Sermon Title: A Soul Laid Bare
Scripture: Psalm 51:1-6
Wesleyan Community Church
Terry, Mississippi
Sunday Morning - January 6, 2002
Scripture Introduction:
We have all heard the expression, “Hands caught in the cookie-jar”. We have used that expression to describe the end-result of many illegal or unethical practices of politicians, corporate executives, and even a greater than expected number of religious leaders. They were caught “red-handed”. David is described as a man after God’s own heart, he is empowered by God, he is propelled by God to the pinnacle of success, and then what does he do. He forgets from whence he came, abandons his men on the battle field, gazes upon another man’s wife longingly, commits adultery and then has the woman’s husband killed to cover his tracks. Still he is caught in the very act, and for that matter the entire process is played out before the all-seeing eyes of our Father. David betrayed the trust of the Father who placed him in that position to begin with. David needs to make things right.
Please join me in reading Psalm 51:1-6
Scripture Reading:
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Sermon Introduction:
In these first few verses of David’s prayer of repentance, we find four basic requirements that apply to our relationship or in the case of those that are unfortunately lost, their lack of relationship.
First of all, there is Asking [for forgiveness] – we need to desire to make things right with God. If there is no desire on our part why should God extend his graciousness to us? No matter the lengths that may be used to attempt to change a sinners heart, the bottom line is that there will be no sin allowed before God’s presence. If someone is close to asking for forgiveness at the time of their end, they have had there chance and their eternity is set.
Secondly there is Admitting [our wrongs]. How many times have people admitted guilt simply to avoid a prolonged ritual of establishing guilt? At times we are guilty of badgering an altar call to the point where someone finally decides on the 10th time through “Just As I Am” that if they don’t go up the preacher will never clam up. There needs to be an honest heart-felt admission of guilt. Yes, I committed the transgression!
Thirdly, there needs to be the process of Acknowledging [our hopeless condition]. On our own, we stand no chance of ever redeeming ourselves. I don’t care how rich you are, I don’t care how talented you are, I don’t care how good you are. It comes down to this, IF YOU DON’T KNOW JESUS, THEN YOU ARE LOST! Now by knowing Jesus, I mean you need to do more than simply know how to spell His name. He is the only Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, lived as a sinless man, persecuted, executed, and resurrected, then returned to sit at the right hand of the Father in Glory to return again to take His church home. IS THAT THE WAY YOU KNOW JESUS!
Last but certainly not last is Accepting [the terms of restoration]. Contrary to what the society teaches and unfortunately too many churches as well, is that along with this relationship with Jesus, there is also a change in our behavior that needs to be made and a responsibility for our actions. We cannot continue to live the way we were before, after we claim that He has become our Savior. We can, however we might also find ourselves in the corral with the goats.
Let us pause for a moment of prayer!
Point 1: David began his road back to a proper relation with God by Asking [for forgiveness]. Let us read verses 1 and 2:
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
David knows who God is. David knows of God’s mercy. David also knows the power of God. David never really forgot all of these things about God, perhaps he walked with God for so long that he became accustomed to God’s blessings. In regards to our asking forgiveness, I heard an interesting point that was mentioned at our Thursday chapel service, our speaker presented the following point. Imagine, just for a moment that we knew for a fact that Jesus would return at 7:00 PM tonight, what things would we need to be working on between now and then. We oftentimes walk around as if nothing is wrong, and yet when we honestly think about this question that was posed, we could think of things that are not where they need to be. We don’t know when Jesus is coming back, so if we thought that we had things to do before 7PM and if Jesus comes in the next few minutes, where would we be?
Look at the words that David uses as he asks for forgiveness, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly, cleanse me from my sin. I think of that phrase “blot out”, and I think of the use of a sponge to wipe up a mess, we compress the sponge over the site of the mess and the liquid is literally sucked up into the sponge and is eliminated. David is asking that the sin be thoroughly and completely removed out of his life and the manner in which it is done need not be gentle.
How do we react when we are confronted with the deeds that we may have done. Do we wish to be forgiven of what we were caught over or the entire totality of where we have gone away from God? Too often we can grow comfortable with the things that we hide in those dark closets, the things that no one else knows about. They are not unseen by God.
Point 2: How about Admitting [our wrongs]? Read what David writes in the next few verses:
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest.
When it comes right down to it, what is wrong with admitting that we have made a mistake? Let’s look at some of the less than intelligent things that we can do. Now I have used the example of my mother baking cookies and telling me to stay out of them. She turns her back, I take a cookie and shove it into my mouth, she returns and notices a cookie missing and asks me “DID YOU TAKE A COOKIE?” and in response to that I say no while the crumbs of the cookie are still falling out of my mouth. This is how ridiculous we must look when we sin before God and refuse to confess what we did.
Even the times when we do think that we get away with things, the wrongs that we commit will always be on our minds, you see the deed that we commit needs to be covered by a lie and then the lies need to be held together by other lies and the spiral is endless, and it takes more time and energy to keep the lies straight then it would to have faced the consequences of our transgressions to begin with.
David knows that he has done wrong, and if things are not made right, David knows that God is justified in the consequences that He hands out to those that sin against Him and remain unrepentant.
