Transcription downloaded from https://services.pcumc.org/sermons/27580/morality/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] music Good morning everybody This is the day that the Lord has made We will rejoice and be glad in it music This is the day This is the day that the Lord has made Let us rejoice Let us rejoice And be glad in it And be glad in it This is the day that the Lord has made Let us rejoice and be glad in it This is the day This is the day that the Lord has made [1:04] Let us pray Oh, Holy Lord, we gather together to celebrate who you are and who we are with you and in you. We pray that this service of worship will be a blessing to you and may we encounter you in a powerful way. [1:19] Draw us closer to you, Lord, in love and in grace. In Jesus' name. Amen. I'd like to invite you all to stand if you're able as we sing together, Holy, Holy, Holy. After me, Jesus, God in His name. Amen. [1:33] Over me, Jesus.. The Lord has made me Israel andibah We pray that this service of worship will be blessed away In even the meantime we share with you, Lord. [1:51] We pray in glory to you in the suffering of women. Our sollten we succeed in faith is in the 부탁are Network From God in the sleep of Jesus Christ, we pray that the Lord has made us contribution to you and pray in beatenben Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty Early in the morning Our sun shall rise to thee Holy, holy, holy Merciful and mighty God in three persons Blessed Trinity Holy, holy, holy Lord, darkness hide me Holy, I am sinful That thy glory may not see [2:54] Only thou art holy There's not beside me Perfected power in love and purity Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty All thy works shall praise thy name In earth and sky and sea Holy, holy, holy Merciful and mighty Lord in three persons Blessed Trinity The Lord be with you And also with you [3:55] Please be seated Good morning Good morning And clipboards are going around today for all kinds of things The fall festival And the community dinner And oh wait, that one goes with this And this one goes with that There we go And the fish fries All kinds of things going on in the church It's a very, very special time I'm coming up here Because I'm in the sun Okay We are having a special offering You'll find an envelope in your bulletin It's for Mission Sunday I think there's a slide up To tell you a little bit about that Two in particular are Pets Alive Western New York And Hearts and Hands These are wonderful missions But we support as a church Many, many mission efforts And Gidget Hughes Gidget Meland Is so very, very good at Discerning in the spirit With her With the people she works with What it is that our funds should be given to [4:55] So keep those missions in prayer And give as the Lord has called you to give I don't know what joys you have this morning I am just delighting in this beautiful weather Amen It's a wonderful, wonderful fall And I'm grateful to be here Worshipping with you this morning What joys do you have to share? [5:14] I know you must have some Yes Oh, wonderful What a blessing, Phil Phil was able to go on the honor flight To Washington, D.C. [5:35] With the folks who What a blessing And thank you so much for your service Praise God Praise God Other joys this morning Yes Oh, what a blessing What a blessing Thank you so much for sharing that That's true It's true Yes Oh, no Amen Amen Ah, well thank you So you have the blessing You have the blessing of your sister Staying with you longer for a visit That is wonderful That is wonderful Praise God Yes What a blessing [6:42] Children and grandchildren And great-grandchildren And all getting together To celebrate And just have some family time That is a blessing Thank you for sharing that Are there any other joys To share this morning? [6:57] Hey, I know Pastor Tom Has a special joy He wants to share with us This morning So let's hear from Pastor Tom Good morning, everybody Good morning After serving 30 years In this church As a senior pastor Next July 1st I'm going to be retiring And going on to do other things Now that's nine months away So it's not like it's tomorrow So, you know Don't get all weirded out about it Because it's quite a ways away Just want to let you know Because we had a good conversation With the SPRC Dana, why don't you stand up So people can see who you are Because Dana will be guiding this process Of figuring out who's replacing me So if you have questions You can talk to her But it's just time For many, many reasons Many personal Some professional So I just want to let you all know So it doesn't like whisper around But yes, I will be heading on To do other things Come July 1st Thank you I consider that a joy So I'm going to put it there I know Pastor Tom can count on us [8:01] Keeping him and Jackie In our prayers during this time When he's transitioning Into new things We will pray, amen? Amen As we are considering All of the blessings God has poured out into our lives Let's return some of them back Just to show God How much we love him In our gifts Our tithes And our offerings Trust in the Lord Trust in the Lord With all of your heart And in all of your ways And we've done your own understanding And in all of your ways [9:03] Acknowledge him And he will direct your paths Trust in the Lord Trust in the Lord In all of your heart And we've done your own understanding And in all of your ways In all of your ways In all of your ways And we'll direct your paths And he will direct your paths I will trust in the Lord I will trust in the Lord I will trust in the Lord Till I die I will trust in the Lord [10:11] I