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Psalm 51 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning. Open up your Bibles to Psalm 51.
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So in case you thought you got rid of me last week, I'm back.
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! Nathan called and just wasn't feeling well.
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And at the time I was feeling good and I actually kind of had a rough night.
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I've got a wheeze in my chest.
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Y'all know what that's about, but if you hear a little bagpiper in here,
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you know, throughout the sermon, that's what's going on.
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Struggling physically just a little bit, but spirit's good.
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I've been really encouraged this morning with our singing and our gathering.
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And so after you've been doing this for quite a while,
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you develop several sermons that are kind of like your go-tos if something happens like this.
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But the problem is the longer you've been here, like you actually have used them before.
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So I looked on our website, and apparently the last time I did this was in 2014.
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So there's a lot of new faces here since then.
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So I thought it'd be good to go back to it.
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And I think some of the college students may have heard it a couple years ago.
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But I'm looking at it with fresh eyes today and to visit a topic that every believer should be aware of
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and be practicing weekly, if not daily.
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And that is the subject of repentance.
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And a word that a lot of people try to omit from their vocabulary.
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And I know no other place, really, that I think exhibits what true repentance is than Psalm 51.
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So before we walk through it, I just want to talk about repentance just for a second, just define it for you,
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as well as maybe give us some context of what's going on in Psalm 51.
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But in short, just the word repent in the New Testament, it means to change one's mind for the better.
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So it's not just a change of behavior.
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It's a change in the way you think about things.
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It's like looking at sin, hating it, and by God's grace, resolving to forsake it and turn to Christ in faith.
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And it is a God-produced inward change of the heart that plays out outwardly in a change of action.
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And so there's just a few things to consider before we kind of get into this.
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But some of you are familiar with Psalm 51.
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And I was just thinking, again, like we can't outgrow this sermon.
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Like the minute you think that you have no more need to understand repentance or practice repentance,
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we're kind of in a dangerous spot.
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And so this was written in the context of 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12.
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That's like the background.
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But instead of reading all that to you the whole time, you can go back and check it out later.
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But 2 Samuel 11 through 12, and this is about King David.
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And this is when he is at the height of his power, height of his blessing, at the tip top,
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which typically means, based on this story, that is a time when we need to be wary.
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We need to be aware like we're feeling very safe and secure,
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that we're doing very well spiritually.
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We're at the height because then temptation comes.
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And so in these chapters in 2 Samuel, what happens is King David,
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who we tend to think of only as the man after God's own heart, which is true.
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He was an astonishing man, a shepherd, a king, a warrior,
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one of my favorite Bible characters for sure.
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But I think apart from stories like this,
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we would be tempted to kind of idolize David as some sort of perfect man.
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And this shows you that he was definitely broken and in need of a Savior.
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So in these chapters, he commits the terrible act of adultery, murder, lying, and scandal.
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I mean, you just would never think.
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But again, he's at the height of his power and blessing from God.
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And so it starts the chapter by saying when the kings were out to war.
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So this was the time when they went out to wage war against their enemies.
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And David is not out there.
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He's staying in Jerusalem.
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So point number one really would be able just to think about is be where you should be.
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Don't be where you should not be.
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And so he should be out there with his men, with his army, waging war.
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But he's hanging out in Jerusalem.
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And so he steps out on his balcony and he sees a beautiful woman sunbathing, which is Bathsheba.
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And she is the wife of a noble warrior named Uriah, Uriah the Hittite.
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And so not a Jew by birth.
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He was a Gentile, but he must have at some point come to faith in the true God or he was a mercenary or something.
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But Hittites were known for their reputation for fighting.
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So this was his wife.
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And no one knows, but if she did this intentionally to catch David's eye, we don't know that.
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But she is on display.
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And so he walks out and he sees her and he lusts after her.
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And he calls her to his chamber.
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And he's the king.
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He can kind of do whatever he wants to do a lot of the time.
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And so eventually he sleeps with her and she goes away.
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And eventually comes back and says, hey, I'm pregnant with your child.
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And no kidding, he panics.
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He freaks out.
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Like a lot of us would in such a situation.
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And instead of going straight to God, he begins this scandal of lying and covering up.
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He intends to cover it up first by calling Uriah back from the battlefield and saying, hey, Uriah, like you've been doing a great job out there.
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Like come and sleep with your wife as a reward.
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And but he is such a honorable soldier.
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He refuses to do that.
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Like, how can I do that when my men are out there in the battlefield?
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And so that didn't work.
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And David is growing frustrated.
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So he says, well, I'll just into himself.
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I'll try to get him drunk.
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And then he can sleep with his wife.
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And then everything will be OK.
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But he that doesn't work either.
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And so this growing frustration and fear, David results to the great evil of having Uriah killed on the battlefield.
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It says, like, when he's up in the front of the line, draw back and let him die.
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So in essence, he's murdered by David.
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It was just through the means of the battlefield.
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Put him in a situation where he wouldn't survive it.
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And he did not survive it.
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So then David comes out and he he tries to put on this noble facade of like the husband, the noble Uriah is dead.
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And I can now marry his wife as a sign of of honor, kind of picking her up.
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And so that really wasn't what was happening, obviously.
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So he marries her and he he thinks everything is OK.
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Right.
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He he's he's survived.
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He's gotten away with the lie.
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His reputation is saved.
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Or so he thinks.
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Right.
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But often is the case.
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We are unaware of that.
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We very quickly forget.
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Proverbs 15, three.
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The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
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So eventually, God sends a prophet to Nathan or a prophet to David named Nathan.
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And he confronts him and he says he tells him this story.
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And he goes, hey, there was two men.
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One was a very wealthy man and he had many livestock, many herds.
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And this other man was his servant.
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And he had just one lamb that he loved and he cared for.
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And so the rich man had a visitor and to throw a party and to welcome that visitor.
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Instead of taking one of the many livestock he had, he took the servant's only favorite animal, the lamb that he had.
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And he killed it when he had all this other stuff.
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And David is outraged.
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He goes, surely that man deserves to die.
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And then Nathan, chillingly, just says to him, you're that man.
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You took, you had all this stuff and you took the only thing from this man, Uriah, and you committed a great evil.
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So little did he know, he's pronouncing judgment on himself.
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And so, out of David's mouth, according to Scripture, comes genuine repentance.
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Not just, oh no, I'm caught.
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I'm found out.
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I'm in trouble.
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I've got to figure out another way to hide.
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He just, he owns up to it.
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And what he says in 2 Samuel 12, verse 13, is I have sinned against the Lord.
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And Nathan said to David, the Lord, the Lord has put away your sins.
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And you shall not die.
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So mind-blowing, he confesses his sin genuinely.
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And out of Nathan's mouth comes the forgiveness from the Lord.
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So, I like to think of this, we don't exactly know how this came about.
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But if you look at like the little subtitle in your Bible over Psalm 51,
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it says, to the choir master, a psalm of David,
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when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone into Bathsheba.
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So, I like to think that after this encounter with Nathan happened,
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he got away by himself somewhere.
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Nathan, or excuse me, David went out into the wilderness.
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He went somewhere and got quiet, or just a quiet place.
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And he penned this psalm.
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And poured out his heart and soul to God in repentance and in prayer.
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And so, we're going to just walk through it.
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Just to save time, I'm just going to walk through it with you
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instead of reading it all and then going back over it again.
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And so, I'm going to just do this in the form of questions.
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But if I had to look at this psalm,
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one brother I heard that preached on this a long time ago,
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if he had to explain what this psalm was,
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he says that David's sin made him feel dirty,
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and he desires to be clean.
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David feels guilt.
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The guilt has made him sick,
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and he desires to be well.
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The disobedience made him lonely,
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and he desires relational reconciliation.
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And his rebellion made him fearful of God,
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but now he wants to be pardoned.
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That's kind of like what we see a lot in this particular psalm.
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So, the first question,
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we're going to just walk through it with questions,
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and eat it piece by piece.
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So, question number one is,
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how do we approach God for mercy and forgiveness?
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Okay?
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That's going to be seen in verses 1 and 2.
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And in this, we have something for our hearts and our minds to follow
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when we are seeking to repent of our sin
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and work through things with God.
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He says in verse 1,
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Have mercy on me, O God,
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according to your steadfast love,
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according to your abundant mercy,
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blot out my transgressions,
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wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
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and cleanse me from my sin.
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And so, I want you to notice this.
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He pleads with God to show him mercy and pardon and forgiveness,
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not because of what he's done.
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Right?
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Mercy is this undeserved thing only given to us by God.
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You can't earn mercy.
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You can't earn grace.
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By nature, it's undeserving.
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And so, why is this the case?
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Like, why is he approaching God this way?
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Because, one, David has no hope of God forgiving him
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according to his own righteousness,
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because clearly he doesn't have any.
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Look what he just did.
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So, he's not saying,
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Forgive me because I'm a great guy,
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and I've done so much for you.
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He just, he doesn't do that.
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He doesn't plead his case
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according to his own goodness,
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his own merit,
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but God's.
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You see that?
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According to your steadfast love,
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your abundant mercy,
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the multitude of your tender mercies,
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or your compassions.
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So, he recognizes he has no entitlement for God's favor,
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he deserves not life,
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but death.
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And he's,
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if we are ever to approach God,
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we have to be sensible that God
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doesn't have to forgive us.
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We're not owed forgiveness.
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We're not owed mercy and grace.
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And so, therefore,
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David appeals to God in this manner,
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because he knows it's in the nature of God
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to be forgiving.
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He knows it's in the nature of God
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to show mercy,
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to forgive,
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pardon,
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and heal.
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So, he taps into that,
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like, God,
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I know that you are a forgiving,
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merciful God.
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And so,
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that's how he approaches it,
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not according to his own righteousness,
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but God's,
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right,
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in God's love,
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God's tender mercies.
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Look at these verses,
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and look at the terms that he uses
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to explain the crime that he committed.
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He says,
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first,
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transgression.
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You see that?
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That is a deliberate,
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premeditated crossing of the line,
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a willful act of disobedience.
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He knew he shouldn't do it,
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and he did it anyway.
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Then he uses the word iniquity,
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which is sort of a perverting
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or a twisting of something
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that is good and true.
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Right?
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He's corrupted goodness.
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And then, of course,
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he used the term sin,
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the most familiar to us,
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the missing of the mark
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of what God intended.
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And then he even calls it evil,
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right?
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This dark, terrible, awful thing.
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So, he's fully recognizing
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that he has committed
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a great crime against God.
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He's not making any excuses for it.
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And so,
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then look at
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what he's asking God to do
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corresponding to those particular crimes.
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Right?
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All words depicting spiritual restoration
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that only God can do.
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First, he says,
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to blot out.
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Right?
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Blot out my transgressions.
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That means to wipe out,
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to obliterate.
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And back in the ancient times,
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they use papyrus
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if you could afford it.
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And it was valuable.
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And what they would do
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is they would reuse it
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by wiping off previous writing
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and then writing something else
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on top of it.
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So, he's saying,
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blot out the record
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of this awful sin I've committed.
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Like this transgression.
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Wipe it away
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as if it never happened.
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Blot it out.
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Then he used the term wash.
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To wash by treading out.
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This refreshing feeling, right,
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of your dirty and filthy sin
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makes us feel that way.
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So, he's saying,
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cleanse me.
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Wash me.
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Cleanse me
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of my sin.
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Right?
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Which means to purify
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and make whole.
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And he's saying,
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all of this, Lord,
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do all of this
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only because of your love
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and kindness towards me.
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And because of your mercy.
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Not because I deserve it.
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And so,
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those are the redemptive response.
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Like, blot it out.
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Wash me.
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Cleanse me.
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The stuff that we all desire.
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That gives you question number two now.
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Which is,
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what is the true confession of sin?
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Okay?
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See this in verses 3-5.
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David goes on.
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He says,
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For I know my transgressions
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and my sin is ever before me
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against you,
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you only,
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have I sinned against
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and done what is evil
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in your sight
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so that you may be justified
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in your words
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and blameless in your judgment.
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Behold,
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I was brought forth in iniquity
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and in sin
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did my mother conceive me.
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Alright?
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So, he recognizes right out of the gate
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that sin is ever present with them.
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He says,
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I know my transgressions
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and my sin is ever before me.
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He's humbly acknowledging
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what he's done.
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What I did was wrong.
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What I did was evil
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and wicked.
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And it's staring at me in the face.
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Have you ever noticed that
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when you commit sin
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and you just kind of
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try to brush it under the rug
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and go about your day
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and how it just has this tendency
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to stand there
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and just stare at you
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like,
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hey, I'm not gone.
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I'm still here.
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That's what his sin is doing to him
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day and night.
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And so,
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he recognizes that
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that his sin
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is ever before him.
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And then,
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this is very critical.
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Right?
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He takes full responsibility
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for his sin.
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He doesn't blame Bathsheba.
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He doesn't blame
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any circumstances going on.
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He owns up to it.
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Alright?
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And that's important
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because we,
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some of you who
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confess sin to each other
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and pray to each other,
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we tend to want to
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soften the blow
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by saying,
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well, I messed up.
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Or,
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I didn't do so good
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this week.
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And we use terms
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to kind of like
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make it sound better
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than it is.
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And according to God's Word,
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according to this psalm,
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it's like,
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no,
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call it what it is.
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You committed
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a heinous act
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of adultery.
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Call sin what it is
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and own up to it.
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And don't try to
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soften the blow.
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And I think
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this next part
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is very critical
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if you see
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in these verses,
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especially verse 4,
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this is very important.
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David could have said,
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I tragically
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have sinned
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against Bathsheba.
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I've sinned
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against Uriah.
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I had him killed.
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I've sinned
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against the nation
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that I'm supposed
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to be leading.
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And he would have been
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true
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in saying those things.
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But he doesn't.
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He confesses
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to God
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against you
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and you only
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have I sinned against
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and done what is evil
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in your sight.
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So why does he say that?
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Because all sin
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is ultimately
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against God.
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All of it is.
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It doesn't
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just
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we sin against people
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and then we sin
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against God
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separately.
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Like all of it
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goes back to him.
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It's all
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rebellion
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against him.
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And as he said
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to Nathan
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in 2 Samuel
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12,
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13,
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I have sinned
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against the Lord.
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That's like what
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he proclaimed.
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So sin does
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great harm to us.
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It does great harm
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to others.
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At the end of the day,
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it dishonors
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our Creator.
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And so
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when I sin,
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I'm saying to God
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in that moment,
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I don't trust you.
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I don't believe
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that you're good.
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I don't believe
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that you're wise.
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I'm going to take
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another path.
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That's like what
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we do
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every time
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that we sin.
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And we don't
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believe in His goodness.
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So,
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this is very important.
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Repentance is not
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just feeling bad.
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You hear me?
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Like repentance
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is not just
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feeling bad
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about what you did
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and feeling guilty.
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Why?
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Because even unbelievers,
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people who don't know Christ,
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feel guilty
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about things
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that they've done.
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So what's the difference?
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What's the difference?
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I only have
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two places
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for you to turn
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outside of Psalm 51.
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So,
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thank me later.
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But one of them
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is 2 Corinthians.
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Hold your hand
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in Psalm 51.
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Look at 2 Corinthians
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chapter 7
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verse 9.
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And so Paul
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talks about
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repentance
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this way
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and he says
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there's a godly sorrow
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and a worldly sorrow.
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And
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kind of picking up
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on this
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theme of repentance.
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So 2 Corinthians
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chapter 7
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verse 9
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Paul says,
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As it is,
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I rejoice
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not because
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you were grieved
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about sin,
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but because
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you were grieved
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into repenting.
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for you felt
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a godly grief
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so that
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you suffered
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no loss
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through us.
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For godly grief
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produces repentance
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that leads to salvation
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without regret,
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whereas worldly grief
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produces death.
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So he clearly says here
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there are two kinds
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of grief.
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For the believer
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there is a godly sorrow.
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It's what we're seeing
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here in Psalm 51.
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Like,
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I have sinned
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against God,
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I have hurt Him,
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I have insulted Him,
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and I hate
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what I have done
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to Him ultimately.
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And worldly sorrow
22:24
is man-centered.
22:25
You just kind of feel
22:25
bad about what you did,
22:27
but you don't really
22:28
feel any remorse
22:29
for sinning
22:30
against God Himself.
22:32
You just hate
22:32
the consequences
22:34
of your sin.
22:35
You hate
22:35
what it does to you,
22:36
but then it just
22:37
sort of falls
22:38
short
22:39
right there
22:40
and doesn't carry on.
22:41
But Paul says
22:43
that godly grief
22:44
or godly sorrow
22:46
will lead to life
22:47
as where worldly sorrow
22:49
will lead to death.
22:51
So repentance
22:52
isn't just feeling bad
22:54
about what you did.
22:56
It's about,
22:57
remember,
22:57
about a change
22:58
of the mind
22:59
that leads to
23:00
a change of action.
23:02
Right?
23:03
So,
23:04
go back to Psalm 51.
23:07
And if you notice
23:08
in Psalm 51
23:09
he also says,
23:10
Behold,
23:10
I was brought forth
23:11
in iniquity
23:12
and in sin
23:13
did my mother
23:14
conceive me.
23:15
Now,
23:16
he is not at all
23:17
playing the victim.
23:19
We live in a victimized
23:20
culture.
23:21
Stuff's just happening
23:22
to me
23:22
and nothing's my fault.
23:25
He really is just
23:26
saying by this,
23:28
like God,
23:30
I am weak.
23:31
I am helpless.
23:32
I don't know anything else
23:33
but sin.
23:34
From day one,
23:35
that's all I've known
23:36
is sin.
23:38
This is one of those
23:39
original sin texts.
23:41
Like,
23:41
in sin
23:42
was I conceived.
23:43
Right?
23:44
We were born,
23:44
all of us,
23:45
in a state of sin
23:46
and spiritual death.
23:49
Our understanding
23:50
was darkened
23:51
and our hearts
23:52
were corrupted
23:53
by evil.
23:54
So David
23:55
implores
23:56
that sad reality
23:57
as an argument
23:59
for God
24:00
to show him mercy.
24:01
This is all
24:02
I've ever known.
24:02
I've only known
24:03
sin
24:04
from the beginning.
24:05
Have mercy on me.
24:07
Forgive me.
24:09
Let's get into
24:10
our third question.
24:13
Alright?
24:14
How do we plea
24:16
for forgiveness
24:17
and restoration?
24:20
Alright?
24:20
This is
24:20
starting in verse 6.
24:25
David says,
24:25
Behold,
24:26
you delight in truth
24:27
and the inward being
24:28
and you teach me
24:29
wisdom and the secret heart.
24:31
Purge me with hyssop
24:33
and I shall be clean.
24:34
Wash me.
24:35
I shall be whiter
24:36
than snow.
24:38
Let me hear joy
24:39
and gladness.
24:41
Let the bones
24:41
that you have broken
24:43
rejoice.
24:44
Hide your face
24:45
from my sins
24:46
and blot out
24:47
my iniquities.
24:49
Create in me
24:50
a clean heart,
24:51
O God.
24:51
Renew me
24:52
with the right spirit
24:53
within me.
24:55
Cast me not away
24:56
from your presence
24:57
and take not
24:59
your Holy Spirit
25:00
from me.
25:02
Restore to me
25:02
the joy
25:03
of your salvation
25:04
and uphold me
25:04
with a willing spirit.
25:07
And so,
25:08
in these verses
25:09
we really see
25:10
how to plea
25:11
for forgiveness
25:13
and restoration
25:13
to God.
25:16
God desires
25:17
to not just
25:18
save him
25:19
but to change him.
25:20
To change him
25:21
from the inside out.
25:23
The deepest places
25:24
of his heart.
25:25
He's pleading with God,
25:27
Change me here.
25:28
I don't just want
25:28
to do better.
25:29
I want to change.
25:30
I don't just want
25:31
to continue
25:32
down this same road.
25:35
And it's this picture
25:36
of this God
25:37
going from room
25:38
to room
25:38
in his heart
25:39
just cleaning him out
25:40
and renewing him.
25:42
So, sin is defilement.
25:44
You see that?
25:45
He says,
25:45
Purge me
25:46
and wash me
25:47
with hyssop.
25:49
Hyssop is a plant
25:50
of the mint family.
25:51
It's like a cluster
25:52
of yellow flowers
25:53
and it was used
25:55
to sprinkle the blood
25:56
on the doorposts
25:57
during the Passover.
26:00
The Israelites
26:00
were in Egypt
26:01
and it's symbolically
26:03
this idea of cleansing.
26:06
And he says,
26:07
Wash me
26:07
whiter than snow.
26:09
Clean,
26:10
pure,
26:12
unadulterated
26:13
and beautiful.
26:15
Wash me.
26:16
Cleanse me.
26:17
Whiter than snow.
26:19
And then,
26:20
keep in mind
26:21
that when we sin
26:21
it's like deafness.
26:23
We can't really hear
26:24
the voice of the Lord
26:25
and says,
26:26
Make me hear.
26:28
He wanted God
26:29
to allow him
26:29
to hear joy
26:30
and gladness again
26:31
even in the midst
26:32
of what he's going through.
26:34
Alright,
26:34
so,
26:36
sin also
26:37
is disgrace
26:38
and separation
26:39
from God.
26:40
Look at verse 9.
26:42
He says,
26:43
Hide your face
26:44
from my sin.
26:45
So,
26:46
notice sin.
26:48
Right?
26:49
And,
26:50
hide my sin,
26:51
Lord,
26:52
but not me.
26:53
And,
26:54
so,
26:56
to the Jews,
26:57
to the Hebrews
26:57
of old,
26:58
to see God's face
27:01
is counted
27:03
as the greatest blessing.
27:05
There's no greater blessing
27:06
than to see God's face
27:07
because it means
27:09
favor,
27:10
love,
27:10
fellowship,
27:12
and no greater curse
27:14
than for God
27:15
to hide his face
27:16
from you,
27:17
which means
27:18
judgment,
27:20
separation.
27:20
and so,
27:22
he pleads that.
27:22
Hide your face
27:24
from my sin,
27:25
but not me.
27:27
And,
27:27
you see again,
27:28
right,
27:28
that ultimately,
27:30
David desires
27:31
fellowship with God
27:32
himself.
27:32
He doesn't just want
27:33
to get off the hook
27:34
and not get in trouble.
27:35
He wants that
27:36
relationship
27:38
restored,
27:39
that fellowship
27:40
with God himself
27:41
where he says
27:42
in verse 11,
27:43
Cast me not away
27:43
from your presence
27:44
and take not
27:46
your Holy Spirit
27:47
from me.
27:49
A quick note on that.
27:50
The Holy Spirit
27:51
is how God manifested
27:52
his presence to us
27:53
and in the Old Testament
27:55
he empowered prophets,
27:57
kings,
27:57
and warriors
27:57
to accomplish
27:59
his mission
28:00
by empowering them
28:02
with the Holy Spirit.
28:03
But it could be
28:04
taken away from them
28:05
in the Old Testament,
28:06
in the Old Covenant.
28:08
Example of that
28:09
is Samson.
28:11
But closer to home
28:12
to David,
28:13
he saw it happen
28:13
to Saul,
28:14
did he not?
28:15
He saw Saul go mad.
28:18
Saul was living in,
28:19
God had empowered him
28:20
by the Spirit
28:20
to accomplish
28:21
certain goals
28:22
and Saul continued
28:23
to sin and rebel
28:25
and not do what
28:26
God told him to do
28:27
and so he withdrew
28:28
that presence
28:29
of the Spirit.
28:30
So he is like,
28:31
oh Lord,
28:31
please don't do that
28:32
to me.
28:33
Like,
28:33
please don't take away
28:35
your Holy Spirit
28:35
from me.
28:38
So,
28:39
so we see here though
28:41
that a lot of people
28:42
want to be
28:43
delivered by the
28:45
consequences of their sins.
28:46
Like,
28:46
I don't want to get
28:47
in trouble.
28:47
I don't want to be
28:48
found out.
28:49
That's the first thing
28:50
that comes to my mind.
28:51
How about you?
28:51
Like,
28:52
I don't want to be caught.
28:53
I don't want people
28:53
to know.
28:55
And,
28:55
but we see here
28:57
that he doesn't
28:59
just desire
29:00
to be delivered
29:02
from the consequences
29:03
of his sin.
29:03
He wants fellowship
29:04
with God himself.
29:06
Right?
29:07
And that's scary.
29:08
A question for us
29:09
to ask ourselves.
29:09
I'll spare you
29:12
this really long quote
29:13
that I have,
29:13
but Jonathan Edwards
29:15
just basically said,
29:17
you may love deliverance
29:19
but hate the deliverer.
29:21
The inclination
29:22
of your own will
29:22
goes no further
29:23
than self
29:24
and it never
29:26
reaches Christ.
29:27
You are willing
29:28
not to be miserable.
29:30
That is,
29:30
you love yourself.
29:32
And there,
29:33
your will
29:34
and your choice
29:35
terminate.
29:36
It is a vain
29:37
pretense
29:37
and delusion
29:38
to say or think
29:39
that you are willing
29:40
to accept Christ.
29:42
And in that quote,
29:43
he basically is saying
29:44
that a lot of us
29:44
just want to be
29:45
delivered from the consequences.
29:47
But we don't really
29:48
want God.
29:50
Right?
29:51
We don't really have
29:51
a desire for him.
29:53
But for those of us
29:54
who are truly saved,
29:56
truly born again,
29:58
we may have some things
29:59
we have to work through,
30:00
but ultimately
30:01
we land in this position
30:02
where we're like,
30:02
we just want God.
