Preach About Abortion?

On May 15, 2013,I brought a Sanctity of Human Life Sunday message at New Hope Fellowship (Nazarene) in Palm City FL, "Abortion, the Devil & the Church - Exposing the Spiritual Forces Behind Abortion." You can read or watch that message HERE.

Can one preach about abortion in the church? Should one preach about abortion in the church?

I say an emphatic yes to both questions.  You can preach about anything if you wrap it in the gospel. In fact, we fail our people if we don't deal with everything they face from a gospel perspective, especially abortion since about 40% of women in the American church are post-abortive and annually 250,000 women in the evangelical church choose abortion. (Focus of the Family heart link.org) That's two good reasons to preach about abortion.

The post-abortive desperately need to hear that there is a way to resolve their guilt and shame through the gospel. This was part of my message introduction on Sunday,

If your life has been touched by abortion, while you cannot escape the truth about abortion nor some of the consequences of your abortion, please know that there is forgiveness, there is healing and restoration in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There is a way to resolve the guilt, shame and hurt that abortion will bring to the human experience. And I want you to know that you are in the right place to hear that Good News. No one is here to condemn or judge you. On the contrary, we are here to extend love and compassion and a message of hope, healing and restoration available to you by faith in Jesus Christ. You are in a safe place in this church.

Later in the message, I shared these words posted on a Facebook discussion several years ago by a woman who had three abortions in her past,

“The consequences to women who have had abortions (and men as well) cut deep into the soul…The post-abortive women sitting in church on a Sunday morning need to hear about forgiveness for ALL SIN through Jesus Christ,….abortion is not the unforgivable sin so many think it is...women need to know there is healing and hope in Christ - that they may also forgive themselves.”  

That is why we in the church cannot afford to be silent on this issue. I hope you will take the time to watch the message on YouTube.