WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.879 Hey, everybody, thanks for joining us today on Pastor Rick's 2 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:08.919 Daily Hope, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Rick Warren. 3 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:09.359 Well. 4 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.039 Today we're starting a series called the Miracle of Mercy. 5 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.480 Rick's gonna show us how God's mercy can lift your guilt, 6 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:20.480 heal your wounds, and transform the way you live. So 7 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:22.960 let's jump right in for part one of a message 8 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:26.120 called Easter Means It's a new Day of Mercy. 9 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:31.280 Now this week, all around the world, literally hundreds of millions, 10 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:33.759 hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of 11 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:37.960 people are going to get up in the dark before 12 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:42.679 daylight and go out to attend an Easter sunrise service. 13 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.439 Easter is the only holiday that we celebrate at the 14 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:50.799 break of dawn. Why is this because it was at 15 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:53.759 the break of dawn on a brand new day that 16 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:56.960 we heard the news that Jesus Christ had raised from 17 00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:02.000 the dead, and it changed everything. Now it's Easter, so 18 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:04.000 let's just start with the Easter story. Look up here 19 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:05.480 on the screen, let me read you part of the 20 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:09.719 Easter story. Early on Sunday morning, as the new day 21 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:14.120 was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the Other Mary went. 22 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:15.319 Out to see the tomb. 23 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:18.400 This is where Jesus had been buried after dying on 24 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:22.640 the cross three days earlier. Suddenly there was an earthquake 25 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.680 when an angel moved the giant stone away from the 26 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:29.280 opening of the tomb. This is one of these walk 27 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.040 in kind of tombes, not under the dirt tomb, and 28 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:36.079 then sat on the stone. Now, the Bible says, the 29 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:41.480 angel's face shone like lightning, and his clothes were brilliant white. 30 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:45.760 And when the Roman guards saw this happen, they shook 31 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:49.920 with fear and fainted. Well, I guess so, so then 32 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:52.359 it says, then the angel spoke to the women who 33 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:54.200 had gone up there. I don't know, to bring flowers 34 00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:58.879 or whatever. Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus, 35 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.239 who was Crucifer, but. 36 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.159 He isn't here. 37 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:07.000 He's been raised from the dead, just as he said 38 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:11.280 would happen. So you know, come on in see for yourselves. 39 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:14.199 There's no body in this tomb. So the women get 40 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:17.039 to walk into this tomb. The big door has been 41 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:19.919 moved the stone, and then the angel says, now go 42 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.159 quickly and tell his followers that Jesus has raised from 43 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:27.919 the dead and that he's headed to Galilee, and that 44 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:30.840 he'll see all of you there. So the women ran 45 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:35.000 quickly from the tomb. Now they're scared, but they're also 46 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:38.280 filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the 47 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:41.080 angel's message to the disciples. Now here's where it gets interesting. 48 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:47.280 As they were going, they run into Jesus. Okay, that 49 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:49.479 would be a little do do do do do do 50 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:51.479 do do do. 51 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:52.800 Do, And I love Jesus' response. 52 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:56.719 Good morning, says Jesus, like as if nothing's happened. 53 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:58.159 Good good morning. 54 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:02.479 Now the women came close to him, they touched his body. 55 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:04.400 In other words of goo, this is not a ghost. 56 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:07.000 We're not having some apparition here, this is not a vision. 57 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:08.840 This is not some. 58 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:12.479 Kind of emotional you know, we're imagining this in our mind. 59 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:13.680 Virtual reality. You know. 60 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.840 They came close to him, they touched his body, and 61 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:18.120 then they worshiped him. 62 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:21.680 Then Jesus said to them, don't be afraid. 