Voice of the Nazarene 6-25-23

I'm coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the voice of the Nazarene. A WEEK BY WEEK venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene. We join our Pastor Ray Lasalle and the voice of the Nazarene.

It's Psalm 32 verse one, blessing that means happy. Is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night

My moisture is turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my

and thou forgavest, the iniquity of my sin. And I talked to you about the bath that dirted David's world. Let me share just a little bit about David. More has been written in the Bible about David than any other man alive except for Jesus Christ, or said about him at all holy writ, greatest king that Israel had ever had. He ruled and reigned for over 40 some years.

He's the one that conquered Jerusalem. He realized that he couldn't conquer by surrounding the walls. And so his engineers figured how to go up through the water system. And he conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites made it the eternal capital of Israel. David is the man that slew Goliath that gigantic giant. David is the man that was instrumental in building the temple. And although his hands being so bloodied through all the wars, he himself could not build it, yet he gathered the resources to build the temple.

And in today's economy, it would be equivalent to $21 billion.

David is the man that defeated the Philistines permanently.

There are 150 Psalms. David wrote 75 of those Psalms. He wrote the most famous scripture and all of divine writ, the 23rd Psalm. David is the only man in the Bible that scripture says was a man after God's own heart.

Doesn't say it was Joseph doesn't say it was Moses doesn't say it was Elijah doesn't say it was the Apostle Paul. It said that David was a man after God's own heart. And I want you to know something in the light of all of this. He was still just a man. And the best of men are men at best. Somebody said there is so much bad in the best of us, and so much good in the worst of us. That it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us. You see, at the end of the day, we all have feet of clay.

At the end of the day, we're all still humans. Now I just shared with you his wonderful resume.

But I want you to see what happened in this man's life. And I'm picking it up in Second Samuel chapter 11 verse one, And it came to pass after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried in Jerusalem. Without any doubt in my mind, that was something that caused him to remain behind, some attraction. Just for background, David was the king and the kings in the spring went forth to war, but David didn't.

2 Samuel 11 · chapter mention

David remained behind. Here's the King, the general of all. I mean, he's even over Joab. But he himself didn't go, do you know what he did? The Bible said that King David tarried in Jerusalem, I believe there's an elementary message here. He was where he shouldn't have been.

And I have learned, we get in trouble when we are not where we should be. We get in trouble when we should be at work, and we're not at work. We get in trouble when we should be in school, and we're not in school.

We get in trouble when we should be in church. And we're not in church. We get in trouble when we should be spending time in the Bible. And we're not there.

I've learned we get in trouble when we're not where we're supposed to be. And there's another thing that I've also learned, David should have been on the battlefield. But he laid down his armor and he's in his PJs. I guess he went to Walmart.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians, to put on the whole armor of God. Now, I'll tell you we get into trouble when we don't have the armor on. And there's some things the Bible tells us that we ought to put on. I'm not going to go down that trail very

3 says, For the spirit of heaviness, instead put on the garment of praise. Do you ever think about it the first thing in the morning we get dressed? It's the first thing we do. And what I'm saying is first thing in the morning, we need to put on the garment of praise. Abraham Lincoln said it very well. We're as happy as we make up our minds to be. It affects you, it affects everybody around you.

First thing in the morning, good morning, Lord, or Good lord, it's morning. You can just about tell where people are at. But we have a choice. And God says we need to put on the garment of praise. Now, David's in the wrong place. Second Samuel 11:2 tells us something. It came to pass in the eveningtide, that David got out of bed and he walks out on the roof of the king's house. Again, I understand the king's house is elevated above all the other houses, all other houses are on equal level. Nobody could look on anybody's roof, except from the king's house, but the king is supposed to be gone. And with him gone, nobody's up on top of the roof looking around. You got that scene. All right. But the Bible said he was there and he saw a woman washing herself and that woman was very beautiful to look at. Well, now that word beautiful didn't even need to be in there. You see, the devil never tempts a guy as a rule with an ugly woman. Just so you know, I'm fair and balanced. I want you to know ladies that he doesn't tempt you much with a man with a whole lot of ugly either. And David was no stud.

2 Samuel 11:2

He'd been king for 20 years.

He's now 50 years old and hard.

