Sermons

Series: Signs & Glory

Title: “Would Jesus Cancel Me?"

Subtitle:

Scripture: John 7:53-8:11

John 3:16-18; Matt 7:3-5

Bottom line: Jesus meets us in our guilt not to condemn us, but to restore us to a new way of life.

1. INTRODUCTION

2. CONTEXT

3. SERMON OUTLINE

4. CONCLUSION

5. NOTES

6. OUTLINES

7. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

8. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

9. MAIN REFERENCES USED

Opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same.

INTRODUCTION

"Cancel culture is a modern social phenomenon where individuals, organizations, or public figures are called out, boycotted, or publicly shamed—often on social media—for actions, statements, or behaviors that are considered offensive, harmful, or morally wrong.

Here’s a clear definition:

Cancel culture refers to the practice of withdrawing support from someone—often publicly and collectively—due to something they’ve said or done that is viewed as objectionable or offensive, often without a process of forgiveness, dialogue, or restoration."

-ChatGPT

"(JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter) is a notable example of cancel culture targeting an individual recently:

1. J.K. Rowling (Ongoing, Intensified 2020–2023)
, the author of the Harry Potter series, has faced sustained backlash for her comments on transgender issues, particularly since 2020. Her tweets and essays expressing concerns about the implications of transgender rights on women’s spaces were labeled transphobic by critics, leading to widespread calls for boycotts of her books, films, and related media. Fans and organizations publicly distanced themselves, and some Harry Potter actors, like Daniel Radcliffe, openly opposed her views..." -Grok AI

Black Dot Analogy

"The black dot analogy is a powerful metaphor often used to illustrate how people tend to focus on negative aspects or flaws—represented by a small black dot—while overlooking the broader, positive context--symbolized by a large white space surrounding it.

It’s frequently applied in discussions about judgment, perspective, and human behavior, particularly in the context of not judging others based on their worst moments or traits.

Origins and Core Concept

The black dot analogy often appears in motivational, psychological, and educational contexts. One common version...involves a classroom exercise where a professor presents students with a blank sheet of paper featuring a single black dot in the center. Students are asked to write about what they see, and invariably, they focus on the dot, ignoring the vast white space around it.

The professor then explains that this mirrors how people fixate on small negatives in life—such as health issues, financial struggles, or personal failures—while neglecting the abundance of positive aspects, like relationships, opportunities, or blessings." -Grok AI

The Security Camera Moment

"Imagine a moment you wouldn’t want anyone to see—maybe you lost your temper, told a lie, or clicked on something you knew you shouldn’t have. Now imagine that moment being played on a giant screen in the middle of your church, with everyone watching.

That’s what the woman caught in adultery was living. Her worst moment was dragged into the light, not in private, but publicly—before religious leaders, before a crowd, and before Jesus.

But instead of condemnation, she encountered something completely unexpected: mercy." -Grok AI

For our purposes today, cancel = condemn. When Jesus meets us in our guilt, he doesn't cancel or condemn us; he restores us to a new way to live.

OUTLINE (input from ChatGPT)

Bottom line: Jesus meets us in our guilt not to condemn us, but to restore us to a new way of life.

Transition:

If you look at John 8:1-11 in your bible, you may notice that it is in brackets, italics, or footnoted. In my bible, it's all in italics.

I have wrestled all week with whether to preach this passage today or not. The reason is that this portion of John (8:1-11) is not in the earliest manuscripts. (that we have so far) It is in many manuscripts, however, it's not in the same place in those manuscripts. It's found in different places throughout the book of John. It's sometimes found in Luke as well. From this I draw 3 conclusions:

1. It's probably not in the original book of John, meaning that I cannot consider it scripture for certain. Many of my commentaries just skip this passage with no comment. Others address it even though they do not see it as scripture. Other commentaries see value in it and address leaving this decision up to the reader.

2. It very well could be a true event in the life of Jesus. I think this is a true account and that some who copied this down felt it was worthy of scripture. And maybe it is. But it doesn't meet the standard of what qualifies as scripture and not just history. (Add qualification of NT scripture here)

3. It's worth our time to preach/teach it because it includes biblical principles and applications relevant to us and aligns with the rest of scripture. In other words, it's not going to take us somewhere we wouldn't otherwise go.

4. The Bible Knowledge Commentary states, "It is probably a part of true oral tradition which was added to later Greek manuscripts by copyists." Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 303). Victor Books.

1. The Setup: Grace Confronts a Trap (vv. 1–6a)

• The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery—not out of love for the law, but to trap Jesus.

• The law said such a sin was punishable by death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22), but this was clearly a setup:

  • Where is the man?

  • Why is this happening publicly in the temple?

• They use the woman’s shame as a tool to undermine Jesus.

Application: People still weaponize sin and shame to feel superior or to discredit others. But Jesus won’t participate in that game.

2. The Silence: Grace Slows the Fury (vv. 6b–8)

• Jesus bends down and writes on the ground. It’s an intentional pause.

• It shifts attention away from the woman, lowers the emotional temperature, and gives space for reflection.

• His challenge—“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”—puts judgment back where it belongs: in the hands of the truly holy.

• Matthew 7:3–5 (NIV)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Application: Jesus slows the mob mentality. When we want to throw stones (even mental ones), Jesus reminds us to examine ourselves first.

3. The Departure: Grace Exposes Everyone (vv. 9)

• One by one, they drop their stones and leave—starting with the oldest, perhaps because they had lived long enough to know their sin more clearly.

• Jesus’ words don’t just defend the woman—they shine a light on everyone present.

Application: In the presence of Jesus, no one gets to act like they’re righteous on their own.

4. The Restoration: Grace Speaks a Better Word (vv. 10–11)

• “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord.”

• “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more.”

• He doesn’t ignore her sin—He lifts her from it. Grace first, then transformation.

Application: Jesus is not soft on sin—He’s strong on mercy. Grace doesn’t excuse sin; it empowers change.

Pastoral Notes/transition:

• This woman doesn’t ask for forgiveness—Jesus simply gives it.

• The grace of Jesus doesn’t depend on the eloquence of our repentance but on the fullness of His mercy.

CONCLUSION

"(Jesus) doesn't give her a license to keep sinning. He gives her a reason to stop." -M Carter

"Is Jesus reversing the Mosaic system? No. He is placing His cross between that woman and her sin." -J. Vernon McGee

Applications:

1. Jesus came to show us the way out from under our condemnation to mercy. Let God forgive you--and you yourself.

2. Jesus is not soft on sin—He’s strong on mercy. Let God find us quick to forgive instead of condemn or cancel.

3. Grace doesn’t excuse sin; it empowers change. Let God find us moving towards holy, pure living instead of compromised living.

The Torn Report Card

A student hides his report card from his parents—he’s failed multiple classes and is ashamed. When the truth finally comes out, he expects anger, punishment, maybe rejection. But instead, his father gently says, “This doesn’t change that you’re my son. We’re going to face this together. But we are going to face it.”

That’s the heart of Jesus in this story. He doesn’t pretend our sin doesn’t matter—but He makes sure we know: we don’t face it alone, and we don’t face it condemned.

The Courtroom Surprise

Imagine standing in court, guilty, and the judge reads the list of charges. The evidence is overwhelming. Then the judge steps down from the bench, walks toward you, and says, “I’ll take your sentence.”

That’s what Jesus did—not just for the woman, but for each of us. He didn’t just defend her; He bore her shame. He doesn’t say, “You’re not guilty.” He says, “I’ll take the guilt.”

Bottom line: Jesus meets us in our guilt not to condemn us, but to restore us to a new way of life.

INVITATION

The Dropped Stones

Picture the sound that must’ve filled the temple courtyard that day—not just silence, but the clink and thud of stones hitting the ground one by one. That was the sound of people walking away from condemnation.

And maybe today, that sound is what needs to happen in your own heart—not just dropping the stones you’ve been ready to throw at others, but dropping the ones you’ve been throwing at yourself.

