What you're about to hear are the sounds of metal BB striking the side of the tin king.
! For every BB that strikes, it represents 10,000 lives lost in the wars of America's past.
The American Revolution.
The Civil War.
World War I.
World War II.
The Korean conflict.
The conflict in Vietnam.
September 11th and the war on terror.
Since 1973, the war will be under the shot.
The war will be under the shot.
The Holocaust.
Thank you.
God help us.
If you would join me in prayer again.
Great Father in heaven.
Lord, we come before you today.
With heavy hearts, Lord.
Knowing the travesty that surrounds us day by day, Lord.
And we see little change, God.
Lord, we thank you, Lord.
That you give us opportunity to become more aware of what takes place in this world that we live in, Lord.
Lord, we thank you, Lord, that by the shed blood of your son, Jesus, Lord, that we will one day be spared of the anguish and the pain of this earth, Lord.
Lord, we thank you, God, that we have you to lead us through this pilgrimage while we're here.
And we thank you, God, that your gospel will prevail.
Lord, I pray you meet with us this morning as we contemplate statistics and facts.
But most importantly, Lord, that you meet with us in your word.
For we know that is where your power resides.
We pray, God, that you open our hearts to hear what you have for us this morning.
And that we would be forever changed by your word.
And compelled by your Holy Spirit, God.
Thank you, Lord.
In Jesus' name, amen.
I don't think I'm alone in my emotion.
I just perhaps am not as good at suppressing it sometimes.
And I can't promise that it won't well open me again as I speak this morning.
But as we heard the compelling sound of the BBs hitting the tin can and what that represents,
there's more to add to that.
These numbers that I'm about to mention are difficult for us to wrap our mind around.
And they're rather large numbers.
Some of you might be surprised when you hear this, and some of this may be very familiar to you.
But in 2020, according to statistics provided by the World Health Organization,
worldwide, 42.7 million babies were killed in the womb.
That's approximately 125,000 per day.
And the BBs that you just heard represent since 1973 to when that DVD was released.
And at that point, it was approximately 53 million in the United States.
And at this point in our nation's history, that number is well over 67 million.
In the U.S., nearly one half of all pregnancies are unintended, and four in ten of those result in abortions.
That's 22% of all pregnancies in the United States end in abortion.
That's over 3,000 per day in the U.S. alone.
Here locally, Georgia keeps with the national average with approximately 100 a day,
which is over 36,000 a year just in our state.
Those numbers may be shocking to you.
I know that no one's going to find comfort in those numbers.
But because of the circumstances that we find ourselves in as a nation and really around the world with the COVID,
with this disease that's taken so many lives,
I think it is fair to note on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday,
I think it's appropriate that I can tell you that so far since January 1st,
there have been 200,000 COVID deaths worldwide.
There have been 2 million abortions by this point this year.
And over the past 12 months, in about a year,
there have been 2,032,835 COVID deaths as of this morning.
There have been 42.7 million abortions.
So I just say these things to bring to our sight,
to bring into view what we're up against.
And as the songs that we were just listening to
and the catechism that we were repeating,
though we know that we serve a great God.
we have knowledge of, saving knowledge of, a powerful gospel.
And the truth will prevail.
So, please, as we go and we continue through this,
although I want these statistics to ring clear in our minds
to prepare us for what we're up against,
I also want us to remember that our hope is in Jesus Christ.
And this is not a hopeless venture that we are encountering
as we go forward.
So, I want to emphasize that God does care about the pre-born.
We're told in Psalm 139,
there's going to be several texts that I turn to.
I invite you to turn there as well if you can keep up.
But for the sake of time, I'll be moving fairly quickly.
But in Psalm 139, this is probably familiar to a lot of you.
It says in verse 13 through 16, it says,
For you formed my inward parts,
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you.
When I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed substance.
In your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
So, God cares about the pre-born,
and He is sovereign over our lives from conception to death.
He numbers our days,
and He determines when we will be born,
how we will be born,
and how long we will live.
I also want to note that in Genesis,
in the chapter 1 of Genesis, in verse 26,
it says,
And God said,
Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness.
Every human that God creates is created in His image.
