David’s Fall

It is spring 992 BC almost 3000 years ago. Unlike working David is very very good under his skilled leadership, prosperity and peace has come to Israel and Judah. David is Israel's greatest king is a skilled military strategist is a brilliant political administrator.

He is an amazing musician appoint a writer, and above all, he is a man after God's own heart.

Life for David had not always been easy but not as a former shepherd boy is at the pinnacle of his career and is taking things a bit easy Journal of his army job is fighting the ammonites in the Rabat present-day Jordan and the Bible says that all Israel is fighting with Joe of the normally the kings of Israel were meant to lead their armies into war. But on this occasion, David is back home in his palace in Jerusalem.

David is a man of action, a brilliant soldier, but if the truth be known, this particular day.

He's a bit bored. And that is about in this in his soul. Late one afternoon another catnap. He goes to the roof of his palace for some fresh air and from his early infancy looked time he sees a beautiful woman bathing with her. She was on the roof put in her house. The Scripture doesn't say, but this we do know that David is mesmerized by her alluring beauty and you make some inquiries and he's told Mrs. Bathsheba and her husband is Uriah one of your mighty men, who at this moment is fighting with Joab far away in the present day Jordan David is the king he thinks it's time to meet the neighbors and he sends for beautiful Bathsheba or yes she's marriage is a married woman. She is Uriah's wife and her we dividend to manage yourself David indeed is married he is a number of wives and concubines get married, you may recall King Saul's daughter, Michael. She turned out to be the bit of a problem a bit of a nag but yet another number of wives, Abigail for example, he was very beautiful. He was very intelligent and there is no question that David loves Abigail very very deeply, but over the years that a man's has become a little bit thin on this beautiful Scripture says very beautiful woman is so exciting after all.

David is the king who's going to tell him what to do and that after all, it will be a private matter between two consenting adults is on the armed no one is really going to know about it and so David sends for Bathsheba, and she comes into David's palace and into David's bed keratitis her own home and in the story, no criticism is, is made of Bathsheba and for David, the market is at an end, but then he receives the news that Bathsheba is pregnant that husband is away at war and that's a real problem. Open your Bibles to second Samuel chapter 11 building a few verses on this as we can tenure this evening series on the life of David as second Samuel chapter 11 verse one in the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle David send Joab that sees general his commander-in-chief.

He sends Joab and to seven with him and all Israel, and they ravage the ammonites and the seas, Rabat, but David remained in Jerusalem that happened late one afternoon when David arose from his coach and was walking on the roof of the king's house that he saw from the roof. A woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful and David send to Nikolai by the woman and one said is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Elian, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. So David sent messengers and to cover she came to him and he lay with her as she had been beautifying herself from our uncleanness then should attend to her house and the woman conceived and she sent and told David I'm pregnant. Now David that this point is no novice is an expert in crisis management is dealt with difficult situations before and that David obviously very brilliant monomeric clever mind that you have a very devious man, he devises an ingenious plan he sends for Uriah the woman's husband to come back to Jerusalem ostensibly to talk to him about the progress of the war, but really, of course he wants to get Uriah back home and back into his own home and into bed with his wife, but Shiva did this right everything to sin will be covered up. It will be assumed that any baby born to Betsy about is Uriah's, but he hadn't reckoned on Uriah Uriah not an Israelite but Hittite, but he's a mighty warrior and he's a man of high honors amount of loyalty and integrity, and he refuses to go to zone the home while he says Israel's army is still at war when their camping in the open field. I can do that thing. Try as David mind and David tries a few occasions, is rooted here in second 711, David is unable to persuade Uriah to spend time at home with Bathsheba. David is not desperate, so he commands Uriah to go back to the battle and what Uriah he sends a letter a letter that Uriah is to deliver to job his commander-in-chief who still battling with the ammonites and job as instructed by King David to place Uriah the very fiercest point of the battle and therefore the most likely place to be killed.

Job is a very shrewd man. Job themselves a very devious man. If you have read the Scriptures in first and second Samuel in first Chronicles and the job understands what he has to do. I he's a man who can be trusted by David and so Uriah's place in the very points of the fiercest point of the fight and the goat was too close to the ammonites and Uriah and some of the other soldiers killed away from home in these very treacherous circumstances after the death of Uriah David no sends for Bathsheba to be his wife.

