David Holwick E
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 29, 1989
Revelation 21:8
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I. Execution of Bundy.
A. Florida prison superintendent Thomas Barton is only one who
knows who executioner is. Civilian secret, paid $150.
1) What if it was Jesus?
2) What would he do?
B. Charles Sheldon - "In His Steps"
1) What would Jesus do? = What should we do?
II. Debate over death penalty.
A. Society deeply divided.
1) Many countries outlaw it, especially in West.
a) Even Soviet Union is considering abolishing it.
2) ACLU and Amnesty International consider it a human rights
abuse.
3) Very few executed.
a) 106 since 1976.
b) About half in Texas and Florida.
c) None in California or New York.
4) Arguments against:
a) Mistakes can be made, wrong person executed.
1> The sentence is final, cannot be reversed.
b) Anyone is redeemable.
c) Liberal focus on present (criminal), not past (victims).
B. Most Americans favor death penalty.
1) Extreme shown at Bundy trial. - Fry, Bundy, Fry!
a) T-shirts.
b) Jokes on radio.
C. What should a Christian think?
III. Death penalty in Old Testament.
A. Gen 9:6 - Man made in image of God, so murder is against God.
B. Exod 20:13 - Thou shalt not kill.
1) Murder, not death penalty.
2) Exod 21:12 gives death penalty for murder.
C. Execution not only allowed, but required.
1) Num 35:31 - no substitution.
IV. Death penalty in New Testament.
A. Role of government according to apostle Paul.
1) It bears the sword (death) to punish evildoers. Rom 13:4
B. Jesus and forgiveness of enemies is more difficult.
1) Goes beyond OT? " Moses said, but I say..."
a) Turn the other cheek. Matt 5:38-39
b) Pray for enemies. Matt 5:43-45
2) Treat others as if they were Jesus. Matt 25
C. Even Paul follows this teaching, on an individual level.
1) Leave vengeance to God. Rom 12:17-19
a) Is U.S. prison system playing God?
V. Ideal or realistic?
A. Many who have turned the other cheek are no longer with us.
B. But are Christians called to be realistic?
1) Jesus - take up your cross (=electric chair) and follow me.
VI. Murder is serious.
A. Murder is the mark of a society far from God. Rom 1:29
B. Ultimate crime - no murderer has eternal life. 1 John 3:15
C. No matter what your position on the death penalty, you must
taken into account the victims.
VII. Good news - Jesus can change people.
A. Accept Jesus as Savior.
B. Truly repent.
1) Bundy a Christian?
a) Some say he accepted Christ a year ago.
b) He said victims' families may not forgive, but God can.
1> Interview with James Dobson. #660
A> Dobson said Bundy had found peace with God.
2> But why wait till now to confess?
2) Godly sorrow focuses on sin and its results, not penalty.
C. Change life.
1) Bundy and addiction to pornography.
a) Exposed by cruel grandfather, who raised him for awhile.
b) Craving grew, was harder to satisfy.
c) Fantasies were acted out in real rape/murder.
1> First murder perhaps as young as 15.
2> Total is at least 20, maybe 100.
2) Guilt felt, but diminished.
a) Pleasure outweighed it.
D. Our habits can influence us.
1) Pornography in our homes.
a) Magazines.
b) Video tapes.
c) Even regular TV.
E. Does pornography cause murder?
1) Bundy saw it as a factor, not total reason.
a) Be careful not to blame outside influences.
b) We always have ability to rise above our circumstances.
c) Millions look at porno but don't murder.
2) But it may be an important factor.
a) NH study found states with highest subscriptions to
Playboy, Penthouse had highest sex crime rates.
b) Porno found to alter attitudes.
1> Actions may soon follow.
c) Other examples beside Bundy:
Mark Branch, 18, from Greenfield, MA, was obsessed with the killer
Jason in "Friday the 13th" movies. He slashed Sharon Gregory, 19.
Many stab wounds, gruesome scene. She had hid in kitchen.
Town was terrified. #437
VIII. Death is not ultimate penalty.
A. Ultimate destiny is judgment by God.
1) No appeals. (Bundy got 3 postponements)
2) No relief.
3) No end.
B. Every human stands under sentence of a murderer.
1) Few here will ever murder (though you will contemplate it).
2) But one sin breaks whole Law. James 2:10-13
a) Anger in heart.
b) Adultery.
3) Every person has sinned. Rom 3:23
4) Penalty of sin is eternal, spiritual death. Rom 6:23
IX. Salvation.
A. Only solution is a pardon from God.
1) Bundy had 3 postponements, but a pardon never came.
2) Confessed to crimes at last minute, looking for leniency.
a) Didn't get any.
B. God is more open to forgiveness.
1) Thief on cross.
2) Apostle Paul, a violent man, worst sinner. 1 Tim 1:13,15
C. Jesus saves us by taking death penalty we deserve.
1) Our death warrant is nailed to his cross. Col 2:14
D. We can get a pardon through Jesus.
Glenn West was a decent man.
Brought a drunk home one night so he wouldn't have to go to jail.
The day before Christmas he bought a friend a large-print Bible.
Unusual - Glenn wasn't a Christian.
His wife wasn't allowed to date him for a while because of it.
He looked forward to getting home with his family and began to
close up his gas station.
His wife Janice was going to pick him up in a few minutes.
It was then that he noticed the yellow van circling the station.
A teenager got out and came to the office.
He had a gun.
"Give me your money and open the safe."
Glenn gave him $45 and said, "I can't open the safe."
"Do it or I'll shoot you."
"Don't shoot. Believe me - I don't know how to open it."
The boy paused a moment and fired the gun.
Another in the van yelled, "Let's get out of here!" and they left.
The police pulled into the station just before his wife Janice.
She saw her husband on the floor with paramedics working on him.
Glenn was still conscious.
At the hospital Glenn asked for a minister and within five minutes
David Rowland, a friend of the family, was by his bedside.
"At a time like this I get right to the point. Glenn, are you saved?"
"No, but I want to be."
Rowland told Glenn how Jesus Christ had died for his sins.
Glenn nodded that he believed and prayed to receive Christ as his
Savior, something his wife Janice had prayed for for 10 years.
He turned to his wife and said, "I love you so much."
They took him into surgery and he got out five hours later.
It was Christmas day.
Ten minutes after the doctors gave an encouraging report, "code blue"
was announced on the P.A. system.
Glenn never regained consciousness.
Five men were found guilty and sentenced for the murder of Glenn West.
They did not receive the death penalty, but they stand under God's
judgment.
Glenn West, a decent guy, would have been under that same judgment.
But he had Jesus on his side.
Will you have Jesus?
#509
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#437 "Friday the 13th Imitator," Weekly World News, December 6, 1988.
#509 "The Night the Angels Rejoiced," by Angela Elwell Hunt,
Fundamentalist Journal, January 12, 1988, p. 18.
#660 "Bundy's Addiction To Pornography," Christianity Today magazine,
February 17, 1989, p. 43.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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