The Fall of David

Good morning. This summer church and all of the different campuses. Nine different campuses of the summa church across the triangle, including our brothers that are away correctional facility. We love you guys out with them you would make the attempt campus of the summer church that all major the triangle where one church of me to many different locations, one body of people with one mission got the Bible this week.

You have a fee to take it out and opened the second Samuel chapter 11 second single Chapter 11 this weekend. I will walk you through one of the most tragic stories in the Bible there are multiple things that are at work in this story. The story is going to serve as a significant pivot point in the plot if you will of the whole story of the Bible have your new with us.

We are taking a year to go through, the high points of the Bible story to get our minds around the whole story and this particular story is a major movement in the development of the plot showing us why it's not an earthly solution to our problems that we need not an earthly king that can help us along the way it is going to give us a a very pressing warning about a very practical issue just remembers like a told you a couple weeks ago.

Whenever you read a story like this from the Old Testament the way that you interpret it is not Bible character you at the wrong way to interpret it.

You always interpreted Bible character Jesus you know cut out the middleman that may be a good philosophy for business, but it's not a good philosophy for Bible interpretation on what this story is try to show you is it every earthly leader is to let us down that salvation for us is not to come riding in on the wings of Air Force One. We need something different, but the story also shows us the dangers of sexual sin, sexual sin destroys more people's relationship with God than probably any other single thing you don't have a relationship with God. A lot of times of sexual sin that keeps you from considering relationship with God and you do have a relationship with God. Sexual sin destroys it, including one of the greatest man who ever lived a man that God described as a man after his own heart melt really quickly like your campus pastor said, we always encourage you if you have children to take advantage of the awesome stuff that happens every weekend at Summit kids. But today I really want to encourage you to consider taking advantage of that. I am not going to be intentionally risqué, but there are just some things about the story itself that might dip from moment to moment into the PG-13 realm and I do not want to force you as a parent to have these conversations. If you don't like your ready for them yet to now might be the time to Ceja emergency bathroom run and then on the way back brought the site your kids off the Summit kids area.

If there are 13 or over, they should be fine. In fact, they might end up having to explain a few things to you when the service is over. But I think I'll be okay. Second Samuel chapter 11 verse one in the spring of the year that time when the kings go out to battle David sent Joab who is his commander-in-chief and his servants with him and all of Israel out the battle but David remained behind in Jerusalem. The first thing you got a notice here is that David was disengaged from the battle for maybe the first time in David's life. He is not personally leading the people out into the battle. He's going to send somebody else and he is a stay at home. David the warrior. In other words is transformed into David the rock. The relaxer for a lot of people. This is where sexual temptation begins their lives like purpose and the allure of sex promises they a fulfillment of a distraction and excitement and attention an adventure that they desperately crave their their lives are just boring and predictable. Maybe their housewife or maybe there somebody that's just I've been just like your job not going anywhere and so on. This promise is something that that is going to get them out of their boredom verse two and it just so happened that late one afternoon when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house that he saw from the rueful woman who was bathing in the woman was very beautiful. The Hebrew word therefore beautiful is to obey, which literally means in Hebrew, fine, now the Bible is not typically rate women it unstable she was hot. She was not so hot to the fact that it says that Bathsheba was, not just fine but very fine means that she was sunk on a hot there's a second thing that you notice David had put himself in a place where he could be tempted these walking on the roof alone. He's doing the Old Testament version of browsing the Internet alone at night the points he clicks he clicks again many dwells in me these feelings begin to overpower him and Sir David verse three sent and inquired about the woman and one said it is not Bathsheba, the daughter of Ellie and the wife of Uriah the Hittite now this is really important because the author very subtly points out something in that verse that David is unaware of or at least he forgot not met is that this is somebody's daughter is somebody's wife and my be somebody's mother. Why is he doing that. Why does the author point that out because you see sexual sin almost always objectifies somebody you begin to think of them only as an object of your pleasure and you forget that you're dealing with somebody's life usually multiple people's lives. This person is somebody's daughter somebody's mother somebody's wife somebody's future wife. This man that you're messing around with this some little girls daddy most crimes. I have told you begin with dehumanizing somebody we hear about these Nazi crimes are black. How could educated people in the 20th century, of all things, how can they actually do that to other people. Mansour sociologist say is very simple.

