Accountability Partners

3:33

Imagine the headline - I wish this were hard to imagine - Scandal in the church! Young Church leader removed for heinous acts against human dignity! Full Story here:

The link takes you to an in-depth investigation revealing all kinds of detestable (that means terrible, evil, gross) practices. Many are asking why it took so long for this investigation to happen and for this leader to be removed. Those in the area report the gross misconduct was well known, as John had no problem talking about what he was doing. In fact, many report he publicly mocked the most sacred practices of the church, and often bragged about his immoral behavior. Finally, the 963 Synod of Rome removed Pope John XII from his papal office.

Truly is astonishing to think of all of the horrors that have occured within the walls of the “CHURCH” over the last couple of thousand years. that is a real story about an infamous and particularly detestable young man that rose to the head of the church in 955. He actually, was removed only to forcibly take the office back. In the end, he died in 964 at 27 years old.

Obviously this is an extreme example of how terrible people in power can become - even those who are supposed to be following Jesus. If I am honest with you. One of the early excuses I used for not going to church was the hypocrisy - the belief and the behavior not aligning - among those who called themselves Christian.

Chances are there are some of you in the room who have that same history. Maybe you’re in church for the first time in a long time, or you’re back in church for the first time because you left after experiencing such hypocrisy. To which I say, thank you for starting again, thank you for being willing to be a part of church again. We need you and the gifts God is giving you, and you need us and the gifts God has collectively brought into this space. Are we going to be perfect…no…

It would be way easier if coming to know, Jesus made us perfect. Wouldn’t that be amazing if in the here and now you and I never had one thought, or experienced any temptations, or could be 100% positive we would never experience even the smallest lapse in judgment?!?!

YES of course that would be amazing…But as you and I both know. There are no perfect people. If we were to make a list of perfect people - or even people who could say they had a perfect year….here’s the list:

Perfect People: Jesus

The reality is sinfulness is crouching at the door and all of us - if we are not careful - are tempted to crack the door to see whats out there. The problem, the proverbial foot jambs itself in the door making the door difficult to close. But thats the rub right there isn’t it. We cracked the door…

So what do we do - you and I as inherently imperfect people, who will do all that we can to follow Jesus well. What do we do to ensure the door doesn’t get flung wide open? What happens if it opens - how do we shut it?

It’s Complicated -

Over the last few weeks we have been walking through a handful of differnent realtionships in David’s life. He may have been specially selected to be the next king of Isreal, He may have had a specific anointing on his life. BUT we learned we all have an anointing

1 John 2:20 (CSB) But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

When you say yes to Jesus, when you are willing to do life Jesus’ way - as imperfect as you may be, as I may be - we have an anointing on our lives to participate in the spreading movement of God’s Kingdom here and now. We can trust the gifts and the empowerment God gives us in the face of foreign and domestic adversaries. We look for co-laborers to supercharge our gifts - like right here at Summit as we work together to help one more person BE KNOWN - FIND HOPE - and LOVE YOUR CITY in the name of Jesus. To make a difference together.

We also learned of the importance of our ADVOCATE -

The Holy Spirit as the ultimate advocate, and the people like Abigail, in our lives, that advocate for us. That help us reach the best possible outcomes. Obviously, we would all love to say that we listen to the Abigails in our life before we make the decisions that can destroy our reputations. That we listen to the warning of the Holy Spirit before we crack open the door, that leads to sin, stepping his foot in.

But the unfortunate reality is there are times when the door gets cracked up. There are sometimes when the door gets blown off the hinges. And that’s what happened in David’s life. Welcome to week 6 of it’s complicated.

It’s Complicated

David is known as a man and was chasing after God’s own heart and we are about to read how he went all in on sin. How he allowed his flesh desires to override his godly character. How he alive allowed his personal preference is pride his ego to a revocable he alter the lives of many. How his selfish actions caused complete and total destruction in the lives of many.

Many of you in the room, know the story of David and Bathsheba all too well. For the sake of our conversation today, I’m not going to go into great detail about that interaction. There’s a lot more powerful words I suppose I could use to describe what happened. But I’m not trying to make this a PG-13 message. The whole account is in 2 Samuel Chapter 11. But let me give you the footnotes version.

First I need to just put everything in perspective. This instance occurs approximately 3 decades years after Samuel anointing this young boy in the field tending his fathers sheep. Yes, 30 years or more have passed from that initial call. David has been sitting on the throne for around 10 years.

Things have been going really well actually - Crazy Dance Parties - Tremendous Blessings and Promises from God through this prophet named Nathan - Victorious battles - Seasons of peace - even moments that highlight David’s tremendous generosity. (I was going to add a message about David and Mephibosheth…and I still might - just didn’t know if I could say his name right).

