How God Feels About Casey Anthony

How God Feels About Casey Anthony

1 John 4:9-11

The media attention of the Casey Anthony trial is being called one of the biggest ratings draws in recent memory. The case involved the disappearance and death of two year old Caylee Anthony, whose remains were found almost five months after she was reported missing. Her mother, Casey Anthony, hid the fact that her child was missing for more than a month. This and other circumstances, made her the prime suspect, and on October 14, 2008, Casey Anthony was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and four counts of providing false information to police.

On July fifth, the jury found Casey Anthony not guilty of the murder and other felony charges, and, found her guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. Given credit for time served, Casey will be released from jail today.

When the "Not Guilty" verdict was rendered, there was significant outcry among the general public and media that the jury made the wrong decision, and that Casy Anthony’s actions as a neglectful mother, partier and liar, was also guilty of murder.

My question this morning, and the title of my sermon is, “How Does God Feel About Casey Anthony?” There is no need to retry Casey Anthony for the crimes that she is accused of. God knows everything about her. He knows what she’s done, where she was, and even what she was thinking. So, How does our all-knowing, Heavenly Father, feel about Casey Anthony?

Please join me in prayer.

Pray

I would like to begin this morning by reading three stories of Christ as He encountered sinful women during His time on earth.

The first, from John 4, begins, “Jesus left Judea and returned to Galilee.

4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?"

10 Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."

11 "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?"

13 Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

15 "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water."

16 "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her.

17 "I don't have a husband," the woman replied.

Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!"

19 "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet.” John 4:1-19, NLT

Another story, from John 8, “Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.