1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,040 What up, Crossing Family? It is so good to see you. 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,120 I want to welcome all of our different locations. 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,200 Those of you watching online and those of you are part of our 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,640 Crossing Inside family. We just got to celebrate 13 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,280 inside baptisms from this past month of ministry, praising God 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,560 for that. This weekend is a special 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,600 weekend here at The Crossing because our friends from the 8 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,350 Solomon Foundation are here and the Solemn Foundation has been a 9 00:00:28,350 --> 00:00:32,509 big part of the Crossing story. Doug has been one of our biggest 10 00:00:32,790 --> 00:00:36,590 and best ministry partners here at The Crossing because of 11 00:00:36,590 --> 00:00:39,310 Doug's leadership and faith in God and the Crossing. 12 00:00:39,630 --> 00:00:42,590 He helped us start so many of our campuses. 13 00:00:42,870 --> 00:00:46,910 In fact, this weekend our McComb campus is celebrating its 16th 14 00:00:47,150 --> 00:00:52,110 birthday and he came in at just the right time and help us get 15 00:00:52,110 --> 00:00:55,600 that campus all the way to completion and then helped us 16 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,880 start every campus after that. And then we entered into our 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,520 most strategic partnership with the Solomon Foundation. 18 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,240 We gifted them five of our locations and in turn they paid 19 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,720 off all of our remaining debt allowing us to become a debt 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,920 free church and gave us money to help further our mission. 21 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,800 It is a 30 year partnership and we immediately as a leadership 22 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,440 team set aside money principal amount of money that will grow 23 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,000 with interest to be able to purchase back a pre agreed 24 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:25,960 amount at the very end of the term. 25 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,440 We did this partnership for two reasons. 26 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,080 The first, we want to be debt free and retain the full usage 27 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,720 of all of our properties for a highcapacity ministry. 28 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,910 But the most important reason that we did this was that by 29 00:01:37,910 --> 00:01:42,590 giving them our assets, they're able to make loans 20 times the 30 00:01:42,630 --> 00:01:47,030 value of our assets to help other churches grow and expand 31 00:01:47,070 --> 00:01:49,550 and have stories just like The Crossing. 32 00:01:49,950 --> 00:01:52,790 Jennifer and I have our retirement at the Solomon 33 00:01:52,790 --> 00:01:58,190 Foundation, so does our staff. In fact, 247 people who sit in 34 00:01:58,190 --> 00:02:03,190 the seat just like you at our church have over $11 million 35 00:02:03,190 --> 00:02:06,620 invested there. This allows them to continue to 36 00:02:06,620 --> 00:02:10,780 help churches while giving your money a chance to grow and work 37 00:02:10,780 --> 00:02:12,820 for you to expand the Kingdom of God. 38 00:02:13,140 --> 00:02:16,340 Would you please put a warm crossing welcome together for 39 00:02:16,340 --> 00:02:18,900 the TSF family? Mr. Doug and Mr. Ryan. 40 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:26,660 Come on up, guys. This is special on so many 41 00:02:26,660 --> 00:02:28,300 fronts, which I know we'll get to in just a second. 42 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:30,460 Come over here, Ryan or. Yeah, you come over here. 43 00:02:30,540 --> 00:02:32,500 Well, otherwise, I'll be the Oreo. 44 00:02:32,540 --> 00:02:34,190 I'll be the. I'll be the cream. 45 00:02:34,350 --> 00:02:38,390 OK, question cuz there's a lot of people paying attention to 46 00:02:38,390 --> 00:02:40,870 us, Doug, what is the Solomon Foundation? 47 00:02:41,110 --> 00:02:43,710 So the Solomon Foundation, Clayton is was called the Church 48 00:02:43,710 --> 00:02:47,230 Extension Fund, which basically we're a notforprofit. 49 00:02:47,550 --> 00:02:50,430 And what happens is people that sit in the chairs and pews of 50 00:02:50,430 --> 00:02:53,030 the Restoration movement, Christian Church and Church of 51 00:02:53,030 --> 00:02:56,950 Christ all across America can deposit money at Solomon 52 00:02:56,950 --> 00:02:59,870 Foundation. Then we pool that money and we 53 00:02:59,870 --> 00:03:03,150 make loans to churches. All over the United States in an 54 00:03:03,150 --> 00:03:05,590 Eastern Europe. So if somebody in our church was 55 00:03:05,590 --> 00:03:09,110 going, you know what, I want my money to work for me and work 56 00:03:09,110 --> 00:03:11,070 for God. How do they get involved with 57 00:03:11,070 --> 00:03:12,950 the Solomon Foundation? So it's real simple. 58 00:03:12,950 --> 00:03:15,510 We're based in Denver. You can go on our website, you 59 00:03:15,510 --> 00:03:18,390 can pick up some information from us this weekend. 60 00:03:18,750 --> 00:03:21,750 But basically we offer certificates just like you would 61 00:03:21,750 --> 00:03:24,550 get at the bank. So a six month, one year, 62 00:03:24,550 --> 00:03:28,430 three-year, five year, 7 or 10 year certificate that you can 63 00:03:28,430 --> 00:03:30,390 purchase, you get a good yield on that. 64 00:03:30,820 --> 00:03:33,140 And then again, that money's going to go help build churches 65 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:36,660 now. What has been the impact of the 66 00:03:36,660 --> 00:03:38,740 Solomon Foundation? Because this is going to blow 67 00:03:38,740 --> 00:03:41,900 your mind. This is what motivates guys like 68 00:03:41,900 --> 00:03:45,660 Ryan and I every day. Yep, okay, here's the deal. 69 00:03:46,420 --> 00:03:50,340 In over 13 years, we've helped over 600 churches. 70 00:03:50,620 --> 00:03:53,860 We took a snapshot of the church when we made them alone. 71 00:03:54,260 --> 00:03:59,160 We took a snapshot today. And those 600 churches now have 72 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,880 over 160,000 more people in church. 73 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:07,760 Come on but. But there's a but that's not the 74 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,960 best number I know. Here it comes. 75 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:11,080 Are you? Come on, give it to them. 76 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:17,560 Those 600 churches have baptized over 65,000 people. 77 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:19,959 Come on. Absolutely. 78 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:22,630 Awesome. Now do you want to do it or you 79 00:04:22,630 --> 00:04:25,790 want you you talk about? Ryan OK, so the Solomon 80 00:04:25,790 --> 00:04:28,150 Foundation went on a national search. 81 00:04:28,430 --> 00:04:30,270 Yeah. To find a new president. 82 00:04:30,510 --> 00:04:33,830 I serve as the CEO. And we decided we needed to find 83 00:04:34,110 --> 00:04:37,350 a younger person to come in and and really help guide the 84 00:04:37,350 --> 00:04:40,230 organization forward. So we went on a national search. 85 00:04:40,990 --> 00:04:45,710 And this guy right here helped me a lot because he introduced 86 00:04:45,710 --> 00:04:48,190 me to Ryan. So the new president of the 87 00:04:48,190 --> 00:04:52,080 Solomon Foundation. Actually came from McComb. 88 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,400 He came from our church. Ryan Riggins and Ashley are 89 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,600 actually dear friends of Jennifer and I. 90 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:01,200 They were a big part of our church. 91 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,440 They are incredible encouragers, dear friends. 92 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,200 I'm not going to go into the whole story, but they've got 93 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,720 really serious about their faith because of the faith of you guys 94 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,440 making a campus happen in McComb. 