WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.720 Good morning. I'm reading from 2 Samuel chapter 11, verses 1 to 17, and then verses 26 to 27. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:18.280 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab and his servants 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:25.940 with him and all Israel, and they ravished the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:33.000 at Jerusalem. It happened late one afternoon when David arose from his couch and was walking 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:39.480 on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman 00:00:39.480 --> 00:00:47.040 was very beautiful. And David sent an enquire about the woman. And one said, is not this 00:00:47.040 --> 00:00:55.159 Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Ureah the Hittite? So David sent messengers 00:00:55.159 --> 00:01:01.739 and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. Now she had been purifying herself 00:01:01.739 --> 00:01:08.519 with her uncleanniness. Then he returned to her house. Then she returned to her house, 00:01:08.759 --> 00:01:17.159 and the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, I am pregnant. So David sent word to 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:26.179 Joab, send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked 00:01:26.179 --> 00:01:33.859 how Joab was doing, how the people were doing, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, 00:01:34.219 --> 00:01:43.000 go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:49.120 him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:58.079 of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:04.500 David said to Uriah, have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house? 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:13.879 Uriah said to David, the ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:20.900 of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:29.300 with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing. Then David said to Uriah, 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:37.300 Uriah, remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day 00:02:37.300 --> 00:02:43.980 and the next. And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:51.400 And in the evening, he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but it did not go down 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:58.920 to his house. In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 00:02:59.300 --> 00:03:07.360 In the letter he wrote, set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:16.560 that he may be struck down and die. And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:22.680 where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:29.159 and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:37.240 Verses 26 to verses 27. When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband, was dead, 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:44.900 she lamented over her husband. And when the morning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:52.200 and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:57.879 Chapter 12, verses 1 to 13, and then verses 24 to 25. 00:03:57.879 --> 00:04:03.740 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, 00:04:04.379 --> 00:04:12.199 There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:20.019 and herds. But the poor man had nothing but one little yew lamb, which he had bought. And he brought 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:26.659 it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drank from his cup 00:04:26.660 --> 00:04:33.400 and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, 00:04:33.960 --> 00:04:40.000 and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guests who had come to him. 00:04:40.640 --> 00:04:45.540 But he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:50.780 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, 00:04:50.779 --> 00:04:57.579 As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserved to die, and he shall restore the lamb 00:04:57.579 --> 00:05:04.419 fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity. Nathan said to David, 00:05:04.719 --> 00:05:10.859 You are the man. Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, 00:05:10.860 --> 00:05:17.460 and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul, and I gave you your master's house and your master's wives 00:05:17.460 --> 00:05:23.939 into your arms, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that were too little, I would 00:05:23.939 --> 00:05:31.379 add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord to do what is evil in his sight? 00:05:31.939 --> 00:05:38.319 You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with a sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:44.759 and have killed him with the sword of the Amorites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:50.639 your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:58.039 Thus said the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take 00:05:58.039 --> 00:06:03.680 your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:09.819 sight of this son, for you did it secretly. But I will do this thing before all Israel and before the 00:06:09.819 --> 00:06:18.699 son. David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, the Lord also has 00:06:18.699 --> 00:06:27.120 put away your sin. You shall not die. Verses 24 to 25. Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:34.819 and went into her and lay with her, and she bought a son. And he called his name Solomon. And the Lord 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:43.199 loved him, and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Shadidia, because of the Lord. 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.180 This is the word of God. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:07.740 David. Great. Good morning again. It's, um, Kevin asked me to preach, um, I don't know, when he heard 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:12.560 that we were coming over, and, um, and, you know, God had been convicting me, you know, we want to come 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:19.180 and be a blessing and be an encouragement, um, as we come here. And, uh, he said, yeah, would you like 00:07:19.180 --> 00:07:25.759 to preach? I said, yeah, sure, I'd love to. And then he said, um, great, it's David and Bathsheba. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:36.480 He didn't quite do it like that. But, um, but, um, but actually, I mean, one of the, um, one of the 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:43.100 things that, Kevin's very brave, because he's not here. And so I could say anything I like right now. 00:07:43.459 --> 00:07:47.860 And then I'm, we're going to be off soon. So, um, so the elders have better, you know, 00:07:47.939 --> 00:07:53.519 leave, pick up the devastation afterwards, right? Um, let me just pray for us, actually, as we get into 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:54.100 God's word. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:06.939 Father, we want to be those 00:08:06.939 --> 00:08:18.199 who tremble at your word. We don't just hear it, but we want to be those who tremble and then do it, 00:08:18.300 --> 00:08:24.079 Lord. Father, in one sense, this, this, this topic today is, is heavy, Lord. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:32.960 But actually, you're a God of so much grace. And I pray that you would just get honor and glory this 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:45.220 morning. In Jesus' name. Amen. Um, so, so this is, uh, yeah, I mean, what a passage, right? Uh, what a 00:08:45.220 --> 00:08:51.759 passage. So, uh, I don't know, when was the first time that you realized your parents were flawed? 00:08:53.960 --> 00:09:00.379 Now, some of you may be really early. I, I remember, um, particularly, I can't remember how old I was, 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:07.259 but my mom dropped me off at some activity. Um, and, um, and then afterwards, she was going to go and 00:09:07.259 --> 00:09:16.840 pick me up, except she forgot. And at that moment, all of my illusions about my parents' 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:25.259 perfections were shattered. And this passage today is about the greatest king Israel had ever had. 00:09:25.259 --> 00:09:34.240 He is, uh, King David is a godly man. He's a, he's a hero to thousands. He's the kind of guy 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:42.539 that everyone would look up to and go, wow, he's the man. And this passage is about him doing the 00:09:42.539 --> 00:09:49.200 unthinkable. And it's a passage where I want to talk about the spiral of sin. I want to talk about how 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:56.100 sin gets exposed and then judged and then how sin is confessed and then it's forgiven and redeemed. 00:09:56.360 --> 00:10:00.759 Okay, so that's where, that's where we're going. But just follow through on your bulletin with me as 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:06.900 we kind of go through this in the spiral of sin. It says, in the spring of the year, the time when 00:10:06.900 --> 00:10:17.520 kings go out to battle. Good kings led their army in battle after the winter time, when you can't go out, 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:26.059 into, uh, to help protect and, uh, secure their people. David had been fighting battles constantly. 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:34.139 He'd served faithfully, but this time David remained at Jerusalem. He was meant to go out, but he stayed in. 00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:42.039 Instead of serving the people, he was actually serving himself. And he sends his commander, 00:10:42.259 --> 00:10:47.500 Joab, and all the rest of the people to do the job. And perhaps he felt entitled. Perhaps he felt 00:10:47.500 --> 00:10:55.700 I just need a bit of me time. I deserve a break. But that's the step one of a little decision to 00:10:55.700 --> 00:11:02.980 indulge himself. And it starts a spiral. Because step two, what happens? It says, it happened late 00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:08.320 one afternoon. David arose from his couch. He was walking on the roof of the king's house and he saw 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:14.159 from the roof a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful. He's just had his afternoon nap. 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:24.419 He looks out, sees a beautiful woman, and the glance becomes a gaze. And the gaze grips his heart. 00:11:25.319 --> 00:11:31.719 And do you know it's when you're off guard? It's that late at night and the clickbait comes on your 00:11:31.719 --> 00:11:38.720 screen with a suggestive picture. And you go, I'll only look briefly. And the look becomes a click, 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:43.680 becomes a gaze. And soon sin's tentacles are choking your heart. That's step two. 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:50.700 Engulge yourself. A glance, a gaze. It grips your heart. Step three. 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:59.920 David uses his power as king to send for her to serve his own desires. And he actually knows exactly 00:11:59.920 --> 00:12:07.019 what he's doing. That's the thing. He knows that Bathsheba is married to one of his most loyal 00:12:07.019 --> 00:12:12.899 soldiers, Uriah. He knows she's actually the granddaughter of his most trusted advisor, 00:12:13.319 --> 00:12:19.399 Ahithophel. And she's cleansing herself. That means she's ritually purifying herself after a period 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:25.179 since he's being a good Jew. And yet he's coming to defile her. It's not her issue. It's his issue. 