FHBC Sermon Notes

Perhaps the greatest thing we can be thankful of in this life is that we are a fellowship of a forgiven people.

The Context
2 Samuel 11-12. David had a man, the husband, killed to cover up his adultery. The lady was pregnant. David first tried to get Uriah to go home to his wife. David wanted plausible deniability. One temptation, one sin compounded another.
Sin, adultery, coverup, murder by proxy. Perhaps David thought he had figured it out, that he had covered is sin.
They came Nathan. His name means sent. When God has a message, he sends a messenger. We are like David still, contempt for the sin of others, but not for our own.
It is sometimes our reaction to this to justify or to set aside the sin of others to cover our own as well. But this is not what we need. We must not close our eyes to the ugliness of sin, we must first and foremost look upon the ugliness of our own sin, acknowledgment and turn from it.
Before we can understand the blessedness of forgiveness, we must first understand how serious it is that sin is to God.
Psalm 32
V.1 Blessed ... Much like the word covenant. This is much more than having good circumstances, than just being happy. We are uniquely blessed be God's great love for us, not for the temporary circumstances we find ourselves in.
A man after God's own heart... How can who did what David did here possibly be the man after God's own heart? It is because of the journey from guilt...to grace...to gratitude. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Our hearts in Christ are not our own. We are given a new spirit, for we had no spirit, it was a dead spirit.
Our sin is more than just an oops... Our sin caused God to do something very specific. He gave his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He gave us new life in him.
V.3-4 confession. We need confession. Silent our bones ache, we are weighed down, our strength gone.
So what do we do?
God protects us.
So trust in the Lord. (Not to be steered, but to be conformed.)
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.
Wow, Doug. A powerful word God brought today.
"A word to the wise is sufficient."