The Nazis quit thinking of the Jews as humans was enough. What happens in sacks you think of somebody in terms of what kind of pleasure they can provide you and you forget that you're dealing with a real person like somebody you love real relationships. Some of you been on the other side of this. You've been hurt somebody use you. Somebody didn't take into account what the sexual sin that they were committing with that person you love what was good due to your family or your kids know I will tell you probably V single thing that keeps me away from pornography more than any other thing is just thinking that every image is some daddy's little girl behind every pornographic image is a brokenhearted father verse four.

Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived. Jason told David I'm pregnant at this point David starts a pretty complicated cover-up.

He sends word to Joab's army commander and then Joe as he says, a Joab may have Uriah come home. I like to have somebody brief me on the battle and so Uriah comes back and he starts explaining the David what's going on in David's eye, Gail whatever you know how payment you look really tired. Want to go home and just enjoy the night with your wife. Aren't you married Uriah oh yeah you are what you just go and spend some time with her. So verse eight, David gives Uriah an Old Testament version an aphrodisiac and sends him home, thinking that he and Bathsheba will you get busy and then everybody will assume that the baby is Uriah's baby but here's where the real drama begins. Uriah refuses to go home. He says verse 11, all my brother soldiers are out sleeping in tents in harm's way in the ark of the covenants out there, go home and just enjoy a great night with my wife doesn't feel right. So instead of going home to sleep with his wife.

The sleeves in a big room with all the palace guards at night. Now imagine how convicting that was for David. Got a guy was loyal to the rest of the army that is I go home and enjoy a legitimate night of pleasure to David Hatch's Plan B.

Invite your eyes and say one more day. I got some more questions as you come back up her dinner and I get Uriah to dinner and he just gets Uriah Hammer thinking that drunk guys tend to lose their nobility. So Uriah, who is noble, yes, but also loves a good Corona gets hammered that night but he's going home. He passes out in his front yard and spend the night there so drunk he just passes out. Which is kind of shameful I guess. But the point is and what he sees them face down in his yard so they know we didn't go in sleep with his wife. Everybody knows that to David Hatch's plan.

See by this time, he's desperate. He writes a note to Joab. It says take Uriah put them at the very front of the battle and when you charge a lot of what you pull back and want you to leave your eye out there all by himself.

He writes us a little scroll the seals it puts it in your eyes hand and has Uriah taken to Joab. Uriah literally carries his own death warrant in his hand. He hands it to Joab.

Joab opens it follows the instructions and Uriah is killed by the way, I noticed in our Bible reading this week. If you read the Bible along with this, that it wouldn't just Uriah and I got killed was a whole squadron.

What do I do as you pull back the whole squadron that he was a part of her talking 20 or 30 guys that got slaughtered told this is David this is David, the man after God's own heart.

The mighty protector of Israel, the guy who wrote Psalm 23 the guy was brave enough to fight Goliath and nobody else would. Now he's telling groups of people to cover up his moment of pleasure, laughter, Uriah dies. David takes Bathsheba for his wife and brings her into his house and she bears a child in everybody assumes that she got pregnant on their honeymoon in David just rushes the whole thing under the rug and it's the perfect crime right is got away with it. We don't hear anything else about it right. Not hardly. Second Samuel 11 ends with these chilling words but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. Chapter 11 is going to mark a turning point in David's life David up at this point, at least as a king is enjoyed a pretty charmed life were going to begin to watch as his family starts to fall apart. This newborn son that he and Bathsheba have is going to die. Another one of David's sons is going to rate his half-sister and then is to be killed by one of his brothers, and then another one of David's sons is to lead a rebellion against David and his himself killed going to stop here before we go on and draw out three really important truths for you number one sexual sin will absolutely destroy your life. I read a book one time were a guy listed out all the things that he thought would happen to him if he committed adultery was so moving to me that I made my own list.