will trust in the Lord Till I die Tis so sweet To trust in Jesus Just to take him At his word Just to rest upon his promise Just to know Of saith the Lord Jesus, Jesus How I trust him How I prove him More and more Jesus, Jesus [11:11] Precious Jesus Oh, for grace To trust him more Trust in the Lord Trust in the Lord With all of your heart And he will direct Your paths Just to rest Come well Peace Thanks Peace Serena Peace Andterm now Canvale Come on Is there A soul To alles Answer And Be Dear God in heaven, we just rejoice in your presence. [12:36] We are grateful that you fill us to overflowing with your love and your mercy and grace. Accept this offering, not only of our financial substance, but also of all of the gifts and blessings that you have poured out into our lives. [12:52] We offer it all to you, Lord, trusting that you will give us wisdom to know how to best use all of our blessings. For the furtherance of your kingdom, that many would come to salvation in Jesus Christ. [13:08] Give us wisdom, especially in the use of this mission offering this morning. Bless it, Lord God. Multiply it. And help it to make a difference in this world. [13:22] In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Please be seated. With these concerns and those that are in your heart that have gone unspoken, whether you join me from your seats or at the rail, let's turn to the Lord in prayer. [13:36] Our loving God, you know what we need before we even ask. [13:55] But we're grateful that you call us to join together with you in prayer. We just ask, Lord God, for those who are in need of healing, that you would touch them. [14:07] From the tops of their heads to the soles of their feet and their spirits and their souls and their bodies, that whatever it is that they are in need of, Lord, you would provide. [14:19] As you are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord, who heals us. We pray and speak against cancers of all kind. We say, be gone in Jesus' name. [14:33] We pray for healthy tissue to replace that which is not healthy. We pray in Jesus' name for all of those who are having surgeries coming up and those who are currently recovering from surgeries. [14:49] We just ask in Jesus' name that you would touch those people, give them peace in their hearts and trust in you that they will come through their surgeries well. [15:04] We ask in Jesus' name, Lord God, for your hand to be upon the surgeons and the anesthetists and all of the medical professionals who will be working in these capacities. [15:18] Give them wisdom, Lord, that is beyond their learning, beyond their natural experience. Give them wisdom that comes from you. That they might participate with you in bringing healing into this world. [15:32] We pray, Lord God, for all of those who are facing troubles of various kinds. We pray in Jesus' name that you will send help to them. [15:45] And we pray, Lord, for those that you send to help. We just ask in Jesus' name that they be empowered, not only to accomplish the temporal things, the things of brick and mortar that need to be done, but also, Lord, that you would bring them, send them with hearts of encouragement that they can bring to those they're coming to, with the light of Christ, that they might share your great love and mercy. [16:16] We pray in Jesus' name, Lord God, also for your church. We know, Lord God, that you have called your church and put your church together in this world so that we can be a light in the darkness. [16:35] So that we can serve and we can show people who you are by demonstrating your love. So that we can point them to Jesus. We just ask, Lord God, now, that whether we are great big churches, mega churches, or the tiniest little congregations, that you would help us all to know our purpose in this world and to do whatever it is that you have ordained for us to do to accomplish it. [17:11] Give us strength, Lord God. Give us wisdom, Lord God. God, remind us to pray for one another, lifting one another up before you as the Spirit leads. [17:25] We pray for our infilling in this worship service this morning. We pray that all that we receive here from you this day will enable us to bless others as we go out into the world, wherever you've called each one of us to go. [17:41] We pray in Jesus' name for all of those who will hear and receive. We pray for those who will hear, but who are not ready. [17:57] That those words, those actions, those ways that we are among them would be seeds planted in them. And we call forth those who would come and water and help those seeds to begin to germinate and grow so that they too would know you. [18:21] We ask this, Lord, not that we can do of ourselves anything, but it's by your grace, by your power, by your leading, by your Spirit that we are able. So we pray, fill us, Lord. [18:35] Fill us and bless us. And now, Lord, we ask also that this worship service be a blessing to you. May the music and the prayers, the reading of your word, the message that you've given Pastor Tom for us this day, celebration of Holy Communion, that it be a blessing to you. [18:57] Amen. Even as you seek to bless us, for that is why we came. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's pray and ask God to prepare our hearts to receive all that he's got for us. [19:17] Dear God in heaven, help me, Lord. I am not perfect. I am not walking perfectly with you. [19:30] I cannot yet love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And I cannot yet perfectly love my neighbor as myself. [19:47] Forgive me, Lord. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to share your blessing with the world. Please bypass my inadequacies. [20:04] And make your light shine through me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. God loves us so much. [20:16] He sent his son so that we could be saved from our sins. This proves his love for us. So we can say to one another, in the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. [20:26] In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen. Amen. Shall we hear from the word of the Lord? Good morning. [20:37] Good morning. Today's scripture comes from John, chapter 8, verses 2 through 11. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. [20:54] 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. [21:07] In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say? They were using this question as a trap in order to have a basis for accusing him. [21:19] But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 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. [21:34] 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. [21:48] With the woman still standing there, Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? No, sir, she said. [21:59] Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen. [22:10] Amen. Amen. Wonder Woman. [22:43] Wonder Woman. The perfect woman. She's strong. She's smart. She's drop dead gorgeous. [22:54] I mean, I think the male population tuned in just because of that. What an incredible person she is. Perfect. Perfect. In every way. And then we have this woman. [23:08] She's been caught. Disgraced. The people have gathered around her with stones. They're going to throw them at her and kill her because she committed adultery. [23:22] She broke her vows. She's so less than perfect. Imperfect. Broken. Messed up woman. Deserves a rock. [23:35] Feels like there's a little bit of that in each of us, isn't there? Sometimes we feel like we're doing pretty good and we're going along and we've got everything going right and then all of a sudden we fall off and we find ourselves broken. [23:54] We fall into sin. And sin is destructive. No doubt about it. This woman is broken. Picture her standing there. [24:05] She's been pulled out of her bed. How she'd look. How she'd dressed. Disheveled. Bent over. [24:17] Standing publicly embarrassed. in front of this group of people. The relationships that she holds dear all shattered around her. And Jesus. [24:29] Jesus who was having a nice little morning teaching a little Bible study with a group of people all of a sudden it's all come crashing down. Sin is harsh. [24:43] It has its consequences. Sometimes we think sin is just a problem we have with God but it has its consequences in the life of everyone around us. [24:54] These people brought this woman to stand before Jesus because they publicly wanted to embarrass her it says to get to Jesus to try and trap him. [25:06] They didn't care about her. So often we don't care about what anybody feels. We just want to get things our way. We have our agendas. We have our intentions. [25:19] We know the rules. And we're going to live by the rules no matter what they do to anybody and yet Corinthians Paul says to us God has made us competent ministers of a new covenant not the letter but the spirit for the letter kills and the spirit gives life. [25:35] But they're okay with that because that's what they want to do. They're willing to kill this woman if they can get to Jesus. Throw a rock at her. [25:46] She broke a law. Jesus bent down and started scribbling in the ground. It doesn't tell us what he wrote. [25:58] That kind of bothers people. It's been bothering people for like ever. What was he writing? What caused them to change their minds? We know the last time God wrote with his finger. [26:09] He wrote on stone. Remember these? You shall not have any other gods before me. Nothing in your life will be more important than God. [26:21] You shall not make for yourself an image or an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below. Go Bills. You know we're going to win that cup. [26:33] You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Somehow we think that that's kind of because we get angry and say some particular name or word but really the misuse of God's name is when we think we can make God do what we want. [26:52] We do that so often don't we? Dear God give me this. Dear God give me this. Dear God do this for me. Dear God do that for me in Jesus name. To take God's name in vain is to make God our servant. [27:08] Instead of serving God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. The Sabbath is on Saturday so even you messed up on this one. You're here. God bless you. Many, many centuries ago we changed our Sabbath as Christians from Saturday to Sunday because it's the Lord's day. [27:27] The day we recognize and celebrate his resurrection. You did good. You're here. That's a good thing. honor your father and mother so that you might live long in the land that your Lord your God is giving you. [27:43] Honor your parents. Treat them with respect. Do things that will make them proud of you because if not you've got to move away because you're an embarrassment. You get it? That's how that works. [27:55] Do we honor our parents? Do we hold them up? And then of course you shall not murder. Most of us haven't murdered anyone but if you start looking at the decisions we make and the implications they have throughout our culture and our world we could probably be implicated in the death of a lot of people. [28:18] Don't commit adultery. That was this woman's one. Yep. They got her on that one. You shall not steal. Not even pencils from work. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. [28:29] And I love this one. It's the last one. We love the word covet. You shall not covet anything of your neighbors. We like covet because we don't know what it means. So let me put it in modern American translation. [28:44] You shall not jones on anything somebody else has. You'll not be envious or jealous or want what other people have. We have built our whole economy on wanting stuff other people have. [28:56] Haven't we? So Jesus says the one who is without sin can cast the first stone. Anybody want one? Are there any of us that could even say that we've kept these ten commandments? [29:12] Nonetheless, Jesus' sermon on the mount and any number of other ways it's been expressed. We know we're broken people. We know we've sinned. A number of years ago I read a wonderful book and the title of it was the best part of it. [29:27] Lord, I have sinned but I have several excellent excuses. Right? God, I know I did wrong but it's okay because I can excuse myself away. [29:40] And tell you the truth, it's probably somebody else's fault anyways. You know, we struggle with that, don't we? If we can blame someone else, we don't have to take responsibility for our lives. [29:54] If we're better than the schmo down the road, then we're okay because life is decided on a curve, right? It's not about being good, it's just about being better than the next person. [30:08] And there must be someone. The devil made me do it. I don't know if you saw the new Wonder Woman movie, but she struggles with this, she wrestles with this because in the movie, her goal is that if she can just defeat the war of God, Ares, all war and all problems will stop. [30:26] But they didn't stop. They can stop fighting now. Why are they still fighting? That's because maybe it's them. Maybe... Maybe people aren't always good. [30:40] Ares were no Ares. Maybe it's just... It's who they are. Diana. No. [30:50] Diana, we can talk about this later. I need you to come with me. No. After everything I saw, it can't be, it cannot be. They were killing each other. Killing people they cannot see. [31:00] Children. Children. No, it had to be him. It cannot be them. Diana, people... That's... I... She was right. My mother was right. [31:11] She said the world of men do not deserve you. They don't deserve our help. It's not about deserve... It's not... Maybe... Maybe we don't. But I... But it's not about that. [31:22] It's about what you believe. You don't think I get it after what I've seen out there? You don't think I wish I could tell you that it was one bad guy to blame? It's not. [31:36] We're all to blame. We're all to blame. It'd be so much easier to just pick somebody out. We like that, don't we? [31:49] Usually they belong to the other political party. You know what I'm talking about, right? We could just blame one person and say it's their fault. But Romans tells us we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. [32:03] Every one of us is broken. You and me. All of us alike. In this sermon series we're talking about redemption. [32:15] Jesus came to redeem us which means he came to purchase us away from the brokenness and pain that we caused each other. everybody knows John 3.16 but very few ever read John 3.17 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. [32:45] It is about what we believe. Do we believe that God wants to be with us? Do we believe that God in his perfect righteousness in his amazing wonder wants to be with us? [33:01] Even in the midst of our brokenness God still wants to love us. I was on a confirmation retreat with some young people this weekend and we were talking about this and I was saying to them did you ever do anything your parents didn't like? [33:18] Of course they all had. We all have. I said did they kick you out? Did they hate you? Did they turn you away? Even though we may not be happy with our children when they do things we don't appreciate it doesn't mean we cast them out because we love them and we're willing to take the pain to stay in that relationship and God is too. [33:39] So he redeems us by taking the pain himself. Jesus said is there no one here to condemn you? I don't condemn you either. [33:58] We have a world that's all mixed up. Somehow we've gotten the notion that the way to get ahead is by kicking other people down. I hate elections in our country now. [34:12] I've just gotten to that point. They start out wonderful. Have you noticed that? They start out with people telling us how they want to make the world better. How they want to make things more perfect and do good stuff. [34:28] And by the time they get into their campaign it doesn't take too long. Everything they're talking about is how rotten the other guy is. Have you noticed that? [34:38] It's got nothing to do with what they're going to do anymore. What if we made a law that all you can say is positive things in an election never mind. We can't fix the politics because they're made up of people. [34:53] And people somehow have gotten the idea that we get ahead by pushing people down. But the real way to get ahead is by trying to help people up. Push them up. Let them be more than you. It's okay. You'll be far better off. [35:09] Forgiveness. Acceptance. Redemption. That's the mission of God. He even says above all things I desire mercy. [35:20] Not His mercy. He desires us to have mercy. Forgive my sins as I forgive the sins of those who have hurt me. [35:33] Do you want people to accept you? To love you? I think most people. How many of you want people to like you? You know I know it's important that they respect