WITNESS - HS (3)

COURAGE IN TWO KINGS

King David - story of Bathsheba

Important moments -

David supposed to be going out with other kings during war.

Boredom in the kingdom leads to....

Bathsheba aka Shebetakingabath

Invites her over/takes advantage/gets her pregnant

Brings loyal warrior and husband home and he refuses to stay the night with wife.

David sends him out into the hardest line of battle during war and his loyal soldier is murdered.

No one knows about it except David and Bathsheba…or do they?

Priest comes forward and calls out the King. What happens?

King Jesus

King desires to invite his people to an incredible banquet and fellowship.

No one pays attention nor pays him any mind because - “he’s a King. Royalty. We’re not. We’re regular people.”

This King is so broken by the blindness of his people he strips off all of his kingly attire and duties and dresses just like the regular people.

Instead of spending the night in the kingdom, he spends the night in the streets with those whom he was trying to convince of the banquet and fellowship.

And instead of demanding they go, he seeks to win their hearts over by living in their domain and serving in their quarters.

Little by little, the people are embarrassed by the humility of their king. But 2 things happen.

#1 Certain people get angry because a King would throw off his kingly duties and serve common folk.

#2 Certain people are broken, humbled, and overcome with loyalty to their king because he would disregard his kingly duties to live amongst the common folk.

Which King had courage? Which King did not?

The secret in King #1 we all are to learn from tonight.

Verse 1 - calls out for mercy.

He is convicted.

Verse 4 - Against you, you only, have I sinned.

He understands the depth of his sin against GOD above the soldier and Bathsheba.

Verse 6 - You delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Here is his confidence in the Word of God and the Ways of God.

Verse 7 - Purge me

Here is the courage - The application of conviction and confidence wrapped up in a ceremony they really performed in Old Testament times.

Verse 8-12 (READ)

Verse 13 - Concluding Confidence

He will teach transgressors the ways of God and sinners will return to God.

The secret isn’t the ceremony though - look again -

Verse 16-17 (READ)

God broke the heart of a King and can break the heart of you and me.

God doesn’t leave us in our brokenness and emptiness.

Our Courage is Christ our King right now and tonight. King #2 is exactly what Jesus did for me and you

God dressed us in robes of righteousness through Christ our Lord who was sinless.

Now because of we are now witnesses of Courage from Christ that is endless.

At the beginning of this passage we see the King cryout for mercy…why is that?

I’ll leave you with (READ)