1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,440 surprise you. That today's sermon is going to be a little bit more PG than I 2 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:17,480 typically am. And that is not because of any vulgarity, that is not because of 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:25,320 anything unsavory or uncouth, but that is just simply because the topic that we 4 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:33,800 will be getting into is of a more mature topic. So that's upfront and 5 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:39,160 we'll get, I'll let you know a little bit more in just a second about what exactly 6 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:48,120 that is. Just know that as we progress, as I see, it may be something that if 7 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,320 there are little ones either watching online or little ones here, just 8 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:58,400 be forewarned. It's a little bit more mature today than typical, but I will do 9 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:06,760 my best to still keep it in the realm of comfort. So without anything else, let's 10 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,760 pray one more time. Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for an opportunity to 11 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:18,160 search for truth in your Word. I pray that as we open up inspired writings, 12 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:24,800 that we would find your will for us and not insert our will for you. So I pray 13 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,920 for discernment, I pray for clarity of thought and clarity of words. Speak 14 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:37,360 through me today in your name, amen. Amen. Last weekend, in case you didn't know, was 15 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:42,520 the Kentucky Derby. Now as someone who lived for 13 years in Lexington, 16 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:49,320 Kentucky, I was surrounded by horse culture. In the state of Kentucky, there 17 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:54,440 are two primary racetracks. One is Churchill Downs in Louisville, where the 18 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:59,840 Derby happens, and the other is Keeneland horse track in Lexington. 19 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:07,360 Keeneland, every year, two months out of the year, horse races, horse sales, people 20 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:14,000 from all over the globe flew into Lexington on double-decker jets in order 21 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:19,560 to buy multi-million dollar horses. It was, I mean, you can't get around Lexington 22 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,880 without seeing the horses. So last weekend was the Derby. Now the Derby is 23 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,320 important in Kentucky because that means now you can plant your garden. That's how 24 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,720 important it was, at least for me, because by and large I don't care about 25 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:37,960 horse racing. It's just kind of the culture of it all. Has anyone here seen 26 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:45,080 the clips from last weekend's race? No one. Oh, you did. All right, so we know 27 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:50,800 about Rich Strike then. Have we heard of the horse Rich Strike? We've heard of 28 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:58,520 Rich Strike. Last weekend's Derby was historical. One, it started with a 29 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,800 last-minute drop-off in one of the horses that was supposed to be slated to 30 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:08,000 race. Then they picked a replacement, apparently at some sort of randomness, 31 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,320 and Rich Strike was the colt selected to fill in that now empty slot. Now Rich 32 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,480 Strike didn't have any significant pedigree behind him. He was not a 33 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,840 multi-million dollar horse. He did not come from a prominent farm. He did not 34 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:30,160 have really anything of him to speak of. So he was an 80 to 1 odds at winning the 35 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:37,320 Kentucky Derby. If you watch the footage, it's awesome. I don't get excited over 36 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,280 horses. This was exciting because as they're coming into the last turn and 37 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:47,080 the last furlong, Rich Strike is somewhere in the middle of the pack and 38 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:53,400 then starts to, with incredible precision, weave through the horses making his way 39 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,320 up to the front and by the time they cross the finish line, I believe it was 40 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:04,880 half of a length. An 80 to 1 odds beat out all the rest of them in the last 41 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:10,400 stretch and it was really exciting. Apparently some people did well on it 42 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:15,320 and it certainly shot that owner and that jockey and that trainer right up 43 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:20,920 into the top of everybody's interest. Unfortunately he's not going to go for 44 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,760 the Triple Crown. Last time I'd heard they're gonna skip the Preakness and go 45 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,400 to the Belmont. Those are the three races for the Triple Crown. Stay 46 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:33,360 healthy, better chance and so on and so forth. What brought to mind when people 47 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:38,960 watched Rich Strike do his thing during that race was the last time that people 48 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:48,120 got this excited over a racehorse. 1973 Secretariat, big red, jumped onto the 49 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:53,360 scene as I believe the last Triple Crown, I don't think we've had one since. We 50 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:58,480 have not had a Triple Crown winner since 1973 and if you want to see some 51 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:04,880 exciting footage, look up the footage of Secretariat. Secretariat defied odds, 52 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:09,480 especially at the beginning. He was too large, they said his heart wasn't healthy, 53 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:13,920 they said he was a slow starter and he was. Slow out of the gates, picked up 54 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:19,840 steam and by the time he got to the end he was the winner and the most exciting 55 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:25,240 one was the Belmont where he won by record lengths. Do we hear a correction 56 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,880 on some of our... 57 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:37,960 Okay, so since 1973 two other Triple Crowns, thank you for that, I want to make 58 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:43,200 sure that we're accurate. It was exciting, people got it, there's a 59 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,160 movie made about it and if you go around Lexington and just kind of 60 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,480 north of there you can actually drive by the farm