Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

LETS STOP ABUSE
TEXT: VARIOUS

INTRODUCTION (A Quote)
"In all of the laments and reproaches made by our seers and prophets, one misses any mention of "sin," a word which used to be a veritable watchword of prophets. It was a word once in everyone's mind, but now rarely if ever heard. Does that mean that no sin is involved in all our troubles--sin with an "I" in the middle? Is no one any longer guilty of anything? Guilty perhaps of a sin that could be repented and repaired or atoned for? Is it only that someone may be stupid or sick or criminal--or asleep? Wrong things are being done, we know; tares are being sown in the wheat field at night. But is no one responsible, no one answerable for these acts? Anxiety and depression we all acknowledge, and even vague guilt feelings; but has no one committed any sins?

Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?" A quote from Dr. Karl Menninger. Sounds like a statement from a minister of the gospel doesn't it?

I believe sin causes most if not all of the abuse in our world. We must recognize sin as sin and help people receive forgiveness..

So:

1. Let's Stop an abuse of . . Power.

2 Let's Stop an abuse of . . Little Children.

3 Let's Stop an abuse of . . Sex.

4 Let's Stop an abuse of . . Women.

5 Let's Stop an abuse of . . Seniors.

6 Let's Stop an abuse of . . The Unborn.

1. Let's Stop an abuse of . . Power.

(2 Chr 26:15-19 NASB) 15 And in Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners, for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. 16 But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. 18 And they opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful, and will have no honor from the LORD God." 19 But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense.

Daniel 6:4
4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.

ILLUSTRATION Newt Gingrich, Clinton.

Any of us in a place of power, need to be careful.

Power Corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

2 Let's Stop an abuse of . . Little Children.

Luke 17:1-2 1 And He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. (NAS)

The text speaks primarily to incorrect theology, but we are correct in stating all wrong influences hurt children. Did you ever hear our view of God is directed by our view of our father?

An abusing father may turn a person away from God or cause difficulty in understanding the love of God. The Lord has established the home to guide children properly. We are to guide our children's' lives. We are not to try and live our lives through our children.

ILLUSTRATION
What a tragic situation exist in Boulder Colorado. I think it may be discovered the beauty pageants contributed to the death of that little child. The organizers of those pageants may be innocent in their motivation but the outcome may result in stirring up the lust of pedophiles. Many of the parents may simply be living their desires through the awards of their children.

One news person asked a sponsor don't you think these little girls are trying to look and act sexy? The lady responded why they are just little girls. But she looked at them from the eyes of a woman. Some few men look at them with a sex drive out of control.

APPLICATION

Let's do all we can in thought and action to protect little children.

3. Let's Stop an abuse of . . Sex.

Rom 13:13
13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. (NAS)

1Thes 4:3-5
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; {that is,} that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

The phrase ". . . Possess his own vessel. . . " refers to the control of your sex drive. This is a God given drive. A proper desire when used as He directs.

It is dirty or nasty, only when man exploits it or allows it to be exploited. All of us can receive power from God to control this drive and live a God pleasing life.

ILLUSTRATION
In trying to do some research for this sermon I went to our local library as well as the library of the college. One article concerned a study about Catholic Priest who molested children. The finding indicated the priest did not like them selves.

So look what Satan does he gets those who don't like them selves to do deeds that make them love them self even less. No one could walk away from those kind of sexual experiences without feeling bad.

APPLICATION

I think pornography has to fuel the sexual abuse of our day. We need to do all we can to censor pornographic material. Yes I said censor. We have a sewer system to take care of physical garbage we need something similar to take care of the mind polluters.

4. Let's Stop an abuse of . . Women.

Matt 19:3-8 3 And {some} Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, "Is it lawful {for a man} to divorce his wife for any cause at all?" 4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read, that He who created {them} from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 "Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send {her} away?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

There is much to be gleaned from the words leave and cleave. I want to tell you some times I have been difficult to cleave to. Some times my wife has been difficult to cleave to, but today I love her even more because of those experiences.

The hardness of heart cause wife abuse. Sexual lust, booze and drugs add to it. It is a shame a town our size has a shelter for battered women.

(1 Pet 3:7 NASB) You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Illustration
In a recent class at SBUC a lady spoke up and said I love my husband and he is the best thing that ever happened to me. He is one of the best gifts God ever gave to me. We need more praise for husbands and wives. Praise them publicly. It will do you good.

Application

It is a sad when many wives can talk more about abuse from their husband that they can about the love and kindness expressed.

5 Let's Stop an abuse of . . Seniors.

1 Tim 5:1-3
1 Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but {rather} appeal to {him} as a father, {to} the younger men as brothers, 2 the older women as mothers, {and} the younger women as sisters, in all purity. 3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; (NAS)

I have been told their are abuse hot lines for sexual abuse, abuse of children, abuse of wives and also senior abuse. How sad

ILLUSTRATION From http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/other/ebooks/Grimm/059.txt
There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dull of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardly hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth
or let it run out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife were disgusted at this, so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even enough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears.

Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. Then they bought him a wooden bowl for a
few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.

They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. What are you doing there, asked the father. I am making a little trough,
answered the child, for father and mother to eat out of when I am big.

The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently began to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if
he did spill a little of anything.

APPLICATION

Have you seen the bumper sticker that says be nice to your children, they choose your Nursing Home

My mom said when she was with us recently "it's nice to be around people". She lives in a high rise for seniors but many times it is very lonely. We need to give back to those who have given so much to us.

6 Let's Stop an abuse of . . The Unborn.

Gal 1:15
15 But when He who had set me apart, {even} from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased (NAS)

Does this verse mean Paul was called by God even before he was born? I think so and many agree.

When you look at the statement of God about the call of Jeremiah we can be sure this is not an unusual idea.

ILLUSTRATION
Did you here about the teen age couple who went to a motel room to have their baby. The girl gave birth with the assistance of her boyfriend. They then beat the babies head and threw it in a trash dumpster. Where did they learn anything like that? Maybe they saw pictures made from outside an abortion clinic. These children are being charged with a crime and breaking the law.
In my opinion I don't see any difference in what they did and a partial birth abortion. Or for that matter any abortion.

APPLICATION

Some one needs to cry out for the unborn. Some more people need to stand up and be counted for righteousness.

CONCLUSION

How can we do any and all of this opposing of abuse? Many verses of scripture say something similar to the verses I will read. Eph 4:22-24 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.