RESTORING THE JOY
Part 6: Stopping Sin in it’s Tracks
I thank the Lord that I had the pleasure of growing up in a godly family, with great parents. Thanks to that, I have many joyous memories of my childhood. Growing up in the country, over the years we had just about any kind of animal you can imagine, at one time or another. We had ducks, rabbits, peacocks, turkeys, and I don’t how many dogs we had over the years. We raised pigs, cows and horses. We had goats, gennies, and geese. We even had a sheep and a donkey.
Some of the animals I remember from the earliest days, however, were chickens. We had chickens for many years, and we had many different kinds. I remember, at different times, it was my brother & my responsibility to feed those things and to collect the eggs.
Let me ask those of you who grew up on farms, “did you ever have a bad rooster?” Over the years, we had a number of bad roosters. When those boys start growing up a little bit, and start growing spurs, all of a sudden they begin to think they are the baddest things around and they will jump on about anything that enters the chicken house.
I remember one time when I was 4 or 5 and Dusty a little younger, we went out to the chicken house to collect the eggs. The next thing we knew, a rooster decided he didn’t want us there and took off after us, feathers and spurs flying. Dusty and I ran out of that chicken house and took off running across the pasture with a rooster in hot pursuit.
Let me tell you my friend, there is something that will run the joy out of your life quicker than we ran out of that chicken house. That peace-chasing, joy-destroyer will run the joy out of your life faster than a Christmas bonus leaves a checking account.
What is that javelin of joy, that piercer of peace, that saboteur of sleep? My friend, it is sin, and it will rob you of all your rainbows.
King David, the man who wrote the majority of the Psalms; the one who played on his harp and sang to the Lord from his childhood, once went through a time like that: but he found help. Turn with me this morning to Psalm 51, as we see together, David’s situation.
- Psalm 51:1-19
I. SIGNS OF A DEFEATED LIFE
We are familiar with King David. We are familiar with his exploits and the victories he saw throughout his life. But in this psalm, we find David in a different situation. Look there at verse 8, at the first sign of a defeated life.
- v8
1. Joy and Gladness gone - The first sign of a defeated life, is that your joy and gladness is gone. Oh my friend, do you remember the time of David’s younger years? The Bible tells us that David, as a young shepherd boy, used to play his harp and sing as he watched over his sheep. He played with such beauty, with such power and joy, that when King Saul was tormented by demons, he would have the shepherd boy David, play his harp to drive the demons away. David had so much joy it was contagious.
In this psalm we find a different situation, however. Here, David says, “let me hear joy and gladness. Oh Lord, the joy and gladness I once knew is gone. The excitement that used to bubble over, is gone.”
Let me ask you my friend, does that describe you? Is your joy and gladness gone. Are you trying desperately to find that joy again?
In this passage we see a second symptom of a defeated life. Look there again in verse 8.
2. Pain and Weariness present -
- v8 David complains the Lord has crushed his bones. He said, “God, my whole body aches. I am weary. I am tired. I don’t believe I can face another day.
Do you feel like that? Is the joy and excitement gone from your life? Do you begin the week, the day, looking forward to seeing what God is going to do, or do you reluctantly drag yourself into each day because you feel trapped and feel that you have no option?
David knows what you’re going through. He says, “Lord, I hurt and I am weary.”
Look there at verse 11 at the 3rd sign of a defeated life.
3. Loneliness Lurking - vv 11-12
In verse 11 David says, “Lord, don’t banish me from your presence.” Now think about it. This was David here. He is the one who wrote 23rd Psalm. He is the one who felt so close to God, even when he was alone, watching sheep on a hillside, that he could write, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” He said, “I know my Lord is real, and He is right here with me. I won’t fear anything.”
Now David cries, “I can’t feel Your presence anymore. I don’t feel close anymore. Lord, you feel so distant.” Even surrounded by people and surrounded by his servants and many wives, he feels alone. David cries, “Lord, don’t kick me out of your presence. Don’t take Your Spirit away from me.”
Some of you feel like that this morning. At one point in your life you felt so close to the Lord, you could almost reach out and touch Him. Now, He seems so far away. Do you remember when it seemed that you had direct access to God, when in your prayers it seemed you were standing in His presence and that He heard your every word? Does it now feel like your prayers are rising no higher than the ceiling? Some of you can’t even remember the last time you heard Him speak to you, or that you sensed His presence.
What causes this loss of joy? What is it that saps the strength from life? What is the wedge that separates God from man? The answer to that question for David and for you and me is found in the introduction to this song and in the first 2 verses. Look there at the introduction.
II. CAUSE OF A JOYLESS LIFE
- Introduction
David wrote this psalm after he had committed adultery and then had the woman’s husband killed to cover his tracks. In other words, David said all of this happened to him, and it often happens to us because of sin in our lives. Now, David describes this sin in 2 ways. Look there at verse 1.
- v1
1. Rebellion - In verse 1 David said this happened to him because of his rebellion. Rebellion is a sin of commission. It is something you do. It means you take the Lord off the throne of your life and seat yourself there instead. Whenever your desires become more important to you than God. Whenever you have to get in the last word, instead of turning the other cheek. When making a living becomes more important than building a godly life. Whenever you let someone or something become more important to you than God, you are guilty of rebellion and it will steal your joy.
