The Sin Of The King Series

David

& Bathsheba

Audio at

http://jubilee-church.org/sermons/2004/02/series-on-david.htm

Preaching on the subject of sex is one of the hardest things I do. It would be much easier to dodge it. But there’d be no rescuing people from the devastation of misused sexuality and no leading them to the joy of God’s intentions for this gift.

*Bill Hybels

Misconceptions

*“Sex is the only sin God cannot forgive”

*NOT TRUE

Sex is important

*Woody Allen: “There are only three important things- sex…. and somehow I cant remember the other two”

*Sexual sin is often singled out

*2 Pe 2:9-10 the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

*David was good at submitting to authority but indulged his passion- do we fail at both today?

Sexual sin can be forgiven

*1 Cor 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God*Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Misconceptions

*“Sex is the only sin God cannot forgive”

*“David was a really bad man after all”

David was a man after Gods heart but….

*David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (1 Kings 15:5)

*Even a good man can fall into serious sin

*“The Bible must be the Word of God because man would never write anything so disapproving of himself! The Bible does not flatter us, nor does it teach—as virtually every other religion does—that man can perfect himself. In fact, Scripture is pessimistic in the extreme regarding man’s innate ability.”

Misconceptions

*“Sex is the only sin God cannot forgive”

*“David was a really bad man after all”

*“I could NEVER do that…….”

‘I could never do that…..’

*“The seeds of every man’s sins are in my heart.-It’s something of which we must all continually remind ourselves and one another. The person who declares any given sin to be impossible for him or her has just increased the likelihood of committing it.” (Brent D. from Sovereign Grace)

*Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Cor 10:12)

*David was not a young man at this time

Have you committed adultery?

*Mat 5:27-30 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

If David can do it so can I…..

*How do I fight sin?

*Scripture reading, prayer, self-denial, a life of discipleship, being tested by trials, a love of the Law, a tender conscience, being active in the church, having godly counsellors, a lifestyle of worship, avoiding temptation (eg not seeing certain films)

*Whilst all the above do help, they do not offer a guarantee of success against sin.

*Willpower won’t work

Misconceptions

*“Sex is the only sin God cannot forgive”

*“David was a really bad man after all”

*“I could NEVER do that…….”

*“This is irrelevant for me as I am a woman”

What not to take away from this sermon!

*“Sex is the only sin God cannot forgive”

*“David was a really bad man after all”

*“I could NEVER do that…….”

*“This is irrelevant for me as I am a woman”

*“This has nothing to do with the rest of my life”

*Sin is sin, and what we learn today will help us in our struggle against it in all areas of life

Now lets read the passage

*2 Sam 11 & 12

David and Bathsheba

*The slippery slope to sin

*Sin’s cover-up operation

*Sin confronted and forgiven

*The lasting consequences of sin

The Slippery slope to sin

*David had developed an attitude to women that saw them as his possessions

*2 Sam 3:14-16 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim