"Go"Neither do I

“Go” week 2

Good morning CHURCH!

How many of you are ready to be equipped today?

Do you have your Bibles with you?

Faith Confession.

I believe that God’s words are the most powerful and creative force that exist.

I believe the Bible is a collection of writings to us, inspired by God.

The Bible says that I was created in the image and likeness of God.

In order to know who I am and what I should be like,

I have to know the God of the Bible.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination

Proverbs 16:16 NIV

How much better to get wisdom than gold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

“Go”

Intro:

We live in a society today that treats the church and the average Christian like a vampire. (When the church smiles, they see vangs.)

They throw up their cross.

They slang holy water at us.

They shine light at us.

Why? Because just as vampires caused pain to people in movies, the church has a reputation for seemingly causing more pain than good.

(That worries the counselor in me because when people get used to painful environments, they don’t naturally look for something healthy.)

Our society is full of hurting people and they are running to anybody who will listen to them, sympathize with them and then give them what they deem to be answers to their pain.

Could you imagine if we had the reputation of being the ones that would listen to hurting people, sympathize with them and then give them real solutions.

Let me help some of you out.

A real solution is not just telling them that if they don’t change, they’re going to hell.

A real solution starts with listening to them and then introducing them to the one who really loves them and has the answers to their every need.

When they get to know the one who loves them and get a taste of what that love feels like from you, they will turn towards that one that loves them.

Then they will let the Bible transform them so that they can participate in the purpose and plan God has for them on the earth.

And you know what happens when people turn towards God. (Sins start to be a thing of the past.)

Today’s lesson title is: “Neither do I”

Let’s leave 2021 for a moment and go back in time.

Imagine a time where the culture would gather in the temple courts.

Kind of like when I was young and played a lot of basketball and would go to a park with multiple courts.

Cats were always sitting around and spitting game.

Jesus was at times in the temple courts spitting game.

What would he be talking about?

I would think he probably taught in the temple courts, some of the things he taught elsewhere.

Like in Matthew 5.

1. Salt and Light. 13-16 (No one turns on a light only to cover it up.)

2. Teaching about the law. 17-20 (I came not to abolish the law but to fulfill its purpose and prophesies.)

3. 1. Teaching about anger. 21-26 (The law said not to murder, and I say not to even be angry with someone. The act is wrong but the attitude that leads to the act is just as wrong.)

(If you’re trying to worship God and realize you are at odds with someone, go get it right.)

4. Teaching about adultery.

Matthew 5:27-30 NIV

“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’

Leviticus 20:10 NIV If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

The lustful desire, in the heart, is as wrong as the act of adultery, because it’s an indication that a person is not in right relationship with God.

Side note: Jesus was not teaching to mutilate your flesh. He was merely getting a point across that we need to remove the inward cause that leads to adultery in order to avoid the outward offense.

John 8:2-11 NIV

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

(It was this love that he showed her that differed from the judgement that everyone else was hurling at her, that ended up winning her over.)

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 1:14 NIV

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

You might say, “Pastor J, adultery is not my thing.”

In the book of Jeremiah we were introduced to a term in the scriptures that relates to everyone.

We call it spiritual adultery.

Biblical adultery is a breach of the “one flesh” relationship of marriage.

But Jeremiah talked about a breach of the “one spirit” relationship we are to have with God.

Jeremiah 3:6-7 NIV

During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. 7 I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this.

If you’re watching online, I have a very important question to ask you.

1 What is Holy Spirit saying to you right now?

Turn the service over briefly to the M.C.

Move into Family Talk