Proverbs for Preachers:

This is a post for my fellow preacher, and, perhaps even more, for those who aspire to preach.

It was recently my privilege to share six sessions in a homiletics class.  One of the things I did, in preparing for the class was come up with proverbial sayings about preaching/pastoring.  I didn't put any music with this.  Play your own.  :)

Maybe these will encourage some thought and discussion

What Does The Bible Say About Abortion?

Last week, I did a series of posts over STTA, and some parallels here, on the moral/ethical/political/cultural issue of abortion and the aanctity of life.  I finished this round on this subject, over at STTA on Friday.  My intention was to do one more post, here.  Her it is.
This is mostly some notes from a message I did a while back.  Notes, at least my notes aren't intended for general consumption, so I'm cleaning this up some.  I figure it will still have that note-ish quality about it.

 What Does The Bible Say About Abortion?  

1       Is Human Life Unique?
 Not too long ago this would be a question that would not make any sense.
Today it is a question that cries out to be answered.

I am not in any way encouraging cruelty to animals.  We have a responsibility to treat them properly.

“A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10, NASB95)
The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel. (NLT)
Peter Singer, of Princeton University is obviously an extremist on the matter, but he and other philosophers like him are obviously exerting an influence. .  .

In the previous chapter I gave reasons for believing that the fundamental principle of equality, on which the equality of all human beings rests, is the principle of equal consideration of interests. Only a basic moral principle of this kind can allow us to defend a form of equality which embraces all human beings, with all the differences that exist between them. I shall now contend that while this principle does provide an adequate basis for human equality, it provides a basis which cannot be limited to humans. In other words I shall suggest that, having accepted the principle of equality as a sound moral basis for relations with others of our own species, we are also committed to accepting it as a sound moral basis for relations with those outside our own species - the nonhuman animals.  (rest of article)

Another writer on the subject, Joan Dunayer, had this to say, “When I was writing Animal Equality, a friend questioned the book's title. Did I really mean to say that all animals are equal? Yes, I did. Like human equality, animal equality doesn't mean equal abilities. It means that all animals have an equal right to moral consideration and legal protection.”

The position of the Bible is entirely different.

I’ll summarize it by referring to 3 passages of scripture.  Jot them down.  All 3 refer to the image or the likeness of God.  The later 2 are after the Fall:

(Gen 1:27 NASB)  And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

(Gen 9:6 NASB)  "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

(James 3:9&10  With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

There are a great many things that we have in common with animals, we can take great joy from their companionship, and we have a responsibility to treat them in an appropriate manner and to spare them any unnecessary cruelty.

But, one of the great gulfs that exist in God’s creation is the gulf between the value of human life, and the value of the life of animals.

The life of human beings is special—sacred—because of that creation in God’s image.  That great worth is powerfully made known by the death of God’s Son to redeem us.

You can see this in the natural realm . . .

In the very act of denying that there is a difference, people demonstrate that there is.

2When Does Human Life Begin?

Again let me marshal some Biblical evidence for an answer, and then look at this in the natural realm.  All of the following, more material is available in the supplement, I referred to.

The Bible indicates that God oversees the formation of human life within the womb.

“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalm 139:13–16, NASB95)

The Bible consistently speaks of life as a continuum
It is a person in the womb, the same person that is after birth.  The Apostle Paul speaks of that continuation in Gal. 1:15.  “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was please to reveal His Son in me . . . ” (Galatians 1:15, NASB95)

Note the interaction of the born and unborn in Luke 1:39-44
“Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.” (Luke 1:39–44, NASB95)

Modern medical science has made it very difficult to miss this truth.

·         18 days from conception, heart begins to beat, with the baby’s own blood.

·    28 days from conception a baby has eyes, ears, and even a tongue!

·    28 days from conception: Muscles are developing along the future spine. Arms and legs are budding.

·    30 days: Child has grown 10,000 times to 6-7mm (1/4”) long. Brain has human proportions. Blood flows in veins.

·    42 days: Skeleton is formed. Brain coordinates movement of muscles and organs. Reflex responses have begun.

·         42 days: Brain waves can be detected, the jaw forms, including teeth and taste buds. The unborn baby begins to swallow amniotic fluid.Fingers and toes are developing.

·    45 days from conception: The unborn baby is making body movements, a full 12 weeks before the mother may notice such stirrings. By seven weeks the chest and abdomen are fully formed. Swimming with a natural swimmer’s stroke in the amniotic fluid, the baby now looks like a miniature human infant.

