1. Deer Hunting Embarrassment
It was Saturday morning as Jake, an avid hunter, woke up ready to go bag the first deer of the season. He walked down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise he found his wife, Alice, sitting there, fully dressed in camouflage.
Jake asked her, "What are you up to?"
Alice smiled. "I'm going hunting with you!" Jake had many reservations about this, but reluctantly decided to take her along.
When they arrived at the hunting site, Jake set his wife safely up in the tree stand and told her, "If you see a deer, take careful aim and I'll come running back as soon as I hear the shot." He walked away with a smile on his face knowing that Alice couldn't bag an elephant, much less a deer.
However, within ten minutes, Jake was startled as he heard an array of gunshots. Quickly, Jake ran back. As he got closer to her stand, he heard Alice screaming: "Get away from my deer!"
Confused, Jake raced faster towards his screaming wife. And again he heard her yell, "Get away from my deer!" followed by another volley of gunfire!
Now within sight of where he had left his wife, Jake was surprised to see a cowboy, with his hands high in the air. The cowboy, obviously distraught, said, "Okay, lady, okay!!!! You can have your deer!!! Just let me get my saddle off it!"
2. We all have done embarrassing things – what do you want to happen when you realize what you have done? Generally hide it!
3. John 8.1-11
I. Yeshua (Jesus) and the Accusers
A. Their Actions of Accusation
1. The attempt to entrap
2. Accosting the woman – she WAS Guilty (Exodus 20.14)
3. Appeal to the Letter of the Law
a. Death for Sin –24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, Deuteronomy 22.22-24; Leviticus 20.20; Numbers 5.11-31
b. Romans prohibited Jewish death penalties – did not prevent some stonings – 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Acts 7.58-59
B. Their Attitude of Arrogance – Missed the Heart of God
• 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? Ezekiel 18.23
• For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Hosea 6.6 (AV)
• 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3.9
C. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) Appeal to Consciences – By Word and Action (John 8.6-8)
1. Remember YOUR sins
2. A Dramatization of Jeremiah 17.13
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth [dust], for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.
a. Rebellious forsaking of God – any time we put ourselves in God’s place
b. Loss of the Fountain of Living Water
President Abraham Lincoln, upon proclaiming a national day of fasting and prayer, said, “It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, who owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by a history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” It’s quite different from the recent Presidential Thanksgiving Day Proclamation which made no mention of God, isn’t it?
II. Yeshua (Jesus) and the Adulteress
A. He Levels the Playing Field
1. He does not downplay, defend, or condone her actions (Romans 6.1-4)
2. He subtly points out the equality of the characters – Romans 3.23
**Don’t feel arrogant or superior regarding sin**
**BTW – the ground is also level at the foot of the cross**
B. He Lifts the Scriptures
6 On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses he that is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. Deuteronomy 17.6
1. Witness of heaven and earth (19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, Deuteronomy 30.19)
2. Teachings of Yeshua (Jesus) accompanied with 2-3 parables
3. He was only ONE witness – unable to condemn
C. He Loves the Woman – with the Heart of God
David Posman 33, was arrested in Providence, R.I, after allegedly knocking out an armored car driver and stealing the closest four bags of money. It turned out they contained $800 in PENNIES, weighed 30 pounds each, and slowed him to a stagger during his getaway so that police officers easily jumped him from behind.
David Posman is not the first person to make the mistake of trying to run while being weighed down. In fact, it happens spiritually all the time. We can get bogged down with things that pull us away from God. And, by the way, as with Posman, those things that are weighing us down are not worth nearly as much as we thought they were when we grabbed hold of them.
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)
1. “Where accusers (satans)?” – Why didn’t she run away, too?
2. His Role – Savior/Healer
12 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.” Matthew 9.12-13
3. His Forgiving actions
a. No accusation/condemnation – entitled as God
b. If we run from him – no forgiveness
4. Urgency for Repentance – Sin No More
a. Sin is missing the mark
b. Teshuvah – reversing direction
1. How do we deal with “Caught in the Act Sinners”?
2. Do we:
a. Rejoice in their failure? God does not.
b. Seek to embarrass them? God does not.
c. Accuse/hurt/seek revenge?
"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay,
not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street."
3. We Inspect fruit—we do not condemn (15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7.15-20)
4. Our Actions include:
a. Embrace the weeping (Romans 12.15)
b. Restore with gentleness (Galatians 6.1)
c. Encourage Repentance – Acts 2.38
d. Express Acceptance – loving the sinner and hating the sin (Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Romans 15.7)
5. If we turn from God – we are written in the dust; TO God in the Book of Life!!