I have a Microsoft Word file where I just have this in every once in a while I'll look at things that I think will probably happen if I committed adultery number one I would cause untold who hurt to my wife Veronica and would likely have to endure the loss of her respect or trust in very well may forfeit my relationship with her altogether. I would cause all kinds of confusion to Charis and Allie and Ryan and had my four children who may never understand why I would trade my relationship with them for a cheap thrill. My relationship with them. Yes, I can be healing, but it would never quite be the same.

I would I would bring shame on my mother and my father I bring shame and endless judgment on on the girl that I committed adultery with she never be able to go anywhere lease in this city without people say you know that is I would bring shame on you. My church family I would give just more fodder to the professors at UNC and Duke and NC State is just another reason for then the Mott gospel and safe. That's why it's not true at all. I would follow in the footsteps of men I know whose ministries were incredible, but whose immorality forfeited that ministry and causes me now to shutter with more.

Most importantly, I would grieve my Lord and Savior one day and have a look him in the face and explain to him why, why, after all the goodness that he put in my life. After all the beauty that he put around me. I just had to have something else noticed men especially that the sin begins with a version of pornography, sociologist, point out the pornography trains your heart and your mind. It trains you to objectify the opposite sex. That's why the guy points out all the points I was not just somebody for pleasure. This is a muddy daughters of his wife, read a book several years ago called hooked is not written by Christians or Lisa Guzman identifies Christians as a couple medical scientists who were trying to discover what happened to the brain when you look at pornography or when you just had multiple sexual partners throughout your life. Again, these are not pastors looking for an illustration. These are our medical scientists who are just studying the brain, and here's what they discovered, and I quote the individual who goes from sex partner to sex partner. Whether it's on screen. Whether it's actually in real life, is causing his or her brain to mold in such a way that eventually accepts that sexual pattern is normal. The pattern of changing sex partners. Therefore, damages their ability to bind in a committed relationship at all the kind of what he calls an attachment damage. The inability to really attached to somebody else caused by repeated sexual encounters is in many respects more devastating than an unwanted pregnancy or an STD. The authors then use the metaphor of of of duct tape which you probably heard before. To illustrate this SAP take duct tape and wrap around somebody charming reproductive off with the duct tape and companies as of that person's arm by hair out of her arms going on with it.

We think the same piece of duct tape wrapped around somebody else's arm is still going to stick a lot with not as much is that in the first one you had 100 times by the hundredth time that that tape was lost its ability to adhere to anything it's lost its stickiness. I miss it. That's what's happening to the human heart and soul babies repeated sexual encounters is losing its ability to cohere to be able to enter into this lifelong fulfilling sexual relationship. Again, these are not pastors.

These are just scientists is will they conclude you can no more try out sex and you can try out birth very active sex produces a new reality that cannot be undone pornography they say is the same effect. Pornography destroys your own capacity for sexual fulfillment. Every time you look at pornography you train your soul. Even if you don't believe in here you train your soul to believe three things. One, a real body is in good enough. I need this airbrushed CGI thing only one body is not good enough in the number three your spouse's body in good enough because no woman, no matter how beautiful she is, can live up to what you see important Naomi Wolf, who is not a Christian by a long shot super radical left-wing hyper feminist writing for the New York Times.

She says for most men. Real naked women are just bad born. No man has ever gorged himself on porn and put it behind them. After marriage because his wife met all of his porn fantasies. Instead, the opposite happens. The opposite happens mentally tell you if you have pornography if you got that in your life until yes it's a sin against God. For the sake of your relationship with all future women. You need to get rid of it today coming to speak as a dad for a minute. If you are not willing to address this when you order Haley's be man enough to tell that girl your dating or your fiancé but you are not to deal with this before you bring this into their marriage to Elise. She has the option to opt out now before you rip your heart out later got at least have the courage to say this is not something I really want to deal with all just destroy you later when it did give her a chance that that the pullout by the way, I keep applying this to man, but it works in both genders. Sometimes women the six different forms. Not as trashy romance novels 50 Cesar Grosser 56 gonorrhea or whatever that series is called sometimes. Sometimes it's an image is just like it is for men.

Studies show that this is a problem for both men and women. It's not just an exclusively male problem. Y'all sex gone life God's way is life-giving. I explained it was supposed to be a total opening of the soul.

