2 Samuel 11 & 12

 

We don’t like to talk about sin. It’s a touchy topic and can hurt. But it’s something that has to be discussed because it helps us to see why we need salvation and that we need it abundantly. Discussing sin shows us just how great the salvation we receive is.

 

6 Lessons About Sin

  1. Sin Hurts Those You Care About (11:1-3). … David stayed home instead of leading his soldiers as they went to war. One night, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. Someone informs him that it’s Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his mighty men. You would think that hearing this would stop any further development, but let’s read on.
  2. Sin Leads to More Sin (11:4-15). … David sent for Bathsheba and laid with her. Then she became pregnant. David could’ve come clean at this point, but tried to manipulate Uriah so that he would expect the baby was his. But Uriah would not go home and sleep with his wife while his men were in battle. So David sent Uriah back with a note for his commander. The note said to send Uriah to the front line then pull back and let him die. David trusted Uriah so much that he sent his own death note with him, knowing Uriah would not open it. 
  3. Sin Breaks God’s Heart (11:26-27). … After Uriah’s death and a mourning period, David married Bahsheba, but God Did not like what David had done. David had not only broken God’s law, but also His heart.
  4. Sin is Deceiving  (12:1-7). … David thinks he’s gotten away with it, but then Nathan shows up and presents a hypothetical to David about a rich man who takes a lamb from a poor man who had only the one lamb. David was furious and said the rich man deserves to die. Nathan looks at David and says “You are that man.” Bathsheba was that lamb. 
  5. Sin Can Be Forgiven (12:13). … David repented and was forgiven. David takes full responsibility. “I have sinned.” And David recognizes that his were actions “against the Lord.” 
  6. Sin Doesn’t Have to Define Your Story. … Sin has real consequences, even for a man as great as David. But it doesn’t have to be your defining moment. We remember David for many great things. All of the heroes in the Old Testament sinned and had some horrible moments, but we remember them much more so due to their faith and the actions they took with that faith driving them. 

 

How do we keep sin from defining our story? 

  1. Be on guard against sin. 
  2. When you do sin, confess immediately.
  3. Look to the cross again and again. 

 

For Further Study/Resources the Pastor Used to Prepare This Message

 

  • Great Lives: David: A Man of Passion and Destiny by Chuck Swindoll
  • Preaching the Word Commentary
  • Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary
  • ESV Expository Commentary
  • New American Commentary