Nathan Part Three

Christ-Types

SERMON TWO

Christ-Types

Christ types are...

Everyone Needs a Friend. We have seen in this series that we shouldn’t view the friends we are studying as those to be emulated, or as heroes, as there is only one hero in Scripture, and his name is Jesus. But we CAN see Jesus IN these characters to some extent as they are all Christ types (Christ types are those characters in Scripture who share some characteristics with Jesus) and just as the Apostle Paul said, only follow me as I follow Christ, so we will see how we can become more like Jesus in our friendships by exploring these Christ types. I have said that we need a dream team of friends, that we don’t need a quantity of friends and acquaintances, but we need quality friends, deep friendships that are rooted and modeled after the Christ types we see in Scripture. So Everyone Needs a Paul, which is a mentor. Everyone Needs a Barnabas which is an encourager. Everyone needs a Jonathan who is a true friend.

Nathan

Hebrews 4:3–6 ESV

For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.” Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,

Nathan

And we saw last week that everyone needs a Nathan who is a confronter. Nathans are confronters. They are exhorters. They are the person who can come to you at any time and speak about anything in your life without you being defensive. You hear them. You receive them.

The first week of Nathan, we saw WHY we need a Nathan because our sin runs deeper than we can ever imagine and we have massive blind spots in our lives and we should see these Nathans as bearers of grace. So we all need a confronter in our lives who has carte blanche to speak into our lives at a moments’ notice. We saw that instead of resisting Nathans, we are free to receive these Nathans into our lives because these Nathans are Christ-types who are bearers of grace.

Last week, we explored the characteristics of a Nathan seen in the way Nathan confronted David, in other words, and this week we will see how to receive a Nathan into our lives seen by the way David responded to Nathans prophetic words. And that will be the basic pattern of this series. We will take three weeks on each friend. The first week why we need that friend, the second week how to BE that friend, and the third week how to receive that friend into your life. All the while we will be pointed to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, all the while we will see how we don’t measure up, how we are bad Nathans and bad Pauls and bad Barnabases, but that union with Christ completes us. That when we have union with Christ that means we have everything Christ has. Everything he has belongs to us. So ultimately everyone needs Jesus. And we can’t lose sight of that in this series.

David and Bathsheba Summary: Adultery, Murder

Why did Nathan confront David in the first place? David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed. Uriah was one of David’s mighty men. When David was running from King Saul, a group of loyal men came around David and gave their lives to protect David. Uriah was one of David’s mighty men. David owed Uriah his life. Yet David covets Uriah’s wife, breaking the 7th and 10th commandment, even though David had at least 8 wives at the time and could have had any single woman he wanted in the kingdom, he commits adultery with Bathsheba, Bathsheba becomes pregnant, David summons Uriah home to trick him into sleeping with his wife so that he would think he was the father of this baby, even after getting Uriah drunk, Uriah won’t even go into the house because of his loyalty to David and to the men on the battlefield, and so David has Uriah sent to the front lines in battle to make sure he is killed. And it isn’t just Uriah who is hurt, it is other men who are with Uriah who are also killed and hurt. David is the king which means his role is to protect his soldiers but does the opposite. And Nathan is sent by God to confront David.

How do you hear a Nathan, how do you respond to a Nathan? I mean, who likes being confronted? Who enjoys it when a fellow sinner confronts them on some deep sin in their lives that they probably don’t see themselves?

Responding to Nathans

How do you hear a Nathan, how do you respond to a Nathan? I mean, who likes being confronted? Who enjoys it when a fellow sinner confronts them on some deep sin in their lives that they probably don’t see themselves?

Let’s see how David responded:

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2 Samuel 12:13 ESV

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

What David Didn’t Do

13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

How did David respond? Simply. I have sinned against the Lord. So today as we explore how we should respond to Nathans, we could have the shortest sermon in history. How to respond to Nathans…I have sinned against the Lord.

How did David respond? Simply. I have sinned against the Lord. So today as we explore how we should respond to Nathans, we could have the shortest sermon in history. How to respond to Nathans…I have sinned against the Lord.

His response coupled with Nathan’s pardon of David was verse 3 of It is Well with My soul. My sin oh the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole, has been nailed to the cross and I bear it no bear, praise the Lord praise the Lord oh my soul.

