Sermon for 11/5/2006
John 8:1-11
A Church Anyone Can Come To
Introduction:
To paraphrase from his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis says,
If anyone thinks that Christians regard sexual sin as the supreme evil, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins, if we think of putting sins into categories. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: The pleasure of putting other people down, of bossing and patronizing and backbiting and gossiping; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me...they are the animal self (lusts) and the diabolical (evil) self; and the diabolical self is the worst of the two. That is why a cold self-righteous jerk that goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But of course it is better to be neither!
WBTU:
A. In our gospel story today we have the picture of both of these, the self righteous jerks and the prostitute and it good to be neither!
B. There are people in our society who believe that they are too bad to attend church. There are also people in the church who are more than willing to let people believe they are too bad to attend church.
C. I remember one well meaning but misguided elder I served with. He was always a member of the welcoming committee and most of the time he did a good job except when someone did not fit in.
D. It doesn’t matter how good the music or sermon is, if the people are rude and unwelcoming, then most guests will not come back. People do not want to feel like an imposition.
E. We are welcoming and friendly. What if a man came on a motorcycle and looked like a hell’s angel? What if a person had a physical condition that disfigured his face? What if a person came in and had a mental condition that made it difficult for him to keep quiet or sit down? What if a person came in and was holding another man’s hand? Now we are not talking about people who want to cause problems. We are talking about people who are willing to be respectful. With these kinds of people above would we still be welcoming and friendly. We would try. But wouldn’t we really want them to go away?
F. This story of the adulterous woman from the life of Jesus really helps us in this quest to be a welcoming, friendly and kind congregation. Statue of Liberty- “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
G. Shouldn’t that be the church’s goal, to warmly welcome anyone who longs to be free through Jesus Christ?
Thesis: In light of this story, how can we be a church anyone can come to?
For instances:
1. Check our motives.
* Our mission is to share our lives and Jesus Christ. With whom? Everyone we can.
A. Do we really care?
1. This was the problem with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law; they really didn’t care about people. They were just a means to an end.
a. (John 7:32) The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
b. (John 7:45 NIV) Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn’t you bring him in?"(John 7:46 NIV) "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared. (John 7:47 NIV) "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. (John 7:48 NIV) "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? (John 7:49 NIV) No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them."
c. This mob was supposed to be the very people with whom they were to be ministering. They were the ones who were supposed to be teaching the law to these people. Instead of looking at themselves, they criticize the uneducated people. They had no compassion and pity upon them. They were better than this mob.
d. In John 8, this woman was just bait. They didn’t care about this woman. They used her to trap Jesus (vs. 6). As a matter of fact, someone probably from their number put the hook in this worm of a woman. They knew where they could find loose women. To stone someone, there had to be at least one witness. That is why there were seldom stonings for adultery, because there had to be one witness. It takes two to commit adultery. Where was this man, he was guilty as well? Maybe in this crowd or at least in league with this group of self righteous jerks.
2. Contrast this with Jesus.
* (Mark 6:34 NIV) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
B. Am I afraid I will damage my reputation?
1. I remember my mother telling me to invite Jimmy, a neighbor friend of mine, to a church function. Jimmy had a lot of problems, like drugs and the party scene. I told my mother that God couldn’t do anything with him.
2. The real reason was that if I invited Jimmy to a church function then Jimmy might accept and then Jimmy might embarrass me. He might cuss, or talk about something inappropriate like his drugs or his other problems. He might ruin my reputation so I never invited him and he never came.
3. Jesus was not concerned about this. (Luke 7:34 NIV) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ’Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."’
4. Jesus was not afraid to associate with sinners. In John 4 he talks with a sinful Samaritan woman at the well. In John 8 I do not believe that Jesus meant in Vs. 11 that now get out of here, I can’t stand you.
C. Am I demanding punishment?
1. This group that stormed into Jesus’ teaching session demanded punishment.
2. The Law of Moses did say that adulterers were to be stoned. If Jesus would have said, yes, go ahead and stone here. He would have been in trouble. He would appear uncompassionate with the tax collectors and sinners, his friends.
