Psalm 51

If you brought a copy of Scripture with you this morning, you can find the 51st Psalm, Psalm 51. As we look at the confession of David, and we just sang this song, “Lord, have mercy,” there is a line in there I want you to look at right now. This line right here.

“For hearts that are cold, for seizing control, for scorning our very Maker.”

Words in the song, “Lord Have Mercy”

Anybody guilty of seizing control? — because isn’t that exactly what David did when he sinned? — attempted to seize control. How’d that work out for him? Not very well.

This is a serious… they’re all serious messages. This one will cut deep because it’s a deep confession from the Word of God. And so let’s start with that, shall we, as we go to God in prayer.

Our Father in heaven, we just sang, “Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.” And we ask You to do so today. We need Your mercy. We need Your grace. We need Your cleansing power, the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. We need restoration and to be useful again for Your glory. And there are a number of people in this room and some watching online, Lord, that so deeply and so dearly need this message. All… we all need it as our brother Paul mentioned earlier. We all need the Good News. Speak to our hearts again with it. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

So Psalm 51… At the risk of sounding like a shameless plug, I wrote a book a couple of years ago, and it was very, very personal. The hardest chapter I wrote in that book, and there were a number of chapters that were hard for me to write, but none harder than the one titled

A Valentine’s Day Confession. It was hard because it was a confession, and while I offer up several in the book, this one involved sexual sin.

For those among us who think wrongly that all sin is the same to God, I would respectfully and biblically disagree with you. So… for instance, like when Jesus had dispatched His disciples to present Him to the Messiah to a number of cities, He upbraided or condemned those cities when the disciples came back because they wouldn’t believe. And Jesus made the amazing comment that… to those cities when He said:

[Matthew 11:20-24]

‘I’m telling you because you rejected the message and the mission of the Messiah that has now come. It will be more tolerable for condemned cities in the past than it will be for you in the day of judgment.’

Have you ever read that? The only reason the punishment will be worse is if the sin were worse. But first challenge, chapter 5… I’ll put it up there for you… says this. John says:

[1 John 5:16-17]

16  “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will give him life — to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death; I do not say that you should pray about that.

17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.”

That passage alone should put to bed the foolish notion that all sin is the same to God. And then this in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 18 Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 6:18

18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

John MacArthur wrote:

“There is a sense in which sexual sin destroys a person like no other, because it is so intimate and entangling, corrupting on the deepest human level.” John MacArthur

God singles out sexual sin as a type all its own. So those, like myself before I came to know Jesus, but regardless, those like myself who have been involved at some time in your life with sexual immorality, you know that sexual sin is a deeper, more costly kind of sin. It is, however, (Hallelujah!) like all other sins… forgivable! That’s the reason we’re in Psalm 51 today. It’s far and away the greatest confession in all of Scripture, and your ticket to freedom now and forever. And some of you in this room and watching online, you need to punch this ticket today.

The historical inscription on the 51st Psalm, there’s only eight of them in all the Psalms that give you a background to where the Psalm slots in the historical narrative. This is one of them. Look at it.

“A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”

Now you think about this for just a moment. We don’t have this kind of confession when someone steals. We don’t have this kind of confession when someone covets, when someone gets drunk, or when somebody gets angry, and those are all sins that need to be repented of and confessed. But the deepest example of confession in Scripture comes as a result of sexual sin. And while guilty of a bunch of other things; deception, manipulation, murder, (I’m talking about David) it all started with sexual sin. And we saw last week in the message that Colton preached from the narrative that a year has taken place between David’s sin with Bathsheba, the birth… There’s been a baby that’s been born. God lets him linger for an entire year as he tucked it away, or so he thought. And then Nathan comes along and remember the old King James says:

[2 Samuel 12:7]  “…Thou art the man!…”

Remember that? — and he’s confronted. And when he’s confronted, David responds… there’s only six words in our English Bible. Those words are only two words in the Hebrew… two words. But here’s how our Bible put it. David says:

[2 Samuel 12:13] “I have sinned against the LORD.”

