C.S. Lewis once said,
Time does not erase the fact or the guilt of sin.
! Time does not erase the fact or the guilt of sin.
! Last year, just before Easter,
our washing machine started spilling water out of the overflow pipe during its rinse cycle.
One morning I was leaving the house,
and next thing there was this flood of water coming out from underneath the washing machine.
And to cut a long story short,
what had happened is there had been a blockage in one of the pipes under our floorboards,
and during the rinse cycle, the water was going down the overflow pipe,
hitting the blockage and then just backing its way up and pouring out onto the kitchen floor.
Now in the weeks and months previous, I had been given a few warnings.
So I remember one morning seeing a trickle of water come out from underneath the washing machine,
and I just grabbed one of Jackie's blouses and dried it up.
A few weeks previous, I remember on the rinse cycle,
the kitchen sink started spitting water up and gurgling loudly.
But because there wasn't any sort of volcanic eruption, I just ignored it.
And then just a few days before the blockage,
the kitchen sink started to drain really slowly, like, really slowly.
Like, hello, there's a blocked pipe below kind of slope.
But you know what I was thinking when I got all these warning signs?
It'll be alright.
It'll clear.
Ah, it'll be a wee blockage.
It'll clear in time.
And then it happened.
The blockage, the overflow,
and there I was with tiles and everything all over the kitchen floor.
And after four hours of me trying to fix it,
the kitchen sink wasn't even draining.
And it came at quite a stressful time.
I actually was going off to Australia to speak at a conference,
and I had talks to prepare.
I had this talk to prepare.
And I didn't have the time to be fixing a blocked pipe under my floorboards.
And then, in God's kindness and providence,
I realized,
here was an illustration
staring me right in the face.
We sin every day.
By thought,
by word,
by deed.
If we do not confess our sins,
then it is like the accumulation of dirt
in the pipes of our relationship with God.
If sin is unconfessed,
then it just sits there,
building up and clogging up our relationship with God.
And one thing is for certain,
time does not erase the fact or the guilt of sin.
And that was a lesson that King David had to learn.
And in learning it,
he left us with a wonderful example
of a Christian confession of sin.
This psalm,
Psalm 51,
set within the context of the whole Bible,
gives us five aspects
of a Christian confession of sin.
Number one,
confession of sin
comes only
through divine revelation.
Confession of sin
comes only
through divine revelation.
Just take a glance down
to the superscription.
That's the beginning part
in your Bibles.
If you've got the NIV,
it's the bit
at the beginning of Psalm 51
in capital letters.
Now this
hasn't been added
by the NIV
or ESV
translators.
This is part of the original.
It's not irrelevant.
It's actually the key
to understanding this psalm.
In fact,
it presents us
with the foundation
for a Christian confession of sin.
To the choir master,
a psalm of David
when Nathan,
the prophet,
went to him
after
he had gone in
to Bathsheba.
Now we're not told
how long it was
between David committing
adultery
with Bathsheba
and Nathan,
the prophet's visit.
But from the story
of 2 Samuel 11 and 12,
it looks like Nathan
came to David
either just before
or just after
the birth
of the boy
who was born
from this adulterous affair.
That's about
nine months.
Nine months
to wake up.
Nine months
to come to his senses.
Nine months
for the guilt
to get so heavy
that eventually
he cracks
and runs back
to God
in confession.
I mean,
just think about
what he had done.
He had failed
to go to war.
2 Samuel 11
starts with those
wonderful words.
In the spring
when kings
go off
to war,
David
sent
Joab,
his commander,
to fight
the Ammonites.
What a brilliant way
to open the drama.
So not only
does he not go to war
when he should have,
he sends somebody else
to fight the war
for him.
And then one night
as he's looking out
on his balcony,
he spots a woman,
another man's wife.
And a bit of laziness
leads to lust
and the lust
leads to an affair.
But David
wants to cover it up
until his secret
hits a bump.
Quite literally
in the tummy
of Bathsheba.
So what does he do?
He calls her husband
back from war.
He tries to tell him
to go and spend
a night with a missus
so that he can
cover up his crime.
And when he doesn't
play ball,
he brings him
to his dinner table,
gets him drunk,
sends him back again,
still doesn't play ball.
So what does he do?
He sends him back
to the battlefield
with his own
death warrant
in his hand.
he says to Joab,
make sure you put
Uriah,
Bathsheba's husband,
at the front
of the battle line.
