Pregnancy (Womens Resource) Centers, the Bible and

the Great Commission a personal plea

What does the Bible say?

The Great Commission is addressed to all individuals who have

trusted in Him (not to the local church): Matthew 28:16-20: 16 But the
eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.
17
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus
came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven
and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

We are individually and personally commanded by God:

I Corinthians 9:16: For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am
under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

To be shared everywhere: Mark 16:15: And He said to them, Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to all creation

Until He returns: Rev. 14:6: 6 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven,
having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation
and tribe and tongue and people

With boldness: Ephesians 6:19: and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be
given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery
of the gospel
Without shame because of its power: Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the
gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew
first and also to the Greek.
What is our responsibility? Abby Johnson I stood there and did
nothing!
Personal biblical responsibility for leadership to focus on sharing the gospel as
the primary mission, with the services (tests, sonograms, male counseling, post
abortion, chastity) as the vehicle. God gives us divine appointments to share the
gospel hundreds if not thousands of times each year.
Mark 8:36: For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
What is the primary need of the men and women we see? - Spiritual
transformation, not simply behavior reformation. Changed hearts result in
changed lives. Real hope for our clients can only come as they trust Christ and
this can only be done if we fulfill our mission as believers and share the gospel with
those around us. The WRC gives us the perfect opportunity, but we must decide to
focus on it. Ravi Zacharias has said we can never lighten a load unless we have felt the
weight of the load. If weve trusted Christ, we have felt the weight of our sin. Can we
do less for the men and women we have been entrusted with at the WRC?
So its either the gospel or protecting the unborn? No, its both but the
primary focus must be the gospel to be obedient to Scripture and to insure that
more unborn are protected. Enlarging borders requires increased faithfulness.
Shouldnt we earn the right to share the gospel? This idea is nowhere
to be found in Scripture. Paul stated in I Corinthians 9:16: . I am under compulsion;
for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
We havent earned the right to share about abortion, but we do share this message,
as well as chastity and post abortion healing, why is the sharing of the gospel
different?
What could be a hindrance to a WRC focusing on the gospel?
Satanic temptation (Matt. 4:8-10). 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 states: But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them.

Material success that can blind us with false confidence (Matt. 19:24) and lead to
spiritual leanness: Psalm 106:15: And he gave them their request; but sent
leanness into their soul.
Without the gospel being central, whats left?
When we obey His command, we see His eternal blessings, not just financially
or in territorial growth. Abby Johnson said, When we show up, he shows up!
How much more when we really reach the heart of God. The offering music at the
recent banquet spoke of Gods heart: silently, tenderly, Jesus is calling come home
As important as the babies are to us and to the Lord, the gospel message is more
important. When we obey Him in sharing the gospel through the power of the Holy
Spirit, He really shows up beyond our imagination. Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him who
is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us
When we obey His command, we do not hinder the gospel: I Corinthians 9:12:
we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
Lost people cannot afford lost opportunities. The WRC has thousands of
opportunities yearly to share the gospel.
Removing the gospels urgency and our need to proclaim it (or shifting
responsibility) is distorting it: Galatians 1:7

James McDonald has said Understanding the culture is much less important than
knowing what the Bible says about every human heart separated from God.

Wouldnt this re-focus offend churches? Abby Johnson asked which is

worse, offending churches or offending God? This also applies to the gospel.
I Corinthians 9:12 reminds us that we are to suffer all things, lest we should hinder
the gospel of Christ.

Some final thoughts..

Even more important than expanding our borders should be our need to feel
disturbed, as shared in these words by Sir Francis Drake in 1577:

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new
Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will
show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.

God cares about the women we see at pregnancy centers. Our Lord is especially
concerned for the least and the lost. They need first to hear about Him and His
offer of forgiveness.

We, individual Christians, are Gods ambassadors instructed by God to reach out
with the truth that changes hearts. Thats the message. Thats the mission. Thats
the reason why we are still on this planet.

Our goal, our mission and our focus must be to seek to reach hearts, not just
change attitudes. As we say often, its transformation, not reformation that is the
need.

How possibly could we deny them something so important that we have freely
been given ourselves?

Its simply not enough to care for the least (the unborn babies), we need to reach
the lost - their mothers and their fathers for Christ, before its too late. The real
question to ask is You may be prolife, but do you have eternal life? We are given
thousands of opportunities each year to personally share the gospel at the WRC.

Men and women need to respond to the gospel - they need to make a decision
before its too late, but they first need to hear. You (the local womens resource
center) are the ambassadors that can help them hear. Romans 1:16 says this For I
am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Mottel Baleston, a Messianic Jewish rabbi said this - speaking of the

relationship of Christians to their Jewish friends: "Sometimes believers feel that
they respect their Jewish friends too much to challenge them with the Gospel. That
means you will be respecting them all the way into hell".
Could it be that we too, when reaching out to the lost are so conscious of
offending that we neglect to share with them the only message that will free them
from their slavery to sin and give them eternal life?
Yes, God cares for the preborn babies, the least and most vulnerable of human
beings, but He also cares about their mothers and their mothers husband or
boyfriend. He cares about the souls of the abortionists who are not our enemies,
but do need forgiveness.

His concern is for the least and the lost and so it should be our concern.
This may be our final year. Im not speaking of WRCs, but of our borrowed time
on earth. Make the most of it. Invest in the lives of the least and the lost, because at
one time, you were among them.
What can be done? Please, prayerfully consider these words:
1. Agree with what God has said should be the primary focus of our lives
to know Him and make Him known through sharing the gospel.
Feel free to use the phrase for the least and for the lost.

2. Amend the missions statement to be in line with this focus

3. Train staff in simple evangelism

4. Trust God for greater things!

I pledge any help that is needed to get your center to focus on the least and the
lost.
Respectfully,

Dean
Rev. Dean Gavaris November 4, 2014
dean@gateway.org