3. I demand punishment upon those sinners. Go out and get them God.
4. This will happen but is this what God really wants? (2 Pet 3:9 NIV) The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
5. How dare the ungodly come in to church? I want them destroyed.
D. Do I have issues with God?
1. Some people have issues with God’s grace.
2. Luke 15:28- "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. (Luke 15:29 NIV) But he answered his father, ’Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. (Luke 15:30 NIV) But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
3. These people who dragged in this woman were like the older brother.
4. But when we look at this situation in John 8, if Jesus were to say to this group, “Oh, it’s okay. Let’s not stone her.” Then Jesus would have been guilty of breaking the Law of Moses. With breaking the Law of Moses, the religious leaders would have good grounds to stone Jesus, that’s what they really wanted.
5. Jesus Christ, the Son of God could not forsake the law and say that it is no good. (Mat 5:18 NIV) I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
6. So what did Jesus do?
2. Acknowledge our own sinfulness.
A. Vs. 6 and 8 tells us that Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground. What did he write? Many theories:
1. He doodled to give them time to think. Them not Jesus!
2. In a Roman court of law, the Judge would write out his sentence on a board before he pronounced it. Maybe he was writing out his response to them in the ground.
3. Maybe Jesus was writing out verses of Scripture.
4. Whatever Jesus did by stooped down and writing, it definitely made them all feel guilty. One idea that I like was the Jesus was writing down some of their names and next to their names he was writing an account of their sins. Next to some he put the names of women with whom they had committed adultery. Jesus knows!
B. Many of them probably didn’t look at what Jesus was writing until after his response. They were hounding him a blood hound smelling blood. We got him today boys!
C. Jesus stood up and says in vs. 7. Basically Jesus is saying, “Your right and the Law of Moses is right. Let’s execute her. But let’s do it right. He who is sinless (maybe he was just talking about in the area of adultery) let him throw the first stone.”
D. Well, vs. 9 tells us that they were convicted of their own sins, and beginning with the oldest ones (they were to be first to throw stones), they left one after another.
E. (1 John 1:8 NIV) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
F. As we think about being a church anyone can come to, we have to acknowledge that without the Lord, we could be just like this woman caught in adultery. Without the Lord we could be notorious sinners.
G. But for the grace of God go I! This will help us be a church anyone can come to!
3. Offer healing not condemnation.
A. Yes, we need to preach about sin and we must maintain God’s standards for life. Notice what Jesus tells this woman in vs. 11- sin no more. But we dare not stop there!
B. Jesus Christ did not come to condemn but to save us. (John 3:16 NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:17 NIV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.(John 3:18 NIV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
C. This world and all people are condemned. That sentence was handed down long ago. No, Jesus Christ came to save us from condemnation.
D. This sermon title came from Barry McMurtrie, a preacher out in California. He tells about a woman in his congregation who through her own weaknesses and through lies and the deception of one man had three children outside of wedlock. Had a guest preacher one Sunday at his church. He talked about sexual sins and he was very condemning. Barry became uncomfortable with this message and was glad when it was over. He gave the invitation hymn and noticed that this lady was gone. After the hymn he quickly left and found this family of 4 walking home in the rain. He flagged down the lady and she was crying. She asked Barry if she was beyond all hope because of what she had done in her past. After this Barry said no more sermons like that!
E. We need to be offering healing through Christ and not condemnation.
4. Keep the right records.
A. Looking at Vs. 7, who was the only one who could throw a stone at her?
B. Hebrews 4 tells us that Christ was tempted in every way but was without sin. The only one who could throw a stone would be Christ. What does Christ do?
C. Does Christ pick up a rock? No, he says in vs. 11 and let’s her go.
D. Isn’t that what Christ does for all of us? We are all under the death penalty. (Gal 3:10 NIV) All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
E. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God except one. What did he do? (Gal 3:13 NIV) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
G. WE forget this so much! Keep the right records!
H. (John 19:30 NIV) When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. It is paid in full!
