Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 390

What Does the Bible Say About Abortion?

Today's entry is an article written by Stephen Wagner and is featured in the HCSB Apologetics Study Bible for Students. With the release of October Baby this weekend, I thought it would be helpful to provide my readers with a solid biblical case for life should they encounter the need or opportunity to share what the Bible says about abortion. I pray this is helpful.

"The Bible doesn't say anything about abortion, so women have the right to choose." That's a favorite argument from politicians who want to keep abortion legal, but is it true that the Bible is silent on abortion? No, it isn't.

The next time someone tells you otherwise, ask this question to make things clearer: "Do you mean that the Bible doesn't mention the word 'abortion,' or do you instead mean that the Bible doesn't give us a moral command that applies to the abortion issue?" This is an important distinction to highlight.

After all, it's true that the Bible doesn't say, "Don't have an abortion." Then again, it also doesn't say, "Don't throw your children in dumpsters." Yet, in Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17; and Matthew 19:18-19, the Bible offers a command that applies to both situations: Do not murder (where "murder" means not to kill innocent humans).

Before we can say with confidence what the Bible says about abortion, then, we must answer a prior question: Is an unborn child human? To paraphrase Greg Koukl, a Christian apologist and radio talk show host, if the unborn is not a human being, then the Bible doesn't speak to the abortion issue and you don't need to make an argument to justify it. But if the unborn is a human (and the Bible seems to make this clear in Ps 139), the Bible speaks clearly about abortion and no argument can justify abortion.

Put another way, if the unborn is human, then "Do not murder" is a command that applies equally to murdering an adult or dismembering an unborn human through abortion. You can make a case that the unborn is a human by appealing to the Bible, but since many people don't believe the Bible is true, I suggest being ready to make your case by using three other types of evidence.

First, use pictures of unborn babies developing in the womb and pictures of the abortion procedure to clarify the realities involved in the abortion debate. Since most people are visual learners, this tactic is critical.

Second, use scientific evidence to show that the unborn are living, whole members of the human species. If the unborn child is growing, how could she not be alive? And if she has human parents, how could she not be human? This living human isn't a disordered mass of tissue or a functional part of the mother's body. She's a whole organism integrating her own functional parts. Biologically, she's a human.

Third, use philosophical reasoning to show that the biblical command "Do not murder" applies to all human beings. Unborn human beings differ from the rest of us in only four ways: size, level of development, environment, or degree of dependency. Note how newborns, disabled people, and many other already born human beings also differ from able-bodied adults in each of these ways, but we still recognize that they share the same human nature as the rest of us.

These differences are irrelevant to value or qualifications as human, and so we should respect the unborn human being just like we would any other human being.

October Baby

The second sermon I ever preached was on the incredible value of life and the inconceivable atrocity of abortion. A local pastor pulled me aside after the message and gave me these words of admonition: "Thom, those are the type sermons that will get you in trouble. You need to stay away from them if you want to have a long ministry."

I was stunned. In my naïveté, I had assumed that most all Christians, especially Christian leaders, would rally around the cause of life for the defenseless unborn. My sermon, I didn't think, was either abrasive or graphic. I simply shared God's Word from my heart about the sanctity of life.

Eyes Open Even Wider

My first church out of seminary was in St. Petersburg, Florida. I was honored to serve on the board of a local crisis pregnancy center. I heard countless stories of babies that were saved from abortion. But my eyes were open even wider when a couple showed me their newly adopted baby. Then they told me that their baby was adopted through the same crisis pregnancy center. They also told me the story that their daughter's biological mother was precariously close to having an abortion before she visited the crisis pregnancy center.

That precious baby mesmerized me. She was in perfect health. She was totally and completely loved by her parents. She was beautiful. But if the intervention had not taken place, she would have been dead.

Now a Movie

I have remained active in the cause to save unborn children through different ways over the years. But I confess, since I came to lead LifeWay over six years ago, I have not done much toward this critical cause. I have even wondered how God might lead me to provide leadership where I have been recently silent.

Then I previewed the movie October Baby.

I admit that I shed tears during and after the movie. I was moved. The movie and its message were powerful.

The story focuses on Hannah, a college freshman who learns from her adoptive parents that she is the survivor of a failed abortion. The movie is powerful and compelling without being preachy and judgmental. Indeed I would rank it among the most powerful movies I've ever seen.

After I saw the movie, I knew God had given me new marching orders. Tell the world. Tell anyone who will listen. Get as many people as possible to this movie for its debut weekend March 23.

So I've been writing letters, sending emails, and making calls. And now I'm pleading with you to tell others about this movie. Get crowds to go see it. They will be moved. More babies will be saved.

A Time to Speak

I am grateful to God beyond measure for the opportunity to speak about the incredible value of life once again. I am so thankful that He has allowed me another chance to be a defender of the defenseless. I really should be doing more.

Andy Andrews, in his little book, How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, tells the compelling story of how over 11 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. One of the more tragic stories was the eyewitness account of how one German church responded:

We heard stories of what was happening to the Jews, but we tried to distance ourselves from it, because we felt, what could anyone do to stop it.

Each Sunday morning, we would hear the train whistle blowing in the distance, then the wheels coming over the tracks. We became disturbed when we heard cries coming from the train as it passed by. We realized it was carrying Jews like cattle in the cars!

Week after week the whistle would blow. We dreaded to hear the sounds of those wheels because we knew we would hear the cries of the Jews en route to a death camp. Their screams tormented us.

We knew the time the train was coming and when we heard the whistle blow we began singing hymns. By the time the train came past our church, we were singing at the top of our voices. If we heard the screams, we sang more loudly and soon we heard them no more.

Years have passed and no one talks about it now, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep.

Millions of unborn babies are being led to their deaths. But most churches are just singing louder.

What can we do?

I urge you to make October Baby a priority for you and your church.

Go see it on the weekend of March 23.

This movie is so powerful that it will move many to act.

Lives will be saved.

Lives will be changed.

For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.

—Psalm 139:13-14, HCSB

Friday is for Freebies (March 16, 2012)

My giveaway this Friday is the Kingdom Man leader kit from Dr. Tony Evans.

The Kingdom Man DVD leader kit is a 6-session Bible study for adult men by Dr. Tony Evans. This study is designed to empower men to exercise the God-given dominion they were created for by giving them a Kingdom understanding, vision, and perspective on their identity and responsibilities along with practical steps on how to become a man who rules his world well.

Features:

Contains two DVDs that feature six approximately 30-minute teaching sessions by Tony Evans
Includes the trade book Kingdom Man
Includes one Member Book
Examines what it means to be Kingdom man in the world today
Motivates men to accept their roles and responsibilities as leaders in God's kingdom
Shows men how to identify the spheres of influence that God has entrusted to them
Suggests practical ways to advance God's kingdom at home, at church, and in the world

To enter today's giveaway, tell us what man most influenced your life.

The deadline to enter is midnight CST this Saturday. I will select one winner from the entries on Monday morning.

Earlier this week, I posted a short Q&A with Tony Evans about Kingdom Man. Below is another interview with Dr. Evans from a recent Stand Firm webcast.

Notable Voices (March 15, 2012)

9 Ways to Fight the Temptation of Pornography -- BJ Stockman

A follow-up to one of BJ's previous posts on the negative effects of pornography, he focuses on the biblical and grace-centered way to resist the temptation to view porn. While primarily aimed at men, there is some help here for the growing number of women who are addicted to porn as well.

What I Learned from Steven Curtis Chapman -- Andrew Peterson

Reflecting on a recent tour with Steven Curtis Chapman and Josh Wilson, singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson explains the greatness of God's grace as it has been shown through the life of Steven Curtis Chapman. Andrew is a very talented writer and musician who provides his observations on the greatness of God and the necessity of the Gospel as seen on the road with one of Christian music's greatest ambassadors.

Jesus > -- Justin Buzzard

This short post is a great lesson and reminder that Jesus is greater. Than everything.

5 Tests to Determine If Your Church is Truly Gospel-Centered -- JD Greear

Adapted from a recent message given to local pastors and church leaders at the Advance the Church spring regional, Greear gives us 5 "tests" of gospel-centrality. If pastors are preaching the Spirit-anointed gospel, these 5 things should be the result in their churches, just as they were in the very first one.

Seeing Beyond the Suffering -- Trevin Wax

Facing the reccurence of his father-in-law's cancer, Trevin offers a biblical basis for hope and rejoicing while treading down one of life's most roads.

3 Steps to Running Disney -- Lee Cockerell

Taken from a talk at a recent conference, this former VP of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, discusses the 3 areas he focused on when running a Disney resort. A must-read for leaders.

