So, let's turn in our Bibles now, or you can look on the screen also to Psalm 32.
We've been thinking about how the Psalms can help us to grow in our relationship with God,
how they can give us ways of speaking and relating to God. And this week,
we're thinking about confession, we're thinking about repentance. So, Psalm 32, this is a Psalm of
David. Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them, and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me,
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover
up my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore, let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found. Surely the rising of the mighty
waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble and surround me with
songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with
my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be
controlled by bit and bridle, or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's
unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous.
Sing, all you who are upright in heart. Amen. This is God's word. Let's begin by recognizing one of the
wonderful qualities of the Bible, its honesty and its transparency that we find in so many of the
central figures in the Bible. I discovered this week that Psalm 32 was St. Augustine's favorite Psalm.
So back way in the fourth or is it the fifth century? I can't remember. He wrote the confessions,
great exploration of his inner life. And fundamental to his understanding of himself and why he loved
Psalm 32 so much is the reality. And he said it, you can only know yourself when you know God.
And by that, he meant to understand that before a holy God, we are sinners. As John Newton put it,
I am a great sinner and God is a great savior. That's the reality that Augustine found in Psalm 32 that
caused him, as he was dying, to have it inscribed in the wall beside his bed so he could reflect on it.
But when you start to think about some of the major stories that you find, major characters in the Bible,
you recognize there is a willingness to expose their great failings. I was thinking this morning about
Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, who denied three times even knowing Jesus, and then wept
bitterly as he realized what he had done. But Peter at the same time as realizing how deep his sin was,
also discovered how great God's grace was because he was wonderfully restored by Jesus,
was invited in and given an important task of being the foundation, his word, his message being the
foundation for the church. We can think about Jonah in the Old Testament, the ultimate reluctant prophet who
was so angry at God for having compassion and sparing the enemies of God's people.
How did the story of Jonah ever come to be known? Because Jonah recognized his faults
and was willing to share that story as he came to understand God's grace is better than my anger.
Peter and Jonah and Paul and here King David are among many who have looked into their own hearts and
souls and seen the depths of their sin, but they're happy to talk about it as a way to make much of
the amazing grace of God's forgiveness. So their stories and here David's story in Psalm 32 stand as a testimony.
There are sins, there are many, but his mercy is more. Or as we have it here in Psalm 32 in verse 1,
blessed is the one whose sins are covered.
Psalm 32 is a wonderful psalm, but it's a challenging one. At the same time as offering freedom,
it's a truth that challenges us because it forces us to look in on ourselves. Because David is giving
us the message that it's with honest confession and it's with sorrow over our own sin that we find
true blessing and favor from God. That's where joy is found. And that's very different to the message of a lot of
popular self-help psychology. I read an article this week asking the question, are you dealing with guilt?
And this popular psychologist was saying that the key when you're dealing with guilt is to learn to
forgive yourself. And that's fine for a certain kind of guilt where you're holding on to things in the past
that we should leave behind because they've been dealt with. But what about when our sin is against
God and our guilt is real? Then it's not a case of we can forgive ourselves and move on. We need God
to forgive us.
So Psalm 32 forces us to go deeper, but because it does that, it gives much greater freedom and joy
than learning simply to try and forgive ourselves. So as we read Psalm 32 and think about it together,
think about it as the testimony of King David, a King David who is the spiritual leader of Israel.
And here he is using his own failure as part of public worship to teach the people of God that
there is no greater joy than the joy of forgiveness. That that joy comes from confessing sin, not from
trying to cover it up. And then he urges everyone to practice true repentance, to share in his joy.
So let's see him lead us in that direction. Firstly, in the couple of verses, we have his testimony
that there's no greater joy than forgiveness.
The Psalm makes us ask the question, who is the happy person? Who is the truly blessed person?
Who is it that can say they enjoy God's favor?
And as we explore Psalm 32, we need to recognize that Psalm 32 only makes sense, its conclusions only make sense
when we have a biblical view of humanity. That we are made in the image of God and that we are made
for relationship with God and to enjoy his glory. So that we would see the greatest loss we can ever know,
it is to lose fellowship with God and by contrast, the greatest joy is to be reconciled to him.
Because what we have is David celebrating God's amazing grace.
David sings this song all about reconciliation.
God has shown him favor again and again, despite his lawbreaking.
And there's no better news for him than that.
And that then gives him the honesty, knowing that he has found that reconciliation,
it gives him the honesty to really dig down into his sin.
Maybe you noticed as the Psalm was read the different language that's used for sin.
