Repentance To Joy

Repentance to Joy

Psalm 51 – Communion

March 1, 2026

NOTE: For this worship, we moved communion to early in our worship, as opposed to being the final part of our worship. As a result, I start by letting them know what we're doing as I move into the message.

As you can see we’re doing things a bit differently this morning. It’s what I believe God is calling us to do as we move towards communion.

Today we are going to come to the table earlier than usual, because the scripture we are using, Psalm 51, invites us to begin at the place of mercy.

As we prepare for communion, which is open to all who proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, I want to read this Psalm to you. I want you to take in what David is saying. This is David’s prayer of repentance. The back story that led to the prayer of repentance is that when he should have been doing what kings do, going off at war, he wasn’t.

Instead he had idle time and it led to having an affair with a woman named Bathsheba. Later she came and told him she was pregnant with his child. Then David had her husband killed so he could take her as his wife. The prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin and Psalm 51 is his prayer - - - -

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;

19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

LEAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE

It’s an extremely heavy Psalm. I want to talk about this psalm and what it means for us and what we can do over the next few minutes before we take communion.

Note the words in verses 3 and 4 - - - -3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Have you ever noticed when we sin, our sin is right before us! We know what we did. It’s weight is upon us. I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Those are tough words when we become so aware of our sin. The motivation and reason is immaterial. We sinned! End of statement.

And while our sin is against another person, our sin is always against God. Even those sins which are done in private. God’s the ultimate One whom we’ve sinned against. David accepts full blame and accountability.

I have sinned against you God. I’ve done what is evil in your sight. So, God you are justified to enact whatever justice you deem necessary. Your judgment is perfect. It’s blameless and I will not argue or cry out at you when you let me have it . . . because Lord, I certainly deserve it. My sin has led to a man’s death, and my baby is ultimately going to die, my life and the life of others will forever be changed.