Come on, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.
Okay, well, let's pray.
Father, thank you again for life.
Thank you for your word.
We know that your word brings life, speaks life, sustains life.
And so we pray that your word would speak into our hearts today
so that we line up with your values and your truth,
that we do not live by our own decisions or our own choice,
but help us to live according to your ways,
for that is best for us.
It brings glory to you,
and it is good for the world in which we live.
So help us, we pray.
Amen.
Well, on Sunday, the 12th of November,
just a few months ago,
an earthquake measuring 7.3 struck Halabja in Iraq.
As the building shook and fell,
hundreds died and thousands were injured.
Survival was unimaginable.
The following date,
eight more earthquakes struck,
making rescue efforts difficult and dangerous.
The chance of finding anybody alive was near to impossible.
But yet, the community kept on digging.
Two and a half days later,
a baby was pulled from the rubble without any serious injury.
Why would anyone risk searching when it is dangerously high
and the chances of finding anyone alive extremely low?
Because life matters.
On the 19th of November, 2016,
so just over a year ago,
medical staff in a children's hospital in Aleppo, Syria,
were going about their normal routine.
Without warning, a bomb was dropped onto the hospital,
and one journalist captures the scene.
Nurses and other medical staff
were seen scrambling through the blackness,
trying to rush the patients out of the badly damaged hospital
as children cried out for help.
In another room,
nurses grabbed babies from damaged incubators,
with one staff member using a cloth
to protect a visibly undernourished child,
before trying to console a weeping colleague
who was also carrying a newborn.
The nurses later moved the babies to another room,
putting them on the floor next to each other
and covering them with blankets.
At least one of the infants
still had medical tubes attached.
Staff told Al Jazeera,
that's the news agency,
that all of the babies survived the attack.
Why is it that we can be so outraged
and full of anger
when a bomb falls from a plane
onto a children's hospital?
Because life matters.
When we see life in danger,
we reach out to rescue and protect.
When we see life cut short,
we are sad,
we're angry.
You see,
whoever we are,
whatever our background,
religious or non-religious,
we have this,
what is almost like an in-built conviction
that life matters,
that life is precious.
We want to protect life,
save life,
keep life.
So why is there a demand in this country
to end life?
How is it that people want to repeal the Eighth Amendment
and open the door to what will be abortion on demand?
Why is it that we celebrate the heroes
who risk their lives to save a child from an earthquake,
but yet ridicule and shame those
who want to keep our constitutional laws
that protect life?
Why is it that we shout and get angry
outside the door to protect babies and toddlers
who are in danger in war situations,
but yet march and protest
when we can't end the life of a baby
before they get out of the womb?
It seems we are in conflict with ourselves.
Simon Coveney,
our Tornishta,
if I can understand correctly,
is certainly a man in conflict.
He doesn't want abortion on demand,
but yet he does want to remove the Eighth Amendment.
On the one hand,
life matters,
but then the laws that protect life
are to be repealed.
Why is that?
Why that contradiction?
Well, those who seek to repeal the Eighth
will say it's different.
They say that what's in the womb
is different to what's outside the womb.
But that's not true.
Medical science is crystal clear
that life begins at conception.
The moment the sperm from the father
meets the egg of the mother,
life starts.
All the evidence points to the fact
that life begins when fertilisation takes place.
Even those who support abortion believe this.
Anne Faroudi,
who is the chief executive
of the largest independent abortion business
in the UK,
said this.
Here's the quote.
We can accept that the embryo
is a living thing
in the fact that it has a beating heart,
that it has its own genetic system within it.
It's clearly human in the sense
that it's not a gerbil.
And we can recognise that it is human life.
What's in the mother's womb,
what's in the mother's womb,
a conception is not just an embryo
or a living thing.
They are a human life.
In fact, those who advocate and perform abortions
admit that when an abortion takes place,
they are in fact killing a life.
Faye Wattleton,
former president of Planned Parenthood,
the largest abortion clinic in the US,
is clear about this.
Here's what she said.
I think we have deluded ourselves
into believing that people don't know
that abortion is killing.
Remember, this is somebody who supports it.
So any pretense that abortion is not killing
is a signal of our ambivalence,
a signal that we cannot say,
yes, it kills a fetus.
I would want to say a child.
Of course, people will still argue
that there's a difference
between life in the womb
and life outside of the womb.
They will argue that life in the womb is,
they'll term it in this way,
a human being,
but not a human person.
They are denied the dignity
of their personhood.
In other words,
killing the life of a human being is okay,
but it's not okay to kill a human person.
Now, I don't know about you,
but I can't understand what the difference is.
Surely a human being is a human person.
Well, for those who are on the side of abortion,
they make the distinction in four ways.
They talk about size.
So the life in the womb is different in size
to life outside the womb.
This is how they try to make the difference.
Second, they talk about level of development.
That the life in the womb is less developed
than the life outside of the womb.
Or third, environment.
The life in the womb is living
in a different kind of environment,
the environment of the mother,
than life outside of the womb.
And they talk about degree of dependence.
So the life in the womb has a greater dependence
than life outside the womb.
Now, to some extent, that is all true.
But how does size,
level of development,
environment, degree of dependence
determine whether a person lives or dies?
Each of these four categories
continually changes from conception to death.
What's the difference in terms of,
well, a baby in the womb
is different in size to a toddler,
but a toddler is different in size to a teenager,
and a teenager is different in size to an adult.
It's the same with dependence.
Of course, a child within the womb
is dependent on their mother,
but a newborn is equally dependent.
And as we get older,
we become dependent again.
The Christian apologist Alan Shellman
puts it like this,
Today, the unborn are victims of discrimination.
They are a class of human beings
that are disqualified from being valuable
based on arbitrary characteristics,
their size, level of development,
environment,
and degree of dependency.
None of these categories
determines the value or life
or worth of a life.
A life is precious and valuable
because they are a life.
Alan Shellman, again.
He says the pro-life position,
on the other hand,
is an inclusive view.
It says,
No human being,
regardless of size,
skin colour,
level of development,
race, gender,
or place of residence,
should be excluded
from the community of human persons.
This view of humanity
is inclusive
and wide open to all,
especially to those
who are small,
vulnerable,
and defenceless.
We must be clear
that those who are seeking
the repeal of the Eighth Amendment
is the intentional
intervention
to terminate the life
of an unborn child.
Any other view or opinion
is a lie
or an illusion.
It's rejecting the facts of science
and it's denying
the beauty of life itself.
It is,
as one author put it,
the extermination
of the powerless
by the powerful.
The extermination
of the powerless
by the powerful.
So why is life
so precious?
Why should we value
the life
of the unborn?
Well, three things
and then we're going
to look at three responses.
So three reasons
why life is precious
and then three responses.
So here's the first one.
First, all life
is created by God.
Let's go to Genesis 1.
If you've got your Bibles there,
please turn to Genesis 1
right at the very beginning.
Genesis 1.
When God created the world,
that's how Genesis opens.
God formed it
with mountains
and rivers
and seas
and then God
filled
what he had formed
with animals
and plants
and stars
and it was all good
and beautiful.
But when God came
to making mankind,
men and women,
it was very, very different.
Look at chapter 1,
verse 26.
Then God said,
this is coming
to the conclusion
of creation,
God said,
let us make mankind
in our image,
in our likeness.
So God didn't make animals
or plants
or fish
in his image.
They are not like God.
But when God created people,
he made them uniquely different
to the rest of all creation.
Because we are made
in God's image,
we're different
to the rest of it.
We can relate to God.
We can represent him.
We can reflect him.
We are not animals
that can be put down
at will
or rodents
that are exterminated
because they're spreading disease.
We are created
in the image of God
in his likeness.
We are uniquely different
to the rest of creation.
So first,
we are unique
image bearers.
Second,
we're very good.
When God finished
his creation,
the forming
of the universe
and the filling
of all that
he had formed,
he keeps saying
it's repeated
time after time.
It was good.
But after God
had made mankind,
chapter 1,
verse 31,
God saw all
that he made
and it was
very good.
It was very good.
The creation
of people
made in God's image
is not just good
like the rest
of creation,
but it is
very good.
Because what God
creates in
human beings
made in his image
are valuable
and precious
and beautiful.
You show a
scan of a
baby
to anyone
and the
immediate
response is
wow!
Isn't that
amazing?
They begin
to ask
questions,
no matter
of the size
of that little
child.
Do you know
if it's a boy
or a girl?
Everyone
recognizes
the incredible
beauty,
the little
tiny movements,
the distinctive
shape.
A tiny heart
no bigger
than a poppy
seed
begins
to beat.
People
made in
God's image
are very
good.
So life
is created
by God.
Second,
life
is a blessing
from God.
Many
people
view children
as a
curse,
not a
blessing.
So sometimes
when a mother
gets pregnant
they may
say it's
an unwanted
pregnancy.
Others
will say
that this
new life
within them
is interfering
with their
lifestyle
choice.
The child
that they
bear
has become
a curse.
It must
be removed,
it must be
taken away.
But God's
perspective is
so different.
Children
are a
blessing.
To have
children
is a
blessing.
Genesis
49
verse 25
speaks of
children as
blessings of
the breast
in the
womb.
Or
Psalm
127
here's the
quote on
the screen.
Psalm
127
verses 3
to 5
says
children
are a
heritage
from the
Lord.
Offspring
a reward
from him.
Blessed
is the
man who
is full
of them.
Blessed
is the
father
who
has a
great
big
family.
Children
are a
blessing
not a
curse.
They are
a reward
not a
disgrace.
They are
a joy
not a
burden.
You see
the main
reason and
you might
want to
come back
to me on
this afterwards
but I
think the
main reason
for abortion
has nothing
to do
with rights.
It's all
about personal
choice.
That my
life is
more important
than another
life.
I don't
want this
new life
interfering
or upsetting
my life.
So people
not only
choose not
to have
children but
they choose
to end
their child's
life before
they're born.
You see
children are
only perceived
to be an
inconvenience
because they
challenge our
self-centeredness.
We don't
want to give
up our
independence.
Having
children means
I'm not
going to be
free to
do what
I want.
Being
pregnant means
I no longer
am able to
pursue my
dreams.
Christopher
Ash
an author
puts it
like this.
This is a
question he
says of
lining up
our values
with God's
values.
Do we
agree with
the Bible
and face
children with
arms open
in gratitude
for the
blessing of
God?
Or do we
turn our
face away
from children
and count
as curse
what God
calls a
blessing?
Choosing to
have children
is a right
choice.
it is a
blessing.
So first
life is
created by
God.
Life is a
blessing from
God.
And life
finds purpose
in God.
You see
medical science
is great
in that it
can tell us
that life
begins at
conception.
We can
see on a
screen a
little tiny
heart beating.
We can
see the
fingerprints.
We can
see the
baby develop.
science can't
tell us the
meaning or
the purpose
for life.
We can
only find the
purpose for
life in
God.
Look again at
Genesis chapter
1 verse 28.
verse 28.
So after the
creation of
the first man
and woman,
verse 28 says
God blessed
them and
said to
them,
be fruitful
and increase
in number.
The very,
very first
command that
God gives
to the first
man and
woman,
and we get
the second
account or a
fuller account
in Genesis 2
where Adam
and Eve
are brought
together in
marriage.
But the
first command
that he
makes to
this first
married couple
is go and
make babies,
have children.
And here's
the purpose.
When God
created the
first man,
Adam,
he placed
him in the
garden to
love God
and serve
God, to
work for
him and
live for
him.
So look at
chapter 2
verse 15.
The Lord
God took
the man
and put
him in
the garden
of Eden
to work
it and
to take
care of
it.
He's
reflecting
the very
nature of
God.
He's
being what
God has
called him
to be.
Again,
Christopher
Ash,
in his
book,
Married
for God,
puts it
like this.
You can
follow the
quote on
the screen.
The job
of caring
for the
garden was
too big
for Adam,
the gardener,
to do on
his own,
and so
Eve is
given to
work alongside
him as
his helper.
Alongside
her contribution
to work
as an equal
human being
alongside Adam,
it is her
unique privilege
to bear and
nurture children
and so
increase the
gardening
team.
Together,
Adam and
Eve are to
serve God,
but still
it's like
the task
is too
big on
their own.
It's too
much for
them.
The team
has got
to increase
and that's
why God
gives them
the command
and says,
go and
be fruitful.
That's why
God gives
them the
blessing of
children.
They are
to have
more children
so that
the children
can join
the gardening
team,
as it were.
Of course,
that's not
to say that
we're all
to be in
the horticultural
club or
to become
farmers.
It's kind
of giving
an imagery,
a picture,
it's symbolism
of all that
God has
called us
to be,
that God's
purpose for
life for
human beings,
for people
like us,
is that we
too should
love him,
that we
too were
created to
serve him,
to live
for him.
You see,
God is
seeking to
build a
worldwide
family that
crosses
boundaries
and cultures
and religions
and races
and languages.
He is
calling
together a
worldwide
family who
will love
him,
who will
serve him
and make
him the
centre of
their lives
and their
world.
You see,
life finds
its purpose
and meaning
in God.
We know
from their
creation story
that although
God gave
these commands,
life didn't
go as
God had
intended.
Man
rebelled.
Adam rebelled
against God
and said,
God, I
don't want
you being
God,
I want
to be
God,
I want
to make
choices
and decisions
for myself.
And we
have followed
in Adam's
path.
We too
have been
born with
sin,
we're
broken,
we're
people who
do exactly
the same.
We want
to play
God.
We want
to make
the rules
for life
and what
I can do
with my
life.
We don't
want God
telling us
how we
should live,
I want
to make
my
choices.
that's
why we
need to
be born
again.
That's
why we
all need
this new
life.
Remember
what we
talked about
at the
very beginning
this morning?
Turn with
me please
to John's
Gospel
chapter 1
where we
started this
morning.
John's
Gospel
chapter 1
verse 11
and verse
12.
You see
the world
is the
way that
it is
because we
have pushed
God out
and put
ourselves
in place
of God.
That's
why our
country
is wanting
to repeal
the eighth
and make
choices and
decisions for
themselves and
ignore what
God says
because we
want to be
God.
And the
only way
that that's
truly ever
going to
change
is when
people are
born again
into God's
family when
they begin
to see the
world from
God's
perspective.
And they
need to
change,
that is they
need to
humble
themselves
before God
and repent
and turn
to him.
Each one
of us,
myself,
yourself,
all of us
need to.
So look at
John chapter
1 verse
11.
This is
talking about
Jesus who
came,
who was
himself born
into this
world through
his mother
Mary.
John chapter
1 verse
11.
He came to
that which
was his
own, to
his own
people, but
his own
people didn't
receive him.
But yet to
all who did
receive him,
to all those
who accepted
him, who
believed in
him, who
entrusted
their life
to him,
he gave
the right
to become
children of
God.
Children born
not of
natural descent,
nor of a
human decision,
or a
husband's
will, but
born of
God.
You see,
each one of
us here have
a story in
terms of our
natural birth,
a decision on
behalf of our
parents, that
we were born
into this
world.
Yes, God
is sovereign
over that
life, but
this new
life,
this new
life from
God, where
we change
from living
for ourselves
and living
for him,
that too is
a supernatural
work of
God, not
something that
I can decide
for myself
or choose
for myself.
It's only
enabled by
the Holy
Spirit who
helps me to
see that I
need to turn
my life around
and to go
the way of
God, to
believe in
his Son,
the Lord
Jesus Christ,
that when
he came,
he didn't
come to
take life,
but the
Son who
came to
give his
life for
all, to
give his
life for
people like
you and
me, to
give his
life for
those who
have had an
abortion, to
give his
life for
those who
are wanting
to repeal
the AIDS,
to give his
life for
those who
perform an
abortion.
He's
saying, you
know what, I
have come
into this
world to
take the
blame for
all the
wrong things
that you
have done,
so that
you can be
forgiven,
so that
you can
have life,
so that
you can
now live
my way
and do
what is
right and
good.
The only
solution that
I can think
of, we
can have
all our
arguments from
science,
we can
have all
the pictures
that we
want, the
ugliness and
the brutality
of some of
those pictures,
but the
only thing
that's really
going to
change the
human heart
is the
good news
of Jesus
Christ who
has come
to give
his life
for us.
This is
God's
purpose for
each and
every new
life,
that every
child born
into this
world would
turn to
the Lord
Jesus and
become part
of his
worldwide
family, of
loving him
and serving
him.
That's why
we have
children.
That's why
we protect
life and
save life and
treasure life.
We want
children born
into this
world so
they can
enjoy God
and know
him and
love him.
So three
reasons why
we should
protect and
value life.
Life is
created by
God, life
is a
blessing,
and life
finds purpose
in God.
