Confession of Sin — Chuck Smith

Psalm 32: The Blessing of Forgiven Sin

Let's turn now to the 32nd Psalm. I'll read the first and the odd-numbered verses. Pastor Brian will lead the congregation in the even-numbered verses. And let's stand as we read David's prayer. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found. Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my hiding place. Thou shalt preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eyes.

Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which has no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto you.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but they that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart. Let's pray. Father, with David we just rejoice in the knowledge that our sins have been forgiven. Our transgressions have been pardoned.

Lord, we realize what a heavy weight guilt can be upon our minds. What a wonderful day when we stop trying to cover or hide our sins, and we confess and we receive the forgiveness and the pardon. Lord, we pray that you will speak to our hearts this morning.

As we have gathered here before you, may our hearts be open to hear your voice and to respond to the tugging of the Holy Spirit. Help us, Lord, not to be stubborn like a mule, where it will take painful processes to bring us into your path.

Lord, may we be open unto you and to the leading of your Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. You may be seated. Again, Thanksgiving Day, there will be a Thanksgiving dinner here at the church from 1 to 4.

And we would encourage and invite you to come if you do not have a family to gather with, an extended family, maybe it's just your family, and you don't have an extended family. Then we invite you to come and enjoy the Thanksgiving dinner here at the church.

We need to know approximately how many are going to come, so that we can prepare the number of turkeys and all that we'll need. And so you'll need to sign up in the office with the number that will be coming, and then if possible, we would ask that you bring something with you, a salad, a vegetable, a dessert, and we will furnish the turkeys.

But it's always a great time, several hundred, eat their Thanksgiving dinner here at the church. And if, as I say, you don't have an extended family to gather with, maybe you'd just like to come and be with the family of God on Thanksgiving Day.

Wednesday night we will be having our Thanksgiving Eve service. A time of just giving thanks to the Lord, and being reminded of all that God has done for us, and the many things for which we have to be thankful.

So that's Wednesday evening, the Thanksgiving Eve service. So, special week of Thanksgiving. And if you don't have money to purchase your turkey or roast or whatever, and you would like to have your Thanksgiving at home, but you're just lacking in funds, if you will see Brian or myself after the service, we'll be happy to provide you with money to get your Thanksgiving turkey.

And so, just see us after the service and we'll be happy to see that you're taken care of for your turkey or roast or whatever for this Thanksgiving. Our reading this week is chapters 10 through 12 of 2 Samuel.

David’s Sin and Nathan’s Rebuke

We'll be studying these chapters tonight. But this morning we'd like to draw your attention to the 12th chapter of 2 Samuel, verse 13. And here we find David saying unto Nathan the prophet, I have sinned against the Lord, and Nathan said unto David, The Lord also has put away your sin, that you shall not die.

It all began with the lust of the flesh. This is the origin of so much sin today. The lust of the flesh. David saw a very beautiful neighbor woman bathing on a rooftop. He inquired as to her identity and sent his servants to invite her to come to his palace.

Though she was a married woman, David seduced her and they committed adultery. And as far as David was concerned, it was just one of those one night affairs. He gave himself over to the lust of the flesh.

Her husband was gone. No one needs to know. End of story. Not so. After a time, David received a note from her. In which David was informed that she was pregnant. This throws a real curve to David. The consequences of his sin were not yet over.

He'll have to deal now with this issue of her pregnancy. The Bible tells us that if you seek to cover your sins, you will not prosper. But that's exactly what David now is going to try to do. He's going to try to cover his sin.

We see David as he begins to scheme. Because he is commander-in-chief of the army, he sends a message to his commanding officer on the field to send the husband of Bathsheba home with a report on the progress of the battle.

And so, Uriah was sent back and brought in to David under the guise that David was interested in how the battle was going against the city of Amman. And so, as Uriah actually reported to David the conditions and so forth of the battle.

