WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.620 Morning everybody. If you've got a Bible, you've got to find John chapter 8. 00:00:05.060 --> 00:00:07.220 That'd be brilliant. That's where we are this morning. 00:00:07.840 --> 00:00:10.780 Carrying on through John. So you might, hopefully you remember, 00:00:11.220 --> 00:00:13.340 two weeks ago, Micah was talking. 00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:18.540 Anybody remember the two questions he's mentioned near the beginning of her message 00:00:18.540 --> 00:00:21.680 that we might ask ourselves? Anybody remember? 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:25.500 Was that a yes? Oh yeah, go on Gail. 00:00:28.180 --> 00:00:33.020 Yeah, and? Brilliant. Isn't Gail so good? 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:41.480 fantastic well done absolutely what who do you say jesus is and who does your life 00:00:41.480 --> 00:00:47.300 say jesus is right because they're two different things and it's really important that we get a 00:00:47.300 --> 00:00:53.480 handle on that because if our mouth just talks about jesus in one way but our life lives something 00:00:53.480 --> 00:01:00.100 different then at best we've got a bit of a disconnect at worst that's hypocrisy and god 00:01:00.100 --> 00:01:05.640 isn't into hypocrisy right and you know we looked at that in our life group that week and had a 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:10.160 great discussion about it because actually you know even things like going to church praying 00:01:10.160 --> 00:01:16.100 prayers singing the songs and all that waving our flags you know we can do all of that but our life 00:01:16.100 --> 00:01:21.720 still may not be a life that actually is there telling people about Jesus in the way that our 00:01:21.720 --> 00:01:29.760 mouths might think that we are doing Paul says if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation what's 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:35.700 gone the old is gone and what's come is new it's a complete transformation that when somebody 00:01:35.700 --> 00:01:42.320 encounters Jesus the old is gone and the new has come in other words as we follow Jesus we should 00:01:42.320 --> 00:01:48.200 cease to be the kind of person we were before we encountered Jesus and we keep getting on becoming 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:56.000 more gentle it's hard isn't it but this is the stuff that Micah was talking about when she asked 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:04.980 the question, what does our life say about Jesus? Today's passage gives us a few more things for us 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:10.980 to think about as we try and answer that question. So let's read it. John 8, he says this, 00:02:11.040 --> 00:02:16.800 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts where all the 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:22.580 people gathered around him and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:29.240 brought in a woman caught in adultery they made her stand before the group and said to Jesus 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:35.660 teacher this woman was caught in the act of adultery in the law Moses commanded us to stone 00:02:35.660 --> 00:02:41.960 such women now what do you say they were using this question as a trap in order to have a basis 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:47.640 for accusing him but Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger 00:02:47.640 --> 00:02:55.380 when they kept on questioning him he straightened up and said to them if any one of you is without 00:02:55.380 --> 00:03:02.060 sin let him be the first to throw a stone at her again he stooped down and wrote on the ground 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:09.140 at this those who heard began to go away one at a time the older ones first until only Jesus was 00:03:09.140 --> 00:03:15.420 left with the woman still standing there Jesus straightened up and asked her woman where are they 00:03:15.420 --> 00:03:22.780 has no one condemned you no one sir she said then neither do i condemn you jesus declared go now 00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:28.420 and leave your life of sin let's just pray father we just want to thank you for your word that it is 00:03:28.420 --> 00:03:33.300 living and active and sharper than a double-edged sword and we just pray as we look at this passage 00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:39.940 together now that your holy spirit would come and speak to us challenge us equip us admonish us and 00:03:39.940 --> 00:03:47.260 build us up lord in your precious name amen amen so i want to start finger pointing is everywhere 00:03:47.260 --> 00:03:53.180 isn't it we all do it and it's all around us throughout all of society you know anybody who 00:03:53.180 --> 00:03:59.390 has two children in their home and asks the question who did that immediately knows what 00:03:59.390 --> 00:04:03.890 i'm talking about right because the kids it was them no it wasn't it was you no it was you 00:04:03.890 --> 00:04:09.410 and actually all of us when we were kids i reckon probably got involved in the same thing right we 00:04:09.410 --> 00:04:15.130 would want to blame our brother or sister rather than ourselves but actually it's not just a thing 00:04:15.130 --> 00:04:20.490 it stays with us as we become adults and get into older life it stays with us in the workplace 00:04:20.490 --> 00:04:25.510 when the boss comes and says why haven't you done this on time immediately we want to say well it's 00:04:25.510 --> 00:04:31.810 because they did that they were delayed getting something to me it's their fault it's not my fault 00:04:31.810 --> 00:04:37.130 if you look at politics it's full of finger pointing sometimes it's so hard to understand 00:04:37.130 --> 00:04:41.730 what a political party or a person is about because they're so busy telling you what's wrong 00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:47.990 with everybody else and pointing the finger at everybody else. Our culture has this totally 00:04:47.990 --> 00:04:54.350 embedded within it. If I can get someone else into trouble, if I can point them out, if I can have a 00:04:54.350 --> 00:05:01.250 laugh at their expense, if I can deflect away from me, then I will take that opportunity to do it. 00:05:01.250 --> 00:05:07.870 all the major society issues that we see in the media at the moment have all of that going on 00:05:07.870 --> 00:05:14.490 the whole time and it doesn't matter what the reason is we just get caught up and we just do it 00:05:14.490 --> 00:05:20.610 don't we and in our passage today we've got a crowd of people doing it because they're trying 00:05:20.610 --> 00:05:27.310 to trap Jesus they're trying to trick him and point that out so what have we got in these in 00:05:27.310 --> 00:05:32.010 these few verses in chapter eight well we've got the teachers of the law and the pharisees the 00:05:32.010 --> 00:05:37.470 religious leaders they are out to catch jesus they're trying to trick him and so they use this 00:05:37.470 --> 00:05:42.110 woman that they've found to their own ends okay first of all that's what's going they're just 00:05:42.110 --> 00:05:48.830 simply using her to their they drag her caught in the act of adultery and challenge jesus with what 00:05:48.830 --> 00:05:55.030 their law says should happen just to be clear because of the society in the times that we live 00:05:55.030 --> 00:06:01.670 scripture is really clear that the whole act of sexual union is purely for a man and a woman in 00:06:01.670 --> 00:06:08.190 a heterosexual marriage relationship and anything outside of that is sin and is very clear and so 00:06:08.190 --> 00:06:15.310 these guys have caught this woman in adultery and dragged them to the temple and put her in front 00:06:15.310 --> 00:06:21.470 of Jesus and they say they're doing this because she's broken the law of Moses but just bear with 00:06:21.470 --> 00:06:29.570 me a minute if we look at the law of Moses and we turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 22 and verse 22 00:06:29.570 --> 00:06:37.270 we read this if a man is found sleeping with another man's wife both the man who slept with 00:06:37.270 --> 00:06:48.470 her and the woman must die so what's wrong in the story today what where's the man yeah right where's 00:06:48.470 --> 00:06:53.630 the scumbag where is he right I've got a sneaking suspicion he might be part of the crowd but I've 00:06:53.630 --> 00:06:58.210 got no evidence for that right but where is he so actually you can see straight away they're not 00:06:58.210 --> 00:07:04.490 actually after really sorting out what the law of moses says they're just using her for for their 00:07:04.490 --> 00:07:09.310 own ends they're not interested in the law at all they just want to use her and so they stand there 00:07:09.310 --> 00:07:18.680 this crowd in their smugness pointing their finger at her saying this woman so they challenge jesus 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:21.990 about her. And what does he do? 00:07:23.390 --> 00:07:24.070 What does he do? 00:07:24.830 --> 00:07:30.910 It's just a bit awkward, right? 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:32.620 Yeah, what's Andy doing? 00:07:32.700 --> 00:07:34.740 He's just drawing on the carpet. He bends 00:07:34.740 --> 00:07:36.740 down and he draws. I mean, 00:07:36.760 --> 00:07:38.280 that must have been frustrating, right? 00:07:38.520 --> 00:07:40.500 They thought they've trapped him. We've got him. 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:42.680 Because if he says that we should stone 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:44.700 her, then actually he's not the compassionate 00:07:44.700 --> 00:07:46.700 son of God he's trying to portray himself as. 00:07:46.840 --> 00:07:48.440 And if he says we shouldn't stone her, 00:07:48.440 --> 00:07:50.340 then he's denying the very laws that he 00:07:50.340 --> 00:07:52.380 claims his father has given us in the first place. So we've 00:07:52.380 --> 00:07:59.630 got him but no he kneels down on the ground just draws in how frustrating must that be and then 00:07:59.630 --> 00:08:05.800 as i read that i thought you know what when i pray and i think god where's the answer suddenly 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:11.910 i've got this image of what jesus is doing while i'm praying and he's writing on the ground and 00:08:11.910 --> 00:08:18.570 we have to learn to wait don't we it's a challenge i found that funny anyway okay but if any and he 00:08:18.570 --> 00:08:23.670 said and then he stands up and says if any of you is without sin then they can throw the first stone 00:08:23.670 --> 00:08:25.650 And you think, wow, what a response. 