We continue our sermon series entitled “Overcoming Distance”. Preaching from Brian Dickson. Service led by Kuda Osoba. This service includes Communion.

Sermon Notes

As we go through life, as Christians and disciples we want to please God, follow his commandments and live a faithful and holy life.

You don’t have to be a Christian long to realise that there are other forces that you have to deal with, forces that cause you to stumble and if given unbridled access, will drive a wedge between you and your creator. These forces (metaphorically speaking) are temptation and sin.

This morning, we are going to see what we can learn from the fall, of the most celebrated Old Testament king.

Lesson 1 – Temptation and sin are always near

No matter how long you have been a Christian, no matter how close you consider your walk is with God, we all need to be on our guard against sin.

Nobody is impervious, we are all susceptible. Sin can creep up on you when you are least expecting it, perhaps even ‘crouching at your door’.

King David was a man who had known God from childhood and lived a life that honoured God, but even this most celebrated of Jewish kings, fell foul of temptation and its effects were deadly.

Lesson 2 – Sin often doesn’t happen in a vacuum

Regardless of whether an act of sin is premeditated or not, it often effects more than the person committing the sin. Lies and deception clearly will affect the person being lied to or deceived.

Theft and robbery will affect the person(s) being robbed, either in terms of monetary value or emotional.

Adultery clearly affects at least one other person. To use a common metaphor, it takes two to tango.

Christians are not free to sin. We are free from sin and death through the selfless sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Disciples of Christ are however, called to walk holy before God and to resist sin.

Lesson 3 – Recovering from a fall

King David, after he found himself in a really bad place, came to the realisation that he could do nothing else, but to call out to God.

• Stop hiding from God

Unless we get to the point where our conscience seems like it is seared with a hot iron, we need to realise that sin takes us away from our closeness with God, to the point where we may feel like we are hiding from him because of our sin, much like Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is at these times we need to stop hiding from God, and instead run to him.

• Repent & seek forgiveness

It is said that confession is good for the soul, and this is true when we go to God and confess our sins. We need to seek his forgiveness and repent before him.

• God is always ready to forgive and restore

In Psalm 51, David cried out to God from the bottom of his heart. Pleading with God to cleanse him from his sin. David confessed his transgressions before God and repented.

As we read in 2 Samuel. God forgave David, and God’s hand of blessing was restored.

God is always ready to forgive us, to heal and restore us, but we need to run to him with open arms the first sign of trouble, as only God can purify our hearts after a fall.