Sermon Notes:
1. We read about David’s failures in the Bible because God is the author.
2. The Bible never puffs up its heroes and when the Holy Spirit paints the portraits of their lives, He doesn’t ignore or deny their failures!
3. David was miserable in his unconfessed sin. (Psalm 32:1-4)
4. “A person after God’s own heart” doesn’t mean that this person doesn’t sin–but what it does mean is when they do sin, they own it.
5. A man/woman after God’s own heart is willing to confess and repent to God of sin to find reconciliation.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:
Intro question:
When you think of people who have given you promises in your life, who do you think of?
Digging deeper:
1. Go around and read 2 Samuel 11. Why do you think God had this event in David’s life recorded in the Bible?
2. What do we learn about David and God from this chapter?
3. Why do you think God waited to confront David on his sin for over a year?
4. What do we learn about David at this time in his life from Psalm 32:1-4?
5. When you reflect back on your life, how would you describe what it is like to have unconfessed sin and conviction of conscience before God?
6. In 2 Samuel 12:1-15, God sends His prophet Nathan to confront David. Why do you think he goes about it the way he does? If you were Nathan, would you have been afraid doing this?
7. Have you ever had to confront someone for something they did or said? If so, how did it turn out and how did you go about doing it?
8. Why do you think people are generally opposed to confronting others on their poor behavior?
9. When David is confronted by the prophet, he confesses his sin and writes Psalm 51. How would you describe David’s attitude in this Psalm?
10. Why do you think it is important to God that we own our own behavior and seek repentance before Him and others?
Taking it Home:
Commit to yourself and to God that you will intentionally spend time alone with God in reflection, confession, and repentance.
Exercise:
Pray a prayer similar to Psalm 139:23-24:
“Is there anything in my life that needs to be confessed?”
“Is there anything that is between you and me that I need to deal with?”
The great reformer Martin Luther said that he practiced this discipline by linking the prayer of Psalm 139 with reading the 10 commandments and allowing the Spirit of God to convict him of anything that is not right in his life. Try this this week and seek a cleansing of God in your heart, mind, and soul.
Definition:
Confession is that point when my mouth gives voice to what my heart knows to be true about my sin, no matter what the reason or cause, and without excuse. Genuine confession and repentance allows the soul to be most receptive to abundant, divine forgiveness.
Quote:
“To confess your sins to God is not to tell Him anything he doesn’t already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate Bridge.”
Buechner, Frederick,