Remembering God

Sermon from March 8, 2020

Lent is all about remembering the goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and sacrifice of our Father and our Savior.

Let's take a look at a Psalm David wrote at a time in his life when he was remembering these things for himself. As you may recall, in 2 Samuel, David made a terrible mistake and was confronted by a friend. David had committed adultery, lied and murdered to try to cover it up. Nathan brought a revelation of these sins to David and David’s response was one that should be an example for all of us today—repentance.

Psalm 51:1-19 Have mercy on me, O God,     because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion,     blot out the stain of my sins.

2 Wash me clean from my guilt.     Purify me from my sin.

3 For I recognize my rebellion;     it haunts me day and night.

4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;     I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say,     and your judgment against me is just.[a]

5 For I was born a sinner—     yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b]     teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean;     wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Oh, give me back my joy again;     you have broken me—     now let me rejoice.

9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.     Remove the stain of my guilt.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.     Renew a loyal spirit within me.

11 Do not banish me from your presence,     and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,     and make me willing to obey you.

13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels,     and they will return to you.

14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;     then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,     that my mouth may praise you.

16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.     You do not want a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.     You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

18 Look with favor on Zion and help her;     rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—     with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.     Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

Psalm 51 has two simple divisions according to Charles Spurgeon: “In the first twelve verses (Psalm 51:1-12) the penitent's confessions and plea for pardon, and then in the last seven (Psalm 51:8-19) his anticipatory gratitude, and the way in which he resolves to display it” (Charles Spurgeon, Psalm 51, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/tod/ps051.cfm?a=52900 1).

Through David’s poem, we see first that repentance is a deliberate act.

It is the poetry of a man who is keenly aware of his failings and need for God’s intervention. It is a psalm that models to the modern believer how repentance sounds.

David asks for mercy and forgiveness, not based on his own ability to make it up to God but instead rooted in the character of God (Psalm 51:1–3). David knew that God has an unquenchable love for humanity and compassion that cannot be equalled. A couple of weeks ago, a young lady who I am very proud of preached her first sermon and she did it in a chapel service at North Central University! She shared that out of all creation, only humans were created by God’s hands, and not just the power of His words. She said that, “God’s desire to be in relationship with us drove Him to step off of His throne in glory, to get on His hands and knees, to get His hands dirty and form us from the dust.” This is the truth that David knew of God and so he approaches boldly.

He knows that he has sinned—not only against his neighbor but against God himself, and so he confesses his sin (vv. 4–5). David asks God to remove his sin and cleanse him (vv. 6–10). He asks that God restore in him joy, assurance of his salvation, and tenderness toward the Holy Spirit (vv. 11–12). David knew that the only way he would be able to carry on in any manner was only if God was with him and in him and on him.

He desires to remain in humble obedience and to testify of God’s salvation and forgiveness (vv. 13–19) moving forward.

Repentance, as David shows us, is a deliberate act on our part to be humble, to seek forgiveness, to turn from the sin that we are entangled in, and to live in God’s empowerment over sin through the Holy Spirit. Repentance helps us counter our tendency toward unchecked sin and self-righteousness. It should be a common practice of the Christian—not only during Lent but all through the year.

David’s poem also reminds us that repentance does not negate earthly consequences.

2 Samuel 12:13-23 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth[b] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

David’s sin had devastating physical consequences that godly repentance didn’t dissolve—but repentance does free us from the spiritual consequences of our sin. We are brought into right relationship with God again. It can seem that taking a solemn look at our sin is defeatist. Anglican pastor Chuck Colson writes, “For such introspection to remain healthy, we must hold together two realities that converge at the cross—our corruption and God’s grace. If we divorce the two, then our hearts will either swell with pride and self-righteousness, losing touch with our sinfulness, or sink into anxious despair and uncertainty, failing to grapple with mercy. Confident of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we are free to probe the inner recesses of our hearts, unearthing sin’s pollution. God’s grace liberates us to explore our soul, facing its filth, rather than suppressing or succumbing to its contents” (Chuck Colson, “Why Bother With Lent?,” The Gospel Coalition, February 12, 2013, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-bother-with-lent/).

David’s poem reminds us that repentance is more than words and prayers.

Repentance cannot be only words and prayers; it must also include action and change rooted in God’s goodness and empowerment. Often, believers are encouraged to practice the spiritual discipline of fasting for the forty days of Lent. While fasting without a larger purpose can be hollow religiosity, we all have sinful appetites that must be denied. Admitting that is the starting point for fasting. Denial is not the ultimate goal of fasting, but instead denial opens us up for renewal in Christ.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Because Lent is a season meant to prepare us and help us refocus on Christ, an alternative to omitting something in your life is to add something to your life that helps you grow in faith and obedience during the forty days. In other words, give up something that is not necessarily building you up in your faith and replace it with something that will.

We do not live in a culture that elevates self-denial. Most often we are told we “deserve” to indulge, to be happy, to put ourselves first. The very first McDonald’s television advertising campaign was centered on the slogan “You deserve a break today!” (Scott Hume, “McDonald’s Drops Rights to ‘You Deserve a Break,’” Huffpost, November 11, 2014, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mcdonalds-drops- rights-to_b_6138816).

Lent reminds us that as believers we are told specifically to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), just as Jesus did while he walked in his humanity.

Repentance does not give us a free pass on the break we “deserve” for trying to walk in obedience. Lent reminds us that suffering, self-sacrifice, and costly obedience are on the pathway to glory. No, we don’t have to self-martyr in the name of Christ, but we do need to keep our lives focused on the reality of faithful obedience and discipleship.

I remembered something else in my preparation this week. I remembered a book that I had listened to last year. Yep…I listened to it. Why? Well, because I am busy and if I listen to a book I can multitask. Also, because I think it’s pretty amazing when an author records the audio for their own book and this particular one caught my attention. The book is called, “Remember God” by Annie F. Downs. In part of the description of the book on her website, Annie writes, “In the back of my mind, God reminds me that He is the same trustworthy God—the One who always finishes the stories he starts. And this is my story—of wrestling with our God who gives a limp and a blessing. A God who is always kind even when my circumstances feel the opposite. God is who He says He is. He is kinder than you imagine. In a world where it is easy to forget who He is, we will not. We will remember God.” https://www.anniefdowns.com/books/

Repentance. The definition that popped up when I typed the word into my browser is, “the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse. "each person who turns to God in genuine repentance and faith will be saved” (https://www.google.com/search?q=repentancew&oq=repentancew&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l4j69i60l3.1391j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

You may need to repent for the first time and make the choice to commit your heart to serve the God who sent His only Son to die on a cross so that you can be forgiven. Let me encourage you to make that choice today! And if you are, please tell someone! You can message me or email ihavedecided@gcfirst.org. We'd love to help you continue to discover your new life in Christ.

Some may need to repent of a content heart that has been too comfortable and not as active in your faith as you once were. Maybe you are repenting of a negative attitude, a broken relationship, a lack of trust in God…you know what? This is between you and Him. A very fitting prayer is another of David’s, “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139)

God's love is so rich and full! He sent His Son, Jesus, to live here on earth, to set an example for us but also to know what humanity is like from our own perspective! He's not just some distant overlord who wants to control you. He is a good Father who longs to hear you call on Him and invite Him into relationship. Lent is a great time to do just that. Take this season to repent and be restored.