00:12:26.199 --> 00:12:30.439 But what he's doing is using his power to serve himself. And if you take the picture from, 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:36.800 do you remember Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? The fruit, it looked desirable. And they took it 00:12:36.800 --> 00:12:42.580 and ate. And what he does, the same. And he sleeps with her. She gets pregnant. And then imagine 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:48.820 David's reaction to the WhatsApp message that he gets. She's pregnant. 00:12:48.820 --> 00:13:00.300 Because, you know, the law said that the penalty for adultery was death. And when he realizes the 00:13:00.300 --> 00:13:07.400 stakes are high, he could get exposed. He comes clean and tells everyone what he's done. No, he doesn't. 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:13.160 Step four. You see, it starts with a little step. And then comes to a gaze and it grips his heart. 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:19.819 And then finally he acts on it. And then there's the cover-up. Step four. And he calls for Uriah 00:13:19.819 --> 00:13:29.419 off the battlefield where he should be. And he has this kind of fake concern for him. How's 00:13:29.419 --> 00:13:37.559 everything going? Oh, it must be hard for you. Go home. Have a break. Serve yourself. Sleep with your wife. 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:45.319 But Uriah, who is a Gentile, a Hittite, is more faithful to God and to his people than David is. 00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:53.459 And he doesn't go home. And in the morning, David goes, plan foiled. Okay, why? And he says this. He 00:13:53.459 --> 00:14:00.719 says, the ark and Israel dwell in booths, are in tents. They don't have a home to stay in. How can I go and 00:14:00.719 --> 00:14:06.439 just indulge myself at this moment? Who do you think he's more concerned about? Is he more concerned 00:14:06.440 --> 00:14:10.580 about himself? No, he's more concerned about the people and the soldiers that he's with. 00:14:12.280 --> 00:14:18.860 Do you see how it's working? Step one, indulge yourself. Step two, his heart gets gripped. Step 00:14:18.860 --> 00:14:25.960 three, he acts on it. Step four, the cover-up. Step five, he then tries to force the issue. 00:14:26.900 --> 00:14:35.220 Another plan. Let's get him drunk. And now David, godly man, becomes the tempter, trying to draw 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:44.060 a faithful person into his own self-serving sin. But Uriah, unlike David, he says no. He resists it. 00:14:44.500 --> 00:14:51.120 And so then David goes to step six. No other way around it. He's got to destroy him. He orders him 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:58.060 killed. And Uriah takes his own death warrant with him to the front lines. And he makes his own commander 00:14:58.059 --> 00:15:06.539 kill his own man. And Uriah has been an amazingly loyal servant. What a great reward. 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:13.339 What a great king that David is sacrificing his own men to save his own life. 00:15:13.340 --> 00:15:22.600 And I think you've seen from a man who actually, just a couple of chapters earlier, he was really 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:28.120 caring for Mephibosheth. He's a man of compassion. He cares for people. But now where has he got 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:34.160 to? He's got to completely indifferent to people's value. Because when he hears of the loss of soldiers 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:40.899 and Uriah, his response should have been, why did this happen? But his response is, 00:15:42.079 --> 00:15:47.079 oh, don't let the matter displease you. It's fine. Don't worry. It happens. People die. 00:15:49.719 --> 00:15:56.100 And David's final cover-up is he marries Bathsheba, which actually, according to the law, 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:02.439 was very honorable. Because you were meant to, because of the vulnerability of widows in the time, 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:07.780 to marry one of his best troops was to provide and protect and give the honor of children. It 00:16:07.780 --> 00:16:14.220 looked noble. It looked great. And he thought he got away with it. But man looks on the outside and 00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:22.600 God looks on the heart. That's pretty lousy, isn't it? Pretty lousy. Do you know, Hitler forced one of 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:29.160 his generals, Rommel, to take poison and then faked sadness in front of Rommel's wife at his funeral. 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:38.779 But that's Hitler, right? This is King David. A man after God's own heart. And you know, I'm reading 00:16:38.779 --> 00:16:45.620 this and I'm going, man, this is challenging. I'm a pastor. And let me just clarify for a second. 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:51.379 I don't go around committing adultery and murdering husbands. Okay, I've got many sins. That's not one 00:16:51.379 --> 00:17:02.659 of them at the moment. But I can see the spiral, can't you? I can get caught in that spiral. And I 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:09.079 could see, if I just allow that to go far enough, how you could go anywhere. You know, letting those 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:14.380 angry thoughts towards my wife just fester. Letting that, why is it always me who have to do it? 00:17:14.380 --> 00:17:23.500 Just dwell there long enough. Or that gaze lingering on that image. And the self-serving parasite of sin 00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:34.820 can eat the best of us alive from the inside out. That's scary, isn't it? That's scary. And maybe, 00:17:35.020 --> 00:17:40.120 I don't know what it is for you. I've got plenty of my issues. Maybe for some of you it is porn. 00:17:40.119 --> 00:17:48.799 And maybe you think you're doing a good cover-up. But do you know that, that will twist you. It will 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:53.799 twist your view of others. It will twist and objectify other people made in the image of God. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:18:00.979 It will kill a healthy sex life, let me tell you. And the passage is a warning to us. Don't toy, 00:18:02.019 --> 00:18:09.000 even with the step one of the thought of sin. Don't play with it. Don't mess with it. And if that's you, 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:15.039 come into the light with a brother or sister. Because there is freedom when you do that. Before 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:24.240 it eats you alive. The spiral of sin. It's serious. Take it seriously. Secondly, the sin gets exposed. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:32.019 And it says here, the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. 00:18:32.019 --> 00:18:41.680 God isn't fooled by the cover-ups. And God sends his prophet, Nathan, and his word to him. And do you 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:48.460 remember, if you know previously, Nathan had been sent by God to David to give him a message to tell 00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:56.359 him, your kingdom is going to last forever. That's a great message, isn't it? Now just imagine when God 00:18:56.359 --> 00:19:03.159 says go and give him this message. Like how do you rebuke somebody who's got the power to put you to 00:19:03.159 --> 00:19:13.019 death. The stakes are super high for him. And Nathan knows that sometimes, and any of you who are 00:19:13.019 --> 00:19:18.059 husbands know, sometimes the best way to talk to someone about an issue is not to just go straight 00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:25.199 direct. Be a little tactful. And he knows that stories are able to persuade us often more than 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:32.180 intellectual arguments. Do you know that? And so what he does, he tells this little parable about a rich man 00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:36.920 stealing a poor man's sheep to save himself. Well, we don't, I don't know how many sheep you've stolen 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:41.460 recently, but that's probably not our issue. So let me just tweak it a little bit. I may modernize it a little. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:48.860 It's like if there was a boy, let's call him Fred. He's not good looking. Have you got, there he is. 00:19:48.859 --> 00:19:57.099 He's not very intelligent. He's got low career prospects, but he's very kind. And he always puts 00:19:57.099 --> 00:20:05.000 other people before himself, but no girl is ever interested in him. Can't even, ah, oh, there's no 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:16.139 mercy at all. Okay, this is, this is for you guys, this passage, okay? And, but then one day a beautiful 00:20:16.140 --> 00:20:23.300 girl comes along in McDonald's and she sees beneath the surface to his kind heart, they fall in love, 00:20:23.380 --> 00:20:32.500 they get engaged. And then an attractive tycoon son, there she is. Let's call her angel. And then an 00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:43.920 attractive tycoon son, Ricky. Here we go. He's a playboy. Comes into McDonald's, sees the girl, promises 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:49.100 her a new life, takes her out for dinner at the most expensive restaurants, buys her luxury goods 00:20:49.100 --> 00:20:55.440 and brands, and she goes with him. Breaks off the engagement, becomes pregnant with him. Fred is 00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:02.220 devastated. He collapses in depression and dark thoughts. Ricky soon gets bored of the girl, dumps her, 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:04.620 tells her to get an abortion and moves on to the next girl. 00:21:04.619 --> 00:21:16.539 Well, that's what sin is like. That's what selfishness is like. It uses people. It destroys 00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:23.959 people. And that's why God says, I get angry at it. And David is a man after God's heart. And what 00:21:23.959 --> 00:21:30.379 he does, he angrily pronounces God's judgment. He says, as the Lord lives, the man who has done this 00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:36.260 deserves to die. How many of you find it easier to get angry at everybody else's sin rather than your 00:21:36.260 --> 00:21:43.480 own? One person. That's great. Okay. Thank you for being honest. Okay. Okay. Everyone else of you, 00:21:43.540 --> 00:21:53.000 you're covering up. Okay. But what's he just done? He's just pronounced his own death sentence. 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:02.740 And Nathan replies, you're the man. Can you imagine that silence? 00:22:05.819 --> 00:22:13.299 That's actually every one of us. Every porn user, every adulterer, every self-serving individual. 00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:22.900 Anyone not self-serving? Right? You see, when sin grips your heart, you won't change until you see 00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:31.480 the ugliness of sin unmasked. And you despise it. And you go, man, how could I do that? 00:22:32.540 --> 00:22:37.420 And you see, he goes on, sin is not just being naughty. It's actually personal towards God. God 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:45.600 says, I've been so good to you. I anointed you, king. I delivered you from Saul. I gave you everything 00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:51.420 you have. And if that hadn't been enough, I would have given you more because I'm not stingy. 