Eight Reasons Leaders Lose Their Drive

I love listening to leaders. Most of them offer great insights and practical advice. Over the past year, I have been asking leaders a series of open-end questions. Though my methodology is more anecdotal than scientifically based, the responses I receive are invaluable to me as leader. I think they may be helpful to you as well.

One of the questions I asked was: "Have you ever lost your leadership drive? If so, what were the reasons for it?"

Almost all of the leaders responded affirmatively. They indeed had lost their leadership drive at some point in their lives. And the majority identified a single reason for their diminished drive, though a number identified multiple reasons.

In this article, I identify the top eight responses in order of frequency. Some of the responses may not be mutually exclusive, but I still separate them into distinct categories.

The leader had no greater goal or vision than the job itself. The moment a leader is in a job for the paycheck alone, he or she has already lost the drive necessary to be a leader. Whether the fault is with the leader or the organization or both, the loss of greater vision kills leadership.
The leader was not valued in the organization. One leader told me that the moment he recognized that other leaders in the organization did not value his work and area of responsibility, he began preparing an exit plan. In the meantime, he lost all of his drive for his current position.
The leader was a bad fit for the position. He or she might not have the skill sets or the passion for the position. Or the leader may have been a victim of "The Peter Principle," and found himself in a position that was far over his head. You can't have drive if you don't have the ability to get your job done well.
The leader was bored. Sometimes leaders get in over their heads. But other times, the job is so routine and mundane to the leader that he or she has no drive to carry it out.
The leader had a work ethic problem. I was surprised at the number of leaders who admitted to me that they started coasting in their jobs. They planned long vacations more than they planned strategy. They came in later and left earlier. They spent more time surfing the Internet or playing golf than seeking to improve the organization. And most of the leaders admit it was their own fault. It began incrementally, but then became a pattern of work. Laziness is a killer of leadership drive.
The leader grew weary of criticism. Many of the leaders told us they lost their drive because they were criticized repeatedly for new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking. The criticism came from both within and outside of the organization.
The leader had physical problems. Some leaders lose their drive if they get physically out of shape. Others told of us specific physical maladies they had that drained their energy and their motivation.
The leader adopted an entitlement mentality. He or she is more focused on what is due him or her than what can be done to make a difference. The leader begins to whine and complain about the organization because of unreasonable expectations.

Of course, I heard other reasons from leaders who said that had lost their leadership drive. These eight, however, were the predominant reasons shared with me. Some of the reasons can be blamed on the organization. Others are the fault of the leader. The good news is that I heard numerous stories how leaders overcame these obstacles to regain their drive. Those will be the subject of an article one week from today.

Kingdom Man: Tony Evans Q&A

Tomorrow, LifeWay Men is hosting a live webcast with Tony Evans to discuss defining and raising the standard of biblical manhood as part of the launch of his new book, Kingdom Man.

Kingdom Man provides concepts for men to follow to help them actively pursue ways to develop and maximize the character qualities of biblical manhood in their lives.

Dr. Evans was kind enough to answer a few short questions about his new book for the blog. I hope you can join us for the webcast tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. CDT. More details are below.

Why is Kingdom Man timely?

The Kingdom Man content is timely because so much that is wrong in our culture is tied to the absence of men fulfilling their biblical role - family breakdown, lack of leadership and social disintegration.

It's timely because our nation is operating from such a spiritual deficit as well as economic chaos - which is a direct result of an absence of kingdom manhood.

Why is a book like Kingdom Man needed?

There is cultural decay - the decline in our schools can directly be tied to the breakdown of the family which is directly tied to men not fulfilling their roles.

What's the status of biblical manhood today?

Most men today are not ruled by God and His standard, they are ruled by the culture and media. This sets their standard and priorities - because culture's view of manhood is different than the Bible's view - men are going down the wrong road.

How does that affect our society?

Unless God's men rise up and take their roles on their jobs, in their homes, in the church and in their own personal life - there will not be sufficient leadership presence to turn the economy around and the order of society around. God will lack the vehicle to work through to make things different.

With the dropout rate, our future is in jeopardy unless men are being influencers - because the choices our young people are making are taking the future of our nation in the wrong direction. We need men to change the trajectory of this next generation.

The Rise of the Religious "Nones"

Much of the literature of the sociology and growth of the church focuses on the broad categories of the churched and the unchurched. There have been various definitions of each of those groups. I typically define "churched" as a person who attends a church worship service at least once a month, while any others would be "unchurched."

