought to take away from this Christ has the words of eternal life we should never want to disassociate from he is the possessor of the words of eternal life so everything in us ought to want to draw close to where Christ is we ought to want to be in church we ought to want to read the Bible we ought to want to be at family devotions we ought to want to hear from this one who has the words of eternal life and then Peter says in verse 69 we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ the Son of the Living God that is the central confession of the Christian faith and God helping all of us may it be our testimony may it be our profession may it be our confession and may it be something we're willing to die for that Christ is the son of the Living God well let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word and we pray the Ministry of the Holy Spirit would come and would make these words alive in our own minds and hearts and again we pray that you would extend mercy to those who have yet to taste and see that the Lord is good made today be the day of salvation and may this be the day when sinners come to know Jesus Christ as that one who has the words of eternal life and that one who welcomes sinners unto himself and we pray this in his most blessed name amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to 619 in your Trinity hymnal 619 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] huh you turn in your Bibles to the book of Exodus Exodus chapter 20 Exodus chapter 20 you have heard this message before it is a repetition of a message that I preached often at this time of the year I recently heard ben shapiro mentioned something Ben Shapiro a great advocate for anti abortion a very strong advocate in the pro-life cause and he had mentioned that that many of the young people associated with the pro-life movement today aren't necessarily religious zealots they're not pro-life by conviction because the Bible tells them to be so he said that science and 3d ultrasounds and the various strides that have been made and showing us what's actually inside of a of a woman's womb have have convinced a large group of young people to be pro-life so science certainly has its place God is sovereign over all truth but we aren't religious people we are Christians we are those committed to the book of God and so it is absolutely imperative that we know what God's book says concerning this issue so I want to read two passages first Exodus chapter 20 at verse 13 you shall not murder now turn over to Exodus 21 at verse 22 Exodus 21 at verse 22 if men fight and hurt a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely yet no harm follows he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him and he shall pay as the judges determine but if any harm follows then you shall give life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burned for burn wound for wound stripe for stripe amen let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for the written word we know God it's given by inspiration of God and we pray that it would profit us today as we have the mind of Christ with reference to this this sin of abortion it's not just abortion that is in our generation euthanasia the wanton disregard for the lives of babies and older people and sick people God we see this not only in our country but throughout the earth and we know the blood of righteous Abel cried out to you from the ground certainly the blood of these judicially innocent persons cry out to you as well so help us to think your thoughts after you help us to be prayerful concerning these things help us to have biblical answers for these foolish arguments that that are promoted to killing or legitimizing the killing of innocent people and do provide now for us the Holy Spirit again we pray forgive us for our sins and unrighteousness and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well after the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3 the Bible indicates somewhat of a disturbing trend with reference to murder in Genesis chapter 4 of course Cain murders Abel when he is initially or initially investigated about this Cain tries to deny it Trent Cain tries to to distance himself will his great-great grandson Lamech a couple of generations later is actually glorying in murder and then in Genesis chapter 6 prior to the flood one of the reasons we see why God sent the flood was because the earth was corrupt and exceedingly filled with violence and in Genesis chapter 9 after the flood one of the instructions or commandments given to Noah in this post flood situation is that the civil government must bear the sword to punished by death criminal offenders with reference to the crime of murder so the Bible is not sanitized the Bible highlights obviously the glory of God but it also reveals to us the wickedness of man and the wickedness of man is seen as I said in our day with reference to abortion again that'll be the focus this morning not to suggest that euthanasia should it demand sermons or should it get attention or shouldn't get prayer or shouldn't get activism but we're going to focus our attention on what the Bible says concerning the preborn now john murray said nothing shows the moral bankruptcy of a people or of a generation more than disregard for the sanctity of life a sentiment I agree with heartily proverbs eight the Lord Jesus speaking his wisdom says in verse 36 but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul all those who hate me love death murderers are ultimately associated with the father of murder and the father of lies even the devil the Apostle tells us we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities get powers of darkness and corruption behind every abortion clinic ultimately is the devil behind every sort of active euthanasia is the devil so there's a spiritual element to be in to be sure there are physical expressions of it and we as God's people need to know how to respond I want to do three things first or this morning first look at the sixth commandment Exodus chapter 20 and then secondly highlight the sanctity of human life and then thirdly look at the specific application of the sixth commandment that I read for you in Exodus chapter 21 see Exodus chapters 20 to 24 go together Exodus chapter 20 you have the Ten Commandments or what we call the Decalogue or ten words those ten general principles are then fleshed out in four chapters 21 to 23 specifically the Lord's how do we apply the the commandment do not murder to society well Exodus 21 22 tells us something specifically with reference to abortion and so we'll look first at the sixth commandment notice Exodus 20 verse 13 you shall not murder now the basis for the camp commandant is God God is lawgiver God is creator god is maker God is ruler and in this particular context God is Redeemer notice in Exodus 20 at verse 2 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage so God liberates his people God delivers his people and then God gives them this law on how they're supposed to conduct themselves as his redeemed people and he tells them with the authority that is is that you shall not murder you shall not take the life of somebody judicially innocent not all killing in the bible is murder there are three instances of killing that are not murder self-defense if in that exchange the guilty party is killed that is not murder legitimate war when a nation goes to war against another nation and killing ensues that's legitimate again discussing what is a legitimate war and what isn't is a whole nother series