And in that fight,
it wasn't just
Uriah who died,
it was other men
who died
fighting on the front
with Uriah
because David's army
pulled back
and let them
get killed.
And then when the
messenger comes
to David and says,
Uriah is dead,
David responds
with ice cold
calculation.
Well,
that's war.
Some are taken,
some are not.
C'est la vie.
Now,
nine months
David had to live
with all of those
things on his
conscience.
270 nights
going to sleep
with blood
on his hands.
So why didn't
he repent?
Why couldn't
he come
to his senses?
I mean,
if you
had had a secret
affair,
you'd lied,
you'd murdered
someone to cover up,
wouldn't you
come to your senses?
Wouldn't you
wake up
and say,
okay,
enough's enough,
I need to admit
I've done wrong?
Well,
the reason why
David didn't
and the reason
why neither you
nor I would
is because
the DNA of sin
is deception.
Built into the
very nature
of sin
is deceitfulness.
And that is why
David didn't have
the wherewithal,
the objective
self-assessment,
the ability
to differentiate
between himself
and his sin
and to be able
to see that
what he had done
was wrong
and to confess
his sins.
This is the fact
that the Bible
gives us,
that as human beings
we do not have
the ability
for true,
clear,
objective,
accurate
self-assessment,
self-analysis.
David didn't
and neither do we
because sin
is deceitful.
it was the Puritan
John Flavel
who said
that you are
more likely
today
to stop the sun
in its tracks
or to make
rivers run uphill
than you are
to order
or rule
your own heart.
Think about that.
You are more likely
to stop the sun
moving
east to west
than you are
to rule
and order
your own heart.
and that is
the fact
of sin.
It is
deceitful.
So what was it
that brought
David
to repentance?
Well the answer is there
in the superscription.
Divine
revelation.
A psalm of David
that he wrote
when
Nathan
the prophet
went to him.
confession of sin
comes only
through divine
revelation.
confession of sin
faces sin
square on.
Confession of sin
faces sin
square on.
Verses 1
to 6
Now I should warn you
this point is the
longest of all
of the five
because if we are
going to confess
our sins are right
then we need to
first understand
exactly what sin is.
And David
gives us a very
comprehensive view
of sin.
He covers three
aspects.
Its definition
its defilement
and its dimensions.
Let's look at
sin's definition
verses 1 and 2.
Have mercy
on me
O God
according to
your steadfast
love
according to
your abundant
mercy
blot out
my transgressions
wash me
thoroughly
from my
iniquity
and cleanse
me
from my
sin.
Did you notice
the different
ways David
refers to
his crimes
transgressions
iniquity
sin
transgression
in verse 1
refers to
rebellion
the breaking
of God's
law
transgression
is willful
deliberate
defiant
acts of
rebellion
at the heart
of a human
being
is a rebel
I'm sure
you have
seen that
perhaps with
some of your
children or
other people's
children
you say
to your
child
don't touch
that
and then
what do you
find them
doing within
30 seconds
sort of
just loitering
around the
thing you
said don't
touch
and then
they go
to touch
it
what is
that
that is
defiant
rebellion
I remember
a friend of
mine years
ago in a
church
he'd become
a grandfather
and he
tells a story
of when his
daughter
his granddaughter
came into
the house
one day
and she
came in
and in the
hallway
his wife
had this
beautiful
vase
at a table
about knee
height
and they
came into
the house
and the
little daughter
went
she was about
three years
old
she went
straight for
the vase
and the
mother and
the grandmother
said now
this is a
beautiful vase
we don't want
you to touch
it so
come into
the living
room
and the
mother was
very clear
this is
grandmother's
vase
you do
not touch
this vase
well within
a few minutes
everyone was
in the living
room enjoying
conversation
and the
grandfather
sitting in
the chair
noticed that
the granddaughter
made her way
back out into
the hallway
towards this
little table
and the door
was ajar
so he could
see out
and she
went to the
table and
she sort of
looked over
her shoulder
took her
vase and
pushed it
onto the
ground
and it
smashed
now what
is that
that is
transgression
that is a
deliberate
defiant
rebellion
against a
mother's
rule
and that is
what transgression
is in the
bible
god gives
us his
law
and we
deliberately
break it
the second
word is
iniquity
verse 2
this refers
to perversity
it means
to bend
or to
pervert
it's used
in some
context of
straying off
a path
waywardness
of the
three terms
here
this is the
internal word
it refers
to the
warped
human
nature
bent
from the
inside
it's like
one writer
calls it
the incurve
the incurvature
human beings
are bent
on the
inside
when I see
this word
in the
bible
I think
of
golem
in lord
of the
rings
you know
that
pathetic