Before we go any further, just see the beauty in that simple response. I was recently speaking to our Head of Schools Tim Dernlan and he told me he had a discipline case where the kids got caught doing something they shouldn’t have been doing, he disciplined them, but it was their spirit of brokenness that led him to say that he was almost glad it happened because of the blessing it was to experience the broknness and godliness of these kids. How many times have you been a Nathan and you just want to scream at the person to simply humble themselves, see what everyone else around them is seeing, and say, I have sinned, now help me. But that doesn’t happen very often. We think that by fighting back we are protecting our freedom, when the reality is many times we are sinking deeper into bondage and loss. It’s sadly ironic.

But we can learn how to respond to Nathans by the things David didn’t say after Nathan confronted him.

We Shun Nathans in the First Place

Preclude Nathan in First Place

The Tragedy of Shunning Nathans

The Tragedy of Shunning Nathans

How tragic is it when you have the gift of a Nathan in your life, and you not only don’t listen to him, but you alienate him. You alienate him to the point that he stops being a bearer of grace in your life. What a loss for you. You can go to fellow fools…but you have lost this precious gift of a Nathan. Because ultimately Nathans are the bearers of good news. Because Nathans words to David don’t end with You are the Man, but You are Forgiven. The reason Nathans words are you are forgiven is because David received the Nathan in the first place. He didn’t go listen to fools, and Nathan didn’t hold back and try to call it down the middle. Nathan gave it to him straight, called a spade a spade after spending lots of time with God.

David could have been defensive in the first place, arrogant and Nathan wouldn’t come to him at all. We don’t have Nathans because your friends have learned you won’t hear a Nathan. So they don’t bother coming to you, or maybe they try once or twice, but they stop which is the most tragic because they know it is no use.

David Didn’t Demand Proof

Didn’t Demand Proof

Nathan didn’t see David commit adultery. David could have easily demanded where’s your proof Nathan? This isn’t like the TV show to catch a cheater. You didn’t record me on your cell phone, Nathan. You have no proof, Nathan, you’ve got nothing.

David Doesn’t Deflect

David immediately says I have sinned against the Lord. Notice what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t deflect. He could have. Many times leaders are under tremendous pressure and as a result make excuses for their sins. He could have said, this is just the way it is. I am the king, I give orders and those orders are followed. David had instructed Joab, his general to put Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband in the front lines. David could have said, this was Joab’s fault. Joab did it. Built into us to blame others…

Genesis 3:12 ESV

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

David immediately says I have sinned against the Lord. Notice what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t deflect. He could have. Many times leaders are under tremendous pressure and as a result make excuses for their sins. He could have said, this is just the way it is. I am the king, I give orders and those orders are followed. David had instructed Joab, his general to put Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband in the front lines. David could have said, this was Joab’s fault. Joab did it. Built into us to blame others…

David could have been defensive in the first place, arrogant and Nathan wouldn’t come to him at all. We don’t have Nathans because your friends have learned you won’t hear a Nathan. So they don’t bother coming to you, or maybe they try once or twice, but they stop which is the most tragic because they know it is no use.

We see this in parenting. Teachers, principals in schools will tell you this—that it is so difficult to confront anyone’s kids for any reason.

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

We see this in parenting. Teachers, principals in schools will tell you this—that it is so difficult to confront anyone’s kids for any reason.

Wonder Years Principals’ Office

There is a great show called Wonder Years. It’s about a boy named Kevin who grows up in the 70s as told by his adult self. And in one of the first episodes, Kevin is caught being a brat at school. Principal Deperna calls in his parents. And the whole scene in the principals’ office is brilliantly shot. You see the principal, and Kevin’s mom, and the principal is giving a report about Kevin’s behavior to Kevin’s mom and the whole time you think that it is just Kevin’s mom, Kevin, and the principal, but the very last part of the scene cuts to the Dad, a Korean War Vet, a traditional hard working father, and he has been silently sitting in the room listening the entire time, and the only thing he says is I’d like to take my son home now. And then he cracks his knuckles. And the message is obvious…that Kevin is going to get a whooping when he gets home because he was a brat in school.

That would never happen today in most schools…Christian or non-Christian.

Parents Didn’t Defend

I remember growing up I was a GREAT kid…and there were times that a teacher or adult would give a bad report about me to my parents…and there was NEVER a time that my parents blamed the teacher or the system or the process. It was the same as Kevin’s Dad’s response…I’d like to take my son home now.

David’s response: I have sinned against the Lord. Period.

We see why we don’t have Nathans in the way we parent today.

Did that person speak to my child themselves? Who snitched on my child? The funny thing is the parents already know their child is a brat. They are raising them, but somehow they start defending them when others step in and try to help. It’s incredible and rampant these days. We are trying to help keep your kid out of prison when they get older. We are trying to keep your kid from getting a divorce when they are older. And the parents can already see these issues in their children, have probably yelled at their kids over these very issues in the past, and yet when the teacher sheepishly calls it out, the teacher gets attacked.

The beauty is that when we listen to the Nathans, beauty comes from ashes. There are still consequences to our sins. David endured serious consequences. His baby would die. He would have issues in his family for generations. But I dare say those consequences would have been worse if he hadn’t received the Nathan. In fact they would have been, Nathan said, because you have repented, you will live and there is richness to that word, not just living today, but your legacy will live. If he hadn’t received the Nathan, it would have been worse.

Hebrews 12:11 ESV

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

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For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Didn’t Claim to be Getting Mixed Messages

Didn’t say he was getting Mixed Messages

Nathan could have claimed he was getting mixed messages from God. I mean, David was already a polygamist. Why didn’t Nathan come to him sooner. David had already taken to himself wives, probably from others, why did Nathan wait so long?

One of my favorites…a parent will say, if this is such a problem why is this the first time I am hearing about this? Well, we are telling you now.

One of most loving things a person can do for your child is to be a Nathan. To graciously bring the Law to bear in their life so they can then receive the Gospel.

Didn’t Appeal to Other Supporters

David Didn’t Appeal to Other Supporters

David didn’t listen to the other people in his life. He didn’t refer to them. He didn’t say, look at all these people around me who don’t agree with you Nathan. Joab, my general he is a godly man and he knows what it takes and he doesn’t see it the way you do. All my messengers don’t see it and I’m pretty open Nathan. Joab could have confronted David when David commanded him to send Uriah to the front liens, but he didn’t. Joab enabled David. It may have seemed that Joab was helping David—but he was bringing death to David. And it is the same with us. Many times we enable others when we should be confronting them. We do it by playing it down the middle when a Nathan confronts a common friend.

Ezekiel 3:18 ESV

If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

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If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

So a Nathan will be correct in their confrontation and maybe the person being confronted even agrees at first, but then the person being confronted goes and talks to their friends and the friends say, Nathan has no right, Nathan is wrong…and that sounds gracious but it brings death. How do we know that the Nathan is right? The Law is written on our hearts, so we know.

David’s response: I have sinned against the Lord. Period.

David Didn’t Attack the Process

Didn’t Attack the Process

I remember a situation a long time ago where we had a young man who had sinned pretty grievously and he got caught but the way he got caught and the way it was handled up to that point wasn’t the best. But it was the young man who had put these others in that position by his sin in the first place. And I remember it was something where we had to go to the parents. And I was nervous about going to the parents because I figured they would attack the process and they would have had a point. But they didn’t do that. I even opened the door and apologized that the process hadn’t been great. Some people had been brought into it that shouldn’t have been so the sin wasn’t contained. And the father said, I don’t care about all that. I care about my son. My son did this not them. David could have said, God didn’t tell you this, someone else had to have gossiped about me…why didn’t they come to me instead of you and what about your life Nathan. And why didn’t you confront this other person over here Nathan. None of that. And the irony is that those deflections usually lead to greater consequences….if the person would just respond like David did, against you and you only have I sinned, the Nathans can say ok, now let’s figure this out. What else can the Nathan say at that point? I have said this so many times to people…if you would just repent, if you would just simply say I have sinned, the people around you would embrace you and lead you back.

We should thank people for loving us enough to confront us and save us. Instead we attack Nathans. Nathans are like the Jedi in Star Wars—all but gone.

James 5:19–20 ESV

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

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My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Nathan was a bearer of grace. Nathan was bringing grace to David and Nathan’s bring grace to us. There is grace in the Law.

The only problem in David’s day before Nathan confronted him was that Nathan hadn’t confronted him yet. Nathan confronting David perfected David’s day.

We should thank the Nathans in our lives. It is the fools who will affirm us when we are wrong, tell us not to worry about our sin…encourage us to blame others…David didn’t blame Bathsheba…or make excuses…I have sinned against the Lord.

He doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t attack Nathan.

David’s response: I have sinned against the Lord. Period.

Disposition of Humility

Humility, ability to hear criticism in first place

David being confronted earlier by simi. Already had a humble disposition. Had already learned to even receive wrong criticism graciously. So when he heard the right criticism he was primed to hear it.