Hendricks said it best the enemy will lie in the weeds for 40 years to trap one of God's servants. Better watch for the trap. And this is what I believe. I don't believe this was the first time David had been on the rooftop window peeping. I believe there have been many other times. And now while the battle is being prepared and he sends him out.

He stays behind. He knew she'd be bathing. And honestly, I don't believe that she did anything wrong. I believe he was the guilty party. The Bible said that he asked, Who is she? And then the Scripture said he sent for her and he took her. No question in my mind but he was the aggressor. He is king and she's a commoner. And so he's walking out on the roof. You want that kind of insinuates to me? That's equivalent to a man flipping the remote. He walked out on the roof it's equivalent to a man surfing the internet.

You don't need to drop your head I'll let you know when we're gonna pray. David sent for her, get her for me. And by verse five we're in trouble for she sends word I'm with child. That thing that you did you sent for me, you forced me to come over and now I'm with child. My husband's on the battlefield. What are we gonna do? And by verse six, David is in a jam, and he's trying to figure out how can I cover up.

You know, sin always has two patterns. We either confess, or we cover. And he's thinking, how can I cover this up. And he thinks I'll bring your husband home, I'll wine him and dine him and make a war hero out of him and tell him to go down to your house and we'll make you feel special. And he send for him.

And the next morning he said, Hey, How did the night go? He said, Great. I slept right outside the door. What? Yes, I'm a soldier, and the other soldiers, they're not home with their wives, and I didn't go into mine. And the Bible said by verse, I think 13, if it's not, it's another verse. He got Uriah drunk, read it. I don't know how he did it. But he did. And when he still wouldn't follow David's plan, David put a sealed note in the hands of Uriah, sent him back to the general and Joab had to put him out on the battlefront where they knew he would be killed. And Uriah was murdered. Now get this. This is all I'm going to say. Yet he was a man it said after God's own heart. A man after God's own heart and he covered his covenant with his neighbors wife, committed adultery, bore false witness, even had a man murdered, A man after God's own heart, Pastor? I would never, no, no, no, no. Don't you ever say I never, ever will. Just realize this happened to a man after God's own heart. He blew it. Now he's miserable when we come to our text, and he wrote this 32nd Psalm verse three, When I kept silence. For one year, David tried to cover up and he said, My bones waxed old, and day and night the hand is heavy on me, and I'm sweating and I'm worrying. And here's what I want you to realize.

Pastor, you say I'd never do that. Well, maybe not. Perhaps not. But do you realize this, many times we're pointing our finger at somebody else? Reminds me of First John one eight. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. While we're pointing at others, we need to be pointing back at ourselves and saying, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, the truth is not us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. First

12 says, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Now I want you to know something. God sent a preacher by the name of Nathan. Nathan went to him and David fell on his face and he made peace with God. You mean after a man did all of this, he made peace with God? Yes. But there were some steps that he had to follow. And that's what's on my mind this morning. It's what I want to leave with you. I want to just share those steps with you quickly. Number one, admit your fault. Look at what he said here

2, I kept silence.

Can I ask you something? Was it David sin that made him so miserable? Or was it his silence? He said when I kept silence. Proverbs 28:13 says: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy. I'm saying there comes a point where we have to admit our fault. And yet we live in a world when nothing's wrong anymore.

Proverbs 28:13

Somebody gets a divorce but it's not their fault because it's a no fault divorce. Now don't get upset I'm not after somebody that just got a divorce, okay.

And I know you're watching by television were covered with live stream but I'm not pointing out anybody. I'm not thinking of anybody. No fault divorce, but it was somebody's fault. Here's a little kid thats mean as the devil, Oh no,no, he's just a child and he's got aggressive behavior. He's hyperactive. No such thing as an alcoholic anymore. It's just a chemical imbalance. We don't even have pornography anymore. It's just adult entertainment. There comes a point when we have to admit our fault and take personal responsibility. Two little boys got in a fight. And when the teacher separated them, the one boy said to the teacher the trouble started when he hit me back.

You got to admit your fault. Tom and Jane were living together.

Somebody questioned them about it they said, We're just roommates. We're just friends.

Tom's mother thought there was a little more to it than that. She saw the way they looked at eachother. Isn't it funny when hanky panky is going on, we think nobody knows, and everybody does. Tom's mother thought there was a whole lot.