63 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:25.599 Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee and they 64 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:27.800 will see me there. And as you know the rest 65 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:30.719 of the story, Jesus hung around Jerusalem for another forty days. 66 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:33.639 He didn't just like appear on Easter Sunday morning and 67 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:36.639 go back to heaven. No, he was hung around for 68 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:40.000 the next forty days and actually met with people, had meetings, 69 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:42.479 preached one time, spoke to a group of five hundred people, 70 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:46.800 had dinner, cooked the disciples breakfast one time out by 71 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:50.879 the Sea of Galilee. And that's why by within a 72 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:53.000 few years, about half of the city of Jerusalem had 73 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:56.560 become Christians. Because in a city about two hundred fifty 74 00:03:56.599 --> 00:04:00.000 thousand people, one hundred and fifty twenty five thousand people 75 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:01.560 had become believers. 76 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.120 Because so many people had seen Jesus. 77 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.560 It would be strange if you were the you know, 78 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:09.719 the Roman centurions who crucified Jesus, and you're walking down 79 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:11.680 the street one day and there comes that guy walking 80 00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:17.800 towards you. He's back, that would be that would be strange. Now, 81 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:21.560 why is Easter important? Because it proved that Jesus Christ 82 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:27.199 was telling the truth. Jesus Christ made outrageous claims, claims 83 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:29.920 that no good man would make, claims like I'm the 84 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:33.160 Son of God, i am God in human form, i 85 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:34.439 am the only way to Heaven. 86 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.399 I'm the Way, the truth and the life. 87 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:39.279 Now, lots of people throughout history have claimed to be God, 88 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:43.000 and Napoleon and a lot of other things. But this 89 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:45.600 difference is Jesus was the only one to prove it. 90 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:48.800 A lot of people claim to be God. Jesus said, 91 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:50.600 I'm going to prove it. I'm going to let them 92 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:53.160 put me to death. I'm going to die for the 93 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:55.000 sins of the world, and three days later, I'm going 94 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:57.839 to raise myself back to life, which is exactly what 95 00:04:57.959 --> 00:04:58.439 he did. 96 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:02.879 And that's split history and the And now every. 97 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:06.399 Time you write a date, any date in history, you 98 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:08.800 are using Jesus Christ as a reference point. In fact, 99 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:11.959 your own birthday, the number of days, the month, and 100 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.680 the year of your birthday is from in relationship to 101 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:18.959 the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the most important 102 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.519 event in history. It's split history. God came to earth, 103 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:26.040 died for the sins of mankind, and this weekend, about 104 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.720 two point three billion people in the world will be 105 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:34.160 celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, it happened at 106 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:36.600 the dawn of a new day. But this Easter, I 107 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:39.199 want to talk about a new day in your. 108 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:40.920 Life because the Bible says this. 109 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:43.920 If you pull out your message notes inside your program, 110 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.639 look at the second verse there on the outline Luke. 111 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:51.279 Chapter one says, this a new day will dawn on us. 112 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:55.560 A new day will dawn on us because our God 113 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:58.600 is loving and merciful. 114 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:00.000 Circle the word merciful. 115 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:02.519 This Easter, we're going to start an eight week spiritual 116 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:06.360 growth emphasis called the Miracle of Mercy, because most people 117 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:11.680 don't understand how merciful God really is, and that's why 118 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:13.879 they're afraid of God. That's why they avoid God. That's 119 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:17.399 why God is distant to them. They don't understand the 120 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:20.439 mercy of God. When you understand the mercy of God, 121 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:24.639 your anxiety will decrease and your peace of mind will increase. 122 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:29.160 Your stress will go down, and your stability will go up. 123 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:35.480 Your frustration in life will be diminished, and your satisfaction 124 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:39.240 in life will be increased. So let's just start with 125 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:41.279 the definition of mercy because we're going to look at 126 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:44.319 it now for several weeks there on. Your outline, mercy 127 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:49.000 is really here's a definition for you. Undeserved forgiveness and 128 00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:50.160 unearned mercy. 