I say that Everyone needs a Friend like Nathan. Everyone needs a Nathan. But we don’t have Nathan’s in our lives because we don’t respond like David did. So when we say that everyone needs a Nathan it isn’t just finding that Nathan…it is an orientation of your life that ALLOWS for you to even HAVE a Nathan.

Do we have a repentant heart or a defensive heart. A repentant heart is the constant disposition of a person gripped by the grace and forgiveness of Jesus. A defensive heart is the constant disposition of someone involved in a self salvation project. So when a defensive person is confronted they say, “look at what I did right!” While a repentant heart is free to say, “Here is what I did wrong.” A defensive heart looks for diversions. A repentant heart for honesty. A defensive heart says, “but look at what was done to me!” A repentant heart says, “this is what I did to add to the sin and conflict.” So a defensive heart is looking for distractions while a repentant heart is looking to own the sin. A defensive heart downplays the situation and says “it wasn’t that bad.” A repentant heart says, “this was a very big deal…how could I?”

Our default mode is defensiveness. It is our natural reflex to defend when criticism comes our way.

A person with a humble and gospel driven disposition has nothing left to prove…their identity is in Christ so their identity is secure. Only the Gospel can free us to hear Nathans

A defensive heart says, “But look at what I did right!” (diversion). A repentant heart says, “Here specifically is what I did wrong” (honesty).

A defensive heart says, “But look at what was done to me!” (distraction). A repentant heart says, “Here is how I contributed to the conflict” (ownership).

A defensive heart says, “It wasn’t that bad” (downplaying). A repentant heart says, “It was a big deal” (admission).

Default Defensiveness

Wait a minute. Think this through. Why does this criticism hurt you the way it does? Remember your identity is in Christ, so your identity isn’t at stake. Relax! Is there something you can learn here?

It’s a counterintuitive feeling, like learning to use a muscle we didn’t know we had for the first time—or, better yet, finally learning to relax a muscle we’ve always kept tight. It’s a kind of paradox: an effort at relaxing, a striving to cease striving, a struggle to give up.

Fearless Freedom 

The gospel alone can free us for honesty, ownership, and admission, because the gospel alone destroys the sting and judgment associated with criticism. The gospel takes away the fear that drives defensiveness and frees us to openly admit our shortcomings.

The gospel says, “In the place of your deepest failure and shame, you are loved most tenderly.”

The gospel says, “Your deepest fears were already borne by your Savior.”

The gospel says, “Your sins were exposed, and dealt with, at the cross. The battle is already over.”

Imagine a person who is on trial and a long list of charges are read…imagine he responds....

It’s true…it’s fair…I’m responsible…I am to blame and no one else…I will not make excuses and what I did is very serious and a very big deal. That is essentially what David said.

A man free to be that non-defensive is the happiest and most indestructible man in the world. He has died to himself; his identity comes from something or someone else. He is fearless.

This is what the gospel does for us. In the court of heaven—which matters infinitely more than any human court—we’ve already been tried and through Christ we’ve already been acquitted.

Thank you, Jesus. Help us to be so secure in your love that we are fearless to repent.

David Sees and Knows Destructive Power of Sin

Sees and knows the destructive power of our sin.

Instead of seeing destructive power of sin, we hide sins our sins. We are sneaky and always concealing and conniving.

Psalm 32:5 ESV

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

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I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

So those who could be Nathans to us don't see the sins to begin with because we are too busy covering them up. Some need to actually go find a Nathan and confess to a Nathan. We don’t see the destructive power of sin so we conceal it. This sin of David’s would devastate his family for generations to come. Listen to the effects of David’s sin, verse 7:

2 Samuel 12:7–12 ESV

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ”

Because of all this, there was a desire to make complete break from sin.

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7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”

Desire to make complete break from sin.

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

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Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Spirit is broken and humble.

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Psalm 51:17 ESV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Not making the Nathan feel badly. Thanking the Nathan and you feel badly. Can see repentance in the face.

David Sees Nathan as Bearer of Grace

See Nathans are Bearers of Grace and Christ Types

And instead of seeing these friends as confrontational and scary, we should see these friends as bearers of grace. We should see these friends as Christ types since Jesus too calls us out on practically everything in our lives through his teaching. And we are free to receive Nathans into our lives because we are forgiven, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And we saw that we should see these people as Christ types and that because of the Gospel we are free to receive the confronters who God provides. We should see these Nathans not as adversaries but as bearers of grace. And I have warned at each sermon that we aren’t looking to emulate these Bible characters, but to be pointed to Jesus. These characters aren’t heroes, as there is only one hero in Scripture and his name is Jesus. We have to get that and keep repeating that throughout this series.

