The church, a place of safety
Part 1
Text: John 8:1-12
Main thought: The church, a place of safety for the spiritually weak
Introduction:
1. What should have been a place of safety had become a seat of accusation.
What should have encouraged – now depressed
What should have fostered life, now sought to destroy it
2. What was Jesus response to this spiritually weak woman?
Have them answer before proceeding.
He did not condemn her
He received her
The only hands that could have thrown stones did not
3. His response- WHY?
Was he just overlooking sin? Hesitant to confront it?
His response changed this woman’s life and this was his goal.
We SEE SIN- Jesus SEES PEOPLE.
Your response will be in direct proportion to your reception
How you see is how your response will be
4. This is not only a beautiful story of forgiveness, this is a model for the Christian church to follow.
a. Jesus has clearly demonstrated that love is the antidote for sin
Not judgment, not accusations, not harsher penalties…
b. It was love that entered the world in a whole new way when Christ came.
It was love- not hate For God so loved the world-
It was mercy- not condemnation - "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world thru him, might be saved.” (John. 3:16-17)
It was grace- not justice "For the law(JUSTICE- an eye for an eye) was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17, KJV)
b. Using the Bible as a weapon, will never lead one to faith in its teachings
A. The church, places of safety, here if you fail, you will be surrounded by love and acceptance.
1. The last thing a person needs who fell spiritually- is to be walked on by his church family
Our church ought to guard life, not take it
2. Tozer said, the church is the only army in the world that buries its wounded.
3. America will risk the lives of scores of young men and millions of dollars
worth of equipment to save one person.
B. The church, a beacon of light, hope and comfort for those who are hurting.
1. One young lady was asked to attend a worship service to maybe help with her problems. She said, no thanks, I already suffer from enough guilt. Why would I go looking for more?
What would prompt such an answer. Sometime, somewhere, she had encountered those, who, instead of offering hope, had brought her down with judgment.
2. A critical, judgmental, spirit is a trait of Satan, who is an accuser of the brethren,
1. "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength… for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
Revelation 12:10, KJV)
2. Accuser- literally to take before a judge, judicial act
Satan is literally taking us to court to try and get God to pronounce judgment on us.
C. Paul taught WHAT Jesus modeled- the church, a haven for those who are weak.
1. Should we set the spiritually challenged off to the side? Ignore them? Pretend they don’t exist?
"Him that is weak (diseased, impotent) in the faith receive ye, (take to yourself, grant access to) but not to doubtful disputations." (do not spiritually beat up and try to make conform to your standards and wishes). Romans 14:1
2. Why are we not to treat with disrespect those who are spiritually challenged? He’s not a servant to you.
"Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth… (Romans 14:4, KJV)
3. Who called and made us judges? Who authorized us to sit as judges?
We are equals IN not judges OF one another.
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Romans 14:10, KJV)
4. Do the one thing that needs to be done.
"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way." (Romans 14:13, KJV)
Closing-
1. What did Jesus do by his actions with this woman?
a. He MODELED acceptance, setting the example for his church to follow
b. The only hands that could have thrown stones, did not.
What he did not do, we should not either.
