Sin

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Welcome to Masculine Journey. We're glad that you're with us today, and we're starting kind of a new tradition. Harold's coming up with a topic pretty frequently now. This is like the second time in the last month or so, isn't it? Yeah. That's what I thought. That's like a couple times in the last probably 30 days, I think. That would be a month or so by definition. Who knows?

I might even get another clip at some point in the future. Well, let's not push it. Let's work with topics first. But this was a topic that seemed very narrow initially, right?

But then it got expanded, but is yet still kind of narrow. Do you want to kind of tell us a little bit about what the topic is? Well, it actually stemmed from an online Bible study that I was doing, and the story there in John 8 of the woman caught in adultery was part of the lesson.

And actually, I've been intrigued by that particular thing for a lot of different reasons. It takes two for that sin, unless Jesus came along later and said, no, you can do it by yourself. But at that point, it took two.

Only one shows up. Why is that? What did he write on the ground? That's an intriguing thing to think about as well. So I thought there were a lot of different angles that could be pursued from this topic. And as it turns out, after we did the pre-show, you guys did a wonderful job in picking different avenues to go, but it's all tied back into this particular topic. So it's about the woman caught in adultery and being brought before Jesus and what happened after that. Okay. That's from John 8. And so we'll go ahead and go with our first clip, which is literally the telling of the story of this.

So Robby, this is your clip. Do you want to say anything about it? Yes, I do. I do. It came from a movie called Jesus.

Consider that. And there's so many wonderful productions of that. I looked through several to try to find one that I felt like was the most biblical and at the same time represented kind of the moment from my perspective. With one thing being important to me in the story is Jesus's posture. In other words, Jesus is standing, then he's sitting, then he's standing. And in that culture, you would sit to teach, but you would stand to confront. And so as you listen to the story, listen to where Jesus is coming up and he's going down. And then also, again, one of my favorite things to point out as you're listening is that he confronts them without condemning them.

And I'm talking about all the people in the crowd that don't throw a stone. If you're not familiar, you'll be familiar in a minute. But then he also confronts her. He stands when he confronts her. And he actually does tell her don't sin anymore. But that was after completely giving her the idea of that this is something that had happened in the past. And there was nobody any longer accusing her, so she now, having a relationship with Jesus, could move forward.

So take a listen. Now what do you say? They said this to trap Jesus so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up.

Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her. Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone with the woman still standing there.

He straightened up. Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you? No one, sir. Well then, I do not condemn you either.

Go. But do not sin again. I have cherished that last part. I think probably about four or five years ago, as I was studying that passage, I noted that, wow, when Jesus is here, like no demon is going to stay in his presence.

It's not something they can possibly do. And so being that you're with a masculine journey or doing Christian radio or some of the other things I do pastoring, you're quite often in the midst of quite a bit of warfare because it's pretty much opposed what you want to say. And so it's not unusual at all for me since most of my time alone with the Lord is pretty precious that that's pretty opposed. And so I find myself in the presence of demons often, actually. And I know that I know that if I can push into Jesus through prayer and just understanding that you lean into him and you wait on the Lord, if I can get to that place of, I guess, closeness with Jesus, that at some point I can look around and go, where are my accusers?

They're gone. And then I can begin to listen to his voice rather than all them crazy voices in my head wanting to tell me about all the bad things that other people are doing. In other words, you've done enough warfare, Sam, with me, and we've done it that you know that's warfare. Like we ran across it this week about this very radio show. And we talked about that.

We could tell that this is warfare. And if you can push into Jesus, it ends because in his presence is fullness of joy and it's just not going to be there. And so that's critical. And I also think that it's really a challenge to me personally to learn how Jesus did that where he confronted but he did not condemn.

And so there's going to be people in all of our lives and our worlds that are doing things that we know are not in their best interest. And so the ability to totally love somebody and get their attention on something that they're doing that they could be doing differently but at the same token, no way seems that you're judging them or condemning them is an interesting thing that takes God to do it and a lot of prayer. But when you do it, it's amazing to see God come through like that.

