Sermon Tone Analysis

*Renewing Our Relationship: Psalm 51*

 

 

*Introduction*

!

You Just Get it!

True story.

Two pastors were on their way to Alanta, Ga.

for a large Christian mens gathering.

One of them had never been in the south before.

After staying in a motel overnight, they stopped at a nearby restaurant for breakfast.

When their meal was delivered, the pastor who had never been south before saw this white, mushy looking stuff on his plate.

When the waitress came by again he asked her what it was.

"Grits", she replied.

"Ma'm I didn't order it and I'm not paying for it".

"Sir, down here you don't order it and you don't pay for it, you just get it."

How like the grace of God!

!

Wonders

John Newton said that when we get to heaven, there will be three wonders: \\ \\ (1) who is there \\ (2) who is not there, and \\ (3) the fact that I’m there!

-David had sinned.

He had given into temptation, committed adultery with Bathsheba, gotten her pregnant, tried to manipulate Uriah, involved others in a sinful plot, murdered Uriah, and took Bathsheba as his wife without any remorse.

-But in 2 Samuel 12 David is confronted by Nathan about his sin and the displeasure of God.

David in verse 13 declares his hearts cry, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

-Psalm 51 is a poem of David’s thoughts and feelings concerning his sinfulness.

He begins by appealing to God for Mercy, then admits his sin, he asks for forgiveness, and finally acquires God’s restoration.

-God wants to do the same for each of us, we are all sinners and need his mercy.

Please open your Bibles to Psalm 51 as we take a closer at what it means to receive God’s forgiveness.

\\  

*1.

**Appeal for Mercy (vs.

1-2)*

* *

*51:1* Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love!

Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! *51:2* Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin!

 

/a.

//Asking for mercy that cleanses from sin appeals to God’s love and faithfulness.

(1a)/

 

-God’s mercy is based on his love.

But it is more than just ordinary love, rather it is love that does not fail.

It is not human love it is divine, completely faithful.

/b.

//God’s love is guided by his compassion.(1b-2)/

-God’s compassion is our assurance that he is always willing to forgive us when we do wrong.

His compassion is unfailing, it will not disappoint.

/c.

//David approaches God with Humility.(2)

KEY/

 

-An appeal for mercy begins by coming to God in humility, without it we remain defiant and unwilling to admit our guilt.

Many years ago, Christian professor Stuart Blackie of the University of Edinburgh was listening to his students as they presented oral readings.

When one young man rose to begin his recitation, he held his book in the wrong hand.

The professor thundered, “Take your book in your right hand, and be seated!”

At this harsh rebuke, the student held up his right arm.

He didn’t have a right hand!

The other students shifted uneasily in their chairs.

For a moment the professor hesitated.

Then he made his way to the student, put his arm around him, and with tears streaming from his eyes, said, “I never knew about it.

Please, will you forgive me?” His humble apology made a lasting impact on that young man.

This story was told some time later in a large gathering of believers.

At the close of the meeting a man came forward, turned to the crowd, and raised his right arm.

It ended at the wrist.

He said, “I was that student.

Professor Blackie led me to Christ.

But he never could have done it if he had not made the wrong right.”

-This same type of humility is what is required for forgiveness to take place.

It is the willingness to set aside our pride and recognize our true condition.

As Christians we are called to live humble lives, but never so much as when we stand naked before God in our sin.

\\  

*2.

**Admission of Sin (vs.

3-6)*

* *

*51:3* For I am aware of my rebellious acts; I am forever conscious of my sin. *51:4* Against you – you above all – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.

So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me. *51:5* Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. *51:6* Look, you desire integrity in the inner man; you want me to possess wisdom.

/a.

//There is clarity on the nature of the sin.(3)/

 

-sin cannot be avoided, even when we bury it, it is there, always eating, always reminding, always torturing our soul

 

/b.

//There is clarity on who he has offended.(4)/

-sin in the final analysis may be against others but it truly against God.

Compared in terms of greatness, our biggest offence is against God.

Some of our sins may not effect others but they always effect God.

 

/c.

//There is clarity on the depth of his sin.(5)/

-Our sinfulness is so deep that it goes right back to our human nature created at conception.

David understands his total depravity and hopelessness without God.

/d.

//David approaches God without any justification of his actions.(6)KEY/

-David doesn’t make excuses or justifications for his action.

He understands the nature of his sin and how devastating it is.

The commanding officer was furious when nine GIs who had been out on passes failed to show up for morning roll call.

Not until 7 p.m. did the first man straggle in.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the soldier explained, “but I had a date and lost track of time, and I missed the bus back.

Being determined to get in on time, I hired a cab.

Halfway here, the cab broke down.

I went to a farmhouse and persuaded the farmer to sell me a horse.

I was riding to camp when the animal fell over dead.

I walked the last ten miles, and just got here.”

Though skeptical, the colonel let the young man off with a reprimand.

However, after him, seven other stragglers in a row came in with the same story—had a date, missed the bus, hired a cab, bought a horse, etc.

By the time the ninth man reported in, the colonel had grown weary of it.

“Okay,” he growled, “now what happened to you?” “Sir, I had this date and missed the bus back, so I hired a cab .”

“Wait!” the colonel screeched at him.

“don’t tell me the cab broke down.”

“No, sir,” replied the soldier.

“The cab didn’t break down.

It was just that there were so many dead horses in the road, we had trouble getting through.”

-Sin is hardly admitted when we make excuses for our sinfulness.

But we all have them, little justifications as to why what we are doing is okay.

Sometimes it is a past injustice done to us, maybe it our thinking of how things should be in a perfect world, maybe it is simply our pride.

There is no rational justification for sin.

\\  

*3.

**Asking for Forgiveness (vs.