where they filmed most of 61 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,480 Secretariat, beautiful horse country, rolling green hills and picket fences 62 00:05:54,480 --> 00:06:01,680 and the whole deal. But 1973 was also a year that has come back up in recent 63 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:08,400 discussions for another reason. Very exciting in the horse race, it's not as 64 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:15,800 exciting, at least not for me, when discussing perhaps the most historical 65 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:21,160 and monumental Supreme Court decision ever in the history of the world except 66 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:29,440 for maybe things that have to do with slavery. Roe v. Wade was voted on and the 67 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:36,320 opinion put out in 1973, the early part of that year, overturning a all of 68 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:41,640 history's precedent in allowing states to decide the topic of abortion and what 69 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:46,920 they were going to do. Now a couple of judges, the majority of judges at the 70 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:54,280 Supreme Court took it upon themselves to discover, to discover in the 71 00:06:54,280 --> 00:07:00,440 immunarations and the penumbras of the wording of the Constitution somewhere 72 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:05,480 hidden inside of the right to privacy, also not mentioned in the Constitution, 73 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:13,720 now a federally recognized right to abortion. Now I'm phrasing this in a very 74 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:18,040 particular way because one, the word abortion and that right doesn't appear 75 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:23,880 anywhere explicitly in our country's Constitution at all, and then two, the 76 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:30,240 right to privacy is also not explicitly stated in our Constitution. There were 77 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:37,960 quite a few legal backbendings in order to find these supposed rights, but then 78 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:43,320 they became, relatively speaking, the law of the land. So if you're keeping track, 79 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:47,560 that is two degrees removed from the wording of the Constitution, this 80 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:56,600 supposed right to abortion. That's the topic for today because a week ago, a 81 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:03,040 little over to almost two weeks ago, almost two weeks ago a leaked draft from 82 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:08,600 the Supreme Court about a potential overturning of the Roe v Wade decision 83 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:16,880 was spread out. As of the leaked draft, it seems that five justices are going to 84 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:22,200 vote in favor of overturning Roe v Wade and four are going to vote in favor of 85 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:31,160 keeping it. That's what the draft seems to think. So here's your second warning. 86 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:37,040 This is a topic that for some people might be uncomfortable. This is a topic 87 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:43,480 for some people that maybe you like to shy away from or it comes close to home. 88 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:50,880 Up front, I want to recognize that it is a difficult topic for many. Up front, I 89 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:55,720 want to express some compassion and I want to express some empathy and I want 90 00:08:55,720 --> 00:09:05,400 to express a non-condemnational and non-judgmental attitude up front. Up front, 91 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,800 I want to recognize and I want to make sure that we're all on the same page. 92 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:15,560 This is not to point fingers. This is not to be harsh. This is not to be 93 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:22,800 unloving. This is not to be any of those things. It is, however, to look at this 94 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:28,640 topic from a couple of important and relevant positions. The most important 95 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:34,240 being how does the Word of God influence our relationship to such a difficult 96 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:38,760 topic? Because I firmly believe that as Seventh-day Adventist Christians it 97 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:45,480 works in that order. You read Genesis to Revelation, you humbly submit it to the 98 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:49,600 Word of God as you understand it, and that's the worldview and how you 99 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:56,240 respond to difficult, challenging, moral discussions. It's not the other way 100 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:01,840 around. It's not what's popular. It's not what society says. It's not what the 101 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:06,480 textbooks might tell you. When they conflict with the Word of God as 102 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,600 Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we start with the Word of God and then we 103 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,720 go the other direction. And so today I want to take a look at the Word of God 104 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:23,520 because I don't believe that this topic is preached on enough from the pulpit. 105 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:30,520 If you decide to get up and leave, you won't hurt my feelings. You won't. I would 106 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,960 encourage you in your own time to come back to our Facebook page and maybe 107 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,800 re-watch it. You can pause it, you can take your time, because I think we're 108 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:46,320 going to go through a few things that are necessary to touch on. So with that 109 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:55,760 last caveat, let's move forward. First, I would like to dispel a 110 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:03,320 couple of lies. One lie is that the church should not engage in 111 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:10,400 socio-political issues. That is a lie. If the church did not engage in 112 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:15,320 socio-political issues, you would not have had good, solid moral Christians 113 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:21,600 leading the abolition movement. You would not have had churches at the front of 114 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:27,600 the temperance movement, and even still today in some churches. You would not 115 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:35,400 have churches at the front of helping to take care of refugees and the homeless 116 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:42,040 and addicts and the list can go on, because every one of those are 117 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:47,220 socio-political issues that carry with them a moral concern that the church 118 00:11:47,220 --> 00:11:53,640 feels obligated to be a part of. So it seems that if we are going to be okay 119 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:59,620 with the church speaking on those topics and the Word of God clearly leaning into 120 00:11:59,620 --> 00:12:05,480 it, then we shouldn't make a carve out for one topic because we just don't want 121 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:11,160 to. So the church can speak on this, it's in the Word of God, the church should 122 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:18,720 speak on it. So we will. Two, one that is just a more technical and legal 123 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:24,280 understanding of things. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, which it is not yet, this is 124 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:30,640 just simply a leaked draft. It is not the decision, it is not the vote. If Roe v. 125 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:37,080 Wade is overturned, it goes back to its previous state of the states decide. It 126 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:43,720 takes it away from the federal and puts it back into the states. It doesn't outlaw 127 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,720 it wholesale, it doesn't turn it into a felony, it doesn't 128 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:52,840 automatically do any of those things. It actually makes a more democratic process 129 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:58,720 possible by allowing the states to decide it. So please don't listen to the 130 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:03,080 lie that says if Roe v. Wade is overturned, wholesale women are going to 131 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:15,320 get thrown into jail. Don't believe it, it's a lie. Three, three the Word of God 132 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:24,440 is very explicit about how we look at human life and the value of human life, 133 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:30,400 including when the human life begins and our role in protecting and preserving 134 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:38,200 human life. So we're going to take, we're going to take I believe one, two, three 135 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:46,480 of the most common reasonings spoken for in favor of abortion and we will dispel 136 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:57,440 them today. I do want to add that this is purposefully on the topic of elective 137 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:03,680 abortions. It is true that there are some women who at the risk of their own lives 138 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:09,800 have to make a decision about furthering a pregnancy. Sometimes the pregnancy 139 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:19,040 itself puts the ladies life in danger and so in those scenarios this discussion 140 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:24,360 please don't think that it absolutely applies. Okay? 141 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:31,360 According to the Guttmacher Institute who does the statistics for planned 142 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:35,480 parenthood, the number one abortion provider in the United States of America. 143 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:40,960 In other words, this Institute is pro-abortion so the statistics are the 144 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:46,080 best available to support the abortion position. According to the Guttmacher 145 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:51,320 Institute we find that pregnancy that results from an incestuous relationship 146 00:14:51,320 --> 00:15:00,440 account for 0.001% of pregnancies. That the woman's life was endangered by the 147 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:07,080 pregnancy is 0.065%. It's a very, that's a difficult, challenging, and sad 148 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:12,560 circumstance and it's a fraction of a fraction of a percent. For the woman that 149 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:20,640 was raped it results in a pregnancy in 0.085% and then after that it's the 150 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,960 woman's physical health at 0.28%, the woman's psychological health was 151 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:31,840 threatened at 0.29%, a serious fetal abnormality at 0.66%, that the woman 152 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:38,000 aborted for social or economic reasons at 6%, and for no reason at all at 92 153 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:44,200 plus percent. And this is from an institution in favor of supporting 154 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:52,240 planned parenthood. So let's dispel one other misconception, that we necessarily 155 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:58,880 need to have Roe v. Wade or federally codified abortion rights because of 156 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:03,880 rapes and because of incest or because of the mental health of the woman and so 157 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:09,900 on. That is arguing from the point of the edge in order to make the point for the 158 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:15,120 whole. Because I can assure you that any of those who are fierce advocates of 159 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:20,600 this, if you were to say, we'll allow it for the edge but not for anything else, 160 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:28,200 none of them would be okay with it. No one. And that also doesn't bring up the 161 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:35,000 fact that there is a huge percentage, a significant percentage, of women whose 162 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,880 physical health is threatened by the abortion, that women's mental health is 163 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:47,440 threatened by the abortion at a greater percentage than the pregnancy. That's true. 164 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,440 The numbers do not match up that way. 165 00:16:53,760 --> 00:17:01,600 One argument is that abortion is okay or on the farthest extremes should be 166 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:07,240 allowed is because the baby is just a clump of cells. Have we heard that 167 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:16,360 phrase maybe? That is true only to the extent that you and I as we are now are 168 00:17:16,360 --> 00:17:22,360 still just a clump of cells. Just the fact that your clump of cells happen to 169 00:17:22,360 --> 00:17:26,200 be at an earlier stage of development instead of a later stage of development 170 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:34,880 doesn't affect the fact that you are a human being. I'm a clump of cells. I just 171 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:39,920 happen to have mobility and rational thought. I happen to have joint aches. I 172 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:46,360 happen to sleep good and not sleep good. I happen to experience emotions, joy and 173 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:53,760 sadness and hunger and fullness and you name it. My clump of cells might be able 174 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:59,900 to experience more than the unborn child but that unborn child is no less a human 175 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:05,320 than me just because of where it is at the stage of development. That is 176 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:09,920 something like saying we can abort the child because they are just a fetus 177 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:14,840 which is why we don't do infanticide because they are they are an infant not 178 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:22,520 a fetus. That's akin to saying we should be in favor of euthanization because they 179 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:31,640 are just a senior citizen they are not middle-aged. It's true. Fetus is just a 180 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:40,040 