How Can I Be Truly Forgiven - Part 1

Mistakes of your past and sometimes sends us a great Jeremiah has a word of encouragement for you as he shared some reassurance of God's grace and forgiveness. Some from God. I made some ounces. His David is missing. How can I truly forgive if anyone can teach us about forgiveness and its king David Washington was unforgivable. From the standpoint of most people and committed adultery. He actually committed murder and destroy the family ended up being the reason why a baby died and did some pretty terrible things, but he was forgiven and if God could forgive David he can forgive him he can forgive me if we come to him as David did and truly confess our sin, he is a forgiving God will get to that in just a moment, let me tell you that there's a study guide for the series that were studying all these questions and all these answers is not a book study. It's kind of like a topical study, but we put all of these lessons together in one study guide and the study guide is hundred 25 pages in length, that's perfect brown. It's beautiful, designed just for you. It's filled with the outlines and summaries of each lesson along with questions and application questions.

Additional information to help you internalize the message of these passages.

This study guide is for your own personal use. It's for your own review. It's for you and your family is for you and your wife or your husband, and specifically for small group use. If you have a small group and are looking for biblical information as the basis of your discussion.

Why not try this particular study. Get your people together get a study guide for every one of them. They can read a little bit ahead and get the audio you can listen ahead and be the facilitator and you will find studying the word of God is riveting and it's way better than talking about how you feel when talking about your emotions talking about the word of God is life changing its transformational and I encourage you to use the work we've done to help you do that well.

Forgiveness is a big deal.

Many psychologists and psychiatrists say that if people could just find a way to be forgiven, they would be healthy again when I don't know how to forgive and we don't know where to find forgiveness. It leaves us in a very bad place, so listen carefully as we teach the Psalms and talk about how can I truly forgiven her name was Catherine and Powers in 1960 student who was described as armed and very dangerous. Catherine had driven the car in a deadly 1970 bank robbery in Boston and one of her accomplices had killed a policeman. He will call the father of nine children and for 23 years. Catherine Powers hid her past changing her name changing cities whenever she felt threatened deliberately never driving faster than the speed limit losing contact with her parents and six brothers and sisters, and at 44 after 23 years of running she was consumed by guilt and desperately tired and after months of therapy. She had come to understand that she suffered from chronic depression in a prepared statement. She explained that she was ready to face what ever consequences the legal system would impose on her. She took her first steps toward reconciling her past and her present when she met therapist Linda Carol in May 1992 she wept at a class that Carol gave on depression at a local hospital and subsequent private sessions power described her symptoms. Listen carefully, waves and waves of almost unbearable sadness, each one stronger than the one before Carol who spoke to the Corvallis Gazette Times as powers would try to fight back with intense working exercise and even prayer but nothing seemed to help and after many sessions Carol says power realized that her emotional difficulties would never end until she came clean and gave herself up as a fugitive for 23 years she fooled the FBI and every law officer in America.

She moved from place to place, never got caught but she couldn't escape the sense of guilt and shame that filled her own heart and so one day, knowing she would have to spend the next 10 years in prison. She came forward and said I did it. I'm the one and now she confesses to the fact that she is learning to live with openness in truth and no longer experiencing life with the distorted lens. She agrees that even prison is better than the prison. She's been living in for the last 2 1/2 decades. We don't know very much about it and we don't talk about it nearly as much as we should. Guilt is pretty powerful force.

Today I want to tell you about a man who lived in the Old Testament times who experienced a very similar situation.

It didn't take him 23 years to come clean but for one long year. He tried to cover up what he had done and it ate his lunch. In fact, in the Scripture. There are two passages that tell the story of David Psalm 32 in Psalm 51, David was very much like powers in this regard. He had a much different life before the crisis which plunged him into difficulty. In fact is you know David had walked with God for many years. It was widely known that he was the sweet singer of Israel had gained a reputation as an incredible profit a man who understood the deep things of God. He had been the longtime spiritual leader of his people, then suddenly in his midlife. He was plunged into a terrible double sin that almost rendered him useless to himself and to God.

