Class Lesson December 13, 2015

Priceless: Finding Your Value In God

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  You are loved by God. You are priceless.

How can know you are highly valued by God? This study will examine seven things God has done for you that prove your worth to Him.


 

1. Adopted in God's Family
2. Freed by God's Forgiveness
3. Saved by God's Son
4. Strengthened by God's Power
5. Equipped with God's Gifts
6. Used in God's Service
7. Cherished in God's Eyes

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Our neighbor Mr. John was in his 80s. So when I saw all the cars in his driveway, I knew it could only mean one thing: he had died. I felt convicted because I’d never talked to him about the Lord. I didn’t know where he would spend eternity.  

The next day, though, Mr. John was outside shoveling snow! I went to his driveway and said: “Mr. John, it’s good to see you. When I saw all the cars yesterday, I thought you had died!” After a big laugh, he explained it was his birthday party. I wasn’t about to let another opportunity pass, so I asked, “Mr. John, if you had died yesterday, would you be in heaven today?” 

He said: “I can’t go to heaven, because when I was young, I caught my wife with another man. She left me to raise our five children alone. I have hated her all these years.” 

That morning I shared with Mr. John a truth Jesus expressed to a group of unforgiving men and one adulterous woman: no matter what we’ve done, we can know the freedom of God’s forgiveness.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?


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.”


The temple courts (v. 2)—The word “temple” was used to refer both to the primary building and to the entire temple area with its courts. Since Jesus was not teaching in the temple building itself, but in one of the courtyards, many translations refer to the “temple courts” or use similar wording.

AMAZING LOVE

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We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

 
John 8:2-6

Some people just like to throw rocks. Rocks of arrogance. Rocks of condemnation. Rocks of entrapment. In John 8, the scribes and Pharisees threw just those kinds of stones at a woman caught in the act of adultery. They brought this woman before Jesus—not because they cared about her, and not because they wanted justice. They just wanted to use her to trap Jesus. (There is no mention of the adulterous man, for example, which was a major oversight.)

For many rabbis, the three big sins were idolatry, murder, and adultery. These particular scribes and Pharisees sounded so righteous as they quoted Scripture (Lev. 20:10) at the woman, but they only quoted the part that was convenient for them. They twisted the Scripture into a self-righteous rope, which they used to tie her hands and put a noose around her neck.

At the same time, let’s not downplay the woman’s guilt. She was caught in grievous sin. Perhaps she had the same mindset as many people today: Whatever I do is okay as long as I don’t get caught. If so, she was ignoring another biblical truth: “Be sure that your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

God is holy. Therefore, He must punish sin. From the beginning, God has set a standard of righteousness, and failure to live by that standard brought death and separation from Him. Adam disobeyed God and faced death (see Rom. 5:12). The consequences of sin and disobedience continued throughout Scripture, and they continue today. In the end, no one gets by with their sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Thankfully, that’s not where the story ends.

We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

John 8:7-9

In a purely legalistic sense, the religious leaders could have stoned the woman in accordance with the law. After all, she’d been caught red-handed in the act of adultery. She was guilty.

Jesus never denied the woman’s guilt, but He didn’t approach the woman’s sin or attack her personally in the same way the religious leaders did. That’s because Jesus wasn’t thinking legalistically; He was thinking and acting out of love. Jesus lived out the truth of James 2:13: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t deal immediately with the woman’s guilt at all. Instead, He focused on the scribes and Pharisees and addressed their guilt! Jesus wanted the religious leaders to see beyond their legalism and realize they had no right to throw a single stone.

• He wrote. “Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger” (v. 6). We have no idea what He wrote. Remember, this was the same finger that inscribed the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (see Ex. 31:18). I wonder if Jesus might have written down the commandment these men were guilty of breaking.

• He spoke. “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). Jesus forced the accusers to look inward. He challenged them to confront the darkness in their own hearts. One by one they left, convicted.

We all make mistakes. No, far more than mistakes—we all sin. We’re all bent toward sin: this woman caught in adultery, the scribes and Pharisees who stood before Jesus, young and old, you and me.

When we stand before Jesus, none of us is without sin.

 
John 8:10 -11

 
I used to wonder about Jesus’ command in verse 11: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” That’s it? Just go and don’t do it again? Did Jesus let the woman off too easily?

In reality, Jesus neither ignored nor casually dismissed the woman’s sin. In fact, Jesus openly acknowledged her sin. Just as importantly, however, His words called her to repentance.

