The
Value of One: The Sanctity of Human Life Sermon
Outline In all my years as a pastor, I've never received more
criticism than when I spoke about my pro-life stand. Responses ranged from sarcasm
to anger to apathy. Yet, the defense of the unborn and the less fortunate must
be at the forefront of who the church is and what the church does. The
facts speak for themselves:
[Pastor -- please pull statistical information
from following fact sheet, "Status of Abortion in America."] Quote:"If
we teach a young mother it is okay to take the life of her own child in the womb,
we inevitably pull the thread that permeates the entire garment of the sanctity
of life -- forever." -- Martin Palmer, pro-life advocate But
my desire is not to talk only about the abortion aspect of Sanctity of Human Life
Sunday -- I want to address the Value of Life -- the responsibility of all of
us to honor and protect life. And I will do so in making three points. In
the gospel of John, Jesus presents Himself as the door (John 10:8) and He warns
us about those who would come to do us harm ... to teach us falsely to ... to
distract us from the truth. In John 10:10, He warns of those who promise life
but in the end bring death and suffering. Jesus was one who
was rejected by those who promoted themselves as spiritual leaders. He demonstrated
this determination ... to value all life. He detested heresy. He said, "I
am the good shepherd! I know My sheep and My sheep know Me and I lay down My life
for the sheep" (John 10:14).
I. We Have
an Example
In John 10:14, Jesus speaks about giving
His life for His sheep. As He ministered, He saw people one at a time, and placed
great value on each individual. But in the end He realized He must finally face
the greatest enemy -- the cross -- and in so doing He ministered to those He met
along the way with a sense of urgency ... for His ultimate gift was eternal life
(John 10:28). Examples of Jesus reaching out
to one in His flock: A. The leper in
Matthew 8:2-30. He touched the leper who asked Him for healing and by doing so
He touched the AIDS epidemic of His day. He understood the suffering and the rejection
of the victim. B. The elderly woman
with the "issue of blood" in Luke 8:43-48. This woman touched His garment
and was healed. She came to Him trembling. He saw value in life even in the aged,
and brought comfort and hope. C. The little children
in Mark 10:13, Matthew 9:13 and Luke 9:47. Jesus took the children in His arms,
put His hands on them and blessed them. He realized the "little ones"
would face huge obstacles to their faith and morality, and He warned those who
might attempt to prevent them from coming to Jesus there would be consequences
(Matthew 18:6). His warnings hold true even to this day.
Jesus'
life showed His willingness to respond to the call of one person. He looked them
in the eye as though there was no one else in the crowd. He made them feel loved
and very special. [Pastor -- place an illustration here
of how you, or a member of your congregation, ministered to just one person.]
II.
We Have a Mandate
From the life
of Jesus Christ, and His teaching in parables, we are given a mandate to look
after those less fortunate. Some examples included: A.
The Parable of the Lost Son -- Luke 15:11-32 -- "Your brother was dead,
now he is alive; he was lost, now he is found." The next step was celebration.
We must do all we can to recover that one who seems lost or separated. We no longer
have the luxury of picking and choosing who is important. If Jesus died for them
they have the right to hear the message of hope. B.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan -- Luke 10:25-37 -- We are expected to respond
to the needy and the fallen, even when the organization of the church fails to
do so. To those who were listening, Jesus said, "Go and do likewise ..."
(Luke 10:37). Good intentions are not enough. We must respond to a lost world's
cry for help. C. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
-- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Forgiveness is met with forgiveness. The church must be
willing not only to receive those who have been hurt or rejected by us, but we
must be willing to forgive them as though they've done us no harm. Jesus is the
giver of second chances -- even those who have aborted or failed or fallen (Luke
7:47).
[Pastor -- Use a
personal illustration of someone in your ministry whom everyone had given up on
but, through God's love and mercy, was restored to health and wholeness.]
III.
We Have an Opportunity (as disciples of Jesus Christ) A.
Discipleship is servanthood -- The true disciple of Jesus Christ is not a disciple
because of their position in the church or community. Rather, they are disciples
because they are willing to be servants (John 13:1-5). He loved totally and unconditionally. B.
Discipleship is service -- Jesus admonished His disciples to care for one another
through His example of washing their feet. Then He said, "Now that you know
these things you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17). C.
Discipleship is sacrifice -- As we are committed to serve the kingdom of God,
we in turn serve Him -- "As you did it to one of the least of these, you
did it to me" (Matthew 25:34-40). Though the Lord was probably referring
to Israel, He was also making reference to those we meet along the way. "Whatever
you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (Matthew
24:45).
Illustration: I once heard
the story of a very wealthy man who each day in his limousine passed a weary,
ragged newsboy at a big city intersection. One day he stopped, bought all the
young man's papers, and invited the lad to his home. He fed him, gave him new
clothes, and promised to help with his support. When the rich man delivered the
boy back to his home and bid the child farewell ... the youth hesitated, and then
turned back to the limousine and said simply, "Mister ... are you Jesus?"
I believe the world is looking for Jesus in you. [Pastor
-- Use an example of yourself or someone in your congregation who had an experience
where another person saw Jesus in them.] As Hebrews 13:2
encourages, "Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing some people
have entertained angels without knowing it." "It
Matters to This One!" A young man was walking
along the seashore. Far ahead of him, he saw a distant figure: someone who, like
him, was walking, but who paused every few steps, stooped down, and seemed to
be throwing something into the sea. His curiosity aroused,
the young man hurried forward, his feet awkward in the sand, as he tried to catch
up with the man. As he came closer, he saw that it was an old man, and the reason
that he would stop every step or two was to pick up a starfish and fling it into
the ocean. It was only then that the young man noticed the thousands of starfish
that littered the beach for miles, stranded there by the tide. The
young man felt a rising sense of anger. What the old man was doing seemed so pointless,
and he couldn't wait to catch up with him to tell him so. By the time the young
man came abreast of the older man, he was out of breath. "Why
are you doing this?" he gasped. "You can't save all of these starfish!
It's useless! What does it matter?" The old man paused
for a moment, looking down at the crusty starfish he'd just picked up. He turned
it over slowly, then answered. "It matters to this one,"
he said, as with a slow deliberate motion he tossed it back into the sea, into
life. (Author unknown)
Contributors:
H.B.
London, Jr., Vice President, Ministry Outreach Division
Carrie Gordon, Bioethics
Analyst, Public Policy Division
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