of sermons but the principle is there when Israel was told to go in and utterly dispossessed the land of the Canaanites in Deuteronomy chapter 7 that was legit that was just and therefore it wasn't murder and then as well capital punishment the Bible makes the case both the old and the New Testaments for the civil government wielding the sword of vengeance against criminal offenders again we have preached on that we have taught on that if that piques your curiosity look at sermon audio you'll probably find some messages there but God has absolute unrivaled authority and he commands these people not to murder now with reference to the prohibition of the commandment we need to appreciate that it's not simply external if you haven't cut somebody's throat today or you haven't actually shot somebody in the head ever it doesn't mean you're somehow free from having committed this particular sin it not only applies to the external Act it not only applies to the abortion --it abortionist but it also applies to people that have hatred in their hearts for others it applies to people according to Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount - the tabouret professing people of God that have unwarranted anger and sometimes act upon that in ungodly ways so it's not just external but there's an internal dimension as well and then with reference to the positive aspect of the commandment I think the best treatment of the Ten Commandments is in the reformed tradition and I need the best treatment in the reformed tradition of the Ten Commandments is represented by the Westminster larger catechism because it gives you a block statement on what is prohibited in the and then it has what is commanded in the command in the Commandant or or the positive aspect what you are supposed to do if we're told not to murder well then we ought to be promoting life if we are told not to murder then we ought to be caring for our neighbors if we are told not to murder than we ought to be concerned about life so that's the positive aspect of the commandment so the sixth commandment is operative under the assumption that God the Lord is creator God the Lord is lawgiver God the Lord has made us God the Lord has called us to function in a particular way something I think as well assumed with reference to the Ten Commandments is the image of God God made man in His image to kill an animal is not murder PETA notwithstanding meat is not murder now if you kill an animal in some torturous display of sadism you've got problems I'm not here to argue that you don't but it's not murder only image bearers can be murdered and only man is the image bearer of God all mighty so the dignity of man the doctrine of creation we say the sanctity of life there's sanctity in life because life man's life is in the image of God Most High so let's look secondly at the sanctity of human life displayed in very at various aspects of man's existence and we're gonna actually turn to a lot of passages and I hope that this will be an exercise of familiarity to most and perhaps some sort of maybe new information for some but as I said the image of God the image of God is displayed in man before the fall you could turn to Genesis 1 Genesis chapter 1 the image of God is displayed in the pre fall state of man Genesis 1:26 and 27 God says let us make man in our image that's the Trinity according to our likeness let them have dominion over the fish of the sea over the birds of the air and over the cattle over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth so God created man in his own image in the image of God he created male and female he created them so prior to the fall of man God made man in his own image man bears the image of God prior to the fall now there's been some debate as to whether or not man retains the image of God after the fall I think the Bible teaches that man does if you look at Genesis chapter 5 Genesis chapter 5 at verse 1 this is the book of the genealogy of Adam in the day that God created man he made him in the likeness of God he created them male and female and blessed them and called them mankind in the day they were created and Adam lived 130 years and begot a son in his own likeness after his image and named him Seth I don't think the the reference to staff bearing the image of of Adam is accidental with reference to Adam bearing the image of God there's a link between God and Seth and in James chapter 3 James tells us with reference to our use of the tongue he says that with our tongue we bless God but with that self same tongue we curse men who are made in God's image we curse men who are made in God's ability the very mandate of capital punishment is founded upon the image of God in man Genesis 9:6 says whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood will be shed for in the image of God he made man the words you execute with capital punishment criminal offenders who murder other people you don't do that with people who club baby seals to death again not advocating clubbing baby seals to death but it's a different category of violation the Bible highlights the sanctity of life is found in the fact that man bears the image of God so we see the image displayed in prefault state of man we see the image displayed in a post-fall state of man we see the image in children look at Leviticus chapter 18 Leviticus chapter 18 just looking at how image bearers possess that image every step of the way and there Leviticus 18 at verse 21 you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech nor shall you profane the name of your God I am the Lord now for those of you who perhaps aren't sort of privy to or in lockstep with Canaanite worship services Molech was a god of the Canaanites Molech essentially was a big statue which that's what idols are right they're not real they're not God they're not omnipotent they're not the God that we find there in Psalm 139 but they made this big image of this this God called Moloch and Moloch had outstretched arms and what they would do is burn a fire around Malak and then they would take their children and throw throw them up into the arms of Molech well Molech can't catch he doesn't have opposable thumbs he doesn't have the dexterity say of you know even if a human being so inevitably those babies would fall and go into the fire this was an ancient form of infanticide it was child sacrifice so god says to the children of Israel don't let your children don't let your descendants pass through those fires do not sacrifice your little ones to Molech we see the dignity of children as image bearers and Paul's commandment in Ephesians 6 fathers do not provoke your children to wrath do not exasperate them do not bring a heavy hand to bear upon them do not shrink back from disciplining them and seeking to teach them and admonish them in the things of God why because their image bearers as well we see the image of God displayed in the handicapped euthanasias targeting the weakest among us and God says we are to be concerned for handicapped persons among us notice in Leviticus 19 Leviticus 19 verse 14 you shall not curse the Deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind but shall fear your God I am Yahweh you see our Lord Jesus Christ in his respect with reference to the handicapped when he deals with blind bartimaeus remember Jesus is passing through Jericho and everybody wants to see Jesus and blind bartimaeus who was a beggar cries out son of David have mercy upon me and the whole crowd tells bartimaeus be quiet he doesn't have time for you he's got you know a busy schedule he's