These babies in the womb,
and all of us here,
are image bearers of God Himself,
of the Creator of the universe,
the Creator of all things.
We are image bearers.
And an abortion is a destruction of an image bearer of God.
And we also know that Jesus,
the Christ, the promised one,
came into the world through the womb.
He was conceived in the womb of Mary.
Which begs the question,
because it's a question that's often brought up
about when is a human life,
a viable human life.
And I would argue that it's at conception.
As Christians,
we think of the conception of Jesus Christ.
At what point was He the Son of God?
At what point was He incarnate?
At what point did He dwell among us?
And I would argue that He dwelt among us as a fetus
before He died for us on a cross.
Emmanuel, God with us,
came as a baby.
He came as a fetus.
He was born into this filthy place.
And He dwelt among us.
Another way that we recognize that God cares about the preborn
and cares about children
is He blesses the world with children.
All throughout Scripture,
children are always a blessing.
Never a curse.
Children are never given to someone
because God is angry with them.
It's because He wants to bless them.
Children are always a blessing.
And in fact,
throughout the Old Testament,
children were being sacrificed
to the God Magog and to Baal.
And God curses them for that.
He also curses those that have knowledge of this
and stand idly by.
And Jesus says that
it would be better to have
a millstone tied around one's neck
and be thrown to the bottom of the sea
than to cause
one of
the children that believe
to stumble.
So yes,
He cares about
children,
the born and the unborn.
He cares about His image bearers.
And He forbids murder
across the board.
The taking of innocent human life
is murder.
The definition of murder
is the pre-planned
intentional killing
of one person by another.
The definition of abort
is to terminate
or end.
When we think of this
in human terms,
abort, abortion,
it is the terminating
and ending of a human life.
which is strictly forbidden
by the God we serve.
The creator of that very human life.
So, therefore,
I will stand before you today
and I will stand
for this ongoing
is that abortion
is murder.
And I would also
make what I believe
wholeheartedly is a biblical argument
that it is murder
regardless of circumstances.
There is no biblical justification
for murder
regardless of circumstance,
not rape,
incest,
disease,
fetus that is deformed,
not economics,
population control,
and least of all,
inconvenience.
But in saying that,
I know that there is a
biblical
foundation
for hope.
And I know that it is very possible
just statistically speaking,
it is very possible
that more than one person
in this room
has been involved
in
the practice of abortion.
Whether male or female,
it is very possible.
And I want
whomever that might be
in this room
or anywhere else
to know
that Christ came
for broken people.
and that everyone
in this room,
regardless of your background,
you were broken.
Those that are not sick
do not need a physician
and I can assure you
we were all sick.
We were all sick
in our sin
and Jesus came
to save sinners.
And if you find yourself
in that seat
and if you feel like
I stood here
and just called you
a murderer,
let me tell you now
that God died
for murderers.
God died
for
the sake
of our souls.
He was born
of a virgin,
a virgin lived
a sinless life.
He died on the cross
bearing
the punishment
for the sins
of the world.
For my sins.
And then
He arose
victorious
after being buried
in the grave.
He rose
victorious over sin
and ascended to heaven
and at this moment
is praying
for us.
So there's great hope
in that.
So please understand
I am not
standing here
to condemn those
that
have fallen
into the
sin
of being involved
in that way.
In fact,
as we continue
I want to
let the church know
how God says
we are
to respond.
I think it's important
that we recognize
as we
as a church
as we
look forward
to how we may
proceed
as a church
when we are
fighting this battle
is that we must
recognize
that this is
a gospel issue.
Abortion
is a gospel
issue.
It is a
heart issue
and this is not
a war on people.
This is a war
on evil.
I personally
cannot think
of something
more evil
than taking
the life
of the most
defenseless
of humanity.
But be aware
this is
this war
against evil
and not
against people
is a spiritual
warfare
and
I had mentioned
that our hope
is in Christ
Jesus
and I want
us to look
at Ephesians
6.
If you will
turn there
with me
starting in
verse 10.
There are two
parts
that we should
look at
is that we
need to identify
our enemy
and we need
to be prepared
to face him
and neither
of these things
can we do
on our own.
it requires
the work
of Christ
to do
this.
