Are you ever shocked by how sinful our world has become? Open up a newspaper and you can see sin’s effects -- Murder, assault, drugs, sexual misdeeds, gambling, drugs, failure to pay child support, tax evasion, etc. -- And that’s just the SPORTS page! We see news events that are almost unimaginable.
The LA Lakers Kobe Bryant was on trial a few years ago for allegedly having improper relations with a minor -- Not to mention the fact that he’s married. I could go on and on with stories from the headlines that prove my point.
You probably know people who’ve recently made a mess of their life through poor and/or sinful choices. But let’s not be too quick to take the attitude that says, “How could THOSE people do that”
Today, I want to look at the anatomy of a sin. The steps involved in sin’s progression. I want us to see how even a spiritual giant such as David can fall to sin if he lets his guard down. We’ll look too at the steps you can take to defeat temptation.
In order to do these things, I want to look at the life of David – a man after God’ own heart. First, a little background on David. He wrote much of the book of Psalms. He was regarded as a hero after demonstrating incredible faith in God and killing Goliath. He’s even referred to in scriptures as a “Man after God’s own heart.” Friends, if it can happen to someone like David, don’t be naïve enough to think it couldn’t happen to you.
The first step we find in David’s fall is that he became USED TO SIN. 2 Samuel 5: 13, “After he left Hebron, David took more wives and concubines in Jerusalem.” This is a seemingly insignificant verse. After all, what David did was legally and socially acceptable thing to do, but, according to a seemingly insignificant verse in Deuteronomy 17, it’s sinful. This passage says that a Hebrew king should not: 1) Acquire many horses, 2)take many wives, 3) accumulate much silver & gold. David had “overlooked” this transgression or brushed it off.
Are we being too hard on David here? All kings have a lot of money and possessions. Most kings back then even had many wives. Many of us today overlook the “little sins” or laugh off the “socially acceptable sins.” Many of us in this room do not think much about our indiscriminate t.v. viewing.
Perhaps we’ve been known to enjoy or even tell a coarse joke every now and then. Perhaps we’ve taken part in some gossip and negative talk this week. Materialism is rampant even among church-going people today.
Could it be that we’ve lost the innocence of our youth? Remember how you used to react when you were a small child and you heard obscene language? It shocked you. Sin should shock us still. We see, first of all, that David became USED TO sin. Sin didn’t seem like the big deal that it ought to. It has become an acceptable way of life.
The second step in David’s fall was that he had TOO MUCH IDLE TIME. Everybody needs some down time to relax. But too much idle time, often leads to misdeeds.
David was a leader and a warrior – that’s what he was gifted to do. verse 1 – “…at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab…but David remained in Jerusalem.” Why was David not out in the battlefield with his men? David was one of the greatest warriors Israel had ever known. Would be like having Shaquille ONeal on your team and sitting him on the bench. This would have been okay, if David stayed home for another purpose. But I don’t read of anything constructive David is occupied with. Friends, are you occupied with the work of the Lord today or are you using your time for other, more selfish endeavors?
David made a progressive step when he VENTURED WHERE TEMPTATION DWELLED. It was a common custom for women of that time to go to their rooftop at evening time to bathe. It was also very likely that the palace rooftop was higher than all other rooftops – providing a view of all rooftops in the area. You draw your own conclusions as to why David decided to spend some time on the rooftop that evening. It may have been innocent, but just seems fishy to me.
There are lots of ways that we venture where temptation dwells today. I just want to talk specifically about a few.
Internet pornography. Chuck Colson has called internet pornography “Spiritual Crack Cocaine” because of how quickly people can become addicted to it and how destructive it is to the human soul. No longer do men (and some women) have to enter into adult bookstores or seedy nightclubs to feed their sexual fantasies. It’s all now just a click away on a home computer.
We need to put safeguards in place. Internet filtering software is available for all of you computer-saavy parents who want to do your best to keep the garbage out of your home. Place the computer in a visible place in the house. Don’t assume your kids wouldn’t look at it. I have known some Christian parents who were shocked to find out that their precious children had been viewing pornography online. For some, the temptation is too great and it becomes a sickness, similar to alcoholism. Marriages have crumbled. Jobs have been lost (ministries have ended) It is a gateway for sexual perversion.
Billy Graham’s ministry has escaped the scandals that have plagued many evangelists. For years he has had the following policies in place: 1) No one person will ever handle the money. It will always be handled by committee. 2) He will never be alone with a woman other than his wife. 3)Doesn’t even allow the rumor of indiscretion. David ventured where temptation dwelled.
David made the CHOICE to stay on that rooftop and stare.
Matthew 5: 27 – 28, “You have heard it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” You can be a murderer if that is what you harbor in your heart. You can be an adulterer without being physically intimate. David dwelled in the midst of temptation.
The next following step is RATIONALIZATION. Now that David knew what he wanted, he now had to ease his conscience. He tried to make it seem okay in his mind. You can talk yourself into feeling okay with almost anything. Someone will tell you it’s okay. You can reason it out in your own mind. I can imagine what might have been going through David’s mind on that rooftop that evening. “Uriah is much older than her. She needs a younger man.” “Uriah is going to be gone to war for a long time.” “I’ve been under such stress lately. I deserve to do something for myself.”
David rationalized with sin until he no longer felt it was wrong.
Finally, ACTION IS TAKEN. 2 Samuel 11: 4-5, “Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, ‘I am pregnant.’”
How quickly the “man after God’s own heart,” the “giant slayer” became a common adulterer. Folks, don’t be naïve enough to think it couldn’t happen to you if you don’t keep your defenses up.
Next, notice the ENTANGLEMENT OF SIN. Like an insect in a spider web (more they try to get out of it, the more entangled they get). Sin is often sticky. (One sin necessitates another)
David sends for Uriah to come home and be with Bathsheba to make it look like the baby is his. But Uriah refuses to go home to the comforts of home while his men are still in the battlefield. David tries to get out of this jam by arranging to have Uriah set up to be killed in battle. Now he’s a murderer.
This is where our passage ends. However, I don't want to end the sermon on a negative note. I would like to focus now on what to do when temptation comes into our lives.
Basically, all you need to do is do the opposite of what David did in this account.
1) Beware having a lot of idle time.
2) Don’t go where temptation is if you can help it.
3) Don’t dwell in the midst of temptation.
4) Don’t let yourself rationalize. (stand on truth)
5) Be quick to repent vs. entangling yourself trying to get of it in your way.
Furthermore, fill your mind with good things. (Phillippians 4: 8) Have someone that you’re accountable to. Remember the Christian life is meant to lived in community not in isolation. Amen
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