Tuesday, 13 March 2018

Gospel Meeting 11/03/2018

2nd Samuel ch12 vs1 – 15.

The build – up to this passage of scripture saw King David gaining great victories in battle, before losing control of his emotions and committing adultery.
Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah, conceived as a result and King David then arranged for her husband to be sent to the front line of the current battle in order that he would be killed. After this happened, king David took Bath-sheba to be his wife and she bare him a son.

These things greatly displeased The Lord.
The Lord sent Nathan unto king David to make him aware of his great sin, through telling him a story.
Nathan reminds David how good The Lord had been to him, but he had despised the Laws of God and was going to be punished for doing those things secretly.
In the story, David’s anger was greatly kindled against the rich man for what he had done and wanted to kill him, until Nathan plainly said to David “Thou art the man”.

Immediately, David had repentance, saying “I have sinned against the Lord”.
Although The Lord forgave him, there is a message for us all that when we sin it has consequences, and like a pebble thrown into a pond, it ripples and affects other people. This applies whether we are a Christian or not.

It is such a sad story that a man of God, King David, should have done these terrible things.
Where did he go wrong? What lessons can be learnt? …

a)      David should have gone to battle, not stayed at home.
 A challenge – are you in the battle for The Lord, or at home? Perhaps become too occupied with the temporary things of this world?
David should never have seen Bath-sheba, but the devil finds work for idle hands… may our attitude be “don’t remove me from the battle, but draw me nearer to the Cross”!

b)      David was on the rooftop… he saw Bath-sheba bathing and should have left immediately. However, he stayed on and lust took over.
Never put yourself in temptations way! Get off the roof, for the devil is most cunning.
When we look all around us we can clearly see how sin ruins lives.

c)      David enquired as to who Beer-sheba was.
How often do we enquire about sinful things? Once we know, we are able to act in the wrong manner towards it. Never be tricked into “making enquiries”!
Sin is destructive and affects others.

d) “Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead…”
A horrible premeditated sin! Always think before we do any wrong deed.
God hates sin, but loves the sinner… even the very worst of us can be saved from our sins and their penalty.
This is the great and good news of the Gospel! – that God The Father sent His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, who never sinned, to be the sacrifice for yours and everyone's sins in the world. He is the only One who could ever do this because He is and ever was holy, pure and without sin. Love brought Him down into this sin – filled world, and led Him onto Calvary’s Cross, where in great agony He laid His life down, and gave His life’s blood that we may be forgiven and have eternal life in Heaven. To reject God’s most merciful offer of this full and free Salvation, means you are without repentance, and dying in your sins will bring you into an eternity separated from Holy God, forever to be punished in the place called Hell.

d)     King David took Bath-sheba to be his wife.
He tried to hide his sin, but we can never do that. God knows each of us far better than we know ourselves!
Our only way to have peace with God concerning our sins, is through being truly sorry for them, and in faith accepting The Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, who makes our peace with God, His Father.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time”.
-   1st Timothy ch2 vs5 – 6.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”.
 – John’s Gospel ch14 vs6.

Reader, if your heart desires you to turn your life from sin and darkness into light, then receive Jesus Christ tonight. Begin a new life by turning away from a sinful life and turning towards God. He loves you and wants you to come to Him, without delaying it until it is too late…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. – 1st John ch1 vs9.

You can have a clear conscience from this day on – what a tremendous and forgiving God!
Loving your sin more than God? Simply not worth it, dear friend…

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”. – James ch1 vs15.

e)      The story Nathan told made King David furious.
We are very good at thinking ourselves to be better than others. It is easy to condemn others while we ignore our own many faults. However, none of us deserve the great mercy, grace and forgiveness provided by The Lord Jesus Christ!

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. – Romans ch3 vs23.

Let us not, like David, be pointing the finger! Let us all humbly repent and accept God’s wonderful Salvation.

God is not mocked, and we can never hide our sin.
If you are not a Christian and never asked forgiveness, are you still the guilty one in the story (vs7) “Thou art the man”…?
This can be your night with God! What a great opportunity to have your individual peace with God and a changed life! Have no more wasted years, but come to Christ this very hour!



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