us as much as anything. But we like people to like us. [35:44] We all do. Maybe what we need to do is drop the rocks. What do you think? Just drop the rocks. Like dropping the mic. [35:55] We don't have to do it. God offers redemption for our souls but He also offers redemption for our lives. for who we are and the people we live with. [36:10] But the problem is it's if we stop there which is where you normally do in a sermon like this we forget that it's not as easy as it seems. It's easy when we're talking about a woman who lived 2,000 years ago that none of us know. [36:24] Right? It's easy to talk about redemption when it's somewhere out there. But the people that came with this woman who were they? [36:36] Have you thought about that? Was her husband there? How about her children? Were parents in the crowd and feeling particularly honored that day? [36:50] It's not easier to talk about forgiveness when it's a concept and it's an idea. It's a lot harder. When it's in our real lives and people have really hurt us especially people we love and care for have somehow caused us so much pain we want to pick up our rock and break them for breaking us. [37:16] I imagine God sometimes feels that way. God sometimes feels that kind of wrath, right? And yet somehow he found a way to turn to redemption and forgiveness and love. [37:28] but he didn't just say I don't condemn you either. He says I don't condemn you now go and sin no more. [37:41] You see we all want to be forgiven when we mess up but what what we struggle with is that it's not just forgiveness it's repentance it's change it's not doing the same thing again and again and again it's putting the sin away go and leave your life of sin otherwise it's cheap grace it's cheap grace it has no value these people are worried about the law in Matthew Jesus said don't think I came to do away with the law of the prophets I haven't come to abolish them but to fulfill them the laws don't exist to keep us in some kind of check the laws exist to show us the way to love to show us the way to a healthy and valuable and good way of life redemption means we change redemption means we don't continue in the same brokenness in the same patterns of destruction redemption redemption means that you're not just forgiven but you're forgiven and you'll turn around you'll change you'll do something better with your life you'll live and what God wants you to live in the real truth sometimes I don't think people want the truth have you noticed this you can have the same story told here and here and somehow it comes out completely different has anybody else seen this [39:21] I watch one TV channel they're telling the story and it comes out this way and I watch another TV channel and it comes out that way and I'm going I wonder what really happened has anybody else thought that way I wonder what really occurred is there somebody that could just give me just the facts ma'am just the facts nothing but the facts right I don't want to have all the commentary that goes on 24-7 Jesus said the truth will set us free in John the truth will set you free God wants us to be free God wants us to be comforted God wants us to feel affirmed and loved but it comes with conviction that we need to really change and not be the same broken people we always were so we're supposed to seek the truth imagine if we had a time when everybody told the truth wouldn't that be amazing [40:22] I read a book once called the day America told the truth they did this sort of like blind little weird polling thing where they asked people all these questions and made it so that even the people who were getting the answers wouldn't know who said what and you know what 75% of the people said they lie every day what the truth is we don't know how to even do the truth imagine if you had no choice one of the cool things about Wonder Woman is she had a lasso in fact Linda Carter was asked if she could have an actual superpower that Wonder Woman had she says I've been living in Washington DC the last 20 years I'd like my lasso of truth I gotta wrap it around the whole city because telling the truth can be uncomfortable like Aquaman learned we're with you till it's done honestly I think we're all gonna be dead way before that and you know what I don't mind it's an honorable end but we gotta shut [41:22] Steppenwolf down Superman's a no-show you got no powers no offense this guy might be working for the enemy we don't know you're tripping over your feet and mine you're gorgeous and fierce and strong and I know we went to war with the Amazons but that was before my time and you know what I don't want to die I just feel like I never really embraced the sea or the land I've been alone my whole life being part of something bigger like this maybe I'm scared because I'm meant to I think that was beautiful yeah beautiful but embarrassing oh my gosh to actually say what you really think what you really feel every single time I don't even think we're allowed to do that anymore I think it's illegal we would get in trouble the truth will set us free these people were seeking the truth it was funny that the older people left first did you notice that that's because older people have lived long enough to just know how messed up we are the longer we live the more faults we see in ourselves and the easier it is for us to not notice the faults in others except for when we're looking for them that happens to a different story altogether it takes time and it takes actually seeking it now [43:00] Jesus was teaching in the temple in the early morning I want you to picture the time frame of this think 