So in verse 1, it speaks of transgressions.
And that brings us to the idea of rebellion against God.
This is us raising our fist in protest against God's rule.
Where just as Adam and Eve did in the garden, we want to set our own course,
deciding for ourselves what is right and wrong and good and evil.
So there is transgression.
There's also in verse 1, the language of sin,
which has the sense of falling short, of a target, of a mark,
of a high jumper trying to jump the bar, but knocking it over,
failing to reach the intended goal.
And then in verse 5, we also have the language of iniquity.
The idea of something that had been straight,
which has now become warped or crooked,
is deviating from the course.
So David is giving a lesson from his own life to say,
I am guilty of an uprising against God.
Though I am the man after God's own heart,
I am guilty of rebelling against God.
I have failed his test.
I am crooked in my nature.
And as David exposes his own heart,
he's inviting us to reflect on our own,
to see that in the same way as he fails,
so do we.
And it's something we need to hear.
Maybe you find yourself, as so many people do today,
struggling with news fatigue.
Wherever we look, online, social media, newspapers,
it seems bad news everywhere.
And it can be so hard and it can be so exhausting,
so we just want to switch off from all the evil that's out there.
David is saying,
do we understand how important it is
to recognize the evil that's in here?
Do we spend time reflecting on the offense
that we cause against God day in and day out?
Because what David discovered in verse two,
it is blessed as the one whose sin the Lord
does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
David is saying there's blessing
when we're totally honest before God,
when we're not trying to cover up or wear a mask,
but we're facing the ugly reality of our sin and our shame,
as we bring it into God's light,
then there can be joy and healing and restoration.
Now, I imagine we know this in our own experience,
a necessary part of really being restored
in a friendship or a relationship
when there's been a breakdown.
We need more than the quick,
sorry,
you know,
the quick,
I'm sorry,
but nobody's perfect.
What we need is somebody to really own
what they have done
that's caused such an offense,
what's caused the breach,
or we need ourselves to do that
if there is to be true restoration.
And the same,
David is saying,
is true of God.
We need to really think deeply
about the ways in which we offend God
in order to enjoy the joy of his forgiveness
and to know the joy of restoration.
As the people of God,
we make much of God's grace
and we must always do that,
but we must not take sin lightly.
So we enjoy grace,
but we take sin lightly.
Take sin seriously, rather.
We also see David,
just as he digs deep into his own sin,
we also see he also draws deeply
from God's atoning work
on behalf of his people.
So when he talks about transgressions,
he talks about the blessing
of the one whose transgressions
are forgiven
and where the cost of reconciliation
has been paid by God
so that our sin can be lifted off us.
And as we know from the New Testament,
it can be lifted off us
because it's placed on Jesus
and he dies for it.
In verse one also,
there's blessing for the one
whose sins are covered
when our sins are removed
out of God's sight.
That was the imagery of the scapegoat.
In the Day of Atonement,
the annual festival
where the nation sought
the forgiveness of God,
the scapegoat was sent
out into the wilderness,
as it were,
carrying the sins of the people
out of their sight
and out of God's sight.
There's blessing for the one
whose sin the Lord
does not count against them
where our record of debt
is cancelled,
where it is wiped clean.
So David reflects on both of these
and he understands that joy returns
after sin
when the separation is ended
by God.
Crucial for us is to not have deceit,
to be open and honest
about our sin and our failure,
but it's also crucial
to recognize
it's God
who forgives.
It's God's grace
that we lean on
and cling to.
Now, of course,
when we're honest,
this is a painful process
and it's not necessarily
a process
that we'd like
to involve ourselves in.
It's far easier
to try and cover up
or cover over
our sin
and our shortcoming.
It's much easier
to try and distract ourselves
and keep ourselves so busy
that we never think
how things stand
between us and God.
It's much easier
to minimize
our wrongdoing,
to pass the blame
on someone else
or our circumstances.
But David's story
as a Christian,
as a believer in God,
is to say
that the only road
to joy
comes when we truly
feel the weight
of our sin
and we repent.
So that's where
his testimony begins
and that sort of
then naturally
leads to
the next section
where he recognizes
that the path to joy
comes from confession
and not cover up.
So he looks at the two ways
that he tried to deal
with his sin.
So let's read
verse 3 and 4 again.
David writes this,
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning
all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me.
My strength was sapped
as in the heat
of summer.
So again,
this is David's testimony
and he's saying
he has learned
from his painful mistake.
Here is David
as a believer
but he is trying
desperately
to ignore his sin.