David was actually confessing his sin to Nathan in the moment, which makes Nathan’s instant reply so amazing! Without hesitation whatsoever Nathan replies:

[2 Samuel 12:13b] “The Lord has put away your sin. You’re not going to die.”

What David had done deserved the death penalty, and that’s why Nathan said, “You’re not going to die,” because normally you would, and now it’s time for David to go to God. And of those few words that he replied in the narrative to Nathan, “I’ve sinned against the Lord,” they were actually a compaction of the words that would come from his heart, and now, you know, gushed out in this Psalm. And by the way, this is a very unique Psalm. Those of you familiar with the hymn book of the Old Testament know that most of them just explode with praises to God. God is the first person. He‘s the One we are giving praise to. Amen? And yet in this song there are no less than 35 first person pronouns. Me, my, I… over and over and over and over again, which prompted me to write down many years ago:

“The only time to put “me” first is when I’m confessing my sin.” Pastor Pat Nemmers

So without further ado, the Psalm itself. Let’s look at it. We just sang of it:

Psalm 51:1-19

1 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

(That’s the header of the Psalm)

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

(Can some of you relate to that?)

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight,

so that You may be justified in Your words

and blameless in Your judgment.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, (The old translation says, “In the inward parts…” That’s where truth has to have its ultimate impact… internally) and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice.

(Remember it in another place, David said in Psalm 32, “Your hand is pressing upon me. My life is being squeezed out of me.” He’s referring to that right here.)

9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create…” (that’s the Hebrew word, “bara.” The only person who can create this is God. That word is only used of God doing something internally in a person’s life)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then, then, then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, (which is what he was guilty for. He’s praying against his own… the condemnation that’s upon him for murder and adultery, both the law would exact the death penalty. And so he’s saying, please… deliver me from this, oh God. Deliver me from the death penalty) O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

16 For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in Your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;

19 then will You delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.”

So we are talking this morning about confession, and in confession, you’re asking God to do four things. They’re all… this is not a profound outline. It just comes right out of the text. And the first one is you’re asking God what we just sang… for mercy. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on me. And that’s what he says, right? “Have mercy on me, O God.” Remember David’s sins, verse 14, required the death penalty, and so he’s asking God for mercy to hold it back. And so what does David do? He’s appealing to the character of God. He doesn’t say, ‘Lord, have holiness and justice upon me.’ That would have squashed him! One of my favorite lines in the longest of all chapters in Scripture is the 131 verse in Psalm 119, where the writer says:

Psalm 119:132 (NKJV)

132 “Look upon me and be merciful to me, (and I love this) as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.”

As Your custom is… you should underline that. Beloved, mercy is God’s custom. Rejoice in that! Jonah knew this. In fact, because Jonah knew God so well and that it was His custom to show mercy, people read and study the story of Jonah and they think, ‘Oh, he ran because those Ninevites were so wicked.’ That’s not why he ran. He ran because God was so good! — and merciful, and he said as much in Jonah four verse two when he said this. So he complained to the Lord about this:

Jonah 4:2 (NLT)

“Did I not say before I left home that You would do this Lord? That’s why I ran away to Tarshish. I knew that You were merciful and compassionate, God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You’re eager to turn back from destroying people.”

That’s why He ran, because He knew the custom of God. And that’s Good News to you and me. Aren’t you glad that it’s God’s custom to show mercy? Hey, God’s not up there going, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know.’ He doesn’t do that! You do that. God doesn’t. And if you think you don’t deserve God’s mercy when you sin, you’re right. You don’t. But if you think you won’t receive God’s mercy when you confess, you’re not just wrong… you’re faithless. And you’re not being humble, so get that out of your head. When you say, ‘Oh, I don’t know if You’ll forgive me.’ What? You’re not being humble. You’re being unbelieving! Here’s why, because the very basis of faith is believing the Words of God. That’s what faith is… taking God at His word. So when you doubt, you’re not doubting yourself. You’re doubting God. So praise Him for His mercy. Amen?

