Sermon Notes, "Sanctity Of Human Life"
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Genesis 1:26-27 (KJV)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 9:6 (KJV)
6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
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INTRO:
Human life is sacred
Because particularly made in image of God
Makes every person special
No one reduced to an object/stat
Even "ugliest" person still stamped with that image
(1) Has Characteristic of eternity
(2) Has Characteristic of being uniquely special to God
(3) Has Characteristic&n bsp;of being loved of God
(4) God expects us to treat with respect that acknowledges this life is His property
I. YOUR LIFE IS SACRED
Might have bought into this lie that you are no good
Who sells to you such a proposition?
Satan whispers it into your ear
Like he did to Job: "Curse God and die!"
Like he did to Judas: "You have messed up. You no longer deserve to live."
You're ugly, you're stupid, etc.
Whatever the lie, do not buy into it!
World reinforces
God tells you that you are unique, special, and valuable
"Segullah"
King's personal treasures/cache of precious gold and silver
Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
The simplest usage of segullah is to indicate personal possession.
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words expounds its meaning (remember that we are being described):
"Cegullah signifies property in the special sense of a private possession one personally acquired and carefully preserves. Six times this word is used of Israel as God's personally acquired (elected, delivered from Egyptian bondage, and formed into what He wanted them to be), carefully preserved, and privately possessed people. . . ."
You are God's special treasure!
He sees you as a valuable and highly prized possession
He wants to enjoy you, delight in you
You are the highlight of his life
II. The Life that seems, at first impression to not be so wonderful, is sacred:
Down's Syndrome
Personal Observation:
McDonald's, he was in a uniform trying to clean up a mess, getting into everybody's way, everybody so impatient,
"a bother"
Somebody's baby
God's baby!
Belonging
by Rebecca Phong
"She was a sleepy little one, unconcerned about the world around her; there were no typical bursts of crying that I had experienced with the other children. The sweetest hand wrapped around my finger felt as soft as silk. Upon careful inspection, I traced the long line down her palm as I glanced at my own hand and reflected upon the differences. These differences didn‘t matter. She belonged with me."
Sunshine
by Jeanette Bollinger
"When I finally brought Carter home from the hospital I began to notice that people had a very strong reaction when they met him for the first time. It didn’t matter what sort of mood or frame of mind they were in, as soon as they met Carter they seemed happier and just wanted to be around him as much as possible. All he has to do is smile at a person once, and he has them wrapped around his cute little crooked pinkie."
III. The Unborn Child Is Sacred
There is SOHL with the unborn childAmerican public is:
*far too quick to choose/see abortion as solution to unplanned pregnancy
*...to understand abortion as exclusive right of privacy for the woman
*...to dehumanize that which is in the womb
*...To neglect the needs of the pregnant and frightened woman
*...Teenager still in school
*...Dysfunctional family
*...Poor woman - two/3/4 children to feed
When do we recognize the sanctity of this human being?
Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Psalms 139:13-16 (NLT)
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
I believe there will come a time, for the American public, when the widespread practice of abortion of today will be viewed with the same incredulity and condemnation with which we now view the slavery of yesterday.
Common, accepted for hundreds of years
Few who opposed were considered unenlightened
All kinds of rationalizations
Presidents
Christians owned slaves and were involved in the slave trade
How did it change?
People more interested in being right than popular
Would not quit and would not rest
Amazing turns of historical events
It happened with the hand of God
IV. The person in your midst who is different is sacred
Deuteronomy 10:17-19 (NIV)
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
19 And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
They can be uncomfortable to us
Look diff
Diff customs and languages
Much more comfortable to stay away
I have my comfortable friends, family, way of life, church
International in our midst
Interesting the stereotypes
Amazing how much love same people have to give
How appreciative
How kind
When you fear those who are different:
*Easier to excuse, rationalize not loving
*Easier To miss out on God's intention that your life be enriched by this person
*Thus you do not grow in your capacity to love and your involvement in loving other
*Miss out on a big part of your purpose
*The world is poorer
*You are poorer
If I had bought-in to idea of separation of the races, out of fear/ignorance/bigotry:
*Teenage girl and teenage boy in Cochran would perhaps never been saved
*Albert & Anchie
*Cedric and Nakida - lovely home, sweet relationship, full of love
*Goldie & Lloyd
*Next Sunday will baptize Mr. Kim into our church family
CONCLUSIONS:
Your life is sacred
The life far away is sacred
The life next door is sacred
The life that is ugly is sacred
The life that is different is sacred
The life within is sacred