How could Jesus offer such forgiveness and grace? After all, He is God—the sinless, perfect Son of God. The answer is that, while sin must be punished, Jesus knew He would shortly be taking the punishment she deserved. He was about to die for her sins (and ours). Jesus freely offered forgiveness, but that forgiveness was not cheap. Notice the order of Jesus’ words: He offered forgiveness before He called her to repent and start anew. You have to be right with God before you can do right for God.

I preached on this passage one Sunday at my church. A young lady I had never met came to me after the service and told me her story. Five years before, she was a drug addict. Her kids had been taken from her. Just one month before that Sunday, she had overdosed and almost ended her life. But while she was in the hospital, different members of our church went to see her. They came at different times and on different days, but each one placed a stone beside her bed and said: “I cannot cast this stone at you. I just want you to know that
I love you and I’m praying for you.”

This woman showed me a bag with seven small stones. She said, “I keep these stones as a reminder of what Jesus has done for me.” Every time someone left a stone beside her bed, it was like Jesus was standing by her bedside saying: “Then neither do I condemn you... .Go now and leave your life of sin.”

And now here she was in church—with her kids—because Jesus had set her free. What a beautiful picture of God’s amazing grace. Jesus did for my friend what He did for the woman in John 8.

And He will do the same thing for you.




We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

LIVE IT OUT

God’s grace and forgiveness are available to all people—including you. Consider the following options for responding to that truth in the coming week:

• Thank God. Set aside an extended period of time this week to thank God for His gift of forgiveness. Praise Him for the work He has done in your life.

• Pray for others. Use the Prayer Request section on pages 6-9 of this resource to list at least three friends or family members who do not yet know Christ. Pray daily for their salvation and ask God to give you opportunities to share the gospel with each.

• Share your experiences. People often think Christians are supposed to be perfect. Therefore, opening up about the mistakes you’ve made—and the forgiveness you’ve received—can make the gospel message seem more approachable.

Remember my neighbor Mr. John? He couldn’t do what was right, forgive, until He experienced God’s forgiveness himself. I shared the good news of Jesus with him, and right there in the snow, Mr. John prayed to receive Christ. What will you do with God’s gracious offer of forgiveness?

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Our Lesson Today:

How do you know how valuable you are to God?

FREED BY GOD’S FORGIVENESS

You know we aren’t a whole lot different from the scribes and Pharisees in our story today - when we see or read about some sexual sin, we typically want justice and punishment carried out. But when it comes to our own sins, what do we want? We want mercy.

• C.S. Lewis once said that everyone thinks forgiveness is a wonderful idea until they have someone to forgive.

• Lesson Point: We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

We are going to see in our lesson this morning how Jesus extended forgiveness to a woman that was caught in adultery. She deserved punishment but she experienced mercy.



I. Judgment for Sin Belongs to God, Not Us

John 8:2-6

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


For many rabbis, what were the 3 big sins of the day? ___________, ___________, __________

• For many rabbis, the three big sins were idolatry, murder, and adultery.

Where is the Law’s reference to the act of adultery? Leviticus 20:10 

What was the punishment? Put to death

• These accusers sounded righteous as they quoted Scripture at the woman, but they only quoted the part that was convenient for them. What did they leave out? (the adulterous man)

Was the act of adultery a grievous sin?

• Yes, let’s not downplay the woman’s guilt. She was caught in grievous sin.

• God is holy. Therefore, He must punish sin. From the beginning, God has set a standard of righteousness, and failure to live by that standard brought death and separation from Him.

What were the intentions of the accusers in bringing this woman to Jesus?

• To trap Jesus. If Jesus chose mercy, they could accuse Him of acting in opposition to the Law of Moses. If He chose judgment, He would have been encouraging the illegal enactment of capital punishment. (Only the Romans had authority to pronounce a death sentence.)
• They brought this woman before Jesus—not because they cared about her, and not because they wanted justice. They just wanted to use her to trap Jesus.

Are we responsible for exposing the sins of others? Could our silence be sinful?