Claiming of God’s forgiveness and mercy. Nathan immediately says you are forgiven. You will not die but there will be consequences. So receiving a Nathan means receiving the grace of forgiveness but also the grace of consequences. David would have consequences for the rest of his life. Absalom his son would turn on him, his baby would die. There would be strife in his house. The work of repentance that the HS does is brutal…our spiritual hearts are either cleaned or they remain infected…there is no in between.

Open Ungaurded Admission because of Love of God—doesn’t go half way in repentance because he doesn’t go half way in his love for God. He already wanted God’s heart.

Because God had given him everything. He had given him wives, and riches, and the kingdom, and freedom and yet David wants this woman he can’t have. And he takes her. Isn’t that the essence of sin for all of us…taking what we can’t have, not being grateful and content with what we have, believing that God got it wrong.

David says, against you and you only have I sinned. He had sinned against lots of people, against Uriah, against Uriah’s family, against Bathsheba, against his whole kingdom, but David says I have sinned against God…when he writes in response to this sin he says I have sinned against you and you only. Why?

Charles Spurgeon: “The true sorrow which we ought to have, and which saves men instrumentally, is sorrow on account of sin because it is sin against God. Ask yourselves whether you have sorrowed for sin because it is sin against God; for any hypocrite is sorry for sin which injures himself, or which may damage his reputation among men; but the essential thing is to be sorry because the evil is a wrong done to God.”

Expresses right kind of sorrow. When you are confronted if you are defensive at all it shouldn't be because you may lose reputation it should be because you have offended God. It should be because you were given such amazing grace and how could you do such a thing. It should be because you have come so far in your sanctification that you grieve this sin.

Because you have offended God. It should be because you were given such amazing grace and how could you. It should be because you have come so far in your sanctification that you grieve this sin.

David’s accept consequences but Know Future Glory Outweighs the Temporal

So David’s baby dies. But from that death, David utters some of the most hopeful words in Scripture. He says I will go to him. I will go to my baby. That baby that died was in heaven…how many couples have lost babies and have looked to those words for comfort? And scripture tells us that they had another son named Solomon. And Solomon would become the wisest man in Israel and a forefather of Jesus. Beauty came from ashes because David received the Nathan.

David’s Motivation for Repentance was Restored Communion with God

It wasn’t to restore his temptation but to restore his heart.

Psalm 51:10–11 ESV

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

David isn’t content with half way repentance, nor is his content with half way restoration. He begs God to clean up his spiritual heart and to renew a right spirit. Remember last wee we talked about besetting sins and life dominating sins....sins that attack our spiritual core, our spiritual heart…and David isn’t content to just take his punishment, he wants communion back with God!

Psalm 51 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 51:12 ESV

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:13–15 ESV

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

loves God, cares, really believes this stuff, doesn’t care what others think, but what God thinks, that’s why his chief concern is he sinned against God.

Psalm 51:13–15 ESV

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Think about what David is saying here…he wants to teach others about God. How dare an adulterer and murderer say he wants to teach others about God. But David goes all out in his repentance just as he went all out in his worship. There is another time that David was confronted and this confrontation demonstrates the passion and love he has for God....only this time, David didn’t agree with the confrontation...

David was able to receive Nathan mostly because he was a man after God’s own heart. He also recognized truth when he saw it. David said, I love your law, I mediatate on it day and night.

King David was leading the praises of the people, "with all his might," with "shouts," and the "loud sounds of trumpets." He got so wrapped up in worship that he began dancing. Kings didn't do that. He took off his clothes and kept dancing. Kings certainly didn't do that either. This disrobed dancing in front of his people, which is hard for us to imagine in our culture, was a sign of ultimate humility for a King. Incredible.

So David knew this was wrong, if Nathan had come to him with something else, he would have pushed back. It’s ok to push back when someone confronts you and their confrontation is in direct opposition to the Law and character of God. And you will know in your heart. David was confronted before.

Doesn’t do things half-way—full passion about God,

Doesn’t do things half-way—full passion about God,

King David was leading the praises of the people, "with all his might," with "shouts," and the "loud sounds of trumpets." He got so wrapped up in worship that he began dancing. Kings didn't do that. He took off his clothes and kept dancing. Kings certainly didn't do that either. This disrobed dancing in front of his people, which is hard for us to imagine in our culture, was a sign of ultimate humility for a King. Incredible.