Rather than being
open with God,
he's being silent
before God
and what's it brought him?
It's brought him
distress and misery.
And he recognizes
why that is.
He says,
It's because God's hand
was heavy on me.
As the Bible says,
God disciplines
those he loves.
God doesn't want
his people
to be comfortable
in their sin.
Rather,
he wants to draw us back
to fellowship with him.
And sometimes
that's a hard road
where God will confront
our rebellion.
So here is David
looking back
and thinking about
that time
where he didn't
confess sin
and he's thinking
of the mental
and the emotional
and the physical
cost to him.
That sense of exhaustion
and being worn out.
In a sense,
he's saying to us,
this road of denial
is a dead end.
If you're looking for joy,
don't go down this way.
Don't go living
with your sin.
Rather,
you need to confess it.
John Calvin,
the reformer,
said that
until people are persuaded
God is reconciled to them,
they are in misery.
Nothing can be more terrible
than to have God
for our enemy.
That's David's experience.
And he's sharing that with us
so that we would learn.
But then in verse 5,
we see David's U-turn.
We see David's repentance.
We see his coming
to his senses.
And here's what he says,
Then I acknowledged
my sin to you
and did not cover up
my iniquity.
I said,
I will confess
my transgressions
to the Lord.
And you forgave
the guilt
of my sin.
No longer silence.
Now he's open
before God.
Now there's repentance.
Now there's confession.
And his discovery,
his wonderful discovery,
is that as he decides
to turn to God,
God turns to him.
God is like the father
in the prodigal son story.
If you remember that story
of the younger son
that demanded half
of the family inheritance
and went away
and wasted it
and while living
and then found himself
living in a pigsty.
He realizes how miserable
his life is
and how he'd be far
better off at home
and he determines
that he's going to go home
and he's going to confess,
I have sinned against heaven
and against you.
And as he comes
in his filth
with nothing
before his father,
his father comes running.
His father embraces him.
His father throws a feast
for this son of his
and that's the character
of God.
God delights
to show mercy
and grace
when we confess
our sin.
And so this is what
David discovered.
When David covered up
his sin,
his life was miserable.
But when God
covered his sin,
there was joy
and there was peace.
And that's the hope
at the heart
of the Christian faith.
That as we recognize
ourselves to be rebel sinners
before God
and against God
and as we
repent of sin,
as we turn to God,
we discover that God
in Jesus
has made a way
for us to be reconciled.
That God has sent
his own son Jesus
to pay the debt
for our sin,
to cover our sin,
to bear the punishment
for our sin
so that we can be adopted
into the family of God.
And David understood
that's where joy is.
Not in covering up
but in confessing.
And this is why
believing the gospel
matters so much
for us as Christians
and as a church.
It reminds us
that we need to be honest
about the bad news
of our sin.
If we just cover over sin
and act like it's no big deal,
then the good news
of what Jesus
has come to do
will make no sense
to people.
Unless we see
the horror
and the ugliness
of sin,
unless we see
the misery that we're in
and the prospect
of eternal judgment,
then the good news
of what Jesus offers
won't connect
with people at all.
To receive the message
of Jesus as good news,
we need to see
the bad news of sin.
It's also important
to recognize
that we are justified
by the righteousness
of Christ.
It's not my record
that saves me,
it's Jesus'
perfect record.
That's where salvation is.
And that means
that as Christians,
we don't need
to try and cover up.
We don't need
to act better
than we are.
We should be humble
and not proud.
We should be free
to confess our sin,
understanding
that it's not on me
to save myself,
rather it's on Jesus,
his perfect record,
his finished work.
So there's hope
when we understand
how we are reckoned
to be righteous
before God.
It's also important
to see the heart of God,
to recognize
in the gospel
that we are presented
with a good
and a loving God.
The one who knows
the very worst
about us,
but still in Christ,
loves to forgive
and to save.
That even before
he'd created the world,
God, Father, Son,
and Spirit
had established
a plan of salvation
to bring to himself
all who would confess
their sin.
So the gospel brings joy
and David understood that.
And so we are invited
to learn from David's
personal story
that those who know
the sorrow of repentance
at one and the same time
know the deep joy
of God's forgiveness
as we turn to him.
And so then that leads
David towards this testimony
where he really begins
to share his lesson
with the rest
of the worshiping community.
Where he says,
follow this path
to share
this joy.
Imagine if
right now
as part of our worship
we were to catalogue
our own sin
and failure.
Imagine how horrific
that would feel for us.