I wanted to share what I wrote a few days back whenever we were doing that online study. While we may think it was unfair that only the female of the pair was brought before Jesus, the reality is she was forgiven and he wasn't. Who wouldn't trade temporary shame for eternal bliss? And then it seems that every society has a double standard regarding sexual activity. Males are accorded more slack as if they are overpowered by passion and females coolly choose to do wrong. Adam couldn't give up Eve who calmly sought greater treasure.

He allowed passion or lust to rule his choice while she saw improved status as her guide. So those are a couple of thoughts I had going into this lesson. Thank you, Harold.

Robby, back to the clip. One of the things that's said in the clip was the older men left first. And I think that's important because the younger men would be looking to them for a lead. They've been in Scripture longer, they know the laws better, they know everything better. And if they're going to leave, who are the younger ones to stick around?

Lisa, am I interpreting that correctly? I think that's a great point personally that clearly the older ones had more sin. That's true. More wisdom. They had more wisdom, but obviously that first one, fires start with one ember, there's a match.

And that first one leaving, by the time the second one left, it caught fire to where the rest of them would look stupid. And so those first brave souls that took off, your faith or your understanding when you see what's going on makes a huge difference. And like you said, one guy, it's like I do live radio, and that first phone call, all of a sudden a lot of people will call. But getting that first person to call is always tough. Yeah, and I think for the people that were standing there, if I try to put myself in their shoes as best I can many generations later, it would be tough to be the first guy to leave. Because you're afraid that a finger's not going to be pointed at me. Like, what have you done?

Like if I leave and no one else leaves, then what? And so there's a lot of being brave and taking that step as well. So I think we're lucky to have Harold here with us, especially in the circumstance, because we have all wondered why did the old guys leave first, and where were you in that crowd, and then what did he write on the ground?

To be fair, he was one of the younger guys back then. Well, you know, my idea is that what he wrote on the ground was the name of each individual and their biggest sin. So, you know, you're watching what he's writing, and so everybody in the group knows what you did already. So in shame, you take off and leave. He may have just wrote the sins down, you know, and then just people are talking about, oop, that's me. And me, and me, and me.

I'm so close on this one. And he may have only had to write the first one, because once that guy left, I mean, the tougher thing would have been the last guy to stay. And no one did. Well, leaving was the first honest thing they did. Well, it was all a trick to condemn Jesus anyway.

It had nothing to do with the woman. Maybe living in the present, in the future, not the past. Yeah, I think that, you know, Jesus calls them to remember the past so that they can say, okay, you know, I have done some bad things here. Right? So that they could have the present in correct perspective.

Right? Because sometimes we need the past to put the present in perspective. And so I think he calls them back into that. Yeah, I was going to say, it's amazing in churches how much people feel judged by the other members. Right.

And it's a very difficult thing, but when you say there's no accusers, it's all those other people that you think are talking about you to. Yeah, which is warfare at the end of it. Go to masculinejourney.org to register for the boot camp coming up November 21st through 24th. We'll talk to you after the break. What we have at our boot camp is something that makes you stronger and gives you the strength to go on your regular walk with God.

It's something that will make you be bigger than you were when you got there. I've been coming regularly and it's just such a blessing. When you guys invited me, I was at the worst time of my Christian walk. I was going through some things. The first time I came, I don't know if you remember, I couldn't even walk.

I couldn't even stand up straight. And I'm walking now. I ain't running around a lake yet, but you know. The greatest things is just being around a group of men that love the Lord and sharing His kindness and His love. All of you guys, I done sat and talked with all of you guys, different occasions, different conversations, and it's all been unique and refreshing. You guys gave me a whole different perspective in life, and you can't hide the true, genuine love of God. You can't hide it.

Register today at masculinejourney.org. Welcome back to Masculine Journey, and so what could possibly the who with the song Who Are You have to do with this topic? I mean, seriously, was it just something we played? But no, it actually had a little bit of a meaning to it.

At least I thought it did. If you're thinking about, we were talking about the lady accused of adultery. Jesus writes in the dirt, and all the guys leave, right? And so when I thought about that, I thought there at least had to be one of them that had to question for a second, who is this guy? Who are you? I mean, really, who are you?

I want to know who you are, that you can speak with such authority and not condemn me, but convict me and help me see truth in a way that I've not been ever able to see it, right? There had to be at least one, I would think. You know, we don't know what happened to that group, but you'd think at least one of them would have had to say, I want to know more, right?

Because it intrigues me to want to know more when I hear the story, right? Because change out the sin a little bit, and it doesn't have to change out much, and that's me, right? And we've all put things before God.

And they all came to condemn her and to catch him in sin, and nobody stayed. So I'm not sure it wasn't everybody that was at least trying to figure out what just happened, if not who that was. Right, yeah. Our vernacular is kind of, who do you think you are? Yeah. That's kind of where, you know, telling me what to do, and the next thing you know, oh, yeah, I'm gone.

I'm not worthy to be here at all. Yeah. There's a total change in the heart. And actually, if you go back and you listen to the song when he starts that, he kind of has that little edge to his voice, like, who are you?

And then as it keeps going on, he's like, wait a minute, who are you? You know, it's a different type of... Inflection. Yeah, inflection, thank you. I didn't get the word before the show, and I didn't get it again now. But the inflection in his voice, it changes. And I think that's what you would have heard the crowd doing, like, who are you?

And then, wait a minute, who are you? Yeah. As we're going on. And so that's why the bump was what the bump was. And it did exist before CSI or whatever TV show had it on there forever. But it's been around for a while.

And honestly, it's not one of my favorite songs. But I do like it for this clip, for this bump. So Jim, you have the next clip. Do you want to tell us a little bit about it, or do you want to jump into it?

What do you want to do? Well, and actually, the bump is a good lead into this, because we have the woman at the well, who Jesus is about to read off the husbands, at least a few of them. And that's her question.

Who are you? And she ultimately gets the answer. And I guess that's enough of an intro. We got Jesus, the woman at the well, interacting. And this is from the TV show, The Chosen? Yeah, something like that.

Okay. The first one was named Ramin. You were a woman of purity who was excited to be married. But he wasn't a good man. He hurt you. And it made you question marriage and even the practice of your faith. Stop it.

The second was Farzad. On your wedding night, his skin smelled like oranges. And to this day, every time you pass by the oranges in the market, you feel guilty for leaving him, because he was the only truly godly man you've been with. But you felt unworthy. Why are you doing this? I have not revealed myself to the public as the Messiah.

You are the first. It would be good if you believed me. You picked the wrong person. I came to Samaria just to meet you. Do you think it's an accident that I'm here in the middle of the day?

I am rejected by others. I know, but not by the Messiah. And you know these things because you are the Christ. I'm going to tell everyone.

I was counting on it. Spirit and truth. Spirit and truth. It won't be all about mountains or temples. Soon. Just the heart. You promised.

I promise. What really got me about this, and I was going to say it was accidental I got this because I was looking for an old clip of mine and I found an old clip of Robby's which was better than the one I had done for this topic. What happened in that is amazing because he takes her from here's the sin in your life to a point of being free because he's the Messiah. And she gets it quicker than even the wisest of the Pharisees that do end up deciding he was a Messiah. But for her it was a simple thing and it took her from completely broken to completely free and she became a and if indeed that was the first disciple outside of the first one that he revealed himself to outside of the disciples she was the first great evangelist because she brought a whole town to meet the Messiah and they were the Samaritans who were not the people that the Jews accepted yet he was there for the worst of the sinners and you know guys that's us and he's there for us. As that clip played similar to the first one and as we've been talking about but when Jesus gives clarity to the truth right wow what a game changer that is you know what a game changer it was for both of these women in the stories what a game changer it's been in my life as God brings clarity to scripture to the truth to him you know it leads to freedom it leads to healing it leads to restoration it leads to being able to move past sin you know at least the sins that keep tripping you up right. It points at the biggest problem we have today we've got the religious that are really pursuing God on their terms and then we have the relationship and she was wide open to that and we I mean that's that's the biggest thing we deal with today. You know like like that lady at the well is kind of exciting because I really believe that some of the greatest work those who have been called to do is out of your comfort zone you know it does it does a whole lot it strengthens you it it makes you it gives strength to your testimony there's a growth there you know he pushes you out of your out of your comfort zone you know it takes you from here to there and you realize that you couldn't do it you know so you that your testimony is because he did it. Right. Yeah if you stayed in your comfort zone you would need God's help.

You would not. You know you just do it on your own power instead you got to lean into him. And both those clips with both those women you have Jesus taking complete authority in the situation. He's in control yet you see anything that you would say is like over the top masculinity and all this stuff but there is huge amounts of masculinity but he is authority and control his meekness and that you can just he commands everything around him to obey and that's the thing that's going on there it's like oh they see their sin and the ones that are rescued from it are jubilant the ones that are still in it and don't come out of it they're sad and dejected they walk away.

Yeah or they're angry. Yeah exactly all the emotions right but it's huge but he he's the one that will set you free. And in both those clips you can also hear lots of things but what you walk away with is the feeling of love. It's truth in love. Always.

And a lot of times we're quick to share the truth but how often do we do it in love. Yeah. Right and that's the key. Especially back then a woman. Yeah you know there wasn't really a whole lot of rights back in those days you know as far as those go and for Jesus to speak up in both occasions you know on a woman's behalf or to a woman even in the Samaritan's case you would have not found him talking to a woman especially Samaritan woman. Interestingly enough in both of those women's lives their trouble was relational.

They had relational trouble with men and that is what caused them to be confronted on both accounts so to speak but interesting enough what saved them was a relationship. Right. So I saw that and I was like that's pretty cool.

That is very cool. One of the things Terry said really hooked me too because it's something I hear quite frequently and it is getting out of your comfort zone. I have looked because I want it to be there and I do pursue comfort quite regularly but nowhere in the Bible does God say he wants us to be comfortable. He wants us to rest when we need it but being out of our comfort zone is the place where we grow and he wants us to grow. Yeah being challenged appropriately yeah. Yeah I remember a few dreams that I had that God was involved in.

One was on my finances that I wished I would have listened to him back when he told me what to do 20 years before I did it. You know I would have been in a lot different situation today than I was if I would have just listened the first time and then the second time a couple of dreams he challenged me on quit trying to be comfortable. Right. I don't want you to be comfortable and what he is saying is quit seeking that place where you feel like you don't have to engage or go do anything. My lazy boy it's a perfect vision of my comfort right. I like to sit there watch TV fall asleep that's my comfortable place but I'm not going to find life there.

Yeah. Life is found outside the comfort zone. Yeah I had something go on here recently and it's like okay well that's not going to come through anymore so just live with it and yeah there's a part of me that I'll have to say is honestly a little like hmm yeah I'm disappointed I wish that would have happened this or that but all in all I'm a lot more comfortable a lot more content in that than I ever would have been before. You know and to be to be I'm sorry to be effective in what God calls you whatever it is to do you have to be comfortable if you're not they'll see it the very ones that you're trying to witness to try to bring to they can see that uncomfortable and you will lose whatever it is. It's uncomfortable it's uncomfortable to have this conversation but I'm comfortable in telling you about Jesus Christ.

I'm completely comfortable in him I'm just uncomfortable in my having to come out of my shell. Yeah or our own abilities right. Exactly. You know look at Moses. Yeah.

Yeah but he apparently got the word across he needed to get across with some help. Go to masculinejourney.org to register for the upcoming boot camp November 21st through 24th it's at beautiful Mocksville, North Carolina at Carolina Bible Camp masculinejourney.org. Love somebody well this week we'll talk with you next week stick around for the after hours. We'll talk to you later. This is the Truth Network.