Day 4 Youth Week of Prayer

Focus : Youth and Morality

Day 4 : Tuesday

Alone in His Presence

Bible Text: John 8: 1–11

Suggested Opening Hymn: I Come To The Garden Alone tuesday - young ladies Night

Special emphasis on young ladies bringing visitors this night. Of course anyone can and should bring visitors every night, however, only the young ladies who bring visitors will receive gifts.


He had an enormous craving for alcoholic beverages, smoking of anything that was possible to smoke, and delightfully indulged anything obscene. He lived carelessly. To be in a state of soberness and not in drunkenness was rare. Two young ladies who were active members of a small witnessing group in their church targeted this young man for whom they had great compassion and desired to see change his lifestyle, and for him to live happily in hope of the second advent of Christ. On one of those rare occasions when he was sober, they visited him and began discussing the topic of love. His interest was piqued and he asked them to return to continue the discussion. He promised them he would make sure to be sober for the visit. The visits and discussions continued; eventually they got to the point of discussing the love of God. They began Bible studies with him until eventually he began attending church.
His smoking, alcoholic drinking, and obsession for things X–rated gradually sub-sided until they became none existent. He became endeared to Jesus and to the church where he had developed friendships and was actively participating in church activities. Noel finally requested baptism and the Pastor carried his name to the church board for approval. One of the strong pillars of the church, Sister Lovington, opposed his baptism on the grounds that she thought he was not converted and it was too quick to baptize him. A majority vote on the board approved his baptism, however, and the Church Pastor eventually baptized him. One evening, a few weeks after his baptism, Sister Lovington who lived across from a nightclub, spotted his car parked almost in front of the club. She kept a watch for as long as she could to see at what time he would leave the area. Of course, at no time during her watch did she see Noel. Neither did she see what time the car left the area. The next day, she called the pastor and other members of the Church to tell them that her opinion of Noel was not valued by the Board and the Lord allowed her to witness that he spent almost all night in the nightclub across from her home. She insisted that he was not ready for baptism and tha the Church should discipline him for his continued secular lifestyle that was not representative of the gospel and of the Church. When Noel was called to the Board, Sister Lovington told the members that the newly baptized brother spent many hours in the nightclub and her evidence was his parked car. Surprised, Noel asked the sister for whom he had much respect and admiration as a member of the Church if she saw him in the club. She responded, “No, but your car was parked there”. The next night, Noel went and parked his car at the gate in front of her house. The fact is, his car developed mechanical problem and could not drive, that’s the reason it was parked near the nightclub. John 8:1–11 (NLT), “Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ‘Teacher,’ they said to Jesus, ‘This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?’ They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’ Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’” The pressure and resentment that that many young people of the Church

face stem from the assumptions that others develop and share about their conduct and deportment. Some remain in the church with these resentments while others leave the church and follow Christ from a distance. Some find it difficult to feel the mingling of love, justice, and mercy from those who should be redemptive and serve as spiritual mentors, coaches and guides. This story that the Apostle John relates, has great lessons for practical Christian living in these post–modern times from which both the youth and adults, and especially those in leadership can learn. I want us to bring your attention to
 three main characters in this biblical story: a) the accusers, b) the accused woman, and c) Jesus the Supreme Judge. The reaction of the accusers and the last words of Jesus to the accused woman are of inestimable value to all Christians, irrespective of age. We must all leave something behind and stand alone in the presence of Jesus for therein, and therein only, do we find salvation and hope for eternity.The scripture identifies the woman’s accusers as the teachers of religious laws and the Pharisees. They were the official interpreters of the Law of Moses. They were the leaders of the councils of justice back in the day. They considered themselves a cut above the rest in matters of spirituality and upholding of moral standard. They conceived their function to be that of enforcing the Law of Moses. Their radar system covered a wide geographical expanse so very little passed their attention. They were the ones who called the Apostle Paul to the council for judgment, having accused him of: a) teaching against the law, b) bringing gentiles into the temple, c) polluting the temple, d) being a mover of sedition and e) being a ring leader of the sect of the Nazarene (Acts 21:28; 24:5,6). The Apostle Paul reminded them, “Brothers, I am a Phari-see, as were all my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” (Acts 23:6). When John was baptizing, some with ulterior motives went to be baptized, so John the Baptist exclaimed, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming judgment?” (Matthew 3:7). In one of His teaching moments, Jesus said to His hearers, “But I warn you, unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all! (Matthew 5:20) When Jesus went to the house of Mat-thew, the tax collector, and many who would not be considered conformist to the law attended and Jesus ate with them, the Pharisees were indignant and questioned the disciples of Jesus, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” (Matthew 9:11). So legalistic they were that one day they, the Pharisees, along with others went to Jesus and asked Him, “How come we fast, but your disciples don’t?” (Matthew 9:14).