David by the ancient people standards is living his best life and is supported by the ONE TRUE GOD. BUT things are about to turn. Why is that? Two seasons of life that when we are in the highest danger I think - When things are really bad - or right after we have had a string of big victories.

We tend to panic and make rash decisions or get complacent and miss the sin of pride just waiting for the right time to take us out.

Thats what happened. David was supposed to be in the field fighting with the men, but he was still in the palace messing with the ladies. The result was a woman - who was not one of his 6 or 7 wives but the wife of one of his warriors pregnant with David’s child. David was left with a couple of choices to make. He needed to resolve the issue.

So he tries the diplomatic approach. To bring the wronged husband in from the field and set up a scenario that gets David off the hook. The hired warrior, Uriah - whose name means Flame of YHWH!

*(I mean that is a cool name - His parent’s loved him - unlike Nabals parents haha}*

He shows himself as a burning ember for the Lord and doesn’t allow David to avoid the shame he is about to catch. I do mean shame. This is not a time of personal inequity but a shame and honor culture. David doing what he did is 100% against the Law of Moses, He first coveted, then he committed adultery but if Uriah goes home its like it was all fine.

But Uriah refused and it spelled his own death. Not just his own but the lives of other soldiers - all so David could avoid the public shame of the result of his time with Bathsheba. (Whole different conversation to be sure here - some try and say she knew what she was up to and others are convinced it was the king enforcing his power and authority to get what he wanted - 2nd degree assault in MN statutes)

This is how sin works in our lives by the way. When we crack the door we allow it to take a foothold in our lives.

James 1:14–15 (CSB) But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

This is the reality of what David experienced. This man after God’s own heart. He cracked the door, he got complacent, he became all about himself, he was corrupted. Not because he rejected God, or forgot God, he was corrupted because the human heart is corruptible.

Jeremiah 17:9 (CSB) The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?

Across the testaments the biblical authors all agree, the human heart is dangerous…Even David said this in his reflection and prayer in the days or months following this incident.

Psalm 51:10 (CSB) God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Is David’s own admission to the sin he created. So how does he get to this place of repentance and asking God to give him a new heart. Isn’t he the one who is known for pursuing the heart of God. So how does he get to keep his reputation for being a “Man after God’s Own Heart?”

Nathan - the Accountability Partner

If there is one person in our lives that will help keep us from our picture hanging on the the “hall of hypocrisy” - it is a solid man or woman of God that we are accountable to. This is who Nathan is for King David -

In the years following the death of the Prophet Samuel, we see this man named Nathan rise as one who hears from God. Who becomes a mouthpiece for God. So when David was blind to his sin - After all he thought he naviagated the shame just fine. Sure some men lost thier lives, yes a woman was pregnant with a child that was not her husbands, but David would take care of her. He married her and in the shame and honor culture of the time - David did the honorable thing - married the woman.

How do we know this?

2 Samuel 11:26–27 (CSB) When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband, Uriah, had died, she mourned for him. When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son… However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.

David missed the mark, and he didn’t have people around him to hold him accountable. He should have been with the men in the field, he should have not been staying back in the city. Joab could have said something but he didn’t. The messengers could have said something, but he didn’t or wouldn’t listen. Uriah could have said something, but clearly was unable to.

Do you know what predates the biggest falls from the biggest names in Christian circles - the people who remove the accountability partners from their lives. when you are not approachable, when we refuse to listen to what others might say, when we are blinded by our own arrogance or own self-righteousness - we are headed for disaster. BUT GOD - sent his prophet…

2 Samuel 12:1 (CSB) So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him:…

Nathan tells David a parable of these three people. One was rich and had more than he could ever need, the other was poor and compassionate. The parable tells the story of the poor man caring for this lamb like it was his child. When a traveler came to visit the wealthy man, instead of giving out of his abundance to the traveler - he stole the lamb from the poor man and served it to the guest.

You see the parallels to the story with Davids sin. A poor soldiers wife was stolen from him by the man who had it all. But David doesn’t connect the dots at first. Instead he hears of the huge injustice and proclaims.

2 Samuel 12:5 (CSB) David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

I get this image of sitting on a MN lake with a line in the water. You are dangling that juicy little leech out there just waiting to the Walleye to grab it, and BAM! Fish ON!

Thats what Nathan does. He dangles David’s self-righteousness and even his desire for justice oput there, jiggles the line a bit and BAM David takes it hoor line and sinker, swallowed it whole. Then Nathan Set’s the hook!

2 Samuel 12:7 (CSB) Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you…and I gave you…and… and…and

Saved his life - gave him houses, territory, wives, God gave David HIS SPECIAL POSSESSION - JUDAH AND ISRAEL. all of it. David squandered it all. Actually the word is so much worse than squandered.

2 Samuel 12:9 (CSB) Why then have you DESPISED the Lord’s command by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hethite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.

