40 John Sung Revival Sermons

III.   BURDEN OF SIN LIFTED

(John Ch. 8)

Vs. 1. “And every man went unto his own house.  Jesus went unto the mount of Olivers." It is stated here that everybody went home.  The crowds went home, indeed, like those returning after a show.  The show they saw was Jesus.  And what did they bring home with them, each one?  Each with “a pair of ears.”  What are we gathered here for tonight?  Is it not to hear the Word of God?  I'm afraid some of you will also return home each "with only a pair of ears."

Now Jesus went to the mount of Olives in order to pray and meditate.  What do you do when you get home?  To commit sin?  Brothers and sisters, if Jesus' Word dwells in your heart, your sin will be taken away.

Vs. 2. “And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them." Jesus returned to the temple at the break of day and there was gathered a multiude to hear Him.  Jesus needn't worry if He would get a crowd.  Wherever Jesus went, there went the people.  Jesus taught in the temple in order that the people might be saved, and not one be lost.  Jesus wants everybody to get a chance to be saved.  Beloved brothers and sisters, if Jesus' Word, just only one Word, should cut into your heart, you will be saved.

When I was preaching at Changchow, one fellow told me how long he had heard the Word, but not a grain of it ever entered his ear.  One early morning, while he was in Church, he heard a voice calling him.  Suddenly, his spiritual eyes opened.  Henceforth, his whole life was changed.  This was due to Jesus' light shining into his heart.  This exposed all his sins.  This also unburdened all his sins.  Beloved brothers and sisters!  Has Jesus' light shone into your sins?

Vs. 3. “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery, and when they had set her in the midst..." While Jesus was preaching, there came a big crowd, stone in hand, leading a woman, bound.  This woman had committed adultery.  She deserved to be stoned!  This crowd accused the woman before Jesus how bad she was.  She deserved to die!  These people only saw what's wrong with others, but not their own.  May everyone of us here see what's wrong with our ownselves.  Do you have sin or not?  If so, then ask Jesus to wash you clean.  Let him unload your sin.

When I was preaching in Peiping, I met the wife of General Feng Yu Hsiang.  She said, “I've left off attending church for 30 years.  My father was an elder in the church.  During the Boxer Rebellion he sought refuge at the door of the missionary pastor, Rev.  Mark.  The door was shut to him.  The Boxers killed my father."  I said to her, “Don't just look at others' mistakes.  Look at yourself if you haven't any wrong.  You have not attended church.  You have over-esteemed yourself." Brothers and sisters.  Never look at the faults of pastors and evangelists.  Rather look at your ownselves.

When I was at Foochow, a deacon of a certain church had became anti-Christian.  He said to me, "I hate the church."  This man had joined a pastor in business.  His share was $500.  When the business began to fail, the pastor withdrew his share.  He was left in the lurch.  Now, this man only found fault with the pastor, but not with himself.  Beloved brothers and sisters, don't judge others, but rather ourselves.  Look to Jesus and your burden of sin will be lifted.

Vs. 4. “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act." All shouted, “This woman deserves to die.  She was caught in the act of adultery."  Beloved brothers and sisters, the Devil is the chief accuser.  When you fall into sin, he'll accuse you.  But, remember, sin can be removed by faith.  So if your faith is not strong, your sin will not be removed.  All my sins are stamped on my heart.  Your sins are also stamped on your heart.  It is hard to rub them away.  You'll always remember them.  So the Devil keeps on accusing us of our sins.

An old woman picked up a bangle on the road seventy years ago.  She could not forget this matter even now.  She scolds herself for this.  Bitter are all the sins stamped on our heart.  They can never be erased.  If you sin everyday you'll feel the sin more and more, pressing on your heart, and the harder to forget them.  How wretched is human life!  Everyone carries a load of sin.  A child of 2 can sin.  He gets crossed if you give him half a donut.  A child of 5 can lie.  At 7 he can join a gang.  At 8 he can gamble.  At 9 he can steal for pocket money.  At 10 he can hate.  At 11 he can smoke.  At l2 join a fight.  At 13 he can join a demonstration.  At 14 he can read immoral novels; he likes make-up.  Ah, sin increases with age.  At 15 he rebels against parental teaching.  At 16 he becomes a pilferer.  At 17 his mind is corrupted, and practises it in a dark room.  At 18 he can dance and indulge in love-talk.  At 20 he can commit fornication.  Sometimes he thinks of suicide ... How awful!  The older, the greater the sin.  Miserable indeed.  Young people, when you sin, your heart is not happy.  Your mind suffers.  Though not shown on the face, these are hidden within, tears of a broken heart.  Others may not know your sorrows.  Jesus does.  You've thought of ways and means to get rid of your sins, but in vain.  At night your're locked in your room, shedding tears of a broken heart.  Young people, are you not feeling miserable?