No one will ever know.

Uriah is now dead and enjoyable. Joab can be trusted. Job as a man who can keep his mouth closed on the cover-up.

David things has been very very successful. But second Samuel ends with these words in verse 27 but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, the Lord's your budget and David and all of these skimming had forgotten his theology that God knows everything that goes on in their lives and someone else did note Nathan the prophet, and Nathan confronts David is very easy to confront a powerful King like David but Nathan does in a very very skillful way.

He tells David story read with me in second Samuel 11 verse 26 for the wife of Uriah had the Uriah. Her husband was dead. She lamented over the husband and when the morning was over, David sent, and brought her to his house and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord and the Lord sent Nathan to David.

He came to him and said to them, there were two men in a certain city. The one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds with the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb she bought and you brought it up, and grew up with him and with his children used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms and it was like a daughter to him there came a traveler to the rich man and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or her to prepare for the guys to come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who come to him.

Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said to Nathan as the Lord lives.

The man who's done this deserves to die and he shall restore the land fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pretty verse seven, Nathan said to David, you the man you the man interesting when David here's the story of the rich man and the poor man. He's absolutely outraged. The man who is so callous and would not use his own flawed but take the one lamb from the poor man.

That man deserves to die.

Strange. David is the you've committed great sins.

Not only did you take another man's lamb you took another man's wife, why you so passionate about a man who took alarm and Nathan is saying to David know you're the man. Just think David of all that God has given you all that you are and you have comes from God.

You can bring a very humble beginning. And God has made you king, and God has abundantly blessed to. And God would even have you given you more if you would ask blessed you have been David but instead of being thankful you have despised the Lord displeased the Lord you've committed a great evil in the sight of the Lord. Nathan is the voice of God to the king. David is a here's this is shaken to the core of his being under the law.

The penalty for adultery.

The penalty for murder is death at the full and normative the sin I think begins as he is confronted by Nathan to overwhelm the king scandal of Bathsheba is going to become a national scandal. Perhaps David's father Jesse had told him the story of the little Shepherd by Bruce repeatedly warned by his father to have nothing to do with stakes with snakes. One night when arrived in the hills little boys in the stent and a snake crawls to the entrance of the tent and saves the little boy it's cold out here, will you please pick me up and take me into the tent you on your stomach and we will warm each other little boy says no my daddy says I should never listen to snakes should never have anything to do with them go away, but the snake process and eventually the little boy picks up the snake brings it into the tent printed on these stomach and the snake bites them. The poison goes into the little boy and as a little boy is dying from the snake bite. He asked the state why did you find me when I brought you into the tent to warm you snake applied. That's what snakes do they bite the poison and you knew what I did before you took me into the tent and David the farmer shepherd boy now in the spiritual Shepherd of Israel you what snakes do. He had brought the snake of sin into his home and he been badly bitten. Yes, he may send in private, but we never sin and isolation do we and poison note had entered the home of David, his family, and indeed the nation through David's deceit and the double totally adultery and murder. This Satan is going to have a tremendous impact in his family and on the nation of you find that one sin leads to another like a cancer sin left unconfessed will grow and will grow robbing us of our communion with God taking away the joy of Christian service, and causing our hearts to become harder and harder so that we don't hear and we don't respond to God's word, yes. That happened even to a great man like David a man after God's own heart.

Each one of us here. I think you'll agree with me. Each one of us here has the potential to commit very serious since no exceptions.

Adam and Eve send in a perfect environment in paradise.

David send just a short time after being worn by Jesus himself and here is David King David brilliant man so gifted, so blessed by God. God's grace being showered on him. This man a man after God's own heart falls into the sin that we just read about a sober warning to us all turn over to first Corinthians chapter 10 we read there in verse 12 therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall there anyone here who thinks that you couldn't commit such sin, if so be very careful. The one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall next week were going to think of David's restoration but I want us to think with a backdrop of the terrible sin of David to think and to learn about temptation about the snake about what it does and I was to be resisted so that we will not fall as David did. First Corinthians 10 verse 11 that these things happen to them. Israel, as an example, but they were written down for our instruction as to what we've read regarding the story of David and his Satanism and morality with Toshiba. There were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, having regard to the sins of the past to people who are far stronger than their faith in us, therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. Tonight is a warning. It's a warning to you.