My definition obviously says little about the commitment level of the churched. Indeed, if a person attended church worship services only one time a month, he or she could hardly be considered a committed churchgoer.

One category of religious identification that often gets overlooked, however, is the religious "nones." Church leaders must understand the trend of the nones, and its implication on church life in America.

Who Are the Nones?

Mark Chaves, in his wonderful book on church trends, American Religion, does a good job of helping us understand the importance of the nones. Since 1972, the General Social Survey has asked a plethora of questions every one to two years to representative samplings of Americans. One question that has been consistent is: "What is your religious preference? Is it Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, some other religion, or no religion?"

From the inception of the study in 1972 to 1990, people who self identified as nones stayed consistent in the 5% to 8% range. From 1990 to today, the number has increased significantly. The nones now represent 17% of all of our population, nearly one in five Americans. That statistical trend may be one of the most significant changes in the religious and moral landscape of our nation.

Why Are They Nones?

The nones are not all atheists or agnostic, but they are a large part of the category. Nearly one-fourth of the nones believe in the existence of God, so we could surmise that the rest have doubts about the reality of God. So, to a great extent, the nones represent a growing shift away from a belief in God.

But it also appears that the nones have rejected institutional religion as much as they have rejected God. That would be consistent with the research by Jess Rainer and me on the Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000). We found that not only is this generation a minority Christian (15% by our estimates), they have even more rejected religious institutions. Deborah was one of the 1,200 Millennials we interviewed. Her comment was representative of her generation: "Why would I want to associate with a church? All those people ever do is fight with each other." Indeed the advent of the Millennial generation, the largest generation in America's history, is one key reason for the rather dramatic increase in the nones.

Chaves rightly notes that if people were raised with no church affiliation at any point in their lives, they are more likely to be a none. The Millennials represent the first generation in history where a majority had no religious or church background.

What Are the Implications about the Nones for the Church?

Of course, the religious nones include far more people than just the Millennial generation. They are a cross-section of America in age, income level, racial and ethnic background, and geographical residency. They are in areas all around our churches and neighborhoods.

It would seem that the nones have rejected the messengers of the gospel more than the message of the gospel itself. Most of them are unwilling to give us Christians an audience because of their negative perceptions of our churches and denominations.

One positive story took place in post-Katrina New Orleans, an area with an abundance of nominal Catholics and nones. Because the Southern Baptist denomination took such a key role in the ongoing recovery and disaster assistance, churches in the area now have a better opportunity to share the gospel. Perceptions of Protestants in general and Baptists in particular have dramatically improved.

Maybe that's the lesson we should learn. Maybe that's what we need to learn from the rise of the religious nones. While we must be ever ready to share the message of the gospel verbally, that message will have a much more receptive audience if we just act a little more Christian toward each other and toward the world.

Friday is for Freebies (March 9, 2012)

My giveaway this Friday is the black, genuine leather version of the HCSB Minister's Bible. This newly designed edition is ideal for pulpit use with its large type, wide margins, and extensive ancillary notes from many of today's top preachers and church leadership voices.

Some features of the Bible include:

Where to Turn When . . .Plan of SalvationFour-color presentation pageVarious wedding and funeral outlines by Jim Henry"8 Traits of Effective Church Leaders" by Thom S. Rainer"21 Essentials of Authentic Ministry" by James T. Draper"Four Kinds of Expositional Preaching" by Ed Stetzer"30 Keys to Giving an Invitation" by O. S. Hawkins"Leading a Child to Christ" by Bill Emeott"Reaching Students with the Gospel" by Lynn H. Pryor"The Importance of Baptism and Communion" by Rick WhiteCommitment CounselingThe Christian Year and Church CalendarThe Apostles and Their History

Earlier this week, I wrote on the recent trend of people migrating from small churches to larger ones. So to enter today's giveaway, tell us whether you attend a large church or a small church.

The deadline to enter is midnight CST this Saturday. We will select one winner from the entries on Monday morning.

Notable Voices (March 8, 2012)

5 Things a Pastor Should Never Say -- Ben Reed

I learned some of these lessons the hard way. We've all said things that get misinterpreted. But as a pastor, you have to be extra careful. This short list is a good place to start, but I'm guessing many of you have some you could add to the list. I know I do.

