God is Greater than My Failures

“Our God is Greater” Series

• How God’s power is at work in our lives for his glory — despite the obstacles we face. 

The Flawed Heroes of the Bible:

• You Don’t Have to be Perfect to Have a Place in God’s Kingdom.
• Paul (murder, persecutor); Peter (rebuked Jesus, denied him); Matthew (tax collector).
• The “Heroes of Faith” from Hebrews 11 had all kinds of flaws: Drunkenness, murder, doubt, lying, prostitution, adultery, etc.
• Nevertheless, the Bible still celebrates what God was able to do through these people, despite their flaws, failures, and complicated histories. 

Today’s Message: God is Greater Than My Failures.

• God has great plans for our future, despite our failures in the past.
• David’s Sin, Confession, and Forgiveness:    2 Samuel 11-12, Psalm 51

David’s Sin with Bathsheba

• 2 Samuel 11 — David stayed home from war, noticed Bathsheba, summoned her, slept with her, and got her pregnant.
• David conspired to cover up his sin, ending with having Bathsheba’s husband killed.
• 2 Samuel 12:1-7 — The Prophet Nathan confronted David by telling him a parable about a rich man who exploits his poor neighbor.
• David’s Response — His anger burned and he demanded that rich man be killed.
• Nathan: “You are the man.” (2 Samuel 12:7)

God’s Judgment for David’s Sins

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:8-14

• God was generous to David, but David wasn’t satisfied. Like Adam and Eve, he craved more than what God gave him, so he ate “forbidden fruit.”
  • “Satan loves to fish in the troubled waters of a discontented heart.” -Thomas Watson
• God does not impose the death penalty (although this was the appropriate punishment for David’s sins), but he does impose harsh consequences on David and his family.

David Confesses his Sins

• David openly confesses his sin.
• God has taken away David’s sins, but there are still consequences for his actions.
• Forgiveness is when God removes the guilt of our sins, but even when we are forgiven, there are often painful consequences we (and others) must still endure. 

How Sin Corrupts Our Lives

• Corrupts our relationship with God — We stand condemned.
• Corrupts our relationships with others — Pain, brokenness, resentment, etc.
• By the time a person confesses their sins to God and receives forgiveness, the relational damage is already done — and the longer it went on, the greater the damage.
• That’s Why We Need to confront our sin immediately. 
• Hebrews 4:13 — All of our sins will be uncovered by God. It’s better to bring them into the light now to limit the wreckage.

We all Fall Short. God Has Big Plans for us Anyway — When We Take Our Sin Seriously.

Scripture: Psalm 51

• Appeal to God’s Mercy (v. 1-2)
• Confession of Sin (v. 3-6)
• Request for Renewal (v. 7-12)
• Promises for the Future (v. 13-17)
• Request for Blessings (v. 18-19)

Japanese Kintsugi

• Repairing broken pottery with gold.
• Our failures are neither fatal nor final when we bring our brokenness to God.
• Our broken pieces become part of our testimony about who God is and the way he’s at work in our lives.

Closing Passage: Philippians 3:12-14

Study & Reflection:

• Read Romans 6:1-7. Imagine hearing a Christian say that they plan on living how they want to now because they know God will forgive them anyway. How could you use this passage to correct them?
• How does this passage give hope to people who feel like their old lives are too sinful, flawed, or corrupted to be part of God’s Kingdom moving forward?
• Why do you think the Bible uses the analogy of slavery to describe the impact sin has on our lives?
• The Bible tells us that we have been set free from our sins. Do you think that means we are set free from the human consequences of our actions? Why or why not?
• Now Read 1 John 1:8-10. Romas 6:1-7 says that people who have died to sin should no longer live in it. But 1 John 1:8 says if we claim to be without sin, we’re only deceiving ourselves. How do these two passages make sense together?
• What is the difference between a faithful Christian who commits sins and a so-called Christian who is still living in it?
• 1 John 1 tells us that God will forgive us and purify us of all our sins when we confess them to him. Take a few moments to confess your sins to God and ask for his forgiveness.
• Sometimes the more challenging thing to do is confess our sins to one another, as James 5:16 teaches us. If sin corrupts our relationship with God and with other people, why is it important to confess to both affected parties?

Further Reading: 

1. “5 Features of an Effective—and Biblical—Public Apology”: tinyurl.com/BiblicalApology 

2. “Honoring God in the Aftermath of Sin”: https://tinyurl.com/AftermathOfSin