creature
who grasped
for the
precious
the ring
only to
find himself
bent
inward
left
with only
himself
imprisoned
by his
own
jealousies
and hatred
the groove
of the
incurve
had taken
its toll
and he
had just
continued
to down
spiral
in his
depravity
that
is a
picture
of
iniquity
perversity
the
incurve
and then
there is
the word
sin
this is
referring
this refers
to failure
to missing
the mark
like an
arrow
that falls
short
of its
target
God's
glory
and holiness
is the
target
and we
have
fallen
short
of that
but we
mustn't
think
that we
were trying
to aim
for the
target
and we
were just
unfortunate
not to
hit it
no
as we
were aiming
for the
target
we
deliberately
moved
our arm
so that
we missed
the target
this word
sin needs
to be
understood
in the
context
of the
other two
words
transgression
and iniquity
we deliberately
wanted
to miss
God's
target
and so
there we
have it
the terrible
threesome
of human
depravity
transgression
iniquity
and sin
and it is
these three
words in the
Old Testament
that capture
the concept
of sin
and David
defines his
actions with
all three
words
that is
sin's
definition
then there is
sin's
defilement
did you
notice
the verbs
that David
uses
verse 1
blot
out
verse 2
wash
me
thoroughly
verse 2
cleanse
me
what picture
do those
words
give you
remember
years ago
as a
physiotherapist
working in a
hospital
and on a
few occasions
when I was
working with
spinal cord
injury
patients
I got
human
feces
on my
hands
and my
clothes
and I
remember
the feeling
of it
I wanted
to blot
out the
dirt
I wanted
to run
to a
shower room
and get
out of my
clothes
and burn
the clothes
not just get
them washed
I wanted
to burn
them
and I wanted
to get in
a hot
shower
and I want
to get
my hands
in it
and I wanted
to be
thoroughly
cleansed
and that
is the
picture
that David
gives us
here
sin
stinks
sin
defiles
sin
stains
and what
David wants
is to be
thoroughly
washed
to be
thoroughly
cleansed
from the
defilement
of sin
well he
gives us
sin's
definition
he gives
us
sin's
defilement
but he
also gives
us
various
dimensions
of sin
verses
3-6
this
aspect
of sin
relates
to its
inescapability
did you
notice the
word
for
at the
beginning
of verse
3
David
wants his
sin
blotted
out
and he
wants
himself
washed
and cleansed
because
his sin
is inescapable
for
my
transgressions
and my
sin
is ever
before me
that is
the first
dimension
the outward
dimension
sin
is outside
him
staring
him
down
his language
conveys the
idea of
guilt
that is
attached
to sin
that external
burden
that you
feel
when you
have sinned
the guilt
and the
dread
of what
you have
done
then there's
the vertical
dimension
verse 4
against you
only
against you
you only
have I
sinned
and done
what is
evil
in your
sight
now I'm
sure you
notice the
anomaly
there
against you
you only
have I
sinned
and done
what is
evil
in your
sight
I mean
was David
sucking back
too much
and a bit
Israeli wine
or something
when he
wrote this
I mean
who has he
sinned
against
he sinned
against
Bathsheba
he sinned
against
Joab
he sinned
against
the nation
he sinned
against
Uriah
he sinned
against
the people
who died
in battle
beside
Uriah
he sinned
against
his whole
army
he sinned
against
his servants
who called
Bathsheba
to come
to his
room
he sinned
against
everyone
who hasn't
he sinned
against
he sinned
against
his own
wives
yet here he says
against you, you only
it's emphatic
I have sinned
what is the point that he's trying to make
well it's surely this
that in a sense when we sin
no matter the collateral damage
at the end of the day it all pales into insignificance
because God is God
he is thrice holy as we have sang this morning
and when we sin
the primary person against whom we have sinned is God
that's why David actually chooses a new word
to define his actions
he doesn't choose transgression or iniquity or sin
do you see that in verse 4
he uses a new word, evil
he sees his sin in a whole new dimension
when it is seen before the face of God
this whole escapade with Bathsheba
and Uriah and the lies
and the affair and the murder
it is one heinous act of evil
in God's sight
so that's the vertical dimension
we've seen the outward one
the vertical one
and then there's an inward one
verses 5 to 6
this is the dimension that is internal
internal
behold I was brought forth in iniquity
and in sin did my mother conceive me
behold you delight in truth
in the inward being
and you teach me wisdom
in the secret heart
I remember at Bible college
the principal coming in one day
he was teaching us original sin
and he said
he had just had a granddaughter
who'd been born
and he started the class by saying
my beautiful granddaughter
is making me doubt the doctrine
of original sin
now he was only joking
but David here is not playing around
is he?
