And I had no change in Randy except that we're able to get him to calm down and sleep all night long. So that was a good thing. In the hospice, it takes a while. If they come in real agitated, just slowly work up enough medication to knock them out. And so that's what he's done. But there's not much change as far as the condition goes. But any day, that could be. I'll let you know if anything happens.

Uh other than that, I can't think of any announcements. Let's begin our worship service with hymn number 242.

242. Jesus Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness, into Thy health.
Out of my woe, and into Thy will.
Thou my sin and end I swear,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Jesus, I come! Jesus, I come!
Into Your glorious gain of life most!
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of my sorrows into Thy palm
Out of my sorrows and into Thy palm
Out of this precious gift You have shown
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Thou art gracious and ever-vict'rious.
Jesus, I come.
Jesus, I come.
In Thy blessed will do I abide.
Jesus, I come to Thee.
I'll myself to dwell in Thy love.
I'll be spared with the magic of love.
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of here and never to
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come
In Your glory and might, I hope,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

number fifty-one.

Praise the Savior, He who knoweth Him
Who can tell how much we owe Him
Gladly let us render to Him
all we are and have
Jesus is the Name that charms us!
He will calmly fix and arms us!
Nothing moves and nothing harms us
while we trust in Him!
Trust in Him, He stays forever!
He is faithful, changing never!
He had fortunes on God's table,
mercy comes from the air.
He was poor, oh, he was bleeping,
with thy servants did we leave him.
In the hour of our receiving,
promise yours is living.
Then you shall be where you would be.
Then you shall be what you should be.
Things that are and never could be,
soon shall be our own.

I was pleased to John the 8th chapter. I'm going to read verses 1 through 11.

Jesus went unto the mountain of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple and all the people came unto him. And he sat down and he taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And they had set her in his midst. They said unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. What sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, they might have him to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto him, he that is without sin among you, let him first cast the stone at her. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the elders, even to the last. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. And when Jesus had lifted himself up and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? Jesus said, no man will warn you. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.

Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we are thankful that we as sinners, saved by grace, can read such a passage of Scripture and relate to it, knowing full well And to us, by your spirit, through your word, you have asked these questions, where are your accusers?

Is there no man that can condemn thee? And we know from your word that no accusation can stand against us, nor are we condemned because of the work of Christ. We thank you, Father, that time and time again, throughout this word, Though you rejected the religious and the self-righteous, you welcomed sinners into your presence. There we find comfort and consolation and strength for the trials that we face every day. We thank you for full and free grace and mercy that never ends.

Father, we pray for those who are sick, those who are going through trial. We pray for Harley's sister. She's been diagnosed with cirrhosis. We ask, Lord, that you be with her and be with Harley and the families they minister to. We pray for Randy. We ask, Lord, that you turn his eyes to Jesus Christ. We ask, Lord, that you ease his suffering and his pain and be with his wife, Cheryl, as she attends to him. Pray for the others who have lost loved ones, who are going through tribulation, trials, and troubles in this life. Remember rain. Father, we pray that you continue to minister there and be with Sharon as she ministers to him.

Father, help us tonight as we look at this word to find our place here and hear the words of our Master, our Lord and Savior, as he speaks graciously to us. Help us now, we pray in Christ's name, to worship you. Amen.

This is one of the most well-known passages in all of the Gospels. It is gospel full, pressed down and running over. It is the record of the Savior addressing the law and the lawyers who employ it to test men who find fault and make what Paul said in Galatians a fair show in the flesh. This is clearly revealed in the first sentence of verse 6 when they said what they did. They did tempting him that they might have to accuse him. They're looking for a reason to tempt him or test him or put him, his feet to the fire so they can accuse him and go on with their plan to kill him because he healed the man on the Sabbath day.

These prescribed Pharisees and scribes were of those our Lord confronted in the previous chapter for breaking the law, while accusing others of the same. This occurred the day after the last day of the feast. After the last day of the feast, you remember that the men wanted to kill him. The Pharisees and the scribes were mad at the officers because they hadn't captured him. When they said he spake, no man ever spake as this man did. They asked him, so are you one of his people, too, of any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed on him? And then when Nicodemus tried to defend him, they called him and said, you must be one of his disciples, too. And then they all went to their house. And our Lord went to the Mount of Olives.

That's when you combine verse 35, 53 of chapter 7 and verse 1 of chapter 8. And every man went to his own house. When Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, we know that our Lord never had a place to lay his head. He didn't have a house to live in. He made rocks his pillows many times. He lived close to the ground, one might say. He went there perhaps to consider the next day's teaching or to avoid the scribes and Pharisees who sought his light. It was a common thing for him to go to the Mount of Olives. It was kind of a place of respite for him.

In Luke chapter 21 and verse 37, He says, and in the daytime he was teaching in the temple, and at night he went out and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives. This is the mount that he abode in. I don't know whether he had a tent there or leaned to or whatever, but he often prepared to there after he had spent a day either running from the Pharisees or teaching men. And those who had been angry with the officers for not apprehending Christ, were probably the same who brought this woman before him.

Probably the same Pharisees and scribes who in chapter 7 have been angry with the officers are now figuring out another way to get next to Jesus. They're probably the same. They knew his routine, that he would be in the temple teaching and they used that occasion to embarrass him in front of his hearers and to accuse him. That's what they want to do, get something on him.

This was not the first time, nor would it be the last time that they used this tactic to try to trick him into saying something. It was common when such an accusation occurred to strip the accused down to her waist, so they brought this woman before him. In the midst of this crowd that had gathered to hear him preach, and in the temple, the Lord's house, And it was common for one accused, especially what she was accused of, to strip her down to her waist, to further humiliate her and cause her to be a public spectacle.

This served to debase the accused and exalt the ego of the legalist. They did not just come to tempt Christ. It was a common scheme of the legalists to build their reputation on the ruin of others. This is what legalists do. They don't talk about their own deeds. They compare themselves to someone who does less than them, or sins greatly, and that, therefore, frees them up. They make a fair show of the flesh. They constrain you to keep the law of Paul said in Galatians, when they don't keep it themselves. But they constrain you to do it so they'll look good. as the ones who are running people's lives and trying to straighten out people's lives.

In Luke 18, the Pharisees describe this way in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. Luke chapter 18 and verses 19-21 I believe it is. No, verse 9, excuse me. And he spake this parable unto servants, trusted in themselves, that they were righteous and despised others. And this is the parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. Now a publican was lower than a sinner in the eyes of the Jews. He was a tax collector, a Jewish tax collector. who used larceny and usury to take people's money more than they owed on taxes so he could fill his own pockets. He was kind of the scum of the earth as far as they were concerned.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. He's not praying with God or to God. He's praying with himself. God, I thank Thee that I'm not as other men. They are extortioners and unjust and adulterers, or even like this publican, like this publican, by using this publican and extortioners and liars and thieves, he's saying, I'm not any of those things. And then he goes on to say what he does do and exalts himself. But that's the idea. That's how legalism works. You'll listen to them talk. They'll pick out somebody, and they'll use that person to show what a wretched person that is. Never say much about themselves. But the result is that they feel good about themselves for what they've done. They build up their egos on the ruins of others.

And they brought her, this woman, to Him, accusing her of adultery. Now, there are a few things to consider here. First, adultery was common in Israel in those days. In fact, it was common everywhere. In most Eastern religions, sex plays a great part in Eastern religions. And among the Jews, since they were, by this time, 400 more years into the idolatry that was going on, they were practicing it too.

It was common, especially during these things called feasts. But like a big holiday, a big celebration, like a county fair or something. And during that time, the crowds were drawn to these adulterous activities. And though not advertised, it was part of the draw for this religious gathering.

Remember what the Feast of Tabernacle was? It was called the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tents. Harlots set up their booths or their tents in the middle of town. And they were visited by the religious folk. So this was a real party that was going on this tabernacle feast at the cup.

Remember what our Lord said back in Malachi? This was at the end of the Old Testament about the feast they had. It says in chapter 2 and verse 3, Behold, I will corrupt your seed and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts, and one shall take you away with it. So these solemn feasts have become just a vile thing.

They showed much emotion, and Malika also said, you spread tears all over the altar so much that you can't even see the sacrifice. I can't see the sacrifice, because you're just crying all the time. So it was a time of great excitement, a lot going on.

Perhaps the tents that these whores or adulterers erected to do some business during the feast was a symbol of the harlot's zeal for religion. There was a lot of religion over in the East. That was part of the religion. The Vestal Virgins of Rome were whores for the Catholic Church. And that's what they were. They were called Vestal Virgins. But they weren't that at all.

But the whore uses religion in the Bible. Look over at Proverbs chapter 7. In Proverbs chapter 7, verse 13 and 14, It's just the horse caught the chuffman and brought him into her place. In verse 13 it says, so she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him, I have peace offerings. I have peace offerings with me. This day, I've paid my vows. Those are religious statements.

