Sermon Tone Analysis

Confidence

Is confidence a good thing or a bad thing?

Well, I suspect we’d all answer - it depends.

At times, confidence can be a good thing, particularly when it is well placed, and within the limits of your ability or knowledge.

Of course, confidence can be a bad thing.

The classic case is the ‘P’ plater who thinks they’ve completely mastered the art of driving and so has the confidence to overtake three cars at once around a bend on Lemon Tree Passage Rd, and can even do it while sending a text message on the phone.

Well, hopefully they’re not doing the last part, but unfortunately people have been caught doing some pretty amazingly stupid things.

And just for the record because I hate picking on young people, not all ‘P’ platers are like that.

One of the problems with confidence is that it can create blind spots.

When our confidence exceeds our ability or our knowledge, we fail to see our natural limitations.

And guess what - you are human, so you are limited.

Now that is a truth that can apply to most parts of our lives, but this morning I want to think about it with regards to our purity as Christians.

Now of course as Christians we know the truth that we are all sinners.

It wasn’t that long ago that I went through the first eight chapters of Romans and this certainly came out in that.

We know that our thoughts aren’t pure.

We know we are selfish people and things like greed, lust, anger, pride, and the like will constantly appear - more than we like to acknowledge.

That is all very true, but in acknowledging this, I wonder if we are almost blinding ourselves from a more destructive trap.

What do I mean by that?

Well, in focussing in on what we might think of as lower sins, we start to gain confidence in our own ability to avoid the more destructive sins.

Now it’s probably worth noting at this point, we often talk about all sins being equal.

Well that might be true in the sense that all sins lead us falling short of the glory of God, but we should acknowledge that some sins are more destructive than others.

You see, we gain this confidence that says: sure, I might be a sinner, but I can avoid those really destructive sins.

But I want to suggest today: be aware of your blind spot!

I personally know of multiple pastors who have had an affair that proved very destructive to their marriage and ministry.

The reality is, these are not isolated incidents.

There are countless pastors throughout the country and throughout the world who are in good, bible-believing churches who have succumbed to sexual sin.

There are even quite a few high-profile cases.

In fact, the roll call of high profile pastors who have had big falls from grace is becoming embarassingly long.

I could tell you the story of Ravi Zacharias, and you would probably shake your head and think - how could there be such a two-faced monster out there.

But I think its like the ‘P’ plater who does that crazy overtaking manoeuvre, but the majority of the time, he actually survives and doesn’t get caught.

It’s a small risk, he thinks.

His over confidence blinds him to how close to catastrophe he is flying.

Likewise we pay little attention to our less-destructive sins, not realising how close we are to falling down a huge rabbit-hole of full blown destruction.

The pastors I’ve known - they didn’t go seeking an affair.

They were feeling isolated.

They just did a bit of flirting.

What’s wrong with flirting?

Well, today’s story is quite well known - we see David’s spectacular fall from grace - but as I explore this story, I want to highlight how simply it happened.

David the ideal king

Before we get to his fall, let’s just look at this man that we’ve been exploring over the last month or so.

Now, had I finished the series last week, it would have been almost like David was Christ himself.

If we wanted to get picky, there might have been a few tiny examples where you might have been able to argue that David did something less than ideal - but for all intents and purposes, David has been the ideal character.

His the name that can see differently while everybody else is locked into a worldly way of thinking.

He treats his enemies differently.

He saw King Saul, the man intent on killing him, not as his enemy, but as the Lord’s annointed.

Last week I considered the time that he brings out Mephibosheth, the only person who could have has a legitimate claim to the throne, and far from putting an end to him, he restores land to him and gives him a seat at the king’s table.

King David is the opposite of everything that is wrong with the world.

But knowing this, makes today’s story all the more shocking.

If anyone has the right to feel confident in their own purity, surely it is David.

Well, in 2 Samuel 10, it is still this same classic David that is in picture.

In chapter 9 it was the unlikely Mephibosheth he showed kindness to.

This time, he is showing kindness to the foreign kingdom of the Ammonites.

Unfortunately, the Ammonites reject this kindness, and… well let’s just say it doesn’t end well for the Ammonites.

But it is with this backdrop that we come to chapter 11.

David’s fall

Here we find David in the capital Jerusalem, while is army is off doing their thing against the Ammonites.

David is relaxing - and after all, why not?

Everyone deserves a break.

And certainly there is nothing wrong with having a break.

Unfortunately, however, it is while we are on breaks that we can sometimes easily let our guard down.

An innocent mistake

On this occasion, David walks on the roof of his palace which would naturally have given him a great view due to it’s height.

But with such a height, turns out his view contains more than it really should.

As he gazes over this great city, he gaze catches a glimpse of something.

Did he just see some naked skin.

Naturally, he takes a second glance.

He sure did.

Turn out is a woman washing herself.

Actually, turns out it is a beautiful woman washing herself.

At this stage, we could probably assess that all is innocent.

David wasn’t seeking this.

It was just an accidental view.

The Red flags

Well, David sends someone to find out about her.

Now what’s going through David’s mind at this point?

I wonder whether his over confidence in his own purity is actually allowing himself to think he has a pure motive.

Maybe he’s thinking he’ll explain the simple error and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Unfortunately, David has become unaware of a blind spot in his ability to be pure.

David finds out her name is Bathsheba, she’s the daughter of Eliam, and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

Right there, if David hadn’t been blinded, he should have heard three red flags saying - moral danger ahead.

Firstly, her name should have alerted David.

The name Bathsheba literally translates as “daughter of an oath”.

Red flag number one.

She also the daughter of Eliam.

Who is Eliam?

Well, quite likely it’s the same Eliam we later learn is one of David’s mighty warriors, who also happens to be the son of Ahithophel, one of David’s trusted advisors.

This girl has connections.

Red flag number 2.

She’s also the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

She is someones wife.

End of story.

She is not someone you can entertain any possible sexual thoughts about.

This is regardless of who her husband is, but as it turns out, Uriah is also one of David’s mighty warriors who is very loyal - we’ll hear more about him soon.

Adultery

David misses these red flags.

This great and upright leader becomes blind to what should be so obvious.

David has her brought over, and and just like that, he commits adultery.

The description is so simple.

Very little details.

Just a simple fact.