You remember the account he was on his palace roof one day when he should have been off the wall with his troops and as he was walking on the palace roof. He looked out into the courtyard next to the many saw a beautiful woman bathing herself. His passion was aroused and he sent over messengers and ordered her to be brought to the palace he committed adultery with her and realized now that he was in big trouble. Her husband was a soldier in David's army was away fighting for the king when David found out that through this one night stand with Bathsheba. She had become pregnant.

He panicked and tried to began to cover up his sin he ordered. First of all Uriah Bathsheba's husband home from battle. His plan is ingenious plan was. If I can get Uriah to go and spend the night with Bathsheba.

No one will ever know that this is my child. They will think it's Uriah's child. So when Uriah came home from the battle Davidson wanted to go down in spend the night with your wife.

He sent home a bottle of wine and some nice food and he said just been a wonderful night at home while Uriah was more honorable than David and Uriah said it isn't good that I should do that. My fellow soldiers are out fighting the king's battle. It isn't right that I should be home enjoying a night with my wife. So Uriah slept on the steps of the palace and when David awoke the next day.

He realized that plan one to cover his sin had failed. Uriah went back to battle in David's mind continue to turn if I don't deal with this problem.

He thought it will soon be news throughout the kingdom that I would be discredited. So he trusted his faithful general Joab and he told Joab to send Uriah to the hottest point of the battle so that he would surely be killed.

In fact, he said, enjoy what you do is this the podium at the point of the triangle you thrust out into battle and when the battle waxes hot tell the rest of the soldiers to retreat and leaving there all alone this time.

The plan worked. Uriah was killed and David thought he was home free. When you read Psalm 32 in Psalm 51 a year has passed since this event and of course David being the most powerful man in the world at that time probably thought if anybody could handle a cover-up. He could the morning for Uriah past and everybody gave lip service to the tragic death of this valiant soldier as soon as the morning parade was over. Bathsheba moved into the palace with David and became his wife. The child of David's passion was born and as we read Psalm 32 in Psalm 51 is now about three months old. It is quite probable that the 12 months during which this whole thing had been covered up past with little discussion of David's crimes, but there were a few people who knew David knew Bathsheba knew and Joab's general new all yes there is one other person who knew second Samuel 1127 says the thing that David had done displeased Lord so the Lord knew and what we see happening as we read the Psalms is a very good case study of what you do with guilt and what you do with sin and how you deal with it in your life. First of all, you have to understand that just like powers. David was going through intense emotional upheaval in his life. There was real conviction in his heart. The history book does not tell us his heart condition during the 12 months past, but David himself tells us in Psalm 32. He reminds us of what he was experiencing speaks of the anguish of the soul. He speaks of his silence.

He speaks how troubled he was in verse three he talks about how he was caught up in intensity in his own inward spirit in verses three and four Psalm 32 he talks about his suffering.

He says his bones waxed old to his rolling all day long. Physiologically, the guilt had begun to move out into David's being in palladium even as Catherine Powers said waves and waves of depression came one right after the other and I could hardly stand them for a year. He tried to live with his bad conscience, but as the story records something happened during David's period of sickness and sorrow and anguish over what he had done and that is that the Lord sent somebody to help them now. David didn't know at the time this happened, that this was help but indeed it was 40 moved from his period of conviction to a time of confrontation, and the record is in second Samuel 12. Let me read it to you in second Samuel 12 we read beginning at verse one and the Lord sent Nathan to David, who was Nathan.

He's the preacher he's the prophet, and he came to David and he said to him, he's going to tell the story now hear the preacher and God says do you go confront the most powerful man in the world how you going to do this.

What I can't get into Nathan Lebed.

He says I'm not going to do this directly.

I think telling the story so Nathan comes up with a story gets the right brain left brain thing you know he wants David to really hear this and this is the story. Watch this. There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor and the rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds and the poor man had nothing except one of you land what you bought and nourished in a group together with him and with his children and eight of his own food and drink from his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to them and a traveler came to the rich man who refused to take from his own flocking from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man would come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who would come to him to get the story. Do you need to know who the people are who was the little lamb its Bathsheba who is the poor man that Uriah, who is the man with all that you could offer and have that wouldn't spare his own.