What about you?

Peter puts it all in perspective in his first sermon:

““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:

Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions:

1. What is God saying to me right now?

2. What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper.

What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.

[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.

Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don’t have to get too specific to give him praise.

Lord's Supper, 1 Cor 11:23-26 is good passage.

Also, say something like, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." (past, present, and future)

Pray

NOTES

"She's been disgraced. Then Jesus covers her disgrace with his grace. He levels the playing field by quietly, making each man admit his own sin, and then instead of condemning her, he forgives her. Not only does he forgive her, but he also transforms her future. He doesn't give her a license to keep sinning. He gives her a reason to stop."

-M Carter

"Is Jesus reversing the Mosaic system? No. He is placing His cross between that woman and her sin. This One who is the Son of the virgin, who Himself was under a cloud all of His life, is going to the cross to pay the penalty for even the sin of this woman. He did not come into the world to condemn the wold. (John 3:17) He did not come to judge this woman. He came into the world to be a Savior!"

-J. Vernon McGee

"We must not misinterpret this event to mean that Jesus was 'easy on sin' or that he contradicted the law. For Jesus to forgive this woman meant that he had to one day die for her sins. Forgiveness is free, but it is not cheap. Furthermore, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law so that no one could just accuse him of opposing his teachings or weakening its power by applying the law to the woman, and not to themselves. The Jewish leaders were violating both the letter and the spirit of the law--and they thought they were defending Moses!

The law was given to reveal sin (Romans 3:20), and we must be condemned by the law before we can be cleansed by God's grace. Law and grace do not compete with each other; they complement each other. Nobody was ever saved by keeping the law, but nobody was ever saved by grace, who was not first convicted by the law. There must be conviction before they can be conversion.

Nor is Christ's gracious forgiveness an excuse to sin. "Go, and sin, no more!" was our Lord's counsel... Certainly the experience of gracious forgiveness would motivate the penitent sinner to live a holy and obedient life to the glory of God."

-W Wiersbe

Black Dot Analogy

"The black dot analogy is a powerful metaphor often used to illustrate how people tend to focus on negative aspects or flaws—represented by a small black dot—while overlooking the broader, positive context, symbolized by a large white space surrounding it. It’s frequently applied in discussions about judgment, perspective, and human behavior, particularly in the context of not judging others based on their worst moments or traits. Below, I’ll explore the analogy’s origins, its applications, and its relevance to your original query about a post on X regarding not judging people by their worst moments.

Origins and Core Concept

The black dot analogy often appears in motivational, psychological, and educational contexts. One common version, as described in sources like the Rotary e-Club of Houston and Medium, involves a classroom exercise where a professor presents students with a blank sheet of paper featuring a single black dot in the center. Students are asked to write about what they see, and invariably, they focus on the dot, ignoring the vast white space around it. The professor then explains that this mirrors how people fixate on small negatives in life—such as health issues, financial struggles, or personal failures—while neglecting the abundance of positive aspects, like relationships, opportunities, or blessings." -Grok AI

NT Canon - who decided what books?

The process of recognizing the New Testament canon unfolded gradually over several centuries. Here’s a brief timeline of how and when this happened:

1st Century (c. 45–100 AD)

• The New Testament books were being written (e.g., Paul’s letters, the Gospels, Acts, Revelation).

• Some letters were already being shared and read in various churches (e.g., see 2 Peter 3:15–16, where Paul’s letters are referred to as Scripture).

2nd Century (100–200 AD)

• Many churches were using core texts like the four Gospels, Acts, and Paul’s letters.

• Early church leaders (like Irenaeus, c. 180 AD) affirmed the authority of these writings.

• Heretical movements (e.g., Marcionism, which rejected the Old Testament and some NT books) forced the church to clarify which writings were truly apostolic and orthodox.

3rd Century (200–300 AD)

• More consensus was forming, especially around most of the current New Testament books.

• Disputed books included Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2–3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

• Church fathers like Origen and Cyprian used most of the New Testament books but noted which were disputed.

