A Tale Of Two Sinners

If you have your bibles, we're going to begin in 2 Samuel chapter 12, then we're going to flip over to John chapter 8. "Why a sermon about two sinners?" Because today, I want to remind us all of the grace, the mercy, the forgiveness and the love God showed us when we gave our hearts and our lives to the Lord. How many of you have been hurt by someone in the past and you still remind yourself of that hurt? Why? Why would you torture yourself like that? What good will it ever do you to remember how someone hurt you? Let me tell you, it will accomplish absolutely nothing! When you cling to past hurts and remind yourself of the ones who hurt you, you are giving the devil all the opportunity in the world to come down on you like a ton of bricks! You are giving the enemy foothold in your life and room enough for him to whisper in your ear that you're not good enough. People will always be out to get you, to hurt you, and to betray you.

What possible reason could you have to do that to yourselves? Let me tell you another thing, it's not worth it! It will never be worth it! No matter what you believe or what you think, it will never be worth it! I knew a woman a few years ago who went through more trials in her life than anyone I've met, other than Christ. She had been abused as a child by her half-brother and his friends, she had been gang raped as a teenager, and she had been physically abused severely in past relationships. And when I tried to explain to her that she needed to let all that anger, all that hostility, and all that pain go, she said, "I can't let it go! It's what made me who I am today!" You know what I say to that? Horse hockey! 

Your past cannot and should not define who you are. If it does, then it's because you have allowed it! It doesn't matter what anyone did to you in the past! If your past defines you, you, and you alone, are responsible for that! Your enemies didn't do that to you, you did that! Why? Because even though they did all kinds of horrible things to you, even though they hurt you so deeply, even though they are the ones who were in the wrong, you are the only one who has the power to release that memory and let God have it so you can be at peace. And friend, when you do that, when you let God take your heartache and your pain from you, not only will you be at peace from it all, but God will make sure that true justice will prevail in the end! 

The reason I bring all this up is because it's obvious to me that we, as the Church, have allowed this world to poison our minds and our hearts with vengeance, with fury, and with bitterness. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." One translation reads, "Do not be conformed to the WAYS of this world." What are the ways of the world? Hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, idolatry, greed, lust, and anything that God opposes in His Word. Paul said not to be conformed to that, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind! How do we renew our mind? By prayer, reading the Bible, studying the Bible, giving praise and worship to God. By having fellowship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. That's how. Why do you think it's so hard for people in the church to maintain a consistent prayer life? Because our prayers will destroy all the works of the enemy, the devil!

But I want to show you today two accounts straight from the Word of God about 2 people who were guilty of one of the most shameful sins of them all, adultery. Why adultery? Because I have seen so many marriages in the church destroyed by the sin of adultery. I knew one couple where the husband fell into adultery. And when his wife at the time found out, the husband was sure that it was the end of his marriage. The husband came to his senses, repented to God and to his wife for the sin, and strived to save the marriage. And for another year, it seemed like the marriage was saved. Then a woman at the husband's job accused him of sexual harassment. Which he was innocent of all along. However, knowing what he had done in the past, his wife immediately started doubting his loyalty.

A woman in the church who had befriended the wife convinced her that God would indeed tell His people to get a divorce because she believed that God told her too. Let me tell you, God would never tell any of His people to do something His own Word says He hates! But the wife was convinced by this friend that God would do just that. She even received a word of knowledge at a night service she was convinced was for her. That word was, "There's someone here who is in a relationship that they need to get out of." The wife was sure the speaker was talking about her. I can honestly tell you this, that word was not for her at all. Why? Because a marriage is a covenant, not just a relationship. A man and a woman who are boyfriend/girlfriend is a relationship. Even an engaged couple are a relationship. The covenant does not come into play until you say, "I do".