Celebration over Condemnation
House Party – Week 3 – 6/27/21
Celebration over Condemnation
John 8:1-11
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. John 8:1-3
Religion discriminates against the people that aren’t doing what the religious claim to be doing
Religion is selective
If we’re not careful we’ll slide into selecting certain sins we are against, certain sins that we hide, and certain sins that we champion
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. John 8:4-6
Religion always demands an answer
They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:7-11
Until you understand you need Amazing Grace, you will never see it as Amazing Grace
3 Things we will celebrate at Central:
1. We will celebrate you more than a stance
“Jesus liked people that were nothing like him and people that were nothing like him liked him.” -Andy Stanley
2. We will celebrate safety over shame
Shame has silenced more people and set them on the sideline than just about anything else in the world
3. We will celebrate progress over perfection
Jesus changes condemnation into celebration