When We Are Forgiven Part 2

Think we goodhearted our sins. That's what David wrote about in Psalm 32 God red-handed in great sin. David came clean before God and man. Today what it takes to be fully forgiven by the God who sees everything we do from the Moody Church in Chicago this is running to win with Dr. Erwin listserv whose clear teaching sauce make it across the finish line vasculature. Why is it that some people think they can hide anything from God will dating someone I spoke to put it very clearly. He said I had two compartments in my mind and I actually thought that I could kind of seal off a compartment where not even God would be able to enter. It was like a closet. I would keep those thoughts those attitudes. There will, of course, what David says in Psalm 32 is that we cannot hide our sin. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven. Hussein is covered. I don't know about all those who are listening today but I have to say that I personally have experienced the grace and the victory that comes when we take this home is our own and by the way I want to say to all who are listening.

We're going through a very exciting time coming almost to the end of this offer, but if you make a gift to the ministry of running to win, it will be doubled. Here's what you do good RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thank you for helping us get the ministry of forgiveness thousands upon thousands of people and how did John Wesley put it, excuse me Charles Wesley my chains fell off. My heart was free.

I rose when four and followed a notice how David describes it, one hour back to verses one and two archways. This Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. God took the ugly mess and he sent the snowfall to cover the ugly trails all of the ruts in the road of my life.

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven is sin is covered. God no longer imputes that he no longer holds us guilty as a result of it. Oh yes, consequences may continue as David experience but that sense of guilt is gone, there is now freedom. You'll notice in verse one. He says God for gave me.

Isn't that blessed notice verse seven.

You are my hiding place. Now that my sin is forgiven, were back in fellowship you for gave me you have made me indeed. You preserve me from trouble and you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

You forgive me you hide me. Verse eight you guy me this now. Maybe God speaking. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you. The whole idea is this, that when I was at a fellowship.

I had no sense of God's guidance and never prayed for God's will. You say I want God's will. God show me your will. And even when you are praying you are walking in disobedience out of fellowship with God with sin in your life that you're not willing to expose to the all seeing eye of God. Just try that while don't drive but if you do you'll find there's no sense of God's guide because you know what God is saying is gotta same luck, you know you're asking for guidance over here but look at what's over here if you deal with this, then we can talk guy got you forgive me you hide me, you guide me. You inspire me notice it says in verse 11.

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice so righteous and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Finally, you qualified to sing in the choir because now it is not merely words that you are singing, but from the heart you're giving praise to God because of the freedom and because of the conscience that has been cleanse and that's done by God. So he says, Lord, Lord, thank you for freeing me check.

David says you know during that time when I was part of the cover-up. I was like a horse or mule verse nine do not be like a horse or a mule without understanding which must be curved with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. I know something about horses. Nothing about mules but I can imagine how stubborn they are like that old story about a man who had a meal with a 2 x 4 in the prison. So why don't you just speak to them is that I've to get his attention. First, David says that's why I was stubborn, unwilling to be led by God, like a horse that is unbroken or a mule that is determined to go nowhere and David is saying now. Don't be like I was. Don't hide your sin don't rationalize it. Don't tell yourself that you're not as bad as somebody else because of it and don't ever think that somehow it'll go away. If you simply ignore it because as I mentioned time will deaden the conscience, but time never cleanses the conscience. The stain is still there so I have to ask you, what does it take in your life and mine for us to really genuinely confess our sins before God of all honesty and allow God to go into all the crevices of our life.

I'd like to bring you some lessons that we learn from this that I hope will be transforming. I hope the Holy Spirit of God will use these lessons for as long as you live in for some of you I could be an awful long time.

First of all, we repent we repent, not when we see the light but when we feel the heat we repent, not when we see the light. People say oh I hope he sees the light. Well, you know how much more like does he need Ms. got all the ladies listen to all the sermons they knows the truth. He was brought up in a Christian home. He knows the light he seen the light, but is never really felt the heat. Notice this in the text. David just didn't say it was my conscience that was bothering me. He said day and night your hand. Verse four was heavy upon me. This is God bringing about misery in David's life so that his Ms. Ray in the cover-up is so great that he says this, the, the idea of exposure, no matter how costly that is unwilling to do it because I can't live with myself anymore.

The misery is that great when I was a student in seminary, which seems to be getting further and further away.