The prophet Micah finishes at this strong condemnation against Israel. He comes back at the very end and Micah said, there’s hope! He says, listen:

[Micah 7:19]

“Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and hurl them into the depths of the sea…”

Hallelujah! And I know it sounds cheesy, but I love what the old preacher said when he says:

“When God throws your sins into the deepest sea, He puts out a sign that says, ‘No fishing.’

The Old Preacher

… because that’s God’s custom to forgive. And you could say, ‘How can this be?’ And the reason is because it’s the custom of God. Do you see those… at the very beginning:

[Psalm 51:1]

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to (not out of, but according to) Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy.”

I love how Ray Stedman put it!

“God isn’t a penny pincher; He doesn’t dole out bits of mercy drop by drop. No, He pours it out.” Ray Stedman

… and aren’t you glad? So right now, right now, some of you are guilt-ridden because of sexual immorality in your life, recently or in the past. You are just weighed down with guilt. You’ve confessed it, but you need mercy. And in your heart right now, ask God for mercy. Remember, He’s not up there going like this. He’s up there going like this. And you’ve gotta believe it. So when you confess your sin, you’re saying, have mercy, and then you’re saying cleanse me. Right? Cleanse me, and then he repeatedly talks about being washed, being cleansed:

[Psalm 51:2]”…cleanse me from my sin!” in verse 2. “Wash me.”

Purge me, and he names the sins. He calls them “transgressions.” He calls them “sin.” He calls them “iniquity.” And if you look at verse three, he says:

Psalm 51:3, “… my sin is always or ever before me.”

You see that there. It’s always, it’s just right there. Now this is the same guy. This is the same king who wrote in the 16th Psalm:

[Psalm 16:8] “I have set the Lord always before me;”

But David hasn’t done that for a whole year. You know what’s been before him? It’s not been the Lord. It’s been his sin. And that’s the way it is for some of you right now. Your sin, you know it. It’s always staring at you in the face, and it threatens to condemn you. But it doesn’t have to… not if you cry out for mercy and for cleansing. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul says:

1 Corinthians 6:9

9 “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither fornicators or adulterers…”

He lists a whole plethora of sins. You will, if that’s your lifestyle, you’re not going to heaven, just bank on it! But then he says:

1 Corinthians 6:11

11 “… and such were some of you. But you were (anybody remember the next line? Washed) But you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God.”

Hallelujah!

I was in a home one day, (This couple was living together) and sharing the Gospel, going back and forth with them, and they seemed to be very receptive. And I kind of went for it, and we were talking. and I said, “So you’re living together. You think that’s okay?” “We love each other,” and all that stuff. I said, “Well, let me ask you.” I said, “You guys ever take baths or showers?” Yeah. I said, “Why do you do that?” And they go, “Well, because we’re dirty.” I leaned in and said, “You’re still dirty… because you’ve chosen a lifestyle that’s an antithesis to the Gospel of God who saves us, and changes, us and cleanses us.” Amen?

Now, verse four is kind of baffling, and some have actually used it as an excuse for not confessing their sin to others.

Psalm 51:4

4 “Against You, and You only, have I sinned….”

I‘ve done this evil in Your sight, and you say, “Well, I’ve just talked to God.” You’re totally misunderstanding it. In fact, let me illustrate with this.

