The Naked Truth

A message by Pastor Jeremiah Vik at Remnant on Sunday, May 24, 2009. Part of the series, "You Can't Say That In Church"

The Naked Truth

99 44/100% Pure

A message by Pastor Jerry Godsey at Remnant on Sunday, May 31, 2009. Part of the series, "You Can't Say That In Church"

99 44/100% Pure

Heart Trouble...

The murder last Sunday of an abortionist has been in the news all week. George Tiller of Wichita, KS was gunned down in the foyer of his church as he handed out bulletins.
Let me be honest, Dr. Tiller was an abhorrent human. He thought nothing of ending human life. In fact, he thought so little of it that he was one of the few doctors in America who would perform late term (third trimester) abortions. His website claimed "more experience in late abortion services over 24 weeks than anyone else currently practicing in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Australia." At 25 weeks a baby is officially considered viable. 36% of fetuses will survive if born at 24 weeks. Make no mistake about it, Dr. Tiller was killing babies in these procedures. You can argue about a woman’s choice all you want to, but these were innocent children that had no choice, and Dr. Tiller was ending their lives.
I can’t understand what motivates a man like Dr. Tiller. I can’t understand how he could be so proud of a record of death. I can’t understand why a pastor would let a man like him hand out bulletins in his foyer.
I can understand the outrage people felt toward Dr. Tiller. I can understand wanting to let him feel your anger. I can understand wanting to offer him free dental work. I can’t understand ending his life.
Nothing Dr. Tiller did deserved the bullet that he received Sunday. Nothing. And nobody empowered the nut job who shot him. It was a rogue act of a disturbed and dangerous person.
One of the ironies of this event is that the left will decry the violence done to one man who has callously caused the death of thousands, yet think nothing of the lives he took. I have already read the editorials and blogs painting anyone who is pro-life with the same brush as this whack job. It is unfair, unjustified and wrong. Sean Hannity, Glen Beck and Fox News did not cause this man to take Dr. Tiller’s life, and neither did God.
The other irony is that Dr. Tiller and his killer both had the same problem. They both had a heart condition. Dr. Tiller’s heart was darkened by the disregard he had for God’s creation. His killer’s heart was darkened by hatred for a man he didn’t even know. They really committed the same sin, and God was just as disappointed by both of them.
On Sunday, before I had even heard of the murder, I told the people of Remnant that as Christians we are never going to legislate morality in America. Tony Campolo said that when Americans flex their political muscle they become everything that Jesus was not. We can’t picket abortion clinics or kill doctors and show people the love of Jesus. My heart breaks for Dr. Tiller’s family. My heart breaks for the children he killed. My heart also breaks for the women who allowed themselves to undergo this horrific procedure and will live the rest of their lives with their decision.
Dr. Tiller’s killer will hide behind his idea of religion, and the media will crucify true believers for his hypocrisy. Jesus said, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Matthew 15:8 Not everybody who says they are doing God’s work really is.
Proverbs 21:2: “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” The way Christians will win the hearts of people is by showing them the love of Jesus. Abortion, crime and hatred can be wiped out in America, but only when we Christians start acting like Jesus.
Trying to be more like Jesus… Jerry