A time to receive forgiveness - Psalm 51

Title: A time to receive forgiveness - Psalm 51
Date: May 5, 2007
Text: Psalm 51

Introduction

- Sometimes we do something and we feel consumed by guilt
- This happens particularly when we have been found out
- How could God ever forgive us?
- David once sinned in a big way, and he was punished for it
- 1 Samuel 11
- Notice that David seems to carry on with life in seeming ignorance
- David knew what was right and wrong, he was aware of his sin
- But each time that guilt cropped up, David crushed his conscience
- David was getting to be in a bad place where he thought he had covered his tracks pretty well
- But God does not give up on him
- 1 Samuel 12
- After 9 months, God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David with what he had done
- David wrote down his prayer asking for forgiveness
- This morning we are going to examine how David asked for forgiveness

1. David acknowledges his sin (v.1-6)

- Starts asking for mercy – his sin weighs heavily on him
- His sin is ever before him, he cannot forget about what he has done
- Knowledge of his sin torments him
- He acknowledges that God is loving and merciful
- He wants to be totally cleansed
- This was not just a sin against Bathsheba, Uriah and her son
- This was a sin against God, and a stumblingblock for the nation

2. David asks for restoration (v.7-12)
- He wants to be clean and pure again
- He wants to experience joy in his life again
- Joy is something that comes from being right with God
- When we carry around guilt it is impossible to feel joy
- He recognizes that it was God who made him face his guilt
- He asks for his sins to be blotted out
- He recognizes that he is unable to do this himself, God has to renew a right spirit within him
- He particularly wants a restoration of relationship with God
- He asks for a restoration of the joy of being saved
- He asks for God not to take the Holy Spirit away from him
- His biggest concern is that he needs God’s presence, and he wants that relationship restored

David moves on (v.13-19)

- Having been restored, he now thinks about others
- There are others who have sinned, and he wants to help them come to full restoration as well
- He wants to tell sinners about a God who is prepared to remove our guilt
- He can now speak from experience, God is good
- He has a testimony, he can tell of the grace and forgiveness God has given him personally
- He is restored to true worship again, he understands God’s heart
- God desires humility in us, which comes from seeing ourselves in the true perspective
– God is holy and sinless, we are the ones who mess up and sin
- When we recognize our place in the order of things, then we are able to worship in a way God can accept
- He does not want worship dripping in pride or doing our own thing
- He seeks worshippers who come to him in spirit and in truth – John 4:23
- David intercedes for Zion, the city of David, and asks for blessing for the people in front of whom he had placed a stumblingblock
- He prays that God would accept the worship of his people, that the breach between him and the people and God would now be healed and they can move on

Summary

- God is a merciful God
- He forgives our sins
- Our relationship with him can be restored
- If we want that relationship, we can accept our forgiveness
- this takes humility, and being prepared to say, "I was wrong" - 1 John 1:9
- God blots out our sins and no longer thinks about them - Psa 103:11-12
- However, we also need to move on - Philippians 3:13
- Despite David's sins, God still treasured him, because he desired relationship more than anything else
- God knew David could be trusted and his heart was right with him - Acts 13:22

Conclusion

- Each of us has the opportunity to come to God in sincerity and humility
- whenever we sin, the way is open for restoration
- no sin is too big, no crime is too great for God to forgive