“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” (Psalm 139:13-16) | 1/19/20

Psalm 139:13-16 | 1/19/20 | Will DuVal

We are in week 3 now of our 12-week sermon series entitled TOUGH TEXTS, in which we are tackling the most difficult passages in the Bible. In week 1, we considered allegedly IRRELEVANT texts - passages that make some ask, “Why would God even bother INCLUDING this in the Bible?”, and last Sunday, we discussed allegedly INCONSISTENT texts - “Doesn’t this passage contradict science, or history, or other biblical material?” This morning we shift to our third type of tough texts: the PERSONALLY problematic. Some texts are difficult because IF they’re true, if they’re REALLY the word of God, then they ought to radically affect the way you and I live our lives, in sometimes very uncomfortable ways. 


This morning’s passage, Psalm 139, fits squarely in that category. If Psalm 139, vv13-16 is true, as I hope to show you not only biblically, but medically, as well as deductively, from pure logic and reason, if it’s true that life begins at conception, then you and I are left to face the uncomfortable reality that we have, I suspect been mostly complicit, I’ll just speak for myself, I have been MOSTLY passively unconcerned by, the most widespread holocaust in the history of humanity, happening right under our noses. Holocaust is defined as “any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life”. Typically associated of course with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany’s slaughter of 6 million Jews in the mid-20th c.; by comparison, if life truly begins at conception, then 42 million babies are being slaughtered every single year by abortion; Abortion make Hitler look like an amateur. 


I want to warn you of two things before we get going: 

  1. Parents: we are going to be discussing and viewing some very disturbing stuff this morning. It is not too late to check them into kids ministry. But if you’ve been around West Hills for any length of time, you know I don’t sugar-coat. Abortion is gruesome, it’s horrific, it’s diabolical, it is HEINOUS; so any HONEST treatment of the subject, from the pulpit or otherwise, must deal with it as such. In fact, I think much of the reason we aren’t risking our LIVES to save these children is simply because we can’t SEE them. Or we REFUSE to see them; because it IS gruesome. If we could SEE 42 million mothers murdering their inconvenient toddlers all around us, the Church might have more to say about it. Yet for the Bible believing Christian, there is no difference between a 3-year old, and a gestational 3-month old. So I’m going to show you these babies. 

Secondly, if you have personally had, encouraged, performed, or stood silently by an abortion, I want to recognize that this is EXTRA personal for you. And I simply want to remind you of 1 John 1:9 this morning: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This issue, above all others, ought to remind us of just how forgiving our God really is. Ps 103:8 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” I think if I was God, there are some sins I would really struggle to forgive. So hear the good news this morning: I am not God! And God is able and willing to cleanse you of ALL unrighteousness! But you have to confess. You have to repent. So for us NOT to talk about it, as a church, because it’s TOO personal, or too uncomfortable, or it feels too political… listen: this is NOT a political issue, this is a LIFE issue. This is a fighting for the soul of humanity issue. And if it’s personal for you, us NOT talking about it ROBS you of the opportunity to confess and be forgiven, and receive the healing you desperately need from the Father.

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“Is Prayer Worth My Time?” (Matt 21:21-22 (Mark 11:24-25); Matt 7:7-8 (Lk 11:9-13); Matt 18:19; Jn 14:13-14; Jn 15:7, 16; Jn 16:23-24)| 1/26/20

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“Full of Contradictions?” (John 10:22-39) | 1/12/20