95 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,140 And now Ryan gets to help churches just like us all across 96 00:05:18,140 --> 00:05:19,940 the country through a partnership with the Solomon 97 00:05:19,940 --> 00:05:22,700 Foundation. If you want more information 98 00:05:23,140 --> 00:05:25,940 about the Solomon Foundation, there are people from the 99 00:05:25,940 --> 00:05:29,140 Solomon Foundation family at most of our locations in the 100 00:05:29,140 --> 00:05:30,700 lobby. If you don't, there's 101 00:05:30,700 --> 00:05:33,380 information brochures. They are a first class 102 00:05:33,380 --> 00:05:36,340 organization that you can interact with and by partnering 103 00:05:36,340 --> 00:05:39,420 with them you get a partner with us to help the Kingdom of God 104 00:05:39,420 --> 00:05:42,580 grow and expand. Ryan, come on real quick. 105 00:05:42,700 --> 00:05:45,860 Just tell us what's your experience been in just two 106 00:05:45,860 --> 00:05:49,560 months being in Denver? Yeah, two months being in 107 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,760 Denver, it's been quite an honor. 108 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:56,240 It's an honor to work with Doug. It's God's quite the author to 109 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,960 to be a part of the McComb campus and learn that that was 110 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,600 one of the first loans that Solomon Foundation made upon 111 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,120 being formed. And to get the call from Doug 112 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,360 and and talk to Clayton and Doug about this opportunity and and 113 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,480 now I was talking to somebody in the lobby and every day at work 114 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,480 we just get to talk about helping churches grow. 115 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,140 It's an honor. That's exactly right. 116 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:21,580 Would you guys give a big round of applause? 117 00:06:24,340 --> 00:06:27,140 Okay. We got a lot of work to do. 118 00:06:27,140 --> 00:06:28,460 I want to give you some ground rules. 119 00:06:29,780 --> 00:06:32,980 I'm going to read my sermon. The reason I'm going to read my 120 00:06:32,980 --> 00:06:34,900 sermon is because I don't want to screw it up. 121 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:40,460 So just deal with the lack of jokes and you know what I 122 00:06:40,460 --> 00:06:43,660 normally provide for you. Second thing I want to tell you 123 00:06:43,660 --> 00:06:47,690 is please, please, please come to church next weekend and bring 124 00:06:47,690 --> 00:06:49,770 a friend. I just finished the sermon for 125 00:06:49,770 --> 00:06:53,490 next weekend this morning and I cannot wait to preach it because 126 00:06:53,490 --> 00:06:55,410 it is going to wrap this entire series up. 127 00:06:55,610 --> 00:06:58,210 It's going to put a bow on it that I think we are all going to 128 00:06:58,210 --> 00:07:00,850 really appreciate. But before we get to week five, 129 00:07:01,170 --> 00:07:05,530 we need to deal with week four. We have been in a sermon series 130 00:07:05,530 --> 00:07:09,970 called Truth and Tension, Balancing faith and love on Hot 131 00:07:09,970 --> 00:07:12,290 Topic issues. And here's what I've noticed, 132 00:07:12,330 --> 00:07:15,240 and I think you've noticed it too, that the closer you are to 133 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,440 the sin, the situation and the person, the more you tend to 134 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,040 bend on the truth. And the further you are from the 135 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:28,080 sin, the situation and the person, the harder you hit with 136 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,280 the truth. And I don't think this comes 137 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,440 from a bad place. I think it comes from a well 138 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,240 meaning place. It's hard to balance these 139 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,160 issues. The situations and the people 140 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,850 are complex. What parts of the Bible get 141 00:07:41,850 --> 00:07:46,130 highlighted often depends on how close you are to the person, how 142 00:07:46,130 --> 00:07:51,850 close you are to the situation. Good, well meaning people like 143 00:07:51,850 --> 00:07:56,890 you, like me, can get this wrong. 144 00:07:57,850 --> 00:08:00,050 At the beginning of the series, we laid some ground rules. 145 00:08:00,450 --> 00:08:03,010 I just want to recap them. One no clapping. 146 00:08:03,890 --> 00:08:05,890 We're not going to clap for a sin that we don't struggle with. 147 00:08:06,550 --> 00:08:08,510 We've reached the gospel every single week here at The 148 00:08:08,510 --> 00:08:10,750 Crossing, and if we're not going to clap for the power of the 149 00:08:10,750 --> 00:08:13,110 cross, we're not going to clap for a sin that put in there. 150 00:08:13,390 --> 00:08:17,030 Well, #2 no emails. We want Facetoface 151 00:08:17,030 --> 00:08:19,270 conversations. Feel free to reach out via 152 00:08:19,270 --> 00:08:20,630 e-mail. But I want you to know in 153 00:08:20,630 --> 00:08:23,710 advance that our response is going to find a time to get 154 00:08:23,710 --> 00:08:26,550 together and look at the whites of your eyes so you can see the 155 00:08:26,550 --> 00:08:28,990 whites of ours. So we can hear your tone and you 156 00:08:28,990 --> 00:08:31,790 can hear ours. We will get coffee, a meal. 157 00:08:31,790 --> 00:08:36,110 You picket our treat. Rule #3 First, Peter 3:15. 158 00:08:37,110 --> 00:08:40,030 But in your hearts, Revere Christ as Lord. 159 00:08:40,230 --> 00:08:43,870 He's in charge. Always be prepared to give an 160 00:08:43,870 --> 00:08:48,910 answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope 161 00:08:49,070 --> 00:08:50,790 that you have. But there's a way that we're 162 00:08:50,790 --> 00:08:54,710 supposed to give that answer. But do this with gentleness and 163 00:08:55,550 --> 00:08:59,470 respect. The overarching theme around 164 00:08:59,470 --> 00:09:04,350 these topics are these hot topic issues has been this God's way 165 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,720 is the best way. We believe that to the core of 166 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,960 our being here at the Crossing that no matter the question, no 167 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,800 matter the situation, no matter the struggle, God's way is the 168 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:21,280 best way. God has a better way for us, not 169 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,480 just in how we live our lives, but in how we respond to sins 170 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:34,860 and situations and people. Today we are going to talk about 171 00:09:35,020 --> 00:09:39,660 abortion, and I'm going to take a really long way around the 172 00:09:39,660 --> 00:09:41,780 barn. I want you to pay close 173 00:09:41,780 --> 00:09:44,340 attention because some of the things that I'm going to talk to 174 00:09:44,340 --> 00:09:46,100 you about, you're going to be like, where is he going with 175 00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:47,860 this? But it will help provide a 176 00:09:47,860 --> 00:09:51,100 foundation for you to view the framework that you're perceiving 177 00:09:51,220 --> 00:09:53,660 through the news outlets and secular culture. 178 00:09:54,340 --> 00:09:59,020 A pastor in Kansas City got up in June of 2022 and his church 179 00:09:59,020 --> 00:10:01,740 celebrated the overturning of Roe V Wade. 180 00:10:02,460 --> 00:10:08,470 After the service, a young woman came up to him in tears and she 181 00:10:08,470 --> 00:10:14,590 said, why didn't anyone ever tell me that abortion was wrong? 182 00:10:16,030 --> 00:10:20,710 She had no idea. I made the decision that we must 183 00:10:20,710 --> 00:10:25,510 take a clear stand on this issue and educate those who call the 184 00:10:25,510 --> 00:10:30,030 crossing home about God's design and direction for our lives. 185 00:10:30,950 --> 00:10:33,590 To be silent on this issue would be to sin. 186 00:10:34,510 --> 00:10:37,190 It made me realize that while I have avoided sermons like this 187 00:10:37,190 --> 00:10:40,190 because they're not the ideal sermons to reach people in their 188 00:10:40,190 --> 00:10:44,630 pain in the meantime, the world has never stopped talking about 189 00:10:44,630 --> 00:10:49,950 these issues. It might help to realize how we 190 00:10:49,950 --> 00:10:55,430 got to where we are today. There has been more change than 191 00:10:55,430 --> 00:11:00,070 ever in recorded history over the last 65 years. 