I have peace offerings. What's a peace offering? Peace offering was the offering that stated that everything was all right between you and God. that your sins have been paid for, the day of atonement had been paid for, and now you are at peace with God. That's what she was saying. This is a whore talking to him, trying to get him in her bed. That's what the idea is. And this day I paid my vows. I'm a righteous person. I've not cheated anybody. I paid my vows, she said.

So perhaps when these harlots set up their tents at this feast, it was a religious thing for them to do so. And the Lord had called this nation, many times, an adulterous nation. He called the whole nation an adulterous nation.

I'm in Matthew chapter 12. Verse 39. He said, but he answered and said, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. There is no sign that be given but the sign of the prophet John. They were asking the sign of his coming. The sign of his coming.

Then in Romans chapter 2, verse 22. It says, thou sayest the man should not commit adultery. Dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhors idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? He's talking to the Jews. Chapter 2 of Romans is to the Jewish nation. Chapter 1 deals with the Gentile mind. Chapter 2 deals with the Jewish mind. He said if you say and you're not committed of it, you committed of it, you say don't worship idols, but that's what you're doing, you're worshiping idols. So that's what was going on.

Secondly, they said they had caught her in the very act. When I read that the first time, and I tried to look back when I preached from this passage, Many years ago, I preached in this passage on twice stooped down, twice lifted up. That was the message I preached many years ago. That was the title of it anyway. And I tried to think about that. And reading it again this week, these words caught my mind. We caught this woman and dog in the very act. That's what they say in verse four.

They said unto the master, They said I need a master and they called him master. You know they don't mean it. They don't believe he's the master. This woman was taken in adultery in the very act. What were they doing in her tent? That's the question. How'd they find out she was in the very act? They didn't do it in the streets. of these huts. This declaration at the least makes their accusation suspect, and it suggests that they went out that morning looking for someone to enhance their evil against the Lord Jesus Christ.

They wanted to tempt Him, and they were looking for a way to do it, and they said, well, let's go catch a whore in the end. And we'll bring it to Him and see what He says about stoning her. And thirdly, as they laid the charge against this woman, they cared not for the law, they cared not for this woman or for Christ. And this was further proof of the fact that they were unbelieving, adulterous outfit. That's what they were, an unbelieving, adulterous outfit.

They knew where to go, didn't they? To find a woman in the act of adultery. They knew where to go. How'd they know? There hadn't been a whole lot of time in the temple ever since. They'd been somewhere else. And upon their accusation, the Lord stooped down on the ground. It says in verse 6b, it says he stooped down and with his fanger, did I say fanger? Finger, rode on the ground as though he heard the knock. With his finger he wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

What was this? Now many have tried to decipher what he wrote, but the answer is not what he wrote. The answer is why he wrote it then. We are given that answer right here. Why he wrote on the ground. With his finger he wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. He said, what you gonna do about this woman we caught in the act of adultery? He just squatted down and started riding on the ground like they weren't even there.

This was a dismissal of them. This was a dismissal of the scribes and the Pharisees. Remember what he said to the other scribes and Pharisees who saw another spectacle one time when he was eating with the unwashed and unclean of the world, those sinners and publicans that said they saw it and they were astonished and they were offended. They were offended and said, your master's eating with the worst of the lot, with the offscouring of the universe.

And what did he say? He looked up, having heard their murmuring in their mind, he said, I didn't come for you. I came not to call the righteous, but bring sinners to repentance. The whole need of not a physician, but them that are sick. I would have mercy and not your sacrifices. You go home and learn what that means. I doubt if they ever did, but that was what he said to them. He came not to call the righteous. His act may have been a silent reference to another passage of scripture which we read not long ago in our Sunday afternoon studies in Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 30. The prophet says, O Lord of Israel, O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed. They that depart from me shall be written in the earth." Maybe that's what he wrote. Maybe that's what he did with his figure. I wonder if any of them knew about the prophet Jeremiah. I know they'd stayed. I wonder when he started writing the dirty paper. Is he talking about what Jeremiah said? Names have been written in the earth because they forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water. It's the same context. As chapter 7, he's the fountain of living water. So maybe that was all tied together. Maybe that's what he was scribbling down. Maybe he wrote Jeremiah, what Jeremiah said. I don't know. But surely he said their names will be written in the earth.