It's a warning to me on think of other people think of yourself.

This is a warning to us. The one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful and you will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will provide that the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved flea from idolatry. Was Paul saying what Scripture saying you will be tempted to sin no temptation to sin is not a sin, we sometimes sing the old hymn prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love students were saying about God's love and how God loves us even when we don't feel it and we in spite of God's love with prone to wander in 20 prone to take the snake into the tent. All of us here are tempted, unkindness, dishonest, a gossip, lustful thoughts, laziness, vengeance, covetousness, every single person here is sinful desires. Everyone is tempted you are not on the exception. Temptation is an incitement to sin, but the temptation itself is not a sin. Jesus Christ perfect God and perfect man was tempted for 14 days. We read Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, so be prepared for temptation. Share your struggles with a stronger believer and have some accountability.

Bring your temptation from the dark into the light of what is Paul saying here something wonderful, no temptation has overtaken you that it is not common to man, brother. Don't flatter yourself that you have some unique or special temptation. Your temptations are not exceptional advisor very very common. All of us experience temptations, pride, greed, anger, laziness, sensuality, cheating, flatter rate deception.

I talked about being honest in their taxation. Anyone here ever been tempted to funds, the what you would report to the IRS. I'm sure many here the tempted. These are common temptations yielding to the temptation is Satan and has very very serious consequences turn over to James last week I said were going to use her Bible think we should use our Bible every Sunday edition way. James chapter 1 went from second Samuel the first Corinthians note to James one James tells us about temptation. James one verse 13 let no one say when these tempted. I'm being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one.

Verse 14 but each person is tempted when he is Lord and in Tiny by his own desire, then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown brings forth that it's easy is intent to use the words of verse 14 to be lured and enticed by your own desires, lured and enticed our fishing or hunting terms. The Shetland Islands of the most northerly island in the and scrub ceramic good night and demented time in the Shetland Islands.

I've gone fishing for many, many small locks and shepherds. And there's a lot of child in these locks and I would go fishing with some of my friends and usually we would go fishing with the lure for your cast. Another was the point of the lure.

The lure is to deceive the fish you want the fish to see the attractive lure and when the fish bites on the lure.

It realizes too late, that it's caught by the hook.

The hook is hiding the Lord, and these lures or are they come in all different shapes and sizes of them very like light because silver and the gleam in the water or a blue one and the different ones depending on where your fishing and how deep it is and what kind of fish are after, but they all have this in common there there to deceive the fish and when the fish bites on the lure and grabs a hook, and this caught in Tiny. It sees the alert grabs the lure.

Thinking it's going to have a meal and it ends up being your mail is what sin does doesn't it lures us it entices us, attracts us, it deceives us in James is saying be careful there's a book and when you bites on the lure. When you bite on the temptation then you are costs on the consequence when it's fully grown brings forth that the wages of sin is that no temptation comes in very subtle and pleasurable forms of it didn't it would be temptation fish is not going to bite on something it doesn't think is as tasty it is. Lord, it's deceive and temptation comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes. And the temptation seems very very tempting on the. The lure debate is often suspect actually fascinating, beautiful, alluring, but in every case, the lure is hiding the if you bite you like the fish will be hooked will be captured. The results verse 15 that the hook is deadly sin and the devil always always promise the best known Satan, sin hides the painful consequences hides the hook but the hook is always there. Think of the painful consequences to David restart the child that your eyes whiteboard to David.

The Bible says diet on the consequences of Davidson were not just personal to him. They certainly were devastating tempted but also devastating to your eyes family man is killed the other soldiers are killed with your eye on the fierce point of the battle, they would kill David's family and impacted the whole nation is impacted through his selfish, self-centered, self-indulgent sin. So first we have to understand that there are many many temptations. But here's the promise. Back to first Corinthians 11 Julie this is one of the best promises and all of the Bible in your temptation. God is always faithful. First Corinthians 11 verse 13. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. All of us attempt God is faithful always going faithful implementation. This he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to enjoy a wonderful however severe the temptation, however, discourage you may feel however lonely and vulnerable. You can rely on the absolute integrity and faithfulness of God. Here is a great promise that in the temptation. Whatever this however alluring God is faithful and in your temptation a faithful God is always there to give you all of the help you need a great promise is not good to know that you go forward in your Christian life.