That's David and when David heard the parable he hadn't put two and two together in the Scripture says that David's anger was greatly aroused against this preacher and he said to Nathan as the Lord lives, the man who has done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore fourfold for the lamb because he did this thing because he had no pity.

When David heard this he was all he was hot.

He said I've never heard anything that made me so angry. Whoever did this, he will die, and he will give back four times what he took the picture this if I'm the preacher. I realize this is where I have to pull the trigger and I'm nervous. Nathan's going to make the application and the Scripture says, and I picture he took his long bony prophetic finger stuck in David's nose and he said read the text you are the man. You're the one I'm talking about. Wow, talk about a confrontation to stop for a moment and said I know that some of you come to church and you would prefer that we never say anything about sin and he would like it if we never talk about anything that's negative or anything that might upset you little bit but let me just remind you, God sent the prophet to David. David didn't ask for and God sent him to David because the prophet was to have a very important ministry in David's life. He was to help David face up to what he had done and I don't know this for sure, but if I have to give you my guess is to what David's feeling at this moment when Nathan says thou art the man along with the overwhelming anguish of knowing now that he is been found out. I have to believe that David also feels a sense of incredible relief finally it's out. I've talked to numerous people who've been through experiences similar to this in terms of morality, and they've covered up over a long period of time when when finally the story is told that's what they've said to me, I was overwhelmed that it was no telling the truth.

I was glad it was out. I didn't have to live that way anymore confrontation. Can I just say to you men and women that usually there is no change without a confrontation somewhere along the way there's going to be somebody that will come and help us to face up to what's wrong in our life and we will either hear it or we will close our ears to it. If David had pushed Nathan away. David had the power to take Nathan's life if he chose. He could have made him another casualty, but David heard the voice of God, and it was the first step back and I want you to know that because the next thing that happened after the confrontation was a confession and the confession is written for us. In David's journal.

In fact, if you turn to the Psalms in your Bible and you see the superscription over Psalm 51 you will know that I am telling you the truth when I say this is what David said when he prayed to God at this moment for the superscription over Psalm 51 in my Bible says this to the chief musician, a Psalm of David.

When Nathan the prophet, went to him after he had gone into Bathsheba.

Interestingly enough, Charles Haddon Spurgeon says that during that whole year. David probably never wrote anything.

He couldn't write anything because he was out of fellowship with God. He didn't have any song in his heart, his joy was gone immediately after the confrontation. David once again took up his pen and started to make some notations in his journal and he pans for us in Psalm 51 his own words as he comes back to God. How do you pray how you pray when you been found out how you pray when your sin is so overwhelming that like Catherine Powers. You just can't stand it anymore and you gotta get it out in the open well let me tell you two things about David's confession. First of all, it was genuine it was genuine.

Using the pastor Jeremiah's all confession genuine. Not really. I read this week about a guy who wrote a letter to the Bureau of internal revenue and the letter said, I haven't been able to sleep because last year when I filed my income tax report. I deliberately misrepresented my income, I'm enclosing a check for hundred and $50 and if I still can't sleep a singular rest now that's the way a lot of people confess folks like that confession for a lot of folks is just telling people what you discover. They already know effect in our schools and I can say this for the high school junior high only for the college. One of things we learn we deal with the problems young people face is that a lot of times kids will come clean when they know you already know what they did but they won't tell you any more than they think you know so sometimes you think you got this whole deal wrapped up in efforts all over you found out they didn't come clean at all as a whole bunch more stuff.

You should've known confession can be dishonest and on genuine did you know that but I wanted tell you something. When David confessed his confession was genuine.