It was a picture of you opening your soul up and giving yourself entirely to somebody knows that a fusion of the bodies we think just about it is a fusion of the body to become one and that was supposed to be matched by oneness in every other area emotional, spiritual, financial picture of a whole life oneness. It was supposed to be a renewal of the marriage found every time you had sex. It was easier renewing the marriage vow I give myself wholly and completely to you without reservation. I guy give it all to you people coming to say well we want to go to Hawaii and renew our marriage vows. Mike is a lot easier and cheaper way for you to do that.

I it's it's what it's supposed to be.

It's a beautiful picture of the of the gospel itself have told you before that the human heart wants to be known and loved completely known and loved. I have explained that to be known, but not love feels like rejection but to be loud but not really known is is, sentimental and so what you have this desire for somebody to know you all of you and see all of you and love you anyway and you get a glimpse of that insects because it's supposed to be marriages. This picture of the gospel is life giving when it's done in God's way. But when it's done outside of God's way.

Instead of becoming life-giving, it becomes like destroying that which has the greatest power for good also has the greatest power to destroy right that's why it's so it sit for it literally. This integrates the person think about that were disintegrates. It tears apart your oneness because physical oneness is revered.

So oneness is not quite there yet. What has the power to bless has the power to destroy. It's why I've always described. Do you like fire if I ask you, do you want fire in your house, your answer is depends on where you put it fire in the fireplace is awesome fire in the couch. Not so awesome.

My fire has the ability to bless and has the ability to destroy your culture right now basically thinks of sex as a victimless crime. Woody Allen's a good example sex without love, he says, is an empty experience but as empty experiences go with one of the best but sex turns out it's not a victimless crime and it turns out that your after the first victim, Jim Tony a lot of young people I know a lot of high school students in college.

It is going to wait until perceptible to get married because they're afraid to miss out on something God tells you to wait for sex and you get married precisely because he doesn't want you to miss out on something and I know right now in our culture. A lot of young people. I taught a lot of high school, college images, I what is impossible, maybe responsible for the years ago, but not if that's not true. I was told to things when I say that as a personal are also not close to your age anymore but my wife and I were virgins when we got married. No. I said well you were on your pastor Mike Woodmen just a normal college suit and then God gave us the ability to do you can know it. There's lots of people today that they that do that is that you may always tell me the more important is the most fully alive fully masculine man that ever walked the face of the earth died as a virgin is 33 years old. He's wanted taught us about the abundant life every time you pray you prayed with 33-year-old male virgin.

You do not tell me that you can't live a fulfilled life and not have that as a part of your life. Jesus was more alive than any of us and that was something that he and his life was not able to participate in or chose not to participate in. So the first thing the story shows us is that there are some real significant things and go along with this in sexual single absolutist rely number two serves as we stay engaged in the battle you need to stay engaged in the battle for many, the problem is not a lustful body. The problem is a board soul your first application of this message is not just the to avoid the sexual temptation from some of you on the sidelines and your board right you come in like a spectator. You sit in church are not spiritually and your family are not leader here and so because you're not engaged in God's mission. Your life lacks a purpose that the enemy is all too willing to fill in that gap you need to get involved in the church you need to get involved in the mission. You need a volunteer you need to be in the lead you to begin to serve you to get into a group men, I will tell you from personal experience that the attractions of sex lose a lot of their power. You are actively engaged as the spiritual leader in your family, and that's why you're so susceptible because you're not a spiritual leader not living a life encourage a ministry that God has designed you live.

It is a lot more difficult for you to take your pants off when you're in a battle and when you're lounging around the couch. Don't believe me try take off your pants in the middle of a rugby match. It's possible it's possible but it's a lot more difficult W metaphor in the you I again for many of you promise not a lustful body. The problem is aboard, wandering, purposeful soul. You need to get engaged in the battle. Number three.

The story shows us that you keep yourself away from temptation. Keep yourself away from temptation. Listen to this, it is easier to avoid temptation than it is to resist.

I'm a child of the 1980s was born 1980s, but I grew up in the 1980s, like a lot of children. The 1980s, I learned a lot of numbers Bible life lessons from Mr. Miyagi on the karate kid and one of the ones is always stuck with me is him explaining to Danielson how it is you can avoid a punch.