They even accused Jesus of demon possession and of using such demon empowerment to cast out demons (Matthew 9:34). Again with ulterior motive they opposed Jesus for healing the sick on the Sabbath day (Matthew 12:10). The teachers of religious laws and the Pharisees were so confrontational andperfect that they even called a meeting and discussed plans for killing Jesus (Matthew 12:14). They closed the door to the kingdom for those whom they considered non–conformist. Under their administration, there was no room for error or mistake. Nothing but absolute perfection was binding for being a member of this spiritual community and forgiveness and acceptance was not an option. It was this caliber of individuals that brought the supposedly accused woman to Jesus with the following accusation, conviction and method of execution: “...this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:4, 5).Have you ever been accused? Have you encountered what you may term ship-wreck in your Christian journey? Are you assailed by problem and difficul-ties in your personal and Christian walk, brought on by the temptations, pressures and assumptions of others? Has your Christian voyage become dangerous? Are your life in general and your Christian experience in particular, going in the wrong direction? How about your career choice, is it leading in a direction that could create fuel for those who would accuse you? What about the crowd that you are in, does it contribute to the accusations? If you have been wrongfully and unjustly accused, you are in good company. But we must be careful also, for it is easy to see ourselves as being accused and not to recognize, that we ourselves could also be accusers of others. We must be careful not to do to others what we ourselves do not want to be done to us.The Spirit of Prophecy said. “Those who are most guilty of wrong are the first to see wrong; therefore let every church–member see to it that his own heart is pure before God, that his name is not only written on the church books, but registered in the Lamb’s book of life. Then he will not be a judge of his breth-ren, he will not be a despiser of those whom he considers defective” (RH January 10, 1893, par. 7).

(march 21, 2015an opportunuty to positively impact the lives of those in your youth group and beyondPlan a Homecoming celebration) Form a Barnabas Support Group Barnabas strongly believed in giving people a second chance. When Paul was converted the Church was afraid to just throw the door open and let him in. It was Barnabas who put his reputation on the line for the terrorist-turned-Christian, PauWhen Paul decided that he did not want to take John Paul on a journey with him, because he had let him down before, it was Barnabas who decided to give the young John-Mark, who some thought of as a failure, a second chance. So strong was their disagreement that Barnabas and Paul separated for a while. Later on Paul saw the value in this young man, and even sent for him to help him in his missionary journey. Sometimes young people who make mistakes just need some-one to believe in them. Form a Barnabas Support Group to encourage and help those who may have grown up in the church, but decided to leave. You don’t need to know the reason. Just decide to pray, 5 minutes a day, every day for one young person you know who has left the church.The Bible says, “Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.” (New Living Translation). Will you be a Barnabas today? Will you encourage a young person to come back Home?Help them find their way back home!