30:03
Like,
30:03
I just want,
30:04
I'm tired of feeling
30:05
at odds with him.
30:08
Right?
30:09
And sin is spiritually
30:11
depressing.
30:12
It causes misery.
30:13
And that's why
30:14
he says in verse 12,
30:14
restore to me
30:15
the joy
30:16
of your salvation.
30:18
And then don't let it
30:19
stop there.
30:20
Give me the grace,
30:21
empower me,
30:22
uphold me with a willing
30:23
or noble spirit.
30:25
But give me this
30:26
perseverance
30:26
to continue
30:27
to trust you,
30:29
to follow you,
30:30
and to have joy in you.
30:31
And
30:32
some of you may think
30:34
that
30:35
there's no way
30:36
that God
30:38
could change me.
30:40
Maybe you forgive me,
30:41
but like,
30:41
I just don't feel like
30:42
I can change.
30:44
It feels hopeless.
30:45
It's no use.
30:46
I've heard that
30:46
from some of your mouths
30:48
before.
30:50
And I confess
30:51
I've felt that way too.
30:52
Like,
30:53
I just don't want to just
30:54
stop committing the sin.
30:56
I want to change.
30:56
I don't want to do this again.
30:58
I want to,
30:58
I want God to change
31:00
my behavior
31:00
by changing my heart
31:02
first
31:03
and convincing me
31:05
that this is wrong
31:05
and evil
31:06
and that His way
31:07
is better.
31:08
So if you feel hopeless,
31:10
I may give you
31:11
something to hold on to here.
31:13
Notice in these verses,
31:14
He says,
31:16
create
31:16
in me
31:18
a clean heart
31:20
or a new heart.
31:23
Alright?
31:24
Think about that word
31:25
create
31:25
in the Bible.
31:26
Where else have you heard
31:27
that word
31:28
create?
31:28
about Genesis 1-1.
31:33
In the heavens
31:34
God,
31:34
or in the beginning,
31:35
God created
31:36
the heavens
31:38
and the earth.
31:40
Does that encourage you?
31:41
Like God is,
31:42
David is calling upon
31:43
that same power
31:44
that created the universe,
31:47
visible and invisible,
31:48
spiritual and physical,
31:50
to give him a new heart.
31:51
Like so,
31:52
the same God
31:52
that made all things
31:54
can speak new life
31:55
into you and me
31:56
and give us new hearts.
31:58
So that's a huge power
32:00
behind that ability
32:01
to change you.
32:03
So God's hand
32:04
is not so short
32:05
that He cannot save
32:06
and that He cannot change.
32:10
And thirdly,
32:12
third question,
32:13
what is the response?
32:14
In Christ,
32:15
what is our response?
32:16
Look at verse 13.
32:19
He says,
32:20
then I will teach
32:21
transgressors your ways
32:23
and sinners
32:24
will return to you.
32:26
Deliver me
32:27
from blood guiltiness,
32:28
O God.
32:29
O God of my salvation
32:30
and my tongue
32:31
will sing aloud
32:32
of your righteousness.
32:34
O Lord,
32:35
open my lips
32:36
and my mouth
32:37
to declare your praise.
32:39
For you will not
32:40
delight in sacrifice
32:41
or otherwise
32:42
I would give it.
32:44
You will not be pleased
32:45
with burnt offering.
32:47
The sacrifices of God
32:48
are a broken spirit,
32:50
a broken
32:51
and contrite heart.
32:53
O God,
32:54
you will not despise.
32:56
Do good to Zion
32:57
in your good pleasure.
32:59
Build up the walls
33:00
of Jerusalem.
33:01
Then you will delight
33:03
in right sacrifices
33:04
and burnt offerings
33:05
and whole burnt offerings.
33:07
Then bulls will be offered
33:09
on your altar.
33:10
So,
33:12
while this is important
33:13
is there's,
33:14
whenever we sin,
33:15
we kind of jump to,
33:17
by our nature sometimes,
33:18
jump to
33:19
the side of just
33:20
vain offerings.
33:21
Catholics.
33:22
And,
33:22
so back then,
33:23
right,
33:24
like,
33:24
people could just live
33:25
a very open,
33:26
sinful lifestyle,
33:27
they thought,
33:28
and then,
33:29
you know,
33:29
just center it up
33:29
and do a bunch of stuff
33:30
and then go to the temple,
33:32
make a sacrifice
33:33
and then like,
33:34
we're good.
33:35
And then go back
33:36
to the same lifestyle.
33:39
Today,
33:40
some of you may think,
33:40
well,
33:42
I sin against God
33:43
so I'll just go to church more.
33:44
I'll make sure
33:45
I take the Lord's Supper.
33:46
I read my Bible
33:48
a little longer.
33:49
I'll talk about Jesus
33:50
with somebody
33:51
and not really repentance.
33:54
That's not what repentance is.
33:56
It's spitting in the face
33:57
of Christ
33:58
is what it is.
33:59
And it's penance.
34:01
It's like trying to make amends,
34:02
right,
34:03
for in your own way
34:04
to make yourself right with God
34:06
for what you did.
34:08
And true repentance
34:09
doesn't involve that at all.
34:11
Right?
34:11
And David recognizes that.
