Church Scars – Week 2 (2-16-25)

Church Scars
Out In the Open
February 16, 2025

Vulnerability & Shame
Shame – the fear of disconnection.

John 8:2-5
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

Are they right in a legal sense?

Deuteronomy 22:23-24
If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take BOTH of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death-

Leviticus 20:10
“‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—BOTH the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

Where is he?

John 8:6
They were using this QUESTION as a TRAP, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

We are better at condemning a person than condemning their sin.
What does she need in this moment?

John 8:6b-11
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  ⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Is God’s justice retributive or restorative?
Your Role vs Holy Spirit’s Role

John 16:7-11
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Isaiah 61 —> Kingdom Vision

Will we be a place where people are hurt or a place where the hurting are healed?