I'll read
starting in
verse 10
finally
be strong
in the
Lord
and in
the strength
of his
might
put on
the whole
armor
of God
that you
may be
able to
stand
against
the schemes
of the
devil
for we
do not
wrestle
against
flesh
and
blood
but
against
the
rulers
against
the
authorities
against
the cosmic
powers
over this
present
darkness
against the
spiritual
forces of
evil in
the heavenly
places
therefore
take up
the whole
armor of
God
that you
may be
able to
withstand
in the
evil day
and having
done all
to stand
firm
stand
therefore
having
fastened
on the
belt of
truth
and having
put on
the breastplate
of righteousness
and as
shoes for
your feet
having put
on the
readiness
given by
the gospel
of peace
in all
circumstances
take up
the shield
of faith
with which
you can
extinguish
all the
flaming
darts
of the
evil
one
and take
the helmet
of salvation
and the
sword of
the spirit
which is
the word
of God
praying
at all
times
in the
spirit
with all
prayer
and
supplication
to that
end
keep alert
with all
perseverance
making
supplication
for all
the saints
and also
for me
that words
may be
given to
me
in opening
my mouth
boldly
to proclaim
the mystery
of the
gospel
for which
I am
an ambassador
in chains
that I may
declare it
boldly
as I
ought to
speak
I hope
as you
read along
with me
in that
that you
find
encouragement
in it
that God
does not
send us
alone
and he
doesn't
send us
unprepared
that he
is with
us
even to
the ends
of the
earth
to the
ends
of time
he's
commissioned
us to
go to
all the
earth
sharing
the gospel
and that's
what our
goal should
be
when we
are faced
with
a travesty
such as
abortion
we remember
all these
numbers that
I've spoken
of in
these
statistics
all of
these
things
that are
so
overwhelming
when we
think of
this
issue
that we
are
faced
with
that
a
tremendous
amount
of
compassion
is
called
for
because
people
do not
women
and men
alike
do not
enter
into
their
teenage
years
and into
college
and then
on
with the
idea
that
you know
what
I think
next year
I'm
going to
have an
abortion
it's
not
something
that they
seek out
it's not
something
they intend
to do
it's a
matter
of
crisis
it's a
matter
of a
circumstance
where in
a lot
of cases
they see
no other
way out
what they
need to
know
is that
there's
hope
there's
hope in
Christ
Jesus
and that
hope is
passed
through
his
church
to them
we are
called
to be
the voice
for those
that have
no voice
and I can
assure you
if you
look for
it
there is
plenty
of
opportunity
to be
that
voice
so when
we read
in
Ephesians
6
10
through
20
that I
just
read
then
please
hear me
when I
say
that God
is the
only one
that can
do these
things
God
can change
the hearts
of kings
kings
the way
that he
changes
the course
of a
river
he is
the king
of kings
and just
the very
I was
thinking
when
before I
walked up
here
about what
the word
ruler means
and it
is the
standard
that all
thing
all else
is going
to be
measured
by
so the
ruler of
a kingdom
he is
the
measuring
stick
for all
things
that
happen
in his
kingdom
he is
the
one
that
determines
what
will
and
will
not
be
lawful
what
will
and
will
not
take
place
in
his
kingdom
what
will
and
won't
go
unpunished
a good
king
is just
and a good
king
is
righteous
and I
can tell
you
that not
all
earthly
kings
even
aspire
to
that
and none
of
them
meet
that
criteria
but
there is
the
king
of
kings
the
standard
which
all
kings
are
measured
by
and
that
is
Jesus
Christ
and
I
can
promise
you
he
is
just
and
he
is
righteous
in
his
perfect
character
he
passes
down
judgment
so
that
is
the
king
that
we
have
hope
in
that
is
the
king
who
is
my
king
and
your
king
and
he's
the
ultimate
king
and
he
will
have
the
last
word
in
his
kingdom
I
hope
you
find
that
as
encouraging
as
I
do
and
as
I
did
as
I
was
contemplating
that
earlier
that
we
don't
serve
an
earthly
king
we
serve
a
king
whose
kingdom
is
not
of
this
earth
in
Matthew
9