They had set siege against the city. And it seemed like the siege was working. It would soon be time to assault the city. David then said to him, Well, I'll tell you what. You go home and spend the night with your wife.

And I'll see you again in the morning. So, Uriah, rather than going home, and of course it was David's scheme and thought, that he'll go home, he'll spend the night with his wife, and later when he receives word that she is pregnant, he'll just automatically figure it was when he was home on leave visiting David.

But Uriah didn't really cooperate with David's plan. He spent the night sleeping on David's porch. In the morning the servants said to David, You know that fellow, he slept all night on the porch with us.

And David called him in and he said, What's wrong with you, man? You've got a beautiful wife. How come you didn't go home and spend the night? He said, David, my buddies are out there in the fields. They're sleeping.

They're in the trenches, in the open. I just didn't feel it would be right for me to enjoy the comforts of my own bed and my own home when my buddies are living under such severe conditions. David is sort of chagrined.

But he again talks to him about the situation that's going on in their battle. But he instructs his servants to keep the wine glass of Uriah's filled. And so they were always coming and pouring more wine in until by the end of the day he was pretty drunk and David figured he would now be so drunk he wouldn't know what was going on.

He had stagger home and spend the night and in the morning, you know, it would all be taken care of. David would have covered his sin because the fellow was too drunk to really know what was going on.

But again, he only went as far as David's porch and spent the night. Complications. It is interesting how sin can become so complicated. What starts out in just a simple fling can become so complicated.

And so complications have sent in. The pregnancy of Bathsheba. The unwillingness of her husband to go home and spend the night. So David continuing to scheme he gets deeper involved. It becomes a compounding issue as sin so often compounds itself.

And one sin leads to another. And David sent sealed orders with him back to the commanding officer. The orders were to send Uriah's into one of the most hottest spots of battle. And while they are there, have the other troops withdraw so that Uriah's will be killed in battle.

And so the general Joab sent Uriah's into the heat of the battle right up next to the wall. And he was hit with an arrow that was shot from the wall. And when Joab sent the message back to David concerning the battle, how they had assaulted the wall and how Uriah's was killed.

Joab said, if David gets angry because we assaulted the wall just tell him Uriah's was killed in the battle. After Bathsheba had spent the month in mourning for her husband David called her and took her as one of his wives.

Now as far as the people were concerned they did not know of David's affair. He thinks now that he has pretty well covered his tracks. That nobody knows except Bathsheba and he. But God knew. And this sin was beginning to have a very deep and profound effect upon David.

In the eyes of the people David was just a very magnanimous person. Oh the king. So kind. He takes the pregnant wife of a fallen soldier and he marries her. Brings her under his covering. Isn't he marvelous?

And as the people would come and commend David and say oh you are so wonderful David taking the pregnant wife of one of your men. My what a marvelous thing to do. Don't you know that just ate at David?

Can you imagine what was going through his mind when people were telling him how wonderful he was for this magnanimous act in reality knowing what he had done. In the psalm that we read this morning that was written about this particular incident of the prophet coming to David and and exposing David's sin.

David describes what was going on inside while he was endeavoring to cover his sin. David said my bones waxed old. That is I was aging within very fast. I was like a man who was being stricken with age.

I was bent over. He said there was this roaring. There would be times when David would be alone and he would think about what he had done and he would just cry out. Just that groaning. Oh how could I?

The guilt was heavy upon him. He said day and night God's heavy hand was upon me. At night he would wake up groaning as he would think of this dastardly thing that he had done. And sending this man deliberately to his death in order that he might take his wife and cover his guilt for the affair that he had had with her.

He said my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. He had become completely spiritually dried up inside. That sense of God's presence was gone from his life. Psalm 51 that also came out of this experience.

He said take not thy Holy Spirit from me. He had lost that consciousness of God's presence of God's nearness. And he had lost his joy. He said restore to me the joy of thy salvation. It would appear that David was successful in hiding his sin from the people.