got places to be and things to do and others to see well when barn Emmaus hears that he cries out even louder Jesus thou son of David have mercy upon me Jesus stops in the midst of all of that hustle and bustle in the midst of all of that crowd in the midst of all of that rabble and he wanders over to Bartimaeus and he says to this blind man what would you have me to do and Bartimaeus says I want to see and jesus healed him he doesn't say well you know you're fit for euthanasia because you're no contributor to society you're fit for euthanasia because you're just you know sucking off of society now he he shows the dignity of the handicapped brethren as well we see the image of God displayed in the sick we considered this in James 5 14 and 15 anyone sick among you what do we do do we call the doctors and tell them to come and deal with him no we call the elders and have them pray over him anointing him with oil see there's a dignity even amongst sick people that the people of God and the people in this world ought to respect the image of God displayed in the elderly you're still hopefully in Leviticus look at Leviticus 1932 Leviticus 1932 you shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the presence of an old man and fear your God I am the Lord boy wouldn't this be nice if this were practiced today if we just showed the basic common courtesy that society once afforded to the elderly or its young people get up give them your place on the bus open the door for them do something nice do something kind honor the hoary head among you recognize they have wisdom they're not only fit for termination because they're somehow a burden on society but with reference to the image of God in the preborn the image of God displayed in the preborn go to Genesis chapter 25 Genesis chapter 25 we'll look at several of these passages notice in Genesis 25 verse 19 this is the Gion genealogy of Isaac Abraham's son Abraham begot Isaac Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah as wife the daughter of Beth ul the Syrian of patent patent Arum the sister of Laban the Syrian now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife because she was barren and the Lord can grant at his plea and Rebekah his wife can see but but the children struggled together within her notice that the Bible isn't say the product of conception the Bible doesn't say a lump of undefined cells the Bible doesn't say this this mass of meat that really doesn't matter refers to them as children struggling together within her and she said if all is well why am I like this so she went to inquire of Yahweh and you always said to her two nations are in your womb two people shall be separated from your body one people shall be stronger than the other and the older shall serve the younger so when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth indeed there were twins in her womb and the first came out read I'm gonna ask you to remember that language came out the first came out read he was like a hairy garment all over so they called his name Esau afterward his brother came out and his hand took hold of Esau's heel so his name was called Jacob Isaac was 60 years old when she bore them look at Joe the book of Job job chapter 10 and just looking at the image of God the dignity of man in the womb of course when I say the dignity of man I include woman because man at least until we all lost our collective minds met meant man and woman notice in job 10 verse 8 your hands have made me and fashioned me an intricate unity yet you would destroy me remember I pray that you have made me like clay and will you turn me into dust again did you not pour me out like milk and curdled me like cheese clothed me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews you've granted me life in favor and your care has preserved my spirit notice in job 31 job 31 job 31 he is rehearse saying his righteousness he is rehearsing the fact that he had been indeed an upright man and notice in job 31 at verse 13 if I have despised the cause of my male or female servant when they complained against me see he's saying this is the way I operated before all these things befell me I wasn't upright man job may go a little bit too far but what he is saying is accurate before this trial came upon him he had a life of uprightness and in one of the ways that that was exemplified or displayed was in the way that he treated his servants he says if I have despised the cause of my male or female servant when they complained against me what then shall I do when God rises up when he punishes how shall I answer him did not did not he who made me in the womb make them did not the same one fashioned us in the womb again it's not an undefined mass of cells it's not the product of conception that's weasel word language employed by pro-choice advocates to try to dehumanize the very babies that are in the womb brethren that's orchestrated and that's calculated and the fools are so foolish as to think fetus does that work for them fetus means unborn baby in Latin that's just simple that everybody should already be tracking with that but product of conception undefined lump of cells it's all propaganda to dehumanize the personhood of the one in the womb so that murdering it isn't murder it's just getting rid of something that's a bit inconvenient it's like that woman perhaps you have seen on YouTube talking to eight-year-olds about how wonderful her abortion was and she likens it to having gone to the dentist the way that the dentist fixes your teeth the way that the dentist pulls your teeth that's the good the abortionist does when he sweeps out the womb of the baby that was in there it's propaganda it's devilish how does the devil operate he is a murderer from the beginning and he's the father of lies how else can he achieve his goal of murder without lying the way dehumanize your opponent it's a whole lot easier to beat them up and get everybody to raw raw right along with you notice Psalm 51 when David that great king of Israel is rehearsing his native depravity he traces it back to the womb as soon as David was David was a sinner psalm 51:5 behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me it's not suggesting that the conjugal relationship that obtains between a man and his wife is somehow sinful he is saying that when I was I was a sinner on a product product of conception it's not an undefined lump of cells rather it is David Psalm 139 we already read look at Jeremiah chapter 1 Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 4 and the word of Yahweh came to me saying before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born i sanctified you I ordained you a prophet to the nation's you seeing a pattern and a trend here if Planned Parenthood was prevalent back in this particular day nations wouldn't have been because there were nations in the womb of Rebecca Planned Parenthood was operative or the Liberal government of of Canada was operative in these days than joke wouldn't have been then David wouldn't have been the Prophet Jeremiah wouldn't have been when the Apostle Paul traces our rehearses how he was called to the to the apostolic ministry he uses language reminiscent of Jeremiah chapter one he speaks of his having been separated from his mother's womb to engage in the task of the apostolic ministry with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ go to the New Testament just to see a couple of examples again just to show you the personhood of the the babies in the wombs they're not products of conception I guess I guess technically they