192 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,760 This is especially true in the realm of human sexuality, 193 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:08,040 marriage and gender. Think of how out of place you 194 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,440 feel right now compared to 18 months ago, five years ago. 195 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:16,280 This should actually create a little bit of empathy for us 196 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,880 when we're interacting with our parents or our grandparents. 197 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,920 I need you to hear me say this. The world was different 60 years 198 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,680 ago. It was a completely different 199 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:29,720 place before the 1960s. What happened in the 60s? 200 00:11:30,260 --> 00:11:32,300 A lot. You have the civil rights 201 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:35,740 movement, you have black power, Chicano power, feminist 202 00:11:35,740 --> 00:11:39,220 movement, antiwar movement against Vietnam, the legal push 203 00:11:39,220 --> 00:11:42,460 for secularization which included prayer being removed 204 00:11:42,460 --> 00:11:44,620 from schools, the teaching of evolution. 205 00:11:44,820 --> 00:11:48,980 This became the seedbed for a revolution around human 206 00:11:48,980 --> 00:11:53,260 sexuality. Thus the sexual revolution was 207 00:11:53,260 --> 00:11:55,180 born. And this was the mantra. 208 00:11:55,970 --> 00:12:01,210 If we stop making sex such a big deal, it won't be such a big 209 00:12:01,210 --> 00:12:04,770 deal. Many civil rights activists have 210 00:12:04,770 --> 00:12:08,730 indicated a level of jealousy over the amount of progress the 211 00:12:08,730 --> 00:12:12,610 gay and trains movement has made culturally over the last 60 212 00:12:12,610 --> 00:12:16,210 years because their effectiveness and efficiency are 213 00:12:16,210 --> 00:12:20,800 profound. Society has experienced 4 major 214 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:25,880 shifts and how we think about sex and sexuality since the 60s. 215 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:30,840 Shift Number one, sex was separated from childbearing. 216 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,000 Before the 60s, that wasn't the case. 217 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,600 You're going to go Clayton saying a lot of stuff, rewatch 218 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,840 it because listen to what I'm about to say. 219 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,640 It wasn't until 1954 that clinical test began for the 220 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,630 pill. It was approved by the FDA in 221 00:12:49,630 --> 00:12:55,870 1960, but it was not until 1965 that the Supreme Court ruled 222 00:12:56,110 --> 00:13:00,870 that the Constitution protects the liberty of married couples 223 00:13:01,110 --> 00:13:04,550 to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction. 224 00:13:06,350 --> 00:13:11,830 Up to that point, it was illegal to use any drug, medicine, or 225 00:13:11,830 --> 00:13:14,270 instrument to prevent contraception. 226 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:20,040 It wasn't until 1972 that laws were passed that allowed single 227 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:24,600 people to buy contraceptives. It was illegal for unmarried 228 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,960 people to get contraceptives before 1972. 229 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:35,280 Then in 1973, Roe V Wade ruled that the Constitution protects a 230 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,960 woman's right to abortion. Shift #2. 231 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:44,440 Sex was separated from a lifelong marital covenant. 232 00:13:45,260 --> 00:13:49,500 Legalizing gay marriage is a modern Western phenomenon. 233 00:13:50,220 --> 00:13:53,700 Religious history is unanimous on this. 234 00:13:54,060 --> 00:13:57,900 Moses and the Jews, Jesus and the Christians, Muhammad and the 235 00:13:57,900 --> 00:14:02,780 Muslims, Dalai Lama and the Buddhists all contend that sex 236 00:14:02,780 --> 00:14:05,660 should be confined to opposite sex. 237 00:14:05,660 --> 00:14:11,220 Marital covenants and the world as a whole is almost unanimous 238 00:14:11,260 --> 00:14:14,970 on this. Outside of predominantly white, 239 00:14:15,250 --> 00:14:19,410 progressive Western cities, marriage between a man and a 240 00:14:19,410 --> 00:14:24,490 woman is the accepted mandate. What may be the most profound is 241 00:14:24,490 --> 00:14:28,970 that secular world superpowers like China and Russia are also 242 00:14:28,970 --> 00:14:32,050 in lockstep with the rest of the world. 243 00:14:32,050 --> 00:14:36,790 On this, the views of progressive, Western, mostly 244 00:14:36,790 --> 00:14:41,550 white, rich society around marriage are an aberration on 245 00:14:41,550 --> 00:14:45,150 the global scale. So why protect marriage? 246 00:14:45,830 --> 00:14:50,110 The common logic surrounding the argument for protecting marriage 247 00:14:50,350 --> 00:14:55,430 is societal flourishing. This is actually an area of 248 00:14:55,430 --> 00:14:58,750 agreement between secular governments and the religious 249 00:14:58,750 --> 00:15:01,490 organizations. You may, if you pay attention to 250 00:15:01,490 --> 00:15:05,690 politics, heard these famous lines not just in politics but 251 00:15:05,690 --> 00:15:07,050 from the church. You ready? 252 00:15:08,090 --> 00:15:13,210 The healthy family is the backbone of a healthy society. 253 00:15:14,130 --> 00:15:19,690 Interestingly enough, they're right and have enormous data to 254 00:15:19,690 --> 00:15:23,250 back it up. History shows that societies 255 00:15:23,250 --> 00:15:26,490 flourish when marriages are strengthened and encouraged, 256 00:15:26,730 --> 00:15:31,540 sexual impulse restrained, and parents take responsibility for 257 00:15:31,540 --> 00:15:33,260 their children. All the teachers are like 258 00:15:33,260 --> 00:15:36,740 preach. Study after study shows that the 259 00:15:36,860 --> 00:15:41,380 ideal child rearing environment is a biological mom and a 260 00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:45,060 biological dad. And it's not even close. 261 00:15:46,180 --> 00:15:49,700 This was actually the logic used around the creation of divorce 262 00:15:49,700 --> 00:15:52,660 law in America. It was decided that it was in 263 00:15:52,660 --> 00:15:56,880 the best interest of our collective future and the future 264 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:02,000 of our children to do everything we can to keep parents together. 265 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,000 Marriage laws and the benefits along with divorce laws and the 266 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,880 benefits were designed to incentivize people to invest in 267 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,640 their marriage and their family. That's why I'm so thankful we 268 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,320 have a marriage retreat center and offering marriage help and 269 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:17,960 ministries at many of our locations. 270 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:24,400 A strong family impact society positively on so many levels. 271 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:30,250 However, sadly, over time these benefits became to be viewed as 272 00:16:30,250 --> 00:16:33,570 promoting inequality more than social flourishing. 273 00:16:34,330 --> 00:16:40,610 The cultural message of today is that sex is no big deal. 274 00:16:41,570 --> 00:16:45,090 We have hookup culture, friends with benefits, Netflix and 275 00:16:45,090 --> 00:16:47,410 chill. We have entire apps and 276 00:16:47,410 --> 00:16:52,050 algorithms, websites and social media platforms dedicated to 277 00:16:52,050 --> 00:16:54,950 propping it up. They don't just facilitate 278 00:16:54,950 --> 00:16:57,710 hookup culture, they have monetized it. 279 00:16:58,510 --> 00:17:04,630 Shift #3, sex was separated from male, female relationships, and 280 00:17:04,630 --> 00:17:09,230 shift #4, all of this was framed up as moral progress. 