The Accused Woman In telling the story of the accused woman, John chose to conceal much of her identity. He did not mention her by name, if he knew it and the accusers did not say much about the case except to say she was caught in the act of adultery. According to the Law of Moses as recorded in Leviticus 20:10, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” In this reported case, nothing was said of the man. Where was he? Why was the woman the only one brought to the tribunal? The Mosaic Law prescribed the method of death for both the man and the woman in the case of adulterous violation “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant... Then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst” (Deuteronomy 17:2–7).There is a place for the administration of discipline where there is blatant disregard for the moral principles clearly expressed in the Word of the Lord. The scriptures are clear however, that such discipline must be administered with clear justice. There must be proper investigation, so decision should not be taken without the facts and all concerned are to be a part of the system of justice. There should be no one–sidedness in the administration of justice. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees were not thorough and fair–mind-ed in their administration. They were corrupt, partial and driven by malice, hate and grudge. Their relationship with the Lord was questionable and rather than seeking to uphold the principles of righteousness and truth they were intent on satisfying their own depraved self–interest.



There is always a place for Jesus in the administration of justice. There is always room for accommodating divine counsel and that is why Jesus’ method of resolution in this situation is exemplary.Jesus the Supreme Judge“...but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.” (John 8:6-8, New Living Translation [NLT]). It is of nterest to note that Jesus the Supreme Judge did not say that justice should not be done. Jesus did not deny them their request. He only wanted them to do a personal reflection before they administered what they considered justice. Many speculate about what Jesus wrote on the ground and the implication of that for both the accusers and the accused. Ellen White said, “Impatient at His delay and apparent indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter upon His attention. But as their eyes, following those of Jesus, fell upon the pavement at His feet, their countenances changed. There, traced before them, were the guilty secrets of their own lives” (DA 461.2). By writing on the ground it was a means of delaying action and giving time for personal reflection.At their insistence Jesus responded, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” This is a direct reference to Deuteronomy 13:9; 17:7 (cf. Lv. 24:14)—the witnesses of the crime must be the first to throw the stones, and they must not be participants in the crime itself. According to Ellen White, “The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,’ had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Savior’s face, but silently awaited her doom.” It is obvious that Jesus was different from the other religious leaders and the Pharisees of His time. He demonstrated a decision–making skill that brought not just the guilt of the woman to the fore, but that of her accusers as well. There he skillfully revealed to them that as guilty as the woman was, so were they, and the conviction that she was worthy of, so were they likewise guilty to be convicted of something. Instead of throwing stones, Jesus threw compassion, forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, tolerance, and acceptance. Can you do with some of that at this moment?The Reaction of the AccusersJohn 8:9 reads, “When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.” Many believe that the accusers were “convicted by their own conscience” and their stunned departure testified as much. They had come with their ulterior motive to shame Jesus by using this woman as the scapegoat, however they left in shame, and the woman stood alone in the presence of Jesus! There comes the time when young people, children, and adults must leave something behind to be with Jesus. This is that time. The accusers left the woman behind them. They ran for their personal refuge. Were they converted when they left? We do not know. Probably some were. Not all who turn away from the accusation were converted. Some left with the same opinion still. In leaving her behind, some recognized that it was there time. It was not about the woman it was about them. This week of prayer is a time for us to contemplate and do that personal reflection. To focus not so much on those who accuse us, but to find out is the accusation true or false? Is it wrong or right? Am I giving reasons for these accusations? If it is true, what shall I do about it? If it is false, what shall I do about it? The accused had to address it. The accusers had to address it. This is that moment for personal reflection. Others must not be more significant in our lives and experiences than our relationship with Jesus! What did the woman do in the face of accusation when all accusers were gone to their homes? She stood alone in the presence of Jesus! It was a humbling experience for her to be standing alone in the presence of Jesus, but it was a privileged experience. The ring around her had melted away, and she was standing there alone!