Very quickly,
I know our
time is
moving on.
I just want
to give
three responses
to life.
Three things.
First, we
should celebrate
life.
Life is a
beautiful gift
from God.
Children are a
blessing and a
reward and a
joy.
Yes, parenting
can be difficult.
Yes, our
children may
struggle through
life.
Yes, our
children may be
born with a
disability.
But all
life is
precious and
valuable, so
we should
celebrate the
gift of
life.
Protect
life.
I encourage
us, as
Anne was
encouraging us
to make
that priority
for keeping
the Eighth
Amendment, to
speak up for
the unborn.
Be a voice
for those who
cannot yet
talk.
Don't be
silent on this
issue.
you know
what?
I think we
need to do
more.
It's not
just enough to
say no to
abortion.
We need to
come in grace
and mercy
and compassion
and provide a
shelter and a
refuge for those
who have had an
abortion, for
those who are
struggling and
find it difficult.
We need to
love them.
We also, and I
think this is
true as we
think into the
future, that I
think together
the church in
this country, in
this land in
which we live, I
think we will
need to be
investing our
resources, financial
resources, into
providing centres of
care, homes where
young mums who
are struggling with
a child and have
nowhere to go and
are going to be
finding it
difficult.
We need to
provide a place
where they can
come and be
looked after and
walked through and
say, you know
what, when you
have your baby, we
will stand there
with you.
It's not enough
for us to say
no.
We need to
think in terms of
building these
centres that will
be fully equipped
and staffed to
look after the
most vulnerable of
our society.
That's where we
need to go.
And third, adopt
life.
You see, again,
it's not enough to
say it's wrong
and start pointing
fingers.
We need to be
prepared to open
our homes, to
adopt children, to
foster children, to
say to those who
for various reasons
can't manage to
care for their
children, who
perhaps haven't had
the privilege of
some of us in the
homes that we were
raised, to say, I
will care for your
son, I will care for
your daughter.
What a beautiful
and precious gift
to care for life.
A beautiful and
precious gift to
care for little
children.
As I think about
these three responses
celebrating life,
protecting life,
not just speaking
out, not just
putting my tick in
the box when it
comes to vote, but
thinking of where I'll
put my resources in
building a place of
care and being
equipped to look
after people.
Thinking about
looking after other
children, adopting
them into your
family.
As I reflect on
that, I have some
serious, serious
thinking to do.
And I think we
all, as God's
people, have some
serious thinking to
do.
God has given
us life.
We are to
protect life.
We are to show
people the way of
life through the
Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to pray.
In our news sheet
this morning, if you
open up into the
middle pages,
there's a number
of prayers that
are written
there.
If you haven't
got one and you
need to get one,
please do.
But there's a
number of different
prayers all the way
down the page.
And I'm just
simply going to
invite us now,
where we are,
to pray.
It may be just
simply, if you
find it hard to
pray out loud,
just to simply
read the prayer
that's written
there.
They can just be
short prayers,
to thank God
for life,
to pray for our
government, to
pray for the
pro-life organisation,
to pray for people
like Anne and the
work that they are
doing.
Let's pray.
together.
Father,
we declare
that you are
a good God.
You are our
creator God.
You made us
and you formed us.
You delight in us.
You take pleasure
in us.
You give us the
breath that we
breathe.
You give us
health and strength.
You sustain us
and keep us.
You are an
amazing God.
And not only
have you given us
physical life,
but through your
Son,
you have given us
new and eternal
life.
forgiveness of all
of our sin.
So that we
might know you
and enjoy you
in a personal
and intimate
way.
That we might
enjoy your
eternal kingdom
of a world
where
there will never
be again
the death
of an unborn.
never again
will an old
person die.
But life
will go on
as you
planned and
you determined
at the very
beginning.
You will put
all things
right.
Father,
we are sorry
for the times
we have been
silent.
Please forgive
us.
Father,
we are sorry
for the times
we have
given off
and complained
and spoken
harshly to
our children
and not
treated them
as a blessing
that they are.
Forgive us,
Father.
Help us to
treasure life,
to celebrate
life,
to nurture
life.
We pray
for your help
in doing
this.
Amen.
I just
leave an
open time
now for
those who
would like
to respond
in prayer.
Amen.