00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:57.039 I'm a God who loves to give and loves to give and loves to give. You can't out give me. 00:22:59.140 --> 00:23:08.140 But what have you done to my generosity? You've struck down Uriah. You took from him. You killed him. 00:23:08.360 --> 00:23:12.759 You despised my word. Anyone feel a bit uncomfortable? 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:19.000 Right. You know, I came for some encouragement this morning. Thank you. 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:24.379 It gets worse, though. Let me tell you. It's going to get worse before it gets better. 00:23:25.619 --> 00:23:32.559 Because as he exposes the sin, he says it leads to judgment. Because he says you reap what you sow. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:38.440 You sow death to Uriah. Death is going to come into your family, into your son. You sow dishonor 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:46.000 to Uriah's wife. You'll reap your own wives being dishonored. And the thing here is, even 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:48.919 if you're a Christian and we know about the forgiveness, I'm going to talk about Christ's 00:23:48.919 --> 00:23:53.559 forgiveness. But actually, he wants to say, don't play with sin and think you can just get 00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:58.659 forgiven. Because sin always has consequences. It's not trivial. And you're going to see this 00:23:58.660 --> 00:24:01.600 played out. I think, Neil, you're preaching the next couple of weeks. You're going to see 00:24:01.600 --> 00:24:07.380 how it gets played out in the life of his family. You know, when I was younger, many of you know 00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:12.519 this, I made some poor choices. I didn't listen to a whole load of people who were trying to 00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:18.580 help me. I thought I knew better. And I actually ended up having a breakdown. And even to this 00:24:18.580 --> 00:24:22.920 day, I still struggle with some of the fruit of that, like concentration, all kinds of things. 00:24:23.840 --> 00:24:27.920 Because actually, sin does affect you. It does. 00:24:28.660 --> 00:24:34.600 And that spiral of sin, and when sin gets exposed, and then sin gets judged, 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:43.500 it leads you to a place where you've got to go, okay, have I got your attention? 00:24:47.259 --> 00:24:49.180 Because then it comes to sin confessed. 00:24:51.080 --> 00:24:55.920 You know, just last week, I was in, one of our ladies runs a toddler group. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.820 And they were coming, they came up the stairs to where I was trying to work in our church 00:25:00.820 --> 00:25:05.740 hall. And they were desperately looking for something in kind of a bit of a panic. And 00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:13.820 they said, we're looking for this toy garage that somebody has taken. And suddenly I realized 00:25:13.820 --> 00:25:18.539 I had borrowed it about three days earlier for Etienne to play with, and I'd forgotten to 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:25.420 give it back. And do you know what I said? I said, yes, sorry, Etienne borrowed it. 00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:32.700 Now that's half true. The borrowing part was true. Just the person wasn't. 00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:42.759 But you see, when you get exposed, you fear being judged, don't you? And we always want 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:49.539 to substitute for that. Someone to blame, someone to defend ourselves. Do you remember when King 00:25:49.539 --> 00:25:56.220 Saul gets confronted by Samuel for sinning by keeping Amalekite wealth for himself when 00:25:56.220 --> 00:26:02.140 he's told to destroy it? He defends himself. He goes, I did obey God. Half truth. And then 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:08.860 he blames you. It was my troops who made me do it. But when David gets exposed here, do 00:26:08.860 --> 00:26:18.020 you see what he does? He doesn't make any excuses. He doesn't justify it. He says, I've sinned 00:26:18.020 --> 00:26:29.040 against the Lord. Full stop. I've sinned against the Lord. Wow. That's pretty bold, isn't 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:34.539 that? You see, that's not a cheap confession. That's a confession from someone who's been 00:26:34.539 --> 00:26:41.940 cut to the heart by God's word. And he's repentant. And he goes, I want to come into the light. 00:26:41.980 --> 00:26:51.139 I want to be clean. How do you get to that place where if you've just been cut open, instead 00:26:51.139 --> 00:26:55.319 of running and hiding and defending yourself, you actually come clean? How do you get to that 00:26:55.319 --> 00:27:03.419 place? You see, sometimes I talk to my son about sin and our need for Jesus. And I'll 00:27:03.419 --> 00:27:11.579 say something like, do you ever do bad things? And there's silence. And he gets a bit restless 00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:17.980 and the curtains suddenly look very, very interesting at that point. And then I say, does Elodie, 00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:24.299 your sister, ever do bad things? And he's like, yes. Like, very happy to admit that. And then 00:27:24.299 --> 00:27:29.960 he, then I say, does mummy ever do bad things? And he's like, okay, where's this going? And 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:37.139 he's like, yes. Does daddy ever do bad things? And he's like, yes. And we know sin is not 00:27:37.139 --> 00:27:42.460 just doing bad things, but, and then I go, does Etienne ever do bad things? And he goes, 