A Look in the Mirror

News of Joe’s passing

Turn to 2 Sam. 12...

Open in Prayer

INTRO: “Your sins will find you out”

LEE STROBEL: “CASE for CHRIST” RECOUNTS STORY:

HARRY ALEMAN:

1970’s CHICACO-MOBSTER

STROBEL DESCRIBES HIM AS BEING THE, “QUINTESSENTIAL CRIME SYNDICATE HITMAN.”

>>> ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1972, ALEMAN MURDERED A LABOR UNION OFFICIAL.... && HE GOT AWAY WITH IT AT FIRST.

2 WITNESSES CAME FORWARD

EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY

IT WAS an AIRTIGHT CASE

>>> JUDGE PRONOUNCED ALEMAN “NOT GUILTY”

-----------------------------

YEARS PASSED BY...

F.B.I. LOOKED INTO COURTROOM CORRUPTION in CHICAGO

>>> IT WAS DISCOVERED… the JUDGE HAD BEEN PAID a SUM of $10,000 to LET ALEMAN GO!

CORRUPT JUDGE & MOBSTER BOTH GOT AWAY W/ CRIMES for MANY YEARS...

-----------------------------

WHEN NEWS GOT OUT:

15 YEARS AFTER FIRST COURT CASE in 1990—JUDGE (IN RETIREMENT) COMMITTED SUICIDE.

25 YEARS AFTER MURDER,,, in 1997,,, ALEMAN WAS RETRIED & SENTENCED to 300 YEARS in PRISON.

-----------------------------

I’M SURE WE’VE ALL HEARD THE SAYING, “YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT.”

& to SOME EXTENT,, WE’VE PROBABLY ALL REALIZED THIS CONCEPT…EITHER as CHILDREN or ADULTS.

PEOPLE OFTENTIMES THINK & I’M SURE WE’VE THOUGHT… “I GOT AWAY WITH IT...”

BUT GOD SEES ALL OUR SIN & WE CAN’T HIDE it FROM HIM...

AS SUCH, WE’VE NEVER “GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT”

JUDGMENT, GOD’S PUNISHMENT or DISCIPLINE, ALL of THEM MIGHT BE DELAYED...

BUT GOD’S DELAY ISN’T GOD’S INDIFFERENCE.

-----------------------------

ONE THING GOD DOES.... AS a GOD of GRACE.... IS HE PURSUES...

WHEN WE FALTER, HE’LL FIND US

(NEED) TEXT REMINDS US OF GOD’S PURSUIT OF HIS PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN WE FALTER AND FAIL,

AND IT SHOWS US THE INCREDIBLY SURPASSING GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD TOWARDS THE FALLEN AND HOW GOD REVEALS OUR SIN TO US.

(T) BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANT TO OFFER A SHORT RECAP OF THE EVENTS FROM LAST WEEK TO BRING EVERYONE UP TO SPEED.

🐢🐢🐢 --- 41 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

RECAP: “The Eyes of the Lord--DAVID & BATHSHEBA”

Last Wk: TRAGIC FAILURE & SIN OF DAVID.

EVERYTHING HAD BEEN GOING WELL...

PROBLEMS W/ AMMONITES

DURING WAR—DAVID STAYS BEHIND

SENDS JOAB & ARMY to ATTACK RABBAH (CAPITAL)

& IT HAPPENED—DAVID STROLLING on ROOFTOP SEES a WOMAN...

BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

DAVID INQUIRES

FINDS SHE’S MARRIED

REGARDLESS—DAVID SENDS & TAKES HER & LIES W/ HER

SHE BECOMES PREGNANT

DAVID in ATTEMPTED COVER-UP BRINGS HER HUSBAND HOME...

HUSBAND REFUSES to “GO HOME”

DAVID HAS HIM KILLED BY AMMONITES

BY HUMAN ACCOUNTS: DAVID GOT AWAY W/ IT.

SUSPICIONS? SURELY… BUT OVERALL, INNOCENT in PUBLIC EYE...

