The following sermon is made available by Lakeside Bible Church in Cornelius, North Carolina.
For more information about our church or to find more recorded sermons,
please visit us online at lakesidebible.church.
We'd also love to connect with you on social media.
You can find us by searching Lakeside Bible NC on Facebook and Instagram.
For specific questions about the Bible or our church, please email us at info at lakesidebible.church.
The pivotal statement in this narrative includes that last sentence in chapter 11,
along with the first sentence in chapter 12.
The thing that David did was evil in the sight of the Lord.
And the Lord sent Nathan to David.
These verses reveal that God is not content to leave us in our sin.
Though it is painful to endure, it is out of God's grace that he confronts us.
He sends messengers to confront us in order that he might lead us to repentance
and supply us with his mercy.
That's the theme of these verses.
Did you notice that?
The Lord sent Nathan.
Thus says the Lord to David.
The Lord brings him to repentance.
And the Lord says, I have forgiven you.
This is the work of the Lord.
Without this divine confrontation in David's life and without the divine confrontation in our lives,
we would be spiritually hopeless.
Here we see not only God's hatred of sin, but we see his love of forgiveness.
And it is the confrontational dynamic, the sending of this messenger to David,
that shows us the reality of God's love.
This part of the story reveals exactly how God orchestrates his confrontational work.
Let's look first at God's messenger.
Right at the beginning at verse number one,
This very first line of the chapter asserts that God is not a mere passive onlooker
when it comes to his creation.
Nothing in the Bible teaches that God has set creation in motion
and then stepped away to let it develop as it pleases.
The scriptures actually attest to the fact that God is actively working in every part of creation
in order to bring about his purposes.
He didn't leave David to himself in hopes that David would ultimately figure it out
and come to the realization of what he had done.
That would have never happened.
We saw what happened in chapter 11.
When David was left to himself, he just continued on.
He continued in sin over and over and over.
It would take the divine confrontation of God to make a difference for him.
So God took the initiative and he sent a messenger to confront David in his sin.
And we learn an important truth here about God's character.
Not only does he see, as in verse 27 of chapter 11,
that it displeased the Lord he saw what David did,
but he also acts in his good time to bring about his demonstration and purposes of sovereign grace.
Dale Davis said this,
we need to dally on those opening words,
for they speak of the vigilance of grace.
They show us that grace pursues and exposes the sinner in his sin.
They teach us that God will not allow his servant to remain comfortable in sin,
but will ruthlessly expose his sin, lest he settle down in it.
You may succeed in unfaithfulness, he says, but God will come after you.
What immense and genuine comfort every servant of Christ should find in these first six words of the chapter.
Not that God's pursuing grace is enjoyable, Davis says,
but what if grace did not pursue?
What if God abandoned us when we succeed at sin?
Consider that for a moment.
What if God had decided not to pursue David in this moment?
What would have been the result?
Surely he would have only continued in.
His heart was very hard at this point.
The entire purpose of this narrative here is to show that God in his grace pursues us.
He pursues the sinner.
He pursues the Christian who is lost again in sin.
He pursues us.
He is not content for us to remain in sin.
The confrontation described was not Nathan's idea.
It's not as if the prophet had become aware of David's sin
and took it upon himself to confront the king.
No.
This is the work of the Almighty.
Nathan was merely the instrument of grace that God chose to use in this moment.
God in his word has established many messengers, actually.
Whether it be through the preaching of the gospel,
whether it be through the confrontation of sin and other believers
as we seek to disciple one another and help one another grow in our relationship with Christ,
each of us have been called as a messenger of God to confront the sin of this world and the sin of our lives.
Let me just consider for just a moment some of the ways that God has demonstrated this in his word.
Think about the dynamic of the family.
Parents, in particular, are commanded in the Bible to be the first and most prominent form of confrontation
when it comes to the sin of their children.
The scriptures teach us that it's actually our love for our children that lead us to act in this way,
in a disciplinary way.
And in doing that, we actually demonstrate the love of God for his people.
Think about Proverbs chapter 13, verse 24.
Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
Ephesians 6, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Deuteronomy chapter 6, God says,
Not only are you to read and understand the commands that I give you,
but you are to put them on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house
and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you arise.
There has been a call placed on the life of every parent
to discipline the kids, to confront sin in our children's lives.
There is a responsibility and a call for us in other elements within our families
to confront sin.
It's not just for parents.
The parents have been called to do this.
It's not that Nathan is the only one.
It's not just designated for the prophets of the Bible.
No, believers have a responsibility to this.
Confront sin.
Think about the church.