In terms of time, we had to study Greek. We had to learn Greek. One day the prophet my greatly respected sent us all to the chalkboard and we had to parse various Greek verbs. I think that's what you do you parse them, you decline nouns, don't you, and parse birds at least that's I think we're supposed to do. Well, I wasn't that good and great you know I my mind is more philosophical. I like grand ideas in all of these details to memorize and so I was there and I was a little embarrassed as I stopped back on the chalkboard and out of the corner of my eye saw what my friend was writing and I knew that he was good and great so I wrote down his stuff like that comedian says you know I could've done a lot better in school. If only it. The guy sitting next to me had been smarter, so I thought okay I know that that was wrong, but I'll live with it all manage never tried to manage sin that you're not willing to face. I forget how much further it was in the school year, or maybe just a couple of days as I recall, we had a communion service at the seminary in my conscience troubled me so much. I was in so much misery when that service was over I spoke to those student I went directly to the props office.

He wasn't there I waited until he came didn't have an appointment set down said there's something on my mind.

I need to tell you I cheated in every class. I told that he was very gracious to me but you know what, at that moment, I wouldn't have cared too greatly if he had said hate your you flunked the whole semester I would've hurt, but I've been willing to flunk the semester because the hand of God's misery was so much upon me. I couldn't function with the hand of God in my life because of sin that I had committed and that's the only thing that brings us to repentance is when our misery in our sin is greater than our desire for self protection.

See that's why sometimes has been said that there are psychiatrists who are trying to put people to sleep whom God is trying to wake up I can't sleep well. There are many reasons and taking medication for sleep is perfectly fine.

I've done it once in a while especially to overcome jet lag, but there are times when when the hand of God is on you and you'd better listen to what God is saying, and you'd better give God time to show you what the problem is within your soul. That's the first lesson. Let me give you a second God would rather bring one of his children to repentance. God would rather bring one of his children to repentance then maintain his reputation in the world I tell you why I say that in the case of David when Nathan was speaking the word of God. To him this is what God said.says David because the enemies my enemies, to blaspheme because it's a word spread from the palace all throughout the nations but David was an adult for and a murderer.

Everybody knew it.

I mean if the king does it, it gets talked about. It's not in the Jerusalem Post CNN couldn't pick up the story at that time yet. Of course, but certainly people talked, and God says you know what David because of your sin, you made me look bad because all the other nations are thankful king David worships God, but just look at him. He's just as bad as everybody else and they couldn't contain their glee over this king who pretended to know God to act this way.

So why didn't God participate in the cover-up. Why didn't he have Uriah go home cover-up David's sin. I mean, God would've looked better. God says I'm willing to have my reputation tainted in the eyes of the world to get through to one of my servants was hiding sin and won't complain. While either we will cover our sin are will expose it and let God cover it. Third, the world is really divided into two categories two categories of people, not a racial divide or educational or geographical divide two categories. The forgiven and the unforgiven. And if you talk about the unforgiven.

There are two categories. First of all, there are those who are unconverted. They've never been forgiven and many of you who are listening, fit into that category.

And you know probably who you are. If your dad honest. But then there are also those who are Christians.

They have received Jesus Christ as Savior and they belong to him, and legally and judicially their sins have been forgiven by God, he has imputed to them the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But they're out of fellowship and they're out of fellowship because they don't want to deal with issues that God brings to their attention like that man who purports to be a Christian fills out a form for for workers compensation says on the form that the accident happened at work. It didn't happen at work. It happened when he was hunting but he feels it out and now every month receives a check that was obtained fraudulently. His pastor said to him, now aren't you willing to come clean on this.

You have to confess that you have to make it right in his responses do you think that I'm stupid if I went to the Labor Relations Board and told them that I had signed a document fraudulently. They throw me in jail.

The pastor's is there some things that are even worse than jail. One is the hand of God on your life day and night reminding you that you have sin that you've not taken care. There is something worse than jail and that is displeasing God. And then there are those who are unforgiven never been converted for you. You don't begin by confessing your sins did you know that Luther Martin Luther confessed his sin six hours at a time in the monastery in Erfurt and was not converted. First of all, you can't remember all of your sin. Secondly, tomorrow's another day with new sentence so you're kind of in a cycle know what you need to do is you need to accept Jesus as your substitute.

You need to receive them as Savior so that he gathers up all of your sins. And one bundle and end through your faith and through his work to give you the ability to believe you are then converted your name is written in heaven and you belong to God thanks to Jesus.

So how was David saying he was in the Old Testament. Jesus hadn't come yet.