His wife didn't like it. She said, "You are the King, how could you possibly act in such an undignified manner?" Scripture said her heart burned against David. Only this wasn’t the kind of anger that Nathan had towards David’s sin, but the unrighteous kind. This was a time that David was wrongly confronted.

David's response to her admonition wasn't fear, or wondering what others thought of him, or trying to balance things out, or explaining himself, or dialing things back...and he also didn't just smile and say, "ok, I'll let you criticize my biblical response to God in worship"...his response was this...

He said, "I am celebrating the Lord God." And we know from other writings of David what he meant when he said that. In other words, David was saying he was undone by the sheer majesty of God and his marvelous attributes. That he couldn't contain his adoration for God. That God is from everlasting to everlasting. In other words, David marveled at the infinity of God who is outside of time. He has no beginning. He anticipates no end. He is exalted above the nations, his glory is above the heavens!

And then David uttered one of the most amazing comebacks to criticism in the Bible. He said,

"Do you think that was undignified? You will see me be MUCH more undignified than that!"

Bam.

In the presence of God we should be undone...because of Jesus we are free to dance! And that is the kind of repentance David was after and the kind of restoration he longed for. To be dancing in the presence of the Lord again. To be fearless in his courage and love for the Lord.

We love to say how much we love the Bible and believe it is God's word and authoritative in all matters of life...yet the verses on the actions of worship are set aside as if God didn't mean what he said. And we are like David's wife and actually dare to criticize those like David who lead high praise with the shout, with loud instruments, with the dance, and with deep expression. Surrender to God...let yourself be wrecked by worship.

If we actually took Scriptures seriously, I am thinking that worship would look nothing like so much of the stale, listless, rote worship we see today in both contemporary and traditional churches. Biblically based worship would look more like what I saw Sunday since Scripture describes worship as shouting, singing loudly, playing loud cymbals, clapping, lifting hands, kneeling, and singing a NEW song (, , , , , , and , ).

Nathans are Bearers of Good News

Nathans are bearers of good news, both in confronting sin and in announcing forgiveness, which David knows. The Christ Type Nathans in our lives aren’t telling us so much you are the man, but you are forgiven. Even though it doesn’t seem like it at the time…they are bearers of grace and to be cherished…because David understood that one day there would be a greater Nathan, a greater David who would be the man for us…when David wrote which would predict the crucifixion 1000 years before Jesus was crucified and hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented, he tells the story of Jesus on the cross…but then he tells the story of Jesus victorious over the cross:

Psalm 22:19–31 ESV

But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

David longs for the one who will BE the man for him.

​ ESV David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

2 Samuel 12:13 ESV

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Psalm 22 ESV

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Your sin will be put away, but this is a special kind of forgiveness when it comes to the Old Testament...notice there is no sacrifice required of David to atone for his sins. The literal Hebrew here is David, your sins have been passed over. Your sin will be put away for you by someone else.

But Jesus is present in this story in another way. There is an incredible parallel of David standing before Nathan and Jesus standing before Pilate. Nathan says to David, you are the man, Pilate says to Jesus, Behold the man. When Nathan confronts David, David is actually in the judgment seat but David should have been the accused, he should have been the one on trial, in the dock. When Jesus stands before Pilate, Jesus should be in the judgment seat but Jesus is the one on trial, Jesus is the one in the dock. With David, a prophet Nathan shows up and tells a story to move David from the judgment seat to the dock. With Jesus before Pilate, no one shows up to move Jesus from being the accused, from the one being on trial, from the one being in the dock to sitting in his rightful place as judge. No one shows up because Jesus was forsaken. Jesus becomes the man for us so we don’t have to be the man, because regardless of how many Nathans we have in our lives, we will never be the man, we need another man to stand in our place. Nathan was the bearer of good news even with David because this shadow of Jesus we see when Nathan says God himself has put away your sin, no sacrifice required. Yes, there will be consequences, but those are temporal, forgiveness is eternal. Nathans bring good news. Nathans don’t end with You are the Man, but Behold the Man. That is what Pilate said when he presented Jesus to the people, Behold the Man. Behold your King. And that was where it ended for Jesus, because he had to pay the price for David’s adultery and my adultery, and your murder, and my murder.