First, the church has the corporate body.
The Bible says it's the pillar and the ground of truth.
The church is to naturally confront sin as a part of its call
to proclaim the gospel.
You cannot proclaim the gospel of Jesus without confronting sin.
You can't do it.
But so many churches have softened their proclamation of the gospel
in order to appeal to the masses.
But the scripture says that you cannot understand the gospel
without first being confronted by the depravity of your own heart,
the worthlessness of your own sin,
the sinful condition that you lie on.
Without that understanding, there's no reason for you to want Christ.
Why would you?
Why would you even need him?
We have to confront sin.
That's a part of our corporate responsibility as the church.
But even within the communion of the church,
the responsibility of church discipline has been severely neglected.
Why?
Because it's hard.
It's difficult.
And it's not just a modern problem.
The early church in the New Testament struggled with it too.
Think about 1 Corinthians 5.
This is the responsibility of the congregation.
Paul says,
When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus,
deliver this man who was in sin, unrepentant sin,
deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
And here was the purpose.
So that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
There was not a condemning spirit.
It was a restorative spirit in what they did.
That was the responsibility of the congregation to do that.
We have that responsibility as the body of Christ.
1 Timothy 5.20,
we see the responsibility of leaders in the church.
As for those who persist in sin,
Paul tells Timothy,
Rebuke them in the presence of everyone
so that the rest may stand in fear.
We have to confront sin not only as the structure of the family
and the structure of the church.
What about the church as individuals, individual believers?
We have this responsibility as the collective body,
but also we have to help one another.
One of the ways that we help one another
and admonish one another and love one another
is by lovingly confronting sin in one another's lives.
Galatians 6.
Brothers.
Individuals.
If anyone is caught in a transgression,
you who are spiritual should restore him.
1 Thessalonians 5.
We urge you, brothers,
that is individuals,
admonish the idle,
encourage the faint-hearted,
help the weak,
be patient with them all,
see that no one repays evil for evil,
but always seek to do good to one another
and to everyone.
We are just as called to this as Nathan.
Nathan had a specific purpose in the life of David,
but you also as a believer
have a specific purpose in the life of another,
the purpose of the confrontation of sin.
It's only after we've established
that this was the work of God,
God sent this messenger,
this was his work
that we can rightly understand Nathan
and what Nathan did
and how he did it
and learn from him practically.
First, we see Nathan was obedient to his call.
He was obedient to his call.
Look back at verse number one.
The Lord sent Nathan unto David
and he came unto him.
Very simple.
He obeyed the call.
So should we obey the call.
Now we don't know much about Nathan.
The scripture doesn't say a lot about him,
but it does say enough for us to understand
that he was a faithful prophet of God
and that he was a friend
to the family of David and his throne.
But his closeness with King David
wouldn't have diminished the anxiety
that likely accompanied this call.
We might even argue
that it is easier
to confront a mere acquaintance
than it is someone that you know well.
But God wasn't calling Nathan
to go and confront his friend.
He was calling Nathan
to confront the most powerful man
in the nation
and the surrounding region.
Now imagine what could have been going on
in Nathan's mind.
He knew what had happened.
God had revealed it.
If not, the word had been getting out
at this point.
Surely others knew what David had done.
What was going through his mind?
If David was so intent on covering his sin
that he murdered Uriah,
what's going to keep him from murdering me
if I go and try to confront him
in that sin?
He had every reason in the world
to ignore this call.
But he didn't do that.
He was obedient to it.
He was faithful
to what the Lord wanted him to do.
And there are moments
when God directs a person
to act in a specific situation.
Certainly elders in the church
are called to assume
this responsibility as leaders.
But every believer
is called as a messenger
whether it be preaching the gospel
or exhorting the saved.
For the New Testament believer,
it's not a matter of calling.
It's a matter of obedience.
And so we first see
that Nathan was just simply obedient
to what the Lord
had asked him to do.
Second, he was gentle
in his manner.
He was gentle.
How is it that he approached him?
He didn't come in guns a-blazing,
so to speak.
He told him a story.
Let's look at the story.
There was a rich man
that had exceeding many flocks
and herds,
but the poor man
had nothing
except for one little ewe lamb.
He had bought it
and nourished it up,
and it grew up together with him
and with his children.
It ate of his own table.
It drank of his own cup,
and it lay in his bosom,
and it was unto him
like a daughter.
And there came a traveler
unto the rich man,
and he didn't want to spare
anything from his own flock
to feed the traveler.
And so he took
the poor man's lamb
and dressed it for the man
that was to come to him.