She was a Mike didn't want to know the counter maneuvers or the progenies is easiest way to avoid a botched is not be a place where you get the fight. That's the easiest way. The easiest way to counter a punch is to not be a place where you can get in a fight is easy to avoid temptation, then it is to resist it. Years ago I read this statement by Dietrich Bonhoeffer who is the German pastor who resisted the Nazi regime she let a spy ring and ultimately was executed by the Nazis for that but he said this and I thought it perfectly describes my own path toward temptation, listen more closely in our members and her body. There's the slumbering inclination for desire that his growth arises both suddenly and fiercely with irresistible power.

Out of nowhere. Desire seizes mastery of the flesh felt that just comes out of nowhere all at once a secret smoldering fire is Kindle but just one there before the flesh burns and is in flames. In this moment God becomes quite unreal to us. Satan does not hear Phyllis for the hatred of God.

He fills us with a forgetfulness of God here I am as a pastor, and the God is what I think about all the time and I just might think about it at all. The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and the will and the deepest darkness you lose your way.

It is here that everything in the rises up against the word of God. Therefore, Bonhoeffer says. The Bible teaches that in times of temptation to our flesh. There is only one command flee flee youthful lust fully worldly temptation.

If you're feeling under pressure and on the verge of something pending motion is welling up within you.

What is the Bible say no human being has within them the strength to resist such overpowering emotions.

This from a man who stared down the Nazi regime and would die as a martyr what he saying is I can do it you can do it if you're going to telling yourself to be able to resist temptation for a full you need to avoid temptation not resisted, which is why I do not spend time alone with girls were not my wife or my daughters is not because I don't think I can handle it.

No, because I don't think that I can handle it. How's that, I just don't think I can relate you here it is. I concluded that if I do not spend time alone with girls who were not my wife then I will not have sex with them. How brilliant is that mistakes are just too high. I just I don't play Russian roulette with my family. I don't keep a loaded revolver's sitting around on the table at our house is not a sin to have a little revolver sitting on the table maybe is not technically a sin. But what can a loving dad would do that. I don't keep a panther in my backyard that may or may not be one of my children.

The stakes are just too high.

I'm not gonna play Russian roulette with my family for somebody's in radical measures and I'm not try to tell you what they are meant to come up with much artificial rules were for some of you think some you would search for your take the Internet out of your house or you need to get some kind of accountability on some you need to give up your smart phone that will rest, radical Jesus said to be better if you pluck out your eye right so he's taken a little stepfather understudy to read your smart phone. He studied to regularize oak whiskey back to the story of §chapter 12 about a year. So using the 12 about a year after David's affair with Bathsheba.

We know it's been about a year because the child his just been born and back in those days, it did not mostly sex and when the baby was born, so I learned that in seminary so one day a prophet named Nathan but nine months into this. Asked if he can see David. He says to David. David, I heard something recently.

The really bothered me and I thought you should know about it. Now remember this point David thinks that nobody knows about sin, except for him. Bathsheba and the perfect cover officer. David's not even nervous at all. Nathan says to David David.

It was these two men, and city here in Israel. One was rich and the other was for the rich man had many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except this one tiny little lamb, which he bought his own money and he grew up with them and with his children. It was like a petulant use to eat from the table and drink from his cup and flying his arms and it was like a daughter to him, which is a little creepy, but you get the point made lingers on verse four. This rich guy who had more sheep than he knew what to do with at some relatives from out of town show up for a visit, but instead of preparing for them when his many sheep you went and stole the sheep as a lamb from this poor guy just because he could get away with it just because the board I was too powerless to be able to stop them. Verse five and David's anger was greatly kindled against the rich man and he said to Nathan as the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die and he shall restore that lamp or full because he did this thing and because he had no compassion. Nathan looks at David and says in the most direct application point from a sermon ever thou art the man ever said manfully.

The preacher was talking like to me. David Joy got a room like you talking to me and my maidens as I am talking to you. The conviction was inescapable. David's actions inexcusable.

David is just condemned himself to death out of his own mouth.

Nathan says to David.