Your sins have been passed over is a foreshadowing of Jesus. The good news that his sin has been put away allows him to simply repent and not repent with “but this person”…no, I have sinned, full stop. Period. Nathans press in the Gospel when they confront. So many times it is so easy to talk about the Gospel in church, in song, in practically everything we do on Sundays, especially here because our mission is nothing but Jesus so we are very careful to make sure our services are saturated with Jesus and not just a vague idea of God.

The result of David hearing Nathan is the most complete and beautiful statement of repentance in Scripture …a Psalm that has the rare title that explains the Psalm—in this Psalm, David longs for the one who will BE the man for him.

But it is another matter altogether to bring Jesus into parenting, marriage, and confrontation. David leans into Jesus. Charles Spurgeon said that a sermon isn’t a sermon until it gets to Jesus. Now David doesn’t mention Jesus’ name in Psalm 51, but he immediately gets to Jesus by saying your sins have been put away. He doesn’t say, go sacrifice some bulls, which would have been required at the time, he says, your sins have been put away. He immediately gets to Jesus. That’s what Nathans do. Bring Jesus to bear in the confrontation.

There is an incredible parallel in the story of David and Nathan of David standing before Nathan and Jesus standing before Pilate. Nathan says to David, you are the man, Pilate says to Jesus, Behold the man. When Nathan confronts David, David is actually in the judgment seat but David should have been the accused, he should have been the one on trial, in the dock. When Jesus stands before Pilate, Jesus should be in the judgment seat but Jesus is the one on trial, Jesus is the one in the dock. With David, a prophet Nathan shows up and tells a story to move David from the judgment seat to the dock. With Jesus before Pilate, no one shows up to move Jesus from being the accused, from the one being on trial, from the one being in the dock to sitting in his rightful place as judge. No one shows up because Jesus was forsaken. Jesus becomes the man for us so we don’t have to be the man, because regardless of how many Nathans we have in our lives, we will never be the man, we need another man to stand in our place. Nathan was the bearer of good news even with David because this shadow of Jesus we see when Nathan says God himself has put away your sin, no sacrifice required. Yes, there will be consequences, but those are temporal, forgiveness is eternal. Nathans bring good news and we are free to receive that good news. Nathans don’t end with You are the Man, but Behold the Man. That is what Pilate said when he presented Jesus to the people, Behold the Man. Behold your King. And that was where it ended for Jesus, because he had to pay the price for David’s adultery and my adultery, and your murder, and my murder.

But Jesus is present in this story in another way. There is an incredible parallel of David standing before Nathan and Jesus standing before Pilate. Nathan says to David, you are the man, Pilate says to Jesus, Behold the man. When Nathan confronts David, David is actually in the judgment seat but David should have been the accused, he should have been the one on trial, in the dock. When Jesus stands before Pilate, Jesus should be in the judgment seat but Jesus is the one on trial, Jesus is the one in the dock. With David, a prophet Nathan shows up and tells a story to move David from the judgment seat to the dock. With Jesus before Pilate, no one shows up to move Jesus from being the accused, from the one being on trial, from the one being in the dock to sitting in his rightful place as judge. No one shows up because Jesus was forsaken. Jesus becomes the man for us so we don’t have to be the man, because regardless of how many Nathans we have in our lives, we will never be the man, we need another man to stand in our place. Nathan was the bearer of good news even with David because this shadow of Jesus we see when Nathan says God himself has put away your sin, no sacrifice required. Yes, there will be consequences, but those are temporal, forgiveness is eternal. Nathans bring good news. Nathans don’t end with You are the Man, but Behold the Man. That is what Pilate said when he presented Jesus to the people, Behold the Man. Behold your King. And that was where it ended for Jesus, because he had to pay the price for David’s adultery and my adultery, and your murder, and my murder.

There is a great movie called the Bridge on the River Kwai…it is about a British officer who is a prisoner of war and he has a literal “you are the man” moment…and he builds a bridge for the Japanese and doesn’t realize he is building a bridge that will betray his country and actually help the Japanese in war. At the end of the movie, one of his British friends dies and looks up at him and says, “you.” And just like David, he says, what have I done? So the British officer turns and runs through the bullets and falls on the detonator that destroys the bridge he built and atones for his sins. Jesus goes through the bullets for us. Jesus destroys the bridge for us so we don’t have to be the man.

Behold the man upon the cross, my sin upon his shoulders, behold I hear my mocking voice cry out among the scoffers, it was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished, his dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished. Because of that David’s can be unashamed and bold in teaching others his ways like says.