·         44-45 days: Buds of milk teeth appear, and the unborn baby’s facial muscles develop. Eyelids begin to form, protecting the developing eyes. Elbows take shape. Internal organs are present, but immature. 99% of muscles are present, each with its own nerve supply.

·    52 Days: Spontaneous movement begins. The unborn baby then develops a whole collection of moves over the next 4 weeks includinghiccuping, frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, pursing the lips, moving individual arms and legs, head turning, touching his/her face, breathing (without air), stretching, opening the mouth, yawning and sucking.

8 – 10 weeks

·         8 Weeks: Now a small-scale baby, at approximately 3 cm (1 1/8”) and weighing a gram (1/30gth oz.), yet well proportioned. Every organ is present. Baby’s heartbeat is steady. Stomach produces digestive juices. Liver makes blood cells. Kidneys begin to function. Taste buds are forming.

·    8 ½ Weeks: The unborn baby’s fingerprints are being engraved. Eyelids and palms of hands are sensitive to touch.

·    8- 8 ½ Weeks: Of the 4500 structures in the adult body, 4000 are now present in the unborn baby. The skeleton of the arms and legs and the spine begins to stiffen as bone cells are added.

The person known as Howard Merrell has been changing for the past, nearly 65 years.  Most recently he acquired a very sophisticated new right knee.
In the 9 months prior to that change was much more rapid and profound. 
But from the moment of my conception it was certain that I would blue eyes and a gap in my teeth.  There was no doubt that I would have black hair that would turn to gray. 
The genetic predisposition to having big legs with knees that were prone to wear out was there the moment the cell from my mom and the one from my dad were united. 
From that moment until the present, and indeed for the rest of eternity I am that person known as Howard Lee Merrell the son of Irene and Audley Merrell.

Is it ever right for one human being to take the life of another?

The most accurate translation of the 6^th Commandment is, "Thou shalt not murder."

All needless taking of human life is to be avoided.  When a human takes the life of another without Divine sanction, it is wrong—grievously wrong. 

Not all taking of human life is murder.

·         While death resulting from accident is horrible, it is not the same as what is condemned in the 6^th Commandment.  Numbers 35 is helpful in sorting that out. 

·         The death of another that takes place in self-defense is not murder.
(Both of these can relate to questions in regard to the death of the unborn.)

·         When one takes the life of another in war, or in the execution of police action . . .

·         Properly administered capital punishment. . . .

Abortion as it is currently carried out in our nation is in almost every instance totally removed from any of those.  Arguing on the basis of the few possible exceptions to justify the whole is dishonest. 

What Should We Do About It?

  I put this question forth knowing it is a horribly polarizing issue.

Certainly it has divided our nation politically.

It divides families and has split churches.

It has been over 40 years since the Supreme Court of the US changed our nation’s laws.  Many in the Christian community are just tired of the whole thing.  The newer debate over the definition of marriage has taken up some of the oxygen.

It’s much more trendy to rally for social justice and to advocate for an end to human trafficking than it is to uphold the right to life for the unborn.  Those are important, but. . . .

With that in mind, what do I recommend in 2015?  This is something for you to do . . .

·         Keep the main thing the main thing.
This may sound strange in a message in which I am encouraging you to take a stand for the life of the unborn, but we need to know that the primary message of the church is not pro-life—for that matter it is not traditional marriage, or any of the other social issues on which we need to take a stand.
I am not encouraging compromise.  I am saying that we ought to make sure that we don’t do anything to negate the most important message.

·         Be politically aware and use politics properly.
Several years ago I wrote to one of our state politicians.  Really a good guy.  I don’t remember precisely what the issue was but it was something in this realm.  I asked him to vote for, and advocate for, a proposal that would move our commonwealth in the right direction in this regard.  He wrote back that what was proposed would be struck down by the courts anyway.  It would be a waste of effort, time, and most important money.  He wasn’t going to support it.  Nothing was really said about whether it was right.
Just about any great social advance ever made, began as a losing battle. 
Yes, I want a representative who knows how to get things done, but more important than that, I want those who lead my nation and state and community to be dedicated to doing what is right.  I want a representative who will advocate for a losing cause if it is the right cause.
I didn’t vote for that guy.  I’m not going to tell you who he is or what party he is in, but I don’t think you should either. 
I do not believe that the answer is primarily political, but having said that, it is incontrovertibly true that the state of things as they currently are is a result of our having elected representatives with a particular view of right and wrong who have appointed judges and bureaucrats. .  .
Since, as Abraham Lincoln said, ours is a government of the people, I must not only heed the commands of scripture addressed to those who are ruled.  I must heed what the Bible says about those who are in power.  When I vote, or even more so when I campaign, I am exercising power.  In the same way as a king, or president, or congressperson, or judge should use their power for good.  I should as well

·         I said it is not primarily a matter of politics, though that is not something we can simply ignore.  It is certainly not a matter of force.  We must seek to reach the heart.  It is not a matter of coercion.  It is a matter of persuasion.