Anyhow, they invited Tommy's mother to come over and eaten and they fixed a great meal. A couple of days after the meal was passed, Jane said to Tom, that silver tray that we put the special things on, it's missing.

I can't find it anywhere. I'm not saying that your mother took it. But I'm not saying she didn't take it. So Tom sent an email to his mom and said, I'm not saying you did and I'm not saying you didn't. But the silver tray is missing. And she emailed back, and she said, Well, Tom, I'm not saying you and Jane are sleeping together but I'm not saying you're not.

But if Jane was to sleep in her own bed, she would have found the silver tray by now.

We need to admit our fault and assume the responsibility. And second thing is ask for your forgiveness. That's what David did. Look at what he said in verse five, I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Do you know that these isn't anything that you've done, but what God would forgive you? God's not mad at you, God's mad about you. People get the idea God's trying to rub their sin in, and no, God's trying to rub your sin out. Not anything God would not forgive us if we would but ask him.

9 again, If we confess our sins or my sin, He's faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all of my unrighteous.

You know, when I was in college, I did a research in Hebrew and Greek and Arabic on that word, all. Where it said He would cleanse us from all sin. I did a research on that. And you know what, I found that it might have meant all. God will forgive you for all your sins, and cleanse you from all of that. And you haven't done anything but what God would not forgive you if you'd ask him. So admit your guilt, ask for forgiveness. And thirdly, accept your forgiveness. Look at what he said. David said in verse one of 32nd, Psalm, Bless it as he whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins is covered. You have to accept the fact that if God offers forgiveness, that he'll forgive.

You say, Well, I don't feel forgiven, has nothing to do with feeling it has to do with what God said. And God said, If you confess, he would forgive. Has to do with what God said He wrote the book on it. You have to accept that forgiveness. Now that people come to me through the years and say, well, preacher, I just can't forgive myself. And I always say to them, Well, have you thought about what you're saying? Do you realize what an insult that is to God who said if you would ask him to forgive you, he would forgive you? And now you're saying your standard of forgiveness is way higher than God's standard. Your standard is higher than a perfect God's standard, who said that he would forgive. I told you the story some time ago about the little boy was 79 cents in his pocket.

And he was out there in Washington, DC area and walked up to the Washington Monument, never seen anything like it and he wanted to take it home. And he said that the gatekeeper, can I buy this? And the guy was quite stunned and he said to the little boy, son, how much money do you have? He said 79 cents.

Well, he said, Son, first of all, the Washington Monument is not for sale. And secondly, 79 cents is not enough to buy it and even 79 million isn't. And thirdly, if you're an American citizen, you already own it. And what I'm trying to say to you, God has already provided forgiveness. If you ask Him for it, he gives it to you. Quit beating yourself up, walk in and accept the fact that God forgives. Here's a fourth thing.

Assess your flaws. What are you talking about? Well, I'm saying that even when David found peace with God, here's what he said, verse nine, be not as the horse or as the mule which has no understanding. In other words smartened up a little bit here.

If you don't mind me paraphrasing, David makes peace with God. He said, I'm not going to be as dumb as mule. What I'm trying to say is David did not intend for this to happen, but he never planned for it to not happen. There's a lot of things that happen, that we didn't intend to happen, but we never planned for it to not happen.

Let me give you four little words then. And they're all found here in Psalm 32, verses one and two. The first word is transgression. What does that mean? Means to disobey. And David disobeyed. He knew there was a weakness he knew he had his eye on this gal. It was a girl with a curl that wrecked his world. Let me tell ya. He knew and he stayed behind and he disobeyed God. The second word is sin. What is sin? It's when we miss the mark. And when David said get her for me, he started out by disobeying, but he missed it by continuing on with what he knew he shouldn't be doing.

Thirdly is iniquity. Iniquity means warped or twisted. What did he do, he sinned, and then he started to cover up and he thought he would hoodwink Uriah.

And it all started by disobeying. And then he moved on to being warped and twisted. And then the word Guile, it means deception, in one's thinking. He started out, just disobeying but over a period of time his thinking becomes irrational. And he's not thinking right. You see, folks, he didn't plan for it to happen, but he didn't plan for it not to happen. You say, Well, Pastor, how do we plan for it to not happen? Okay. It may be by putting a filter on that computer. It might be being careful what channels you order.

