The Stone Throwing Church
John 8:1-11
Introduction
If you haven’t heard the news, Heath Ledger was recently found dead in his apartment this past week
He was only 28 years old and recently earned an Oscar for playing a gay cowboy in the movie Brokeback Mountain
The whole reason I am even preaching on this today is because of a recent article that I read from ABC news about a Baptist Church from Kansas
Read the article and talk about the signs they plan to use
Saints, with people like this in the main line news media…it’s no wonder that people consider Christians annoying and even targets for the hate crimes bill
I just want to give you a biblical perspective of how we, the true church, should represent the Kingdom of God and do it the way Jesus taught
Read John 8:1-11 (Pray)
I want you and I to see that Jesus has not called us to be the Stone Throwing Church
First, let’s examine the rational of why these scribes and Pharisees wanted to stone this woman caught in adultery
Notice in verse 5, they quoted…
1. The Law of Moses
In other words, they were trying to use the Law to justify what they wanted to do and to try and trap Jesus
What did the law say? Turn to Deut 22:22-24
Now understand that these religious leaders KNOW what the law says and their purpose was to trap Jesus
If he tells them to forgive her…to have compassion and mercy like He has been preaching…then He loses credibility because this woman is allowed to break God’s law
If He says stone her…then He will be seen as a hypocrite because He has been preaching to love and forgive
It seems like a no win situation…
Now, you must understand the Mosaic Covenant was given to Israel in three parts
1. The Ten Commandments, expressing the righteous will of God (Ex 20)
2. The Judgments, governing the social life of Israel (Ex 21-24)
3. The Ordinances, governing the religious life of Israel (Ex 24-31)
The Commandments and Ordinances were one complete inseparable whole
The Law was the divine method of dealing with sinful man…by offering the appropriate sacrifice, he was held “blameless”
The Law was in effect from the giving of the Law to Moses until the death of Jesus Christ
The main purpose of the Law is found in Galatians 3:19-24 (turn there)
Expound – The law was to the Jews what the child-discipliner was in a Greek household…a custodian of children and it remained as such until Christ came
Jesus said in Matt 5:17 “…I did not come to abolish the law of Moses…No I came to fulfill them.”
The main problem here is that these legalistic religious leaders were trying to mix Law with grace and that’s just not possible
The Law in itself, as it says in Romans 7:12-14 is holy, just, good, and spiritual
As we stand before the law, the whole world is guilty and is condemned to death and a divine curse
Look at Gal 3:10-12
But the good news is that Christ bore the curse of the law, and redeemed the believer from both the curse and the dominion of law
Look at Gal 3:13
The Law was necessary but now that Christ has come…
2. Grace Trumps Law
You and I are not under the dominion of Law but now under the dominion of Grace
We now have been set free from sin and death because of Grace…because of the compassion Jesus had and continues to have on everyone who calls upon His name
Grace defined is “not receiving the due penalty of what we deserve”
We deserve HELL…without GRACE that’s where we would be headed ALL OF US
How does God feel about homosexuality? A better question would be is How does God feel about sin period?
Isaiah 61:8 says that God hates iniquity…He hates and despises evil deeds and the sins of man
1 Kings 8:46 tells us “for there is no one who does not sin”
Rom 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory”
That means everyone, all, every person, whoever is born, has sinned against God
God hates sin…
God hates homosexuality, but His love…His gift of forgiveness…of eternal life…is extended to the homosexual
God did not call you and me to be the judge…He has called us to be conduits of His love
He really has called us to the ministry of restoration and reconciliation
2 Cor. 5:18-19 (NLT)
All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. [19] For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others.
Rom 12:9 Paul tells us to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good”
Notice is does not say “hate WHO is evil; who commits sin”
God hates homosexuality…and He also hates lying tongues…perversion…rape…incest, murder, stealing, gossip, …shall I go on
If you hate your brother…then you are still in darkness…the light is not in you
This church that is planning to go to Heath Ledger’s funeral with these hate signs that say “God hates fags” and “queers go to hell” are outside the bounds of grace
They are still trying to live under the curse of the Law and are causing others to hate them because of their hate
Now, let me make it clear what scripture says about those who partake in and live a lifestyle of sin and refuse the gift of God
1 Cor. 6:9-10 (NLT)
Don’t you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, [10] thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers—none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.
Paul makes it clear that these people will not share in the Kingdom of God
But then look what he says in verse 11
1 Cor. 6:11 (NLT)
There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
The person who is living a homosexual lifestyle is no different in God’s eyes than the person who is an idol worshipper (money), swindlers, liars, cheaters…
It is only AFTER we have been made right with God through the cross of Jesus Christ that we can then inherit the Kingdom
Conclusion
God has not called us saints to be a stone throwing church…
Not talking about Trinity…talking about the church universal…
Jesus said, “You who have not sinned, throw the first stone”
I promise you that makes all of us disqualified
I close with this
There was a man that told his friend that they had dismissed their pastor. His friend asked, why? The man said, “Because he told us we we’re going to hell.” The friend asked, “What does your new pastor say?” The man said, “He says we’re going to hell, too!” The friend said, “So what’s the difference?” The man said, “When the first pastor said it, he sounded like he was glad about it. When the new pastor says it, it sounds like it’s breaking his heart.”
It was said of D.L. Moody that he could never speak about hell without weeping.
You can’t read the New Testament without finding a trail of tears of compassion for hurting, broken and sinful people.
There has never been a greater time for the church to love like Jesus loves than today.
It should be our prayer and desire, not to cast stones, but to see people through the eyes of Jesus and love them with God’s love