00:08:26.050 --> 00:08:28.330 This crowd have manipulated the woman 00:08:28.330 --> 00:08:30.610 and this situation to their own ends 00:08:30.610 --> 00:08:33.530 so that Jesus has got to give a binary response. 00:08:33.690 --> 00:08:34.710 And what does Jesus do? 00:08:34.970 --> 00:08:36.450 He comes in with a third way. 00:08:37.150 --> 00:08:38.630 How often does he do that? 00:08:38.870 --> 00:08:42.010 How often does he see things that we do not see 00:08:42.010 --> 00:08:45.710 and he is able to bring something completely different? 00:08:45.830 --> 00:08:47.570 And you can imagine the crowd thinking, what? 00:08:48.150 --> 00:08:48.990 What's going on? 00:08:49.310 --> 00:08:51.190 And the younger ones in that crowd pushing forward, 00:08:51.230 --> 00:08:52.730 no, no, no, that's not an answer, Jesus. 00:08:53.370 --> 00:08:54.530 Come on, what is the real answer? 00:08:55.460 --> 00:08:58.980 But then slowly, slowly, the penny drops. 00:08:59.760 --> 00:09:02.840 With the older ones first, maybe because they're a little bit wiser. 00:09:03.640 --> 00:09:06.220 And they know the truth of what he is saying. 00:09:07.160 --> 00:09:09.120 That actually, they've all got sin. 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:13.540 And no one is dumb enough to stand up and say that they've got no sin. 00:09:13.540 --> 00:09:16.560 And so the crowd slowly filters away. 00:09:16.800 --> 00:09:19.200 It does. They drift away. 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.400 And then we're left with this beautiful picture 00:09:22.400 --> 00:09:30.600 of just jesus and this woman standing on their own facing each other the woman standing there 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:37.110 with nowhere to hide because what she's been caught doing and yet hearing the words that she 00:09:37.110 --> 00:09:45.700 is free from condemnation because jesus is the only one who can say that when moments earlier 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:50.800 her law had demanded that she be stoned to death so in her mind she's thinking she's going to get 00:09:50.800 --> 00:09:55.720 killed for what's been what she's been found doing and yet jesus comes along and frees her 00:09:55.720 --> 00:10:01.700 from condemnation and at the same time that crowd is dispersed and gone away because they know they 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:09.280 are sinners themselves that's why they've gone away and yet they remain under the very condemnation 00:10:09.280 --> 00:10:17.340 that jesus has now freed that woman from the woman remained and received freedom from jesus 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:22.120 and that freeing statement of go and sin no more. 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:25.480 You see, what a mini-story this is of the saving grace of Jesus, 00:10:25.660 --> 00:10:28.260 that this woman deserves stoning under the law. 00:10:28.520 --> 00:10:30.960 Her sin deserves the penalty of death. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:34.840 And that is true for every single one of us in this church, 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.120 in this community, in this world today, 00:10:37.380 --> 00:10:40.000 that our sin deserves the penalty of death. 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:42.160 That is what the law of God demands. 00:10:42.160 --> 00:10:47.270 and yet as she is prepared to stand openly, alone 00:10:47.270 --> 00:10:49.930 and vulnerable before Jesus in the story 00:10:49.930 --> 00:10:51.190 she receives forgiveness 00:10:51.190 --> 00:10:55.880 and as we stand and are willing to stand openly 00:10:55.880 --> 00:10:58.480 and honestly before Jesus 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.600 there is the opportunity for such forgiveness 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:04.020 and such freedom. 00:11:04.160 --> 00:11:06.080 See John writes later in his letters 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.440 towards the end of the New Testament 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:11.600 he says, if we confess our sins 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:17.070 God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 00:11:17.070 --> 00:11:20.510 and purify us from all unrighteousness. 00:11:20.510 --> 00:11:23.650 And I just wonder if he's recalling this episode 00:11:23.650 --> 00:11:26.070 as he writes those verses 00:11:26.070 --> 00:11:30.710 because this woman came and actually initially dragged in 00:11:30.710 --> 00:11:34.070 but ultimately confessing her sin before Jesus. 00:11:35.150 --> 00:11:39.790 And Jesus says there's no condemnation for you. 00:11:39.790 --> 00:11:42.010 he forgives her sin 00:11:42.010 --> 00:11:44.670 and when he says go and sin no more 00:11:44.670 --> 00:11:47.230 he's purifying her from unrighteousness 00:11:47.230 --> 00:11:49.650 he's putting her in a place 00:11:49.650 --> 00:11:51.350 where the sin as a whole in her life 00:11:51.350 --> 00:11:53.790 no longer needs to do that 00:11:53.790 --> 00:11:58.110 so what practical application is there 00:11:58.110 --> 00:11:58.970 there's a couple of things 00:11:58.970 --> 00:12:00.310 I just want to pull out quickly 00:12:00.310 --> 00:12:02.030 this morning from this for us 00:12:02.030 --> 00:12:05.080 first thing right 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:06.520 is about pointing the finger at people 00:12:06.520 --> 00:12:07.920 we all do it don't we 00:12:07.920 --> 00:12:08.500 right 00:12:08.500 --> 00:12:10.400 there's no denying it 00:12:10.400 --> 00:12:10.900 I love it 00:12:10.900 --> 00:12:12.000 it's quite good fun at times 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:13.900 because it protects me 00:12:13.900 --> 00:12:16.200 and it hides my ego 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:17.720 and it covers me up 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:19.560 if I can point out somebody else. 