Unmoved by his dismissal, the legalists pressed the matter, and he confronts them with their own sin at verse 7. He says, when they continued asking him what he was going to do, what did they ask him? Verse 5 says, Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou? Now why would they ask it that way? They asked it that way to see if he would deny the law. Remember, they're coming with the law to kill him because of what he did, healing that man on the Sabbath day. So when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said, He that is without sin Let him first cast the stone at her. He that is without sin among you."

Now, he was not speaking of sin in general. Well, the Pharisees knew they were sinners. That's why they had many repentances and many washings and things like that to show that they were repenting of sins. In fact, the Pharisees themselves had invented many ways to avoid particular sin. This particular sin of adultery, as a matter of fact. One of the type of Pharisees or the sect of the Pharisees is called a mortarboard Pharisee. You know what a mortarboard is? What they wear on graduation day. That flat board is a mortarboard. And if you've ever done rock work or block work, you know what a mortarboard is. And they called him the mortarboard pharisee. What did he do? He took the corner of that mortarboard and pulled it way down over his eyes so as not to lust after women. He walked around like that. Called him mortarboard pharisee.

There was also one called the blind pharisee who walked around with his eyes closed so he wouldn't lust after women he was also called the bleeding pharisee because with his eyes closed he was prone to walk into stuff like buildings and corners and ladders and stuff so he was always bleeding but he wasn't musty you see because he had his eyes closed he had his eyes closed so they had ways they thought of keeping a man from doing this adultery business what was our lord speaking of? He was speaking of the sin that this woman has been accused of. You who are without this sin, adultery, pick up a rock and throw it at her. They were to cast the stone only if they were not guilty. Because that's what the scriptures say in Deuteronomy 17. Chapter 17, verse 7. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people, so that thou shalt put evil away from thee. Only the innocent could cast the stone. He who is without sin, this sin, you cast, you first cast the stone.

They did not consider that both parties involved in adultery were to be stoned. In both Leviticus chapter 20 and Deuteronomy chapter 22 it says not only the man is to be stoned, or not only the woman is to be stoned, but the man is to be stoned also.

Now if you go to the Quran, the Islam, the woman's always involved and she's always the one to get stoned. Even if she gets raped, she gets stoned because somehow She enticed the man to do it.

So, but the law said, and they approached him, how'd they approach him? Moses in the law said that a woman commits adultery has to be stoned. What say you? The law doesn't say that. The law says both the man and the woman are to be stoned if they're caught in adultery. Both of that and if a man leaves his wife and takes another woman. And the punishment also for most of the times spoken of in scripture was not stoning at all but strangulation according to the law. They would be hung.

Our Lord again stooped down after they said these things and wrote on the ground again in verse 8. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. Again, their sin was brought to fore, and again their famed premise of observing the law was dismissed. And they were convicted, not by the Spirit, but by their conscience.

And they which heard this, in verse 9, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone. Now, he was still in the midst of the people that he was teaching, but all these Pharisees, you can almost see it. The way he taught, he usually sat in the middle, or in front of folks, and they formed a semi-circle around him, and he taught them. That's the way the rabbis, the Jewish teachers, taught. And you can just see these Pharisees coming in in that circle, and there's a space between the congregation and him, and displaying this woman for him. And our Lord, he was stooped down, And they heard him speak these things. Then he stooped down. What did he do? He didn't watch him leave. He just stayed there and heard the footsteps going one by one until they were all gone. And we know that because of how he addressed this woman.

After that, after that, their conscience, their conscience convicted him. That's an important statement. They were not convicted by the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit, when He convicts a man, He convicts a man of sin, of righteousness. What is it? Is he righteous? That the son of man has been cast out, or a man of sin has been cast out. But here they weren't convicted that way. They're convicted like all flesh is convicted. Like, we're often convicted. And it's often not the Holy Spirit that convicts us. The Holy Spirit never convicts the conscience. This is the work of the flesh. Our flesh. We have a moral compass. We're born with one. It's called our conscience.

Now, the days in which we live, I'm beginning to wonder if somehow that has been diminished somewhat in the society and the world we live in today. The moral conscience seems to be gone altogether. The moral conscience doesn't. But that's how we're convicted. They're convicted in their conscience. What does that mean? The conscience operates in the realm of sin. And sin operates in the realm of the law. I had not known sin except by the law. Paul said, I had not known sin. And a few verses of scripture deal with that. Look over 1 Corinthians chapter 15. They were convicted because they got caught. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 56 says, And the strength of sin is the law, is the law. And we know the law could not ever make a man free. It was called throughout scripture, fetters, chains, and bondage, and a heavy weight. Things like that. A millstone around your neck. That's how the law was addressed. Does that sound like you're free when you're in fetters and chains? Or in a jail? Of course not. So the conscience, when their conscience was convicted, it was in the realm of sin, and it was under the law.