Yeah that's right. Jesus was still more than a thousand years before Jesus would come, but already, then the Bible teaches us very clearly that God was imputing. David was saved on credit.

We all know the credit cards are.

We enjoy it. Today we pay for it today, but actually then we pay for it. Further down the line.

God's is David, you're going to be saved because Jesus is coming, and your sin will eventually be imputed to Christ who is the only Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And so even way back then God says I'm gonna take your sin and I'm going to put it away, but not permanently. Because Jesus hasn't come yet to make that fix sacrifice and so David two was forgiven by Jesus and what you need to do is to receive him as your sin bearer as your Savior. I urge you to believe on him was a man who is walking along the seashore and he looked back over the trail that he was creating along the beach and he noticed it was helter-skelter because he had been walking absentmindedly, it wasn't going anywhere in particular in that he looked back and he said you know that's the story of my life not going anywhere in particular kind of waltzing through life aimlessly.

He spent some time in the home of a friend and he walked back the same way and expected to see his footprints, but they were gone because the tide had come, and God was giving him a new beginning. Blessed are they whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. So I ask myself the question is, I ask you the question today. Are we willing to come honestly openly say Jesus here I am exposed in your presence begin their then going to those possibly whom we have wronged saying at all costs want to be right before God and man. Let's pray our father, we want to thank you today for this marvelous home.

We thank you that there was a time when David finally decided that your hand was too heavy upon and then his iniquity was acknowledged.

I don't know what represents here in this congregation, there may be those who are involved in adulterous relationships, sinful relationships among singles, whatever it is we ask in the name of Jesus preps there's been stealing dishonesty ask in the name of Jesus, would you enable us to come clean. How many of you say this morning pastor Luther got a spoken to me and I'm willing to come clean. Would you put your hands up all throughout the audience. I see people in all three sections doing it. What about of the balcony. Any of you say God is talk to me want to come clean father grant grace of God.

We pray to each and for the many who didn't raise their hand.

May your hand be upon them for good and we pray that the day may come when they say yes.

Whatever. Whatever you do, that we pray in Jesus name, amen will here at the Moody churches I gave an invitation. I did ask people to raise their hands to encourage them to become completely honest before God and I lay that challenge before you as well. God knows he understands you aren't going to surprise him by what you confess. He already knows that but he wants to hear it from you and old Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Let me ask you, are you blessed as a result of the ministry of running to win.

As you know we always excel Jesus Christ. The good news of the gospel.

We seek the transformation of lives through the proclamation of God's word. Would you like to contribute toward a matching gift fund. You know we have some friends who are saying that they are willing to match any gift given to the ministry of running to win. During this month. Any gift given is doubled. That means that your $10 becomes $20 and of course your $50 becomes 100. What an opportunity to help us. I want to say a special word to those of you who have never connected with us. Would you consider helping us becoming a part of what I like to call the running to win the family. Now here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that is go to RTW offer.com. Of course RTW offer is all one word RTW offer.com or call us right now at 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for another chance for you to ask pastor Luther question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life.

Christian baptism.

It takes many forms and can have a variety of meanings.

Ashley has written. Pastor Luther concerned about her own baptism. Here is her story in my past I was baptized because it was something my mom decided for me.

I did not understand it at all and I don't agree with a lot of things that went on at the church I attended at the time.

I've come to understand that the things I once called mistakes. I now see more clearly is sins. Recently I've been attending church consistently and I feel as if I'm growing closer to God. So I was just curious to know is it wrong for me to be baptized again, knowing that I will understand things more clearly. The second time around, Ashley. I believe that the answer to your question is no. It is not wrong for you to be baptized again.

The reason I believe that Ashley is because in the 19th chapter the book of acts you remember there were those who were baptized by the baptism of John. And they were now being rebaptized. Having understood the gospel more fully and having received Christ as Savior and so they were baptized a second time.

I interpret that to mean that there's nothing wrong with being baptized again. If the first time, you may have been so young.

Maybe you didn't even know what was happening.

Some people are baptized as infants. For example, or if you are baptized as an adult, but as you say here.

Your mother made the decision and you weren't really living for Christ and you didn't know what it meant. I think it would be great for you to be baptized again and this time as an adult with better understanding knowing that through baptism we are saying no to the past and yes to the new life that we have in Jesus Christ. I would encourage you to be rebaptized. Thank you Ashley for your question. Thank you. Dr. Moser for your answer. If you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask pastor Luther or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at the running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614.

Next time we turn to Psalm 37 and see what happens when we wait for God running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church