But recognize
that here is David
introducing
into public worship
at one of those times
where he is
acknowledging
before all the people
that he sinned
against God,
that he was silent
before God,
he was slow
to repent.
Here he honestly
is confessing
his deep sin
so that glory
would come to God
and so that people
would learn a lesson
from him.
He's giving instruction.
He's teaching lessons
that he has learned
through his pain.
Two lessons
for us.
First,
David says,
repent
quickly.
Verse 6
and 7.
Therefore let all
the faithful
pray to you
while you may be found.
Surely the rising
of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
You are my hiding place.
You will protect me
from trouble
and surround me
with songs
of deliverance.
Repent,
turn to God
in prayer
while God
may be found.
Recognizing today
is the day of opportunity.
Today
is a day
of grace.
And so David
very simply
is saying
to the people
of God,
don't put off
putting things
right with your God.
Confess,
repent
quickly.
And he gives
a couple of pictures
to help.
In verse 6
he talks about
the floodwaters
rising.
Most probably
a picture
of judgment,
maybe even
final judgment.
We need
to be right
with God
to find favor
with God
that we might be
spared from
God's judgment.
Think Noah.
Noah found favor
with God
and he was
in the ark.
We need to
find favor
with God
to be spared.
And then
in verse 7
we repent
quickly
to discover
again
God
as our
hiding place,
God
as our
place
of protection,
God
the safe
haven
in the
storms
of life,
God
the one
who will
bring us
through
the storm
of judgment
and bring
us
to
himself.
We need
to be
restored
to know
that safety
of being
with
our
God.
So we
repent
quickly.
And the
next lesson
he gives
to the
worshiping
people of
God
is to
repent
willingly.
Verse 9
Do not
be like
the horse
or the
mule
which have
no
understanding
but must
be controlled
by bit
and bridle
or they
will not
come to
you.
We have
that saying
in English
don't be
stubborn
as a
mule.
And when
it comes
to repentance
absolutely
don't be
stubborn
as the
mule.
What does
he mean
by that?
Well in
verse 9
he says
don't lack
understanding.
Donkeys
horses
they don't
have
understanding
don't be
like that
understand
God is
a judge
repentance
is vital
God is
a loving
father
therefore we
should turn
to him
quickly and
gladly.
He says
don't be
like the
horse and
mule that
need to
be dragged
in the
direction
they should
go.
Don't
live in
the misery
of
unconfessed
sin.
Don't
live with
the guilt.
Don't
live with
that sense
of shame.
Don't
live with
the exhausting
effort of
trying to
cover up
and live
in denial
rather than
being honest
and open
with our
God.
Go quickly
and don't
be dragged
to the
place of
repentance.
David
learned the
misery and
wants to
spare them
and us
from that.
Don't be
like the
horse.
Don't be
like the
donkey.
Don't resist
drawing near.
Don't always
be pulling
away.
Learn from
the story of
the prodigal
son.
You know
he couldn't
wait to get
away from
his father.
Couldn't
wait to get
away from
the security
and love
of home
and find
himself in
the misery
of the pigsty.
And he
came to his
senses and
he returned
to his
father and
he enjoyed
welcome and
he enjoyed
love.
In verse
10,
those who
return
discover the
Lord's
unfailing
love instead
of meeting
with woe.
Repent
quickly,
repent
willingly and
the result
he begins
where he
finishes
with joy.
The greatest
joy,
the joy of
the friendship
of the Lord,
the joy of
fellowship with
God is
ours as
we
repent.
So we've
heard David's
testimony.
He's written
this song for
public worship
so that the
people of God
that we might
know where
true joy
lies.
It lies in
being forgiven
and reconciled
to God.
That we
would see
the path
to that
being open
before God
and confessing
our sin.
And we've
heard his
invitation
to follow
that path,
to share
his joy.
God
and
so
all
of
us
have
to
make
that
decision.
It's a
lifestyle.
This isn't a
one-off thing.
We're always
guilty of
sin.
Therefore,
our whole
lives need
to be one
of repenting
and trusting
in God's
grace.
So if you're
not a Christian
here today,
if you're
listening in,
you need to,
for the first
time,
repent from
sin and
believe in
Jesus,
to have
him as
Lord and
Saviour.
And for
those of us
who are
Christians,
we still
need every
day to
enjoy close
fellowship with
God.
And that
means dealing
with the
things that
go wrong
in our
hearts,
dealing with
the sin
in our
lives,
so that
we can,
with David,
know the
blessing and
the joy of
those whose
sins are
covered and
forgiven.
Let's pray
together.