00:27:43.419 --> 00:27:43.680 yeah. 00:27:47.399 --> 00:27:51.359 How does he get to that? Why does he finally get to that place where he's willing to admit 00:27:51.359 --> 00:28:03.500 to? It's because he feels safe now to do so. He understands that they're sinners. How 00:28:03.500 --> 00:28:11.419 many of you like being criticized? Okay, there are no hands. That's probably honest. Don't 00:28:11.419 --> 00:28:18.059 we all fear being judged and shamed and exposed? Many of us, our parents pointed out to us everything 00:28:18.059 --> 00:28:22.919 that was wrong more than everything that was right, didn't they? For some of us. So that's 00:28:22.919 --> 00:28:27.519 why we put up so many defenses and we create our shields and our substitutes to justify ourselves 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:32.200 because we don't feel safe. And we project that onto God and we don't feel safe. Do you know 00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:37.720 in the US there's some studies that showed that three quarters of all Christians think that 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:44.720 God is critical, disappointed, distant, or angry with them? How much honest repentance do 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:53.140 you think is going on there? Not a lot. But you know in Psalm 51, which is David's prayer 00:28:53.140 --> 00:28:57.600 of confession, read it afterwards. It's incredible. And I'm only going to give you two verses. 00:28:58.440 --> 00:28:59.680 But he starts with this. He says, 00:28:59.779 --> 00:29:07.360 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy. 00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:11.240 Blot out my transgressions. I know my sin before me. But then he goes, 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:17.220 Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Now do you see how safe 00:29:17.220 --> 00:29:23.000 David feels to admit his sin? There's no groveling. There's no excuses. Why? Because he knows that the 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:29.319 very character of the one who has exposed him is the one who is abundantly merciful, is the one who is 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:36.380 abundantly full of steadfast, unfailing, unwavering, committed love for you that is so passionate. 00:29:36.380 --> 00:29:42.820 That's why he wants to expose you to bring you into the light. Because he wants to find freedom there. 00:29:44.060 --> 00:29:48.140 Because don't you know when you can come clean to someone and there's restoration? 00:29:49.620 --> 00:29:51.980 Wow, it's so much less tiring, isn't it, than hiding? 00:29:51.980 --> 00:29:59.559 Because he wants you to experience that today, afresh. 00:30:01.099 --> 00:30:07.599 You know, I remember in a job that I had, I got called into the boss's office at one point, 00:30:07.720 --> 00:30:13.339 and I knew that I'd messed up really big time. And people were unhappy with what I'd done, 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:17.140 the team was imploding, and I went in expecting to just be kind of torn apart. 00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:19.579 Anyone ever had those kind of, those meetings? 00:30:19.579 --> 00:30:26.000 And so I was kind of thinking of all my strategies, you know, your defense strategies of excuses. 00:30:26.259 --> 00:30:30.299 And I get in there, and the first thing he goes to me is something like, 00:30:30.879 --> 00:30:32.779 Chris, I want you to know I so value you. 00:30:34.199 --> 00:30:36.819 Thanks for all you've been doing. I'm so glad to have you on the team. 00:30:38.379 --> 00:30:39.740 And do you know what happened to my defenses? 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:42.299 They just melted. 00:30:43.500 --> 00:30:45.879 And I was able to hear what he wanted to say to me. 00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:51.420 And we chatted about the situation, I saw the things that needed to change. 00:30:52.800 --> 00:31:01.260 Because grace makes you safe to the place where you can come honestly and find healing. 00:31:02.860 --> 00:31:08.720 And repentance is not just about confessing sin, it's about pursuing change in your life. 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:15.980 And you'll only do that if you know that God is so safe and God is so gracious to you, 00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:19.019 that it's the place of freedom. 00:31:20.940 --> 00:31:22.319 There's a spiral of sin. 00:31:23.299 --> 00:31:26.819 When it gets exposed and there is judgment, don't take it lightly. 00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:31.720 But in confession, there is a place of safety that God wants to bring you, 00:31:31.799 --> 00:31:34.900 and then sin is forgiven and redeemed. 00:31:35.319 --> 00:31:36.279 And here's the final point. 00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:38.899 Because Nathan says, 00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:42.519 The Lord also has put away your sin. 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:45.139 You shall not die. 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:49.379 I bet he was glad to hear that. 00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:52.220 But think about that. 00:31:52.299 --> 00:31:53.259 After all he's done, 00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:55.960 adultery, cover-up, murder, 00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:56.960 you're forgiven. 00:31:57.619 --> 00:31:58.539 One sentence. 00:32:00.500 --> 00:32:00.940 Really? 00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:01.740 Nothing else. 00:32:01.899 --> 00:32:02.399 You're forgiven. 00:32:03.639 --> 00:32:04.279 That's it. 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:04.799 What? 00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:06.619 Your porn habit. 