• Cheaters - Is your significant other cheating on you? This show dispatches a surveillance team to follow the partner suspected of cheating and gather incriminating video evidence. After reviewing the evidence, the offended party has the option of confronting the unfaithful partner.
• Ignore it and it will go away. That’s not the biblical pattern for dealing with sin in the church. In fact, it directly contradicts the apostle Paul’s instructions for dealing with false converts and professing believers whose sin is corrupting the church. To the church at Ephesus he wrote, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Our Christian responsibility goes beyond abstaining from the “deeds of darkness.” We are also called to expose them. To ignore evil is to encourage it, and to keep quiet about it is to help promote it. The verb translated as “expose” (from elegchō) can also carry the idea of reproof, correction, punishment, or discipline. We are to confront sin with intolerance. Sometimes such exposure and reproof will be direct and at other times indirect, but it should always be immediate. When we are living in obedience to God, that fact in itself will be a testimony against wrong. When those around us see us helping those in need rather than exploiting them, hear us talking with purity instead of profanity, and observe us speaking truthfully rather than deceitfully, our example will be a rebuke against selfishness, unwholesome talk, and lies. Simply refusing to participate in a dishonest business or social practice will sometimes be such a strong rebuke that it costs us our job or a friendship. Dishonesty is terribly uncomfortable in the presence of honesty, even when there is no verbal or other direct opposition.

What are we not responsible for regarding the sins of others? ______________________

• Any judgment requires ability to read hearts and minds. Since men cannot read the hearts and minds of others, they cannot properly judge. Therefore, any human's censuring and judgment will be biased—based on imputation of motive. God will not look kindly upon anyone who imputes motives and judges harshly on the basis of prejudice. Only God can read hearts and minds. Therefore, only God can truly judge men. This responsibility should not be assumed by any man. Any human being assuming such a responsibility will find himself guilty before God.
• Jesus is the ultimate Teacher whose goal for those who learn from Him is life change.
• Some people are so caught up in the legalism of religion that they lose sight of compassion for others.
• Sin is deserving of judgment and punishment, but both actions are God’s to carry out, not ours.
• Judgment for sin belongs to God, not us.

II. No One is Without Sin

John 8:7-9

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.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 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.


But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. So it appears that there was a moment of silence as if Jesus was ignoring them. Verse 7 When they kept questioning Him, He straightened up and spoke.



How did Jesus respond to their question?

• He stooped to write and He stood to speak.
• Jesus didn’t deal immediately with the woman’s guilt at all. Instead, He focused on the scribes and Pharisees and addressed their guilt! Jesus wanted the religious leaders to see beyond their legalism and realize they had no right to throw a single stone.
• He wrote. “Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger” (v. 6). We have no idea what He wrote. Remember, this was the same finger that inscribed the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (see Ex. 31:18). I wonder if Jesus might have written down the commandment these men were guilty of breaking.
• He spoke. “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). Jesus forced the accusers to look inward. He challenged them to confront the darkness in their own hearts. One by one they left, convicted.
• Jesus makes a significant statement about judging others. Because He upheld the legal penalty for adultery, stoning, He could not be accused of being against the law. But by saying that only a sinless person could throw the first stone, He highlighted the importance of compassion and forgiveness.

So, who is this woman?

• She's you. And she's me.

What kinds of “stones” do we often throw today?

• Some people just like to throw rocks. Rocks of arrogance. Rocks of condemnation. Rocks of entrapment.

Remember:

• We need to exercise caution that we are not guilty of twisting God’s Word for our own purposes.
• Recognize your sinful nature, and look for ways to help others rather than hurt them.

III. God Forgives Us by His Grace


John 8:10-11

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”


Was anyone there that day that was qualified to stone the woman?

• Ironically, Jesus was the only one qualified to stone her and He didn’t do it. He could have condemned her, but instead He granted her compassion. The woman was freed by Jesus’ forgiveness.
• Jesus did not come to condemn but to save.
• Jesus has come that our lives may be changed.
• Grace and forgiveness are given with the expectation that a person will live as one who has received grace and forgiveness and is grateful for it.

I used to wonder about Jesus’ command in verse 11: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” That’s it? Just go and don’t do it again?



Did Jesus let the woman off too easily?

• Jesus didn’t condemn the woman accused of adultery, but neither did He ignore or condone her sin. He told her to leave her life of sin. He called her to repentance.

Two principles must be remembered from this illustration:

1. The accuser is equally guilty, with no real right to condemn another.
2. Mercy is the more significant spiritual principle. Jesus Christ found tolerance and understanding imperative. But, He did instruct her to go and sin no more.

LIVE IT OUT

The account of the woman caught in adultery is the story of an amazing act of acceptance on Jesus’ part.

It also reminds us that we stand before Him just as we are in our sin, that we deserve judgment and punishment. Instead, Jesus extends mercy and grants forgiveness.

See how valuable we are in His sight?


We are set free, not to do what we choose, but to live as those who have been changed as witnesses of His grace.

Prayer of Commitment

Dear Lord, what a privilege to come before You as Your child and to call You Father. Thank You for such love - love manifested in Christ, who has come once and is coming again. Amen.


Hope to see you on Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan