Introduction: You probably won't hear many sermons about adultery, and it is easy to understand why. The preacher is either "preaching to the choir," or preaching to people who don't want to be reminded of their sins. John the Baptist preached against Herod's adultery, and he was beheaded. I hope I won't be beheaded after the service this morning. There are basically two lessons we should learn from this story:

I. We should learn that Adultery is a sin that ruins people both in this life, and in the world to come.

• A. The woman brought before Jesus was in danger of being executed (John 8:5).
• B. The Old Testament law against adultery is very interesting (Deuteronomy 22:22-29).
• C. There are still a good many laws against adultery in the United States, though these laws are rarely enforced. In the District of Columbia adultery carries a maximum penalty of $500 or 180 days in jail. In 20 states like Virginia and Maryland affairs are misdemeanors. In Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin adultery is a still a full-fledged felony. In 1997 an Illinois man charged his wife with adultery, using a little-known statute that provides for a punishment of up to a year in prison. I don't know what Tennessee law says about adultery.
• D. Legal consequences or not, adultery ruins lives. It breaks up most marriages where it occurs. It devastates families. It leads to broken hearts and damaged children. Children of adults having adulterous affairs are likely to be sexually promiscuous themselves.
• E. The Bible tells us that damnation is the eternal consequence to those who live lives of adultery, and who refuse to repent (I Corinthians 6:9-11). No salvation without repentance (John 8:11).

II. We should learn to avoid a hypocritical "I'm better than you are" mentality.

• A. The Scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites, and had to hang their heads in shame (John 8:7-9).
• B. Note carefully: Jesus did not disagree with their judgment. He disagreed with their attitude. We must make judgments about sinners and their actions. We are commanded to do so (Deut. 25:1; and John 7:24). We must be able to discern good from evil, and good persons from evil persons.
• C. But we must humbly recognize our own sinfulness before proceeding to condemn others. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." "Get the log out of your own eye, before railing at your brother about the splinter in his eye."
• D. Our attitude toward sinners should be "evangelistic" more than "condemnation." The preaching against sin must be there, but our purpose should be to bring people to Christ, not to punish.

Conclusion: Our culture is permeated by adultery. It is promoted in the movies, on TV, in popular fiction, and so on. People in high places do it, it is broadcast all over the nation, and most people just shrug it off.

People say: "Who cares as long as he is doing his job?" "Who cares what she did, it's none of our business." "Who cares what he did, we need him for our cause." "Who cares about adultery, it's only sex, no big deal; too minor for God to care about in the light of all our other problems."

Our culture tells us and our children that adultery is no longer a big deal, but God says "Thou shalt not commit adultery." We must keep God's standard in the church, and teach the Laws of God to our children. We must reach out to our community with the Gospel by being the light in the darkness, and by winning men and women to Christ.