Verse seven. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. I anointed you as king over Israel when you know them, a shepherd boy. I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. I.e. I gave you the power to slay Goliath and if that up into little, I would've given you so much more. All you do is ask why you despise the commandment of the Lord to do what is evil in the sight. David said to Nathan I sin against the Lord. Nathan said to David, the Lord is put away your sin, you shall not die. By the way with your Darius mother and your readiness is can put it away. Nevertheless, because by this deed. He readily scorned the Lord all answer the question, and it you will not. Nevertheless, but because it is the develops when the Lord the child is born, you shall die because you have despise me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house behold all race of evil against you at your own house was in this you get forgiveness of sin, but Sam still has consequences. The child died. Uriah died, David's trust of the people was broken. David's family was permanently scarred. Suffering deep emotional and family trauma from this point on, with brothers literally killing one another. Write this down to be forgiven, but you can't on sin you be forgiven, but you can't on sin. A lot of people confuse forgiveness and consequences be fully and completely forgiven. David was say that a minute Nathan said so David can be made completely right with God.

He no longer has to carry around the Guild and the condemnation, but the effects remain.

And honestly I struggle a little bit it in explaining this to him conflicted because I know some of you on the side of sexual sin. And I'm not trying to overwhelm you. And I'm not trying to discourage you as if there's no hope because we have a God who is amazing in his ability to heal and amazing visibility to resurrect but also want those of you on this out of it to see that yes you can get forgiveness. Yes, we have a healing God. You can't on sin if you murder somebody you can get forgiveness. But that's not gonna bring that person back to their family in the same way with sexual sin, you get forgiveness assemblies damages in your life and the life of others. I don't just automatically disappear.

Yes, I want you to point you to the forgiveness in the healing of Jesus, but also want to see the weightiness of some of our actions have on ourselves and others. This is not a trifling thing to get the number for exposing your sin begins the healing process exposing your sin, as will begins the healing process for a year. David sat on this in Psalm 51 a song that David wrote about the experience. He explained that it ate away at his insides like a cancer or something. Listen, God said to David for chapters before he did this for Chuck divorce December 7 16, David your house and your kingdom will endure forever in your throne will be established forever. God said that to David, knowing full well what David was about to do. If you let that sink in for a minute God had determined to work for good in David's life forever, already knowing what David would do God's promise to work for good had not changed. But God's word can't commence in David's life until David repents. God has put a promise of your life and not promises that he will work all things for good and he can take even your mistakes and begin to weave them for triumph in healing, but it can't start until you repent. If you cover your sins proverb says you will not prosper, but one that confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy, no less than the question is not, do you sin.

Everybody sends the question is what do you do after you sin because what you do after you sin makes the difference between life and death is year-round near the summit church. We often say. This way the gospel is this. If you cover your sin to cover your sin. Jesus will expose it in judgment if you exposure sin and repentance.

Jesus will covered in grace, you might as well just expose it.

You might as well come clean with it to God, whomever you are because because that's when the healing process can begin and not until you do. Will he begin to work that way in your life with all the story leaves us with two questions to big questions. The first one.

Even David fails, what hope is there for salvation on the earth. David's greatest king never arrives in Israel.

The giant killer.

The protector of even David can be trusted.

What hope is there for humans. There's a second question if even David, a giant killer. A man after God's own heart if even he could not escape physical temptation. What hope is there for any of us if you think that when you read items nothing.

When I read it might even David couldn't make it I will remind you to make, to be a successful father. How want to make it through life without following this way will remarkably the answers to both those last two questions are found in the same place. Number five, only God can provide the king that we need only God himself can provide the king that we need the people in the story are left bewildered. Even David her home. He failed us. So this story. Like all Old Testament stories points beyond itself.

We need a savior that is greater than David.