129 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:52.000 That's the way God treats you. 130 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:56.959 Undeserved forgiveness, when somebody forgives you and you don't deserve it, 131 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:00.399 that's mercy. And when somebody shows you a kindness that 132 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:04.000 you have not earned. That's called mercy, and the Bible 133 00:07:04.040 --> 00:07:06.319 says that God wants to show you mercy. Now, you're 134 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:08.920 going to need mercy every single second of your life. 135 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:10.720 The ere you breathe is from the mercy of God. 136 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:13.399 The water you drink is from the mercy of God. 137 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.319 Everything you have for life is because God is a 138 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:20.240 mercyful God. In fact, you would not be alive, you 139 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:23.079 wouldn't have been born if it wasn't for the mercy 140 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:26.920 of God. God made you because he wanted to love you, 141 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:29.480 and he wanted to show you his mercy. And if 142 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:31.639 God hadn't wanted to love you and show you his mercy, 143 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:33.959 your heart wouldn't be beating right now, and you wouldn't 144 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:37.439 be taken breath. Everything in your life is a gift 145 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:39.879 of the mercy of God. Now, what I want to 146 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:43.040 do this Easter is simply two things. I want to 147 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:46.319 ask two questions. First, when do I need God's mercy 148 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:50.079 in my life? And then second, what difference does it make? 149 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:52.439 I mean, how's it going to change me? How does 150 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:54.360 my life get better? What are the benefits? How does 151 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:58.199 it transform me? And for this series, not just this week, 152 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:01.319 but for the next six weeks, I went and I 153 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:05.800 studied every single verse on mercy in the Bible. It 154 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:08.240 took me about two months and I found about one 155 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:10.759 hundred different examples of when God says he wants to 156 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.600 show you mercy in different areas of your life. Today, 157 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:18.920 I just want to look at three. When you are ashamed, 158 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:24.360 when you are angry, and when you are afraid. These 159 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:27.800 are three emotions we don't like. And guess what, God 160 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:30.319 doesn't like him either, and he doesn't want your life 161 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:34.519 being filled with being ashamed, with being angry, and with 162 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:37.840 being afraid. So we're going to look at this today. Now, 163 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:42.559 let's just get right into it. Jesus ministry was all 164 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:46.279 about mercy. In fact, he showed mercy to everybody. There's 165 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.639 no person he did not show mercy to. And what 166 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:51.320 we're going to look at today is three stories of 167 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:56.840 Jesus encountering people and show how this relates to your life. 168 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:01.720 When you're ashamed, when you're angry, when you're afraid. All right, first, 169 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.320 when I'm ashamed, you might want to write this down. 170 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:08.600 I need God's mercy when I've messed up. I need 171 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:13.200 God's mercy when I've messed up. Now that includes all 172 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:16.320 of us, as particularly me. None of us are perfect. 173 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:18.639 None of us bat a thousand. I stop being perfect 174 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:21.879 at about the third breath of my life. I don't 175 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:26.000 measure up to God's standard, much less my own standard, 176 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:29.480 and neither do you. 177 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:31.480 Now this is not really debatable. 178 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:34.159 I've never met anybody who actually claims to be perfect, 179 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:36.200 to have never made a mistake, to have never sinned. 180 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:37.279 We've all made mistakes. 181 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.720 We've all sinned, we've all flobbed, we've all had failures 182 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.039 in our lives. The Bible says it like this, all 183 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:45.080 have sinned. The Bible says if we say we have 184 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:47.799 not sinned, that we deceive ourselves the truth that's not 185 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:49.840 in us. In other words, we're just being self deceptive. 186 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:51.960 Everybody else knows you don't have it together. You may 187 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:55.600 as well admit it to yourself, okay, because you're in 188 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:58.679 self denial if you think you're perfect. The Bible says, 189 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:00.559 there's not a just man upon them the earth, who 190 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:03.480 doeth good and sendeth not. In other words, nobody gets 191 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:07.240 it right all the time. We all mess up, and 192 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.240 uh James, Chapter three, verse two, look on the screens. 