are product of conception yeah but that means human doesn't mean undefined lump of sells undefined mass notice in Luke 115 Luke 115 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord it's about John and shall drink drink neither wine nor strong drink he will also be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb now again that text is oftentimes used by paedo Baptists that's not my purpose here if you want to use that text to advance the cause for paedo baptism go right ahead it certainly advances the cause of personhood with reference to babies in the womb the Holy Spirit comes upon John the Baptist even from his mother's womb and then notice in Luke chapter 1 at verse 41 Luke 41 and it happened when Elizabeth heard back up in verse 39 now Mary Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth and it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit then she spoke out with a loud voice and said blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb you see what's happening Elizabeth's saying you're blessed Mary you're been chosen for a sacred blessing wonderful to ask and and Elizabeth recognizes this and highlights this but then notice what she says in verse 43 but why is this granted to me that the mother of my lord should come to you where's the Lord at this particular time the Lord is in the womb of Mary is not a product of conception or an undefined mass of cells he is the Lord of all while he's in the Virgin's womb Elizabeth recognizes this Elizabeth confesses this Elizabeth knows this and Elizabeth rejoices as a result of it verse 44 for indeed as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears the babe leaped in my womb for joy blessed is she who believed for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord now intriguingly this word babe this word that is used by Luke for babe is also used for children that are outside of the womb in Luke 18 when persons bring Bay babies Children's / whatever you want to call them to the Lord to bless them a baby outside of the womb is known as a breakfast a baby inside of the womb is known as a breakfast not anything different not some unique terminology but he's a baby inside the womb he's a baby outside the womb he's a child inside the womb he's a child outside of the womb Gordon Clark made this observation he says one argument abortionist frequently used to defend themselves against the charge of murder is the claim that the baby is not a human being but if the baby in the womb is not human what is it is it canine is it feline I think that some babies born 30 or 40 years ago have turned out to be asinine I think he's absolutely right in that assessment they're babies they're humans they have hearts that beat they have hands they have feet they have a separate DNA code they are unique they are made by God the Scriptures highlight this from beginning to end there's no wiggle room the thought that there could ever be somebody who professes faith in Jesus Christ and waxes on the issue of abortion is unthinkable at a grammatical and lexical level there's no way you can justify the murder of babies in their mothers wombs and somehow say well it's in the Bible it is not in the Bible the Bible provides for us a vocabulary that highlights that what is true of children outside of the womb is true of children inside of the womb and therefore they are to be afforded protection now when we consider the image of God we obviously see it dignified in in the god man Christ assumed our humanity Christ took on our humanity with all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof yet without sin and he did this in order to save us as the fathers would say whatever is not assumed is not redeemed he had to be one of us in order to redeem us this idea of the sanctity of life is consistent throughout the old and the new ties now thirdly and finally let's look at our tax in Exodus 21 Exodus 21 as I said 21 to 23 are connected to Exodus 20 you've got the general principles set forth in the Decalogue or in the Ten Commandments if this rule was to ask the question well how do we apply these things in our day-to-day life that's what Exodus 21 to 23 does in fact Walter Kaiser makes this observation well these judgments deal mainly with temporal matters they nevertheless are based on one or another Express commandment in the Decalogue the 10 words the 10 commandments it is most appropriate therefore that these judicial and political regulations given by God to Moses when Moses approached the thick darkness where God was should be set us alongside the Decalogue the two belong together in time as well as in interpretation our confession speaks to the judicial law of Israel the confession says that judicial law expired with the Commonwealth of Israel but there's abiding wisdom in that judicial law and certainly the abiding wisdom of this judicial law is to highlight for us and demonstrate to us how wicked how reprehensible how evil and abominable it is for persons to go into the womb of a mother and murder their babies look at the text we need to understand the correct translation represented in I think most of the translations here if men fight and hurt a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely that's absolutely crucial if you have a translation that says she miscarries your translation is wrong Hebrew has a word for miscarriage Hebrew has a word for one untimely born that's not the word hear the word utilized here specifically is what I've asked you to remember from Genesis 25 the text literally says if men fight and hurt a woman with child so that her children come out okay so what happens with Isaac's babies they they come out and the noun here is plural it's not if the child but it's literally if her children come out why what does this case law envisage it envisages the potential of a Rebecca like situation she had more than one child in her womb didn't she so what this tax demands is that if two men get into a fight now we could probably step back just a ways and say you know man you probably shouldn't get in fights around pregnant women probably shouldn't get in fights period but you really shouldn't get into a fight around a pregnant woman because if in the midst of that fight you happen to strike a pregnant woman and her children come out and then no harm follows the man who struck her is liable to pay a price I really follow that law you have to appreciate what's happening here so two men fight me and pastor kam get together and we start throwing down a pregnant woman gets head and then she gives birth prematurely if those babies come out and no harm follows then whoever's responsible for hitting her has to pay a fine why pain suffering distress risking another human beings life see personal liability is all throughout scripture the victim mindset well I didn't have control over my hair that doesn't matter you are responsible for what happens at the end of your arm and if you strike a woman who's pregnant and those babies come out and no harm follows you're gonna have to pay but look at what the text goes on to the man yet no harm follows he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him and he shall pay as the judges determined now notice but if any harm follows - who - the women a woman and her children who've come out you see if we render it as miscarriage there's only one living person at this particular time it's to suggest that though the babies in the womb didn't matter she gets struck in the mixed midst of this exchange her babies come out of her babies die and no harm follows to her then