281 00:17:09,710 --> 00:17:13,670 So sex was separated from childbearing, sex was separated 282 00:17:13,670 --> 00:17:16,990 from a lifelong marital covenant, sex was separated from 283 00:17:16,990 --> 00:17:20,589 male female relationships, and it was all framed up as 284 00:17:20,589 --> 00:17:23,390 progress. And this is what became known as 285 00:17:23,390 --> 00:17:28,069 the sexual revolution. If we stop making sex such a big 286 00:17:28,069 --> 00:17:31,310 deal, it won't be such a big deal. 287 00:17:31,790 --> 00:17:35,590 The question we should probably ask 60 years later is were they 288 00:17:35,590 --> 00:17:39,790 right? Are we healthier sexually as a 289 00:17:39,790 --> 00:17:43,270 culture today than we were sixty years ago? 290 00:17:43,830 --> 00:17:48,710 And the evidence points to this being an impossible argument to 291 00:17:48,710 --> 00:17:51,420 make. The meteoric rise of abortion, 292 00:17:51,620 --> 00:17:55,180 the invisible father epidemic in her culture, the explosion of 293 00:17:55,180 --> 00:17:59,100 the porn industry, the Me Too movement, body image issues, and 294 00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:02,820 depression and mental health that are that's being caused all 295 00:18:02,820 --> 00:18:07,260 point to it didn't work. It wasn't good for us. 296 00:18:07,780 --> 00:18:11,940 Nancy Pearcy is a scholar at Houston Baptist University, and 297 00:18:11,940 --> 00:18:16,740 in her book Love Thy Body, she suggests that there is one 298 00:18:17,190 --> 00:18:21,830 broken theory underneath the world view of those today who 299 00:18:21,830 --> 00:18:27,510 are pro abortion, pro transgenderism, pro L GB sexual 300 00:18:27,510 --> 00:18:32,950 relationships, and euthanasia. And the theory is personhood 301 00:18:32,950 --> 00:18:36,470 theory and personhood theory answers this question. 302 00:18:37,190 --> 00:18:42,110 What makes a human body a person? 303 00:18:42,870 --> 00:18:45,070 And somebody going? That's a confusing statement. 304 00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:48,540 Check with me now I'm going to use a phrase called upper story 305 00:18:48,540 --> 00:18:50,740 and lower story. Now here at the Crossing, we 306 00:18:50,740 --> 00:18:53,140 talk about the upper story, which is God's plan, and the 307 00:18:53,140 --> 00:18:55,100 lower story, which is our sinful reality. 308 00:18:55,540 --> 00:18:57,020 And so we've used those terms a lot. 309 00:18:57,020 --> 00:19:01,100 Here, she uses these exact same terms, but she is simply talking 310 00:19:01,340 --> 00:19:05,140 about your body. So just kind of forget 311 00:19:05,140 --> 00:19:07,500 everything we've taught you about upper and lower story for, 312 00:19:07,540 --> 00:19:10,700 you know, the last 25 years at just for the sermon to talk 313 00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:13,620 about your body. OK, that's an agreement we have. 314 00:19:14,020 --> 00:19:18,150 Here's the upper story. The upper story is personhood, 315 00:19:18,750 --> 00:19:21,750 and the lower story is our physical bodies. 316 00:19:22,830 --> 00:19:27,070 Personhood theory divides humans into two parts, their internal 317 00:19:27,070 --> 00:19:29,870 dispositions, which is their personhood, their upper story, 318 00:19:30,470 --> 00:19:34,070 and their physical bodies, their biology, the lower story. 319 00:19:34,590 --> 00:19:39,070 And then it teaches us to prioritize what our internal 320 00:19:39,070 --> 00:19:44,070 dispositions say over what our physical bodies say. 321 00:19:44,780 --> 00:19:46,540 You're going to want to hold on to that because it's going to 322 00:19:46,540 --> 00:19:49,180 help you understand a majority of the rest of my message. 323 00:19:49,700 --> 00:19:53,740 The result is that our internal dispositions become the basis 324 00:19:53,740 --> 00:19:57,860 for our human rights and our identity over our physical 325 00:19:57,900 --> 00:20:01,140 bodies. The upper story Trump's the 326 00:20:01,140 --> 00:20:04,700 lower story. The authentic you is found in 327 00:20:04,700 --> 00:20:09,860 your personhood, not your biology or an integration of 328 00:20:09,860 --> 00:20:12,540 both. This is what philosophers would 329 00:20:12,540 --> 00:20:15,540 call the fact. Value split. 330 00:20:16,900 --> 00:20:20,300 Here's how this plays out. the Enlightenment in the 17th and 331 00:20:20,300 --> 00:20:23,540 18th century contended that there are two parts to the human 332 00:20:23,540 --> 00:20:26,700 story, the upper story and the lower story. 333 00:20:26,980 --> 00:20:30,380 The lower story has empirical science, and the upper story 334 00:20:30,380 --> 00:20:32,660 deals with morality and theology. 335 00:20:32,980 --> 00:20:36,420 And since the lower story can be tested with the scientific 336 00:20:36,420 --> 00:20:40,500 method, it resides in the realm of fact, while our morality 337 00:20:40,660 --> 00:20:45,230 resides in the realm of values. But you can't argue with facts. 338 00:20:45,430 --> 00:20:49,750 They're binding on everyone but morals, values. 339 00:20:50,150 --> 00:20:54,590 Those are subjective, and so they elevated the lower story. 340 00:20:55,230 --> 00:20:58,030 Then the Romantic movement took place at the turn of the 19th 341 00:20:58,030 --> 00:21:01,070 century, and they pushed back against the devaluation of the 342 00:21:01,110 --> 00:21:03,670 upper story. So these sinker our thinkers 343 00:21:03,790 --> 00:21:07,470 swung the pendulum in the exact opposite direction, and they 344 00:21:07,470 --> 00:21:11,670 focused on questions about justice and freedom and morality 345 00:21:11,830 --> 00:21:14,810 and meaning. This is where a lot of the isms 346 00:21:14,810 --> 00:21:18,410 of our day came to be. This is where you get idealism, 347 00:21:18,570 --> 00:21:24,410 Marxism, existentialism, and postmodernism today, all of the 348 00:21:24,410 --> 00:21:29,530 tension that you and I feel is these two groups pushing back on 349 00:21:29,530 --> 00:21:32,770 one another. People are trying to figure out 350 00:21:32,770 --> 00:21:36,330 how to integrate the upper story and the lower story. 351 00:21:36,850 --> 00:21:39,520 Let me give you an example. That's why you can have a group 352 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:45,600 of people screaming trust the science, wear a mask, and then 353 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,960 at the same time saying who cares what bodily science says 354 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:52,880 you are? Whatever gender you feel like 355 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,440 what you see. There is someone trying to 356 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,120 harmonize the fact value split. They're trying to figure out 357 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,360 what do I do with the upper story and the lower story and in 358 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:08,480 what situations does science win and in what situations do my 359 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,760 upper dispositions win? How does this play out with sex? 360 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,720 Well, this is where the whole idea of sex isn't that big of a 361 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,480 deal comes from. When the Bible says that a deep 362 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:22,520 emotional, spiritual level, two people become one in the sex 363 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,880 act, this is just simply regarded by them as not true. 364 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,480 You don't have to make sex emotional if you don't want to. 365 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,880 You don't have to make it spiritual if you don't want to. 366 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,920 Just do what you want. If you want to have an open 367 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,280 marriage, go ahead. If you want to have sex without 368 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,560 marriage, go ahead. If you want to have lots of 369 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,560 partners, go ahead. It's just sex. 370 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:48,800 It's just pleasure. Do what feels right to you. 371 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:54,720 But this, again, is a low view of the body, and people you know 372 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:59,600 this are regularly hurt by and through sex. 373 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:04,020 While schools may be incredibly smart to have sex education 374 00:23:04,020 --> 00:23:07,980 programs that point to the value of contraceptives and condoms, 375 00:23:08,260 --> 00:23:11,740 there is no contraceptive. There is no condom big enough 376 00:23:11,980 --> 00:23:16,220 for your heart. It just might be smart to teach 377 00:23:16,220 --> 00:23:20,420 alongside of that, a biblical view of sex as an option for 378 00:23:20,420 --> 00:23:23,780 them to choose as well, a view that teaches that we should be 379 00:23:23,780 --> 00:23:28,810 careful, respectful of sex. And in doing so, we just might 380 00:23:28,810 --> 00:23:32,210 protect them from the emotional fallout that comes from a porn 381 00:23:32,210 --> 00:23:35,090 addiction, multiple partners and abuse. 