Sermon Notes

Today’s Link Song: “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles, released in 1967.

Chorus

All you need is love,

All you need is love,

All you need is love, love,

Love is all you need.*

The Situation – The Bar is High: The Bar is God! – Ps 51:1 

Nothing you can make that can’t be made. 

No one you can save that can’t be saved. 

Nothing you can do, but you can learn 

How to be you in time. 

It’s easy.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.”  -v1

• Right from the start of Psalm 51, David reveals something powerful about the character and nature of God. 

• God’s love is perfect, unfailing, unconditional, and complete. 

• As a result of His perfect love, God is rich in compassion and mercy for the world. 

• David understood that he could ask for forgiveness and mercy from God because it is within God’s character and nature to be merciful due to His great love. 

Application

The Beatles are right: the world needs genuine love. If we learn to love better, perhaps there wouldn’t be as much chaos and conflict around the world. However, as Christians, we know that what the world truly needs is to fall in love with Jesus and to allow His love to be the perfect example for us to follow. God’s love is perfect, unfailing, and complete. He is the best example and standard that the world should emulate. 

The Problem – Sometimes Our Love Can Be Tainted by Lust – Ps 51:3-5 

The preamble to verse 1: 

For the director of music. A Psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

All you need is love, 

All you need is love, 

All you need is love, love, 

Love is all you need.

• The Beatles make it sound very simple: all we need is love, and love is all we need. 

• The reality is that love can be complicated, and sometimes humans hurt even their loved ones with their actions and words. 

• David would have shared a deep love for his people and his army, which he was responsible for. Yet, he allowed his lust to get the better of him, leading to acts of adultery and murder. 

• Lust is more than just sexual; it encompasses greed and selfish desires that pursue anything contrary to God’s word. 

Application

Uncontrolled lust can lead us to commit sinful acts and make poor decisions, just like David. We must prayerfully consider whether our decisions are influenced by lust or genuine love. 

The Solution & Celebration – God is Willing to Draw Near to the Stench of Sin – Ps 51:9-11 

“Hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquity. 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”  -v9-11

• The imagery in these verses is analogous to that of a fuller in biblical times. 

• The role of the fuller was to oversee the process of cleaning and whitening of cloth and wool from various items. This cleansing process required meticulous attention to remove all impurities and stains. 

• It is believed that fullers in Jerusalem would carry out their work just outside the city due to the horrendous smell produced by the soiled fabrics. 

Application

 Just as the stench of dirty wool and cloth in ancient Israel created an unpleasant smell, our sins present a great stench in the presence of a perfect and Holy God. Despite this, God chooses to draw near to us and does not discard us because of His great love and compassion. David’s sins were significant, but God’s mercy was even greater.

Questions

1. David states, “Against You, You only, have I sinned” – why do you think in Psalm 51, David does not mention to name Bathsheba or her husband, who was tragically killed as a result of David’s sin?
2. How can Psalm 51 shape your approach to confession and repentance in your own life?
3. What are the challenges to embracing true repentance in a world that often minimises sin and promotes self-justification?
4. How can people, like David, allow their experiences with God’s grace and forgiveness to empower them to share the message of hope and restoration with others?
5. Why is a “broken and contrite heart” considered an acceptable sacrifice to God, more so than outward rituals?
6. Despite David’s sins, through genuine repentance, God was willing to forgive and draw close to David. What can we learn about God’s approach to sinners that can help us in our relationships today?