Now, the shocking nature
of David's sin
in chapter 11,
if you study it closely
before you get to this story,
it's infuriating.
How could David do this?
How could anybody do this?
Much less somebody
that's a believer,
somebody that is supposed
to be a man
after God's own heart,
and we desire
at this point
that God sends thunder
and lightning
on David's life, right?
But that's not how
Nathan approached him.
It's the opposite of that.
He was gentle
in his manner.
He told him a story first.
He didn't approach him rashly
or with a spirit
of condemnation.
And I think the reason
for this
is because Nathan's heart
was to help David,
not condemn him.
If all we have
in our mind
in confronting our children
or confronting another brother
or sister in Christ
in their sin,
if all we have
in our mind
is our hatred
for that sin
and how we just want
to condemn
that sin in their life,
but we ignore
the love
and the humility
and the gentleness
that God calls us to
in that moment,
we end up taking on
a posture of condemnation
and not actually
trying to help the person.
Nathan's approach
to David
wasn't to come in
guns a-blazing
and try to rain down
fire from heaven
on David.
He came in gently.
He came in
telling him a story.
He had a desire
to actually help David.
And then he was thoughtful
in how he did it.
The story that he told
was not only accurate
to David's sin,
it was contextual
to David's life
as a shepherd.
Nathan gave thought
to this.
He was careful.
He was gentle.
Why?
Because he wanted
to actually help David.
And in our confrontations,
we should be the same.
We should be thoughtful,
careful,
gentle
in order that we may actually
help our brothers
who are in sin.
The New Testament
actually commands this.
We mentioned Galatians 6.1
a minute ago.
The second half
of that verse
is you who are spiritual
restore him in the spirit
of gentleness.
It plainly says it.
We do this in a gentle spirit.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians
in chapter 4
what our relationship
to one another should be.
He says that it should be
with all humility
and gentleness,
with patience,
bearing with one another
in love,
eager to maintain
the unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace,
speaking the truth
in love.
What is our response
to one another?
Humility,
grace,
love,
help,
gentleness
is how we approach
each other.
So Nathan was obedient,
he was gentle
in his manner,
but then he was also
direct in his confrontation.
Look at verse number 5.
Nathan tells this story
and we see David's response.
David's anger
was greatly kindled
against the man.
We understand this
to be a parable
looking back.
David understood it
as if this was
a real situation
that he needed to judge
as the king
and so that's exactly
what he's doing here.
And he said to Nathan,
as the Lord lives,
the man that hath done
this thing shall surely die
and he shall restore
the lamb fourfold
because he did this thing
and because he had no pity.
The injustice in the story
is infuriating
and that's exactly
the emotion
that David expressed.
And we can understand that.
Nathan had him
right where he wanted him.
Rather, God had him
right where he wanted him.
The translation here
of shall surely die,
the literal translation
of this is son of death.
This is not
an official sentencing.
In fact,
it's probably better
to read it
that this man
is worthy of death.
It is an indication
of David's disdain
for this rich man
and what he had done.
It's not an official sentencing.
The official sentencing
is in verse six.
He says,
he shall restore fourfold.
Exodus 22.1
as a part of the law
said that anyone
who stole a lamb
from someone else,
this was the full extent
of the law,
was to restore
that lamb fourfold.
This wasn't punishable
by death.
It was just despicable
that he would do this.
So we would look
at this man,
David would look
at this man and say,
he is worthy of death.
He's a despicable human being
for what he has done.
I will prosecute him,
David says,
to the full extent
of the law.
He will repay
this poor man
fourfold.
As much as the law
will let me pour on him,
that is what I will
pour on him
as the king
and as the judge.
And it was exactly
at this point
that Nathan finds
the perfect opportunity
to directly confront
the king.
And the piercing statement
comes at the beginning
of verse seven.
And Nathan said,
thou art the man.
Thou art the man.
Was he gentle?
Yeah.
There's no contradiction here.
A direct confrontation
doesn't preclude
a gentle manner.
It was actually
the gentle manner
that made the statement
most effective.
The truth is,
beating around the bush
is not going to do you
any good
when you confront others.
That's what a lot of churches
and Christians do.
They beat around the bush.
They just hope that people
will figure it out.
But you won't figure it out.
That's the thing.
Those living in hidden sin
are in the same predicament
as David.
Their heart is hardened
toward their own sin.
They see the sin
of everyone else,
but they don't see
their own sin.
And it takes a direct
confrontation,
albeit a gentle manner,
but a direct confrontation
to expose the sin
according to God's truth.
Picture this unfolding.
He tells this story.
David,
maybe you can picture
the blood beginning to boil
as someone who was
a poor shepherd
at one point.
And he explodes
in a fit of anger.
This man,
full extent of the law,
and then as soon as those words
come out of his mouth,
Nathan looks back,
maybe points a finger
and says,
David,
you are that man.
You are the man.
This is your sin.
We can't downplay
the reality
and seriousness of sin.
And Nathan wasn't
downplaying it here.
We need to be loving
and gentle,
but we also need
to be direct
and clear.
Otherwise,
we will never actually
confront the sin at all.
And then we move
to God's message.
Much more quickly,
we will move
to God's message.
That was the messenger.
Look at the second half
of verse seven.
Nathan said to David,
you're the man.
You are the one
that this story is about.
Thus saith the Lord God
of Israel
is what he says there.
Adding to
the piercing statement
that this story
was actually about David
comes the anguish
of hearing
the following statement.
Thus says the Lord.
David was aware
of Nathan's prophetic office.
He had been used
of God already
in David's life
in this way.
But the power
and weight
of Nathan's words
are found in the fact
that they weren't
actually Nathan's.
Nathan's purpose
in coming to the king
that day
was not his purpose.
It was God's purpose.
Therefore,
the message
that Nathan brought
was not his own message
and that's what actually
gives it power and weight.
He says,
not only you are the man,
but here's what the Lord
has to say about this.
Thus says the Lord.
It doesn't matter,
David,
what Joab thinks about this.
It doesn't matter
if Bathsheba
has gone along with this.
What matters
is what the Lord says.
It's the word of God
that is to be
the foundation
of everything
that we do,
including confronting
the sin of others.
The Bible
is the basis
on which we identify
and confront sin.
Confrontation
without the Bible
is legalism
and it serves
to condemn
rather than restore.
Listen,
it does not matter
what you think
and it does not matter
what I think.
All that matters
is what God says.
Thus says
the Lord,
Nathan says.
We do not confront people
on the basis
of our preference.
We confront them
on the basis
of the truth
of God's word
and if the scripture
is absent
from your dispute,
you are guilty
of what Jesus
called judging.
Judging
is when we confront
people on the basis
of our expectations
but what the Bible
calls us to do
is confront people
on the basis
of God's expectations
and it's the self-righteous
judgment
of professing Christians
that leads
to this legalism
that has infiltrated
the church
and we must learn
that thus says
the Lord God
is the only thing
that matters
in this life.
Your preference
does not matter.
What you wish
it was like
does not matter.
All that matters
is thus says
the Lord.
The piercing moment
in this confrontation
is when David
finally realized
this is God's message
to me,
not Nathan's.
And there's a work
that the word
of God does here.
first,
God's word reveals
the absurdity
of our sin.
It reveals
the absurdity
of our sin.
Look again
at verse 7.
Thus says
the Lord God
of Israel,
I anointed thee
king over Israel.
I delivered thee
out of the hand
of Saul.
I gave thee
thy master's house
and thy master's wives
into thy bosom.
There's no indication
in the scripture
that David ever married
one of Saul's wives.
That's not the point
of that statement.
He's saying,
I gave you everything
that belonged to Saul.
I put in your hands.
I delivered it all
to you.
And I gave thee
the house of Israel
and of Judah.
And if that had not,
if that had been
too little,
God said,
I would have done more.
I would have given you
such and such things.
Listen to what
C.S. Lewis said,
that great writer,
the Chronicles of Narnia
and so many other things.
He said in an essay
or maybe even a sermon
called The Weight of Glory,
he said this,
if we consider
the unblushing promises
of reward
and the staggering nature
of the rewards
promised in the gospel,
it would seem
that our Lord
finds our desires
not too strong
but too weak.
Now we would look
at David's sin
and we would say
that man,
his lust,
his desire for Bathsheba
was just too strong
and C.S. Lewis
would argue
that actually his desire
was too weak
and he goes on
to explain.
We are half-hearted creatures
fooling about
with drink
and sex
and ambition
when infinite joy
is offered to us.
Like an ignorant child
who wants to go on
making mud pies
in a slum
because he cannot imagine
what is meant
by the offer
of a holiday at sea,
we are far too
easily pleased,
Lewis said.
Rather than bask
in the height
of joy
and blessing
that comes from
walking purely
with God,
David settled
for something
that was far less.
The emphasis
in these verses
is not meant
to be on those
tangible things
that God had actually
blessed David with
but it's on
the fact that
our satisfaction,
all of it,
and the necessity
of our lives
is found ultimately
in God
and in his hand
of provision.