382 00:23:36,050 --> 00:23:40,210 Personhood theory might also give us insight on the why body 383 00:23:40,210 --> 00:23:42,890 image issues continue to rise in America. 384 00:23:43,370 --> 00:23:47,850 Billions spent each year on cosmetics, fitness and surgery, 385 00:23:47,970 --> 00:23:50,930 not to mention what's spent on fashioning with fashion, with 386 00:23:50,930 --> 00:23:53,890 slimming technology. Add to that special foods, 387 00:23:53,890 --> 00:23:58,310 minerals and diets. The reason people hate their 388 00:23:58,310 --> 00:24:01,470 real bodies? They want one that doesn't have 389 00:24:01,470 --> 00:24:05,110 fat, doesn't age, and they will never be comfortable in their 390 00:24:05,150 --> 00:24:08,350 own Godgiven skin. They will never be comfortable 391 00:24:08,350 --> 00:24:11,350 in their body. Their lower story? 392 00:24:11,350 --> 00:24:15,190 They hate it. That's how personhood theory 393 00:24:15,190 --> 00:24:17,950 plays out in sex. What about in transgenderism? 394 00:24:18,590 --> 00:24:24,020 Leah Thomas in 2022 won the 500 yard freestyle NCAA championship 395 00:24:24,220 --> 00:24:27,820 in Atlanta by a full second, which is a huge margin. 396 00:24:28,340 --> 00:24:32,780 But before Leah transitioned from male to female, she was a 397 00:24:32,780 --> 00:24:37,180 D1 swimmer in the men's division and as a man he was a decent 398 00:24:37,180 --> 00:24:40,300 swimmer in D1 competition. But he wasn't winning any 399 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:43,380 titles. The question our society is 400 00:24:43,380 --> 00:24:46,260 wrestling through right now is is this OK? 401 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,080 And many trans activists are speaking and saying of course it 402 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,640 is. If she says she's a woman, she's 403 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,400 a woman. You decide your own gender. 404 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,840 Upper story. But on the other side of the 405 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,280 argument, check this. Feminists and women's right 406 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,720 activists are saying we've had our rights violated by men long 407 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,520 enough. These two categorically 408 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:12,560 different definitions on how to determine gender and sport are 409 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,650 taking place right now. One appeals to the lower story, 410 00:25:16,770 --> 00:25:20,850 your body, your biology, and the other one is appealing to the 411 00:25:20,850 --> 00:25:24,850 upper story, what's in your head, how you feel, your 412 00:25:24,850 --> 00:25:27,610 personality. And there are lots of different 413 00:25:27,610 --> 00:25:30,170 situations regarding people and gender fluidity. 414 00:25:30,610 --> 00:25:33,410 Transgender people often say they are trapped in the wrong 415 00:25:33,410 --> 00:25:36,170 body. This perceived mismatch between 416 00:25:36,170 --> 00:25:39,770 physical sex and psychological gender is called gender 417 00:25:39,970 --> 00:25:43,820 dysphoria, and while many advocate that it must have some 418 00:25:43,820 --> 00:25:49,380 biochemical basis, perhaps there's a hormonal cause, There 419 00:25:49,380 --> 00:25:53,380 has been no clear scientific evidence uncovered. 420 00:25:53,980 --> 00:25:58,860 But what's most surprising is most transgender advocates argue 421 00:25:58,860 --> 00:26:03,020 the opposite. Their position is to deny that 422 00:26:03,020 --> 00:26:06,420 gender is rooted in biology. In the lower story. 423 00:26:06,700 --> 00:26:10,660 To them, gender is completely independent of the body. 424 00:26:10,950 --> 00:26:13,150 It is simply a judgment of the heart. 425 00:26:14,030 --> 00:26:16,710 The problem with this position from the trans activist is that 426 00:26:16,710 --> 00:26:21,990 the body, the lower story, is not seen as having any value, 427 00:26:22,550 --> 00:26:25,750 any purpose. And if it does not operate as 428 00:26:25,790 --> 00:26:28,590 and it does not operate as a signpost to the way that they 429 00:26:28,590 --> 00:26:31,870 were created by God, or if they don't believe in God evolution 430 00:26:32,550 --> 00:26:35,670 in order to flourish as individuals and as a society. 431 00:26:35,670 --> 00:26:39,980 It just doesn't matter to them. It is simply your body is simply 432 00:26:39,980 --> 00:26:42,100 a collection of physical systems. 433 00:26:42,460 --> 00:26:47,700 It's just muscles, bones, organs and cells that should be and can 434 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:53,380 be operated on, shifted, rewired when one becomes or feels 435 00:26:53,380 --> 00:26:57,060 disoriented with them. If you feel a separation between 436 00:26:57,060 --> 00:27:00,940 your upper story and your lower story, you operate on your lower 437 00:27:00,940 --> 00:27:03,980 story to bring it in alignment with your upper story. 438 00:27:04,700 --> 00:27:07,540 Gender is not something derived from the body, it is something 439 00:27:07,540 --> 00:27:12,980 we impose on the body. Thus, gender becomes a social 440 00:27:12,980 --> 00:27:16,980 construct. If you wanted to go home and do 441 00:27:16,980 --> 00:27:19,900 this, you can search gender Unicorn on Google. 442 00:27:20,540 --> 00:27:23,340 An organization called Trans Student Educational Resource 443 00:27:23,340 --> 00:27:27,020 published this cartoon that deconstructs sexuality into five 444 00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:29,220 separate factors that can all contradict one another. 445 00:27:29,220 --> 00:27:31,460 OK, this is like the Rosetta Stone. 446 00:27:31,460 --> 00:27:33,820 If you're trying to understand what's happening in our world 447 00:27:33,820 --> 00:27:35,900 right now, this is how they separate you. 448 00:27:36,220 --> 00:27:40,260 There's your gender identity, how you identify, then yours 449 00:27:40,260 --> 00:27:43,500 expression, how you want to be seen by other people. 450 00:27:43,780 --> 00:27:47,620 Then there's your sex assigned at birth, which for Christians 451 00:27:48,100 --> 00:27:51,860 there's only been this one. And then you have your sexually 452 00:27:51,860 --> 00:27:55,580 attracted to and then you have your emotionally attracted to. 453 00:27:56,020 --> 00:27:59,100 What they're saying is this is how you get all the names is you 454 00:27:59,100 --> 00:28:03,210 can be have your sex assigned at birth, being a male, but your 455 00:28:03,210 --> 00:28:07,610 gender expression can be a female but your identity can be 456 00:28:07,610 --> 00:28:11,930 male but you can be attracted to men but you can be emotionally 457 00:28:11,930 --> 00:28:14,050 attracted to women. This is how you get all of the 458 00:28:14,050 --> 00:28:18,290 labels as you pick from here where you actually are and then 459 00:28:18,290 --> 00:28:23,170 you impose it on the body. It is designed to appeal to 460 00:28:23,170 --> 00:28:25,810 young children, and it's being used in public school district 461 00:28:25,810 --> 00:28:28,570 around the nation to teach students that there is no 462 00:28:28,570 --> 00:28:31,660 unified self. Why should someone care about 463 00:28:31,660 --> 00:28:33,620 the structure of the body? Who should? 464 00:28:33,620 --> 00:28:35,460 Some are. Why should someone let that 465 00:28:35,460 --> 00:28:39,060 inform their identity? Why should someone's sex body 466 00:28:39,180 --> 00:28:42,900 have anything to say about their moral choices? 467 00:28:43,460 --> 00:28:48,140 This disassociates completely the body from people as humans. 468 00:28:48,460 --> 00:28:52,540 It leaves the body with no intrinsic, no intrinsic dignity, 469 00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:56,380 no purpose that we are obliged to respect. 