00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:07.460 You're forgiven. 00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:08.919 Your anger. 00:32:09.180 --> 00:32:09.720 You're forgiven. 00:32:10.460 --> 00:32:11.779 Your critical spirit. 00:32:12.019 --> 00:32:12.559 You're forgiven. 00:32:14.099 --> 00:32:14.659 But you go, 00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:15.919 I've done it so many times. 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:16.399 I know. 00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:18.159 But it's so bad. 00:32:18.220 --> 00:32:18.779 I can't have done this. 00:32:18.859 --> 00:32:19.720 Don't you think I know? 00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:20.380 God, 00:32:20.380 --> 00:32:23.920 my mercy is big enough for you. 00:32:29.019 --> 00:32:30.539 Because we have one 00:32:30.539 --> 00:32:36.620 who knows exactly what it is to be a substitute for us. 00:32:37.799 --> 00:32:40.420 Because you see, the wages of sin are death. 00:32:40.420 --> 00:32:46.539 David substituted Uriah for his own deserving death. 00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:49.400 His own newborn son will die. 00:32:49.580 --> 00:32:50.779 Seems harsh, doesn't it? 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:52.539 Why did he have to die? 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:53.680 Shouldn't David die? 00:32:54.700 --> 00:32:57.360 Now perhaps, given the rest of David's family history, 00:32:57.460 --> 00:32:58.560 that was mercy to him. 00:32:59.019 --> 00:33:01.360 But when we go, that's not fair. 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:04.639 Sin isn't fair, you know. 00:33:05.219 --> 00:33:06.799 But you know, grace isn't fair either. 00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:09.399 When you take communion, 00:33:09.500 --> 00:33:11.259 I don't know if we're taking communion today or not. 00:33:11.339 --> 00:33:11.699 We are. 00:33:12.479 --> 00:33:12.959 Great. 00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:15.459 When you take communion, 00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:20.939 when you think about Jesus' death for you, 00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:24.339 which is where the story leads, 00:33:24.339 --> 00:33:27.039 do you ever go, 00:33:27.339 --> 00:33:28.699 wow, that's not fair. 00:33:29.919 --> 00:33:31.259 That should have been me. 00:33:33.619 --> 00:33:35.019 That should have been me. 00:33:35.419 --> 00:33:37.939 Because Christ is the ultimate substitute. 00:33:38.459 --> 00:33:40.139 You try and put it on everybody else, 00:33:40.299 --> 00:33:41.000 but Christ says, 00:33:41.059 --> 00:33:42.740 I've taken it all on me 00:33:42.740 --> 00:33:44.459 so that you don't have to put it anyone else. 00:33:44.619 --> 00:33:46.539 You don't even have to put all that guilt on yourself 00:33:46.539 --> 00:33:47.879 because I've taken it all for you. 00:33:49.379 --> 00:33:50.220 You're free. 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:51.319 The chains are gone. 00:33:51.419 --> 00:33:52.319 Not because it's fair, 00:33:52.399 --> 00:33:54.199 but because God is rich. 00:33:54.339 --> 00:33:54.959 He is abundant in love. 00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:56.579 He is abundant in mercy. 00:33:58.259 --> 00:34:00.259 And do you know what I've realized just recently? 00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:06.579 I've realized I've been quite critical recently. 00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:10.860 And what that's told me is something. 00:34:11.799 --> 00:34:12.840 I've lost sight, 00:34:12.980 --> 00:34:14.759 first of the seriousness of my own sin, 00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:15.699 but also secondly, 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:17.099 abundance of God's mercy. 00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:21.420 Because how can I be critical all the time 00:34:21.420 --> 00:34:24.539 when I have a God who has paid the price for me? 00:34:26.539 --> 00:34:28.099 Let it cause you to wonder. 00:34:29.320 --> 00:34:31.039 And if forgiveness wasn't enough, 00:34:31.220 --> 00:34:32.639 the end of the passage goes, 00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:35.119 then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, 00:34:35.340 --> 00:34:36.099 went in and lay with her, 00:34:36.139 --> 00:34:36.760 and she bore a son, 00:34:36.820 --> 00:34:38.079 and she had his name Solomon, 00:34:38.300 --> 00:34:41.079 which comes from the word shalom, peace. 00:34:41.079 --> 00:34:43.920 And the Lord loved him, 00:34:44.199 --> 00:34:46.619 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. 00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:48.619 So he called his name Jedidiah, 00:34:48.699 --> 00:34:50.099 meaning beloved of the Lord, 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:51.039 because of the Lord. 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:55.119 But she is pregnant again, 00:34:55.759 --> 00:34:58.059 and Nathan sends another message. 00:34:59.179 --> 00:35:00.759 Do you think David was at peace 00:35:00.759 --> 00:35:02.000 when he clicked on that WhatsApp? 00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:04.440 What's he going to say this time? 00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:06.579 And the message comes, 00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:08.119 David, don't screw it up again. 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:11.659 No, it doesn't. 00:35:12.900 --> 00:35:13.659 It says, 00:35:14.099 --> 00:35:18.260 this son is beloved of the Lord. 00:35:19.960 --> 00:35:20.400 Beloved. 00:35:21.619 --> 00:35:24.000 Do you see how big his mercy and his grace is? 00:35:24.700 --> 00:35:25.840 On the scale of sins, 00:35:26.039 --> 00:35:27.980 David is right up there with the worst. 