the the guilty man will pay but if harm follows to her than the this law of retribution is applied see the that's what the text is saying the text is saying that the woman and the children are protected no harm follows to the woman and the children no harm follows to the woman and the ones who came out from her womb the text is particularly protecting babies in their mother's womb see you'll not find a text in the Old Testament says Planned Parenthood is an evil thing don't ever send money to that you'll not find text in the Old Testament that say you know doctors oughtn't ought not to go into mother's wombs and and murder babies there you won't find that you find this sort of lesser form of abortion but notice what the penalty involved is with reference to this verse 23 but if any harm follows then you shall give life for life see it treats the dignity not only of the woman but of the children that come from her if any harm follows then you shall give life for life this is what is called the Lex talionis and what the Lex talionis is is the law of Rhett Rhett Alyosha it's the i4i ethic it's gone goes on to specify that I for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burn for burn wound for wound stripe for stripe opponents of scripture oftentimes cite such laws and say well that's barbaric that's horrible and then we say things like well the punishment must fit the crime it's exactly what this law demands the punishment must fit the crime don't tell me you believe that the punishment must fit the crime and then deny the biblical statement that the punishment must fit the crime the law of retaliation demands retaliation life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth now my point in pointing this out again is to say that if this law is specifying what to do in the case of an accidental abortion what should we think of doctors what should we think of mothers what should we think of fathers and what should we think of Prime Minister's who celebrate that particular D if the Word of God condemns accidental abortion my argument is it most certainly condemns intentional abortion and the text is very specific that way the Lex talionis is the law of retaliation if during the struggle the woman is struck inners baby is born prematurely and no harm follows to either mother children a monetary fine will be demanded but if harm follows to either mother or child or children should it be the case like Rebekah there were twins if harm does follow then the penalty is capital punishment now again you may have problems with capital punishment but but just for now I ask you put those problems out of your hat well actually let me just let me just hopefully put those problems to rest the Bible demands capital punishment it's not a suggestion it's not if a body politic really wants to do good they should think no it's Genesis 9:6 and it's Romans 13:1 2:4 it's Adam and why for in the image of God he made man in other words if you rise up against an image-bearer the demand is is that you will be executed by civil government now it suggests we have a topsy-turvy situation when we won't execute criminal offenders but will execute babies to the tune of a hundred and thousand a hundred thousand a year in this country but there's problems okay there's huge issues that we we have to face and we have to reckon with in our own generation but I do want you to notice as well the increased protection here for the preborn go back for just a moment to Exodus 21 at verse 12 Exodus 21 verse 12 he who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death however if he did not lie in wait but God delivered him into his hand then I will point a point for you a place where he may flee you see what God is do they're through Moses the lawgiver God is distinguishing between what we call murder and manslaughter murder is intentional murder is done with malice aforethought murder is done with a plan murder is done when I hate you I despise you I've got means I've got motive I've got opportunity and I'm gonna stop your heart from beating manslaughter is accidental this this whole principle is illustrated in uh in another place with somebody chopping wood with an axe if you are chopping wood with an axe and you're irritating neighbor comes home and you know that he is coming home and you hide behind his garage and when he comes out you strike him dead you're a murderer but if you're chopping a chopping wood and your axe head flies off and it goes over the fence and it hits your neighbor in the head you're foolish again you need some help but you're not a murderer you've engaged in manslaughter the specific point I want you to appreciate is one more step stay with me with reference to manslaughter you still got punished there were still repercussions they wanted to discourage this within the body politic and so there were these cities called cities of refuge and what a City of Refuge was was that when you engaged in a manslaughter or a homicide of another individual you went to this city of refuge for a period of time that was to inconvenience you it was to tell others make sure your axe hat is fastened before you start swinging it that there are repercussions for falling within the body politic but in this particular law that we're considering with reference to abortion it was accidental wasn't it the man in his fight with the other man didn't purposefully try to induce abortion among the woman that was standing there he doesn't try to do that he was exchanging blows with his counterpart and she got hit accidentally she seen with reference to this particular law there's no City of Refuge for him there is the Lex talionis there is life for life there is eye for eye there is tooth for tooth that demand is even more strengthened than the guy chopping wood in his backyard who didn't attach his accent appropriately to his instrument see God is not playing games the way society plays games this redefinition of terms this dehumanizing the the baby in the womb in terms of the abomination of abortion consider the dedicate now the dedicate was an early Christian manual that some date to ad 110 some I think Krueger puts it even possibly at 80 100 it's going to make up a non scriptural book that that was encouragement to live life according to the Scriptures dedicate simply means the teaching dedicate 10 to 2 says you shall not abort a child or commit infanticide why why would the dedicate say this because it was happening it happened in the Empire it happened in the Roman Empire infanticide was practiced a baby would be born and typically often if it was a girl baby that baby would be placed on the trash heap here we put our trash out on Wednesdays probably at your home it's a Wednesday it's a Tuesday it's a Friday whatever it is you put your trash out with the mindset that a big trucks gonna come he's gonna pick up your trash and he's gonna put it into his truck well back in their day they throw unwanted babies out on the trashy well what would happen to those unwanted babies dogs would come and eat them and not dogs like my little tika but dogs that were Ravagers dogs that were scavengers or they'd be picked up off the trash heap by persons that would enslave them that would rear them for a life of prostitution infanticide happened you see the word sorcery used in the New Testament at times it's the Greek word pharmacy where we get our word pharmacy it the the sorcery involved wasn't just like Ouija boards and occultism but it oftentimes involved drug taking and drug taking was used in this context to induce abortion so the