34:13
He goes,
34:14
if all you wanted
34:15
was just a burnt offering,
34:16
I would go and do it.
34:17
But that's not what you want.
34:20
You want my heart.
34:21
You want my broken,
34:23
sincere,
34:24
and contrite heart.
34:26
You want me.
34:29
And so,
34:29
that's why he says,
34:30
for you will not
34:31
delight in sacrifice,
34:32
otherwise I would give it.
34:34
And you won't be pleased
34:35
with burnt offerings.
34:37
And so,
34:38
just think about how
34:38
insulting that is to God,
34:40
though,
34:40
like how we tend to do
34:41
those sort of things.
34:42
it's like treating
34:45
your wife horribly
34:46
and abusing her
34:49
and then like saying,
34:50
hey,
34:50
I'll wash the dishes
34:51
and it'll be okay.
34:53
Just,
34:53
no,
34:54
that's not what God
34:55
desires.
34:57
And he is insulted
34:57
by attempts
34:58
to make amends
34:59
through our own works.
35:02
He really wants
35:03
the heart of the worshiper.
35:05
He wants the motive
35:06
behind what we do.
35:09
And so,
35:09
what God truly desires,
35:11
verse 17,
35:12
the sacrifices of God
35:13
are a broken spirit,
35:15
a broken and contrite heart.
35:17
So,
35:18
that is humble,
35:19
broken-hearted joy
35:20
in God.
35:22
He wants us to be
35:22
shattered over our sin
35:24
and to come to Him
35:26
for mercy.
35:28
So,
35:28
if God truly rules
35:29
our hearts,
35:30
He,
35:30
repentance is this change
35:32
in our minds,
35:33
which leads to a change
35:34
of action outwardly.
35:36
Right?
35:36
It's a changing
35:37
from the inside out.
35:40
The danger is
35:40
a lot of us
35:41
focus on
35:42
mending our
35:43
hour behavior,
35:44
but the whole time
35:44
our hearts
35:45
are not close to God.
35:47
We just think,
35:48
if I just stop doing that
35:49
and stop doing that
35:49
and I start doing this,
35:50
it'll be good.
35:51
And God's like,
35:52
no,
35:52
like,
35:53
your heart first
35:55
and then your actions
35:56
will follow.
35:57
God doesn't just care
35:58
about what we do,
36:00
but why we do it.
36:02
Very important.
36:03
He desires our hearts
36:04
and our affections
36:05
to be fully His.
36:06
He wants
36:08
right actions
36:10
from right motives.
36:12
Look at the next verse,
36:14
verse 13.
36:15
He goes,
36:15
then I'll teach
36:16
transgressors your ways
36:17
and sinners
36:18
will return to you.
36:20
In other words,
36:21
like,
36:21
I will tell others
36:22
of the danger
36:23
that sin causes
36:24
and then I'll also
36:26
tell them
36:26
of how merciful
36:27
and forgiving
36:28
you are.
36:29
Right?
36:31
Then he,
36:31
verse 14 and 15,
36:33
he talks about
36:34
delivering him
36:35
from the guilt
36:36
that he has
36:37
of committing murder,
36:39
essentially.
36:40
Blood is on my hands,
36:42
is what he's saying.
36:44
You have the power
36:45
to do this,
36:46
O Lord,
36:47
and I will make known
36:49
your salvation
36:50
to other people
36:51
like me
36:51
that are lost
36:53
and that are broken
36:53
and sinning against you.
36:56
So,
36:56
I love that though
36:57
because,
36:58
again,
36:58
he's not trying
37:00
to just make amends
37:00
through his actions.
37:01
He's saying,
37:02
like,
37:02
these things will follow,
37:03
these actions will follow
37:05
once I am restored to you.
37:07
I'm not going to do
37:08
these things first.
37:09
Like,
37:09
I want you first.
37:12
And then,
37:12
verse 19,
37:14
then you will delight
37:16
in right sacrifices
37:17
and burnt offerings
37:19
and whole burnt offerings
37:20
and bulls will be offered
37:21
on the altar.
37:23
And then he ends
37:24
this prayer
37:25
with a blessing
37:27
for the nation,
37:29
a blessing
37:30
for the people
37:31
that he's supposed
37:31
to be the king over.
37:33
Do good to us,
37:34
Lord.
37:35
I'm realizing that
37:36
a lot of the stuff
37:37
that will happen
37:37
to the nation
37:38
is because of
37:39
what he does,
37:40
his actions.
37:41
So,
37:42
he prays for blessing
37:43
over the nation.
37:45
And so,
37:46
landing the plane here,
37:49
I just want you
37:49
to turn
37:50
to Romans chapter 3.
37:52
Yep,
37:52
back in Romans.
37:54
So,
37:55
a quick question.
37:56
Some of you,
37:57
maybe not all of you,
37:57
but some of you
37:58
are thinking a question
37:59
that bears answering.
38:02
And that is,
38:03
how could a holy
38:05
and just God
38:06
just pardon David
38:08
for such awful things?
38:10
Like,
38:11
can you imagine
38:11
a human judge
38:12
doing that?
38:13
Like,
38:14
being committed
38:15
of some kind
38:15
of awful crime
38:16
of murder
38:17
and adultery,
38:19
and the judge just says,
38:20
hey,
38:20
you're forgiven,
38:20
go home.
38:22
You would not put up
38:24
with that.
38:24
And,
38:26
so what's going on?
38:27
Like,
38:27
can you put yourself
38:28
in the position
38:29
of a family member
38:31
or a friend
38:33
of Bathsheba or Uriah,
38:35
and all they hear
38:37
from God is,
38:38
the Lord has taken
38:38
away your sin?
38:40
Like,
38:41
how angry you would feel?
38:42
You'd feel outraged?
38:44
Like,
38:44
just turn them back
38:45
into society
38:46
and slap them
38:47
on the hand
38:47
for such an awful,
38:49
wicked,
38:50
heinous sin
38:51
that was committed?
38:53
So,
38:53
how,
38:54
as a righteous
38:55
and holy God,
38:57
how can that God
38:58
pardon sin?
39:01
Right?
39:02
Because by nature,
39:04
His holiness
39:04
demands punishment
39:06
for sin.
39:08
And we get the answer.
39:10
Romans 3,
39:11
verse 22.
39:14
It talks about
39:15
the righteousness
39:15
of God
39:16
through faith
39:17
in Jesus Christ
39:18
for all who believe.
39:20
Alright?
39:20
So we can have
39:21
righteousness
39:21
through faith
39:22
in Christ
39:24
for there is
39:24
no distinction
39:25
for all have
39:26
sinned
39:27
and fall short
39:28
of the glory
39:28
of God
39:29
and are justified
39:30
by His grace
39:32
as a gift
39:32
through the redemption
39:33
that is in Christ
39:34
Jesus
39:35
whom God put forward
39:37
as a propitiation
39:38
by His blood
39:39
to be received
39:41
with faith.
39:42
Alright,
39:42
we know that.
39:43
That is the gospel.
39:44
We put our faith
39:45
in Christ.
39:46
We throw ourselves
39:48
completely at His mercy.
39:49
We are saved
39:51
because of His grace
39:52
and we are redeemed
39:53
in Jesus Christ.
39:55
So here's the connection
39:56
to David though.
39:58
Alright?
39:58
This was to show
40:00
God's righteousness
40:01
because in His
40:02
divine forbearance
40:04
He had passed
40:04
over former sins.
40:07
It was to show
40:08
His righteousness
40:09
at the present time
40:10
so that He might be
40:11
just
40:12
and the justifier
40:13
of the one
40:13
who has faith
40:14
in Jesus.
40:16
So,
40:16
how was God
40:17
able to pardon David?
40:19
Because He knew
40:20
that one day
40:21
He would slay
40:23
His own son
40:24
in David's place.
40:26
That His wrath
40:27
and judgment
40:29
that David deserved
40:30
was going to be
40:32
justly poured out
40:33
on His own son.
40:35
So,
40:36
David's sin
40:37
was punished
40:38
in Jesus Christ.
40:41
And Christ's righteousness
40:42
became David's righteousness.
40:44
The same thing
40:45
that happens to us
40:47
when we are saved.
40:48
That old question
40:49
that used to bother
40:50
so many people.
40:50
How are people
40:51
in the Old Testament
40:51
saved?
40:52
Like,
40:52
the same way.
40:53
Like,
40:54
they are saved
40:54
through faith.
40:55
in the coming Messiah.
40:57
They look forward
40:58
and we look back
40:58
to Christ.
41:01
So,
41:01
forgiveness of sin
41:03
in the Old Testament
41:04
anticipates
41:05
the sacrifice
41:05
of Christ
41:07
as the ultimate
41:08
sacrifice
41:09
for our sins.
41:11
So,
41:11
that wrath
41:12
that He justly deserved
41:13
was all poured out
41:14
on the perfect
41:15
Son of God.
41:17
So,
41:17
God could say,
41:18
hey,
41:19
I am a holy
41:20
and just God.
41:21
I did not
41:21
just let that sin go.
41:23
I punished it
41:24
in my Son.
41:26
And so,
41:27
it was to show
41:28
His righteousness
41:29
because He had
41:30
passed it over
41:31
before.
41:32
So,
41:33
wherever we are today,
41:34
Jesus Christ
41:36
is the only way
41:37
for us to be forgiven,
41:39
made right,
41:40
and be reconciled
41:41
in a fellowship
41:42
with God.
41:43
And what a blessing
41:44
we have
41:45
to know
41:46
that Jesus
41:47
has died
41:48
in our place
41:49
in the same way
41:49
that He did
41:50
for David.
41:51
and I pray
41:52
that wherever
41:53
you're at,
41:53
whatever sin
41:54
you have committed,
41:55
are committing,
41:58
or will commit,
41:59
you will turn
42:00
to faith
42:01
in Jesus
42:01
and repent
42:02
of that sin
42:03
and continue
42:04
to live life
42:06
as a believer,
42:07
following and trusting
42:08
in the perfect work
42:09
of Jesus.
42:10
So,
42:11
let's pray together
42:12
and we'll sing
42:14
some songs
42:15
in response.
42:16
Let's pray together
42:16
and we'll sing
42:17
a little bit
42:18
a little bit
42:18
of that sin
42:19
and ending
42:20
of that sin.
42:20
Let's pray together
42:21
and ending
42:22
a little bit
42:22
and ending
42:23
of that sin.