The Fall of David

Today on Summit life. A cautionary message from Pastor Jamie Greer. This is the man of God's own heart. The mighty protectorate Israel God. Psalm 23 the dog was brave enough to fight Goliath but nobody else would. Now he's killing groups of people to cover up his moment of pleasure second Samuel 11 begins with these chilling but the thing that David had done this please the Lord back to a new week solid biblical life with pastor JD Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly minutes okay tell me this was your experience growing up in Sunday school. King David was often treated like a superhero right a model of courage and faithfulness.

Just a few stones in a sling to topple a giant in many ways he really was kind of a hero, but it's important to remember that he was also a broken center today were looking at the darkest moment in David's life and learning from his mistakes. It's part of our overview of the Bible called the whole story. If you missed any of the previous messages can find them all JD clear.com for right now let's get into the message title.

The following David Chapter 11 will through one of the most tragic in the Bible is going to give us a very pressing warning about a very practical issue.

Just remember whenever you read a story like this from the Old Testament the way that you interpret it is not Bible character you is a long way to interpret your always appropriate Bible character Jesus you know cut out the middleman somewhat distorted, try to show you is that every earthly leader is to let us down salvation for us is not a calm riding him on the wings of Air Force One we something different but the story also shows us the dangers of sexual sin, sexual sin destroys more people's relationship with God, and 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 a 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. 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. 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 sample Chapter 11 verse one in the spring of the year that time when kings go out to battle David sent Joab was his commander-in-chief and his servants with them in 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 in the battle he's going to send somebody else and he is a stay-at-home David the warrior. In other words, is transformed in the David the relaxer for a lot of people.

This is where sexual temptation begins their lives like purpose and the allure of sex promises they fulfillment up a distraction and excitement and attention an adventure that they desperately crave their lives are just boring and predictable. Maybe a housewife or maybe there somebody that's just I just thought your jobs are 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 there for beautiful is to obey, which literally means in Hebrew time. Now the Bible is not typically rate women. She was odd. She was not so hot to the back of it says about Sheba was, not just fine but very fine means that she was some kind. There's a second thing that you notice David had put himself in a place where he could be tempted. He's walking on the roof alone. He's doing the Old Testament version of browsing the Internet alone at night the points he clicks men he dwells in me these feelings begin to overpower him and Sir David verse three center inquired about the woman and one said is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Elian, 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 might 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 about his future wife. This man, but you're messing around with 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 sociologists say is very simple. The Nazis quit thinking of the Jews as humans was a that's what happens in sex 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 God 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 it Joab may have Uriah come all, 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 pay not you look really tired once you go home and just enjoy the night with you.

Why aren't you married Uriah all yeah you are what you just go and spend some time with her as a birthday. David gives Uriah an Old Testament version of an aphrodisiac and sends him home, thinking that he and Bessie Lowell. 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 and 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 eat sleeps in a big room with all the palace guards at night. Now imagine how convicting that was for David.

You got a guy was so 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 is 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 what the point is or what he sees him face down in his yard so they know we didn't go in 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 I want you to lead Uriah out there all by himself. He writes us a little scroll the seals it puts it in Uriah's hand and has Uriah take it 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 guilt told this is David this is David a man after God's own heart. The mighty protectorate Israel, the guy who wrote Psalm 23 the guy was brave enough to fight Goliath with 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. 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 has 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 to be killed by one of his brothers, and then another one of David's sons as a leader 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 had 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 and 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 would never quite be the same, but I would bring shame on my mother and my father I bring shame and endless judgment on the girl that I committed adultery with she never be able to go anywhere, at least in this city without people say it. 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 the gospel and safe. That's why it's not through it all, I would follow in the footsteps of me and I know these ministries were incredible, but whose immorality forfeited that ministry and causes me now to shutter with horror. Most importantly, I would grieve my Lord and Savior. And 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 while 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 what 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 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 attach 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 before.

To illustrate this SAP take duct tape and wrap around somebody on the river that they balls with the duct tape companies as of that person's arm by air out of alarms going on with it.

