Psalm 38

Sin hurts!

Intro

√ Another Penitential Psalm!

This is the 3^rd of David's penitential psalms - reminding us that David blew it on a regular basis!

Ap. I find some comfort in that truth!

That God loved David enough to never give up on him, to continue to work with him in spite of his failures.

God has promised nothing less to you and me!

So, let's look at the effect of sin in David's life and the lesson we can learn from his experience.

What God does (vs. 1-2)

Ps. 38:1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

Ps. 38:2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down.

√ What God does

The discipline of the Lord

God loved David too much to let him get away with sin! As we follow David's life through the scripture we find that David was caught in sin on more than one occasion!

Whenever the Lord found David in sin He would lovingly deal with it.

Begin with private rebuke (prick his consciousness)

Move to chastening (ex. "arrows of sickness")

He will move closer still to crush (ex. "hand presses…")

Finally to public rebuke

All with the intent of separating David from his sin.

Why? Because God knows that sin left unchecked will bring death to the sinner and He loved David too much to let him slip away into death.

Ex. Good parents discipline their children

Why? To protect them from harm!

Ap. God will disciple you too!

If you've given your life to Jesus then you've taken God on as your heavenly Father. That means you've given Him authority in your life to watch over and care for you!

Including….

…disciplining you when you turn back to sin!

Why? Because God loves us too much to leave sin unchecked in our lives which leads to death.

Ex. People who drop out of fellowship

Only a matter of time before I find their name in the "arrest record", or get an emergency call from the hospital, or for assistance because of some crisis in their life.

God loves you and will do what is necessary to keep you on the path of life.

Note: Please remember that not all sickness, or trials, or crisis are the result of sin in our lives! We have many examples in scripture, Job the most obvious in which God allowed difficult times into the lives of the righteous for other purposes.

So, remember what God does in response to your sin - He loves you too much to leave you to your sin - He's going to chasten you!

What sin does (vs. 3-10)

Ps. 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

Ps. 38:4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Ps. 38:5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness.

Ps. 38:6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

Ps. 38:7 For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh.

Ps. 38:8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

Ps. 38:9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.

Ps. 38:10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

√ What sin does

Sin brings grief, destruction, and death. David's sin produced all sorts of trouble in his life.

In this psalm, as well as psalm 32, we find that David became sick as a result of his sin. But that was hardly the worse consequence of the sin in his life…

David's son with Bathsheba died

David's son Amnon raped his sister Tamar

David's son Absolom murdered Amnon

David's son Absolom lead a rebellion

David's people - 70,000 dead (numbering the people)

Reminds us that sin always costs more than we're told it will. The truth is that sin presents itself as a "friend" who will bring us pleasure…

…but in reality it only wants to master us that it might enslave us!

Ap. When tempted think about the cost

Every sin carries a cost. There is a personal cost, a cost that is born by those we love, and ultimately a cost to God Himself in the suffering of His Son.

Ask yourself…

"am I willing to pay that price for sin!?"

There are many things in life that we chose not to do because they carry a cost…

Ex. Buying that new Miata! I like eating on a daily basis more than I want that new car! J

…how much more should we count the cost of sin before we get involved where the consequences are so much higher.

So, remember what sin does in our life.

What people do (vs. 11-14)

Ps. 38:11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off.

Ps. 38:12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.

Ps. 38:13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.

Ps. 38:14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response.

√ What people do

People respond in different ways to us when we're in the midst of sin, or the consequences of sin.

David mentions two of the ways people respond…

Sin built a wall between David and those he loved.

Sin built a bridge between David and those who hated him.

Walls - in vs. 11 David tells us that his family and friends kept at a distance. His sin had built a wall between them - so sad because the very people who could help David, or at least comfort him…

…felt as though a wall had been built between them, so they stayed away.

Ap. Walls in our lives

Haven't you found that to be true in your life? If you've gotten yourself involved in sin - while you may think you've hidden your sin from those who love you…

…the truth is that you both sense a wall has been built between you!

Ex. Communication breaks down

The first sign of trouble in a relationship, whether partners in marriage, or parent - child relationships, is when real communication ceases.

If you sense a lack of openness, intimacy, or sincerity, it is almost always a sign that some hidden sin has built a wall between you.

The tragedy is that the wall which has now been built by sin not only hides the sinner…

…it also keeps the sinner from those who are most qualified to rescue him/her!

Bridges - in vs. 12 David tells us that his sin had also built a bridge of opportunity for those who hated him and wanted to exploit or harm him.

Ap. Bridges in our lives

Once again we find that what was true in David's experience is also true in ours!

Ex. Jimmy Swaggert

Before he sinned, Jimmy Swaggart spoke with power and passion regarding the sin of pornography and the industry that produces it. But, when he fell into sexual sin a bridge of opportunity was built for that same industry to make a public spectacle of his sin.

David's testimony warns us that when we sin we not only separate ourselves from those who love us…

…we also empower those who hate us!

Always remember what people do when we sin.

What the sinner must do! (vs. 15-22)

Ps. 38:15 For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.

Ps. 38:16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”

Ps. 38:17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me.

Ps. 38:18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.

Ps. 38:19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

Ps. 38:20 Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

Ps. 38:21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me!

Ps. 38:22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

√ What the sinner must do

There is only one hope for the sinner…

…confess your sin to God and cry out for His mercy and grace!

David had found that God was always faithful to rescue him when he turned from his sin.

God has promised throughout His Word that He will forgive those who seek His forgiveness.

He is faithful to hear our cries and wants more than anything for us to turn from our sin.

In fact, that's why He chastens us!

2Cor. 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2Cor. 7:11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

So, God uses chastening to steer us back onto the path of life.

Ex. David & Saul

These two men present an interesting study. For David was clearly the greater sinner, yet Saul was the one who was cast away by God.

Why?

Because David responded to the Lord's chastening and Saul did not.

So, the sinner must respond to the chastening of the Lord.

Close

√ Remember

Sin hurts - it hurts the sinner, the people he/she loves, and even those who may have nothing to do with the sinner.

Ap. If you're caught by sin

Turn to Jesus, He alone can break the bondage of sin in a person's life.

Note what God has promised to those who turn from their sin.

He has promised to…

Take them away! (John 1:29)

Forget you ever sinned! (Hebrews 10:17)

Wash them from your life (Isa. 1:18)

Blot them from your record! (Isa. 44:22)

Pardon you from penalty (Isa. 55:7)

Bury them in the sea! (Micah 7:19)

Praise the Lord!