Even today, we still find ourselves looking to political solutions for our biggest needs to politicians promise prosperity or education is the answer to our problems. Perhaps one bright spot in this otherwise dismal political season is a some of us may be realizing for the first time the salvation is not to be found either in the Democrat or the Republican Party we would have the two candidates are out there. We say we are straight out options right but even if you take the best that Republicans had to have ever had offer the best Democrats have ever read. Offer for your Republican. I guess Lincoln O'Regan if you're Democrat would say Roosevelt or Kennedy or for Obama and you say will send the best that are out there what you going to see is that salvation is never going to come to the it to the United States riding on the wings of Air Force One never salvation comes a different way. We need a different kinda king the king that will not serve himself, had a king who will not use his power to exploit us in this coming king that we need is strangely prefigured in the story not to David, but through Uriah thing about Uriah for a minute. Uriah is innocent. He's selfless. He is heroic to the end. He is absolutely loyal to the David and to his fellow Israelites. He won't even bring himself to enjoy a night of legitimate pleasure if his countrymen are in harm's way. He's faithful to be in Lee's place on the front line and the worst part of the battle be told in charge.

He got so the only reason Uriah dies is because in every stage of the story. He is faithful and obedient.

He dies not because of his own sin he dies for David sin like Jesus. Jesus was loyal to us what our needs above his own. He was faithful to the end and because of that he died for our sins against him. Uriah gives us a picture of the steadfast love of God that got a promise to David.

A love that would never depart from him. Yes, David made a bad mistake, and yes there will be plenty of bad consequences. But the steadfast love of God would never depart from David and God would ultimately take the bet the death penalty for David sin you see when you see it when date when Nathan looked to David and said you're not going to die because of this, since he's not just put in the sin under the rug Dr. Saito. It's no big deal. He say you'll have to die is Jesus going to die in your place is is one crucial difference though between Uriah and Jesus. Uriah had no idea what David had done to him.

Jesus knew everything we done to him and he went eagerly to death anyway so that he could take it for us because of his love for us. Which leads me to the last thing number six. We overcome sin as were captivated by the beauty of this coming king.

You see, you look at David he still David could make it how the world can I make it. David was susceptible to Bathsheba's beauty because his soul was bored and hungry. It's when your heart is empty but you become unable to resist Bathsheba's beauty.

The way to resist Bathsheba's beauty is to be captivated by greater beauty is the only way what are the illustration always use when I make this point nothing is an important point. The authors always uses this six years ago I was invited by some of our UNC students to come and do a Bible study is a group of guys asked to do it at their fraternity because of what you want the Bible study to be on just your for your fraternity to said we wanted to be on sexual temptation said that's a shocker so I prepared the bow sodium circulation assured of their fraternity house and we miss Bible study and in the midst of this Bible study. I explained to them that they could turn sexual desire on all floodlights which is a 19-year-old guys.

You should've seen the look on their faces when I'm in that what he said. He said again and again turn off sexual desire light switch. He's a bro holder you I said on 37 he said he said me and we heard that your body changes when you get older, but we had no idea like because there's no possible way you can turn sexual sorrow floodlights which I think you Had 19 years old. You can't help remedy that is in your you on your mind as a right I see you are, you're in you know your girlfriend's apartment you guys are alone.

The lights are low when things start leading to another. I don't know what you call that anymore. I'm not cool any longer will he go but when I was in college and somebody with a baseball diamond and so your work your way around the bases or whatever you call it now and you flew across the point of no return that the point where mean the passion is just awaken the train has left the station will nod her head like us were talking about either. Once you get to that point, there ain't no turning back like a case of the moment is there. The passion is is is alive right right at that moment in that very moment to moment in the room walks that girl's Navy seal father, who just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan all floodlights which are like yeah good point. I said note what happened in that moment DAD did you lose all your attraction to girls, no still there. It's just that your attraction for her strong is not felt was suddenly outweighed by a stronger desire, shall we say, a desire to stay alive to keep all the limbs of your body attached to your body that suddenly outweighed this desire for this girl and so this attraction over here got outweighed by a stronger attraction, stronger desire see the problem. I told them I tell you is not that your sexual desires are so strong. The problem is that your love for God is so weak and you're trying to avoid sin without growing this passionate love for God and that's what you can do it. The Puritans used to call it on the explosive power of a new affection which is a really warty way of saying that there's this desire in you think it's so big for God that brings all these lesser passions like food or sex or money or whatever you put in the blank there so they come under me for the Lordship of Christ because your passion for him has grown to the point that it controls your life you sent was a that's great how you develop a passion for God is the oppressor button ready just the money or memorize a verse that I come that way is he that's where the story will, comes together. The way you develop that kind of passion for God, the way you develop the kind of passion of God for God's win, you begin to see that Jesus was the real king, the truer and better. David serve not himself. He served you even when you didn't deserve it. Unlike David didn't please himself, even when he was entitled to it. They sacrifice himself for you then use his power to make you die for him. He used his power to die for you see that love begins to captivate your heart to the point that you gain the power you gain the motivation to say no to sin, to the apostle John we talking about overcoming sin. He says it this way.