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:20.840 We all say, 00:12:20.920 --> 00:12:22.620 have you seen what they've done? 00:12:23.680 --> 00:12:25.560 Did you hear what she said? 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:28.600 Did you hear what they did in Heron the other day? 00:12:29.180 --> 00:12:31.040 Did you see what she wrote on Facebook? 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:33.800 We all do it, don't we? 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:34.800 All the single ones. 00:12:35.020 --> 00:12:36.100 Yeah, I was speeding, 00:12:36.260 --> 00:12:37.960 but they were going much faster. 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:42.440 we all love to point the finger 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:46.070 because we all love to point out 00:12:46.070 --> 00:12:47.870 other people's misfortune 00:12:47.870 --> 00:12:50.270 or because they annoy us 00:12:50.270 --> 00:12:52.950 or simply to deflect away 00:12:52.950 --> 00:12:54.410 from our own issues 00:12:54.410 --> 00:12:56.550 or because we are hurt 00:12:56.550 --> 00:12:58.010 and we put it up as a defence 00:12:58.010 --> 00:13:00.330 and if I can point people at everybody else 00:13:00.330 --> 00:13:01.730 then they won't be looking at me 00:13:01.730 --> 00:13:03.590 and they won't be challenging me 00:13:03.590 --> 00:13:04.730 and changing me 00:13:04.730 --> 00:13:07.090 and it suits our own ends 00:13:07.090 --> 00:13:08.430 just like in the story 00:13:08.430 --> 00:13:17.280 today you see in all of this finger pointing that we all get caught up in stems right back to 00:13:17.280 --> 00:13:23.820 Genesis 3 stems right back to the fall you know when God said to Adam and Eve you can eat from 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:29.520 any one of these squazillion trees in the garden apart from that one what do they do they go and 00:13:29.520 --> 00:13:35.540 eat from that one and God comes to them and says Adam why did you eat that apple from that tree 00:13:35.540 --> 00:13:36.920 and Adam does what? 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:39.220 Points the finger. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.720 That woman, just the same as in our story, right? 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:44.680 That woman does it. 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:46.980 And what does Eve do when she's challenged? 00:13:47.500 --> 00:13:49.700 That serpent, that serpent. 00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:50.960 They point the finger. 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:54.280 This issue that we have that is a disease in our own society 00:13:54.280 --> 00:13:56.160 and if we're honest in our own lives 00:13:56.160 --> 00:13:58.660 about pointing and protecting our own ego 00:13:58.660 --> 00:14:00.160 and putting it away from ourselves 00:14:00.160 --> 00:14:03.040 stems right back to the fall. 00:14:04.140 --> 00:14:05.740 And so what should we do instead? 00:14:05.740 --> 00:14:14.020 how do we deal with this well it's it's hard right because Jesus is pretty hot on this stuff 00:14:14.020 --> 00:14:20.400 and in Matthew chapter 7 he said we read this he says why do you look at the speck of sawdust in 00:14:20.400 --> 00:14:27.540 your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye we're all planks right 00:14:27.540 --> 00:14:33.460 we've all got planks and he's serious so why do we get so caught up pointing out other people's 00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:37.020 when Jesus is challenging us to be men and women 00:14:37.020 --> 00:14:40.560 who get serious about dealing with the issues in our own life 00:14:40.560 --> 00:14:43.080 and in our own heart and our own attitudes. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:47.500 Paul writes later to the church in Philippi, 00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:52.200 he says our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:55.240 This is every one of us here as we follow Jesus, 00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:59.700 the charge is our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:02.400 who being in very nature God 00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:05.850 yet did not consider equality with God 00:15:05.850 --> 00:15:07.170 something to be grasped 00:15:07.170 --> 00:15:10.430 but made himself nothing 00:15:10.430 --> 00:15:13.500 and took the form of a servant 00:15:13.500 --> 00:15:15.240 and being found in human likeness 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:16.940 became obedient to death 00:15:16.940 --> 00:15:19.240 even death on a cross 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:21.240 you see with Jesus 