word to describe a stage of development not a different of kind. You cannot be a 181 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:45,960 fetus in the womb of a woman and be the fetus of a lizard or the fetus of a cat 182 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:51,960 or the fetus of fill-in-the-blank an oak tree. I don't know. It's still the fetus 183 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:57,760 of it. It's a human being. It just happens to be at a earlier stage of 184 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:05,040 development than what it will be. Are we clear on at least that aspect of it? 185 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:10,760 Along that line the just a clump of cells you might also hear a phrase 186 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:16,320 something like it is just potential human life. Have we heard something along 187 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:22,640 those lines that at this earliest stage it's potential human life? Once 188 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:28,840 conception happens life begins because the cells divide and all of that 189 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:34,840 genetic code all of that DNA mapping all of everything is immediately in place at 190 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:40,880 the point of conception. It is a better understanding that that is now human 191 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:48,280 life with potential instead of potential human life because allowed to go through 192 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:57,560 the natural processes that earliest 1 to 2 to 4 to 8 to 16 etc. cells should 193 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:04,480 healthy bodies end up with a baby end up with a toddler end up with a young 194 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:13,640 person end up with a oh my goodness a teenager and so on. Generally speaking 195 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,800 and and and we're gonna touch on a couple of the not generally speaking but 196 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:27,720 generally speaking uninterrupted a pregnancy results in a baby. At the not 197 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:36,480 generally speaking is a result of sin. Sin in our world occur on at least two 198 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:45,000 facets one our actions lowercase sins so if you steal if you covet if you sleep 199 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,560 with someone who's not sure your spouse and so on those are sins actions. There 200 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:56,680 is also capital S sin the nature that infection that goes through all of what 201 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:04,720 is creation presently speaking. That's the result of thanks to our greatest 202 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:09,440 grandparents Adam and Eve as the overseers of creation allowed and they 203 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:14,600 opened up that door for capital S sin to infect everything that they oversaw. 204 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:21,880 That's why we have mosquitoes my friends. It is no fault of the elephant or the 205 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:27,160 giraffe or the cat or the trout that they experience death and suffering. It is 206 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:34,440 because of the humans that they experience that sin. It is because of 207 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:39,960 sin that now we don't just have babies and at a hundred and five percent 208 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,320 success rate everyone is born with all of their fingers and toes and mouths and 209 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:51,520 ears and etc etc. Sin entering into this world perverted God's creation. 210 00:21:51,520 --> 00:22:03,720 And that includes things like emotional not emotional um various physiological 211 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:11,080 handicaps. There's the word trying to find a good word. The various the various 212 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,680 physical handicaps the various psychological handicaps the various 213 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,760 other forms of handicaps that we experience are not because we 214 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:25,120 necessarily wanted it. It's because sin as gross as it is has affected God's 215 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:34,160 creation. So let us let us not try and think that it is anyone's fault but 216 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:40,720 Satan's for the sad reality of miscarriages or the sad reality of 217 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:45,200 someone being born with a heart outside their body or too many kidneys or 218 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,880 they're born blind or they're born with stunted limbs or they're born. That is 219 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:56,120 not the parents fault. That is not God's fault. That is Satan's fault from way 220 00:22:56,120 --> 00:23:03,680 back when all the way to today. It's a very sad reality but it is the reality. 221 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:08,640 And one thing that is not often talked about is that we do not have a promise 222 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:14,680 or really should have an expectation of a life in a world of sin without 223 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:22,120 wholesale without suffering. That's not going to be a reality until we are 224 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:29,920 glorified and walk in the streets of gold. Toughness is the norm in a sin-filled 225 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:40,880 life. Difficulty, challenge, hurdles, hurt, pain, death, loss, you name it, suffering, 226 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:47,480 ritz-sale is the reality of this world and there's nothing we can do to 227 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:53,280 completely get away from it. And if I had a choice between risking some 228 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:58,940 suffering for my child versus I'm going to end their life so they don't have to 229 00:23:58,940 --> 00:24:07,720 risk some suffering, for me the choice is easy. I would rather allow the person the 230 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:14,440 chance to live to know their Savior even if it means suffering along the way. I 231 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:21,240 would rather see that. I would. There are some rather sad positions where 232 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:28,000 some of these activists and speaking of activists, it was within 233 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:35,680 hours of the leaked draft when shrieks and shrills went up from the hardest of 234 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:41,160 activists. The wild-eyed look on their faces and some of the signs and 235 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:47,520 arguments means that the only conclusion I can come to is that they are demon 236 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:55,680 inspired, probably in a similar way to the demoniac that met Jesus and then 237 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:02,480 hurled the swine off the cliff. Some of the reactions are that severe. That's 238 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:07,600 where we won't go because that's too far for this setting. It's heinous, the 239 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:18,440 reactions to some of this. The second argument that you might hear, the second 240 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:24,600 argument that you might hear is that a person is not a person until they 241 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:30,120 experience consciousness or a or viability. Have we heard of that one? 242 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:36,720 Viability and consciousness. Consciousness is easy because when you go 243 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:43,760 to sleep you have a greatly diminished state of consciousness. It is against the 244 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:48,800 law for me to kill you with a pillow because you're asleep and not conscious. 