GATHERING
THE CALL | Matthew 5:10–12 [ESV]
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
CONFESSION
The way that leads to life is narrow and hard, but we love the easy road. We wander from your presence and we seek the crooked paths of the wicked. Turn our eyes to you and to your kingdom; let us see you as our ultimate good and teach us to bear the reproach of others. Plant our feet in your presence, where we will abide forever. Amen.
ASSURANCE | Isaiah 54:10 [ESV]
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
SING | Doxology [sheet music]
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
WORD
Read Psalm 51
2nd Reading: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:15
(Psalm 51:2) “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!”
As we rehearse each week at the worship service, confession of sins is an important aspect of life as a Christian. We have examples of this throughout the Bible, but I can think of no greater example than David’s confession of his sin with Bathsheba. The King of Israel, the “man after God’s own heart” committed wicked and utterly devastating sins by not just having an adulterous affair, but, after finding out she was pregnant with his child, trying to cover up this sin, and then murdering his lover’s husband.
What can we learn from this psalm and apply to our own confession of sins? One thing that strikes me in this psalm is how David is not just asking for a removal of the guilt of his sin (vs 7), but he is also asking to be renewed. Verses 10 – 12 go back and forth as such:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, AND renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, AND take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, AND uphold me with a willing spirit.
We can apply this to our lives. When we sin, we should quickly ask forgiveness, but also seek for a greater measure of God’s Spirit to fill us. It is not enough that we avoid sinful patterns, but that we replace them with fruitful activities. And we cannot do this on our own, we need God to guide us through repentance.
David continues to keep his confessional psalm focused on God in the second half. He wants to serve God instead of sinning against Him. David wants to “sing aloud of your righteousness” (verse 14) and declare God’s praise with his mouth (verse 15). Our repentance should likewise renew our desire to praise God. As we know through the Bible, it is God’s own work on the cross, through Jesus the Son that saves us from our sin and blots out our iniquities. He deserves all the praise for this mighty work.
It is humbling to see this great and mighty king fall prostrate before the Lord in this psalm of repentance. He is genuinely upset at the great chasm his sin has put between him and the Father. Charles Spurgeon writes “he is sick of sin as sin; his loudest outcries are against the evil of his transgression, and not against the painful consequences of it. When we deal seriously with our sin, God will deal gently with us. When we hate what the Lord hates, he will soon make an end of it, to our joy and peace.” (David Bacon)
ABIDING
SING
– Psalm 125 [recording] [sheet music]
THURSDAY-MEMORIZE | Psalm 125
– Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can –
SENDING
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.
Revelation 22:1–3
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.