Responding to the Mess Ups

Have you ever made a mistake and tried to fix it?

A lot of you know this but before I was a pastor here I worked at a college as an online admissions counselor (which was basically me working at a telemarketer)

And early on as I worked there I was still trying to adjust to my telemarketer voice, to become more professional

but the issue is I ended up focusing less on what I said and I was getting ready to hang up with a student and was not paying attention and said “Alright have a great day, I love you and I will talk to you later” I must have talked to Arika right before.

But then after I hung up and realized what happened I started asking myself, what do I do about this?

I mean do I call back and tell her “sorry I actually do not love you”

Do I just act like it never happened?

Do I ask her not to report me to my supervisor?

But you know as I thought about this more I had the thought how do we respond when we make a mistake?

And even on a deeper level, how do I respond when I have fallen short of what God desires of my life and actions?

You know, How do I respond when when I lie about something?

How do I respond when I say something just hurtful to someone?

How do I respond when I wrong someone?

How do I respond when I am unfaithful in marriage?

How do I respond when I allow any sin to enter my life?

Because when we allow sin to enter our lives we need to ask what now?

And really today we are looking at a guy named David who (as you saw in the video) made some really big mistakes.

And if you were with us last week we saw God bring David from being a Shepherd to to the new king of Israel.

And not just that but God has used David to accomplish some amazing things.

But today the tone changes a little bit because David makes this mistake and we see him end up in a really dark place, because of the way he handles this mistake.

And so my hope today is that we can look at the mistakes (and really the sin in our life) and see how we can respond to it in a God honoring way, where despite our mistakes we can still be people after God’s own heart.

So we are going to be starting in 2nd Samuel 1-5 and this is the mistake David makes.

It says this:

2 Samuel 11:1–4 (NIV)

David and Bathsheba

11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.

So I want us to understand what is happening here.

Because David is at the palace at a time where most of the men were out at war.

And so most of the men are gone, and not just that but because he was supposed to be at war he most likely did not have many duties he had to do.

And I want to notice what is happening because David has not done anything wrong yet, but you will notice he is placing himself in a position for sin to creep in.

Its almost like how most parents have a curfew for their kids

Its because you as a parent realize nothing good happens after 2:00AM right

Or 9:00PM depending on the age I guess…

But you know in a sense David is past his curfew, because he is not where He should be, he is most likely board and he is in a kingdom of mostly woman.

But look what happens, because we see David on the roof of the palace one evening and he looks out to see a woman bathing (which woman bathing like this was normal at this time)

But we see David instead of walking away he begins to entertain his thoughts

and he actually ask someone to find out who this woman is

And David finds out her name is Bathsheba and she is married to a man named Uriah who is out at war.

But regardless David has her come to the palace (which she would of had no say) and its tells us that David sleeps with her.

And from what we can tell David thinks thats the end

But heres the thing because things come crashing down for David very quickly because look at verse 5

2 Samuel 11:5 NIV

5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

The woman's husband is gone at war and Bathsheba is pregnant.

And so you can imagine things just crashing down for David who is the leader of God’s people getting caught sleeping with a married man’s wife.

But you know really thats what sin does in our life. Because when we allow sin to enter our lives, we are opening the door for brokenness to enter our lives.

It’s kinda like how some of you have probably seen this on facebook but I love wakeboarding

Its basically a snowboard but on water

And I am actually decent at it

But while I love it, its also a little dangourous, because if you fall wrong you can get hurt.

I have had the board hit my head before

There was one time I landed on my head and my entire ear drum ruptured from hitting the water

But I jumped hundreds of time and it only took one time for it to really cause some issues.

And you know sin tears apart our relationship with God and others, but a lot of times we look certain sins in our life and like David we say no one will know.

But can I just say it only takes one time for sin to cause destruction in our lives.

It only takes one time for you to say somthing to far to your child for that relationship to be strained

It only takes one time where you are out drinking heavily and do something you regret

Sin can cause so much destructiveness and hurt in our lives.

And can I just say as someone who is a pastor and often times find myself walking along side people as they experience this hurt and destructiveness.

Please do not allow any room for sin in your life. Do not allow it to creep in and destroy your family

Do not allow it to mess up your life

Please be on guard and do not take the jump.

The price is not worth it.

But here is the thing because a lot of us right now there might be an area in our life where we are allowing sin to enter.

And the question comes: well what should I do?

What do I do knowing I did this or am wrestling with this…

And lets get back to the story because we see David receive this news and look what happens

2 Samuel 11:6–15 NIV

6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house. 10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?” 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” 12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home. 14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”

You know this part of the passage is where is gets really dark, because David try's to cover up his mistake by having Uriah the husband come home to sleep with Bathsheeba to make him look like the father, but he refuses too.

And as a result we see David in that last verse placing Uriah in the most fierce part of the battle and having all the troops withdrawal to kill Uriah

David ends up murdering Uriah to cover his mistake.

You know while I imagine most of us have not went this far to cover a sin, I think this passage really tells us a truth about ourselves.

That we like to cover our sins.

And there is a huge issue when we cover up our sins instead of addressing them.

Its almost like if you have ever fallen and cut up your knee or some other area really badly.

And you get up and you look at the wound and there are rocks in it and dirt and its nasty right.

The easiest thing to do is get a band aid and cover that thing up.

And it seems okay right? Because you can’t see anything wrong and you feel okay at the moment.

But heres the issue, because most likely that wound will get infected and if it goes untreated it could potentially kill you.

And I just need to say this, but we treat sin this exact way.

Where we fall and instead of getting treated we cover it up because that seems easier in the moment then fixing the issue at our heart and rectifying the wrong that was done.

Can I just tell you when sin enters your life do not just place a bandaid on it and move on, because eventually we will see the infection spread

And we will be in more pain than if we just treated it immeadiatly.

And there is so much to this story, but I want us to see what happens because there was a prophet at the time named Nathan and he confronts David over what he has done.

And in 2 Samuel 12:13 look what Davids response is. It says:

2 Samuel 12:13 NIV

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

So David confesses his sin and he still has consequences that he has to face, but what he ends up doing is He comes to God and he prays a prayer that is actually found in psalm 51

And I am going to read this in a second, but can everyone just close your eyes for a second.

I am not asking anyone to raise your hand or stand this morning, but I just have to imagine there are some of us here who there is something in our life that we are just keeping hidden.

And it is hurting our relationship with God and other

And this morning we are looking at our lives and there is an infection that is just growing.

For some of us it is already caused some pain, others it might still be hidden.

But as we close there are two things I want us to do; first off I want us to come to God with this thing

But secondly I want you to think of someone you can talk to about it who can help you figure out what next steps you can take,

And I know what I am asking is hard, (no one likes spraying Neosporin on a cut),

But that is the best way to heal, and this morning we want to start the healing process by giving the wound to God.

And as are eyes are closed I would just invite you to pray the prayer David prayed as he came to come with his infected wound.

Can we make this prayer (psalm 51) our prayer as we close:

Psalm 51:1–19 NIV

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. 18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

And so God we continue in prayer in our own lives recognizing the areas we have fallen short. We are tired of hiding these areas and are ready to give them to you. Will you clean us this morning. And not only that but will you allow us to find a person to push us closer you whether it is with this issue or even a future one. God we are so thankful for your grace