245 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:55,560 Families fight each other over pulling a plug off of a ventilator because someone 246 00:25:55,560 --> 00:26:01,280 is in a vegetative state for years at times with zero hope of recovery. They 247 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:07,720 will say no, I cannot unplug my loved one and end of their life prematurely. Let 248 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:14,920 them be. That's consciousness. It seems that consciousness argument, the debate 249 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:20,520 around personhood and consciousness, people narrow way down and they only 250 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:26,440 apply it to the unborn. All other experiences of personhood when it comes 251 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:30,000 to consciousness we say no you can't just kill a person because they're 252 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:38,440 unconscious. Seems like we should stop the differencing, the differentiation. 253 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:46,680 Viability. Viability is an interesting thing because you will hear a couple of 254 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:53,080 different arguments. We know that with modern technology it is the year 2022 not 255 00:26:53,080 --> 00:27:02,160 1922 not 1822 not AD 22. In 2022 at about 20 weeks I think is when they start to 256 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:06,960 count a baby outside the womb we can keep it alive and it could have a good 257 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:16,960 chance at living. 20 weeks that's only half term, that's midterm and that's with 258 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:24,160 our current technology. Viability also has something to do with geography. Have 259 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:29,960 you thought of it this way? If you lived one block away from Emory or one block 260 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:35,000 away from the best Institute in New York City you have a greater chance of having 261 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:40,480 a baby live in that facility than the backwoods of West Virginia two hours 262 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:46,040 away from the nearest hospital. So where is where is that discussion on 263 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:52,320 viability? It seems that viability would be geography related. Viability can also 264 00:27:52,320 --> 00:28:00,400 be this if if you've ever had a child or been around a newborn just because the 265 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:06,280 baby has left the womb does not make it immediately viable. If that baby is then 266 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:14,000 just set there how long will the baby live? Not long. My friends not long at 267 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:22,400 all. After birth it's necessary for the parents to feed, to water, to change, to 268 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:30,360 protect, to house, to clothe, to etc etc etc for multiples of years 269 00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:37,600 for that child to just not die. The viability argument does not last even 270 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:44,920 past infant, past toddler, past middle school. I could take my 14 year old right 271 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:51,360 now cast him out into the world and say go be viable. Now he might be able to eat 272 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:56,800 and breathe and find water on his own but he is not going to last long. That's 273 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:01,640 why parents are responsible in the United States up until 18 years. That 274 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:09,440 number was picked because I don't know 18. Parents are responsible legally until 275 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:13,120 18 years of age in the United States of America because it is recognized that 276 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:18,360 younger than that the likelihood of survival diminishes, diminishes, 277 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:23,960 diminishes, diminishes farther down and farther down you go. Two or three I've 278 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:33,240 lost count. Speaking of viability, the vote that was just turned down that was 279 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:40,480 an attempt at not codifying Roe but rather expanding abortion would have 280 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:47,440 permitted abortion all the way up to the moment of birth. The moment wholesale 281 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,800 across the country it would have overturned more than 500 state laws and 282 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:58,760 for any reason which means that the viability argument someone is going to 283 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:05,320 say that the baby at this part of the birthing process while in labor etc to 284 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:12,360 that part a distance of one is not viable the other one is viable. One can 285 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:17,120 be ended and the other one needs to live and the distance is only I think we know 286 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:26,800 this maybe by anatomy. That argument should not hold water. It should not. 287 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:36,920 If we are looking at the Word of God for our answers to these things and you would 288 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,560 like to take note we're going to touch on a few of them and then we'll get to 289 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:48,960 our final point. If you would like to take note of this Psalm 139 verses 13 to 290 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:57,000 16. 139 is a beautiful psalm about how the God of heaven knows you completely 291 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:03,480 and entirely no matter where you go no matter what you do he knows you 292 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:09,160 personally. It's beautiful. If you ever find yourself feeling like you are 293 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:17,640 entirely alone and God does not see you open up to Psalm 139 and the verses 13 294 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:24,160 to 16 speak of God knowing you from before or at the point of your earliest 295 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:31,200 existence. It reads like this. For the psalmist writes, for you formed my 296 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:38,960 inward parts you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am 297 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:46,000 fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very 298 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:53,040 well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret 299 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:59,560 intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed 300 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:05,000 substance. In your book were written every one of them the days that were 301 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:13,560 formed for me when as yet there was none of them. That's those days. Before your 302 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:21,960 days started to be counted God had you named in his book. In his mind he saw you 303 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:27,240 and if you were here when Elder Reed preached a couple of weekends ago one of 304 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:34,840 his things was may we see like God sees. Do you catch my drift? May we see like God 305 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:42,360 sees. From the earliest moments and even before you were on God's mind as 306 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:51,680 Christians that perspective matters. That should shape our thoughts and vision 307 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:58,520 rather than the other way around. Jeremiah chapter 1 and verse 5 a well 308 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:05,280 known quote for topics like this. God calling Jeremiah to his prophetic 309 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:16,720 calling says this before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were 310 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:25,240 born I consecrated you. I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Now Jeremiah was 311 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:30,240 making the argument I'm so young I can't do this. God is saying hold on a moment 312 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:35,440 I've known you since before you were in your mother's womb and I consecrated you 313 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,720 for this. In other words I'm with you from before your beginning and I'm with 314 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:47,720 you now. I'm with you moving forward. It's great. I love this verse. Going back 315 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:56,280 to Psalm 127 verses 3 to the first part of verse 5 and this is a this is a 316 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:02,240 connection to one of our core 28 fundamental beliefs number 23 which has 317 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:08,600 to do with marriage and the family. In our fundamental beliefs we recognize a 318 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:14,760 marriage between the man and the woman and creating that core family unit for 319 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:20,040 society. It was it was directed by God made by God blessed by God and so on. We 320 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:28,760 recognize that in our fundamental beliefs along with that is families. The 321 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:34,240 family unit continuing the generations blessing the young ones and even if if 322 00:34:34,240 --> 00:34:39,440 you are unable to have kids or you've chosen not to you can still benefit and 323 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:44,480 bless the younger generations. That's a part of our church's main beliefs. 324 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:50,920 And it comes from the Word of God. Behold children are a heritage from the Lord. 325 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:56,720 The fruit of the womb a reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the 326 00:34:56,720 --> 00:35:02,440 children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. 327 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:07,600 A poetic language that just talks about a family is a good thing. It's a good 328 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:16,880 thing and it's not talked like that often in today's society. You will you 329 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:25,840 will hear words like the baby is an enemy to me. That child is going to keep 330 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:34,400 me from accomplishing things. Some of it some of it is is even more stark than 331 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:39,920 that. We've gotten to a point where for those in favor of the more activist 332 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:45,560 minded they look at an unborn child as an enemy to fight against rather than a 333 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:51,080 blessing of the Lord to propagate and to promulgate and to support and to love 334 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:57,120 and cherish and protect. That does not seem to be the making of a healthy 335 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:03,280 society when our younger generations are viewed as enemies. To be denied to be 336 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:10,360 rejected does not seem to be a healthy society. Ephesians 1 verses 3 and 4 337 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:14,800 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in 338 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:19,600 Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he chose us 339 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:24,760 in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and 340 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:31,480 blameless before him. Now there's a secondary theological meaning to that 341 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:38,760 in regards to God wanted all of creation to be on his side that was his purpose. 342 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:44,560 That's why the sacrifice of Christ covers all including those who reject 343 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,760 him. It's not for the elect versus the reprobate. We reject that in the 344 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:52,360 Adventist Church. Christ's sacrifice was whole and complete for all of humanity 345 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:59,920 even the lost Christ bled for them. That's an incredible consideration but 346 00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:07,160 that plan was made before the foundation of the world. God had you in mind if we 347 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:11,880 take all of these verses together. 348 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:21,520 The last main speaking point perhaps the most famous one for someone who is 349 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:35,960 pro-abortion maybe we've heard of it. My body, my choice. My body, my choice. At a 350 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:41,880 base logical and rational thought if you've already understood that at the 351 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:47,240 moment of conception you have you have 352 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:55,720 human being with potential human life with potential right. The only way that 353 00:37:55,720 --> 00:38:00,640 it can be human life with potential is if that human life is its own of itself. 354 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:07,360 Its own separate DNA code from the mother. Its own separate genetic makeup 355 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:14,800 from the mother. It is not normal for women to have five ten fifteen twenty 356 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:24,360 fingers twenty toes four legs four arms two noses two hearts four kidneys etc 357 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:32,160 etc. That does not happen and if it does happen that's usually a different 358 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:38,720 type of medical condition. But when a lady gets pregnant we understand at our 359 00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:43,720 base level of knowledge and understanding that it is different from 360 00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:52,080 her. It is. The baby needs the mother's body to grow and to live and to be 361 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:57,000 sustained and to be protected until the time of birth but that does not make the 362 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:09,080 baby her. Do we see what I'm saying? If it were to be entirely my body my choice 363 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:18,000 and we meant those words as they were I would say okay okay because before the 364 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:23,200 time of conception do we realize how many choices have to be acted on that 365 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:33,080 only involve the woman's body? Quite a few. Shall I date? Shall I get intimately 366 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:37,720 involved with a man? Is it someone that I'm going to be married to? Is it 367 00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:44,320 purposeful? Is it whatever? There are actions. Should we be using 368 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:52,320 protection of other options? A plethora of them many of which are free. Choices 369 00:39:52,320 --> 00:40:01,040 ahead of the act. If it were truly my body my choice and we truly stuck with 370 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:07,480 that I would say okay. But the moment you put another person into the equation 371 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:15,760 which the unborn child is it's no longer her body. It's no longer that and she 372 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:25,640 should not be allowed to act as if it were. 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verses 373 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:33,760 19 and 20 at the end of a passage about sexual immorality so it fits for the 374 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:39,680 discussion. At the end of a passage about sexual immorality we hear this, 375 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,160 or do you not know so this is this is God saying you just you just can't go 376 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:49,680 about doing whatever you want with your bodies in an intimate way. You 377 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:55,600 just can't even do that and then he says this, or do you not know that your body 378 00:40:55,600 --> 00:41:01,800 is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you whom you have from God? You are not 379 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:12,280 your own for you were bought with a price so glorify God in your body. The 380 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:17,360 Christian rejects the idea that our bodies are our own to do whatever we 381 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:25,680 want with entirely and completely. You are created, you are here because in the 382 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:31,520 great scheme of things God saw fit to either purposefully create you or allow 383 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:36,400 you to be. God is all-controlling and all-powerful and all-knowing etc. And 384 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:42,960 then 2 because we are born into a fallen state, Christ's blood redeems us from 385 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:52,600 that we are bought with a price. Twofold God has claim over you and that includes 386 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:58,680 your body. That's why you find elsewhere in Scripture you don't just get to drink 387 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:02,920 what you want or eat what you want. That's why when it comes to recreation 388 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:09,000 choices I might think that we would shy away from ones that can certainly 389 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:13,640 enhance the likelihood of broken bones or death. We should choose more 390 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:20,280 uplifting recreation instead of damaging recreation. Our body is not our own it is 391 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:26,280 bought with a price. You cannot as a Christian make the argument my body my 392 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:34,480 choice because God has said twice you belong to me. You belong to me. Which 393 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:39,480 means that at some point how we use what we are given, how we use what belongs to 394 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:44,800 someone not our own means that we will be held in account. We don't like to 395 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:52,400 think of that but the Bible speaks to that. You were bought with a price. I'm 396 00:42:52,400 --> 00:43:00,240 glad that God bought me with that price. I am thankful for that. I am thankful for 397 00:43:00,240 --> 00:43:05,080 that because not only do I have hope in eternal life with my Lord and my Savior 398 00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:09,280 but I also have the assurance of a help in victory over sin in the here and the 399 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:18,360 now. He did it for me. I cannot do it. I'm glad that I'm his. On a society level we 400 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:21,720 also don't agree with my body my choice. We have laws against putting heroin 401 00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:28,120 between your toes. We have laws against we actually have laws against self-harm 402 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:35,040 are you aware of that? We have multiples of laws that stop you from doing 403 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:39,760 whatever you want to your body. We have prostitution laws. We have laws that 404 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:46,080 completely throw this one-sentence claim out the window but like many of the 405 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:51,440 other ones they go boom right here super narrow. That's where it applies. 406 00:43:51,440 --> 00:44:00,560 And it doesn't even apply. Many if not all of the arguments are wholly illogical 407 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:04,880 when you take them and consider them rather than repeat them like a bumper 408 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:13,440 sticker. If not all of them 99% of them. Now I want to talk just for a second 409 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:19,160 about the one thing that I haven't talked about and that's rape and incest. 410 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:25,440 Personally this is this is pastor Aaron Trelfe speaking only for himself. I know 411 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:28,880 family members and I have friends who disagree with me on this. I'm not 412 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:36,720 speaking for anyone but pastor Aaron Trelfe. I do not find in the Bible where 413 00:44:36,720 --> 00:44:42,000 the value of human life is based on how they came to be conceived. I don't find 414 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:49,120 it. In fact you can probably find Bible verses that support rape and incest and 415 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:54,400 still the baby was born. There wasn't an excuse made for ending the pregnancy 416 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:59,960 early. For me this is my opinion the value of human life is based on the 417 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:07,600 value that God has given humans not on whether a pregnancy was accidental or 418 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:13,720 desired because it seems to come down to those two things. When you when you kind 419 00:45:13,720 --> 00:45:19,480 of weed through some of the other arguments it often comes down to was it 420 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:27,280 accidental or do I want the baby? And for me those two things do not define the 421 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:33,160 value of human life. They don't. Again many people will disagree with me on that. 422 00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:38,720 That that is a more strict position even amongst more conservative minded people. 