It was a horrible ruse. But it was successful. And he was now being complimented and commended by the people for taking Bathsheba when in reality it was just a horrible cover up of his sin. David's friend Nathan who was a prophet came to visit David.

Confession Brings God’s Forgiveness

And he told a story to David. He said David there is a man in your kingdom. Very very rich. He has many herds and many flocks. More than he could ever wish or desire. Next to him there lived a very poor man.

This poor man had only one little ewe sheep. It was just like a child almost to him. He had raised it. And it was there in his house like a pet. It drank out of his cup. It slept in the house. It was just a household pet.

The very wealthy man the very wealthy man had people that had come. And he had opened up his house for hospitality to them. And he ordered his servants to go next door and forcibly take that one little ewe sheep and kill it in order that he might prepare a feast for these strangers.

David became angry. He said that's terrible. That man shall surely be put to death. And Nathan said David you are the man. And David suddenly realized his sin was not hid from God. God knew all about it.

And this is when David confessed and said I have sinned. And the prophet said and God has forgiven your sin. You will not die. God is more gracious than you are. You've been forgiven but you will not die.

The confession of sin. Now this is what the psalm was all about. The word blessed in Hebrew is literally Oh how happy. So if you read that 32nd psalm David is saying Oh how happy is the man whose transgression is forgiven.

Whose sin is covered. Oh how happy is the man to whom God does not impute iniquity. And when I sought to hide my sin he tells of the drought of summer of the bones drying up the roaring and so forth. But he said then I said I will confess my sin and you forgave me.

The beautiful experience of God's forgiveness when we confess our sin to him. But this is God's message to David. It wasn't just that simple. Nathan said David God has declared that he anointed you as the king over Israel.

He delivered you from the hand of Saul who was seeking to kill you. He gave you your master's house and his wives. He gave you rule over the house of Israel and Judah. And David if this was not enough God was willing to even give you more.

Why did you despise the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite. And now you have taken his wife. That's when David said I have sinned. Nathan's response God is forgiven.

Note the forgiveness followed the confession. The proverb declared whoever seeks to hide his sin will not prosper. But whoever will confess his sin he will be forgiven. John wrote if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But the confession is necessary for the forgiveness. But it should be noted that there were consequences to David's sin that could not be escaped. Though he was forgiven though his fellowship with God was restored there were certain inevitable consequences that would take place as a result of his sin.

The Inescapable Consequences of Sin

The prophet said unto him the sword will never depart from your house. There will always be strife and fighting within your household. David had had Uriah killed with the sword and now the consequence the sword will never depart from the house of David.

One of David's son Absalom killed another one of his sons Amnon. Absalom later led a rebellion against David and drove David from the kingdom and was subsequently killed himself. The sword did not depart from David's house.

Another son Adonijah tried to usurp the throne of David while David was dying and he was subsequently killed by Solomon. The sword did not depart from his house. God said that he would raise up evil against David out of his own house.

God said that David's wives would be given to another man right before his own eyes. And he will lie with your wives in the sight of all. You did it secretly but your wives will be abused publicly. You had a little affair in secret but what will happen to your wives will happen before the eyes of all of Israel.

In a few chapters a reading week after next when we get to chapter 16. We'll read where David's son Absalom rebelled against David. He gathered together an army down in Hebron and news now comes to David that Absalom is coming with an army to take Jerusalem and to take over the throne.

And so David in haste flees from Jerusalem. He doesn't want Jerusalem to be seen the scene of a battle. And so rather than staying and fighting in Jerusalem David flees hastily from Jerusalem leaving many of his wives there to take care of the palace as David flees the city.

Absalom came to the city and took the city of Jerusalem and Ahithophel who was David's friend and counselor had turned against David also. He saw that the popular move of the people was with Absalom and so he turned and became a counselor to Absalom.