You say how do you know that look into the Bible with me and notice what he said about what he did. Verse one he calls a transgression which is rebellion. Verse two he calls it iniquity, which is perversion distortion acting unjustly dealing crookedly verse two he calls it sin which means to miss the mark in verse 40 calls it evil, which is a vile thing which deserves condemnation. The Hebrew words are much more graphic than our words. What David said was God I wanted tell you that I know what I did what I did was really bad there was no candy coating of his transgression. If you go back in Psalm 32 in verse five you see what David said about this prayer after he had written and he says I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity. I have not hidden. I said I will can fast my transgression to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. In Psalm 5117 were told that the Lord honors a broken and a contrite heart is confession was genuine. He recognized that what he did was wrong. One of the things that keeps many of us from ever knowing renewed joy and in fellowship with God, knowing what it means to have the burden lifted his were always trying to make our sin look better. Were always trying to put it in better terms were always trying to couch it in ways so that we don't feel so badly about it. The only way you can ever get any relief from sin is the confess and you know what the word means, like gecko in the Greek language means to say the same thing.

It's to look at your sin. In the say the same thing about it that God would say to acknowledge your wrong essay with pastor Jeremiah that's so painful. And that's so hard, but it's the only way back. It's where you start through genuine confession notice. Secondly, it was not only genuine, it was God centered. David said against the God in the only have I sinned.

Now it's not that he does not understand that others have been effective.

David hasn't suddenly lost his knowledge of what happened.

He knows Bathsheba has been hurt in this purity taken away.

He knows that Uriah is in the ground dead because of what happened. He realizes that Joab has been complicated in his own integrity because of what he is done he knows what happened to him, but David said, Lord, it's against you and you only that I have sin. David now seems that ultimately his sin is an insult and injury to God is God's love that has been wounded is the God of grace, against whom he has sin and when a person takes that attitude. But God's forgiveness is reckoned by his grace and his mercy and that sin is a sin against God. First of all, he has taken a major step on his way back. Unfortunately, our concept of the holiness of God is been so eroded through our easy believers in this day that people almost feel like that's the secondary problem. In fact, let me ask you this question. Some big time and it involves other people and I give you the option today either confess it to the person you did it to her, confess it to God, which would you take it easy, confess it to God. I mean you can do that in a quiet little prayer. Nobody knows what if you understood who God was, you would feel that way is what you talking about what I'm talking about is we are all into worship and thank God that we are. I love to worship, but sometimes if were not careful we can get so caught up in the mechanics of worship that we forget who it is that were worshiping who God is, his attributes, his love, his faithfulness, his goodness, his holiness, his righteousness worship is secondary to the object of our worship and David understood that so many confess he said, Lord, I know this is basically fence against you this remind you this note to Joseph in the Old Testament who when confronted with the opportunity to been faithful. He said to Parker's life.

How can I commit this great sin against God and against your husband. Notice the sin was first of all against God. Sometimes we forget that don't make all sin is first of all against God. More tomorrow on how we can be truly forgiven as we move through this series. God I need some answers. Don't forget the study guide in the city album is available from our website. David Jeremiah.org and then please continue to pray and put on your calendar September 30 when were going to join together in a virtual event, a virtual rally if you if you like with special guest musical performances and interviews. Some of the people we already have scheduled for this event are Sheila Walsh, Anthony Evans and pastor Levi Lesko was and have a proton for nation. We need it now, and really made it even more when we get there, so be sure to join us and encourage your friends to join us as well and then forget to ask for your copy of the 2021 Turning Point calendar colors of creation.

When you send your gift a Turning Point during the month of August for the privilege it is for us to come in your home in your heart every day. Thanks for joining us for Turning Point was seen right here on this crustacean tomorrow for more information on Dr. Jeremiah's current series going on in Samantha's face. Visit our website will offer to realize to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points and daily email sign-up today Jeremiah.org/ready that Jeremiah.org/ready when you do ask your copy of their 14 month calendar colors of creation that highlights go with taking a gift to the house of this is the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard and new international missions as well as in standard allotment in the new King James with helpfulness from the study. Jeremiah visit David Jeremiah.old radio data monetary conflict. Join us tomorrow as we continue. God I need some constant material Turning Point for taking time to listen to the wind from these increased in size and all