as he wriggled forth
that's actually what the Hebrew says
as I wriggled forth from my mother
I wriggled in iniquity
I came out of my mother
with the incurve at work
with perversity
with waywardness
cute and cuddly
on the outside
but with the incurve
on the inside
but he doesn't just stop there
at his birth
as if that wasn't enough
he goes back
to the very moment of conception
that moment when
one sperm out of hundreds of millions
fertilized an egg
in his mother
at that very moment
what does David say?
there was sin
present
conceived in sin
born in iniquity
I'm sure you've seen the program
one born every minute
can you imagine
after all of the screaming
and pushing
and yelling
and that's just the husband
the baby is born
and this beautiful
cute baby
is curled up
on his mother's breast
and the midwife
comes in
with one of those
helium balloons
and hands it to the husband
says congratulations
and he takes the helium balloon
and hands it to the wife
and it says congratulations
it's
a sinner
can you imagine?
and yet
that is actually
what David is saying here
from my birth
I have been like this
and the point he's making
is this
we are not sinners
because we sin
you don't first sin
and then become a sinner
what David's saying is
we sin because we are sinners
it is part of our nature
now that doesn't take away
the responsibility
but he is trying to get back
to the root of his problem
and it goes back
to his conception
to his birth
and these polluted waters
of sinful nature
they run deep within all of us
you see
there David says in verse 6
in the inward being
in the secret heart
God teaches us wisdom
God is saying
I want you to be truthful
even in the subconscious
parts of your being
let me take you back
to that incident
of my friend's granddaughter
as she went out of the room
back to the vase
the dog followed her
and the door was sort of
left ajar
and the grandfather
was watching
and she sort of
looked through and through
and she pushed the vase
onto the floor
and it smashed
and then she came
running back
into the living room
crying
and do you know
what she was saying
it was doggy
well it wasn't doggy
the dog stood beside her
but she was the one
who pushed her
but now
she is three years old
she has no siblings
she is the first one
where did she learn that
that is not learned behavior
that is not a child
who is mal-adjusted
or has anxiety issues
that is sin
in the deep recesses
of her conscience
to lie like that
to her mother
and what David is saying
is God requires truth
from us
even in those inner parts
of her being
well David
as you can see
has faced his sin
square on
he has taught us
the doctrine
of total depravity
our sin is original
our sin is everywhere
it is outside us
we are sinning
before God
it is inside us
David
has faced sin
square on
well number three
confession of sin
acknowledges God
alone
as the only
effective savior
confession of sin
acknowledges God
alone
as the only
effective savior
verses 7
to 12
purge me with
hyssop
and I shall be
clean
wash me
and I shall be
whiter than snow
let me hear joy
and gladness
let the bones
you have broken
rejoice
hide your face
from my sins
and blot out
all my iniquities
create in me
a clean heart
oh God
and renew
a right spirit
within me
cast me not
away from your
presence
and take not
your Holy Spirit
from me
restore to me
the joy
of your salvation
and uphold me
with a willing
spirit
what is interesting
here is that
David's request
here is that
he renews his
appeal for
cleansing in
verses 7
to 9
something that
he's asked for
in verses 1
and 2
but he adds
in another
request
verses 10
to 12
David is not
requesting here
it's the request
sorry for renewal
David's not
requesting here
the decisive
cleansing of
renewal
at conversion
but rather
the ongoing
cleansing
and renewal
in a believer's
life
we continue
the Christian
life
as we began
it
with repentance
and renewal
and you'll notice
David requests
both repentance
and renewal
sorry both
cleansing
and renewal
he wants
cleansed
and renewed
because
without cleansing
there is no
lasting
change
no lasting
renewal
but note
also the
order of
the events
or the
requests
he wants
first
to be
cleansed
and then
to be
renewed
this is
something that
secular thinking
in psychology
and sociology
has not really
grasped