He was a very wise man, a very wise counselor. And so Absalom said to Ahithophel what shall I do? And Ahithophel said you need to take and set up a tent on the top of David's palace and publicly go in and lie with David's concubines.

It would indicate to the people Absalom's complete abhorrence of his father and of Absalom's taking over the throne. When a new king would take over the throne a part of the whole process was he would take the harem of the previous king as his own.

And so in going into David's harem he is showing the people his total abhorrence for his father and just as the prophet said to David what you did in secret will be done before the eyes of all of Israel.

Sin’s Practical Consequences for Everyday Life

You may think well I'll just have my little fling, I'll live it up and then I will repent, I'll get right with God and I'll receive God's forgiveness. End of story. No, it never stops there. It is true if you will confess God will forgive you but there are always consequences that follow sin.

Inescapable consequences. You may have your little fling but then you may discover that you're being sued for child support and for the next 18 years it will cost you for that little fling. In the meantime it may cost you your marriage.

Some of the things that you might think to do and later repent and receive forgiveness may cost you time in jail. It may be that you will lose your job, it may be if you are a minister that you'll lose your ministry.

How many ministers have lost their ministry? Oh yes, God forgave them their sin but it had its inevitable consequences. It may bring you public shame and disgrace. It isn't that God has refused to forgive your trespasses but there are still consequences to sin that must be faced.

Before you venture out in some lark or some fling you should stop and consider the possible consequences of your actions. You can be forgiven but you may not always escape the consequences. In Isaiah chapter 1 God said that one of the problems of the people was that they did not consider they didn't stop to consider the consequences of the things they were doing.

It's wise to stop and consider the consequences of sin. Yes there's forgiveness but there are also consequences that must be faced and David had to face the consequences of his sin though he received the forgiveness.

Prayer for Repentance and Restoration

Think about it. Father we thank you for the mercy and the grace that you extend toward us when we confess our sins and we thank you Lord that you are faithful and you are just and you have forgiven our sins.

But Lord there are those today who are in the place of David trying to cover their sins. Your hand is heavy upon them. They're miserable. They're being tormented. It's having an aging effect upon them.

There is that inner roaring night and day. Their sin is ever before them and against you they have sinned. We thank you Lord that there is mercy and pardon but we realize Lord there are also consequences and even as David Lord had to face the consequences so it is possible that though they have received or will receive your forgiveness there will be the consequences that must be paid.

Help us Lord to think about this before we enter into sin. Help us to consider the possible consequences of our actions that we might be wise and that we might forsake sin. In Jesus name father we ask these things.

Amen. So we stand. Oh how happy is the man whose transgressions are forgiven whose sins are covered. Maybe you are going through that agony experience right now of sin. Maybe the heavy hand of God is upon you.

The Call to Confess Sin Today

The pastors are down here to pray for you. If you confess your sin God is faithful and just and he will forgive your sin. But how much better to get out of it now than to wait and to compound the issues.

David you see started out with the fling but it led to murder. It compounded itself because he was continually trying to hide it and it only got worse. And as you continue to try to hide it know that things will only get worse not better.

Time to get out of it now. Time to stop now before it brings dire consequences even though you can be forgiven. The consequences will be more severe. God is speaking to your heart about issues in your life.

I take care of them today. I would ask God's forgiveness. I would confess before God my sin. Receive the forgiveness and know the joy the happiness of having your sins forgiven. May the Lord be with you.

Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings

I pray that this will be a wonderful week as we have so much to be thankful for. So many times we look at the negatives and we sort of accent the negative. But this is a week in which we want to look at the positives.

We want to look at the blessings of God. And they are abundant. Like God said to David, David I gave you the kingdom I gave you you know all of these things. If that weren't enough I would have given you more.

God has blessed us so much. Time to give thanks. And may this be a week that is just filled with thanksgiving as we remember the blessings of God and all that He has done. The Lord bless thee and keep thee.

The Lord make His face.