530 in the morning I was wondering if I had a bible study at 530 in the morning who would show up you see because they had to go to work afterwards this was work day they couldn't just hang out in the temple all the time they had to actually get up and go to work so they came early in the morning 530 I'd be fascinated to know how many people would show up at 530 except I'm not coming at 530 that's crazy that's crazy I'm not doing that but where do we take the effort to discover the truth do we go to a bible study do we read our bibles at home do we talk to each other about it do we consider what God wants us to know so that we can learn what we're supposed to know and maybe learn that the purpose of the mosaic law was to make us better not to be used as a weapon to attack each other the laws are there so that we'll be better as a people not so we can figure out a way to tear each other down seeking God's truth not manipulated truth not stuff on an agenda or a bias these people came they were on an agenda yeah [44:26] I love this they called Jesus teacher while they were trying to figure out a way to accuse him of something they didn't think he was a teacher they didn't want him to be a teacher they were jealous they're the teacher I'm the teacher so they went after him and they came up with this idea that they were going to accuse this woman of adultery in front of them and if he said stoner he's in trouble with the Romans and if he says let her go he's in trouble with the Jews either way they got him because they're going to go with Leviticus and Leviticus says to us if a man commits adultery with another man's wife with the wife of his neighbor both the adulterer and the adulteress wait a minute both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be wait a minute is somebody in this story did anybody notice that yeah I don't know how you can have adultery with one person don't happen that way does it where's the guy where's the guy is he one of the people that was part of the plot to catch [45:29] Jesus we don't know did they let him go because well he's their buddy and it's okay and what happens if they don't have the guy well here's the thing that Jesus knew he knew the law he knows that if you're going to be accused of adultery according to that same law two witnesses have to be produced and the adulterer and the adulteress both have to be produced and if those witnesses are found out to be false well to be right they throw the first stones and if they are found out to be false then the stones get thrown at them whoever's without sin go ahead you be the witness and cast the first stone oh I'm not even sure if this is a good case I think we'll wander away the truth will set us free God wants to redeem us God loves us [46:30] God wants us to seek the truth God wants us to change and to repent but we get stuck we're the ones who are stuck God is ready to go Jesus will set us free but we get stuck it was a fascinating thing in this story everybody left did you notice that everybody's gone the accusers the teachers the old people the young people anybody that happened to be there is gone except Jesus and why didn't the woman walk away right why did she just say me too slip slide in away I don't need to do this they're all gone she stood there with Jesus because it wasn't until Jesus told her she wasn't condemned that she could overcome her struggle with sin right in the very beginning of the Bible [47:36] Cain was told by God in Genesis if you do what's right will you not be accepted but if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door it desires to have you but you must rule over it God gives you the power God redeems us to live a new life to be repenting to change our lives and to live in the truth and not to throw stones and hurt each other but to find a way find a way to love and redemption for everyone God calls us God calls us to come to him pray and woundediste me lost and left to die die raise your head for love is passing by come to Jesus come to Jesus come to [49:08] Jesus and live now you're burdens lifted and carried far away and precious blood has washed away the stain so sing to Jesus sing to Jesus sing to Jesus and and live and live like a new born baby don't be afraid to all remember when you were sometimes before so follow follow [50:10] Jesus follow Jesus follow Jesus follow Jesus and me sometimes sometimes the way is lonely and steep and filled with pain so in your sight is dark and pours the rain and cry cry to Jesus cry to Jesus cry to Jesus cry to Jesus and live and live and live and when the love stills over and music fills the night and when you can't contain your joy inside cry to and dance and dance for [51:22] Jesus dance for Jesus dance for Jesus and live and when your final heart beat kiss the world goodbye and grow in peace and love and grow in peace and love our glory sign and light in Jesus light in Jesus light in and Jesus and live come to Jesus dance for Jesus fight to Jesus and live and live and live and let them pare to it work [52:47] YU purified my heart Let me be as gold and precious silver You're a pride, my God Let me be as gold, pure gold Reign by the fire My heart's one desire Is to be holy Set apart for you, Lord I choose to be holy Set apart for you, my Master Ready to do your will Lord, by my heart [53:48] Let me come within And make me holy Lord, by my heart Let me come within Deep within Bring my desire My heart's one desire Is to be holy Set apart for you, Lord I choose to be holy Set apart for you, my Master Ready to do your will And as a preparation for the table of grace, we come together as a community, the body of Christ. [54:46] And so let's greet one another with the peace of the Holy Spirit. Think I'll as well стали Say See love See These . . . [55:54] . . . [56:24] . . . . . . . . . . . . [56:36] The grace of God is offered to everyone. So if you are wanting to be in relationship with Jesus Christ, to be a follower of Christ, a disciple, if you want grace in your life, you are welcome to the table. [56:55] Whether this is your first time here or you've been here all along, let's come to the table and receive God's grace. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. [57:06] Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to hear our thanks and grace. Blessed are you, our Alpha and Omega, whose strong and loving arms encompass the universe. [57:20] For with your eternal word and Holy Spirit, you are forever one God. Through your word, you created all things and called them good. And in you, we live and move and have our being. [57:33] When we fell into sin, you did not desert us. You made covenant with your people Israel and spoke through prophets and teachers. In Jesus Christ, your word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. [57:52] And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. [58:04] Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. [58:15] Holy are you. Hosanna in the highest. And blessed is your son, Jesus Christ, who called you Abba, Father. As a mother tenderly gathers her children, you embraced a people as your own and filled them with a longing for a peace that would last and for a justice that would never fail. [58:34] In Jesus' suffering and death, you took upon yourself our sin and death and destroyed their power forever. You raised from the dead this same Jesus who now reigns with you in glory and poured upon us your Holy Spirit, making us the people of your new covenant. [58:57] On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread. He gave thanks. He broke the bread. He gave it to his disciples and said, Take and eat. [59:09] This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And when the supper was over, he took the cup. [59:26] He gave thanks. He said, This is the blood of the new covenant, poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins. [59:38] Drink of this. This is the blood of the new covenant, and I'm going to give you a drink of this. This is the blood of the new covenant, and I'm going to give you a drink of this. This is the blood of the new covenant, and I'm going to give you a drink of this. And so, in remembrance of these, your mighty acts of Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith. [60:04] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine, that in the breaking of this bread and in the drinking of this wine, we may know the presence of the living Christ and be renewed as the body of Christ for the world, redeemed by Christ's blood. [60:29] As the grain and grapes once dispersed in the fields are now united on this table in bread and wine, so may we and all your people be gathered from every time and place into the unity of your eternal household and feast at your table forever. [60:47] Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen. And now let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. [61:06] 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. [61:26] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Will those who are serving please come forward. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [61:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [61:47] Amen. Amen. [62:19] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [62:30] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [62:41] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. [63:17] I will sing together since Jesus came into my heart. What a wonderful change in my life that's been wrong since Jesus came into my heart. [63:57] I have died in my soul for which long I have come since Jesus came into my heart. Since Jesus came into my heart. [64:12] Since Jesus came into my heart. Let your joy of my soul like the sea of the soul. Since Jesus came into my heart. [64:28] I have ceased from my wandering and going astray. Since Jesus came into my heart. And my sins which were many I will wash away. [64:43] Since Jesus came into my heart. Since Jesus came into my heart. Since Jesus came into my heart. [64:56] What a joy of my soul like the sea of the soul. Since Jesus came into my heart. [65:08] See you never thought we'd do hillbilly did you? So we sold 468 fish fries last Friday. What a cool thing that is. I think that's the biggest amount we ever sold in the fall. [65:21] And the ladies had the record, record raising junks. I mean rummage sale. A week ago for missions. What a wonderful thing. We love numbers don't we? [65:32] We like when the numbers work. And when they're good. And when we're winning. But you know what? The fish fries have nothing to do with how many dinners we sell. Not a thing to do with how much money we make. [65:44] That's just a side benefit. The benefit is to watch people loving on each other. Smiling with each other. Working with each other. Happy with each other. Would you like a piece of pie? [65:56] Right? That's what life is about. Go out and lift each other up. Be the redemptive power of God in this world. Reject the anger and the frustration and the pain. [66:08] And live into the joy and the promise that God gives to you today and always. Go in His peace. Amen. You know what's going on in this world. [66:34] Besides Napoleon Hollander. To see if you haven't been a while at all, Thank you.