Didache a an early christian manual comes along and tells the people of god don't do these things this is what you've been brought up and in the empire but it's wrong to murder image-bearers don't engage an abortion and don't commit infanticide have no truck with society around you when it comes to the utter disregard of human life you are image bearers you are redeemed you're being renewed in the wisdom and knowledge of and holiness of God Most High you're a new creation in Jesus Christ you're supposed to treat with dignity babies you're supposed to treat with dignity the elders among us Paul's whole instruction and first Timothy 5 flies against euthanasia Paul tells Timothy to show respect for old people Paul tells Timothy that the church must care for her widows Paul tells Timothy that we're not to just marginalize the weak among us but rather were to care for them or 2:10 for them the Bible everywhere supports this notion of being concerned for the sanctity of life it ought not just to be one Sunday in January where we think sanctity of life we as God's people ought to have hearts beating with reference to the sanctity of life every single day it ought to be what what would actuates us what motivates us what moves us it ought to be something that is non-negotiable in the eyes and the minds of young people randy Alcorn several years ago wrote a book pro-life arguments for pro-choice questions it's greater pro-life answers for pro pro-choice arguments and it's fantastic and Alcorn mentions at that particular time I don't have any reason to think it's any better now but those within the context of the church not not you know the the wingnut sort of marginalized churches but Evan Jellicle churches have problems with abortion among their own ranks why is that because in some way we have thought that the way to cover up our sin is by murdering the baby no never cover up sin by murdering baby proverbs 28:13 says whoever covers his transgression will not prosper but who confessor to whoever confesses it and forsakes it will find what he'll find mercy you know I bear a relationship to our brother Mike and in Surrey and one of the things that I suggested to him if he preaches on this topic on on pro-life or sanctity of life Sunday is never make anybody ever think that this is the unpardonable sin there may be women in our churches there may be men in our churches that have come out of a life where they've engaged in these particular practices they need to know that ultimately there is forgiveness with Christ this is not the unpardonable sin but I'll say it to you young people it is certainly not something that should ever ever ever coming to your mind or heart that this is a way to not be found out confess forsake you'll find mercy confess forsake you'll find mercy you're not gonna find solution in a doctors tools John Calvin made this observation with reference to abortion he says if it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field which I think we'd all agree it's more horrible to kill somebody sitting in their living room than it would be out in a field he says because a man's house is his place of most secure refuge it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light it's just ought to be unthinkable among the people of God there there ought not to be a debate there ought never to be somebody that says yeah I was a Christian and then I found some more information no it's just part of the warp and the wolf of Christianity that we love the image of God we treat it with dignity we treat it with respect we don't butcher we don't slay we don't say this is something that's an inconvenience in my life and so I want to deal with it a brother made a very excellent observation this morning a hundred thousand people in the March for life on Friday do you hear anything about that on the from the media anything oh there were a hundred thousand people today marching for oh no you don't hear that but the next day you hear about the ten thousand women I read something this lady said I my my uber driver is from Iran and he says why is there a woman's March they can drive they didn't go to school they get all the rights and privileges that everybody could imagine my family at home would would envy what women in America have you know what they're out marching for it's the right to murder babies when all is said and done that's what that's what's most important oh no they want they have rights you have rights but it's when man nasty white men especially nasty white evangelical man say we think abortions wrong you have no right to speak against women in their wombs oh really is that true those babies in the wombs are not the woman they have a responsibility to do what is right consider the judgment of God with reference to the abomination involved in murder proverbs 6 16 to 19 these six things Yahweh hates yes seven are an abomination to him a proud look a lying tongue hands that shed innocent blood a heart that devises wicked plans feet that are Swift and running to evil a false witness who speaks lies and one who sews discord among brethren hands that shed innocent blood typically here where people in the nose away you're a Calvinist you don't think anybody's innocent you talk about total depravity even from their womb David traces his native depravity back to the time of his conception judicially innocent babies haven't engaged in unlawful activity these page babies aren't subject to criminal execution by the hand of the state babies aren't involved in a war where in the the killing of them would somehow be just or legitimate these babies aren't invading anybody's personal property or lives such that they need to be defended against and and and and killed in the pursuit off see it's folly brethren never forget what revelation 21:8 says but the Cowardly unbelieving abominable murderers sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death consider in conclusion the state and abortion this State and abortion now when I say state I don't mean Idaho I mean the nation of Canada there are a million plus in the US though that number is declining I don't think one baby murdered is tolerable at all but there are states that are making some big strides in the pro-life cause apparently Arizona is one of the safest places to be a baby in all of the United States but a million in America say well those dastardly wretched Americans 100,000 in Canada it's the same ratio based on population a hundred thousand babies in Canada a year are murdered with reference to its history the criminal law Amendment Act in 1968 and 69 introduced by Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government legalized abortion as long as a committee of doctors signed off that it was necessary for the physical or mental well-being of the mother so that's not ever good enough right not that that's good it's terrible it's wretched it's horrible but in 1988 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled NRV Morgentaler that the existing laws were unconstitutional and struck down the 1969 law the then governing progressive candidate conservatives attempted but failed to pass a new abortion law and since then Canada now get this has had no criminal laws governing the subject brother and I suppose there's a law on whether or not you can build a shed in your backyard I suppose there's probably still laws on the books that you can't spit on the sidewalk in Chilliwack I suppose there's a whole host of laws I was gonna do this this week doesn't have time I think it'd be low-hanging fruit I'd type in frivolous laws and