He is all
that we need
and in him
is the fullness
of life.
So the question
that God asked David
is completely legitimate.
Why would you do this?
Why would you need
this sin
when I have given you
me and my power
and my blessing?
He settled
for far less.
The scripture
backs this principle up.
Psalm 16
is one part of it.
You have shown me
the path of life.
In your presence,
God,
is fullness of joy.
At your right hand
there are pleasures
forevermore.
This is the work
of God's word.
When we come
to the scriptures
it reveals to us
just how awesome
God is.
As Paul said,
I have counted
all things but loss
in order that I may
achieve the surpassing
value that is
in Jesus Christ.
He is the pearl
of great price.
He is the treasure
hidden in a field.
When you see God
for who he is,
everything that this
world offers
is much too weak
of a desire.
Desire greater things.
Desire the work
of God.
Desire the power
of God.
Desire purity
with God.
So it reveals
the absurdity
of our sin.
God's word reveals
the nature
of our sin.
Look at verse 9.
You have killed
Uriah the Hittite
with the sword.
You've taken his
wife to be your wife.
You have slain him
with the sword
of the children
of Ammon.
Now therefore
the sword shall
never depart
from thine house
because thou
hast despised me
and hast taken
the wife of Uriah
the Hittite
to be thy wife.
Word of God
tells us
what sin is.
It exposes it
in our lives
and when we study
the Bible we will
quickly find our sin
being exposed.
Why?
Because the Bible
is the revelation
of God
and sin is anything
that goes against
God's truth.
Therefore one of the
works of the Holy Spirit
through the word
is to literally
expose
our sin.
Without the scripture
we can't even know
what sin exists
in us.
The writer of Hebrews
said it this way
that the word of God
is living and active.
It's sharper
than any two-edged sword.
It pierces
even to the dividing
of soul and spirit
of joints and marrow.
It discerns
the thoughts
and intentions
of the heart.
And no creature
is hidden
from his sight
but all are naked
and exposed
to the eyes
of him
to whom we must
give account.
The work of the word
exposes our sin.
That's what it did
for David.
But I want to note
one specific phrase
before we move on.
In verse 9
Nathan says
or God says
through Nathan
why have you
despised the commandment
of the Lord?
Despised is the word
used.
Why have you held
in contempt
or found contemptible
the commandment
of the Lord?
But look how he
phrases it in verse 10.
Because thou
hast
despised
me.
Because you
have found
contemptible
me
God says.
Davis is helpful
again here.
By his adultery
and murder
David had
despised
God's commandments
his word.
He treated them
as though
they didn't matter.
To despise
God's word
however
is to despise
the one
who has given
the word.
To trample
on his commandment
is to trample
on the commander.
Therefore
in verse 10
God cries
you have despised
me.
The true
nature
of sin
is contempt
of God.
The true
nature
of holiness
is love
for God.
Well then
we find
that God's
word reveals
the judgment
of our sin
as well.
The absurdity
it exposes
the true
nature of it
and then it
reveals the
judgment
and we're
not going
to dive
into the
consequences
of David's
sin because
we're going
to do that
in a couple
of weeks.
We're going
to focus
just on
the consequences
of forgiven
sin.
But the
significance
here
is that
there are
consequences
for every
sin.
Every sin.
For the
believer
and for
the
unbeliever.
God's
holy nature
demands
this
and the
Bible
reveals it
to us.
It doesn't
just say
what our
sin is
it says
what the
result
of that
sin
is.
But it
also says
that there's
not only
natural
consequences
to our
sin
that is
if you
put your
hand in
a fire
you will
be burned
right?
You live
in sin
you will
reap the
natural
consequences
of that
sin.
But not
only are
there natural
consequences
God judges
our sin
in a judicial
sense.