what do they
try to do
they switch
that around
they try to
change the
human being
first
in order that
they might
cleanse their
conscience
but the Bible
gives us a
completely different
way of dealing
with our sin
first we need
to be cleansed
and then
we need to
be renewed
I like to
think of these
two aspects
of confession
a bit like
light and
heat
in order to
have heat
you must
first have
light
but where
there is
light
there will
be heat
and when
you ask
God to
cleanse you
he's not
just going
to cleanse
you
he wants
to change
you as well
and that
is what
is at
the heart
of confession
a request
for cleansing
and renewal
but I wonder
if you notice
what was most
striking about
the heart
of this
confession
in verses
7 to 12
every verse
that I've just
read there
contains two
imperatives
two commands
two requests
to God
that's 12
all together
in fact the
whole psalm
is dominated
by imperatives
20 times
in 19
verses
20 times
David
requests
something
from God
now that's
not just a
piece of
statistical
trivia for
the mathematicians
in the
congregation
by calling
on God
to do
something
20 times
in a matter
of 19
verses
and 12
times
in a matter
of 6
verses
in the
middle
of the
psalm
David
is making
a profound
theological
point
and it's
this
only God
can cleanse
only God
can change
a person
he doesn't
turn inward
to himself
he doesn't
find the
resources
for change
or improvement
or development
of himself
inside
himself
he has
to go
outside
himself
he has
to go
to God
the interesting
verb
the most
interesting
verb
of all
of the
ones
that he
uses
in verse
10
create
in me
a clean
heart
oh God
in
biblical
Hebrew
there's
about
three or
four
verbs
that are
used
for
creating
or making
there's a
verb
yatsar
it's used
of God
fashioning
the heavens
and the
earth
but it's
also used
of a
potter
in Isaiah
fashioning
and forming
his clay
there's the
verb
asah
which is
used in
Genesis 2
of God
making man
from the
dust of
the earth
but it's
also used
in Genesis
12
of Abraham
making an
altar
at Shechem
there is
a third
verb
it's
the
verb
bara
the
beginning
of the
Hebrew
Bible
starts
in the
beginning
God
created
and what
is interesting
about this
verb
bara
is that
God
is only
ever
the subject
of this
verb
it's not
that the
verb means
to create
from nothing
every single
time
it does
mean that
in Genesis
1
but the
interesting
thing about
the verb
is it
occurs 45
times in
the Old
Testament
and never
is it used
of a human
being
a human
being
never
bara's
that's terrible
Hebrew
but a human
being never
does bara
only God
now which
verb do you
think David
used here
it's the
verb bara
he's saying
God
you
alone
are the
one who
can create
this new
heart in
me
and that
is the
profound
point
that David
is making
only God
can perform
heart surgery
on a human
being
I remember
years ago
being at a
conference
and seeing
on the
bookstall
at this
conference
a book
with the
title
You Can
Change
and I
remember
thinking
who
ordered
that
dodgy
book
for this
Christian
conference
and then
I realised
I had
I was the
one on
the
bookstall
and as
I got
closer
I remembered
the subtitle
and I could
see it there
You Can
Change
sounds like a
bit of pop
psychology
You Can
Change
subtitle
God's
transforming
power
for your
negative
emotions
and sinful
behaviour
it's a great
book
it's by
Tim
Chester
You Can
Change
God's
transforming
power
there's the
answer
to change
do you ever
feel caught
in the
cycle of
your sin
the answer
is not
in some
pop
psychology
or even
some well
researched
psychology
the answer
is turning
to God
and saying
God
create
in me
a clean
heart
and renew
a steadfast
spirit
within me
now up to
this point
in the
sermon
you may
be wondering
if my
name is
Rabbi
Gibson
after all
there is
nothing
different
here in
this sermon
from a
Jewish
exposition
of this
confession
of sin
which brings
us to
our fourth
point
confession
of sin
is centered
on Christ
and his
cross
confession
of sin
is centered
on Christ
and his
cross
verses 16
to 19
there are
hints in
this psalm
that the real
help for our
sin lies
in the future
the hints
come in the
form of
tensions
there's two
tensions
within the
psalm
that point us
beyond the
psalm
for their
resolution
the first
tension
is to do
with the
word
righteousness
look back
at verse
4
against you
you only
have I
sinned
