Sermon Broadcast from The Moody Church

Posted by Helen in category Hemant's Church Rating, Online Messages on June 20, 2006

Hemant Mehta (the ‘eBay atheist’) visited The Moody Church and reviewed it, but not on a day when the senior pastor, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, was preaching.

The Moody Church has a 15 minute radio program, Running To Win. It either airs a portion of a sermon Dr Lutzer preached at the church or a recent discussion with him. The program is currently airing a sermon series about The Ten Commandments.

Yesterday’s program was about the commandment “Do not murder”. It’s part of a sermon entitled “The Value of Life”. You can listen to it online here (Windows Media Player) or here (Real Player).

It starts with a justification of capital punishment. Here’s a quote from near the beginning:

“…we should never exercise capital punishment because human life is so sacred”. That’s the way the argument goes.

Interestingly, God would say “No, your opinion is too low. Human life is even more sacred than that. Human life is so sacred that if somebody takes the life of another, to display the sacredness of human life you have to take their own life. That’s what God says.”

What do you think of Dr Lutzer’s message?

Is he friendly? Easy to listen to?
Is his message well-organized?
Is it relevant to your life?
What did you most like/dislike about the message?

(There are several broadcasts of this program online. If you’d rather listen to and comment on a different one, feel free. Remember to tell us which one it is!)

10 Responses to "Sermon Broadcast from The Moody Church"

Comment by: Marty
1 06/21/06 12:02 PM | Comment Link |
I have posed a question and poll relative to your views for or against Capital Punishment at http://off-the-map.org/ebayatheist/viewtopic.php?t=303
Comment by: Helen
2 06/22/06 12:52 PM | Comment Link |
Marty, thanks for taking this topic to the discussion board.
Comment by: Marty
3 06/23/06 9:23 AM | Comment Link |
“I was opposed to the death penalty all my life until my daughter Julie Marie was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. For many months after the bombing I could have killed Timothy McVeigh myself. Temporary insanity is real, and I have lived it. You can’t think of enough adjectives to describe the rage, revenge, and hate I felt. But after time, I was able to examine my conscience, and I realized that if McVeigh is put to death, it won’t help me in the healing process. People talk about executions bringing closure. But how can there be closure when my little girl is never coming back. I finally realized that the death penalty is all about revenge and hate, and revenge and hate are why Julie Marie and 167 others are dead.”

Bud Welch

I saw Bud on TV telling this story. I found his address and wrote him a note about how he and his story had converted me into opposing Capital Punishment. I got a extremely poignant fax back from him. This happened just after McVey was condemned to death.

If you would like to read more about Bud and what he is doing about this:

http://www.journeyofhope.org/old_site/People/bud_welch.htm
Comment by: Marty
4 06/23/06 9:37 AM | Comment Link |
From Wikipedia a more balanced view of Christianity’s view on Capital Punishment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_capital_punishment

Christianity
The execution of Christ is the centerpoint of most Christian cosmology. This particular story of capital punishment has been heavily invested with meaning by Christians over the centuries. Most Christian denominations have held that Christ’s execution was a unique event metaphysically. Moreover, the suffering of Christ on the cross became an iconic image, depicted over and over again in Christian artwork. This has undoubtedly colored the Christian perception of capital punishment.

While officially the Catholic Church is–with some qualifications–opposed to capital punishment, among other Christian denominations there is disagreement as to whether or not it is permissible. Furthermore, not all Christians follow the official teaching of their church on the matter. Christians in countries that practice the death penalty are more likely to support its use than those in countries in which it has been abolished, so that, for example, capital punishment has far greater support among Christians in the United States than in Europe.

Those in favor of capital punishment often point to passages in the Old Testament of the Bible that advocate the death penalty such as Genesis 9 which states, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” Those against tend to select their passages from the New Testament that advocate love, forgiveness, and mercy. In the Antithesis of the Law, Jesus says:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…”You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
In the Pericope Adulterae of the Gospel of John, a story is told of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. The Old Testament Law demanded that she be put to death by stoning; Jesus saves her life by requiring that the first stone be cast by someone who has never sinned, and rather than take that role himself, simply tells the woman not to transgress again. It is important, however, to note that most scholars view the passage as a mediaeval forgery - it is not present in the earliest manuscripts. Another verse quoted often by supporters of capital punishment is Romans 13:4, “…But if you do evil, be afraid; for [the governing authority] does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil”. Supporters point to the fact that a sword is an instrument used for killing rather than scourging.