4th Century (300–400 AD)

• Athanasius’ Easter Letter (367 AD): This was the first known list to include exactly the 27 books of the New Testament as we have today.

• Councils of Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage (397 AD): These regional church councils affirmed the same list.

• While these councils didn’t “create” the canon, they recognized and confirmed what many churches were already using.

By the 5th Century

• The 27-book New Testament was widely accepted across the Christian world.

• The canon was functionally closed, and later councils reaffirmed the same set of writings.

So, while the New Testament canon wasn’t decided at one single moment, by the end of the 4th century, the list of 27 books was largely settled and universally recognized in the church.  -ChatGPT

From me to ChatGPT: Would you say then that they were decided using an “open source” or “wiki” method?

That’s a great analogy—and yes, to an extent, the formation of the New Testament canon functioned somewhat like an “open source” or “wiki” process, though with important differences.

Here’s how the comparison fits:

✅ Collaborative Process (like open source/wiki)

• The canon wasn’t determined by a single person or moment.

• Churches across different regions contributed to the process by using, preserving, copying, and teaching from certain texts.

• Early church leaders and communities evaluated writings based on shared criteria, and over time a consensus emerged.

✅ Organic Development

• Books were recognized as authoritative because they were already functioning as such in Christian worship and teaching—not simply declared authoritative from above.

• The canon grew from usage and recognition rather than being imposed arbitrarily.

• Books were recognized as authoritative because they were already functioning as such in Christian worship and teaching—not simply declared authoritative from above.

• The canon grew from usage and recognition rather than being imposed arbitrarily.

✅ Community Discernment

• Just like open-source projects evolve through community review and refinement, the canon evolved through careful theological reflection, discussion, and testing against apostolic truth.

-ChatGPT

But here’s where the analogy has limits:

❌ Not Unlimited or Constantly Editable

• Unlike a true wiki, the canon wasn’t meant to be open-ended or perpetually editable. Once consensus was reached, it was closed and considered authoritative and complete.

• The church believed that God’s revelation in Christ—and through the apostles—was once for all (cf. Jude 1:3), not ongoing in the way an open-source codebase might be.

❌ Guided by Theology, Not Just Consensus

• Theological and spiritual discernment—especially about apostolicity and inspiration—played a key role. It wasn’t just a democratic vote or popularity contest.

-ChatGPT

Summary:

"Yes, the canonization process had a lot in common with an “open source” or “wiki-style” model—distributed, collaborative, community-tested—but it was also guided by deep convictions about divine revelation and was ultimately closed to preserve the apostolic foundation of the faith.

The Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) were the most decisive early church gatherings to affirm the full 27-book New Testament canon. They didn’t invent the canon but codified what had already become widespread consensus in the life of the church." -ChatGPT

OUTLINE

See above

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1. What do I want them to know?

2. Why do I want them to know it?

3. What do I want them to do?

4. Why do I want them to do it?

5. How do they do this?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Discovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/

1. Read the passage together.

2. Retell the story in your own words.

3. Discovery the story

   1. What does this story tell me about God?

   2. What does this story tell me about people?

   3. If this is really true, what should I do?

4. What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)

5. What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)

6. Who am I going to tell about this?

Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast

Alternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:

1. Who is God?

2. What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?

3. Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)

4. What do I do? (In light of who I am)

5. How do I do it?

Final Questions (Write this down)

• What is God saying to you right now?

• What are you going to do about it?

MAIN REFERENCES USED

“John,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent Hughes

Exalting Jesus in John, by Matt Carter & Josh Wredberg

The Gospels & Epistles of John, FF Bruce

John, RC Sproul

John, Köstenberger

The Gospel According to John, DA Carson

The Light Has Come, Leslie Newbigin (TLHC)

The Visual Word, Patrick Schreiner (TVW)

“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)

“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)

Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee (TTB)

Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)

NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/

Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)

ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org

The Bible Project https://bibleproject.com

Nicky Gumbel bible reading plan app or via YouVersion

Claude.ai

ChatGPT AI

Grok AI

Perplexity AI

Google Gemini AI