193 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:15.360 The Bible says, we all stumble in many ways. Everybody 194 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:17.679 want to agree with that one. Okay, have you ever 195 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:20.600 stumbled with your words? Said something you wish man, I 196 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:22.159 wish I hadn't said that, and you got a lot 197 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:22.799 of trouble for it? 198 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:26.960 Yep? Have you ever stumbled with your attitudes? Yep? Have 199 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:29.240 you ever stumbled with actions? Yep? 200 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:32.360 Have you ever stumbled with emotions and you have the 201 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:35.039 wrong emotional response and your wife didn't like it? 202 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:37.600 Yeah? 203 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:40.759 Yeah, we all stumble in many ways. Now, when you stumble, 204 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.320 you get tripped up. You fall into a trap, and 205 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.399 we get entrapped by the same sins, the same mistakes, 206 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:49.720 over and over and over. 207 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:51.440 I do you do? We all do. 208 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:53.639 It's no big deal. We all get caught in the 209 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:56.799 same old traps. We mess up. Now, the question is 210 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:02.559 how does God respond to me and you when we 211 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:06.679 mess up? Well, the answer is he shows mercy. Let 212 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:09.120 me show you an example that tells this story John 213 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:13.120 chapter eight. This is one of the books the Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 214 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:15.919 and John tells the story of Jesus, and there's a 215 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:17.360 story of the humiliated woman. 216 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:18.440 And it goes like this. 217 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:24.840 One day Jesus was teaching a crowd outside the temple, 218 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:30.360 and some Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery. Now, 219 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:34.840 Pharisees were religious scholars, they were legalists, they were judgmental, 220 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:40.519 they were hypercritical, and everybody hated him. They were self righteous. They, 221 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:43.679 by the way, hated Jesus. Common people loved Jesus. It 222 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.559 was the religious people who hated Jesus. And the Pharisees 223 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:50.279 hated Jesus. And they're trying to trap him. They bring 224 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:53.399 this Jesus is teaching to a large crowd. Pharisees bring 225 00:11:53.399 --> 00:11:57.159 a woman caught in adultery. Now they put her on 226 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.279 display in front of the whole crowd, and then Jesus. 227 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:01.840 They said to Jesus, this. 228 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:05.120 Woman has been caught in the act of adult tree. 229 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:09.120 The law of Moses, said the stoner capital punishment. What 230 00:12:09.159 --> 00:12:13.720 do you say. Now, they're trying to trap Jesus into 231 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:15.320 saying something that. 232 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:17.399 They could use against him. 233 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:19.240 Now, before we read the rest story, I want you 234 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:21.159 to notice a few things. First, if you're taking notes, 235 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:26.360 circle the word caught caught in trap. Caught caught and trap. 236 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:30.279 There are two traps being laid here. First, the embarrassed 237 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:35.720 woman is caught in a wrong relationship. And second, they're 238 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:40.600 trying to catch Jesus in a wrong reaction. What do 239 00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:42.799 you get caught up in? It trips you up over 240 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:46.080 and over and over. What do you get caught up 241 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:51.320 in that keeps causing you to stumble? You know, you 242 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:55.200 can get caught up in an unhealthy relationship. You can 243 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:58.440 get caught up in a bad business deal. You can 244 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.600 get caught up in a secret habit that nobody knows about. 245 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:05.799 You can get caught up in an addiction. You can 246 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:08.720 get caught up in materialism thinking that money is the 247 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:12.080 whole purpose of life. You can get caught up in 248 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:15.240 trying to live to please other people. You're living for 249 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:18.080 the approval of others. That's a huge trap that a 250 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:20.159 lot of people stumble into and get caught up. They 251 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:22.240 live their entire lives for the approval of other people. 252 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.639 You can get caught up in competition. This woman is 253 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:34.200 obviously caught in a wrong relationship. Now here's what happens. 254 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:36.559 In verse eight six. It says they were trying to 255 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:39.879 trap Jesus into saying something that they could use against him. 256 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:44.440 But Jesus, I love this. Here's all this crowd here 257 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:48.720 the Pharisees. Jesus stooped down and started writing in the 258 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:54.720 dirt with his finger. Huh, he's doodling in the dirt. Okay, 259 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:56.679 he's he's writing in the dirt with this way. 260 00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:57.480 He won't even. 261 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:02.000 Dignify this accusation against this woman. Now, they kept badgering Jesus, 262 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:06.279 demanding an answer. Finally Jesus stood up and said, okay, 263 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:10.480 here's my answer. If any of you has never sinned, 264 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:13.879 then you may throw the first stone. This is a 265 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:17.919 very famous story, and it says then he stooped down 266 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.559 again and continued writing in the dirt. 267 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:23.600 I love this scene. 