15. David: Create in Me a Clean Heart

Prayer: Focus your heart and mind for a moment. Heavenly Father, you have called us into quietness and into your rest. You have brought us out of the rat race, the stress, the 24/7 news cycle—out of the turmoil of this world and into a sanctuary. You have given us lasting peace—not like the world’s peace, that is nothing but a mist that vanishes in the heat of the sun. Grant now, through your abundant goodness, that our minds may yield themselves to you as you speak through your Word. Amen.

Introduction

Today’s message might be the most important message I have preached at LakeView.

God created everything… Adam and Eve sinned… Humanity’s total depravity… Noah… Abraham… Israel enslaved in Egypt… Moses… Joshua… Israel’s total depravity… Saul… David, a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14)… David is a good king, but he’s not without sin… Bathsheba… Psalm 51.

Repentance — We don’t understand repentance in our culture today, even as Christians.

Repentance is saying sorry (publicly, with lots of tears).

The purpose of repentance is happiness.

“America needs to repent.” Why do we want that? Often, to save our civilization.

C. S. Lewis said, “Religions devised for a social purpose, like Roman emperor worship or modern attempts to sell Christianity as a means of saving civilization do not come to much.”

God is calling us to repent today—not just talk about it but do it.

Turn to Psalm 51. Four “C’s” of Repentance: Conviction, Confession, Contrition, Correction

Body

Conviction (God’s Action)

Psalm 51:title-2; see also 2 Samuel 12 (Nathan confronts David).

Repentance is always initiated by God… God throws out the life ring.

Conviction isn’t comfortable. But God loves us enough to convict us when we’re headed down the wrong path.

Confession (Our Response)

Exposition

Confession is not apologizing but agreeing (Ps 51:3).

When someone confesses a crime to the police, they don’t say, I’m sorry—they say what they’ve done.

Confession is not blame-shifting but accepting responsibility for my sin (Ps 51:4).

Confession is not just admitting to a mistake but acknowledging that I am sinful. My heart has been corrupted by sin (Ps 51:5).

One of the hardest truths for us to accept today is that we are not good. We are wicked people, hopelessly, helplessly lost in our own depravity. “It is my fault.”

The great scandal of the cross is not that God rescues the oppressed but that God gave his Son as a ransom for the oppressors. Jesus doesn’t just save the victims and heal the hurting, he forgives the guilty!

Verses 5 and 6 both begin with the word “Behold” (Ps 51:5, 6). Behold, my heart is corrupted by sin. Behold, God restores my heart. See also 1 John 1:8-10.

Illustrations

Tim Keller said, “The incredible thing about the gospel is that you are more wicked than you would ever dare to admit. And you are more loved than you could ever hope to imagine.”

We sang it a few weeks ago: This is our God, this is who he is: He loves us. This is our God, this is what he does: He saves us. He bore the cross, beat the grave, let heaven and earth proclaim: This is our God, King Jesus.

Contrition (God’s Action)

Exposition

contrition = feeling remorse or sorrow for your sin

Psalm 51:7-9… “I don’t want to be this way anymore!”

Am I sorry that I sinned or am I sorry that I got caught?

Do I honestly desire to leave my sin?

We cannot make ourselves experience contrition. I cannot make myself feel sorry or desire to leave my sin. David understood this (Ps 51:10-12). We don’t do any of this. God does it all.

We are forgiven in Christ alone.

Romans 3:26… God is both just and the justifier. God is love & God is holy… Justice and mercy come together in the cross.

Correction (Our Response)

Exposition

God’s Action >> Our Response

Correction is not penance. See the word “Then” in Psalm 51:13-15.

Repentance is not saying sorry but living differently (Ps 51:16-17).

Illustration: John 5… The man at the pool of Bethesda had been an invalid for 38 years when Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be healed” (John 5:6)? And then Jesus heals him, and says to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more…” (John 5:14).

Application: Do I want to leave my sin? See, you are forgiven! Sin no more.

Response: James 5:14-16