Yes, there will be temptations. I'm going to be tempted. You're going to be tempted. But in every single case, God is faithful. He's so faithful, and he knows you and he knows the extent of the temptation you will not allow you to be tempted.

The verses beyond your ability is correct. There is a limit on the extent of the temptation. No temptation is bigger and are harder or greater than you can bear that will never you'll never encounter a temptation which is sort so powerful, so alluring, so fierce that you must yield to know that will never happen. God never allows you to be tempted beyond your ability first Corinthians 10 verse 13 God is faithful to David have to send her but she buttoned David and God provides verse 13. The way he will provide the way of escape, that you may be able to enjoy in the fiercest of temptations God will always provide a way of escape using what what what kind of escape all possibilities that so when you're tempted.

There is a way out. First have to recognize the temptation and to realize I see the lure.

I see the temptation, but I realize that there is a hook that if I yield to the temptation of committed a sin. So I'm to realize a ring tempted. Secondly, I am through the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God and to resist the temptation. James says, resist the devil and he will do well to flee from you. Amazing. Every Springs oatmeal experience that is David but Satan is so powerful and cannot understand my insinuation John that did and I'm so vulnerable and then entered. I just can't help myself.

No no no no don't say that that's an attack on the faithfulness of God. God will never allow you to be tempted beyond your ability. No, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Also take run through the way of escape, and a very common way of escape.

As mentioned in verse 14.

The first Corinthians 10 flee, flee.

Paula said in first Corinthians 6 verse 18 flee from sexual immorality tempted for some in the morality flee away from the situation don't see how dear you can get to the fire. Every drop of poisonous poison every bit of fire is far every bit of sin is sin member.

The young man, Joseph Joseph, betrayed by his brothers sold into slavery falsely accused and his given the position of responsibility and part of her sparse and Mrs. part of her look so Joseph was a very handsome man. The Bible says a young man probably in his late teens, and she looks on Joseph and she wants to have sex with Joseph is what Joseph says in Genesis 39 verse nine he is not greater in this house than I am. Nor has he kept back failing to part of neither is he Buy anything from me except you because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God.

And what does Joseph do just that long and have a little coffee with Mrs. Bodiford know he runs out, what's he saying to Mrs. father for listen I can do this because your husband has put me in a position of responsibility. Furthermore, these entrusted everything to me. Apart from you. You are his wife, you're a married woman and then he says most important of all, highly than can I do this great wickedness and sin against God. Can I say that's part of the problem in today's culture we redefine sin we call things in a fair and discretion.

Joseph got the right great wickedness and sin against God.

Do you see that immorality. That way there is a great wickedness and the sin against God. Yes, against part of her yes against his wife. But above all I sin against God. That's what the prodigal did when he came to his senses and he came back in the in Luke chapter 15, he realized, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. God miraculously will always prepare away of escape.

So the next time you're tempted and you would be tempted to ask God what is the way of escape, and God will reveal that to you and take that and God is also faithful when we do sin is faithful in providing us a way of escape, so that we do not sin, but when we do sin first John 19 if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God never ever says I'm tired of you coming and confessing your sin, he is faithful to forgive us our sins based on the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, that forgiveness is offered through the death of our Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary is will think of next Sunday as we think of David's restoration.

No sin is too bad, please hear me you say this is a tough message to hear John that I've fallen into grievous sin. Just like David, can I say to you know sin is too bad the situation to horrible no backslider is too far away from God's love and God's forgiveness a holy God sent his holy son into this on the holy world to save and to forgive unholy people like you and me. What does God require confess our sins, repent before him avail ourselves of the wonderful redemption and forgiveness that this filing in Jesus Christ. If you've never done that. If you've never trusted Christ and never had the wonderful experience of all of your sins forgiven wonderful. We had communion last week, I thought of it as him leaving wonderful is only the gospel of Jesus Christ, that all of our sins to be blotted out that there is total total redemption denture people to talk to, thereby redemption is a common thing though they can get redemption. It's only through the blood of Jesus Christ that there is total redemption redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ are four things as I conclude four things to remember so that you can endure temptation and four things.