That is amazing grace…those who were scoffers…those who were scandalous in their sin…like you and like me…those of us who were the man Nathan is talking about …those of us who are bad Nathans... murder took place…a man died in our place…and when our sin is washed away in that blood of Jesus we become more and more like Jesus....we become like him in our being Nathans to others…and don’t you want that in your life? Don’t you want to be like Jesus? Oh to be like him…to give all we have just to know him…to be beside him…to live with Jesus as the hope of our hearts.

But David took the scriptures seriously in other ways as well—

The beauty is in my experience those who listen to the Nathans are led to life. We have counseled couples before and those who listen to the tough things in their lives that need to change, their marriages improve. Those who don’t and usually deflect and say we are wrong, and you don’t live with the person, and all that stuff, it gets worse and worse.

Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,

back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

The beauty is that when we listen to the Nathans, beauty comes from ashes. There are still consequences to our sins. David endured serious consequences. His baby would die. He would have issues in his family for generations. But I dare say those consequences would have been worse if he hadn’t received the Nathan. In fact they would have been, Nathan said, because you have repented, you will live and there is richness to that word, not just living today, but your legacy will live. If he hadn’t received the Nathan, it would have been worse.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,

promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience,

lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my

road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,

SLIDE

So David’s baby dies. But from that death, David utters some of the most hopeful words in Scripture. He says I will go to him. I will go to my baby. That baby that died was in heaven…how many couples have lost babies and have looked to those words for comfort? And scripture tells us that they had another son named Solomon. And Solomon would become the wisest man in Israel and a forefather of Jesus. Beauty came from ashes because David received the Nathan.

diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear.

I am not ashamed of the gospel . . .

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

So David’s baby dies. But from that death, David utters some of the most hopeful words in Scripture. He says I will go to him. I will go to my baby. That baby that died was in heaven…how many couples have lost babies and have looked to those words for comfort? And scripture tells us that they had another son named Solomon. And Solomon would become the wisest man in Israel and a forefather of Jesus. Beauty came from ashes because David received the Nathan.

Some of the best one linerWe have said that Nathan uttered one of the most powerful phrases in all of scripture—one of the best one line zingers when he said “You are the Man.” But Later Pilate would deliver a good one as well when he said behold the man.

Some of the most beautiful promises in Scripture come from the most pain.

A defensive heart says, “But look at what I did right!” (diversion). A repentant heart says, “Here specifically is what I did wrong” (honesty).

A defensive heart says, “But look at what was done to me!” (distraction). A repentant heart says, “Here is how I contributed to the conflict” (ownership).

I will go to him.

A defensive heart says, “It wasn’t that bad” (downplaying). A repentant heart says, “It was a big deal” (admission).

Default Defensiveness

Our default mode—in and out of the church—seems to be defensiveness. I know mine is. Nothing is more natural when we feel threatened by a criticism than to divert, distract, and downplay. It’s as instinctive as flinching when a punch is coming.

In my experience, a heart of repentance is something I have to work at. I have to say things like: 

I know my redeemer lives

Wait a minute. Think this through. Why does this criticism hurt you the way it does? Remember your identity is in Christ, so your identity isn’t at stake. Relax! Is there something you can learn here?

It’s a counterintuitive feeling, like learning to use a muscle we didn’t know we had for the first time—or, better yet, finally learning to relax a muscle we’ve always kept tight. It’s a kind of paradox: an effort at relaxing, a striving to cease striving, a struggle to give up.

Fearless Freedom 

Lightstock

The gospel alone can free us for honesty, ownership, and admission, because the gospel alone destroys the sting and judgment associated with criticism. The gospel takes away the fear that drives defensiveness and frees us to openly admit our shortcomings.

The gospel says, “In the place of your deepest failure and shame, you are loved most tenderly.”

The gospel says, “Your deepest fears were already borne by your Savior.”

The gospel says, “Your sins were exposed, and dealt with, at the cross. The battle is already over.”

It makes me think of a man standing on trial before a large audience. A long list of (accurate) charges is read. Everyone is watching. He responds:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The charges against me are 100 percent true and fair. I’m responsible. No one else is to blame. There’s no excuse. And it is a big deal.

A man free to be that non-defensive is the happiest and most indestructible man in the world. He has died to himself; his identity comes from something or someone else. He is fearless.

This is what the gospel does for us. In the court of heaven—which matters infinitely more than any human court—we’ve already been tried and through Christ we’ve already been acquitted.

Thank you, Jesus. Help us to be so secure in your love that we are fearless to repent.