We all hold what manner of love the fathers bestowed on us, we should be called children of God. Now we are the children of God. Now we are the children of God, but it is not yet appear what we are.

But here's what we know what to when he appears will be like him. This will seems like he is watching and everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself like he is your why does this person purify himself is a because there for the guy you got is a because they want to be a better person a better husband now they purify themselves because they're so excited about seeing Jesus that they want their hearts to be prepared for him and they said they say no to the lesser passion of sex because of the higher passion they have in the love of Jesus Christ is not a resolution. It's not even pull out the Internet on your house is going to cure or your empty soul. What cures your empty soul is the love of Jesus that gives you the billeting to say no to the lesser lust of the flash so don't start with what you need to do for God.

You start with the message of what God is done for you which is what we see when Jesus actually dealt with somebody in the midst of the sin of adultery in John chapter 8 woman gets brought to him on the very act of adultery. You probably know the story. In those days you can be killed for that you be stoned. It's all these guys always varices on the rocks and their handling of stone to bring her disease is not what was should we do Jesus make that famous statement. Let him who is without sin among you cast the first Mel Sturgeon awkwardly brought the rock and go home and visit Jesus and the woman right number 47 him. It was without sin among you cast a verse on here's the ironing. He is without sin. They can cast a stone look to this woman and he says neither do I condemn you go and sin no more. I told you that the thing about what he said to me the odd thing is the order that he puts are two phrases in.

Because instinctively I would always switch. I would always say if you go and sin no more than I will condemn you to give you a second chance. Don't screw it up. Working to forgive the past and what I say you get up whenever a new leaf and let's hope you do better this time. If you go and sin no more than you will be condemn but Jesus was in the Jesus put her forgiveness before change because he knew she never had the power to change until she felt the beauty of forgiveness.

The EEC that the reason this woman had gone to adulterers is because her heart was starving for love and Jesus knew she could never break that cycle until she found the love that was greater than what she searched for the arms of adulterers you see God's acceptance listen to God's acceptance is the power that liberates us from sin is not a reward for us having liberated ourselves, which is why our message of a teenage girl who lost her virginity this year is not hey you should be ashamed and or or hey you really get SED right you can screw up your life are love our message that teenage girl is you have a heavenly father who never stop loving you not in your darkest decisions and not when you were running away from him soon after you saw what you did never stop loving you never will stop loving you. And that's 10,000 times better than any guy is going to use you for his body some dirt bag just was a use you want to succumb to his love and then you won't be captive to all these guys are just so you attention in our message set up to the man who is messed up on pornography is not just you messing up your family rawness of your family and our message to you is this, you got a heavenly father who forgave David and he began to work for good in David's light and turn Daimon into a spiritual leader again in the house to last forever and that's what God wants to give you so once you hold what manner of love the father is given unto you and want you embrace it because that'll give you the power to be free from sin. He breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free. As you realize your sin is canceled.

Your light is still this incredible power. Jesus last word you on the cross would not go fix yourself. There is finished its finish and when you see that sin is been canceled, it releases you and the power that will overcome sexual contagion and searchable loving acceptance of the cross as you receive is much about your heads with me. All of our campuses will realize this finds you probably all over the map.

Some of you here that like I mentioned you're on the side of sexual sin is time for you. Just repentant.

Using the confession right now even heard by sexual sin is to expose that to God. Listen here and listen appears as you say this for everyone looking thinking or sending him looks at the cross of Jesus. Don't fixate on your sinful people cannot look now to the cross and the resurrection.

When Jesus, grace, and what his power in their everyone looking. Take care and they are sending to him looks of Jesus Christ to lead you on the Holy Spirit work on your heart minister you you listen to him and follow what he is telling you to do and then just a matter worship pastor's will, no billing