What To Do When You Fail

Introduction

2 Samuel 11, 12:1-14

Background

2 Samuel 11:1 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

Why was David tempted?

He wasn’t where he should have been

You get out of church and hanging around the wrong crowd it can get you into trouble!

He got lazy

The devil is very good at getting your eyes off of what they need to be on

2 Samuel 12:1–14 KJV 1900

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

IT’S BEEN AT LEAST CLOSE TO A YEAR SINCE HIS SIN

I don’t know what may be between you and the Lord tonight..

Maybe it’s something you haven’t thought about in a while but you never got it right

Maybe it’s something you didn’t even get convicted of until tonight

Or maybe you are in and out of sin and are struggling feeling like you can’t get right with God

I don’t plan on harping on your sin and telling you to live right… But what to do when you fail!

David’s Reaction From Conviction

2 Samuel 12:15–17 KJV 1900

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

He Besought God

Any time you fail God go back to him and Seek him in your private place

He Fasted

Fasting is the Bible many times is to show the seriousness of ones petition

How serious are you about getting right with God?

Laid upon the earth

there is no better way to show humility better than being on our faces before God

Prayed

Go to Psalm 51

How David Prayed

Introductory Prayer

Psalm 51:1–2 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.”

Thank God we have a Loving God!!

His Confession (Psalm 51:3-6)

David confessed he had sinned against the Lord

He acknowledged that he a sinner from birth, and that he deserved punishment

His Petition (Psalm 51:7-12)

His Petition was for inner renewal, forgiveness to be made clean

“Blot out, wash me, cleanse me, purge me with hyssop”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 51:7–9

David spoke of God’s cleansing him with hyssop, he was alluding to the use of hyssop at the religious ceremonies to sprinkle sacrificial blood on the altar. This represented the removal of sin through the shedding of blood (cf. Heb. 9:22).

David then even asked God to let him once again rejoice in the knowledge of being right with God

David asked for: a renewed heart and spirit, preservation in service(Saul), and restoration of joy

His Vow of Praise (Psalms 51:13-17)

in whatever God decides to do we need to give God praise!! HE IS WORTHY!!!

Close

Failure is inevitable

we are flawed and still have to deal with the flesh and temptation

But when we fail, we need to repent as David did!

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”