Romans
chapter 6
the wages
of sin
death
that's the
judgment
not just
that this
life will
be over
even believers
die bodily
it's
the
spiritual
death
the
separation
the
separation
from
God
but then
he says
but the
gift
of God
is eternal
life in
Jesus
Christ
God judges
all sin
the Bible
tells us
that
without the
Bible
we wouldn't
know what
our sin
is
and then
we wouldn't
know that
without
following
Christ
we are
destined
for
eternal
punishment
eternal
spiritual
death
in hell
the Bible
shows us
that
the Bible
begs for
us
to heed
that
warning
and if
you don't
follow
Christ
you will
be
responsible
for bearing
that
punishment
but the
good news
of Romans
6
that the
free gift
of God
is eternal
life in
Christ
Jesus
is that
God
became a
man in
the form
of Jesus
Christ
in order
to pay
that punishment
on behalf
of all
who believe
in him
it's the
Bible
not only
that reveals
the judgment
but it
reveals
that Jesus
has taken
that judgment
if you will
just believe
so trust
him
follow
him
and then
we see
finally
and most
gloriously
in this
passage
God's
mercy
look at
verse 13
David
said to
Nathan
after all
of this
he's heard
the message
of God
now
he says
I have
sinned
against
the
Lord
that's
quite a
difference
here
than the
David
that we
found
at the
end
of chapter
11
at the
end
of chapter
11
we see
David
sending
a message
back
to
Joab
that says
Joab
don't worry
about this
don't let
this seem
evil
in your
sight
no big
deal
but now
he's heard
the word
of God
and now
it's a
big deal
because his
sin wasn't
against Uriah
ultimately
it wasn't
against Bathsheba
even in his
own confession
in Psalm 51
that we'll study
intently in a
couple weeks
he says
against thee
and thee
only
have I
sinned
the true
goal of
confronting sin
should always
be to restore
the sinner
and I know
I've echoed
that a couple
of times
today
but it's
helpful
here
this is
God's
goal
in the
work of
the word
to confront
our sin
in order
that we
would repent
of that
sin
and that's
exactly
what was
accomplished
in David's
heart
he didn't
argue
with God
he didn't
argue
with God's
messenger
he stopped
rationalizing
why what
he did
wasn't that
big of a
deal
and he
humbly
confessed
his sin
and again
Davis helps
us here
to be the
man after
God's
own
heart
is not
to be
sinlessly
perfect
but to
be among
other things
utterly
submissive
to the
accusing
word of
God
the purpose
of this
statement
of confession
is simply
to acknowledge
that God's
work had
been accomplished
remember
all of this
in chapter
12
this is the
work of
God
not the
work of
Nathan
and that
work was
accomplished
God's
goal in
sending
Nathan
was to
bring
David
to
repentance
and that
relentless
pursuit
of grace
did not
fail
it never
does
fail
God's
purpose
was to
send him
in order
to preach
the truth
of his
message
in order
that he
could lead
David to
repentance
in that
moment
that is
our role
in confronting
sin
when we
preach the
gospel
it is so
that God
will take
his word
and he
will do
a work
in the
heart
of the
individual
to which
we preach
in order
that he
may draw
that person
to repentance
that's the
work of
the word
it's not
our work
commit
yourself
to
apologetics
that's
helpful
but there's
no power
in your
apologetic
commit
yourself
to knowing
the ins
and outs
of the
scripture
that's
great
but it's
the power
of the
word
not your
ability
to articulate
the word
that will
actually
benefit
those to
whom
we
confront
and the
idea
behind
every
confrontation
is that
we would
deliver
the word
so that
God
can do
his
work
which is
to lead
people
to
repentance
so we
see
David's
confession
and then
we see
David's
pardon
13
I have
sinned
against
the Lord
and immediately
Nathan
responds
the Lord
also
hath put
away
your
sin
you
shall
not
die
why
is
David's
simple
statement
of
confession
so
important
because
it
gives
rise
to
the
pouring
out
of
God's
mercy
David's
confession
was met
with the
assurance
that God
had forgiven
his sin
and he
would
spare
his
life
execution
was the
demand
of the
law
adultery
demanded
that both
David
and Bathsheba
die
be
executed
and David
had condemned
himself
when he
responded to
Nathan's
story
and said
we will
prosecute
this rich
man to
the fullest
extent
of the
law
he was
saying
I
deserve
to be
prosecuted
to the
fullest
extent
of the
law
but at
the moment
that he
humbly
!