He continues

2 Samuel 12:10 (CSB) Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you DESPISED me and took the wife of Uriah the Hethite to be your own wife.’

Despised - is this Hebrew word : Baza - Ridiculed - showed contempt for…watch this - this is the same word used in the account when Goliath looked on David with Contempt…

1 Samuel 17:42 (CSB) When the Philistine looked and saw David, he DESPISED him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.

Whats the point? David’s actions communicated that David was no longer chasing after God but his actions showed him to be in direct opposition to God - to look at God and His commands like the Giant looked at David - tiny, worthless, and unworthy of facing.

So again - how does a guy who God is saying has rejected him as worthless keep this title as a man after God’s heart and Saul who offered a sacrifice lost everything??? How does that work?

Accountability is in the person and the response.

Both Saul and David had someone they trusted, someone who was a proven faith leader as a person of accountability. The person is important - What are the criteria for a good accountability partner?

Accountability Partner

Strong Faith

Knows You Well

Unafraid to Speak Truth

Saul and David both had a proven faith leader. We talked about Samuel, we don’t know much about Nathan, but what we do know is he was a trusted advisor to David following the death of Samuel.

Samuel was all too familiar with Saul; Nathan was also familiar with David and his tendencies.

Samuel was always willing to follow the Lord - even at great danger to himself. We talked about a couple of those moments already. Nathan equally bold.

A few years prior to the place David finds himself in this story today, David was all excited to build the temple for God. He was looking at his amazing house and feeling shame or like he was disgracing God - who was still in the tabernacle to the tent. So he was ambitious and looking to build a temple for God. At first Nathan, was like sweet great idea Dave - roll with it (2 Sam 7:3). BUT later that night the author records how Nathan heard clearly from God to tell David no. Then he passed on this cool Davidic (thats the theological word for it) Covenant with David.

This last one is a bit more complicated - its always complicated isn’t it. Someone unafraid to speak is helpful, but they also need your respect. In other words we need accountability partners who can:

Offer Truth with Grace in Relationship

- even if the grace is hard hitting like this response by Nathan - The man is you David!! The grace was in the story, the punch was in the closing.

But again back to our question, why did Saul lose God’s blessing and David retain God’s favor? You can have the best accountability partner in the world but if you refuse to listen, you have only frustrated the person who was on your side.

See both Samuel and Nathan we sent by God to the king to confront them. 1 Sam 15 is the account of Samuel confronting Saul to hold him accountable. Saul had set up the monument in Carmel I mentioned last week, assumed his leadership was a big part of the win in the battle. Saul response was alsways in defending his actions. I waited BUT I needed to honor God so I made myself do the sacrifice. - I was going to destroy everything BUT I saved the best for a sacrifice to God.

David on the other hand - and this is the big contrast - Check out David’s response to “You are that man!”

2 Samuel 12:13 (CSB) David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Then Nathan replied to David, “And the Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die.

Do you see the difference - I have sinned against the Lord. He didn’t say, but she was on the roof and I know she was trying to entice me, or but I am the king, or BUT Uriah should’ve just taken the chance I tried, or But I’m just a lonely guy with 6 wives…or but I was exhausted or or or or or or

You get the point. The complicated part about an accountability lifestyle isn’t finding the right person to speak truth to you - the complicated part is deciding ahead of time to listen

Listen up and leave the but

If you want to walk closer to Jesus you have to decide right now to find people you are willing to trust - to give permission to hold you accountable to the decision you made to follow Jesus.

Remember the whole Hypocrisy crisis I mentioned at the start of all this. That crisis would disapear if we were willing to be real, raw, and respectful toward one another as we pursue right living together. Not self-righteousness but right living in the way of Jesus.

Not Buts - Intentional relationships to help you walk closer to Jesus. Not gossip circles or some kind of weird confessional small group. None of that. Men and women of faith linking arms with one another, looking after one another, helping each other walk in step with the Holy Spirit.

To respond like David…

Psalm 51 (CSB) …Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you—you alone—I have sinned and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge… Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me… You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God…

Church we are in this together. Not sure where to start to find the right person. It starts here on Sunday - during the 3:33. It continues on Wednesday during midWEEK, or a Serve Team on Sundays, or a Love your City team. Which may lead to a small group in someones home - even your home. that leads to 1 to 1 mentors friends and accountability partners. Not to check in and tell them all your failures, but the ones who know you well enough to see the warning signs before things break down, or are there to call you out..

Listen church - this is what it means to BE KNOWN…and to FIND HOPE.

Maybe you hope…Today is your day to start. The Holy Spirit brought you here. you can’t put it all to words but you know you need Jesus. You know you need this community to be for you, to walk with you. You know that there has to be more to life than what you’ve experienced so far…there is and HIS NAME IS JESUS…