Christian Colleges and Racial Diversity -- Scot McKnight

Diversity in some parts of the country is the norm. In others, there is still much work to be done. Because of their denominational ties, the makeup of students at Christian colleges tend to be representative of their denominational demographics. This is slowly changing, but it is changing nonetheless.

Before Hiring Staff -- Shannon O'Dell

The hiring of staff is one of the most important and most difficult decisions that face local churches. Don't forget these four tips the next time you meet a prospective candidate.

Why You Need to Make Your Life More Automatic -- Tony Schwartz

Schwartz's premise of "the more of our key behaviors we can put under the automatic and more efficient control of habit, the more likely we are to accomplish the things that truly matter to us" is a good one if done right. Spiritual disciplines do not need to become mindless habits, but the more we can tailor our responses and actions as Christlike, the better.

Four Good Church Planting Resources -- Darryl Dash

Darryl recently left his position as a pastor at an established church in Toronto to plant a church. These four resources would be beneficial to any pastor looking to plant or lead his church to become a "birthing" church.

Why Your Leadership Must Be "Social" -- Brad Lomenick

As one of the most connected and socially aware leaders in evangelicalism, Brad is the perfect person to craft a list like this. Based on what I've seen through my personal research on Millennials, these nine reasons are right on target.

People Migration to Larger Churches

One of the most significant trends in American churches the past 25 years has been the migration of people from smaller churches to larger churches. We will be providing more information in the future about this movement. The implications are significant and should not be ignored.

In my own denomination of some 46,000 churches and 16 million members, the concentration of people to larger churches is a clear and present reality. Look at some of these statistics that give evidence to this phenomenon.

Less than one-half of one percent of these churches report an average worship attendance of 2,000 or more, but 12.6% of the total attendance of the denomination is now concentrated in these relatively few churches.Only 1.5% of all these churches have an attendance of 1,000 or more, but 22.2% of the total denominational attendance is in these congregations.Only 4.4% of the churches have an attendance of 500 or more, but 35.3% of the attendance of 46,000 churches is concentrated in just those few churches.

We expect to see continued migration of people from smaller to larger churches, and that the concentration of these members in larger churches will be even more pronounced with each progressive year.

The first obvious question is "Why?" Why are people in increasing numbers stating a clear preference for larger churches? At this point most of our evidence is anecdotal, but we believe we can offer some reasons that will likely supported by more objective future research.

The migration of the U.S. population to cities and other areas of greater population. In 1900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 60% of U.S. residents lived in a rural area. In 2010, only 16% of the residents lived in rural areas. And the 84% of the population that lives in urban and suburban areas are concentrated in only 10% of the total U.S. land. That significant concentration of people lends itself to a higher probability of the development of larger churches.The smaller church is not as likely to be the hub of the community as it once was. Not too many years ago, the social, religious, and recreational life of smaller communities would revolve around churches in the area. That is no longer the case in many smaller churches.The multi-campus church model is opening the door for even larger churches. Church size is thus no longer constrained to one location on limited acreage. Today we have about 70 churches in the U.S. that have an average weekly worship attendance of 10,000 or more. Just a few years ago, it was rare to see churches reach 2,000 in attendance. More and more people are moving to larger and larger churches with multiple locations.The church attendee is demanding quality that many small churches cannot afford. Just yesterday I spoke to a young couple who transferred from their small church to a much larger church in the area. They were the first members of their family to leave their smaller church in four generations. Their reason for doing so was straightforward. As new parents, they wanted to be in a church that had the most secure and advanced preschool for their daughter. Their smaller church was simply not able to offer what the larger church offered.The larger church tends to attract leaders with they type of communication and leadership skills that in turn attracts more people. Indeed many of these larger churches have leaders with personalities and platforms that extend well beyond the churches they serve.

I have been careful not to assess a qualitative judgment about this migration trend. I love the smaller church, and I grieve as many are closing, and others are barely making it. And I have no doubt there are many incredible and effective small churches in the United States today.

My purpose in this brief article has been to define the reality of what is taking place in American congregations. We need to understand this reality so we can understand the context in which God has placed us.

There are so many unanswered questions about this trend. Is this migration positive, negative, or neutral for American congregations? What are the implications for the future? Will the trend continue and, as a result, even more of the smaller congregations close their doors? What are implications for the training of pastors and other leaders who will go to either larger or the smaller churches? What are the implications for the future of denominations and similar bodies?

This issue is one of pressing importance. It cannot be ignored. These and so many other unanswered questions must be answered in the near future.