Vs. 5. “Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?" Beloved brothers and sisters!  Jesus loves sinners.  He wants to save sinners.  He gave His life to save sinners.  Men say your sin is beyond salvation.  That is the Devil's accusation.  How did Jesus treat this woman?  The woman needed pity.  She wept, head bowed, before the crowd.  But Jesus stopped to lift up her sin-load.  He said, “Woman, I die for your sin." Jesus came to die for sinners, for you and me.  This is the only way for a sinner to find freedom.  There is no other way.

Vs. 6, 7. “This they said tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.  But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground." They did not know what sort of person Jesus was.  All put the question to Jesus, but Jesus perceived it in his heart.  He said to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

Brothers and sisters, Who is without sin?  Here's the womaniser and gambler.  There's the covetous and a robber.  Who is without sin?  They could not answer this simple word from Jesus.  Pitiful!  All are sinners.

Vs. 8. “And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground." After saying this, Jesus stooped down and wrote.  Do you know what Jesus wrote?  Jesus wrote, “I die for every sinner!" Praise the Lord!  Jesus died for everyone of us sinners.  Jesus the sinless has lovingly sacrificed Himself for sinners.  He lifts up every load of sin.  Sinners, we deserve to die.  Who is without sin?

Vs. 9, 10.  “And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."  Beloved brothers and sisters.  Do you understand this verse?  Let us look at them.  There they go, a 75-year-old woman, and a 60-year-old man.  A 55-year-old, a 50, a 40, a 35 and a 30-year-old.  Still another 25-year-old, another 20, one by one.  Where did they go?  O, pitiful, there they went, each carrying a load of sin to hell!  All sinned.  All went to hell.  None of them knew Jesus.

Let us consider if a child can sin?  Look! There goes another aged 15, and yet another 10 years old.  These children knew not Jesus.  Brothers and sisters, with eyes closed, imagine how many were left?  All went, leaving Jesus and the woman.  Why didn't the woman go.  Ah, she had sinned.  She was guilty.  She dared not leave.  She only wept.

She would not leave Jesus.  If she left, she would die.  Jesus said to the woman, “How many are your accusers?" Beloved brothers and sisters, How many had condemned this woman?  The woman said to Jesus, “Lord they are gone.  None."  “Woman, neither do I."  Is this woman happy?  Is she still under sin?  The load of many years' sin, a ton of sin, is lifted.  It is gone!  How was her sin-load lifted?  Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn thee," Beloved brothers and sisters, why was Jesus crucified?  Is it not for our sin? for this woman's sin?  Now that the woman's load of sin is lifted, will she carry it again?  No!

When Jesus has taken away our load of sin, He removes it forever.  How light she now feels.  How happy!  Jesus said to the woman, “Go back."  Where did Jesus tell the woman to go?  To bitter suffering?  Certainly not.  He told her to return to a happy place.  Her sin load is lifted, how delighted!  Go back!  Don't sin again.  Brothers and sisters, go back.  Heaven is our happy home.  This world is all vanity.  We trust Jesus.  That's enough.  Father, mother, brother, sister, they cannot forgive our sin.  Jesus can.  Trusting Jesus, we are forever satisfied.

When I was preaching at Changchow, a girl surnamed Teo came.  The more she listened, the more she found it tasteful and the more warmed up was her heart.  Realising she was a sinner, she confessed her sins immediately after the service.  She went home and told her mother, “Mother, I've believed in Jesus, my Saviour.  He saved me today."  But Mother got very angry.  She beat and scolded her and threatened her with every threat not to believe Jesus.  But she wasn't afraid.  She prayed to Jesus.  When I heard of her staunch faith, I was very happy.  Praise the Lord!

May you my beloved brothers and sisters all trust Jesus.  Your sin-load will be lifted forever!

THEME SONG

Come unto Me, with your heavy load,

I will give you rest, Come and learn of Me,

For I'm meek and lowly, Take my yoke on you.

For my yoke is easy And my burden light.