THE FIRST STEP

NO ONE LIKES A CUT

EVER DISCOVERED YOU HAD A CUT ON YOUR HAND?

YOU DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE THE CUT UNTIL SOMETHING CAME IN CONTACT WITH IT.

HOW ABOUT ACCIDENTAL CUTS LIKE A PAPER CUT, BRUTAL.

SOMETIMES CUTS ARE NOT SUBTLE, THE REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

I’VE GOT THE SCAR TO PROVE IT

NOT ALL CUTS ONLY HAPPEN TO US PHYSICALLY.

THE WORSE THE CUT THE MORE IT EFFECTS US.

THE FIRST INSTINCT IN A CUT IS TO COVER IT UP.

THAT’S ACTUALLY YOUR BODY’S FIRST INSTINCT ALSO, YOUR BODY RUSHES TO START PROTECTING ITSELF SO THAT IT CAN HEAL.

IN 1967 CAT STEVENS RECORDED THE LYRICS: THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

THE IDEA IS THAT PAIN MAKES IT HARDER TO TRUST AGAIN.

THE PAST TWO WEEKS WE’VE LOOKED AT THE PRODIGAL SON AND THE OLDER BROTHER.

WE FOUND IN BOTH STORIES A FATHER WHO WAS ELATED TO WELCOME HIS SON WHO HAD TRIED TO CUT HIMSELF OUT OF HIS FAMILY AND A FATHER WHO WAS CONCERNED WHEN HIS OLDER SON WANTED TO CUT THE SON OUT OF THE FAMILY.

OUR ENCOURAGEMENT AS WE CONCLUDE THIS SERIES:

SLIDE: YOU CAN’T GO BACK BUT YOU CAN START OVER

JUST LIKE A CUT, YOU CAN HEAL

HEALING MAY BEGIN INSTANTLY, BUT THE PROCESS TAKES TIME TO RESTORE.

SLIDE: THE HARDEST PART IN STARTING OVER IS THE FIRST STEP.

SOME OF US HAVE ENDURED SOME PRETTY BIG CUTS IN OUR LIVES.

SOME OF US HAVE GIVEN SOME PRETTY BIG CUTS TO OTHERS.

WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT ONE OF THOSE STORIES IN THE BIBLE.

DAVID IS REMEMBERED AS

A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART

THE GREATEST KING OF ISRAEL

KILLED GOLIATH

SKILFULL MUSICIAN

THE ONE WHO DANCED BEFORE THE LORD

BUT ALSO SOME OF HIS GREATEST SINS ARE REMEMBERED ABOUT HIM.

DAVID COMMITS ADULTERY, LIES, AND PREMEDITATES A MURDER

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE WITH DAVID’S WOUNDS

READ: 2 SAMUEL 12:1-7a ESV

DAVID BECAME ANGRY

WHEN WE ARE CUT OR WE CUT OTHERS, IT’S OK TO ACCEPT IT WAS WRONG.

IT’S NATURAL TO WANT TO COVER THE WOUND, BUT IT’S CRITICAL TO TAKE STEPS TO RESTORE IT.

YOU ARE THE MAN.

NOT LIKE HOW WE USE THE EXPRESSION.

THERE COMES A MOMENT WHEN WE HAVE HURT SOMEONE THAT WE HAVE TO REALIZE WHAT WE’VE DONE.

REMEMBERING THE CUT IS UNAVOIDABLE, BUT

SLIDE: REMINDING EVERYONE YOU’VE BEEN CUT IS NOT THE REMEDY, ITS A REFLEX.

YOU MIGHT BE “THAT MAN” WHO DESERVES ANGER AND WRATH FOR WHAT YOU DID

BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WORK JESUS DID CANNOT MAKE YOU A NEW MAN.

HALF THE BOOKS OF OUR NEW TESTAMENT WERE WRITTEN BY A MAN WHO DESERVED THE ANGER OF GOD AND THE CHURCH, BUT GOD REDEEMED HIM AND MADE HIM A NEW MAN.

SLIDE: THE FIRST STEP IS TO TURN TO GOD.

READ: PSALM 51:1-4 ESV

DAVID’S CONFESSION HELPS US

DAVID KNOW’S THAT GOD IS MERCIFUL ACCORDING TO HIS LOVE

AND THAT HIS SIN AGAINST PEOPLE IS A SIN AGAINST GOD.

JUST LIKE THE PRODIGAL, AND DAVID

WE MUST GO HOME TO FACE OUR FATHER FOR WHAT WE’VE DONE.

READ: PSALM 51:7-12 ESV

YOU CAN COVER YOUR WOUNDS, BUT GOD CAN CLEANSE YOU OF THE GUILT.

YOU CAN’T UNDO THE DAMAGE

SOMETIMES OUR ACTIONS HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES

THE LORD IS WISE IN ALLOWING US TO HAVE “BROKEN BONES” FROM OUR SIN

THE HANDS OF GOD IS THE ONLY PLACE OUR BROKENNESS CAN FIND A WAY TO REJOICE.

CREATE IN ME

THIS IS THE SAME WORD USED IN GENESIS 1 FOR CREATION

GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE US A NEW CREATION

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

AS LONG AS YOU PERCEIVE THAT GOD IS OUT TO CRUSH YOU, YOU WILL NEVER TURN TO HIM TO CLEANSE YOU.

WE DON’T NEED MORE RULES AND BEHAVIORS, WE NEED A CLEAN HEART

A NEW DECISION MAKING CENTER.

HERE THE PSALM MAKES ANOTHER CONNECTION TO GENESIS 1 WITH ASKING GOD FOR A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN HIMSELF.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO START OVER, YOU DON’T NEED TO TRY HARDER, YOU NEED TO SURRENDER TO GOD AND ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE YOUR STEPS.

*VERSE 11 IS A PICTURE OF WHAT THE FEAR OF THE LORD LOOKS LIKE

THE MOST SURPRISING THING WE FIND WHEN WE TURN TO GOD IS JOY.

WHEN WE FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR FAILURES WE LOSE OUR JOY.

THE THING THAT WE REACHED FOR THAT HURT SOMEONE

WE DID ATTEMPTING TO FIND JOY.

JOY WAS NEVER IN THE PURSUIT OF SIN

JOY HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH GOD

GOD LONGS TO BE GRACIOUS TO US.

INVITATION

SLIDE: ALLOW GOD TO MAKE YOUR PAIN A PATH FOR OTHERS.

READ: PSALM 51:13 ESV

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO’S WATCHING WHICH WAY YOU TURN AFTER YOU FAIL.

SO WHO NEEDS TO RESPOND TODAY?

THE PERSON WHO IS COVERING THE CUT

YOU CAN’T COVER THE WOUND FOREVER.

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS FOR GOD TO CLEANSE IT SO THAT IT CAN HEAL.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS GOD

ACKNOWLEDGE THE SIN, ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES, RECIEVE HIS MERCY.

THE PERSON WHO IS TIRED IN THE PROCESS OF HEALING

KEEP GOING BACK TO GOD

YOU’RE FURTHER DOWN THE PATH OF HEALING TODAY THEN YOU WERE

YOU MAY NOT NOTICE A CHANGE IN EVERY STEP BUT WITH EVERY STEP YOU ARE CHANGING

John 5:6 ESV

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

SLIDE: DO YOU WANT TO BE HEALED?

PRAY