The Tragedy Of Lost Potential

Introduction:

Bernard Shaw, the winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize for literature, played the “What If” game before he died. A reporter asked him if he could live his life over, and be any person he has know, or any other person in history, who would he be? Mr. Shaw replied, “I would be the man that George Bernard Shaw could have been, but never was.”

· Common to hear, “What could have been”

· Tragic to hear the words “What if”, or “I regret.”

· Not limited to the famous

· Common among people just like us.

· Not limited to the closing moments of life.

· Have you caught yourself saying, “If I had only done things differently?”

· We see the tragedy of this same principle

· God said, “If that wasn’t enough, I would have…” (vs. 8)

· If only you had done things right

· If only you had honored me

· Things would have been different

· Sad principle, “If only.”

· David’s sinful acts displeased God (11:27)

· God knows how to pull your heart-strings

· You may think your sin is hidden.

· Because of sin you are asking to experience the tragedy of lost potential.

I. Sin Causes You to not Experience the Fullness of God’s Blessings

A. I would have given you many more things

1. God is liberal in His gifts

a. When He has given much, He stands ready to give more.

B. We miss the fullness of His blessings because of the nature of sin

1. James 1:14

a. Our covetous hearts display an ungratefulness to God for His blessings

i. I gave you your master’s house…etc. (Vs. 8)

ii. David was discontent with the provision God had given.

II. Sin Causes You to Experience the Loss of Blessing

A. God would take the blessings already given (Vs. 11)

1. He would take David’s wives

a. It is untold the number of blessings that are lost because God’s people desire to show discontent by sin.

i. It just doesn’t just mean a loss of potential blessings, but it can mean a loss of existing blessings.

b. It is not limited to the BIG sins

i. All sin requires that we put ourselves before God

ii. Haggai’s message

c. It can mean a loss of the blessing of joy

i. Psalm 51:12

III. Sin Causes You to Experience Judgment in light of God’s Blessings

A. David was still king

1. He still had the promise of dynamic succession

2. But his family would never know peace (Vs. 10)

3. His family would experience trouble within (Vs. 11)

a. Ammon raped Tamar

b. Absalom murdered Ammon

c. Absalom turned the people against David

d. Absalom attempted to take the throne.

e. Absalom lost his own life

B. You may be experiencing judgment in light of blessing

1. You are saved

a. You cannot loose salvation

b. You can experience judgment

c. Perhaps your family is in turmoil, and you know it’s because of sin.

Conclusion:

David would never experience the fullness of God’s blessings. It was because of sin. He would never know what it could have been, and he would find himself asking, “What if?” and saying, “If only.”

Perhaps that is you tonight. Maybe you are experiencing the loss of blessing, or judgment. This invitation is for you. Who could ever know the fullness of God’s blessing except the one who seeks to keep God before all other things in their life.