First of all, keep looking to the Savior every day.

Look to Christ. Worship is so important is why communion is so important to keep looking to the Savior. Hebrews 415 reminds us that our Savior in every respect that has been tempted as we are yet without sin. In fact, our Savior new temptation in a way that none of us know because he resisted all temptation. Oscar Wilde said the best way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it well is on the biblical way is it our Lord Jesus was tempted, no one was tempted as fiercely as our Savior and the greater he was tempted, the more beautiful Sean through his moral excellency and his sinlessness and he did not sin. So keep looking to the Savior. Keep following Jesus member the Christian life following Jesus every day. Look to him. Secondly, know the word of God is heard me say this before and I'll keep saying it know this book. Read this book is a genre I do and I don't get from it. All that you get from it. Well, the reason for that is you're not spending as much time and it is I am. But even when you don't understand everything you're reading this, I guarantee the word of God is so powerful it has a cleansing effect on us, cleanses us his supernatural and when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.

How did he endure temptation three times we read in Matthew chapter 4 verse four it is written in verse seven. Again, it is written in verse 10, for it is written, what is Jesus doing when he is being tempted by the devil he's doing what you was doing what I must do is according to the word of God.

Think of it like that dictation.

Psalm 119 verse 11 your word I have treasured stored up in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119 verse nine how can a young man keep his way pure. This is impossible to live in such a sleazy world is impossible for a young man a young woman are to be at UNC Charlotte and live a clean life. No, it's not how can a young man, how can an older man hugging a middle-aged man keep his way pure parking a man who is traveling and staying in hotels and sing-along away from his wife.

How can that man live a pure life. Answer some of the 19 verse nine by guarding it according to your word exit in this book.

Knowing the word of God. Read it every day memorizing study at all bids in the armor of God, what am I to take time to take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God is what Jesus did is what wise men and wise woman of done done through the centuries to know and to obey, submit to apply the word of God to believe that third prey Lord as he taught his disciples to pray. Says Lee does not intend lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Pray that each day. Lord delivered me from evil in the garden of Gethsemane Lord said to his disciples, Mark 14 verse 38 watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. We have a dangerous enemy.

The snake is there.

I'm to be vigilance. Why would I dabble with the snake of sin. I'm to pray so that I may be aware of the Lord, that I may see there who got me think of the consequences that I may remember Christ has called me to live a holy life. We are to pray with the watchword to be vigilance to do the every day to pray that you will not enter into temptation is a good prayer is demise of Jesus time in the word of God, praying and watching fourth claim the promises of God, the promise of first Corinthians 1013, always look for and always take the way of escape, God is faithful, then you will be able to endure temptation.

Paul says in Galatians 5 walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh are pre-through Romans six, seven, eight, about our sanctification saturate yourself with the teaching of Romans six, seven, and a the life in the spirit, being dead to send in the life to God. Study Galatians 5.

The work of the Spirit on the part of the flash and the spirit are at war, but if I walk by the Spirit upon controlled by the spirit. I will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. All that you need and all that I need in this battle.

As we face temptation is given to us, avail yourself of it here.

Then from the life of David as a warning, a man after God's own heart. All of us attempted all of us have sinned, we hear the word of God. This this evening Chelsea lettuce in that new song from Psalm 130 versus three and four here are two verses four if you all, Lord, should mark iniquities all Lord who could send that is not one of us here who could stand if God was marking over iniquities, but with you. Verse four there is forgiveness that you may be feared. This is the one that of God's grace is that he sees us in our darkness in our sin and their willful sin in our deception and he sends us his son, Lord Jesus to rescue us to deliver us.

That's why the gospel is such a message of hope, a message of transformation today.

We confess your sins, God is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness and this week live a holy life looking to Christ praying for his help in the words claiming the promises of God so that you and I will live a pure life in a very very impure world. Help us father we stand convicted under this teaching was so like David as well as sins are recorded in the perhaps very grievous.

We know that all of us here have sins so we thank you for the love that you have for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. There are some here is even father who may never have cried out, what must I do to be saved, deliver the father from the darkness of their sin into your marvelous light that we will follow the one who said I am the light of the world.

He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life may be this week this month.

Walk in the light as we follow Jesus in his name we pray