Sermon Tone Analysis

Over the years I have had the pleasure of getting to know singer and songwriter Danny Oertli.

One of the things I have noticed about many of the songs he writes is that they stem from life events he has gone through.

When you understand the events and details of his life you have a new appreciation for the depth of the lyrics in his songs.

The Psalm we are looking at today was a song, it was written for the choir director, the one who would lead the people to worship God… before we look at the words David pens for the people of God as they worship, I want to take us to the back story of this Psalm…

This is a Psalm of Lament: expressing sorrow, mourning, regret, a crying out in grief… to discover what King David is lamenting over we must look at the offense in 2 Samuel 11-12

Sin Offends a Holy God

Consider David’s sin and think how you would respond...

2 Samuel 11:1 David is not where he should be…

Comfort and complacency often breed sinful desires...

David see a beautiful woman bathing on the rooftop

He inquires who she and discovers she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite

Uriah is a close acquaintance… (a friend even) one of David’s mighty men

Brings her to his room and sleeps with her… his friends wife!!!

She gets pregnant

David tries to bring Uriah back from battle so he would lie with his wife

Cover-up!!!

Uriah is a man of character and integrity would not do so

David has Joab his general put Uriah at the front lines and then pull back so he dies… MURDER!!!

What is your opinion so far of David…?

so easy to look at another’s sin and judge is it not. 2 Samuel 11:26-12:1

God sees our sin and He deals with it!

Nathan confronts David… kudos to Nathan, we need people to call sin what it is in this day… it is SIN!

Tells story about rich and poor man… rich man takes poor mans only lamb that he loved to feed a guest passing through.

David is furious!!! look at the response… 2 Samuel 12:5-7

YOU ARE THE MAN! … How do you respond to sin being pointed out in your life, your heart?

Do you know what scripture states about David’s heart?

Acts 13:22

WOW! “a man after my own heart” God says this of David!

WHY??? Look at David’s response… 2 Samuel 12:13 a repentant heart…

A Repentant Heart

When sin has manifested itself in our lives, when our eyes have been opened to our offense before a Holy God… We approach Him:

We often come with a desire for forgiveness, while often lacking a heart of repentance!

David approaches God with BOTH!

We see this beautifully penned out for us in this Psalm 51 as David reflects on his sin...

In verses 1-9 we see David speak of the cleansing that is necessary and that can only come from God

In verses 10-19 we see the restoration that can take place for the one who has a repentant heart, broken, humbled

The format of this Psalm is a Strophe= literally means an act of turning... from cleansing of sin to a new creation!

This is still needed in the lives of people today… consider what Paul spoke of in 1 Thessalonians 1:9

As we repent, turn… we must get the order correct: “to God from idols” sin, lust… We need Him! David knew this

This Psalm was written a time later after the sin and after the confrontation as David reflected, and allowed God to work.

Followers of God have been comforted by this Psalm for centuries as they realize that a Holy and righteous God can and does forgive sin even David’s sin, then they too can be forgiven!

The Bible Knowledge Commentary summarizes this Psalm well…

The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and grace.

As we look at this Psalm 51 please bow or even kneel at your seat, close your eyes and pray along with David as he bears his heart to God...

The Cleansing of Sin!

Verse 1 As David approaches God and ask for His grace, NOTICE it is not on his own merit, BUT rather on God’s lovingkindness, God’s compassion!

Verses 1-2 Blot… Wash… Cleanse… David desires total forgiveness here, not in part but the whole sin! Christ did that whole work at Calvary!

Verse 4 says so much about David’s perspective...

He sinned against God?

What about Bathsheba and Uriah?

God is the One who determines right and wrong… NOT culture, NOT opinion, NOT convenience…

God’s Law is Holy because He is Holy, David did what was wrong in God’s sight!

This is key!

David clearly understands the character of God… just, blameless, holy!

Verse 5-6 David acknowledges he has never been sinless yet desires even in his innermost being to be so…knowing it is only God who can make him this way!

I saw a quote this week that stated; “God looked down and saw the best in me… then He sent His Son to die on a cross for it!”

… There is nothing good in and of ourselves!

Verses 7-9 Once again find David requesting and pleading for God to cleanse of his sin...

Hyssop= sprinkling of blood from the sacrifice.

Blood is the cost of our sin!

His blood covers the blackness of our sin and washes white as snow!

Blot out… erased, seen no more, GONE!!! oh how i love the song lyrics, “my chains are gone I’ve been set free, My God, My Saviour ransomed me!” and He paid with His blood!

Restoration of the Sinner!

As we look at these verses of restoration we see once again it is God who is doing the work!

Verse 10 restoration is a creative work… we are being made into something NEW, we are being made into the image of His Son!

This is a process that requires steadfastness and that steadfastness comes from God too!

It makes no sense for us to turn from our idols and try to turn to God… We need Him to do it!

Verse 11 I am going out on a limb here and guessing that all of you have sinned multiple times… maybe even repeating the same sin over and over...

David did not want to end up like Saul, cast aside, the spirit taken from Him.

You and I are guaranteed, sealed with the Spirit at salvation (Ephesians 1) However…

1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul states this:

Our sin can disqualify us to be used by God

Verse 12-13 David realizes two things in this restorative process…

1) We must remain close to God and have a willing spirit NOT a complacent one that allows us to repeat sin over and over

2) We must be willing for God to use our sin and mistakes to draw others to Himself

Do not allow the sin to repeat but allow God to show through us His restoring power!

Verses 14-17 David is declaring a change moving forward… a newness.

Declaring God is the One who brings salvation

Declaring the praises of God for the work He has done in our life

In verse 16 we see it is not what is done for others to see but the work in our heart God cares about!

God wants a broken and contrite (remorseful) HEART

As opposed to a proud and hard heart

God will work with a heart that is mold-able and humble not despising that man or woman

Verses 18-19 somewhat seem out of place in this Psalm, but I am so glad they are here.

They speak powerfully!

Our sin ALWAYS impacts the greater whole

As God restores the individual the entire people are blessed and built up

Do not deceive yourself into thinking that this is just between you and God

That is like saying colon cancer is no big deal… no one sees the colon, it is only one part of the body… It is crazy talk.

Fuller worship, greater fellowship, and God’s favor rest on the whole body of His people.

The church needs the Uriahs who will stand up for what is right and what God says regardless

The church needs Nathans who will call sin SIN!

The church needs Davids who will have a heart after God’s Heart, not perfect people but rather those who are ready to repent, be cleansed, and experience God’s restoration.