and done
what is
evil in
your sight
so that
you may
be righteous
justified
righteous
in your
words
and blameless
in your
judgment
David
acknowledges
that his
actions
before God
are evil
David is
referring to
the time
God spoke
and judged
his sin
when Nathan
the prophet
visited him
in that
encounter
Nathan
said to
David
you are
the man
and what
you have
done
is evil
so when
David recalls
his actions
here and
calls them
evil
he's saying
I agree
with you
God
that you
have a right
to judge
me
that you
are righteous
in condemning
my sin
so keep
that in
mind
here in
verse 4
he's used
the word
righteousness
to refer
to condemning
his sin
now come
with me
to verse
14
deliver me
from blood
guiltiness
O God
of my
salvation
and my
tongue
will sing
aloud of
your
mercy
it doesn't
say that
it says
my tongue
will sing
aloud of
your
righteousness
David
wants to
sing of
God's
righteousness
in saving
him from
his sin
in fact
look at
the word
blood
guiltiness
he's saying
I murdered
someone
now will
you please
save me
because of
your
righteousness
do you see
the tension
in verse 4
David is saying
you were
righteous to
condemn me
to judge
me for
my sin
and in
verse 14
he's saying
be righteous
and save
me from
my sin
now how
can God
be righteous
in both
ways
how can he
judge sin
in verse 4
and yet at
the same
time
at the very
same time
how can he
show mercy
and rescue
David from
the exact
same
sin
do you feel
the tension
it's real
but it's not
the only
tension
there's a
second
tension
did you
notice the
tension
surrounding
sacrifice
verses 16
and 17
for you
will not
delight in
sacrifice
or I will
give it
you will
not be
pleased
with a
burnt
offering
the
sacrifices
of God
are a
broken
spirit
a broken
and contrite
heart
of God
you will
not
despise
so what
does God
delight in
not burnt
offerings
but a
broken
heart
now look
at verses
18 and
19
do good
to Zion
in your
good pleasure
build up
the walls
of Jerusalem
then you
will delight
in right
sacrifices
are these
the sacrifices
of a broken
heart
no
you will
delight in
burnt
offerings
and whole
burnt
offerings
then bulls
will be
offered on
your altar
I mean
which sacrifice
is it
is it the
sacrifice
of a broken
heart
or is it
the sacrifice
of bulls
which delights
God
burnt
bull
or broken
heart
do you feel
the tension
so the question
is how
shall we
resolve
these
tensions
perhaps the
better question
is where
shall we
resolve these
tensions
well the
new testament
gives us a
very simple
answer
at the
cross
of Christ
in Romans
chapter 3
verse 21
Paul says
but now
a righteousness
from God
has been
revealed
and then he
goes on to
say that God
presented Christ
as a
propitiation
as a wrath
appeasing
sacrifice
for sin
so that
he might
be
righteous
just
in punishing
sin
and the
justifier
the saviour
of those
who have
faith in
Jesus
in other
words
in the
one
moment
of the
cross
when Christ
received the
father's wrath
for our sins
the righteousness
of God
was revealed
he judged
sin
and at the
very same
moment he
saved
sinners
the cross
is the
place
to resolve
this tension
where God
can be
righteous
and judge
sin
and God
can be
righteous
and rescue
people
because
righteousness
refers to
God acting
in accordance
with his
character
his character
is holy
so he must
judge sin
but his
character
is also
grace
and mercy
and so
he must
rescue
sinners
this is
also
where the
tension
of which
sacrifice
delights
God
is resolved
which
sacrifice
delights
God
a broken
heart
or a
burnt
bull
answer
both
for at
the cross
it was not
a bull
that was
burnt
but it
was a
son
that was
bruised
as a
fulfillment
of all
of the
Old Testament
bull
sacrifices
and when
a sinner
comes to
this cross
of Jesus
Christ
they bring
nothing
but
brokenness
the
sacrifice
of
brokenness
does not
appease
God
this is
where Roman
Catholicism
has got
penance
wrong
the
sacrifice
of
brokenness
does not
please
God
the
sacrifice
of
brokenness
pleases
God
because
it is a
recognition
that you
have no
sacrifice
to bring
does that
make sense
the sacrifice
of brokenness
pleases
God
because
you're
saying
there must
be another
sacrifice
I've got
nothing
to bring
nothing
in my
hand I
bring
simply
to your
cross
I cling
naked
come to
you for
dress
helpless
look to
you for
grace
fall
I
to the
fountain
fly
wash
me
savior
or
I
die
the
reason
your