470 00:28:57,330 --> 00:29:00,770 This is such a profoundly low view of the body. 471 00:29:01,370 --> 00:29:04,810 It is widely accepted today that if a person senses A 472 00:29:04,810 --> 00:29:09,010 disconnection between biological sex and sexual desire, the 473 00:29:09,010 --> 00:29:12,610 proper course of action is to accept the psychological state 474 00:29:12,650 --> 00:29:17,290 as the authentic state, thus elevating the fleeting nature of 475 00:29:17,290 --> 00:29:21,130 our feelings over the created natural facts of the body. 476 00:29:21,930 --> 00:29:25,730 The biblical worldview, on the other hand, leads to a unified 477 00:29:25,730 --> 00:29:28,950 view of the body. While I may be seen or treated 478 00:29:28,950 --> 00:29:33,070 as harsh and judgmental, biblical morality and sexuality 479 00:29:33,070 --> 00:29:38,830 show a deep respect for the body being an integral part of who 480 00:29:39,070 --> 00:29:43,310 you are. Since God is behind nature, that 481 00:29:43,310 --> 00:29:46,670 means it provides a reference point or a natural law for 482 00:29:46,670 --> 00:29:51,310 morality and human flourishing. Christians believe that there is 483 00:29:51,310 --> 00:29:55,470 purpose in the physical structures of our bodies that we 484 00:29:55,470 --> 00:30:00,080 are to respect, not disregard. This is the teleological 485 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:01,600 argument. If you remember from week 1 486 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,200 where I talked about kitchen knives and lawn mowers and 487 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,520 washing machines, the teleological morality says that 488 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:13,240 nature bodies science. The lower story matters too, 489 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:19,240 because in the created world we see the Creator and His purpose. 490 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:22,960 How does this show up with abortion? 491 00:30:25,570 --> 00:30:28,570 There are two key steps to how prochoice people apply 492 00:30:28,570 --> 00:30:32,930 personhood theory. The 1st is at conception. 493 00:30:33,210 --> 00:30:38,730 The baby is just a fetus, so it's in the lower story, it's 494 00:30:38,730 --> 00:30:44,890 just a body. Then at some undetermined time, 495 00:30:45,130 --> 00:30:48,290 it becomes a person that has rights. 496 00:30:50,090 --> 00:30:53,850 People debate when that time is. Some say it's when the baby has 497 00:30:53,850 --> 00:30:57,010 a heartbeat. Others say the viability line is 498 00:30:57,010 --> 00:30:59,970 about 20 weeks because that's when the baby can technically 499 00:30:59,970 --> 00:31:01,610 live outside of the mother's womb. 500 00:31:02,010 --> 00:31:05,130 Some say it's not a person until it's born. 501 00:31:05,650 --> 00:31:09,450 Some philosophers suggested that we should allow abortion up to 502 00:31:09,450 --> 00:31:13,250 several days afterwards because it takes 3 days to see if the 503 00:31:13,250 --> 00:31:16,090 baby has certain deformities or disabilities. 504 00:31:16,650 --> 00:31:20,810 They are completely separating in a baby, the lower story from 505 00:31:20,810 --> 00:31:23,130 the upper story. It has a body. 506 00:31:23,530 --> 00:31:26,680 It's not a person. Here's the interesting thing. 507 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:33,760 Science has now proven that life begins at conception due to 508 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:38,280 advances in genetics and DNA. Virtually all professional 509 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:44,880 bioethicists all agree that life begins at conception. 510 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:50,280 An embryo has a full set of chromosomes and DNA. 511 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:55,440 It is complete. It is a whole individual capable 512 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,240 of internally directed development in a seamless 513 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,920 trajectory from the moment of fertilization. 514 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,360 The science on this issue is settled. 515 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,840 Why then is the science not treated as fact? 516 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,600 Personhood theory. This is literally the logic of 517 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,680 Roe V Wade. In ordinary conversation, you 518 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:26,590 and I use the phrase human being to mean the same thing as 519 00:32:26,590 --> 00:32:31,270 person. Their synonyms, the two terms 520 00:32:31,270 --> 00:32:33,630 were ripped apart by the Supreme Court. 521 00:32:33,870 --> 00:32:38,270 And it's 1973 Roe V Wade abortion decision, which ruled 522 00:32:38,430 --> 00:32:43,230 that even though the baby in the womb is human, it is not a 523 00:32:43,270 --> 00:32:49,670 person under the 14th Amendment. Thus we have a new category of 524 00:32:49,670 --> 00:32:53,000 individual, the human non person. 525 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,520 In fact, in the Supreme Court's ruling, Justice Harry Blackburn 526 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:02,640 or Blackman asserted point blank, the word person as used 527 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:07,280 in the 14th Amendment does not include the unborn. 528 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:12,320 The implication of this is that it is simply being human is not 529 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,960 enough to qualify for rights until the baby becomes a person. 530 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:19,720 It is a disposable piece of matter. 531 00:33:20,380 --> 00:33:23,420 They can be used for research experiments, tinkered with 532 00:33:23,420 --> 00:33:26,540 genetically harvested for organs, and then disposed of 533 00:33:26,540 --> 00:33:30,940 with other medical waste. Personhood theory promotes a 534 00:33:30,940 --> 00:33:35,780 very low view of the human body, which ultimately dehumanizes us 535 00:33:35,820 --> 00:33:40,340 all. Having a body is inherently or 536 00:33:40,340 --> 00:33:44,420 is not inherently valuable or worthy of life. 537 00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:48,060 This is the worldview that we're talking about. 538 00:33:48,470 --> 00:33:52,350 But biblical morality expresses a high view of the body. 539 00:33:52,630 --> 00:33:55,710 The biblical view of sexuality is not based on a few scattered 540 00:33:55,710 --> 00:33:57,990 verses. It's based on the teleological 541 00:33:57,990 --> 00:34:01,550 worldview that encourages people to live in accord with the 542 00:34:01,550 --> 00:34:05,850 physical design of their bodies. By respecting the body, the 543 00:34:05,850 --> 00:34:09,290 biblical ethics seeks to unite body and person. 544 00:34:09,489 --> 00:34:13,570 It heals self alienation. Over time, it creates integrity 545 00:34:13,770 --> 00:34:16,929 and wholeness. Our minds and emotions are 546 00:34:16,929 --> 00:34:21,370 brought in tune with our body. Christianity holds that both 547 00:34:21,570 --> 00:34:25,530 stories matter. The upper story of our souls 548 00:34:25,650 --> 00:34:28,449 matter and our inner life matters. 549 00:34:28,570 --> 00:34:33,130 However, it also holds that your body matters. 550 00:34:33,540 --> 00:34:37,620 In Genesis 126 to 31, the creation narrative unfolds, and 551 00:34:37,620 --> 00:34:40,179 through the inspiration of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit 552 00:34:44,260 --> 00:34:47,260 emphasizes a few things about humans. 553 00:34:49,139 --> 00:34:53,340 We are created in God's image. This is where the inherent 554 00:34:53,340 --> 00:34:56,300 dignity of every human being finds its origin. 555 00:34:56,790 --> 00:35:00,590 Therefore, enemy, love, forgiveness, generosity, care 556 00:35:00,590 --> 00:35:03,830 for the least of these become more than just hallmarks of the 557 00:35:03,830 --> 00:35:06,230 Christian faith. They're baked into the 558 00:35:06,230 --> 00:35:10,550 foundation of our theology. All of this and more are built 559 00:35:10,550 --> 00:35:14,510 upon the dignity of humankind because they were made in the 560 00:35:14,510 --> 00:35:17,430 image of God. They are not just image bearers 561 00:35:17,430 --> 00:35:20,590 of God, but they are children of God. 562 00:35:21,230 --> 00:35:24,570 And inside of this we find our cultural mandate that we are to 563 00:35:24,570 --> 00:35:28,650 have dominion, a vocation, to rule and reign and fill the 564 00:35:28,650 --> 00:35:30,650 earth. Out of this comes work and 565 00:35:30,650 --> 00:35:34,050 vocation, calling and career, government and ordered 566 00:35:34,050 --> 00:35:37,890 civilization. We were created with gender 567 00:35:37,890 --> 00:35:40,730 complementarity, male and female. 