2014.5.11礼拝

Kids Message
Japanese Proverb — go jyuu pou hyappou —
ごじゅっぽ‐ひゃっぽ 〔‐ヒヤクポ〕 【五十歩百歩】
Running 50 steps or even 100 steps doesn’t matter in war. The result is the same.
It’s six of one and half a dozen of another.
Big sin or little doesn’t matter. The end result is the same. The wages of sin is death.
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John 7:53—-8:11 THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY
There is question whether this story was actually a part of the original Gospel or added in later. At the end of the day this passage can be trusted as scripture and treated as such.
In the days of Christ the Jews were limited by the Law concerning the death penalty so often they would turn to the Roman government for that. Interesting that the Jewish leaders were so ready to convict this lady with the death penalty.
The woman was being charged for breaking a law in the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 22:23-24 – “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”
Interesting that this Law called for both man and woman but only the lady was brought forth.
What Jesus says about this situation:
Point 1. Do not Judge
John 8:7 – “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”.
Luke 6:36-37 – Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Romans 2:1-2 -. Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.
God is saying not to judge because we are so prone to judge. Also, we may be in need of judgment. We don’t have all the knowledge to judge.
The important thing to remember is whether we are respecting people for being a creation of God.
Point 2. Sin is sin
John 8:7 – “…..throw the first stone”…… The one who has no sin throw the first stone.
You don’t have to ignore the sin and let it go. Jesus did not do away with the Law. Sin is still sin. You still have to deal with it but how do you do that without judging the other person?
We don’t have to be Pharisees when we deal with the sins of others.
Point 3. We live as those whose sins have been forgiven
John 8:11 – Neither do I condemn you
Point 4. God has mercy on sinners
Matthew 9:12-13 – But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This lady was given a second chance by Jesus. We can give others a second chance without approving of their sins.
The important thing is to know what is right in front of God and do that. Not necessarily what is OK with the world around us. What is right in God’s eyes. That’s our standard.
John 8:11b. Go and sin no more.