Point 3: David knows that he is hopelessly lost without God and knows that he has always been lost without Him. We need to Acknowledge [our hopeless condition]! Let us read verse 5:
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. David knows that from the time of his birth, he was just as lost as all of mankind has been since that day in the Garden of Eden. Each and every one of us are in the exact same situation, and we remain in that situation until we call upon the name of our Lord Jesus, accept Him as our crucified and risen Savior, and seek to live out our lives through Him and in Him. David comes to the realization that he needs to be forgiven, that he has indeed trespassed when he knew better, and that part of his inheritance is that of a nature that is prone to sin from birth. IT NEED NOT REMAIN THAT WAY!
Point 4: David takes the process of the beginning of his restoration with God to the next logical step. David Accepts [the terms of restoration]! Reading this morning’s final section of Scripture in verse 6:
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
David knows that the change that must take place deep down in the inside. David also comes to the conclusion that this is also God’s desire for his life. We can apply this to our own lives in that we must clean out the junk closets of our lives. We need to accept God’s help in this situation. If we have a flat tire on the interstate, and someone stops to help us, can the tire be changed if we refuse the assistance that is offered?
David also knew that he didn’t know everything, there were things in his life that he either didn’t know were contrary to God’s will or perhaps didn’t care to admit that they were in need. How about those closets in our lives that we hope that no one ever opens. We need to be in a frame of mind when we allow Jesus to work in our lives to allow Him total access to each and every corner, crevasse, and recess where things can be hidden and obscured. Then at His command we need to remove that which does not belong. Brothers and sisters, there is nothing that is more painful then allowing the holiest One ever total access to most shameful in all of our lives. I am reminded of the parable of the Lost coin in Luke chapter 15: 8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? You see the candle illuminates what is normally obscured to the eye and the broom reaches places and cleans where things that do not belong, often collect and remain untouched in our process of elimination of the un-needed.
Luke 15:8 (KJV)
Conclusion:
Title: I Forgive You
A letter written to a man on death row by the Father of the man whom the man on death row had killed:
You are probably surprised that I, of all people, am writing a letter to you, but I ask you to read it in its entirety and consider its request seriously. As the Father of the man whom you took part in murdering, I have something very important to say to you.
I forgive you. With all my heart, I forgive you. I realize it may be hard for you to believe, but I really do. At your trial, when you confessed to your part in the events that cost my Son his life and asked for my forgiveness, I immediately granted you that forgiving love from my heart. I can only hope you believe me and will accept my forgiveness.
But this is not all I have to say to you. I want to make you an offer -- I want you to become my adopted child. You see, my Son who died was my only child, and I now want to share my life with you and leave my riches to you. This may not make sense to you or anyone else, but I believe you are worth the offer. I have arranged matters so that if you will receive my offer of forgiveness, not only will you be pardoned for your crime, but you also will be set free from your imprisonment, and your sentence of death will be dismissed. At that point, you will become my adopted child and heir to all my riches.
I realize this is a risky offer for me to make to you -- you might be tempted to reject my offer completely -- but I make it to you without reservation.
Also, I realize it may seem foolish to make such an offer to one who cost my Son his life, but I now have a great love and an unchangeable forgiveness in my heart for you.
Finally, you may be concerned that once you accept my offer you may do something to cause you to be denied your rights as an heir to my wealth. Nothing could be further from the truth. If I can forgive you for your part in my Son’s death, I can forgive you for anything. I know you never will be perfect, but you do not have to be perfect to receive my offer. Besides, I believe that once you have accepted my offer and begin to experience the riches that will come to you from me, that your primary (though not always) response will be gratitude and loyalty.
Some would call me foolish for my offer to you, but I wish for you to call me your Father.
The Father of Jesus
We read in read in 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is almost identical to the beginning of David’s plea to God for forgiveness of what he knew better than to do in the first place.
How are we in the department of Asking [for forgiveness]? We often times allow our pride to get in the way when we wrong our fellow man, don’t we realize that our pride has its origin in the Garden and is directly connected with Adam and Eves disobedience to God? When we ask for forgiveness, He will forgive. Let us claim as God’s promise to us written in Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Why is it so difficult to Admit [our wrongs]? Once again, we must always remain reminded that what we do in secret to man is viewed plainly in the eyes of God. Let us claim that promise in Ro 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
When we review our past successes and failures, like David we are ever reminded of our iniquities. We must begin by Acknowledging [our hopeless condition]. We need to remember that we are not alone in this situation, we read in Ro 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Everywhere we look, at everyone that we look upon, the same problems applies to them. There is no one, no matter how wonderful we may perceive them to be, didn’t have to face up to the fact that on their own, they are lost.
We have however an opportunity to be restored unto God, and in so seeking that we need to Accept [the terms of restoration]. Readin in the Gospel of John, in the third chapter:
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born 5 Jesus answered Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
We are called to repentance and then onward to an even greater walk with the Lord. We read Paul’s words in Romans 6:1,2:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound 2 God forbid How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
What has God called you to do?
Perhaps for someone today is the day of Salvation. Why not call upon His name and begin a life that is renewed through the blood that Jesus shed upon that cross. That same blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins was also shed for the purpose of our living right before God. Paul asks, “SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN?” This need not be the case because we are repeatedly commanded in God’s Word, We read in1Pe 1:15,16:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Perhaps this is the day of consecration for someone.