568 00:35:40,730 --> 00:35:43,690 He created them. In fact, that burst is directly 569 00:35:43,690 --> 00:35:47,490 attached to the idea that humans were created in the image of God 570 00:35:47,490 --> 00:35:51,210 and are called to be fruitful and multiply and fill. 571 00:35:51,210 --> 00:35:56,660 The earth is part of it, and this is where the themes of and 572 00:35:56,660 --> 00:36:00,620 guardrails of marriage and sex and family are formed. 573 00:36:01,340 --> 00:36:04,740 And when God finished all of this, God saw everything he had 574 00:36:04,740 --> 00:36:08,020 made, and indeed it was very good. 575 00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:10,380 And there was evening and there was morning. 576 00:36:10,380 --> 00:36:16,100 The 6th day, the starting point of the human story proclaims the 577 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:20,380 goodness of the material realm in our gendered bodies. 578 00:36:20,740 --> 00:36:24,860 God could have chosen to make His angels spirits without 579 00:36:24,860 --> 00:36:27,380 bodies. He could have created us in the 580 00:36:27,380 --> 00:36:29,620 spiritual realm for us to float around in. 581 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:34,540 But instead God made you in a material universe with a 582 00:36:34,540 --> 00:36:36,100 material body. Why? 583 00:36:36,380 --> 00:36:39,820 Because God values the material dimension. 584 00:36:40,020 --> 00:36:45,860 He wants us to value it as well. He values it so much that Jesus 585 00:36:45,860 --> 00:36:50,300 put a body on and came to earth on your behalf and on mine. 586 00:36:50,910 --> 00:36:54,270 And Scripture tells us that one day at the redemption of all 587 00:36:54,270 --> 00:36:59,070 things will include our resurrected what bodies. 588 00:36:59,630 --> 00:37:03,910 God values both the upper story of your soul and the lower story 589 00:37:03,910 --> 00:37:07,070 of your body. The Bible clearly teaches that 590 00:37:07,070 --> 00:37:11,270 we are created by God and have value from the moment of 591 00:37:11,270 --> 00:37:14,910 conception. Psalm 139 says this for you 592 00:37:14,910 --> 00:37:19,070 created my inmost being. You knit me together in my 593 00:37:19,070 --> 00:37:22,080 mother's womb. I praise you because I am 594 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:26,200 fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. 595 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:32,480 I know that full well. At day 22, the brain and nervous 596 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,600 system have been forming for several days, and the heart it 597 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,160 begins to beat. At day 40. 598 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,000 The eyes and ears continue forming and the hands and feet 599 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:47,120 and legs are easily discerned. At week 8, the external 600 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:50,590 genitalia start developing, and within a week, the baby will be 601 00:37:50,590 --> 00:37:54,550 recognizable as a little boy or a little girl for parents to 602 00:37:54,550 --> 00:37:58,550 have a gender reveal party. At week 11, the baby's fingers 603 00:37:58,550 --> 00:38:03,150 begin moving independently and fingerprints have appeared in 604 00:38:03,150 --> 00:38:06,550 baby girls. Her tiny ovaries already contain 605 00:38:06,590 --> 00:38:09,990 all of the eggs she will ever produce, over 2 million of them. 606 00:38:10,550 --> 00:38:13,310 At week 12, she'll start sucking her thumb. 607 00:38:13,630 --> 00:38:17,710 At week 13, she will sense light and turn away from the bright 608 00:38:17,710 --> 00:38:21,360 light. At week 17, they hear sounds 609 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:24,640 beyond the womb. No wonder John the Baptist 610 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,640 leaped in his mother's womb when Mary arrived with the pregnant 611 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:29,880 Jesus. Luke chapter one records the 612 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,920 story. At that time, Mary, who's 613 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,720 pregnant with Jesus, got ready and hurried to a town in the 614 00:38:34,720 --> 00:38:38,800 Hill Country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and 615 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:42,040 greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's 616 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:47,160 greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled 617 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,640 with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice. 618 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:52,520 She exclaimed. Blessed are you among women, and 619 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:54,920 blessed is the child you will bear. 620 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,120 But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to 621 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,280 me? As soon as the sound of your 622 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:07,800 greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 623 00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:13,040 In the Mosaic law, the law of retribution is prescribed for a 624 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:17,770 person who injures or kills an unborn child, showing that the 625 00:39:17,810 --> 00:39:22,650 unborn child is viewed with the same dignity and value as one 626 00:39:22,650 --> 00:39:26,410 who has already been born. Exodus 21 records it like this. 627 00:39:26,690 --> 00:39:30,410 If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives 628 00:39:30,410 --> 00:39:33,770 birth prematurely, but there is no serious injury, the offender 629 00:39:33,770 --> 00:39:36,650 must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the 630 00:39:36,650 --> 00:39:39,850 court allows. But if there's serious injury, 631 00:39:40,010 --> 00:39:44,330 you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, 632 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:49,120 hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, 633 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:53,880 bruise for bruise. Proverbs Chapter 6 has even 634 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:56,960 stronger language. There are six things the Lord 635 00:39:56,960 --> 00:39:59,560 hates, seven that are detestable to Him. 636 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:07,560 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood. 637 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:11,960 A heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to 638 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:15,640 rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person 639 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,120 who stirs up conflict in the community. 640 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,760 To put in context the loss of innocent lives, I want to show 641 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,560 you this graphic. If you were to go to Washington, 642 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,000 DC and you were to go to the World War 2 Memorial Memorial, 643 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,920 which I'd encourage you to do, you will be struck by the amount 644 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:33,720 of lives that were lost in World War 2. 645 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,320 But this data only takes us to 2014. 646 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:42,280 This is 9 years old and this is how many abortions have been 647 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:46,880 have taken place and this is how many were lost in the Second 648 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:50,120 World War. There is a battle being waged, 649 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:55,040 and the battle is this who counts as one of us. 650 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:57,680 And there are those who are convinced that it is 651 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,400 performative in nature. You have to be able to do 652 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:03,800 certain things, whether it be feel or whether it be feeling 653 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:08,870 pain or be a certain age, or have certain skills or cognitive 654 00:41:08,870 --> 00:41:12,070 abilities. Today, modern medicine is 655 00:41:12,070 --> 00:41:15,870 creating a genocide among those with chromosomal issues. 