00:35:28.659 --> 00:35:30.179 But when God forgives, 00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:32.679 he doesn't just put the incident behind him 00:35:32.679 --> 00:35:33.480 and move on. 00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:36.039 No, he actually works redemption 00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:40.039 through the very darkest places in your life. 00:35:40.240 --> 00:35:41.960 He can bring the greatest light, 00:35:42.139 --> 00:35:43.579 because Solomon's going to become 00:35:43.579 --> 00:35:45.019 the wisest king ever, 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:46.519 the one who builds God's temple, 00:35:46.840 --> 00:35:48.320 the one who threw in the promises 00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:49.880 that God had given to David 00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:51.400 for the kingdom are going to flow 00:35:51.400 --> 00:35:52.719 all the way to Christ. 00:35:54.699 --> 00:35:56.719 And David, who thought he'd screwed it all up, 00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:58.760 realized that God hasn't finished with him yet. 00:36:01.559 --> 00:36:02.519 Isn't that amazing? 00:36:03.480 --> 00:36:06.579 And those of us who believe this, 00:36:06.659 --> 00:36:08.159 do you know that's not just David's story, 00:36:08.219 --> 00:36:09.280 that's our story too. 00:36:10.219 --> 00:36:11.260 That's my story. 00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:13.719 Do you know, through my breakdown, 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:15.679 God has used that to be able to speak 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:17.099 to many others about God's grace. 00:36:17.219 --> 00:36:18.440 I've been in that place 00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:21.860 where regret has tried to master me. 00:36:22.500 --> 00:36:23.900 And say, God can't use you. 00:36:23.980 --> 00:36:25.300 Look at all that you have done 00:36:25.300 --> 00:36:26.920 and how you've affected others. 00:36:27.200 --> 00:36:28.340 But you know, that's a lie. 00:36:29.300 --> 00:36:31.400 Because his mercy, as we sang before, 00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:32.539 his mercy is more. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:35.160 You take whatever you've done, 00:36:35.200 --> 00:36:36.019 his mercy is more. 00:36:37.180 --> 00:36:38.220 His mercy is more. 00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:41.580 That's why I can stand it today. 00:36:42.620 --> 00:36:45.260 Not because I've got everything right, 00:36:45.260 --> 00:36:48.140 but because I've got an amazing Savior. 00:36:50.240 --> 00:36:51.280 Sin is serious. 00:36:51.620 --> 00:36:52.600 Don't toy with it. 00:36:53.380 --> 00:36:54.380 God will expose it. 00:36:54.460 --> 00:36:55.320 Come into the light. 00:36:56.620 --> 00:36:59.960 But his mercies are new every morning. 00:37:00.640 --> 00:37:03.000 And that includes this morning, 00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:06.120 right now, wherever you are, 00:37:06.460 --> 00:37:07.440 whatever you've done, 00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:08.840 whatever you're hiding, 00:37:08.840 --> 00:37:11.960 his mercy is more. 00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:12.960 Let me pray. 00:37:32.820 --> 00:37:34.980 Father, I pray that even as we 00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:41.539 even as we stand before a God 00:37:41.539 --> 00:37:44.280 who none of us should be able 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:45.139 to stand before, 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:48.219 and yet what a miracle. 00:37:48.740 --> 00:37:50.260 We're in the safest place 00:37:50.260 --> 00:37:51.260 in the whole planet 00:37:51.260 --> 00:37:54.039 because of Christ, 00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:56.599 because of your grace. 00:37:57.199 --> 00:37:58.579 I pray for those of us 00:37:58.579 --> 00:37:59.699 who right this morning, 00:38:00.579 --> 00:38:02.079 there are things that we're running 00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:02.980 from you with. 00:38:03.460 --> 00:38:04.699 There are places where we're 00:38:04.699 --> 00:38:05.839 toying with thoughts, 00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:07.899 toying with decisions, 00:38:08.299 --> 00:38:09.599 toying with putting things 00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:10.199 ahead of you. 00:38:10.419 --> 00:38:11.179 Father, I pray, 00:38:11.319 --> 00:38:12.619 God, would you arrest them 00:38:12.619 --> 00:38:13.319 to this morning? 00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:15.000 Would you convict people 00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:15.579 this morning? 00:38:15.779 --> 00:38:16.480 Would you show them 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:17.619 that's not a kitten, 00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:18.399 that's a tiger 00:38:18.399 --> 00:38:19.379 that will kill them, Lord? 00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:22.239 Show them the ugliness of sin, 00:38:22.299 --> 00:38:22.739 I pray. 00:38:23.500 --> 00:38:24.460 But then show them 00:38:24.460 --> 00:38:26.359 even in greater technicolor, 00:38:26.539 --> 00:38:26.679 Lord, 00:38:26.739 --> 00:38:28.079 the glory of your grace, 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:30.039 that Jesus is a better promise, 00:38:30.399 --> 00:38:31.299 a better offer, 00:38:31.659 --> 00:38:32.519 more grace, 00:38:32.779 --> 00:38:33.899 more mercy than we'll get 00:38:33.900 --> 00:38:34.960 from anyone else 00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:35.639 on this planet. 00:38:36.700 --> 00:38:37.880 And you're the place 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:39.099 that we can run to today. 00:38:40.039 --> 00:38:41.780 Thank you for who you are. 00:38:42.200 --> 00:38:43.139 In Jesus' name. 00:38:43.680 --> 00:38:44.019 Amen.