Standing Alone With JesusAlone with the woman, Jesus addressed her for the first time. His form of ad-dress, “Woman”, was entirely respectful and customary in those days. He did not ask her if she was guilty. He knew the truth of the case. In fact His final words in verse 11 bear out this assumption. His question to her was, “Has no one condemned thee?” She answered with a direct, “No one, sir” (Gk. Kyrie), which meant, “No one, Lord”. It was at that point that Jesus came close to answering the question that was first set before him. Regardless of the exigencies of the Law of Moses, in this instance Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.” Ellen White said, “In astonishment she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’ Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins” (DA 462). The confidence and personal absoluteness of Jesus’ words not only call to mind that Jesus came not to condemn but to save (3:17; 12:47), but prompt us to remember the Synoptic accounts that assign Jesus, like God himself, the right to forgive sin (Matt. 9:1–8). The proper response to mercy received on account of past sins is purity in the future. There is a place for forgiveness, forgiveness of guilt, forgiveness of those who accuse, and forgiveness even in innocence. Forgive!Young people, take your stand in the presence of Jesus. It is not in the crowd that salvation is found but in that one to one relationship where the conversation can be live and direct with no intervening commentators. Just Jesus and you! That is what all of us need, that one on one standing with Jesus our Savior, Messiah and Redeemer. How do you stand alone with Him? By finding time for personal prayer, by spending time in the reading and study of His Word, as well as the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy and other inspirational materials. By meditating on Him and regularly witnessing of saving grace in Jesus’ Last Words to the WomanThe last words Jesus spoke to the woman, as she stood alone in His presence were, “Neither do I condemn you, but leave your life of sin” (verse 11). It reminds us of Joseph’s experience. Out of grudge, jealousy, hate, and envy his brothers sold him as a slave to Egyptian merchants. His faithfulness to God based on the times he spent alone with the Lord paid great dividends. Though he passed through the pit, was sold and treated like an animal, terrorized and tempted, thrown into jail, he eventually became governor in Egypt. To the surprise of his brothers who had to obligate themselves to him for survival and were remorseful of their action and astonished at his position and authority he said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).The accusers brought the woman to Jesus. They meant evil, but it gave her an opportunity to be alone with Him and what an outstanding result it brought to her. Jesus’ verdict, “Neither do I condemn you,” was not rendered as a simple acquittal or a non–condemnation. The verdict was in fact a strict charge for her to live from this point on very differently—to sin no more. The liberating work of Jesus did not mean the excusing of sin. He established the point directly, even if the expression almost painted the woman as a habitual profligate person. He said to her, “Go home; you are alive, but leave your life of sin.” An encounter with Jesus always demands the transformation of life, the turning away from sin. The paralytic in John 5:14 was similarly warned to “sin no more”, but in that story the man was also confronted with the devastating consequences of failing to heed the warning. Jesus does not treat sin lightly, but He offers sinners the opportunity to start life anew. Young people, will you accept this opportunity right now and make that decision to start your life anew with Jesus? God’s purpose in sending his Son into the world was not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17). Will you accept Him now? Will you make that commitment this moment, to be alone with Jesus? Very soon He will be coming back for those who are committed. The entire world will not be saved, but whosoever chooses will be saved and salvation is for young people, too. This is your moment to accept God’s free gift of salvation and commit to Jesus your Savior.

Appeal and Prayer:_______________________________________________________

Suggested Closing Song: I’ve Wandered Far Away From God

Benediction: ______________________________________________________________

References

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Le 20:10). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society

Borchert, G. L. (1996). Vol. 25A: John 1–11. The New American Commentary (375–376).

Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John. The Pillar New Testament Commentary

(206–207). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter–Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans

White, E. G. (1898). The Desire of Ages. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association.

White, E. G. (1893, January 10). “‘; Let Both Grow Together’;” The Review and Herald.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever being wrongfully accused? How does it feel?

2. Considering this message about the woman caught in adultery, how should one who is wrongfully accused deport him or her self in the process of self-defense?

3. What are the best means by which young people can protect them-selves from indulging in corruptive moral activities and situations?

4. Discuss how you would encourage a youth who is either wrongly or rightly accused about some moral issues and is facing actions by the Church Board.

5. Explain what you think Jesus meant when He said to the guilty woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go and leave your live of sin.”