It could be that maybe we better not meet with that person again.

Maybe it means working on your marriage, like dialoguing daily, dating weekly. And if you do fall may I say, pick up something when you're on your way back up. When we fall, learn something from falling down. And then last of all assume your faith. You say Pastor I messed up. Well, you're not done. Can I tell you something? We've all messed up, there's nobody in the house that some time along the way that hasn't messed up. Lady got up one morning and said to her husband, they are sitting there drinking coffee. She looked at the neighbor's house and the clothesline, remember clotheslines? Well, that'll mess up some people clothesline, What's that? There's all this lady's clothes and she said to her husband she doesn't know how to wash clothes. They're dirty.

Next morning, got up and they're doing their Folgers thing and she says she doesn't know how to wash clothes they're dirty.

Third morning she got up and said hey, she learned how to wash clothes, they're clean? And he said no. He said I washed the windows. And all I want to say today let's not get caught up in somebody else's wash. Well, if they'd been here, that message was for them. No, you're here.

You're listening. Let's not get caught up in somebody else's wash. Let's take care of our own windows. Now what you may not know David wrote the 23rd Psalm after he had messed up. And that's where he said he restoreth my soul. He believed in restoration. He believed that God could pick you up when you've blown it. When you've ruined everything. You'd hurt your influence you had damage your reputation. You hurt God, you hurt people, you hurt your family. But when he got back, he believed in restoration. And he goes on to say, and now he's leading me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake.

You've heard the story Roy Riegels. He played football for California. And they were playing against Georgia Tech.

And he was a nose guard, he put a hit on a guy that knocked the guy nearly crazy. And it caused him to fumble the ball and Roy picked up the ball and he got discombobulated. And he took off running, nobody could believe he literally ran 62 yards with the ball, problem was he was going in the wrong direction. One of his own players tackled him at the three yard line from the Georgia Tech zone. He nearly did something that Georgia Tech hadn't been able to do. He nearly made a touchdown for them. 62 yards in the wrong direction. The rest of that period he was just in a daze he hardly knew where he was. He couldn't hardly think. Halftime came, they went to the locker room and he put his face down in his hands. He wouldn't even look at the other players. He didn't look up at the coach. The coach gave him a talk. And finally he said, All right players get up, get out, get back into the game.

And everybody got up and headed off into the football field but Roy Riegels sat there with his face in his hands wiping tears. And the coach said to him, Roy, get back in the game. And he said coach, I've humilated the university and I've humiliated you I've humiliated myself. I can't play anymore. And you don't want the coach said to him. He said Roy the game is only half over get back in the game. And Roy got up and played the greatest game of his life. Fact of the matter, they've never seen Roy play like he played the rest of that game.

You know what I'm trying to say the game is only half over. And if somewhere along the trail of your life, you got sidetracked and the enemy put a hit on you.

You stumble and fumble and went the wrong direction. God's certainly here to tell you, Hey, the game's only half over. Don't set in the locker room anymore.

It's time to get back in the game. You say? Well, Pastor, I've blown it. Hey, God's still got a plan for you. And God still got a purpose for you. And in Jeremiah 29. He says, I've got a plan that will give you hope. It'll give you a future.

It'll make you to prosper. I've got a good plan for your life. I don't care what age you are and how much you've stumbled and how bad you feel about it. It's time to get over it to wipe the mud off and wipe the tears off and let God wipe the sin off and it's time to get up. You say you don't understand. I had a bad relationship, no get back in the game. I had a bankruptcy. He said, get back in the game. I lost my job. Get back in the game. I've hurt my reputation.

Get back to the game. I've been through an eviction get up and get back in the game. It is time to find the victory that God has for our lives. And I want our heads bowed just for a moment. I don't have the time nor the ability to give it altar call here but the altars are always open. But I wonder with our eyes closed just for a moment. How many would say preacher but just raise up a hand it's time I get back at the game. Just throw the hand up quickly. Remember, be in prayer. I need to get back.

Thank you. Who else? I messed up but I want to get back to the game. There's another hand.

Father, we thank you.

Thanks for being a part of the voice of the Nazarene visit us every Sunday at 9am with BNC's pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding BNC visit Bucyrus nazarene.org.