36
Jesus
saw
the
crowds
and
he
had
compassion
for
them
because
they
were
harassed
and
helpless
like
sheep
without
a
shepherd
like
all
of
us
once
were
this
is
how
we
should
look
at
those
numbers
because
with
every
number
that
I
mentioned
earlier
in
those
statistics
there
is
a
hurting
woman
a
woman
that
found
herself
in
crisis
harassed
by
the
evil
one
lost
and
helpless
like
a
sheep
without
a
shepherd
secondly
besides
compassion
and
empathy
is
truth
with
love
if
you
turn
to
first
corinthians
13
i
know
these
texts
are
familiar
to
you
but
they
bear
repeating
and
committing
to
memory
and
meditating
on
these
things
if
you
go
to
first
corinthians
13
the
first
three
verses
paul
says
this
if
i
speak
in
the
tongues
of
men
and
of
angels
but
have
not
love
i'm
a
noisy
gong
or
a
clanging
cymbal
and
if
i
have
prophetic
powers
and
understand
all
mysteries
and
all
knowledge
and
if
i
have
all
faith
so
as
to
remove
mountains
but
have
not
love
i
am
nothing
if
i
give
away
all
i
have
and
if
i
deliver
up
my
body
to
be
burned
but
have
not
love
i
gain
nothing
this
is a
call
for
us
to
bring
truth
by
all
means
we
want
to
bring
our
sword
with
us
into
battle
we
want
to
expose
truth
we
want
to
expose
what
is
made
in
darkness
we
want
to
expose
sin
with
god's
word
we
certainly
do
but we
do
so
in
love
we
do
so
with
compassion
and
empathy
my
homework
for
everyone
is
that
to
read
the
rest
of
chapter
13
because
god
teaches
us
how
to
love
through
the
apostle
paul
if
you
continue
reading
you
will
learn
what
love
is
and
we
should
remember
that
the
only
offensive
part
of
the
armor
of
god
the
only
thing
we
go
on
offense
with
is
the
sword
which
is
his
word
the
sword
of
the
spirit
is
his
word
so
if
we
are
to
offend
in
our
battle
against
the
evil
that
we're
faced
with
if
we
were
to
offend
with
the
gospel
offend
with
the
truth
of
the
word
and
not
with
our
own
opinions
and
not
with
our
own
judgments
!
But
with
the
word
that
God
has
given
us
to
fight
with
and
something
that
we
can
certainly
always
do
and
this
is
a
primary
approach
to
all
things
that
we
are
faced
with
but
specifically
with
abortion
we
are
to
pray
and
to
serve
to
make
ourselves
available
to
God
and
to
be
in
his
service
to
seek
first
his
kingdom
and
then
trust
him
that
he
will
provide
everything
else
we
should
pray
that
God
will
move
and
abolish
abortion
pray
that
he
will
send
workers
pray
that
he
would
turn
the
hearts
of
legislators
and
of
leaders
as
I
mentioned
before
he
is
more
than
capable
and
pray
that
he
will
bring
the
loss
to
repentance
that
is
a
primary
mission
that
God
gives
us
as
his
people
as
his
children
is
to
go
into
the
world
sharing
his
gospel
and to
pray
that
the
lost
will
come
to
repentance
he
grants
repentance
to
those
that
believe
and
we
have
to
remember
as
a
church
that
we
are
called
we
are
commanded
to
speak
for
those
who
cannot
speak
for
themselves
and
I
resist
bringing
a
political
tone
to
what
I'm
bringing
forth
this
morning
but
I
will
say
that
speaking
up
for
those
who
cannot
speak
for
themselves
if
there's
anyone
that
cannot
speak
for
themselves
I
would
say
it
would
be
the
unborn
in
the
womb
and
we
should
speak
up
for
them
in
the
halls
of
congress
on
street
corners
in
coffee
shops
and
in
front
of
abortion
clinics
our
goal
is
to
make
Christ
known
to
preach
him
and
him
crucified
to
preach
of his
resurrection
to
preach
of his
ascension
to
preach
of the
hope
that
comes
with
these
things
and
to
preach
that
he
promises
to
return
and
he
always
keeps
his
promises
that
our
hope
is
in
him
and
it
does
not
end
on
this
earth
it
ends
with
his
return
and
him
taking
his
children
home
to
the
place
that
he
has
gone
forth
and
prepared
for
us
this
is
what
we
have
to
share
with
the
world
this
is
what
we
have
to
share
with
those
that
are
considering
abortion
those
that
condone
abortion
those
that
actually
take
scalpel
in
hand
and
do
the
things
that
they
do
!