and
contritely
confessed
his sin
to God
God
said
I
have
put
away
your
sin
it
is
God's
mercy
that is
so
brilliantly
shining
in this
passage
what did
David
do
to
deserve
this
pardon
nothing
at all
that's
the whole
point
the mercy
of God
is based
completely
on his
divine
grace
not our
merit
David
didn't deserve
forgiveness
and neither
do we
but God
delights
himself
in providing
mercy
this
is
the
entire
purpose
of
this
event
these
15
verses
is
all
about
God's
desire
for
mercy
think
about
it
who
sent
the
messenger
God
took
the
initiative
he
sent
Nathan
to
David
in order
that
Nathan
might
confront
David
not
with
his
own
displeasure
but
with
God's
displeasure
of his
sin
and
he
confronted
David
with
the
truth
of
God's
word
and
God
used
that
to
draw
David
lead
him
to
repentance
and
why
did
he
want
to
do
that
because
God
the
whole
time
just
wanted
to
give
mercy
he
just
wanted
to
give
mercy
that's
why
he
did
it
why
did
he
send
Nathan
because
he
loved
David
and
he
was
not
content
to
leave
him
in
sin
why
does
God
send
us
to
confront
our
children
why
does
he
send
us
to
confront
other
believers
why
does
he
send
us
to
preach
the
gospel
to
the
unsaved
because
of
his
love
because
his
desire
ultimately
is
to
pour
out
mercy
we
stand
forgiven
because
of
God's
relentless
pursuit
of
grace
and
it
is
his
work
from
the
beginning
and
what
a
glorious
work
it
is
Micah
told
us
in
his
prophecy
in
chapter
7
who
is
a
God
like
you
pardoning
iniquity
and
passing
over
transgression
for the
remnant
of
his
inheritance
he
does
not
retain
anger
forever
because
he
delights
in
mercy
loving
kindness
steadfast
love
he
will
again
have
compassion
on
us
he
will
tread
our
iniquities
under
his
feet
you
will
cast
all
our
sins
into
the
depths
of
the
sea
Micah
says
and
then
in
John
chapter
3
in
the
great
conversation
with
Nicodemus
Jesus
said
God
did
not
send
me
into
the
world
to
condemn
the
world
but
that
the
world
through
me
might
be
saved
in
order
that
they
might
be
saved
through
Christ
atoning
work
condemnation
is
certainly
a part
of what
God
does
he
must
judge
sin
and
there
are
people
who
will
die
in
their
sin
and
go
to
hell
but
he
delights
himself
in
mercy
he
sent
Christ
not
to
condemn
sinners
he
sent
Christ
to
save
sinners
why
should
we
commit
ourselves
to
the
gospel
because
God's
desire
is
to
save
sinners
and
it
should
be
our
desire
for
God
to
save
sinners
just
this
weekend
I
watched
a video
maybe
some
of
you
heard
of
Richard
Wurmbrand
if
you
haven't
I
hope
that
you'll
read
his
book
it's
called
Tortured
for
Christ
and
he
established
the
voice
of the
martyrs
who
put
a
video
out
about
it
it's
a
short
one
hour
video
I
would
encourage
you
to
watch
it
Richard
Wurmbrand
was a
Lutheran
pastor
in
Romania
in
1948
just a
couple
of
years
after
the
liberation
of the
Jews
from
Nazi
Germany
the
Russians
in
their
communist
system
their
Marxist
system
which
is
just
a
quick
commercial
for
why
we
should
avoid
Marxist
systems
even
in
our
society
atheism
was the
established
religion
and they
came in
and they
overtook
Romania
and they
forced
communism
and atheism
on there
and eventually
it became
an issue
of
persecution
Richard
Wurmbrand
continued to
preach the
gospel
they met
in apartments
secretly
in order
to have
worship
services
but they
continued
to witness
and share
the gospel
with
Russian
soldiers
who were
there
to
oppress
them
one day
on his
way to
church
a car
pulls up
puts a
hood
over
his
head
throws
him
in
the
car
and
takes
him
to
a
prison
and he
spent
the next
14
years
of his
life
in prison
and the
reason
he spent
his life
in that
prison
was simply
because he
preached
the gospel
three years
after the
liberation
of
communist
Nazis
the first
three years
of his
imprisonment
was in
solitary
confinement
30 feet
under the
ground
he says
I didn't
see the
sun
I didn't
see the
stars
I saw
no grass
I saw
no snow
I saw
no light
of day
for three
years
of my
life
they
intentionally
kept the
cells
of that
prison
as quiet
as can
be
the guards
walked around
with soft
shoes
so that you
couldn't hear
them
it was the
silence
he said
the silence
could be cut
with a
knife
and day
by day
they would
take him
to the
beating
room
and they
would
literally
beat him
nearly
to death
at one
point
they would
hang him
on this
bar
with his
feet
up
and they
would tie
his arms
so that
he was just
literally
suspended
with his
back
toward the
ground
and they
would take
a metal
pipe
and just
repeatedly
beat the
bottom
of his
feet
trying to
get him
just to
name the
names of
the people
that met
with him
as Christians
that were
spreading the
gospel in
Romania
but he
refused to
do it
he and his
companion
Christians
ultimately when he
was moved out
of solitary
confinement
they would
worship together
day by day
in the prison
cell
and they would
sing hymns
together and
they would
preach to one
another
just four or five
of them
they would
preach to one
