Sermon in Seattle 01.07.2012

May the love of God, our Heavenly Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever. Amen.

Let us quieten this morning in opening prayer and thanksgiving. Dear Heavenly Father, we as your children come before you once again this day and wish to give thanks unto you, dear Father, that we as your children can yet travel on this way that leads one day with you there in heaven. That we can yet this day believe our sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood through that merit work that your beloved Son and our Savior, our Lord Jesus, suffered and died on our behalf and behalf of the sins of the entire world. That we could have hope of heaven one day.

Here are our weak thanks this morning, dear Father. We would also wish to thank you for the many temporal blessings in our lives. For the friends that we have, the families, our brothers and sisters and parents and grandparents, and for the daily bread and our livelihoods that we have. Everything has come from thee, dear Father, and we wish to give thanks.

We also would pray this morning on behalf of all of your children wherever they may be gathered, serving in the military, working in faraway places, and even at the services of your children. Be there in their midst, dear Father. Open your word according to your will and bless the gatherings of your children. Give each one of us strength—strength to continue battling in faith, strength to continue believing sins forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus, strength to yet walk another footstep in faith.

For we acknowledge, dear Father, that we cannot of our own power or our own strength believe, but through your guiding hands. You, dear Father, who know all and see all, and our beloved Heavenly Father, protect our government. And also, we yet this morning remember our country where we live and dwell, that we could yet continue to enjoy this religious freedom where we can freely gather about your holy and precious word. Even these are blessings, blessings that have come from you, dear Father, and we give thanks.

And we enclose all our prayers this morning in that prayer that your beloved Son, Jesus, has taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

For our study of God's word this morning, we will read from the Gospel of John, the 8th chapter, verses 1-11. Get with that prayer of faith that God would bless our gathering here and open his word according to his will. These words are in Jesus' name as follows:

Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple. And all the people came unto him. And he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou? This they said tempting him that they might have to accuse him.

But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. Amen.

Today in our church calendar is the theme, Have mercy. And this text here is from a different calendar year, but it speaks to us of God's grace and God's mercy.

Here it relates how Jesus went up into the Mount of Olives, which was nearby to Jerusalem there, and then early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him, and he sat down and taught them. So we see here this picture how the people gathered around Jesus. He was there in the temple, and they all came to see. It doesn't tell us who all, but we see there were scribes and Pharisees also. So perhaps, I'm sure there probably were believers there as well as those that didn't believe. Some came probably just out of curiosity, that who is this Jesus? And others, those that were believers, would have been there gathered to be with their Lord and Savior Jesus.

So they were there, and he was in their midst and was teaching them. It doesn't also tell us in this specific text, but recorded throughout the gospels, we have in God's word and through the entire Bible the teachings of our Lord Jesus. So he was relating to them of matters of faith, matters of salvation, and he being the foundations, the chief cornerstone, the good shepherd, the savior of the world.

And the scribes and Pharisees then, these were these very self-righteous people of Jesus' times. They came then into the midst. They would have come right to the front of this gathering perhaps, and they brought this woman right up to the front. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act.

You young children know from Sunday school about—you study the commandments, the Ten Commandments, and you go through these commandments week by week during the Sunday school year. And we would probably remember how the sixth commandment reminds that thou shall not commit adultery. And this is where a man or a woman being married would sleep or be together, sleep together with someone else that's not their husband or their wife. And we understand from God's word through faith how this is sin.

And the Pharisees certainly understood this as well. They wanted to trap Jesus, meaning they posed to him a situation. They reminded him, now Moses in the law commanded us saying that such should be stoned. So they knew the Old Testament law. They were scholars of the law. We know from the Old Testament books even—we would even go back there—of the law, there was no shades of gray in some of these matters. It was very straightforward or demanding here.

In the Old Testament book of Moses, in the book of Leviticus, is one place that tells us the law that was there in God's word here. And the man that committed adultery with another man's wife, even he that committed adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer or the man and the adulteress, the woman, shall surely be put to death. So the law was very clear that if one were to do this deed, they were to be stoned to death.

The thought being even there that to keep Israel pure. In another Old Testament verse that relates to that. But then they also wanted to hear what Jesus had to say because they knew if Jesus were to agree with them and say, well yes, go ahead and put this woman to death, that now he's going against the authority of the Romans, that it was the Roman rulers who had the authority to legislate the law or to execute, to carry out the law, the rules of their time there.

And so they knew that he would be in trouble in this way. So they wanted to see how he would respond. And Jesus being perfect didn't have to answer them one way or the other. He pretended—actually it tells us here this—they said tempting him that they might have to accuse him. So they wanted if he said no, then don't do anything, then they could get him in that way. Or if he said to go ahead and carry out the law, then he would be in trouble with the authorities on the other hand.

But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. It doesn't tell us what he wrote, but he stooped down on the ground and began to write with his fingers. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. This is what he asked them, perhaps even—we don't know what Jesus was writing about. But we know Jesus taught earlier in his gospels, in his Sermon on the Mount, even on this same matter of adultery. We could find even that part where Jesus relates of the law here in the fifth chapter of Matthew, verses 27 and 28.

God's word and Jesus' instruction here is recorded in this way: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. These were those words we read from earlier in the books of Moses. But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So we can see how the law is spiritual and even judges our thoughts. And as these Pharisees here were there, they had this woman in front of them and they were with Jesus. We see how it went for them. And they which heard it—actually Jesus then, after he asked them that question and again he stooped down and wrote on the ground, and they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one.

So as they began to examine themselves here, they came in their own zeal, we could say. They had a woman they caught in a sinful act, and they wanted to go and bring her before Jesus, and they did. But when Jesus asked them this question, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her, they began to realize then that none of them were without sin.

Paul explains this even in his letter to the Romans in the second chapter. Paul writes in this way: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest, for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

In other words, when to go to judge someone, just as these Pharisees and scribes did, when they examined themselves, they realized that they also were sinners and fall into sin.

But then we come to this theme of our text: God's mercy. To all of these that accuse, this woman filed out one by one, and there left is Jesus and this woman.

When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.

Here we see a picture, dear brothers and sisters, of God's rich grace. Jesus earlier in this Gospel of John had that discussion with Nicodemus, and following that discussion, we can even recall here the very familiar words of the Bible: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Then he continues: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

For this woman then begins the walk of faith. This same walk, dear brothers and sisters, that you and I today walk. Are we without sin? Certainly not. When we examine ourselves, examine our own walk of faith, has it not been your experience like mine that we find we so often fall short, that we so often fall into sin?

As we can relate to how Paul put it also to the Romans in the seventh chapter: For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Then earlier than that it says: For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.

We carry these—the old Adam in us. We carry two parts: the flesh, our sinful flesh, the flesh, and also as the child of God, we have the Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of his children. And there is this constant warfare, this battle between our flesh and the Spirit.

The Spirit desires to be obedient to God's word, to follow its instruction, to endeavor traveling in faith. And our flesh desires the exact opposite, seeking after the pleasures of this world, seeking our own sinful desires, listening to the voice of the enemy.

So there is this constant battle we experience. But hasn't it been this way that we have also experienced the healing of the gospel, that through believing sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood, we receive strength to continue to endeavor in faith, and we can make those new promises as Jesus instructed the woman here to go and sin no more.

This would be our heart's desire: to be obedient to God's word. We have instruction to endeavor to travel keeping faith in the clean conscience. But it's that constant warfare we also truly experience, do we not, dear brothers and sisters?

The pull, the pull of this world. You young people in that phase of your life, the pull seems to be almost the strongest. But it is there for all of us. You very grandmas and grandpas would relate as well, know how the enemy doesn't let up. His desire would be to cause shipwreck, to have us give up faith, to fall away, and give up this treasure, Father.

But dear fellow traveler, we can remember also the words of our Lord Jesus. Jesus was there being tempted by the enemy of souls. Those temptations in the wilderness. He promised them all the riches of the world, power, many things. And what did Jesus tell him? Get behind me, Satan, or words to that effect.

I'm not finding him here now in the gospel account, but he told him to go away, to go away. Here in the—we can remember this instruction from Jesus, this example: When the enemy comes close to us, to go away, Satan, leave us alone.

And we have our fellow escorts where we can visit about the way and the journey, care for matters as they come upon our heart and conscience, and we can then be strengthened in our weak faith.

Yet this morning, as you find yourself perhaps with many doubts, perhaps feeling cold and empty, perhaps wondering now why did I even bother to come into services this morning, dear one, be uplifted and be assured that even this moment your sins are all forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

Believe this gospel unto peace, freedom, and joy. Joy as God's children. God, we are most, most blessed.

And as we come here this morning to take part in the Lord's holy supper, you can do so with free and uplifted hearts being assured that your journey yet continues heavenward. You yet travel as a child of God.

God's grace, faith is abundant. God's mercy is so big. The psalmist even touches on that. Perhaps we could recall these words. Maybe it was a psalm of David speaking of God's mercy.

Mercy here, the hundred and third, hundred and third Psalm: For as high as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

We know if you were to head in a straight line headed east, in another straight line headed west, away from each other, if you were to stay on a straight line you would never meet. That's how far infinite God's mercy.

We have great reason to be thankful today, dear brothers and sisters, that we can yet travel another footstep on this way that leads toward heaven day by day and moment by moment.

So yet be uplifted in your faith and encouraged just as this woman here was encouraged: Neither do I condemn thee.

We have a good and a gracious, loving Heavenly Father. His desire would be, as his children, that we would just simply believe, endeavoring to keep faith in the clean conscience.

And for my own part, coming here, need to also hear this same gospel. Can I also believe? I desire to believe along with you, dear brothers and sisters, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let us close our service this morning in the closing benediction. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen.

Thank you.