00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:23.060 it's not about him preserving his ego 00:15:23.060 --> 00:15:25.000 like it is for you and me 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.660 it's about laying down our life 00:15:27.660 --> 00:15:29.460 and you know what Jesus is calling 00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:38.640 all of us to become men and women that learn what it is to lay down our wants our desires 00:15:38.640 --> 00:15:44.980 our ego and to sacrifice them in the way he's doing see in the beginning of the passage we 00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:48.980 read he's in the mount of olives probably praying but jesus isn't praying isn't on the mount of 00:15:48.980 --> 00:15:53.660 olives saying father do you see what those pharisees are doing he's not there saying 00:15:53.660 --> 00:15:57.880 father do you see what these teachers of the law are about what they're trying to do he's not doing 00:15:57.880 --> 00:16:07.730 that he's laying down his life in humility he's not he's not protecting his ego paul says at the 00:16:07.730 --> 00:16:13.550 beginning of romans in chapter one he says i'm not ashamed of the gospel because it's the power 00:16:13.550 --> 00:16:17.930 of god for salvation of those who believe first jews and then gentiles i always used to think that 00:16:17.930 --> 00:16:23.370 verse is about yeah we if we preach the gospel and we live it then actually people will become 00:16:23.370 --> 00:16:28.090 christians they will encounter jesus but the more i think about it this is more also about once 00:16:28.090 --> 00:16:34.730 we've done that this is about allowing the gospel to continue to change our lives day by day it's 00:16:34.730 --> 00:16:39.810 about encountering the fact that Jesus challenges us to be men and women who learn what it is to die 00:16:39.810 --> 00:16:46.290 daily to lay down our lives and take up our cross and that and that sounds very spiritual but it 00:16:46.290 --> 00:16:51.870 isn't it's very earthy this means choosing not to point the finger at other people it means choosing 00:16:51.870 --> 00:16:57.170 to get serious with Jesus about him dealing with my issues that I may become more like him it means 00:16:57.170 --> 00:17:02.210 choosing to be serious with Jesus that I want that stuff that's in that list that Sheila's put 00:17:02.210 --> 00:17:11.470 up for us to start to happen and sprout in my life Isaiah puts it this way in Isaiah 58 he's 00:17:11.470 --> 00:17:18.500 talking about if you want to see God come and we want to see God come don't we okay a couple of us 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:23.940 good we want to see we want to see God come and change the community right we really do because 00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:27.920 that's what we believe the gospel is about right we're not just here having a nice religious time 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:31.760 on a sunday we're here because jesus is building his church and one day he's going to return and 00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:36.200 claim a bride and he's going to wrap up history and that's the end of it right and in the meantime 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:41.420 he's working towards that and so we want to see god come and transform people's lives and change 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:46.940 hearts and minds and then encounter the love of jesus in the way that the woman has done in the 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:51.580 story that we've read this morning and so isaiah is saying if that's what you want to see then 00:17:51.580 --> 00:17:58.120 these are the things you need to be doing to begin to see that happen where you are and you see 00:17:58.120 --> 00:18:01.820 sometimes we think it's about we've got to sing better songs more stirred up songs we've got to 00:18:01.820 --> 00:18:07.920 pray harder we've got to work more but isaiah says this in isaiah 58 and verse 9 he says then 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:14.960 you will call and the lord will answer we want that don't we then you want to be a man or a woman 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:16.420 who learns what it is to call 00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:17.320 and God answers? 00:18:18.810 --> 00:18:20.650 He says, then you will cry for help 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:23.850 and he will say, here am I. 00:18:24.270 --> 00:18:25.850 You know, we want to cry for help 00:18:25.850 --> 00:18:27.530 for the community of Jordenthorpe 00:18:27.530 --> 00:18:28.430 and for Batemore 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:29.630 and for where we live 00:18:29.630 --> 00:18:30.970 and the schools that we represent. 00:18:31.290 --> 00:18:32.810 And we want to know that God 00:18:32.810 --> 00:18:33.930 is going to be a God who says, 00:18:34.010 --> 00:18:34.830 here am I. 00:18:35.310 --> 00:18:35.770 Don't we? 00:18:37.020 --> 00:18:38.640 And then Isaiah goes on and says, 00:18:39.060 --> 00:18:40.500 okay, great. 