BUT TEXT ENDED: THE THING DAVID HAD DONE “DISPLEASED THE LORD.”

(T) SO, NOW THERE’S SOME SENSE THAT DAVID MAYBE HASN’T GOTTEN AWAY WITH THIS AFTER ALL.

GOD WAS AWARE OF WHAT DAVID HAD DONE,

AND GOD HADN’T APPROVED AT ALL.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LOOK W/ ME @ 2 SAM. CH. 12… VS. 1

TEXT SAYS...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 38 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 12:1-15 ESV

SETTING (V1A) “THE LORD SENDS NATHAN TO DAVID”

2 Samuel 12:1–15 (ESV)

1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David.

GOD SAW ---> NOW GOD SENDS

LAST WK… DAVID = MAIN CHARACTER… DOING ALL the “SENDING”

DAVID “SENT” JOAB to BATTLE

DAVID “SENT” to INQUIRE ABOUT BATHSHEBA

DAVID “SENT” MESSENGERS to TAKE HER.

THEN BATHSHEBA “SENT” to DAVID & INFORMED HIM of PREGNANCY...

SO DAVID “SENT” WORD to JOAB

ASKING to “SEND” URIAH”

URIAH REMAINS & DAVID PROMISES to “SEND” HIM BACK to BATTLE

DAVID “SENT” a LETTER

JOAB “SENT” NEWS to DAVID of URIAH’S DEATH

DAVID “SENT” to TAKE BATHSHEBA FOR HIS WIFE...

-----------------------------

GOD WAS SEEMINGLY ABSENT.

NOW, WE KNOW the TRUTH THAT GOD IS NEVER ABSENT,

HE WAS MERELY TEMPORARILY SILENT.

SILENCE = ABOUT to BE BROKEN...

DAVID’S DONE HIS SENDING, NOW IT’S GOD’S TURN TO DO HIS.

SO, GOD, SENT NATHAN TO DAVID.

DAVID THOUGHT HE GOT AWAY WITH HIS SIN.

CHILD HAS BEEN BORN—WE KNOW IT’S BEEN 9-10 MONTHS NOW!

^^ NOT ALEMAN’S 25 YEARS…BUT LONG ENOUGH to BE CONVINCING ^^

BUT GOD KNEW IT ALL

GOD WAS DISPLEASED

& NOW GOD’S SENDING HIS MOUTHPIECE to DAVID to CONFRONT HIS SERVANT ABOUT HIS SIN...

----------------------------

WE MUST NOTE @ OUTSET:

The FACT THAT GOD SENT a PROPHET to CONFRONT,,

RATHER THAN an ENEMY to KILL = GREAT ACT of MERCY

(T) SO, WE’LL SEE HOW THIS GOES.

DAVID HAS BEEN STEEPED IN SIN,

PILING SIN UPON SIN IN HIS ATTEMPTED COVER UP…

HOW WILL SOMEONE GET THROUGH TO HIM CONCERNING HIS SIN?

LOOK W/ ME @ NEXT PART of VS. 1… THE TEXT SAYS,,

🐢🐢🐢 --- 36 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

INCITING INCIDENT (V1B-4) “NATHAN TELLS A STORY”

He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.

2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds,

3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.

4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

IF YOU WANT to GET to the HEART of a SHEPHERD,,, YOU TELL HIM A STORY ABOUT SHEEP.

**DISCLAIMER,, NATHAN DIDN’T TELL DAVID THAT HE WAS TELLING A PARABLE.

DAVID = PROBABLY HEARING THIS “STORY” as ACTUAL EVENTS LOOKING FOR HIS “RIGHTEOUS” JUDGMENT

----------------------------

THINGS in LIFE TAKE US BACK:

SMELL of APPLE PIE—GRANDMA’S HOUSE GROWING UP

PLACES YOU WENT as A KID

FIRST CAR

SURELY FOR DAVID—HEARING of a LITTLE LAMB,, WOULD TAKE HIM BACK…

TO a TIME BEFORE HE WAS “KING” DAVID

BACK to SHEPHERD DAYS...