Canada I mean where would you stop right well you can't this you can't this you can't but no law respecting the protection of a baby and their mothers won't you see that sometimes we need a law calm we need a law calm go there because those people are saying we need a law calm there's no law you can't spit and chill act but you can murder a baby at any time of the gestational period good for you Canada you rank right up there with North Korea with China you're right up there with the most oppressive regimes on the face of the earth when it comes to baby murder and then consider our own Prime Minister Prime Minister Trudeau he says I have oh that that latter law basically said it was unconstitutional to have a panel of doctors now it's just up to the woman and her doctor can't can't actually spread the wealth or wisdom or any of this it's just up to the woman and it's up to her doctor the current Prime Minister says quote I have made it clear that future candidates need to be completely understanding that they will be expected to vote pro-choice on any bills the the party of choice the party of free thought the party of let's just all you know chant like hippies that that party you have to be pro-life one that was touted as a Christian President President Barack Obama when he was a senator in Illinois voted against what was called the born alive infant protect Protection Act that's actually coming back in the Senate and House a group of either senators or congressmen in the US are retooling the born alive infant Protection Act for those of you don't know what that means it is exactly what it says if a baby survives an abortion this particular law mandates that caregivers try to preserve the life of the baby what cool what what fiend would argue against that it survives the Saline it survives the instruments and then you're still gonna kill it that's what President Barack Obama did it's an Illinois's government Illinois governor C brethren the state has made their choice it isn't about oh we just want to provide you know life liberty justice the pursuit of happiness for all people I think that we need to understand we are at war now again don't take this literally and go out and buy a gun today at dart and tackle and March against Ottawa that's not what I'm suggesting when I wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities how does a man get to the position where he he declares himself a feminist and then when asked the other problem with sex selection abortion people are killing baby baby girls because they're girls well you know that's up to the mother and and her doctor' that's not feminism dude sorry you should be about protecting women no matter what stage of life they find themselves in kind of like saying to the drive-by sure well you know I don't want to get involved whoever the drive-by shooter and his victim is you know that's up to them to figure out this are some people say well you can't make this an issue we'd make pedophilia an issue wouldn't we we wouldn't vote for a man convicted of pedophilia and say oh yeah I want him to be my governor I want him to be my leader but it's okay when he's a murderer have we lost our collective minds have we been have we gone on on a vacation from from intellect and thought and rationality or you can't make this an emphasis in your church because it's political I'm not telling you how to vote where to vote when to vote though I am suggesting to vote for somebody that that's committed to abortion I reckon then I don't know how you yet a judge that I don't know how you come down on the side of that and say you know my conscience is vindicated we as well need to realize with reference to the state this is where people really start getting a little bit you know shaky and go there abortion is not only a sin it's a crime if we had a properly functioning state abortion would be punished not condoned encouraged and it many times subsidized with tax dollars there are things that our sins that aren't crimes covetousness is a sin it's not a crime at least not yet according to or well it should have happened by now but covetousness is not presently a crime I'm not saying go out and cover it all you want I'm not saying that God will deal with your sin but covetousness is a sin that's not a crime there are some things that are crimes but they're not sins if you were in Saudi Arabia you preach the gospel to somebody that would be against the law but it's not a sin before God abortion is both sinful and criminal then we don't recognize that today again is just more reflective on our failure to think god's thoughts after him and i think before we leave the state and abortion we need to remember what the purpose of civil government is I think on this J Gresham machen is most helpful he says the state exists for the repression of evildoers and the protection of individual liberty why aren't there more matrons in this world why aren't there more people that get it that's their function not to tend to you every moment of every day not to make sure you have everything you need not to pour your cornflakes and your milk and wipe your face that's not their function it really isn't Machin is right he says the state exists for the repression of evildoers and the protection of individual liberty he also said the civil government is quote not intended to produce blessedness or happiness it's not their job to produce blessedness or happiness their job is they are intended to prevent blessedness or happiness from being interfered with by wicked men that's their job so if we lived in a society where persons had half a clue we'd not have abortion know that we're seeing again countries that at one time held fast Ireland recently had their big vote their big referendum so that now we can kill babies in our country if we all gone mad we'll lost it we'll just said forget God everything that's sacred good or holy or normal and decent all bets are off let's just murder let's let's just do whatever it is we want you know we read the book of Judges and we see that appendix in chapters 17 to 21 I actually think that 78221 comes before judges chapter one I think 17 to 21 shows us what life was like before the institution of the judges and what's the constant refrain there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes it's a horrific picture of human conduct it's a terrible distinction of society without law without regulation without without government in terms of not wiping your face when you drop milk but repressing evildoers in society that was the function of the judges that was the function of Israel's monarchy and then in terms of the church and abortion I would suggest the professing people of God need to know what the Bible says you know if you hear on January 20th next year the same sermon don't go man he preached this sermon last year there's a method in my madness this is actually stuff I hope everyone gets I hope everyone gets I hope you just are conversant with what the Bible says concerning abortion see abortion has one of those unique places in our lives where it's out of sight out of mind I assume for the most part you guys aren't going out having abortions I assume for the most part you aren't hanging around with people that are going out and having abortions it's one of those things that's out of sight out of mind I purposefully am on some email list so that it's not out of sight and out of mind purposely brought to my email box every single day once in a while and I'm feeling it's especially ambitious with reference to how bad I want to feel I go to