When you have blown it BIG

When You’ve Blown it Big Time Psalm 51

Introduction:

Sometimes …

• . . . smart people do dumb things
• . . . wise people do foolish things
• . . . godly people do sinful things

• A Story to Ponder:

Over and over again the Bible is packed with stories of people that blew it! We learn that God understands that we are but dust and is willing to forgive – He wants to reclaim us! Consider this one from 2 Samuel 11:1-27: King David was in a place that he shouldn't be, not doing what he should have been doing when he saw one of his soldier's wife taking a bath. He allowed lustful desires overtake him and he forced Bathsheba with the results of her becoming pregnant. If this was not bad enough the king tried to deceive and cover up his sin. When that didn't work he arranged for Bathsheba’s husband to die in battle; he committed murder! But God knew what had transpired and He sent his man, Nathan, to confront King David. 2 Sam 12:1 – 14 “1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”

• A Question to Answer

This story may be many of us in the room; oh it may not be an actual adulterous life and murder but you may have something in your past, or present, that you are hiding or covering up just like David did. You may have a very dark past or maybe just a cloudy one and you are wondering who knows or who might find out? Or you may be saying that oh that’s not me! I’ve never done anything that bad! Check out the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus said that if you look on a woman and lust after her you are guilty of adultery, that if you are angry in your heart you are guilty of murder, that if you have said malicious or slanderous things about another you have committed a sin of Gossip (ranked right up there with adultery and murder). You see with God it is not so much the outward but the inward; it’s the condition of your heart that is at issue! You have to have a breakthrough on this; you must realize that we are all sinners and that we are guilty of these sins!

But, how do you ever recover when you know that you have done something terribly wrong? How do you get back on your feet? How do you overcome your guilt? How do you ever get right with God again? How do you rebuild that fellowship with God? How do you get restored? How does this work?

What you have to realize is that What all humans have in common is failure.


But with God . . . . . . FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL!

God gives us an answer to these questions in Psalms 51. After Nathan had spoken the judgment on David from God, David penned the Psalm. This Psalm is David’s prayer. David in a weak moment made a disastrous mistake that not only affected David but the whole nation! Folks, your sin affect more than just you; it affects those around you, those that you have responsibility for; sin comes with judgment! David did what most of us do, he tried to hide the sin, tried to cover it up, and he tried to shift the blame to someone else. But God got hold of his heart through a prophet. And now in this Psalm we find seven steps to spiritual recovery.

A Song of Confession:

Psalm 51

1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.


7 Steps to Spiritual Recovery:

1. __Come_____ clean with God! 2 Samuel 12:13 (“And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”)
Get honest, get it out in the open, stop the secrecy, stop rationalizing, stop minimizing, stop saying that it’s ok because everyone else is doing it, stop comparing yoursel to someone that is worse than you! Do what David did! He said “I have sinned against the LORD:. This is very difficult for most people but without this step the other six steps are meaningless!

2. __Ask_______ God for forgiveness. Psalm 51:1-2 (“1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”)
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Attempt no deals with God here; simply trust in God’s goodness and mercy: Ask Him to forgive. Note the four action verbs here: Have mercy, Blot out my Transgressions, Wash me, Cleanse me.

3. __Own_______ Responsibility for your sin. Psalm 51:3-5 (“3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”)

Just own up to it! You transgressions, your sin; just take responsibility for your actions!

4. __Accept____ God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Psalm 51:6-9 (“6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”)

David was a man of faith. He knew that he was a sinner from birth. David here accepts God’s forgiveness and moves forward! David is affirming what God has done in him already! Note that the words (Bolded above) are future tense: these are actions that are ongoing! As soon as you accept His forgiveness that the work of restoration begins! God loves you unconditionally but you have to accept the forgiveness to take away the guilt!

5. __Accept____ a “fresh” work of grace! Psalm 51:10-12 (“10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”)

Note these future tense words: Create (a miracle in itself). Pray to be filled again! The Bible is full of example to people who have prayed for restoration that went on to serve the Lord in great ways! The baggage and judgment may still be there but you can be useful to God!

6. ___Resolve___ to use past failures for ministry. Psalm 51:13-17 (“13Then will I teach Transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”)

Note RU. God wants to use what were to help those who are in the place that you had been. God forgives for a purpose: to help others! By your confession and His forgiveness He gets all the glory.

You want more than forgiveness; you want to get back on the team to serve the Lord! You are never a second class Christian you are a forgiven one!

7. __Pray_______ for “limited fall-out” from your folly. Psalms 18-19 (“18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar”)

Sin has consequences. Pray that the burden of your sin will be minimized on others!