DAVID CARED FOR HIS SHEEP ENOUGH THAT HE FOUGHT a LION & BEAR to PROTECT THEM...

----------------------------

MASTERFULLY, GOD ORCHESTRATES FOR THIS SHEPHERD to HEAR a STORY ABOUT a LITTLE PET SHEEP & IT’S OWNER....

A SHEEP WHO “LAY” in the ARMS of the MAN--

ROBERT CHISHOLM POINTS OUT THIS = SAME WORD for “LAYING” THAT is USED EUPHEMISTICALLY in HEBREW

LIKEWISE,, LAMB WAS LIKE a DAUGHTER...

HEBREW: “DAUGHTER” = BAT… BEGINNING of “BATHSHEBA”

INTERESTING & SUBTLE DETAILS in THIS “RANDOM” STORY

----------------------------

&& THE LITTLE PET SHEEP.... CARED FOR SO MUCH BY POOR MAN… IS TAKEN BY RICH MAN to BE DINNER FOR HIS GUEST.

RICH MAN = INTRODUCED W/ HAVING BOTH FLOCKS & HERDS...

HE’S GOT SHEEP

HE’S GOT CATTLE

HE’S GOT it MADE

THINK ABOUT IT:

THEY COULD’VE HAD....LAMB ROAST, LAMB CHOPS, ALL SORTS OF LAMB.

THEY COULD HAVE HAD STEAKS.

THEY COULD HAVE HAD BURGERS.

THEY COULD’VE HAD a POT-ROAST...

THEY COULD HAVE HAD ANY NUMBER OF NICE MEALS.

THIS RICH MAN HAD IT ALL....BOTH VARIETY & ABUNDANCE.

----------------------------

REFUSING to GIVE UP SMALL PART of HIS OWN PROPERTY....

HE TAKES the SOLE, PET LAMB FROM POOR MAN…

HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM HIM in DOING SO...

REFUSING TO BRING ANYTHING FROM HIS ABUNDANCE, HE STEALS FROM ANOTHER’S POVERTY.

HOW COULD ANYONE BE SO SELFISH AND CRUEL???

HOW COULD YOU BUTCHER SOMEONE’S PET FOR DINNER???

WHAT A MONSTER!

(T) WE CAN IMAGINE DAVID’S EYES WELLING UP A LITTLE BIT...

AS HE HEARS ABOUT THIS POOR MAN WHOSE PET LAMB BECOMES DINNER,

AND SO WHAT WOULD DAVID SAY??

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 5… THE TEXT SAYS...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 31 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

RISING ACTION/MORE TENSION (V5-6) “DAVID RESPONDS TO THE STORY”

5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,

6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

SO, WHEN YOU TELL of DAVID’S SIN LIKE THIS.... HE SEES IT FOR WHAT it IS.... AND BECOMES ANGRY....

INTERESTING PHENOMENA— SIN in LIVES of OTHERS ALWAYS LOOKS MORE EGREGIOUS THAN OUR OWN...

**DEFINING SIN.... OFTENTIMES PEOPLE SKIP THEIR “PET” SINS**

& THEN... IF WE KNOW IT’S SINFUL… IT’S EASY for US to RATIONALIZE & JUSTIFY

EVERYONE ELSE DOES X, Y, Z

“I WAS TIRED”… “I WAS WEAK”… “I WAS FEELING LONELY”

DO YOU REALLY BLAME ME??

WE CAN DO ALL SORTS of INTELLECTUAL GYMNASTICS—MAKE OUR SINS LOOK PERMISSIBLE...

EVEN RENAMING/REFRAMING:

“I MESSED UP”

AVOID CALLING IT “SIN”

BUT IT CAN BE EASY to HOLD OTHERS’ FEET to the FIRE...

WE CAN ABHOR JUDGMENT WHEN IT COMES to US… & DESIRE GRACE...

BUT WE CAN FIND IT HARD to OFFER GRACE to OTHERS..

----------------------------

WE CAN IMAGINE: IF NATHAN IMMEDIATELY CONFRONTED DAVID,, HE’D PROBABLY HAVE GOTTEN DEFENSIVE....

PLUS DAVID’S BEEN IRRATIONAL…WHO’S to SAY HE WOULDN’T DISPOSE of NATHAN TOO??

NATHAN TAKES the SCENIC ROUTE...

STOKING EMOTIONS W/ STORY

AS JUDGE OVER ISRAEL,, WOULD DAVID NOT EXECUTE JUSTICE???

----------------------------

DAVID RESPONDS: “AS THE LORD (YAHWEH) LIVES, THIS MAN DESERVES TO DIE!” LITERALLY, THAT THIS MAN IS A SON OF DEATH!

INTERESTING to SEE DAVID BRINGING UP GOD… IT’S BEEN a WHILE...

HE CERTAINLY WASN’T “INQUIRING of the LORD” WHEN HE INQUIRED ABOUT BATHSHEBA...

IRONY: DAVID DESERVED DEATH PENALTY

FOR BOTH ADULTERY & MURDER…BOTH in the LAW WARRANTED DEATH PENALTY...

DAVID’S WORDS ARE INDICTING...

ALSO: PER the O.T. LAW,, THE MAN SHOULD’VE REPAID the LAMB 4X LIKE DAVID SAID...

MANY SCHOLARS POINT OUT DAVID WOULD PAY 4-FOLD, W/ PREMATURE DEATHS of 4 SONS...

(T) BUT AT THIS POINT, DAVID DOESN’T REALIZE THAT HE’S OFFERING A SENTENCE UPON HIMSELF!

HE’S UTTERLY CLUELESS, BUT HE SURELY IS PASSIONATE.

THIS HORRIBLE WRETCH WHO STOLE THE PET LAMB MUST PAY!

SO, WILL HE HAVE TO PAY?

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 7, THE TEXT SAYS,

🐢🐢🐢 --- 26 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

CLIMAX (V7-9) “NATHAN CONFRONTS DAVID’S SIN”

7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

8 And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.

9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

AFTER DAVID CONDEMNS THIS MAN.....

NATHAN W/ GREAT ONE-LINER...

DAVID… YOU ARE the MAN!!

THE REALITY of DAVID’S SIN = WORSE than THE ACTUAL STORY...

BECAUSE DAVID HAD URIAH the POOR MAN KILLED… & HE COULDN’T BE RESTORED WHAT WAS TAKEN...

----------------------------

GOOD NEWS ---> DAVID HADN’T GOTTEN AWAY WITH HIS SIN.

§ HE THOUGHT HE HAD.

^^ REMEMBER: BABY = HERE…IT’S BEEN NEARLY a YEAR!!

FOR 1 YEAR:

DAVID LEFT to HIS OWN DEVICES,,

DAVID LIVING in SELF-DECEPTION,,

DAVID LIVING W/ UNCONFESSED SIN,,

DAVID BELIEVING HE GOT AWAY W/ IT...

GOD’S COMMITMENT to DAVID = SO GREAT… THAT GOD PURSUED DAVID, EVEN in HIS SIN & SELF-DECEPTION....

----------------------------

AREN’T YOU THANKFUL THIS MORNING, THAT GOD’S GRACE & LOVE PURSUE AFTER US?

GOD LOVES US SO MUCH HE DOESN’T LEAVE US in OUR SIN...

HE FIRST SOUGHT US OUT in COMING to CHRIST & HE STILL WORKS in US...

----------------------------

NATHAN’S ADDRESS: SHOWS ROOT of DAVID’S SIN

HE WASN’T CONTENT W/ BLESSINGS of GOD in HIS LIFE...

NATHAN RECOUNTS GOD’S BLESSINGS on DAVID...

REMEMBER, DAVID BEGAN AS A NOBODY, AND GOD MADE HIM GREAT.

SHEPHERD BOY—TURNED KING

HEBREW in 1ST 2 CLAUSES = EMPHATIC...

GOD SAYS, I ANOINTED YOU AS KING OVER ISRAEL.

AND I, SAVED YOUR LIFE COUNTLESS TIMES FROM THE HAND OF SAUL.

AND I GAVE YOU, DAVID, THE HOUSEHOLD AND WIVES OF SAUL.

AND I, GAVE YOU, DAVID, THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH COMBINED.

GOD EFFECTIVELY SAYS: “DAVID I’VE BEEN SO GOOD to YOU… AND WAS it NOT ENOUGH??”

DAVID WAS SUCCESSFUL BEYOND HIS WILDEST DREAMS...

AND IT WAS ALL BECAUSE of GOD’S GRACE TOWARDS HIM

&& IT WASN’T ENOUGH???

YOU NEEDED JUST ONE MORE WIFE???

SO YOU STOLE HER???

& KILLED HER HUSBAND???

DAVID,, AFTER ALL I’VE DONE FOR YOU....YOU SPIT IN MY FACE LIKE THAT?

THERE’S EVEN the SENSE—GOD WOULD’VE GIVEN DAVID MORE HAD HE ASKED!

BUT INSTEAD HE HAD to STEAL???

----------------------------

THIS PART WE SHOULD BE ABLE to RELATE TO.

(Q) CHRISTIAN, ARE the BLESSINGS of GOD IN YOUR LIFE ENOUGH?

HAS GOOD BEEN “GOOD ENOUGH” to YOU?

OR DO YOU HAVE to SUPPLEMENT HIS GOODNESS W/ SIN in ORDER to FIND FULFILLMENT & JOY in LIFE??

**THANKFULLY WE DON’T HAVE the OPPORTUNITY DAVID HAD to STEAL IF WE’RE DISCONTENT...

BUT I THINK THIS SHOULD SERIOUSLY CHALLENGE US...

BECAUSE SIN in GENERAL, & ESPECIALLY COVETOUSNESS & STEALING ARE an ACT of DESPISING the GRACE of GOD...

2 WEEKS AGO,, DAVID’S GRACE WAS DESPISED BY AMMONITES…THEY EFFECTIVELY SPIT in HIS FACE...

&& NOW HE REALIZES THAT HE DID the SAME THING to GOD...

WE’VE PROBABLY ALL BEEN in THAT SPOT WHERE SOMEONE HAS DESPISED OUR KINDNESS

LET’S NOT DO THAT to the LORD...

(T) And now OUR TEXT is GOING to CLOSE…

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 10-15

THE TEXT SAYS

🐢🐢🐢 --- 16 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

RESOLUTION & CONCLUSION (V10-15A) “THE COMING CONSEQUENCES OF DAVID’S SIN”

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ”

13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”

15 Then Nathan went to his house.

GOD FIRST SAID THAT DAVID DESPISED THE WORD OF THE LORD,

NOW WE SEE PLAINLY THAT GOD SAYS THAT DAVID DESPISED GOD HIMSELF!

DALE DAVIS...“TO DESPISE YAHWEH’S WORD, HOWEVER, IS TO DESPISE THE ONE WHO HAS GIVEN THE WORD; TO TRAMPLE ON HIS COMMANDMENT IS TO TRAMPLE ON THE COMMANDER.”[1]

THANKFULLY… GOD = MERCIFUL & GRACIOUS GOD…DAVID ISN’T PUNISHED W/ DEATH

&& GOD HAD MADE a COVENANT W/ DAVID...

COVENANT SPARED SOME of WHAT DAVID DESERVED,,

BUT IT DIDN’T SPARE HIM FROM ALL CONSEQUENCES...

NOW… NOT ONLY the THRONE REMAINS in DAVID’S HOUSE…BUT ALSO the SWORD...

----------------------------

**WE MUST NOTE: DAVID & BATHSHEBA = TURNING POINT in 2 SAMUEL....

BEFOREHAND—EVERYTHING = GOING GREAT…GETTING BETTER & BETTER...

AFTERWARDS—EVERYTHING = GOING BAD…GETTING WORSE & WORSE...