00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:42.480 Because if you do away 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.920 with the yoke of oppression, 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:47.330 if you do away with the pointing finger 00:18:47.330 --> 00:18:50.210 the malicious talk right here 00:18:50.210 --> 00:18:53.510 then if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry 00:18:53.510 --> 00:18:55.690 and satisfy the needs of oppressed 00:18:55.690 --> 00:18:58.130 then your light will rise in the darkness 00:18:58.130 --> 00:19:00.510 then your night will become like the noonday 00:19:00.510 --> 00:19:01.950 in other words, Isaiah is saying 00:19:01.950 --> 00:19:04.190 if you want to see God move in your life 00:19:04.190 --> 00:19:06.370 in your family, in your school, in your street 00:19:06.370 --> 00:19:09.710 in your home, in your community, in your church 00:19:09.710 --> 00:19:12.970 then guys and girls put away the pointing finger 00:19:12.970 --> 00:19:14.210 and the malicious talk. 00:19:14.370 --> 00:19:16.740 Stop it, is what he's saying. 00:19:17.160 --> 00:19:19.180 Then you will see God come and move. 00:19:20.040 --> 00:19:21.100 Whoa, what a challenge. 00:19:22.470 --> 00:19:25.270 It's not a 24-hour prayer meeting we need to do. 00:19:25.310 --> 00:19:27.960 After all, well, that might help, right? 00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:30.240 It's actually, I've got to change 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.060 the way I'm living my life. 00:19:32.780 --> 00:19:34.580 Oh, Isaiah, why did you have to write that? 00:19:35.260 --> 00:19:35.880 It's hard. 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:38.360 Do away with it all, he says. 00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:40.000 But not only do away with it, 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:41.900 he says, instead of being men and women 00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:46.760 at pointing a finger become men and women who roll the sleeves up their arms and instead of 00:19:46.760 --> 00:19:53.480 pointing fingers at people get involved in raising people up satisfy the hungry he says 00:19:53.480 --> 00:20:00.560 take the yoke of the oppressed he says so the charge to us is no longer to be men and women who 00:20:00.560 --> 00:20:06.000 go around pointing out other people's faults and why what they've done and why that upsets me and 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:10.860 why that hurts me but instead to become men and women who want to roll our sleeves up and get 00:20:10.860 --> 00:20:17.280 involved with those that are less fortunate than ourselves and begin to raise them up round about 00:20:17.280 --> 00:20:22.480 us practical things that we can do to deal with this and the second thing i just want to pull out 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:29.200 of this passage that i think it's screaming at us is that we need to deal with sin in our lives 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:34.900 right there's just i can't avoid this i've tried hard uh but this passage is screaming that out at 00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:45.120 all the crowd left because they knew they had sin in their lives them walking away is an admission 00:20:45.120 --> 00:20:53.260 of guilt is an admission that they are sinners everyone without exception so we can kind of 00:20:53.260 --> 00:20:56.960 think well who's got the worst sin here the crowd that have walked away or the woman caught in 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:03.440 adultery but that's the wrong question because the point is the sin needs dealing with see which 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:07.520 of these two groups of people had their sin dealt with that day so that they could walk away 00:21:07.520 --> 00:21:09.860 free from condemnation and shame. 00:21:12.300 --> 00:21:14.060 You see, when we stand before Jesus 00:21:14.060 --> 00:21:17.810 and the blackness in our heart is laid bare, 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:19.900 like this woman, 00:21:20.440 --> 00:21:21.780 there's no cover-up. 00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:24.920 Hopefully she's got a garment wrapped around her 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:27.500 before the crowd dragged her in front of Jesus. 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:30.520 But it's really obvious what she's been caught doing. 00:21:31.360 --> 00:21:32.920 There's no cover-up. 00:21:33.120 --> 00:21:34.240 Nowhere to hide. 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:36.560 No ability to deflect. 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:39.080 There's no use of social media 00:21:39.080 --> 00:21:40.960 just to let Jesus know the little bit 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:41.860 I want him to know 00:21:41.860 --> 00:21:45.020 and hide on and keep hold of the other stuff. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.460 And as she stands before Jesus, 00:21:49.570 --> 00:21:51.890 it's the place, first of all, of admission. 00:21:53.030 --> 00:21:53.550 I'm a sinner. 00:21:55.150 --> 00:21:57.930 I'm a sinner and I need you, Jesus. 00:21:58.670 --> 00:22:00.510 As we stand before Jesus, 00:22:00.510 --> 00:22:01.750 that is the first thing. 