TITLE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
SCRIPTURE: ST. JOHN 8:1-11
There have been many obstacles and hurdles that we have faced and overcome over the course of our lifetime.
• If a job was not going well, we were faced with a decision to make - either stay with the job or seek other employment
• In an effort to make a decision we had to ask our self – What Are You Going To Do About It?
• Perhaps we found our self in a volatile relationship or in a relationship that was not healthy for us
• In an effort to make a decision we had to ask our self – What Are You Going To Do About It??
• Perhaps we found our self in a dark place in life
• In an effort to make a decision we had to ask our self – What Are You Going To Do About It??
• Perhaps we had our eye on a promotion opportunity that would significantly increase our income but it required us to go back to school or relocate
• In an effort to make a decision we had to ask our self – What Are You Going To Do About It??
The prevailing question that must now be asked is whether or not those who are yet out of the ark of safety have experienced enough of the terrors of sin to see the need to change? For although change is possible, it will never be actualized until there is a willed consent to move in a different direction. And by now, it should be understood that after trying and failing time and time again to grasp the pleasures of sin, the only way to have anything different from what you have had is to be different from what you have been.
• It takes the power of Jesus Christ to change you and make you new
• Even Jesus himself said in ST. LUKE 10:19 “BEHOLD I GIVE UNTO YOU POWER TO TREAD ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY”
• Listen to what He says next -- “YOU MUST DO THE TREADING UPON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS”
• It’s up to you and me to put the devil under our feet
• We can’t defeat him if we don’t do the work to place the devil beneath our feet
I want to talk to us this morning about making some real changes in our lives. For those that are saved, make some changes to do better. Those that don’t know the Lord for the pardon of their sins, I pray this message will challenge you to make the necessary changes. No matter where we are this morning, I want you to wrestle with the question – What Are You Going To Do About It??
The devil shows you pleasures without consequences. And this is really the only thing he can do –
• Show you pleasures without consequences of your choice
• Make promises but not guarantees!
Which is why you must first be honest with yourself and admit that as much fun as you thought you were having, even if it made you happy, you fell short of having real joy. If you would admit it, you will draw the conclusion it only carried you so far; but dropped you short of the fulfillment that you expected would come from the experience.
• And fellas, some of that so called fun, now has you writing a check every month for the next 18-21 years
• And sisters, some of the so called fun has you providing for children with no help from the father’s, you caring for your children all day and night while he is still out at the club whispering lies to in some other women’s ear
But for some reason, the devil still has you doing the same thing you have been doing for a while now, still looking for something different to happen. And now he has you living like you don’t have good sense thinking that after things have gone wrong for the last 15 years you have a real chance of things working. That is the definition of insanity – to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
• This is what you call a slave to your predicament!
• Somebody who does the same things over and over and really don't want to, but can't help it because they feel they have no other alternatives
• And this is the power of sin
• It causes you to feel that you have no choice but to obey your passions
• I stopped by to ask you – What Are You Going To Do About It??
Jesus comes to set you free today. And if you really want to be free, the devil that has had you locked up and shackled will have to loose you today by the Power of Jesus Christ.
• Living in Sin Means Playing A Game That You Cannot Win
• The truth about the devil is that he does not play fair
• And sooner or later, sin's consequences catch up with you
• So, What Are You Going To Do About It??
Can I tell you this morning - you can't change the past. For many of you, this might be one of the hardest truths to accept. There is absolutely no hope of going and changing the past. Now your future is suffering because you can't seem to forgive yourself for what you have already done.
• As sorry as we are for the things that we have done, we cannot go back in time and undo them
• And what good is it anyway to sit and beat yourself up over the things that you've done?
• If you are really sorry, then pick yourself up and do something different with your life
• You may have served time behind bars - but there's still life left to live
• You may have gotten pregnant as a teenager - but there's still life left to live
• You have a hand full of children out of wedlock – but your life is not over
• Stop worrying about things that you cannot change
• Do what you can to change the things that are still within your power to do something about!
• Can I ask you again – What Are You Going To Do About It??
We must also be careful of toxic people in our lives. Those around us who want to keep us in our Dark Place or always trying to remind you of your past. Sometimes I wonder why it is so difficult for some to get rid of the Toxic people in our lives. That brings us to our text for this morning. We find a bunch of Toxic people trying to look good by bringing someone else down.
Toxic people will always see in others what they don’t want to acknowledge about themselves. It’s called projection. You could be the kindest, most generous, hardest working person on the planet and toxic people will turn themselves inside out trying to convince you that you are a Liar – Unfair - Nasty - a Slacker.
• See it for what it is
• You know the truth, even if they never will
• Be careful of Toxic people in your life and figure out how to create some space
In our familiar text this morning, we see Jesus about to encounter a bunch of Toxic religious leaders. Jesus went to the temple early in the morning and is found teaching the Scripture to the crowd. Suddenly, a group of Scribes and Pharisees stormed into the temple, dragging a woman with them.
• They squeezed through the crowd
• Forcing the woman to stand in the middle
Then they said to Jesus, “TEACHER, THIS WOMAN WAS CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF ADULTERY. IN THE LAW MOSES COMMANDED US TO STONE SUCH WOMEN. NOW WHAT DO YOU SAY?” In other words, Jesus – What Are You Going To Do About It?
VS. 6 told us these people were using this question as a trap. I have a few questions at this point in the text.
• Why did they choose this adulterous woman as a trap?
• Why didn’t they choose a murderer or a thief or people who committed other kinds of crimes?
• Why did they choose someone who committed sexual sin?
I think we all pretty much know the answer to those questions. The fact is sexual issues are something that people find it difficult to have agreement. It is a best topic for debate, whether you are young or old. It is forever a hot issue in religious circle. The common ones we hear in church include –
• Divorce
• Remarry
• Co-habitation
• Sex before marriage
• Birth control
• Abortion
• Homosexuality
Sexual issues are forever the hot topics in religious circle. It is something that is really difficult to judge and is the best type of trap that these religious leaders could find in order to accuse Jesus.
• How did Jesus respond to such a trap?
• Jesus said nothing
• He bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger
Oftentimes we place all the focus upon what happens next and we miss the lesson here before us, before we continue to read the next few versus. Jesus said nothing. He was not being indifferent, he was teaching a lesson to each of us. Sometimes we just talk too much.
• There are times we need to be silent and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us
• There are times we need to hold our peace and not be quick to pass judgment
• This crowd says to Jesus, What Are You Going To Do About It?
• In essence at this point Jesus response is - Nothing, that’s what I am going to do about it for this moment
It is very interesting. Nowhere can we note were Jesus had ever written anything, except this passage, and we don’t even know what he wrote. He did not write words for us to remember on a Tablet – Pad – Laptop – he wrote on the ground!
• Anyway, Jesus took his time
• His silence drove those people crazy
• They kept on questioning him
• Giving pressure to him
• Forcing him to give an answer
• It was a difficult task for them to catch a woman in the act of adultery
• They just can’t waste such opportunity to get Jesus
Apparently, this crowd did not take the proper time to think this whole situation through. They brought her to Jesus. Although they could not see it, in their rush to destroy her, they actually brought her to the safest place she could ever hope to be - in the presence of the Lord!
• Many a Child of God today is saved simply because they were driven in the direction of Jesus
• It may not have even been their desire at first
• But the thing that tried to kill them drove them into His presence
• You just missed a good place to shout!
• In the midst of your self destruction – you were led to Jesus
• In the midst of your Dark place – you were led to Jesus
• When you were about to throw in the towel – you were led to Jesus
• When that addiction was about to take you out – you were led to Jesus
Because you were led to Jesus, you recognize that you have too much to live for.
• The devil might have used drugs to mess up your past - but don't let him use drugs to mess up your future
• You might have had some mess ups in life - but if you're not dead yet, then for the moment, life goes on
• But what kind of life will it be?
• What Are You Going To Do About It?
• Prison might have taken 10 years of your past - but don't give it another 10 years of your future
• Tell yourself, " I'm tired of going before the judge, standing there knowing he's got my life in his hands
• I would rather stand before God and throw myself on His Mercy
• Tell God that I'm guilty, but I'm sorry
• And instead of a judge sentencing me to death - I'd rather hear God sentence me to life
• “FOR THE THIEF COMETH NOT BUT FOR TO STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY; BUT I AM COME THAT YE MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY”
• Now I'll no longer live for the pleasures - I'm living for the Lord!
• No suicide on my mind - I've got too much to live for
• I live to please the Lord
• I live to do His will
• I live to give Him praise
• I live to tell somebody else that Jesus Christ is still the same yesterday, and today, and forever
• If he did it for me, with my messed up past, he can do it for you and make your tomorrow better than your yesterday
The real question is not whether or not you have a past, it's whether or not you have a future.
• It all depends on you!
• What Are You Going To Do About It?
• You can keep what you've had, or you can trade it in for a real life in Christ
• When you get tired of killing yourself - Jesus is standing by
• When you get tired of doing the wrong thing - Jesus is standing by
• When you get tired of not getting it right - Jesus is standing by
That is where we find this woman in our text who was caught in the very act of adultery. Not hearsay or a rumor, but caught in the very act. As far as this crowd is concerned, she no longer has a future and they plan to make sure they put an end to any future she thought she had.
Jesus straightened up, no longer stooped over writing on the ground. Everyone was now looking at him in silence, waiting for his answer. The adulterous woman also listened nervously, waiting for the verdict.
• Since it is not Jesus’ general approach to disregard or disrespect the clear teachings of Scripture
• Nor is it that of His immediate disciples
• We should at least give Jesus the opportunity to speak from His own perspective before we adopt the same conclusion as His challengers on this occasion!
If as Jesus’ challengers say, the woman was “CAUGHT IN ADULTERY, IN THE VERY ACT” common sense would suggest to Jesus that the same witnesses should have observed the man involved as well –
• And yet he is conspicuously missing from the proceedings
• Observing the absence of the man and knowing that the Scriptures on which the charge of adultery was based, Jesus had to have known there was MORE TO THE STORY THAN WAS BEING TOLD
• You ever have someone lodge complaints about someone and as you listen you quickly realize the person is leaving out some major parts of the story?
• When we realize we are not getting the full story, we are not able to draw the Proper Conclusion
There is lots of speculation about what Jesus wrote in the sand covering the bricks that paved the temple courtyard.
• We don't know
• If it had been important to the narrative, surely we would have been told
• There has been much speculation as to what was written on the ground
• Preachers get congregations all excited as they speculate in their preaching
• But there is a danger in that
• Jesus wrote on the ground
• Probably, it was a way of letting their specious charge be considered by all for Jesus' audience as well as his opponents
• Jesus let the gravity of the situation sink in
Then he straightened up from his writing and spoke a simple sentence -- "IF ANY ONE OF YOU IS WITHOUT SIN, LET HIM BE THE FIRST TO THROW A STONE AT HER." Jesus has said in effect, “IF YOU WANT TO INVOKE THE LAW OF MOSES, THEN LET’S DO THE WHOLE THING BY THE BOOK”
• It gets better - the “witnesses” are not merely subject to cross-examination
• They also become subject to all laws pertaining to false witnesses
• They now become Culpable
• The tables have now turned in this drama
• The focus is no longer mob action or the charge against the woman
• But it is now strict adherence to the Law of Moses
• Jesus has placed the responsibility squarely on the accusers to put forward their witnesses or release the accused
• Jesus in essence now asks them – What Are You Going To Do About It?
Slowly, the older people step backwards and silently slip away. The younger ones realized the tide has turned, so they followed their leaders one by one and left the temple. Jesus achieved with his simple reply in accomplishing several things -
1. It upheld the Law of Moses
2. It required the accusers to take action to carry out the law
3. It pointed to their culpability as prejudiced, evil witnesses in this case
4. It may have prevented a "stoning" in this woman's case
This is a good example of a "WORD OF WISDOM." Jesus' words have the desired effect. He goes back to writing in the sand, but gradually all the accusers leave. This is what we are missing in a lot of our Churches today, the Seasoned Saints offering Word’s of Wisdom. The leaders of the Church offering Words of Wisdom.
• This woman, who had been the defendant in a capital case, is now alone in court
• Only Jesus, the rabbi who had been asked to settle the case is still present
• None of her accusers -- and, more important, none of the witnesses against her -- are present to testify
• The case is thrown out of court for lack of evidence
Then Jesus straightened up and asked gently, “WOMAN, WHERE ARE THEY? HAS NO ONE CONDEMNED YOU?” She replied, “NO ONE, SIR.” Then Jesus said this really famous sentence. “NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU. GO NOW AND LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN.”
• Wow, this woman is freed
• No Condemnation
• No Punishment
• No Community Service
• No Fine
• No Jail Term
• Freed!
• Jesus forgave her totally
--But this doesn't mean no sin has occurred
--The woman knows it and so does Jesus
--Jesus is not acting as if her sin is of no consequence
--Just that it cannot be legally judged without competent witnesses
--Rather, here Jesus is taking sin very seriously indeed, just as he did with the man healed at the Pool of Bethesda
--The charge is now – GO AND SIN NO MORE
--Go and Stop Sinning
--I don’t know what you did last week
--I don’t know what you did last night
--I don’t know what you said about that person
--Just Go and Sin no More
--You can turn it around today, right now
--Now the real question here is -- What Are You Going To Do About It?