----------------------------

GOD’S PROMISED JUDGMENT:

I. 1ST PUNISHMENT: EVIL WILL COME FROM DAVID’S HOUSE

II. 2ND PUNISHMENT: DAVID’S WIVES WILL BE GIVEN to HIS NEIGHBOR & HE WILL LIE W/ THEM in SIGHT of SUN

DAVID’S SIN OCCURRED in SECRET--

GOD WILL PUNISH in the OPEN

----------------------------

FINALLY: DAVID ACKNOWLEDGES SIN...

PSALM 51...

DAVID ACKNOWLEDGES SIN = FIRST DIRECTED @ GOD...

DAVID SINNED AGAINST URIAH

DAVID SINNED AGAINST BATHSHEBA

LET’S NOT FORGET—SIN = AN AFFRONT to GOD FIRST.

BUT DAVID’S REPENTANCE = WHAT SET HIM APART FROM SAUL

§ DALE DAVIS “TO BE THE MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART IS NOT TO BE SINLESSLY PERFECT BUT TO BE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, UTTERLY SUBMISSIVE TO THE ACCUSING WORD OF GOD.”[2]

REPENTANCE = PART of CHRISTIAN LIFE TOO...

NONE of US = PERFECT…

WE MUST BE WILLING to TURN FROM SIN & TURN to GOD WHEN WE’RE CONVICTED of SIN

RICHARD PHILIPPS: “INDEED, THE MARK OF A SPIRITUALLY LIVELY CHRISTIAN IS NOT SO MUCH THAT WE DO NOT SIN BUT THAT WE WELCOME GOD’S CALLS TO REPENTANCE WHEN HE SHOWS US OUR SIN.”[3]

SAD TRUTH: REPENTANCE & FORGIVENESS DON’T ALWAYS SPARE US FROM NATURAL CONSEQUENCES of OUR SIN...

----------------------------

III. 3RD PUNISHMENT CHILD CONCEIVED in ADULTERY WILL DIE.

**DAVID HAD “UTTERLY SCORNED” the LORD… NOW the CHILD SHALL SURELY DIE...

1ST CONSEQUENCE THAT UNFOLDS

W/ STRINGS of CONSEQUENCES to COME...

WE’LL SEE THIS UNFOLD in COMING WEEKS...

(T) AND SO WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE TODAY, THE IDEA THAT,

HOMILETICAL IDEA:

WHEN WE SIN AND DESPISE GOD’S GRACE, HE WILL SEEK US OUT AND DRAW US TO REPENTANCE.

GOD MIGHT NOT SEND US PROPHETS TODAY...

BUT HE WORKS THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORD to CONVICT of SIN

NATHAN’S STORY FUNCTIONED LIKE a MIRROR… to REVEAL DAVID’S SIN...

GOD’S WORD SO FREQUENTLY DOES THAT for US TODAY...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 9 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

GOSPEL: “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD/ LEAVING THE 99/GRACE GREATER THAN ALL OUR SIN”

TEXT TODAY: GOD SOUGHT DAVID OUT

Psalm 103:8 (ESV)

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

GOD in HIS NATURE = GRACIOUS… WHICH = GOOD NEWS, BECAUSE WE NEED IT.

Isaiah 53:6 (ESV)

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

WE HAVEN’T ALL FALLEN to CALIBER DAVID DID...

BUT the FAIL in ONE POINT = TO BE GUILTY of IT ALL...

----------------------------

GOOD NEWS: JESUS CHRIST— THE LAMB OF GOD,

CAME TO TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

HE WAS the ONE UPON WHOM OUR INIQUITY WAS LAID...

HE SUFFERED PUNISHMENT WE DESERVED…SO WE COULD BE FORGIVEN...

----------------------------

TODAY’S TEXT:

^^ HEARTBREAK of POOR MAN—WHO HAD HIS SPECIAL PET LAMB,, LIKE a DAUGHTER,, TAKEN to BE DINNER...