423 00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:44,720 So in other words I would not be in favor of abortion even in those arenas. 424 00:45:44,720 --> 00:45:53,440 Even in those arenas. Now I want to show you I have a friend up here. I brought I 425 00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:59,760 brought a visual object aid today. Do we know who this little guy is? Some of us 426 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:07,480 have figured it out. The great American author, one of the finest pensmans of 427 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:18,040 modern history, Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss wrote one of his finest works. Perhaps his 428 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:26,040 only I guess more political minded writings, The Lorax. This is The Lorax. 429 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:32,480 This is the protagonist of the story. We meet The Lorax when the Wunzler, the 430 00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:39,280 antagonist of the story, when the Wunzler shows up and chops down a cool tree 431 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:45,600 named after my last name, the Truffula tree, because he realized that he could 432 00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:50,280 take the the fabric, the leaves, the whatever was at the top, the feathers, 433 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:54,260 however the top of the Truffula tree was made of. He could take that, he could sew 434 00:46:54,260 --> 00:46:58,480 it into something he called a thneed and a thneed has many uses and then he could 435 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:02,600 sell it he could make a profit. This was this the book essentially is an argument 436 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:07,920 against destroying nature for the purpose of consumerism. That's basically 437 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:13,120 the story in a nutshell. Well when the Wunzler chops down the first tree from 438 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:19,800 the trunk pops out The Lorax. This little guy. Well after some introductions The 439 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:28,120 Lorax says I speak for the trees. The trees can't speak for themselves. 440 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:35,160 That's my job. I am here to tell you please don't chop down the trees. Later 441 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:41,160 on he speaks for the fish and for the swami swans and for the bears and for 442 00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:47,000 all of the other dispossessed animals from a forest being clear-cut. I speak 443 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:55,760 for the trees. My friends I believe it is time like our Bible verse says like the 444 00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:02,600 Lorax can inspire. We open our mouths and we speak for those who can't. I believe 445 00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:08,080 it is time that on a moral and religious and biblical foundation and it very 446 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:16,560 clearly is we speak for those who can't. The church regularly does for the abused, 447 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:24,520 for the fatherless, for the dispossessed. It seems that we need to speak for the 448 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:32,200 most innocent, the unborn. If Roe v Wade is overturned it will not completely 449 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:38,680 eradicate abortion from our society as much as I would like to see that happen. 450 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:46,720 But hopefully it will take the number of elective abortions down from roughly 451 00:48:46,720 --> 00:48:58,560 150,000 a year greatly reduced. I believe that more life is a better outcome and I 452 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:05,480 believe that it is high time that God's people open our mouths for the mute, for 453 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:11,480 the rights of all who are destitute. I believe it is time for God's people to 454 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:17,680 open our mouths to judge righteously, to defend the rights of the poor and the 455 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:23,360 needy. I believe it is time for God's people to speak for those who can't and 456 00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:30,960 that includes the unborn. I know this was a challenging topic thank you for for 457 00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:36,320 sitting through it. If you have questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me. 458 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:44,280 If you have, if this comes close to home and we know what that means, I will pray 459 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:49,760 with you, we will talk about it, you can share and it won't go any farther than 460 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:57,520 sharing with me if that's your desire. We can pray that God look on 461 00:49:57,520 --> 00:50:02,920 us lovingly and with compassion just like he does every other son and daughter 462 00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:09,600 of his. This is not an exception to that rule but this should be a part of the 463 00:50:09,600 --> 00:50:14,400 conversation. So please I will make myself available you can find my email 464 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:16,720 and my phone number on the back of the bulletin you don't have to throw that 465 00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:24,320 away right away but I'll make myself available. Let's pray. Heavenly Father I 466 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:29,160 thank you very much for your word. I thank you that it has led and guided 467 00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:36,720 your people from centuries of history past all the way to today's present 468 00:50:36,720 --> 00:50:43,080 time. Lord I would ask that we be revived in its relevance that we not think of it 469 00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:48,120 as as so ancient that it no longer applies but that you very much inspired 470 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:53,320 with the future intended. So I pray that we would look to your word to frame our 471 00:50:53,320 --> 00:51:00,840 worldview. Lord I would ask that you come alongside ladies who 472 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:06,600 might be facing a challenging decision or have faced it. Please impress upon 473 00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:11,560 them through the working of your Holy Spirit how much you love them, how much 474 00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:17,560 you want to heal, and how much you want to draw close. Lord it's not the end of 475 00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:20,800 things but it is something to consider and so I pray that you would help us 476 00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:25,520 consider thoughtfully and according to your will. Lord be with us the rest of 477 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:32,080 today. May our time on your Sabbath be be reflective of you as our Lord in our 478 00:51:32,080 --> 00:51:51,760 lives. This we pray in Jesus name. Amen.