This morning, some of you are missing the joy from your life because you have rebelled against God and are refusing to forgive someone, even though He has told you to. You are rebelling. This morning, some of you are missing the joy from your life because you continue to gossip and backbite and belittle and put down your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Men, some of you are missing the joy from your lives because you have refused to love your wives like Christ loves the church. You have allowed your work to become your mistress. Some of you are missing the joy from your lives because instead of battling and resisting that internet pornography, instead of getting help with that addiction, you have allowed it to stay and now make excuses for it. Some of you men are missing the joy from your lives because you are acting like spiritual wimps. God said, “You be the spiritual leader of your home. You be the man. You set a godly tone for your home. You love your wife by loving Me. You love your children, spend time with them, and teach them to love Me.” Instead, some of you have given up. You say, “That’s too hard. It takes too much work. I‘ll miss being with my friends and enjoying my hobbies, so when it comes to spiritual things you let your wife wear the pants in the family or let your family go with no spiritual leadership at all. Sir, let me tell you; that sin, that rebellion will sap the joy right out of your life.
The Bible says you ladies are supposed to encourage your husbands. You are to honor and respect them. I know it’s tough. I know it’s hard to find something good to honor or respect in some of them. Gladys has a tough time finding the good in me. But let me tell you, if you nag, fault-find, attack and belittle your husband you will never have joy in your marriage or your life. I know many of you are carrying more than your share of the load in your marriage. Then pray for your husband. Encourage him. Praise the good you see in him.
Some of you are stealing from God by driving cars paid for with His money and living in houses paid for by Him. Some of you have rebelled against your King, withheld His tithe, and are wearing new clothes, watching big screen TVs, taking vacations and playing video games purchased with His money. God says, “Stop your rebellion.”
My friend, rebellion will rob you of your joy. But David doesn’t stop by talking about his rebellion. He also talks of his sin.
2. Sin - Verse 2
In verse 2, David uses a second word to describe his disobedience. He talks about his sin. Now the word translated here as “sin” means to “miss the mark”. It means to come up short. It is a sin of omission. Anytime you do not live up to God’s expectations, anytime you don’t do what you know to do, you are guilty of sin.
Can you imagine what a different world this would be if you loved your neighbor as yourself? Can you imagine what life would be like if you “do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” Can you imagine what the world would be like if, when we got together, we encouraged one another? Can you imagine what the world would be like if we began thanking God for the things He has blessed us with instead of complaining of the things we don’t have? Why we’d turn the world upside down.
David says, “I missed the mark. I didn’t do what I knew to do. I neglected to spend time with the God I claim I love. I didn’t take time to watch a sunrise so I could marvel in God’s creation. I was so wrapped up in my TV, my sports, my job and my hobbies, that I didn’t have time to be a Good Samaritan.
My friend, sin will rob you of your joy. But, I have great news. There is a way to escape.
You remember that rooster that chased my brother and I across the field? Well, the whole time we were running we were yelling, “Daddy! Daddy!” When our Daddy heard our cries, he came outside with his pistol and took care of the situation. We had chicken and dumplings for supper.” My friend, the sin that runs the joy out of your life, that seems so strong and scary, can be defeated as well. Look there at how David said he beat it in his life.
III. RESTORING THE JOY
1. Confess the sin - vv 1-4
In these 4 verses David admits his sin again and again. He confesses it. David says, “God. This sin is my fault.” He doesn’t try to make excuses. He doesn’t try to cover it up. David didn’t blame Bathsheba or his family. He didn’t blame his other wives. He didn’t claim he was powerless to escape. He says, “God. I have sinned. Please forgive me and make it like it was.”
My friend, if you want victory and joy in your life, then confess your sins. Quit making excuses for your filthy language and jokes. Quit making excuses for your out of control spending that’s putting you back into bondage. Quit making excuses for your anger, jealousy, lust, bitterness and unforgiveness. Quit making excuses for watching TV so late at night that you’re too tired to spend time with God the next morning.
The Bible says, “There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with temptation also provide a way to escape that you may be able to endure it.”
My friend, Stop the excuses and start the confession.
So first, confess your sin and ask for forgiveness.
2. Change your actions - v10
In verse 10, David says, “Lord, give me a new heart.” My friend, if you are going to destroy the sin and have joy in your life again, then there must be a change in your heart and in your actions. You must say, “I won’t do that anymore.” Find help. Find an accountability partner that will ask you the tough questions, who knows where you struggle and who can be there to help when you’re tempted. Give your spouse the credit cards. Have a friend put parental controls on your computer. Give someone permission to drop by unannounced.
Whatever it takes. Change your actions.
This past week marked the 50th anniversary of the day Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus to a white man. In a 1996 interview she said “she was tired of it all.” My friend, 1 person, a seamstress from Alabama, decided it was time for a change and through her action and refusal to compromise changed the course of this country forever.
Will you say this morning, “I am tired of living a joyless life? I am tired of sin robbing me of what God has for me? Today, there will be a change.”?