GOD SO LOVED US,, THAT HE DIDN’T SPARE HIS OWN SON… BUT WILLINGLY GAVE HIM FOR US...

NOT “LIKE a SON”

NOT a PET...

HE WAS the VERY BEST HEAVEN HAD to OFFER...

the SON of GOD,, WAS CRUCIFIED FOR YOU & FOR ME

----------------------------

WE MIGHT STILL FACE NATURAL CONSEQUENCES FOR SIN...

BUT WE CAN BE FORGIVEN of ALL ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES of SIN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST...

ALL of US NEED FORGIVENESS

I ASSUME MOST HERE TODAY HAVE RECEIVED IT...

BUT HAVE YOU RECEIVED IT??

----------------------------

A DAY is COMING WHEN ALL SECRET SINS WILL COME to LIGHT…ALL WILL HAVE to GIVE an ACCOUNT to GOD...

ON THAT DAY WE NEED JESUS CHRIST.

FORGIVENESS = FREE GIFT of GRACE,, THAT MERELY HAS to BE RECEIVED.

IF YOU TURN FROM YOUR SIN to the SAVIOR TODAY in NEED

BELIEVING HE DIED FOR YOU & WAS RAISED

YOU PROFESS HE is LORD

YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN…GIVEN an ADVOCATE BEFORE the FATHER...

HAVE QUESTIONS,,

DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND W/ GOD

TALK to US AFTER SERVICE.

(T) AND NOW, IN CLOSING, I’D LIKE TO SHARE SOME TAKEAWAY THOUGHTS WITH YOU ALL TODAY.

🐢🐢🐢 --- 4 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

TAKEAWAYS:

FIRST, WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD?

GOD PURSUES HIS PEOPLE, DESPITE THEIR SIN.

o GOD DOESN’T LEAVE US TO OURSELVES,

AND HE WILL USE HIS WORD

AND HIS PEOPLE

TO REVEAL OUR SIN TO US

HIS GRACE is TOO GREAT to LEAVE US ALONE.

----------------------------

AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FOR US?

OUR SIN = OFTEN ROOTED in DISCONTENTMENT

IT’S an ACT of DESPISING GOD’S GRACE,, WHEREBY WE EFFECTIVELY TELL GOD, “YOU HAVEN’T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH to ME”

----------------------------

----------------------------

APP: “TRUE REPENTANCE”

CHALLENGE: WHEN WE RECOGNIZE OUR SIN, WE MUST BE WILLING TO GENUINELY REPENT OF OUR SINS.

REMEMBER—GOD WORKS THROUGH HIS SPIRIT & HIS WORD to CONVICT of SIN

AS WE OPEN GOD’S WORD

AS WE HEAR GOD’S WORD on SUNDAY

AS WE LISTEN to TEACHING on YOUTUBE...

WE SHOULD RESPOND to GOD’S CONVICTING BY HIS SPIRIT...

REPENTANCE ISN’T RESERVED for the BEGINNING of the CHRISTIAN LIFE...

REPENTANCE = CHANGE of MIND WHICH RESULTS in CHANGE of ACTIONS...

REMEMBER, CHURCH, GOD DESIRES US to BE HIS HOLY, SET-APART PEOPLE.

HE KNOWS WE WON’T BE PERFECT…BUT HE EXPECTS US to BE DIFFERENT...

SO WHEN AREAS of OUR LIFE ARE OUT of TUNE…

WHEN WE’VE FALTERED…WHEN WE’VE SINNED,,

WE MUST TURN BACK to HIM..

WONDERFUL HOPE:

1 John 1:9 (ESV)

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

WE KNOW GOD = a GRACIOUS & MERCIFUL GOD… & WE OUGHT NOT DESPISE THAT GRACE...

THE GOODNESS & KINDNESS of GOD, PAUL SAYS, IS MEANT to LEAD US to REPENTANCE…NOT to PRESUMPTION.

GOD’S GRACE is GREATER THAN ALL OUR SIN…BUT it is BY NO MEANS a LICENSE ENDORSING OUR SIN...

Close in Prayer