Interpreting the Bible as a story of man’s redemption through repentance to Christ, some Christians argue that by executing a murderer we are cutting short his life and taking away his opportunity to repent, and that it denies the role of his cross putting an end to all subsequent blood atonement for sins. Some conservative Christian groups who believe in a literal Hell argue that all who die without repentance automatically go there, and point out that many serial killers, including Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, became born again Christians in prison.

Christianity is based on the teachings of Christ and so gives precedence to the New Testament of the Bible. Therefore pro-death penalty arguments that seem to give precedence to the Old Testament have been critised by groups such as Quakers and some non-Christian critics who wish to show inconsistency in the views of pro-capital punishment Christians.
Comment by: Marty
5 06/23/06 9:55 AM | Comment Link |
I did not find Dr. Lutzer’s sermon either friendly or compelling. Quoting selected scripture in a judgemental way without adding a human touch/experience does not do it for me.

I would far rather have Dr. Lutzer and his followers work to determine/understand the root causes of crime and become a part of helping overcome those problems. Rather than spending untold billions more dollars on prisons and the costs of putting people to death (I have read it costs like three times more to execute a person than to keep them in jail for life) how about we spend some of that money finding ways to give potential criminals hope and alternatives to a life of crime?

What if churches took all the time and money they put into preaching about things and building churches - instead put it into doing something positive about solving the problems that they preach against?

What if more churches (many do - we have heard about some of them ont his board) emphasized and actually worked to Make the World a Better Place? If you really believe that it is important for you to convert someone to your belief system (and if they don’t something really bad will happen to them) - don’t you think that they would hear you far better after you and your church has demonstrated its committment to MTWABP? If you don’t emphasize MTWABP - do you really expect people to hear your message of conversion? Is you message truly based upon a message of Love and Compassion?
Comment by: John Oberkircher
6 07/21/06 6:51 AM | Comment Link |
I believe in capital punishment as a message to future killers. To change the root causes of crime is nearly impossible and has been tried many times.
Comment by: Peter Walker
7 07/21/06 8:48 AM | Comment Link |
John, thanks for your visit. I agree that changing the root causes of crime is nearly impossible… but I think that’s what Christ came to do: the impossible. He came to transform reality itself. Renewal and repentance. We are living testimonies of this.

I know the issue is hugely debateable, but I wonder if there is really compelling evidence that Capital Punishment is effective as a deterrent. In most studies I’ve glanced at, it is not.

My concern in supporting Capital Punishment is not in FEELING like it’s not justified - it most certainly IS justified. But more and more Christians today (like Jim Wallis, singer Derek Webb, and other Sojourner affiliates and friends) are talking about “A Consistent Ethic of Human Life.”

As Christians, do we only fight for the lives of the unborn, or do we fight for the lives of criminals, soldiers on the OTHER side, refugees, gang members, homeless, and mentally ill?

I know it’s a slippery slope, but so is allowing one kind of execution and condemning another. No, I don’t think there is anything comparable between an unborn child and a murderer… except they are both human beings created in the image of God. And our language can seem inconsistent (whether it is or not) when the world looks in on us.

Derek Webb’s song goes: “How can I kill the ones I’m supposed to love? My enemies look just like me…”

Thanks again for coming to ChurchRater. Hope to see more of you here, John.

Peter
Comment by: John Obekircher
8 07/22/06 4:49 AM | Comment Link |
God killed his own people more than once and may enemies of the jews.
Comment by: Peter Walker
9 07/24/06 5:00 PM | Comment Link |
Yes, but we are not God.
Comment by: Anton
10 01/15/07 3:08 PM | Comment Link |
Moody church is on track, even if Dr. Lutzr has a Moses complex. It’s the best we have, in my opine. Grace Community Church, Dr. John MacArthur,pastor,is the best. Check out his website, Grace To You, http://www.gty.org Lots of great articles you can print.