another and the
guards would
come in every
day whoever
was speaking
at the moment
they would
drag out to
the beating
rooms and
they would
literally beat
them near to
death and
then they would
bring them back
to the cell and
they would pick
right back up
where they left
off and Richard
Wurmbrand said
we made a deal
with these guards
we would preach
they would beat
and we would
preach and they
would beat that
way everybody was
happy we could
preach the word
to one another
they could beat
us if that's what
they wanted to do
and he maintained
this love for
14 years
he lived in
this and there
were many of
them that died
in that process
that goes on
that stayed
that he was
with in these
prison cells
that stayed
for 25-30
years in this
prison
you know why
they suffered
that way
because they
cared about
the gospel
they cared
to confront
people in
their sin
not because
they hated
them
not because
they wanted
to pour out
God's wrath
on their life
but because
they loved
them
and God
loved them
and God
delighted himself
in mercy
and God
delights himself
in saving
sinners
and so they
delighted in
God saving
sinners
so it didn't
matter what
it cost
their lives
they were
going to
focus on
the gospel
they were
going to
share God's
truth
and then here
we are
many churches
in our area
won't even meet
together right
now
and we think
this is suffering
we're not
suffering
this is
inconvenience
this is not
suffering
why did God
send Nathan
because he
loved David
why has he
sent us
because he
loves us
and he loves
the people
around us
and it is
our call
to take
that truth
to them
as hard
and as
awkward
as that
may be
and one
last note
we see
David
substitute
look at
verse 14
how be it
because by
this deed
thou hast
given great
occasion to
the enemies
of the Lord
to blaspheme
the child
that is born
unto thee
shall surely
die
well God's
mercy removes
the eternal
consequences of
sin in the
life to come
it does not
always remove
the consequences
of sin
in this
life
David would
indeed face
great consequences
in fact there's
even kind of a
note of that
in verse 5
when he says
this man will
have to pay
fourfold
David lost
four children
ultimately because
of this sin
we're going to
deal with these
consequences in
another study
and I don't
want to read
too much into
this text
but there is
an allusion
here to
what Christ
has accomplished
in atoning
for our sin
David's life
was spared
but the baby's
life was taken
the guilty
was pardoned
while the
innocent life
was lost
David and
Bathsheba's
son could
not atone
for their
sin
but there
would one
day come
a son of
David
who would
make a
sufficient
atonement
for them
Jesus Christ
as tragic
as the
consequence
truly is
it points
us to the
ultimate
sacrifice
of Jesus
we are the
guilty ones
that are
pardoned
while his
was the
innocent life
that took
our place
wasn't just
that it was
taken
is that it
was taken
in our
place
the sinless
lamb of
God was
David's
and our
substitute
and he
provides his
pardon freely
to every
person
that will
believe
and follow
him
it cost
you nothing
but your
life
it's
amazing
that how
when Jesus
was calling
the disciples
he did
not say
you know
if you give
me a little
bit of
money
and if
you come
on such
and such
day
and do
this many
religious
works
that I
will bless
you
he just
says
follow
me
you know
what God
says to
you today
Jesus
cries out
to you
today
you know
what he
says
follow
me
follow
me
and to
follow
him
means that
you
abandon
everything
else
your
sin
the
pleasures
of this
life
realize
that your
life is not
actually your
own
the power
of this
passage is
revealed only
as we
understand that
it was all
the plan
of God
isn't that
awesome
isn't that
awesome
his mercy
was not the
byproduct of
Nathan's
earnest
pleading with
David
no
God
orchestrated
the whole
thing
in order
that he
might pour
out his
grace
and mercy
the tragic
circumstance
of David's
sin
ultimately
serves
as the
backdrop
that makes
the love
of God
and his
grace shine
so brilliantly
here's my
last thing
there's a lot
for us to
learn here
and we must
heed the
warning of
sin
we need to
be obedient
to the call
to confront
sin
and we need
to learn
to confess
and forsake
our sin
but more
than all
of those
things
this story
should turn
our affections
to the
magnificent
love of
God
and lead
us to
genuinely
and humbly
worship
him
thank you
for listening
to this
sermon
made available
by Lakeside
Bible Church
feel free
to share
it wherever
you'd like
please do
not charge
for it
or alter
it in
any way
without express
written consent
from Lakeside
Bible Church
don't forget
to visit us
online at
lakesidebible.church
!
or find us
on Facebook
and Instagram
by searching
for Lakeside
Bible NC
if you live
in the Charlotte
or Lake Norman
area we'd love
for you to
attend one of
our worship
services
we meet
every Sunday
morning at
10 a.m.
we'd love
to meet you
NING