656 00:41:16,230 --> 00:41:19,550 Prenatal screenings and diagnostic tests are frequently 657 00:41:19,550 --> 00:41:23,070 performed to identify potential genetic disorders and 658 00:41:23,070 --> 00:41:24,990 developmental or developing babies. 659 00:41:25,390 --> 00:41:29,230 These flawed tests are then used to justify determination of 660 00:41:29,230 --> 00:41:36,510 those who might have a disorder. Those who are thought to have 661 00:41:36,510 --> 00:41:42,350 Down syndrome in Iceland are all aborted. 98% suspected of having 662 00:41:42,350 --> 00:41:47,990 Down syndrome have been aborted in Denmark, 90% in England, 77% 663 00:41:47,990 --> 00:41:51,630 in France and 67% here in the United States of America. 664 00:41:51,830 --> 00:41:56,350 A nation that proposes to be under God are participating in a 665 00:41:56,350 --> 00:42:00,390 prenatal genocide against precious innocent individuals. 666 00:42:00,910 --> 00:42:04,760 However, there is another world view, a biblical 1A worldview 667 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:08,480 that states that you were made by God and you were endowed. 668 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,720 It's not performative. You were endowed your value by 669 00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:14,360 your Creator, it was given to you by Him. 670 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,840 You were made by Him and you were made in His image. 671 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,760 Your value is not based on how much money you make, your color 672 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:25,600 of your skin, your IQ, your athletic ability, and praise 673 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:28,320 God, your BMI. You were stamped with the image 674 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,710 of a God, and you are precious in his sight, and you are 675 00:42:31,710 --> 00:42:35,270 precious in the sight of anyone who claims to be a Jesus 676 00:42:35,270 --> 00:42:39,470 follower. Hear me to those of you who paid 677 00:42:39,470 --> 00:42:43,790 for abortions, drove people to an abortion, told your girl to 678 00:42:43,790 --> 00:42:48,750 take care of it, or had an abortion, You murdered an 679 00:42:48,750 --> 00:42:54,870 innocent life. But I need you to hear me say 680 00:42:54,870 --> 00:42:58,870 this. We have an incredibly good God 681 00:43:00,290 --> 00:43:04,610 because Romans 5/8 says this, but God demonstrates his own 682 00:43:04,610 --> 00:43:08,690 love for us in this that while we were still sinners, Christ 683 00:43:08,690 --> 00:43:11,770 died for us. When you were on your way to the 684 00:43:11,770 --> 00:43:16,250 clinic, God was willing to send his Son to die on your behalf. 685 00:43:17,330 --> 00:43:20,330 Your value is not dictated by what you've done. 686 00:43:20,850 --> 00:43:24,890 Your value is dictated by the cross of Jesus Christ. 2nd 687 00:43:24,890 --> 00:43:29,470 Corinthians 521 says this God made him who had no sin to be 688 00:43:29,470 --> 00:43:33,150 sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness 689 00:43:33,150 --> 00:43:35,670 of God. Some of you who participated in 690 00:43:35,670 --> 00:43:41,750 abortion, Jesus paid it. He covered the cost for it, and 691 00:43:41,750 --> 00:43:46,270 he will forgive you for it. And I also need you to hear me 692 00:43:46,270 --> 00:43:48,830 say this because I don't want you to get this wrong. 693 00:43:49,230 --> 00:43:53,270 Romans 323 says this for all of sinned and fall short of the 694 00:43:53,270 --> 00:43:56,590 glory of God. Every single person who's 695 00:43:56,590 --> 00:43:59,170 sitting in the room with you right now has sinned. 696 00:43:59,970 --> 00:44:03,730 And our sins have hurt innocent people too. 697 00:44:04,570 --> 00:44:07,850 And that's why here at the crossing we glory in the cross 698 00:44:07,850 --> 00:44:11,890 of Jesus Christ because there is no sin, God will not forgive and 699 00:44:11,890 --> 00:44:14,610 there is no Sinner our God will not save. 700 00:44:15,970 --> 00:44:18,730 And that is a gospel message that we proclaim. 701 00:44:19,050 --> 00:44:20,610 We're moving to a time of decision. 702 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:28,280 Romans chapter 8 says this. But you were. 703 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:31,960 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live 704 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:35,320 in fear again. Rather, the Spirit you received 705 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:40,040 brought about your adoption to sonship, and by him we crawl 706 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:43,600 ABBA, Father. And the Spirit himself testifies 707 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:51,720 with our spirit that we are all God's children Who would have 708 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:56,940 adopted me. I don't know about you, but I 709 00:44:56,940 --> 00:45:02,860 would have passed on me. Too many problems, too many 710 00:45:02,860 --> 00:45:05,060 demons. Too much pride. 711 00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:08,140 Too much anger. Too much impatience. 712 00:45:08,300 --> 00:45:11,140 Too much lust. Too much idolatry. 713 00:45:13,260 --> 00:45:23,530 But God didn't pass on me. That means he didn't pass on 714 00:45:23,530 --> 00:45:27,900 you. And if you're here today and you 715 00:45:27,900 --> 00:45:31,020 have never started an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus 716 00:45:31,020 --> 00:45:33,300 Christ, I have such good news for you. 717 00:45:34,260 --> 00:45:38,820 You can have it. He is ready right now. 718 00:45:38,820 --> 00:45:41,660 He is not surprised by what you've done. 719 00:45:41,820 --> 00:45:45,500 He already paid for what you've done, and he paid for what 720 00:45:45,500 --> 00:45:53,700 you're going to do. There's no greater message, and 721 00:45:53,700 --> 00:45:58,040 if you want it, you can start it today at your campus, at your 722 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:00,760 location, in the room where you're watching this from, 723 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,000 there's going to be a staff member over by the baptistry, 724 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:05,160 and they love to talk to you and answer any of the questions. 725 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:07,200 Maybe you want to turn to a person who came with, who 726 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:09,880 brought you. I would just tell you, don't put 727 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:12,160 it off. And to those of you who are 728 00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:16,400 Christians, we must stop believing the life from Satan, 729 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:19,440 that our sins don't impact other people. 730 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:24,960 We must also start believing that tomorrow is the best day to 731 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:28,660 get right with God. There is no better time than 732 00:46:28,660 --> 00:46:31,460 right now. We have the most beautiful 733 00:46:31,460 --> 00:46:35,940 message to share, and God's best way to take hold of it is for us 734 00:46:35,940 --> 00:46:39,500 to do it together. If you would during this 735 00:46:39,500 --> 00:46:41,500 invitation time, whether you're going to lift your voices and 736 00:46:41,500 --> 00:46:43,820 sing or you want to come up to the steps and get down and pray, 737 00:46:43,820 --> 00:46:47,020 would you spend just a little bit of time thanking God for 738 00:46:47,020 --> 00:46:51,020 dying on your behalf, for your sins and help us create a 739 00:46:51,020 --> 00:46:55,020 community where people who are far from God can find him here? 740 00:46:55,710 --> 00:47:03,030 Would you stand with me, God? We have no hope, no chance 741 00:47:03,870 --> 00:47:10,150 without you and God. I know there are people right 742 00:47:10,150 --> 00:47:15,350 now who are angry and some are sad. 743 00:47:15,910 --> 00:47:20,350 For some, we just unearthed a memory that they had buried so 744 00:47:20,350 --> 00:47:24,110 long ago. And God, the last thing I want 745 00:47:24,110 --> 00:47:28,770 is for them to think that you don't love them, that you don't 746 00:47:28,770 --> 00:47:33,010 care for them, and that this isn't a church for them. 747 00:47:34,290 --> 00:47:37,770 God, we want your gospel, your power, your love, your cross, 748 00:47:37,770 --> 00:47:44,850 your blood, to win every day, all day, and help us to be a 749 00:47:44,850 --> 00:47:45,930 part of that. In your name I pray. 750 00:47:46,170 --> 00:47:46,530 Amen.