·         Don’t just talk—especially don’t just yell—do something. 
What are we doing to uphold life?
Adoption
Snack pack (This is a local program that provides food to kids who depend on school breakfasts and lunches.  Some of them don't have anything to eat when they aren't in school.  This program seeks to help.)
Every week we have the privilege of reaching out to kids who are otherwise ignored. 
James put it this way, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27, NASB95)

·         One more, and this one is especially for people like me.  We need to proclaim grace.
At my weekly gathering with some pastor friends there were four of us last Thursday, representing two churches.  My colleagues from our sister church addressed this subject last Sunday night.  Doug and I knew this message was coming this AM.  

      We asked one another, "Do you think anyone was, or will be present who has been touched by abortion?".
Almost certainly.
Some of you, because of someone close, or maybe even because of personal experience, find this terribly hard.
Many, perhaps most, abortions take place in the midst of confusion, despair, depression, and pressure from others.
God loves each of us.  He loves you.  He loves that person you are close to who has been horribly hurt.
Come to His love.

The testimony of Norma McCorvey, Roe, is that she found that grace in Jesus Christ.  It wasn’t hard preaching that caused Miss Norma to change from pro-choice to pro-life and more importantly to turn to the Lord Jesus.  It was the love of a little girl.

Let us make sure that our message is always one of love, compassion, and forgiveness.

For the mom carrying a precious life, there is help.

I don't have much time, but I wanted to post a couple of links.
One of the accusations that is often made toward we prolife folk is that we are only concerned about the life of the unborn child.  The claim is we have no sympathy for the life of the mother.

Our rhetoric and political strategy often communicate that.  We need to do a better job.  That is one purpose of this emphasis at STTA and this blog.

To our credit, many prolifers are putting their money where their mouths are.  Below are a couple of resources in our area where moms in difficult circumstances can find help.

http://blueridgepc.org/

http://family.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/25536/kw/crisis%20pregnancy

I'll post other information that readers provide, if it checks out.  We have worked with the above organizations and I trust them.

Beyond that, I'm pleased to have been involved with Covington Bible Church all my adult life.  We don't have a Crisis Pregnancy Center or any special program for moms or babies, but we have helped many moms, dads, and others do the right thing and reap the blessing.  I promise that if you get in touch with us we'll do what we can to reach out to you with the Lord's help.
covbcsecretary@gmail.com

Maybe we can't all just get along, but can we sit down and talk?

Again the issue of Abortion/Sanctity of human life is front and center with those of us who take the teaching of God's Word seriously.  Some things are abundantly clear, but that doesn't mean knowing what to think, what to say, and what to do is easy.  It's not.

First, after all these years, why are we talking about this distasteful concept again?  We've got dead babies, women wrestling with horrendous life and death decisions, politicians being politicians, and people screaming at each other.  Can't we just agree to disagree and all get along?  I'd love to get along, but we can't simply ignore a horrendous moral ethical issue and pretend as if this doesn't matter.  Many of us believe that human lives are being lost.  Even many, perhaps most, of those who declare themselves to be pro-choice no longer try to deny that what is being removed from a woman's body is a human being.  Sophisticated ultra-sound and late-term abortions have made it harder and harder to deny that this little creature who looks every bit like a little baby is indeed a human.  For now I'll let others present the scientific evidence.  I'll just function in the realm of the obvious.  This is a baby.  I'll come back to that in a moment.
As I write a debate rages.  I recently wrote to my congressman, and one of my senators.  I'm working on the letter to the other senator.  My congressman, Morgan Griffith, who voted for the bill defund Planned Parenthood (There are an abundance of articles about this bill, spun in various directions, here is one that has a pro-life perspective: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4496835232001/gop-bill-to-defund-planned-parenthood-passes-in-the-house/?#sp=show-clips) included this in his carefully worded reply:

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member, continues to investigate Planned Parenthood aggressively. I joined several members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in sending a letter to the President of Planned Parenthood requesting a briefing for committee staff that includes information on several pressing issues raised by the disturbing video, such as Planned Parenthood's consent procedures for fetal tissue sale and the price paid to the organization for fetal tissue. The Committee has held interviews with and continues collecting information from Planned Parenthood officials and tissue collection organizations to uncover more about these practices. 
     Other House committees with jurisdiction are also conducting a review of Planned Parenthood's alleged acts, probing whether relevant federal laws have been properly enforced, and scrutinizing fetal tissue collection practices. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has requested more information on funds that Planned Parenthood receives from the federal government and documents illuminating the process by which tissue collection organization StemExpress obtained fetal tissue from Planned Parenthood. In addition to examining the Department of Justice's enforcement of laws related to fetal tissue collection, the House Judiciary Committee is holding a series of hearings entitled, "Planned Parenthood Exposed: Examining the Horrific Abortion Practices at the Nation's Largest Abortion Provider." 
     House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) also announced their commitment to uncovering more information about the claims in the video.  

The internet and other sources have an abundance of material about the development of life in the womb.  Even if we are not sure, should we not give the benefit of the doubt to these amazing little creatures that grow inside their moms?  All kinds of activities are restricted because the result of those activities might lead to the death of a human being.  Can we be so dedicated to protected the rights of the expectant mother that we neglect any protection for the life of the unborn child?

Any time we are dealing with an unborn child, we are dealing with the life of a woman.  The chosen titles of the two sides in the argument reveal each sides particular focus.  Those who identify as pro-choice emphasize the importance of caring for the woman in whose body the child is growing.  Those who call themselves pro-life focus on the need to protect these most defenseless of humans.  Each side has driven its stake in the ground on what it sees as a slippery slope--going down-hill and opposite directions--put on their badges, picked up their banners and pretty much refuses to hear anything the other side has to say.

I'm pro-life.  I believe that life begins at conception.  That being said, let me see if I can encourage us--all of us--to pursue a course that might actually lead to a solution.  I hope you'll be interested enough to stay with me and join the conversation.  I'm planning to continue it for a couple of posts.  I have already shared some other thoughts over at STTA.   I promise that if you'll be respectful, I'll treat you with respect.  Can we at least talk?  If you'll leave your campaign posters at home, even politicians are welcome to join us.  Unfortunately, the medium won't allow me to offer you coffee.  You'll have to bring your own.

More to come:
 

A Challenge We Need to Take:

I became acquainted with Roger Olson--in an online way--through two avenues.  A good friend of mine spoke of his writing as being helpful, and I read Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism, a book to which Olson was a contributor.  He and I disagree on some matters, but as I read his blog, I find that he often helps me to think more clearly.  Even when I disagree with him, I find what he says to be fair and clear.
In his 9/11/2015 post, "Is the “Prosperity Gospel” a Variety of Evangelicalism?" Olson asks an important question.
Some of you know from other posts on this blog, and other comments that I have made, that I have an ongoing struggle concerning what to call myself (here, here, here, here, and here).  I think the old title of "Fundamentalism," has for all practical purposes been abused to the point that it no longer serves any useful purpose.  Though on some days I would say, "Not quite."  Olson is trying to preserve some worthwhile meaning for another abused title, "Evangelical."
Referring to Olson's post, linked above, I posted on my Facebook page today:

Especially when you consider Olson's background (he refers to it in the piece) this is powerful. In the post he urges "all evangelical leaders, influencers, to take a strong public stand against this alternative gospel and reject it as non-evangelical. It is, in my opinion, cultic in the theological sense. That the media are beginning to treat Word-Faith promoters of the “gospel” of health and wealth through magic as evangelicals is scandalous. The movers and shakers of evangelical Christianity in America and everywhere need to band together in spite of our differences and say to the media “They are not us; stop calling them ‘evangelicals’.”My moving and shaking is pretty limited, but I raise my hand to join Roger's club.   

I hope that some true "movers and shakers" will rise to Olson's challenge.
In particular I hope that some of my Charismatic brethren will respond.

Whether you are a Christian leader of large influence who happened upon this blog, or just another small fish, like me, in the big pond of Evangelicalism, I invite you to help keep our pond clean.  Let's make known that these name-it-and-claim-it folk are not evangelicals.  They are part of the Jannes and Jambres magician guild.