268 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:27.759 Now, nobody actually knows what Jesus is writing in the dirt, 269 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:31.240 because the Bible doesn't tell us. For centuries, scholars have 270 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.080 debated what Jesus was writing. 271 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:33.279 In the dirt. 272 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:37.399 Some people think he wrote the Ten Commandments down. I'll 273 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.039 tell you what I think. It's just my opinion, just 274 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:42.799 a guess. I think he was writing the secret sins 275 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:47.039 of the accusers, and they were reading their own sins 276 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:54.080 in the dirt. And I think he was writing judgmentalism, arrogance, 277 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:58.879 self righteousness, hypercriticalism. 278 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:01.879 No, no, no, no, it could have been anything. 279 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:09.159 Spousal abuse, tax evasion, lying at work, pornography, it. 280 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:10.240 Could have been anything. 281 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.360 But I think he was actually Jesus, being God, knew 282 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:15.480 what their secret sins were, and I think he just 283 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:17.559 started writing it on the ground. And then he stands 284 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:20.240 up and says, Okay, now, which of you have never sinned, 285 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.399 you may cast the first stone. He's going right to 286 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:26.200 the heart of the matter. 287 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:26.799 Now. 288 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:28.399 One of the things I want you to notice is 289 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:32.960 that in the public situation, Jesus protected this woman's dignity 290 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:35.840 as she made a mistake. Of course, she cheated on 291 00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:39.679 her husband, that's not right, but Jesus protects her dignity 292 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:44.720 in front of the judgmental accusers, and later on in 293 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:47.039 privacy of one on one he's going to deal with her. 294 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:49.360 He's going to deal with her sin very gently, but 295 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:51.600 he protects her dignity. And I don't want to spend 296 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:52.759 a lot of time on this, but I just want 297 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:56.120 to say this. If you call yourself a Christian, if 298 00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:59.519 you claim to be a follower of Jesus, you must 299 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:04.679 treat every person with dignity. Doesn't matter who they are. 300 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:09.000 They may have a different religion, they may have a 301 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:13.960 different political persuasion than you. They may live a different lifestyle, 302 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:16.919 they may be involved in all kinds of gross sin, 303 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:20.279 evil what can mean, bad and nasty stuff. But you 304 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:22.440 still have to treat him with dignity, because that's what 305 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:26.759 Jesus did. Jesus accepted everybody. He didn't approve of what 306 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:30.639 everything they did, but he accepted everybody. Jesus accepts me. 307 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.120 He doesn't approve of everything I do. Jesus accepts you. 308 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:35.559 He doesn't approve of everything you do, but he treats 309 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:39.559 you with dignity. And he treated this woman with dignity. 310 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:43.320 And so he says to the guys, okay, if you've 311 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.519 never sinned, you can throw the first stone now in 312 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:51.399 verse nine. When the accusers heard this, they began to 313 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:57.120 slip away, one by one, beginning with the oldest, until 314 00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:59.960 it was just Jesus and the woman. So all accusers 315 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:02.840 they skid out, all they leave. Now, why does it 316 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:05.119 say beginning with the oldest. I'll tell you why, Because 317 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:07.759 the older you get, the more you are aware of 318 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:09.160 how much you've messed up. 319 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:12.519 Okay, And the older you. 320 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:14.640 Get, you just get tired of pretending you just got okay. 321 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:18.119 I admit it. I'm messed up. Okay, I don't have 322 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:21.240 it all together. When you're young, you try to fake 323 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.440 it and pretend like you've got it all together. When 324 00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:25.799 you get old, you just go, look, okay, I am 325 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:28.599 what I am? I messed up a lot. And so 326 00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:32.960 the oldest start leaving. Nobody is more self righteous than 327 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:38.920 a college student because they think they got it all 328 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:41.599 down because their professor told the the truth. And it's 329 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:43.680 gonna take a few years of real life to figure 330 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:48.480 out life doesn't always work the way your professor told you, right, 331 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.160 And so you know, the longer you live in life, 332 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:53.240 the more you cut people a little slack. Doesn't that 333 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:58.359 make sense? Okay, So the oldest one, they read their 334 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:02.079 sin on the ground and they're they're leaving. Now Jesus 335 00:18:02.200 --> 00:18:03.920 is just left with this woman and now, in a 336 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:07.839 one on one situation, what's he gonna do? At this point, 337 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:11.799 Jesus stood back up. I remember he's doodling in the dirt, 338 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:14.960 and he quietly said, dirt, where are your accusers? 339 00:18:15.880 --> 00:18:18.920 Where are your accusers? Is there no one left here 340 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:19.640 to condemn you? 341 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:28.039 And the woman says, no, no one, Lord, she said, 342 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:31.680 And then Jesus said neither do I condemn you. 343 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:37.039 Neither do I condemn you. Now go on and leave 344 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.720 your sinful ways. He says, you're better than this, you 345 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:40.279 know better than this. 346 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:40.640 Come on. 347 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:43.319 That's all he needed he did, That's all he's gonna say. 348 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:46.599 He didn't pull out a ten point sermon on adult tree. 349 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:51.920 He just goes, hey, I don't condemn you, but you're. 350 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:54.759 Better than this. Go on now and don't do this anymore. 351 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:57.160 I love this. 352 00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:59.960 This is why I love Jesus, because what Jesus did 353 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.160 when I come and I messed up, he does what 354 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.799 he did with that woman. He didn't condemn her. He 355 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:09.319 didn't condone her. He didn't say it's okay. It wasn't 356 00:19:09.319 --> 00:19:11.000 okay for her to cheat on her husband. 357 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:15.519 He didn't condemn her, he didn't condone her. He changed her. 358 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.680 That's what it's all about. 359 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.480 And that's what he does in your life when you 360 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:25.640 accept his mercy. He doesn't condemn you, he doesn't condone 361 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:26.279 what you've done. 362 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:30.519 He just changes you. And that makes all the difference. 363 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.720 I don't know about you, but I am encouraged after 364 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:41.599 that message. And let's keep the encouragement going with a 365 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:43.240 letter from one of our listeners. 366 00:19:43.400 --> 00:19:44.000 Here's Rick. 367 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:46.119 Have you ever taken a step of faith with no 368 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:49.839 idea what's next? Well, with the help of Daily Hope, 369 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:54.359 Nicole did just that. She wrote this note to me, Hello, 370 00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:57.279 Pastor Rick. A close friend of mine suggested I listened 371 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:59.599 to Daily Hope four years ago, and while I had 372 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:02.440 faith and I loved the Lord, I was lost. But 373 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:06.000 Daily Hope rescued me. My relationship with Jesus grew in 374 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.960 ways and I never knew possible. I was soon baptized, 375 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.400 and over the next four years I grew in boldness 376 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:14.200 and in faith in the Lord, and I even left 377 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:18.079 a high powered and high salaried position to follow a different, 378 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:21.799 purpose driven path with the Lord's guidance. It's been a 379 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:26.079 literal step forward in faith without knowing the next steps, 380 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:28.640 certainly not something I was capable of years ago. And 381 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:32.359 already God is showing me his goodness. You know, as 382 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:36.000 my husband explores his own relationship with Jesus again, your 383 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.359 ministry is literally a God's sin. Your ability to teach 384 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.720 the good news and ways that are easy to understand 385 00:20:42.279 --> 00:20:45.759 and apply, it is just amazing. We also follow your 386 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:49.720 suggestion to find a good local church, So thanks for 387 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:51.880 all you do for believers and those who are seeking 388 00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:55.880 Christ around the world. Rick, You're loved and appreciated and 389 00:20:55.960 --> 00:21:01.759 no doubt a vessel of God's grace and mercy. Signed Nicole. Well, Nicole, 390 00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:04.880 I'm so glad that you've grown in your relationship with 391 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:08.640 Jesus and you've taken the important step of getting baptized. 392 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:11.839 What an important step this is, finding a church home, 393 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.640 really listening to the Lord, and living a purpose driven life. 394 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:18.799 All of that happens when you take time to listen 395 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:23.240 to God's word. I love how your friend shared daily 396 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:26.079 hope with you, and now you've shared it with your husband. 397 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.759 You know, any of you can do this. Anybody can 398 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:32.599 do this. You can share daily hope with your friends 399 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:35.440 and with your relatives and with people you don't even know. 400 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:40.440 And well, then watch how God brings life to others 401 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.119