Remember the story of Joseph? Joseph in the Old Testament, he’s persecuted by his brothers. He’s sold into bondage, and he’s down into Egypt. His master is the guy by the name of Potiphar. And Potiphar’s wife is a promiscuous woman. And she keeps soliciting Joseph, because he’s stunningly handsome. And he just keeps resisting and keeps resisting. And finally, he can take it no more, and he gives in. Right? He doesn’t give in. He looks her right in the face. And he says to her:

Genesis 39:9b

“… How can I do this great wickedness…” (So he identifies the sin, but notice) “and sin against (what? Potiphar? Her? Her husband? No. He understood that every sin, while it involves others, is ultimately) “against God.“

I mean, James tells us in James 5:16 we are to confess our sins to one another. But all sin is ultimately against God. I love how Aaron Garriott put it. This is profound to me, so I’m gonna read it to you. Here’s what he said. He said:

“Every sin committed against (your) neighbor is a sin against God. But every sin against God is not necessarily a sin against (your) neighbor… If all others forgive us but God does not, we are (still) condemned. If God forgives (us,) but no one else does, we enjoy a forgiveness deeper than we can ever imagine.” Aaron Garriott

That’s so true. So when John tells us in first John:

[1 John 1:9]

“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to (what?) cleanse us, (wash us) of all unrighteousness.”

Do you believe that? I mean, do you believe that?

Remember, when David is confronted by Nathan, his instant reply is:

[2 Samuel 12:13] “I’ve sinned against the LORD” And Nathan’s instant reply is, “The LORD has put away your sin. You’re not gonna die.”

That is amazing to me! It should be amazing to you, that God in His custom and His mercy will cleanse us. There were consequences and there would be consequences, and we’ll see those consequences in the weeks to come in David’s life, and they are dreadful! But… he was forgiven. And you will be too if you come to the fountain, the blood of Jesus, God’s Son… cleanses us from all sin except sexual immorality? No. Just all sin. And praise God for that! Amen?

Thirdly, when you confess your sin to God, you’re asking him not just to have mercy on you and to cleanse you, you’re asking him to restore you. Don’t you wanna get back in the game? Yes. Verse eight:

Psalm 51:8-10,12

8 “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins, Blot out my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart.” (I want a spirit that is willing to do what You tell me to do)

verse 12, (Restore!) “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.”

David never lost his salvation. He lost his joy… just like some of you have. You know Jesus, you meant it when you repented of your sins, when you placed your faith in Him… but you’ve done something. You’ve done something sexually immoral, and you have tucked it away. You have hidden it away. You have not confessed it. And it’s taken away your joy.

And David is in as much as saying, ‘That’s what I’m missing out on. That’s what I don’t have. I don’t have gladness. I don’t have joy. Give it back!’ Peter lost his joy. Remember… denying Jesus three times? Praise God it didn’t last long. Within a few weeks, he’s standing at the side of the lake and Jesus restores him. Remember the guy by the name of John Mark? He was an associate of Paul’s in Gospel missionary work, and in Acts chapter 13 the Greek is very powerful. It says he “abandoned” Paul. He “abandoned” him! And Paul was really ticked at John Mark! But later on, when Paul was languishing in a Roman Mamertine prison, and he would die before he got out of that prison. He said to Timothy:

[2 Timothy 4:11]

‘Hey, when you come, when you come before winter, I need a coat by the way, and get Mark and bring him with you. He’s useful for me in Gospel ministry.’

Isn’t that beautiful? What happened to Mark? I’ll tell you what happened. He was restored! That‘s what happened! And that’s what God loves to do. He loves to have mercy. He loves to cleanse, and He loves to restore. And right now, right now, some of you who are relating to this, this is a hard thing to hear, but it shouldn’t be hard. Remember God is, it’s His custom to show mercy. Remember that! And just say, ‘God, that is me. I know You, but I don’t have joy. Please forgive me. Change me. Restore me and restore my joy.’ Can you do that? Will you do that?

One more thing, because we can have the mercy and be cleansed and even restored, but what use are you in this world? Right? — if you’re not put back in the game… so use me. Use me. Look at verse 13. Verse 13 says:

Psalm 51:13

“Then, (that’s after he’s experienced the restoration and the joy of God’s salvation… then, then, then!) I will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners will return to You.”

When is “then?” — after… and not until… you’ve been restored.

Years ago there was a man that had sinned greatly and came to repentance, and was sorry for his sin, sought forgiveness, and then he was going to go public and express his sorrow. And so I listened to his confession, and in the middle of his confession he started to preach. I stopped him. “Hey, what are you doing?” “Huh? Well I’m just going, you know, this is what I learned. So I thought…” “No! No! No, you’re not going to tell me what you learned! You’re here to confess.” And when you are here to confess… confess! You’re not in the place of a teacher or a preacher. Just be humble and confess.” So it’s… When is then? — when he’s experienced the cleansing power, the mercy, the cleansing power of God, the restoration of God… then, he could be used of God. That’s the idea here. And once you’ve been restored, you can be used.

This is the scripture, by the way, that God inspired me in using the Word loosely to write the book I wrote, because it’s then that we can start teaching transgressors the ways of God. And the idea is that sinners would be returned, cultivating humility after humiliation. I love how Spurgeon put it.

“Pardoned sinners are the best preachers to their rebellious fellow men.” Spurgeon

… The ones who have been restored. And we have them in our church; Scott and Jody Keithley, Brant and Amy Hambly, Dean Bell, Barbara Vaske, Dave and Lori Tashner, and a host of GCRs… RESTORED! Hallelujah! — All being used of God again… Glory to God! And you can be too.

This is a message of hope. But where does it all begin? David, as he concludes this Psalm, this prayer, this confession, he comes back to the beginning to say, ‘It’s not going to happen unless you are broken.’ And he says it twice. He says in verse [17] See, he’s talking about… how he goes, ‘I’m not offering sacrifices. I mean, I could do that.’ And that’s what we do. We offer sacrifices to God instead of confession to him. And we start serving Jesus. And we teach Sunday School, or we help somebody. We’re involved in the Heart for Des Moines Ministry. We’re doing all kinds of things. And we’re just heaping up sacrifice after sacrifice. And God doesn’t care about it! He’s looking for confession. And so David says:

[Psalm 51:17]

“The sacrifices of the Lord are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, with these, God will not despise.”

Praise God! Amen? He doesn’t despise the broken spirit. He loves brokenness. And I know it sounds hard, but it’s still true. While God requires a whole heart, he’ll take a broken one… If you give Him all the pieces. Are you ready to do so? Let’s pray.

Our Father in heaven, in this message, this passage of confession, we come to You in need of Your mercy and need of Your cleansing, in need of Your restoration in desire to be used again, and help us to get the order down, but we have to be broken. And, Lord, as I pray this, I’m praying for everyone in this room and everyone watching online, dear friends… are you guilty of sexual immorality at some time in your life? Now? perhaps some of you are living that way now. And maybe it’s something you tucked away years ago. Oh, you confessed it to God, but you didn’t tell your spouse. You didn’t come clean, and the Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now and saying, ‘I’ve got to do this. I don’t have joy. All my joy has been sucked out of me. I want it back. O God, have mercy on me. O God, cleanse me with the blood of Jesus. ‘O God, restore to me the joy of Your salvation. O God, put me back in the game to be used of You with a willing spirit.’ Would that be your prayer? Just offer it to God. Remember, it’s His custom to show mercy… Doesn’t that make you glad? Now, some of you don’t know Jesus and maybe this sermon has spoke to your heart and you say, ‘I don’t know any of this. And really, I realize now, Lord, we need to be broken, but how broken were You? How difficult was it for You to send Your Son to die for our brokenness and to rise again from the dead? — and I’ve never contemplated it. My sin sent Jesus to the cross… And so I seek His forgiveness for the first time.’ If that’s you, come to the cross. Acknowledge your sin and Jesus will cleanse you. Lord, make us true confessors that we might honor You, bless one another, and go forth in joy. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen. Let’s stand. [Music]