00:22:02.910 --> 00:22:04.470 But then standing before Jesus, 00:22:04.530 --> 00:22:05.250 once we do that, 00:22:05.310 --> 00:22:08.050 becomes a place where condemnation 00:22:08.050 --> 00:22:10.370 and shame can be lifted 00:22:10.370 --> 00:22:14.730 because Jesus is the one who is able to forgive us. 00:22:14.830 --> 00:22:16.710 Remember that promise John writes later, 00:22:17.050 --> 00:22:22.050 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us. 00:22:22.050 --> 00:22:26.910 And so this woman that day finds freedom from condemnation and shame, 00:22:27.190 --> 00:22:28.410 freedom from forgiveness. 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:33.760 And then thirdly, standing before Jesus 00:22:33.760 --> 00:22:36.580 becomes the place where we can walk free. 00:22:36.740 --> 00:22:40.040 She says, we read in the passage, Jesus says, go and sin no more. 00:22:40.040 --> 00:22:44.140 It's not just that she receives freedom from condemnation and shame 00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:46.800 and forgiveness for carrying on like that. 00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:49.060 She receives the freedom and the ability 00:22:49.060 --> 00:22:51.660 that that sin may no longer have a hold on her life 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:53.660 and she doesn't need to do it anymore. 00:22:55.620 --> 00:22:56.860 Only Jesus can do that. 00:22:57.720 --> 00:23:00.740 Seriously, guys, only Jesus can do that in our lives. 00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:02.440 We have to come and... 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:03.860 But there's an order, right? 00:23:04.520 --> 00:23:06.960 We come and stand before him in total honesty, 00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:11.320 no pretense, everything laid bare. 00:23:11.700 --> 00:23:14.600 He knows it all, and we confess it all. 00:23:15.600 --> 00:23:19.560 And then he forgives us, if we're willing to do that, he forgives us. 00:23:19.820 --> 00:23:23.320 And then he frees us and purifies us from all unrighteousness. 00:23:23.360 --> 00:23:24.160 That is the gospel. 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:26.020 That is it. 00:23:26.100 --> 00:23:27.180 That is the gospel, right? 00:23:28.040 --> 00:23:34.500 And I guess I just want to add, if we were writing this story today, 00:23:34.680 --> 00:23:38.800 we would talk about the fact this woman probably has trauma, right, 00:23:38.920 --> 00:23:40.120 because of what she's been through. 00:23:40.120 --> 00:23:42.500 we might use a phrase like PTSD 00:23:42.500 --> 00:23:45.000 and I want to say that when Jesus 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:46.960 he stands in front of Jesus 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:49.240 and everything is laid bare 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:51.660 and it's really clear what's going on 00:23:51.660 --> 00:23:55.640 and Jesus brings a freedom from condemnation and shame 00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:57.140 and freedom from sin 00:23:57.140 --> 00:23:59.980 this isn't a religious thing he's talking about 00:23:59.980 --> 00:24:02.100 he sets this woman free 00:24:02.100 --> 00:24:04.580 and I believe the power of the gospel 00:24:04.580 --> 00:24:06.880 is well able to set us free 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:08.460 from the effects of trauma 00:24:08.460 --> 00:24:14.080 and whatever acronym that is used today to describe some of those things. 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:16.040 And it's not just a sin thing. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:21.460 It's actually whole restoration that Jesus is able to bring to you and me 00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:24.960 no matter what we have experienced and what we have been through. 00:24:28.170 --> 00:24:34.810 Ange and I went to a conference last weekend about churching in council estates. 00:24:35.170 --> 00:24:39.050 And it's always great going somewhere else where there's a sort of different brand of Christianity 00:24:39.050 --> 00:24:42.190 because you pick up the different emphases and you spot stuff. 00:24:42.310 --> 00:24:44.610 Oh, we don't think like that, do we? Or we don't do that. 00:24:44.770 --> 00:24:45.850 And it was quite interesting. 00:24:45.930 --> 00:24:49.750 And one of the things that we picked up was there was more of an emphasis, it seemed at any rate, 00:24:49.870 --> 00:24:55.450 on the reality of the effect of sin in our lives and our ongoing need to address it. 00:24:56.170 --> 00:24:57.790 And I'm not saying that we don't do that, 00:24:57.850 --> 00:25:02.030 but it just made me think that sometimes it feels like we can create a bit of a culture 00:25:02.030 --> 00:25:04.830 through the songs that we sing and even the prayers that we pray 00:25:04.830 --> 00:25:06.770 and even the bits of scripture that we emphasize. 