Christ
died
for
them
too!
And
just
remember
that
wherever
we
go
and
whatever
we
do
and
whatever
we
say
that
we
do
so
with
love
and
that
we
trust
God
with
the
results
he's
capable
and
we
should
never
be
so
confident
in
ourselves
but
we
should
find
our
confidence
in
him
we
should
never
boast
in
ourselves
but
boast
in
him
and
rest
in
the
finished
work
of
Jesus
Christ
the
work
that
none
of
us
could
have
done
because
we
don't
find
favor
with
him
by
the
things
that
we
do
we
find
favor
with
God
by
the
work
that
Christ
has
already
done
so
!
part
a
parting
couple
of
notes
is
one
there
are
numerous
ways
that
you
can
get
involved
because
I
am
certain
that
not
everyone
here
feels
called
to
stand
in front
of an
abortion
clinic
holding
a
picketing
or
necessarily
to
try to
convince
people
that are
walking
in
that
there's
another
way
we're
not
all
called
to
do
that
we're
not
all
called
to
stand
in
a
pulpit
or
preach
we're
not
all
called
to
be
a
vocal
advocate
that
goes
in
before
congress
but
we
are
all
called
to
join
the
fight
we
are
all
called
to
speak
up
for
those
who
cannot
speak
for
themselves
some
of us
will
only
pray
and
I
say
only
because
that
seems
so
small
the
reality
is
that
is
the
most
integral
and
overarching
part
of
what
we're
going
to
do
is
we're
going
to
plead
with
God
the
one
who
has
the
power
to
change
things
it's
him
that
we
should
call
on
so
if
praying
is
the
one
thing
that
you
can
do
then
do
that
relentlessly
faithfully
calling
on
the
Lord
to
bring
change
but
also
there
are
other
!
opportunities
you can
go door
to door
if that's
what God
calls you
to
you certainly
can
go and
stand in
front of
abortion
clinics
and
speak
for the
speechless
definitely
and I can
assure you
that God
has called
me to do
something
I'm doing
a small
part of
that now
but I know
that in
the future
he has
more work
for me
and if
anyone else
wants to
participate
or has
questions
about
how
maybe
they
can
be
activated
as it
were
then
look me
up
find me
and
with
permission
of
Nathan
and
the
elders
then I'd
like to
publish
two phone
numbers
in next
week's
bulletin
I meant
to try
to get
that done
this
week
but
there's
a second
area
that
I
don't
want
to leave
out
and that
is
abortion
recovery
we are
involved
my wife
and I
are involved
in an
abortion
recovery
ministry
we just
had one
not long
ago
it's in
the form
of a
retreat
and I
would just
say it's
100%
confidential
I'll say
that before
I say
anything else
about it
but one
of the
phone
numbers
will be
my wife's
number
Tish
is her
name
her number
will also
be in
the
bulletin
and you
can call
on her
if you
are
someone
that's
been
involved
in an
abortion
before
or had
an
abortion
if you're
a Christian
woman
that's
had
an
abortion
this
ministry
is for
you
because
you may
think
that you
have it
whipped
that you're
okay
I can
assure you
you are
not
the recovery
you can
be
reconciled
you can
be
forgiven
and you
can
be
restored
and you
can too
can be
activated
in
response
to this
these
things
that
we
reminder
that you
we are
all
broken
in need
of repair
and Jesus
is the
one
who
mends
so
I would
invite you
to call
that number
as I said
it's
confidential
and no
one will
have to
know
and you'll
be invited
to come
and
into that
ministry
so
I want to
make sure
I said
that
it's kind
of a
strange
closing
but
nonetheless
I invite
anyone
that wants
to
come
alongside
to
speak
with me
anytime
I'm
not a
great
leader
but I
will
do
my
best
need