We take the same piece of duct tape wrapped around somebody else's arm is still going to stick a lot but not as much is it in the first one you had 100 times by the hundredth time that that tape is loss of the ability to adhere to anything is 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 what they conclude. You can no more try out sex but 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 mentally tell you if you have pornography if you got that in your life until yes it's a sin against God. But 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 that 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 this destroy you later when it did give her a chance that that the pullout by the way, I keep applying this demand, but it works in both genders, sometimes for women.

This takes different forms, not just trashy romance novels 50 shades a grocer, 56, gonorrhea, or whatever that series is called, but 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 of exclusively male problem no 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 give 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 I 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 about I give myself wholly and completely to you without reservation.

I got give it all to you people coming to say well we want to go to Hawaii and renew our marriage vows like there's 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 wide 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 soul. Oneness is not quite there yet.

What has the power to bless has the power to destroy. If why I've always ascribed you like fire if I ask you, do you want fire in your house, your answer is it depends on where you put it fire in the fireplace is awesome firing the couch. Not so awesome. My fire has the ability to bless and has the ability to destroy is 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 is young Tony a lot of young people I know a lot of high high school students in college. It is going to wait until perceptible to get married because her further to miss out on something God tells you to wait for sex and to get married precisely because he doesn't want you to miss out on something that I know right now in our culture.

A lot of young. I told a lot of high school, college villages, I what is impossible to be responsible 50 years ago, but not if that's not true. I was home two things when I say that as a personal I was 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 student in God gave us the ability to do you can know it is lots of people today that there 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. God is a virgin is 33 years old is one taught us about the abundant life every time you pray you prayed with 33-year-old male virgin.

She did 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 disobeyed in. So the first thing the story shows us is that there are some real significant things and go along with this, and sexual sin rapidly destroy alive number two serves as we stay engaged in the battle you need to stay engaged in the battle for many of you problem is not a lustful body. The problem is on 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 might 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 to be in the lead you to begin to serve you get into a group. Men will tell you from personal experience that the attractions of sex as a lot of their power. You are actively engaged as the spiritual leader in your family.

That's why you're so susceptible because you're not a spiritual leader not living a life of courage and ministry that God has assigned you live 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 taking off your pants in the middle of a rugby match is 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 in 1980s that I grew up in the 1980s, like a lot of children. The 1980s, I learned a lot of numbers Bible life lessons from Mr. Biagi 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 appliance. She was like they know what's another good counter maneuvers or debaucheries is easiest way to avoid a botched is not be a place where you get in a 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 that it is to resist it. Years ago I read the 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 password temptation was in the closet 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 River fell that just comes out of nowhere all at once a secret smoldering fire is Kindle but just one. Therefore, 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 nine. 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 about Oliver says. The Bible teaches that in times of temptation to our flesh. There is only one command fully fully youthful lust fully worldly temptation.

If you're feeling under pressure and on the verge of something any 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. Your 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. How's that, I just don't think I can relate you here it is.

I've concluded that if I do not spend time alone with girls were not my wife and I will not have sex with. How brilliant is that mistakes are just too high.

I just I don't play Russian roulette loaded revolvers sitting around on the table at our house is that it sends a have a little revolvers sitting on a table is not technically a sin. But what can a loving dad would do that.

I don't keep up hands are in my backyard that may or may not be one of my children mistakes are just too high not to play Russian roulette sobering reminder danger of sexual from pastor JD Greer and Senate life pastor Jenny will continue this message tomorrow, pointing us to the forgiveness and hope of the gospel in the meantime you can hear this message again when you visit us online. JD Greer.com. Today's messages from her teaching series called the whole story. We've been at this for a while now, so if you've missed any teaching along the way, you can always find it@jdgreer.com to go along with this series we have a new resource simply called the books of the Bible cards.

This set of cards will help you as you read to make connections with the context of the original audience. Each card includes an illustration representing the above details about the event. Three key truths gleaned from the vet points to Jesus and reflection question to help you apply the message to your life. We left for you to have this resource as a reference for any time you're reading the Bible is our way of saying thanks need any support this ministry Senate life is funded by investors like ours, ask for the books of the Bible cards today by calling 866-335-2866 520 easier you can get online. JD Greer.com and Molly that events be sure to listen again Tuesday when we conclude the message that we started today. Right here on Senate life Jenny by JD Greer ministry