Rev. David Holwick C
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 21, 1990
Psalm 51
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I. All of us are sinners.
A. Sin pervades our lives.
1) We can relate to Randy Fewel:
During his first days at West Point, Randy tried hard
to achieve a perfect room inspection.
One morning he thought he had succeeded.
With white gloves on, the company commander checked every
corner of the room.
The gloves came away clean.
Randy was feeling proud of himself.
But then the commander said, "Raise your left foot, mister!"
He ran a gloved finger along the sole of Randy's shoe.
#62
2) Yet we think of sin as shortcomings, weaknesses.
a) Most of our sins aren't serious (to us).
B. David was different.
1) Famous story of his adultery.
a) Adultery not so bad....
b) Callous murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah.
c) Afterwards David acted like nothing had happened.
1> Until the prophet Nathan confronted him.
2) He knew what it was to really blow it.
C. This psalm reflects David's repentance before God.
1) It is remarkable for its honesty.
a) One proof of Bible's inspiration.
b) Other religions make their heroes look perfect.
c) The Bible makes them just like, or worse, than us.
2) David answered to no man, but he answered to God.
a) Kings could get away with this sort of thing.
3) The time may come when you dramatically fail God.
a) Turn to this psalm.
II. How David dealt with his sin. Psalm 51
A. Five principles of repentance when you've blown it.
1. Appeal to God.
A. David trusts in God's love and compassion. 51:1
B. "Love" is a word of covenant.
1) David knew he had a trusted relationship with the Lord.
2. Repentance.
A. Confession.
1) Say you are sorry.
2) Confront your sin in an honest way.
a) It affects us.
1> David admitted that sin ran through his life. 51:3,5
b) It affects other people.
c) Most of all, it affects God. 51:4
1> He loves us at all times. 51:1
2> But our sin breaks our closeness to him.
B. Change direction.
Joseph Queenan is a writer living in Tarrytown, New York.
Three years ago his alcoholic father called him to apologize for
all the pain he had inflicted on Joe and the family.
Joe knew what the pain had been.
For years his father had beaten the kids, terrorized his wife,
and wrecked the house.
He had gone through an endless series of menial jobs.
And like most alcoholics, he was a compulsive liar.
He was so lazy he didn't even bother to invent new lies.
At least three times a year he would tell them his wallet had
been stolen at the Philadelphia train station.
He would even use the kids.
Once, when Joe was 5, his father borrowed $20 from their
Catholic priest.
He took Joe to the local bar and for the next three hours
rehearsed the amount of money - $15, $10, $5 -
he was to tell his mother the priest had loaned them.
Joe's father was a devout Christian.
As Catholics, they said the rosary as a family devotion.
His father dragged it out so it would take 40 minutes.
One day during the ritual, their dad pitched forward dead drunk
and passed out in the middle of the room.
They left him there, face down on the carpet, all night long.
In the morning, he couldn't remember any of it.
Like many alcoholics, if he didn't remember it, then it probably
didn't happen.
He couldn't remember beatings, thefts, car accidents, or lies.
So three years ago, Joe's dad called him up.
Joe's mom had left him, and he had lost his job and his pension.
But these events had convinced him to give up drinking.
He told his son,
"One of the things I've learned through Alcoholics Anonymous
is that you have to admit that you've hurt people.
"And you have to let them know how sorry you are.
"Son, I'm sorry for anything I may have done to harm you."
He then shook Joe's hand.
Joe Queenan liked the part about "anything I may have done."
And the apology with a handshake seemed like just another ritual.
To many Christians, this is pretty much what repentance means.
You tell God you're sorry, and assume he'll accept you.
After all, he has to - he's God, right?
Did Joe Queenan's father really confess to his son?
He sort of said he was sorry.
But he added the phrase, "for what I may have done."
He wasn't really owning up to it.
And yet I have to give his father credit for coming as far as
he did.
Many children receive far less.
We don't give much more to God when we confess our sins.
If Joe Queenan's father is serious about making amends, it will
take more to convince his son than a handshake.
If we are serious about repentance, we also have to say more
to God than "I'm sorry." #121
Genuine repentance requires a change in the direction of our lives.
C. Don't wait to repent.
1) God disciplines us for sin.
2) David waited and faced the tragic results.
a) The baby died.
b) His other sons rebelled against him.
3. Restoration.
A. Verses 6-9 are future tense of anticipation, not pleas.
B. Accept God's forgiveness.
1) Inward place - means "heart." 51:6
2) Hyssop - the cleansing of lepers. 51:7
3) Wash me - thoroughly cleansing clothes.
4) Hear joy - the restoration in society. 51:8
Morristown judge who disappeared.
He returned after being found out.
His friends and family have accepted him.
5) Crushed bones rejoice - means "dance."
6) Blot out iniquity - erase from a book. 51:9
a) Youthful offenders have crimes purged at 18 after
good behavior.
b) God blots out our sins immediately if we are in
relationship with Christ.
C. Think of cross of Jesus.
1) He suffered that we might be forgiven.
2) When we sin and don't repent, we nail him to cross again.
4. Inward Renewal.
A. Focus moves to salvation.
1) Instead of despairing, David prays.
B. Create a pure heart. 51:10
1) David is asking for a miracle.
2) In Christ we become "new creations." 2 Cor 5:17
C. Don't take Holy Spirit away. 51:11
1) David feared this due to Saul's experience.
2) Christians have promise that God will never let go of us.
D. Restore me to joy of salvation. 51:12
5. Outward Action.
A. Teach others God's ways. 51:13
1) God teaches us through hard experiences.
2) Be open and honest with others.
3) Many are not attracted to Jesus because Christians are phony.
a) Eugene Patterson discipled by gruff repair man.
(CT, 1/15/90, p. 28)
B. Praise God with lips. 51:14-15
1) God wants to be worshipped...
2) "In spirit and truth."
C. Sacrifice of a broken, contrite spirit. 51:16-19
1) Get right with God in your heart first. 51:16
2) Then worship him in church. 51:19
a) (Religious practices are not rejected.)
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See "Publish Bad Tidings," Tim Stafford, CT 2/20/87, p. 30.
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