After all, the Hebrews were appalled with Hebrew children concerning the law. All of it was about the law of God, Hebrews. And when we talk about the law of God, we're talking about the law and the sermon. We're talking about that which was handed down from Simon. Paul talks about the law there. In Hebrews, he's talking about that law was involved. Everything that the Lord had established at Sinai, from the Ten Commandments down to every ceremony, every feast, all of that was taken care of under this law. All the Sabbaths were taken care of under this law. That's how they operate. That's what he means. And he said all of that's been set aside. the conscience, this law being set aside.

In Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 14 it says this, How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works? What are dead works? Romans chapter 7. The law brings forth works Romans chapter 7 and verse 5. To purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. Then over in chapter 10, verses 1 and 2, he again speaks about the conscience in reference to the law and to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very things, could never, with those sacrifices which they offered continually, make the comers thereunto Perfect. Evidently, that was the goal. To make a man perfect. Why? Because a man has to be perfect to stand before God. A woman has to be perfect to stand before God. And the law could never do that. If it could have done that, then once the conscience was purged, there would be no more offering for sin. And he goes on to say, then if the law had actually perfected someone, for then would they not have ceased to be offered? But because the worshippers once purged should have no more what? Conscience. Don't say consciousness. No more conscience of sins.

So, if a perfect sacrifice is offered which perfects you, then you have no more conscience of sins. In other words, your conscience has no basis upon which to accuse you because sin has been remitted. He goes on to say in the same chapter that he about one sacrifice has perfected forever. Perfected, same word, perfected forever them that are sanctified. So much so that God will remember their sins no more. So they won't have a conscience of sin. I remember many years ago hearing old Scott Richardson preach. He preached it in this pulpit, as a matter of fact, many years during the conference. He said, the only way to soothe a screaming conscience is with a perfect sacrifice. And you have the perfect sacrifice. So if conscience is bothering you, you know what you're doing? You're going back under the law, because that's where it operates. These fellows were convicted in their conscience. They were convicted of what? Their own adultery. Which may answer why they were able to catch this woman in her hat. They knew where to go. Their conscience bade them leave. That's what the conscience will do. The conscience will convict you and tell you to get away from that scene. Stop doing that. Stop doing that. That's what they did.

The council was convicted, so one by one, from the greatest to the least, left that building while the Lord was stooped down riding on the ground again. They left that group of people.

Then our Lord asked this woman two questions. These are beautiful questions. theological masterpieces of questions. They're both tied to justification and election.

Mormon, where are those non-accusers? He stood up, looked around, and they were gone. He said, Mormon, Where are these men that brought you here and stripped you down and accused you of adultery? Where are they? Where are those unaccused? Hath no man condemned thee? Hath no man condemned thee? She answered, No man, Lord. No man, Lord.

Romans chapter 8. Neither do I, convene thee, Romans chapter 8. Therefore, there is now no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free. from the law of sin and death, for what the law could not do, in that it was weeped through the flesh, meaning we couldn't do it. God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, enforcing and condemning sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Where are thine accusers? Who is he that condemns thee? to the same chapter to verse 33. Where are thine accusers? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Where is the man that would condemn thee? Who is he that condemneth thee? It is Christ that died. Yea, rather, it is risen again. It is even at the right hand of God who also made the intercession for us.

This woman, this harlot, was an uncondemned, elect sinner, saved by grace. With grace flowing from his lips, our gracious Savior reported her happy estate. Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.

This reference to sin again is non-general. It's about her adultery. Cease adultery. Repent of your sin.

One more thing. Our Lord stooped down twice and was lifted up twice. First, he was stooped down, he stooped down to address the law. He condescended to be made flesh well among us. We cannot comprehend how far astute that was. For a God of all glory, the creator, sustainer, and consolator of the universe to wrap himself in the lightness, He was born a woman. Born under the law. To redeem them that were under the law.

He stooped down again to answer the law. When he was lifted up on the cross. When he, the spotless Lamb of God was made to be sin for us. What a stoop that was. He stooped down in the incarnation. He stooped down in substitution. He was lifted up from the grave and ascended to on high, so that his elect would never be condemned. And no accusation would ever stand by them or stand against them.

And all we can say to that is to him be glory forever and ever.

Father, bless us for understanding and praying for us. discussion.