00:25:06.770 --> 00:25:09.110 that it's just all about celebrating 00:25:09.110 --> 00:25:10.590 Jesus' death and resurrection 00:25:10.590 --> 00:25:12.130 and the fact we've come to know him 00:25:12.130 --> 00:25:13.990 and that one day we're going to be with him 00:25:13.990 --> 00:25:16.110 and we don't really look very often 00:25:16.110 --> 00:25:17.970 at the bits that actually 00:25:17.970 --> 00:25:20.350 focus that actually 00:25:20.350 --> 00:25:22.630 I'm not that serious about changing my life 00:25:22.630 --> 00:25:24.310 you know what I mean 00:25:24.310 --> 00:25:26.710 and we can kind of do all the 00:25:26.710 --> 00:25:27.670 celebratory stuff 00:25:27.670 --> 00:25:31.170 but actually don't ask me to change my life 00:25:31.170 --> 00:25:32.610 because that's uncomfortable 00:25:32.610 --> 00:25:35.360 but yet Jesus 00:25:35.360 --> 00:25:36.300 as I said earlier 00:25:36.300 --> 00:25:42.720 he says we we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily one of the films angie and i 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:48.120 like watching is uh sully you watch sully it's brilliant film so it's the guy it's the pilot 00:25:48.120 --> 00:25:53.360 who took off from an airport in new york and just have to take off birds hit the plane and took out 00:25:53.360 --> 00:25:58.060 both engines and he had to make a decision to land it on the hudson river and all the passengers 00:25:58.060 --> 00:26:02.340 were saved and the film covers quite a lot about how the insurance companies were trying to screw 00:26:02.340 --> 00:26:05.680 him over because they had to fork out a lot of money because the plane landed on water and not 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:07.380 on a runway. And one of the things 00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:09.360 insurance companies do is they do a load of 00:26:09.360 --> 00:26:11.620 computer simulations that showed 00:26:11.620 --> 00:26:13.400 that actually when he did 00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:15.240 the birds, when the birds hit the plane 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:17.600 he had enough time to turn around and land at an airport 00:26:17.600 --> 00:26:19.400 and so he could have saved the plane 00:26:19.400 --> 00:26:20.500 and saved them lots of money. 00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:23.440 And there's a point in the film 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:25.300 where they've shown these computer simulations 00:26:25.300 --> 00:26:27.360 and that they could have landed at 00:26:27.360 --> 00:26:29.280 these other airports and then slowly turns around 00:26:29.280 --> 00:26:31.140 and he says, can we get serious now? 00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:33.380 And they say to him, what do you mean? 00:26:33.560 --> 00:26:35.160 Well you've ignored the human element. 00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:37.860 you've ignored the fact that when the birds hit the plane 00:26:37.860 --> 00:26:39.840 there's a length of time required to process 00:26:39.840 --> 00:26:41.780 mentally what's going on here, what's 00:26:41.780 --> 00:26:43.500 happened, to feel what the plane is doing 00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:45.180 to figure out how to, then 00:26:45.180 --> 00:26:47.520 what are we going to do, to get the manual down 00:26:47.520 --> 00:26:48.860 to read what do we do next 00:26:48.860 --> 00:26:51.560 so they reluctantly agree to add in some extra 00:26:51.560 --> 00:26:53.260 seconds in their computer simulation 00:26:53.260 --> 00:26:55.920 this is a real spoiler alert if you've never seen the film 00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:59.660 and they put in the extra 00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:00.380 sorry Gabby 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:03.900 and so 00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:06.820 They put those extra seconds in the computer simulation 00:27:06.820 --> 00:27:09.540 and lo and behold, it proves that he couldn't have landed at an airport 00:27:09.540 --> 00:27:12.660 and he made the right decision to land on the water. 00:27:12.760 --> 00:27:15.160 But the reason why I'm saying that is because there's this brilliant bit 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:17.760 where he says, can we get serious now? 00:27:19.030 --> 00:27:21.950 And sometimes I feel like Jesus comes along and puts his arm around me 00:27:21.950 --> 00:27:24.550 and says, Andy, can we get serious now? 00:27:25.600 --> 00:27:29.760 This stuff in your life, you know, come on, let's deal with it. 00:27:30.630 --> 00:27:32.990 And so as we finish, I just want to consider our responses 00:27:32.990 --> 00:27:36.870 because there's two responses in today's passage to the calling out of sin. 00:27:36.870 --> 00:27:42.210 In one response, a person stands before Jesus, it's very clear what the sin is 00:27:42.210 --> 00:27:47.870 and that person encounters both the grace and the truth of Jesus and finds freedom. 00:27:48.610 --> 00:27:55.890 In the other, a whole crowd of people admit to having sin, don't name it and wander away from Jesus 00:27:55.890 --> 00:27:58.110 and they remain condemned. 00:27:58.830 --> 00:28:01.710 You see, the consequences of the woman's sin was that she was free 00:28:01.710 --> 00:28:06.670 And there is freedom today from the grip and the hold that sin has in our lives 00:28:06.670 --> 00:28:14.910 if we are willing to stand before Jesus with nothing hidden and all defences gone. 00:28:15.690 --> 00:28:19.870 That is the mercy of God today, only in Jesus. 00:28:20.730 --> 00:28:23.150 But if we choose to walk away from Jesus, 00:28:23.550 --> 00:28:28.230 if we choose to keep our sins hidden from the One who sees all things, ironically, 00:28:28.230 --> 00:28:32.990 then we have made a choice to remain under condemnation. 00:28:33.900 --> 00:28:36.320 In the words of my granddaughter from school, 00:28:37.140 --> 00:28:38.320 let's make good choices. 00:28:39.550 --> 00:28:39.810 Amen.