number of abortions org and you can watch the actual counter change as you're on their page and it's not just in Canada it's in Canada but it's us and it's worldwide and the numbers since it was legalized it's revolting it's repulsive to consider that every one of the turns of that particular counter are human lives that have been lost to abortion the professing people of God need to avoid surgical abortion again kids young people this is never the answer this is never the response this can never enter into the Cabul airy of the people of God well you know there's all there is not always this it's an abomination God will judge you without repentance the people of God in abortifacient birth control not all birth control is contraceptive in nature but it's abortifacient that means that after conception has occurred there are mechanisms in place to terminate the conceptus you need to be responsible when it comes to such things the people of God and the voting booth again if a man stood up and says I'm convicted of pedophilia I'm engaged in that I enjoyed it I would still do it if I hadn't have been arrested and I was forbidden from being around kids I don't think any of us today and our body politic he's got my vote boy I look at his honesty yeah there's Old Party given to standing up and saying I'm all for murder murder butchery of the most innocent among us bring it on we'd be horrified again euphemisms are very powerful it's much nicer to say oh that person had an affair versus he's an adulterer or a fornicator I've made this observation when it comes to these mass shootings how are they described the shooter the shooter it almost sounds like he's a video game winner he's a murderer he is taking projectiles and launching them into innocent people and ending their lives don't celebrate this don't make it sound like a video game that's not Call of Duty as well the people of God and sexual immorality I would suggest that our young people if ever faced with this decision of abortion would never have been there if they were sexually moral that make sense everybody get that what's the best way to protect against unwanted pregnancy don't have relations well you can't tell kids that cuz they're kids and they're gonna do what they're gonna do no don't do it foolproof hundred percent it'll never happen never virgin birth occurred it's not gonna happen again you're not gonna be the exception you're not going to be married 2.0 that's not going to happen the only way you'll ever get to that difficult decision in your life is if you're sexually immoral don't be sexually immoral guard your hearts guard your passions control your lusts what happened to self control in society so I said victim that we blame everybody I'm the way I am because of my parents I am the way I am because of my church I am the way I am because it's Society I know those can be contributing factors to be sure but God's Word doesn't let you weasel out of your own personal responsibility self-control goes a long way with reference to life in this world generally and with reference to life as God commands we need to preach the law we need to preach the law now I believe in being a gospel centered church stuff because there's a lot of issues that come up in gospel centered churches but I believe that wholeheartedly I am convinced of that wholeheartedly but the gospel isn't good news until we hear the bad news and the law helps us with that the law tells us what the bad news is the law specifies that that there are murderers that there are adulterers that there are thieves there are liars there are cottages there are Sabbath breakers there are blasphemers there are you know idolaters there are are those insubordinate to authority over them and and they're all us all of us are convicted by God's law it paves the way for the preaching of the gospel and the church needs to be about preaching the law and the gospel Carl FH Henry said this he said even when or even where there is no saving faith the law serves to restrain sin and to preserve the order of creation by proclaiming the will of God by its judgments and its threats of condemnation and punishment the written law along with the law of conscience Henderson among the unregenerate it has the role of a magistrate who is a terror to evil doers it fulfills a political function therefore by its constraining influence in the unregenerate world that's great another man in the history of the world won't say Church but said the law does not have the power to change the heart but the law has the power to restrain the heart less the church is forgotten oh no law no law we we pride ourselves on our antinomian commitment we pride ourselves with Romans 6:14 and a bad understanding of it by the way we're not under law we're under grace can't preach the Decalogue can't preach those Commandments we're not under law we're under grace that's not Paul's point Romans 6 if you think it is you need to go to school again and understand Paul's point in Romans 6 the church needs to preach the law and finally the church needs to preach the gospel as I said if any any half engaged in this particular sin we need to remember Psalm 25 David's prayer for forgiveness from God is grounded in two things one God's name and to David's great sinfulness imagine that as an argument God you need to forgive me because I'm such a wretch what David has say you need to forgive me because I'm trying harder you need to forgive me because I'm getting better you need to forgive me God because I'm such a wretched person I'm such a sinner pardon my iniquities O Lord for their great we need to remember Psalm 133 and 4 if you Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared or 1st John 2 John says my little children I write these things to you so that you may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous there is forgiveness even for abortionists there are free there is forgiveness even for women that have engaged in this and men that have forced them at times to engage in this there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared never ever forget that never treat it as the unpardonable sin there is mercy to be had in the Savior look at Saul of Tarsus he stood by giving his hearty consent well Christ's martyr Stephen was stoned to death right before his eyes and what happens to Soloff Tarsus he's conquered on the road to Damascus by Sovereign Grace if you are guilty of the crime of murder if you're guilty of the sin of murder if you are guilty of any of the transgressions of God's law the answer for you is not more sin to try and cover it up the answer is that Christ who in John chapter 6 says my flesh will give you life my blood will give you life again metaphorically he is saying believe on me will let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for the fact that it's so clear on such a disgusting subject and topic god help us to think your thoughts after you when it comes to such things help us not to forget sermons like these or not think about it only or think about it only one time a year help us to be prayerful help us to see what we can do in terms of promoting life and help us God to bring glory to you with a proper respect and esteem for the law of God our Father go with us now we pray bring us together tonight and help us to worship you in spirit and truth and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll have a brief time of meditation while Lucas plays piano then I'll come back up and give thanks to God for the food that we have received and then we'll go upstairs for the fellowship meal