brokenness
delights
God
is because
you're
saying
I
need
the
bruised
son
to die
in my
place
confession
of sin
is centered
on Christ
and his
cross
and finally
confession
of sin
is only
ever met
by God's
grace
confession
of sin
is only
ever met
by God's
grace
verses
18
and 19
do good
to Zion
in your
good pleasure
build up
the walls
of Jerusalem
then you
will delight
in right
sacrifices
and burnt
offerings
and whole
burnt
offerings
then bulls
will be
offered
on your
altar
isn't that a
strange way
to end
this psalm
I thought
this was
all about
David's
personal
sin
but he
ends
talking
about
the
protection
of
Jerusalem
and
restored
corporate
worship
in Zion
why
well the
answer is
simple
David
has realized
that when
he sinned
he did
not sin
as an
individual
he did
sin as
an individual
but he
is not a
mere
individual
David
is a
representative
individual
what is
David
he is a
father
he is a
husband
he is a
king
and he
knows that
when he
has sinned
he has
sinned in
each of
those
offices
and so
he knows
that his
sin while
personal
will always
have collateral
damage
and that is
the same
with us
brothers and
sisters
I am a
husband
I am a
father
when I
sin
in my
home
it is not
just me
who suffers
my wife
suffers
my son
suffers
and David
here confesses
his sin
as an
individual
but he
also
confesses
his sin
as a
husband
and a
father
and primarily
as a
king
of Israel
and he
knows
that because
of his
sin
there has
been
collateral
damage
the baby
is born
and the
baby
dies
during
his
affair
with
Bathsheba
and the
murder
of Uriah
the war
against the
Ammonites
was halted
they couldn't
defeat
the Ammonites
and so
David
prays to
God
that God
might act
in mercy
and do
good
to Zion
Lord
don't let
my sin
hinder
the progress
of this
nation
and that
is why
he says
do good
to Zion
in your
good pleasure
build up
the walls
of Jerusalem
now the
question is
what was
David's
confession
met with
this psalm
doesn't give
us the
answer
but when
you put
this psalm
in the
context
of the
whole
Bible
what you
see is
that David's
confession
was only
met
with grace
he confessed
his sin
read 2
Samuel
chapter 12
what happens
they go back
to war
and they
defeat the
Ammonites
Israel
is protected
who
is the
heir to
the throne
after
David
Solomon
and what
marriage
does Solomon
come from
the affair
with Bathsheba
and what's
interesting
is when you
read the
life of
Solomon
when he
becomes
king
you know
one of
the first
things he
does
he fixes
a part
of the
walls
of Jerusalem
just a
sort of
innocuous
comment
but he
rebuilds
some of
the walls
of Jerusalem
so here
is David
he is
dead
he is
past
and here
is God
answering
his prayer
years
later
but here
is the
biggest
act of
grace
!
what is
the
family
line
of
Jesus
Christ
he
comes
from
this
adulterous
affair
his name
is that
he will
save his
people from
their sins
and he
comes
from the
messiest
dirtiest
family
a man
and a
woman
who had
an affair
one night
and God
flows
grace
through that
family
line
and not
just
back to
them
to us
this morning
brothers and
sisters
if God
had not
responded in
grace to
David
and his
prayer
after he
confessed his
sin
where would
we be this
morning
we would
not be
here
there would
be no
Jesus
Christ
but because
God met
David with
grace
and mercy
we
have received
mercy
and grace
because
that great
grandson
of Bathsheba
David's
greater son
Jesus Christ
has come
to die
and rise
again
so that we
might be
forgiven
confession
of sin
is only ever
met
with God's
grace
it's not
that there
aren't
consequences
for our
sins
there are
huge
consequences
and may
that be
an incentive
to us
not to
sin
because sin
never comes
without
consequences
but if
we have
sinned
let us
know that
we come
to a
God
who is
a father
of grace
and mercy
and not
an angry
judge
I remember
last year
when the
Lance
Armstrong
saga
broke
and it
came out
that he
had
actually
taken
drugs
to win
all of
his
Tour de
France
titles
I remember
listening
to the
media
on the BBC
website
TV programs
etc
what I
found
fascinating
was
the
response
was
anger
disappointment
condemnation
stripping
of all
his
titles
do you
know
the one
word
I never
heard
grace
!
member
of my
family
I love
the words
of that
old
hymn
well
may
the
accuser
roar
of sins
that I
have
done
I
know
them
all
and
thousands
more
Jehovah
knoweth
none
let's
pray
a