INTRODUCTION:
1. "Too
many 'revivals' begin with the assumption that the present church membership
is in
good shape. That is usually wide of the mark . . . What we call revival
is simply a return
to normal New Testament Christianity. Most of us are so subnormal that
if we ever
became normal, we would be considered abnormal."
(Vance Havner)
2. Psalm
51 is the psalm of personal revival.
a. Written after David's sin with Bathsheba.
b. Expresses his heart's desire to be right with God
again.
c. Reveals some elements that are necessary if we are
to truly have revival --
individual and/or church-wide.
3. There
can be no church-wide revival without the revival of the individuals in
the church.
4. True
revival begins with a proper view of sin.
I. SIN DESCENDS FROM THE HUMAN NATURE -- VS. 5.
A.
Corrupted By Nature.
1. This is the teaching of "Total Hereditary Depravity."
a. TOTAL = all.
b. HEREDITARY = passed from generation to generation.
c. DEPRAVITY = corrupt; twisted; turned out of the way.
2. Romans 3:13-18 -- This condition affects
the entire person.
3. David declares this fact in this verse.
a. "I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother
conceive me."
b. The Bible teaches that life begins at conception.
c. At that moment, the sin principle is operative.
4. See what the Bible says about this:
a. Psalm 58:3.
b. Genesis 8:21.
B.
Corrected In The New Birth.
1. When we were saved, God gave us a new nature -- II
Cor. 5:17.
(However, He did not remove the old one.)
2. Thus, the sin principle is still present with us and
seeks to control us.
a. Galatians 5:17.
b. Romans 7:15-23.
c. Romans 6:16.
3. Even failing to do as we know we should is sin --
James 4:17.
4. I John 1:8, 10 -- Even after we are
saved we commit sin.
II. THIS SIN DESERVES JUDGMENT -- VS. 1.
A.
An Admission Of Guilt.
1. "Have mercy upon me, O God . . . "
(An admission that David did not deserve to be acquitted.)
2. In true confession of sin, we recognize that we do
not deserve to be forgiven.
a. Sin deserves judgment.
b. David is pleading, "Please don't give me what I deserve."
c. All he could do was appeal for mercy.
3. The saved are dependent upon God's mercy when it comes
to forgiveness of sins.
a. Psalm 130:3 -- ("Lord, if You give people
what they deserve for their sins,
no one would survive.")
b. This is why Paul desired "Grace, mercy,
and peace" for churches and
individuals.
B.
An Appeal To God.
1. When we realize that our sin deserves judgment, we
must turn to God for
mercy and forgiveness.
a. Vs. 1 -- David is our example.
b. II Chronicles 5:17 ; I John 1:8-10.
2. Just as the Prodigal Son returned to his father's
house and found mercy, so must
we turn to our Heavenly Father for mercy and forgiveness.
C.
An Application Of Grace. (His Apparent Goodness.)
1. How much does God forgive?
a. Psalm 103:10-14 -- In mercy, He does
not reward us as much as our sin
deserves.
b. Job. 11:6.
c. We may well have to face the consequences of our sin,
but we can have
forgiveness and see fellowship restored.
2. Why does God forgive?
a. Psalm 130:3-4 -- "that thou mayest
be feared."
b. When we realize the necessity of God's forgiveness
(and what it cost),
we acknowledge His authority.
c. FEARED = reverenced.
3. What should be our attitude toward this mercy and
forgiveness?
a. Nehemiah 9:3 -- Spent 1/4 of a day confessing
their sins and then
pleading for mercy.
b. Ezra 9:13-14 -- "Should we again
break thy commandments?"
III. SIN DEMANDS CLEANSING -- VS. 2.
1. "Wash
me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."
a. WASH = to wash garments by treading them in
a trough (or, the cleanser used
to wash a foul garment.).
b. CLEANSE = to cleanse from all pollution
and defilement.
c. SIN = the general word that refers to every
kind of uncleanness and evil.
2. This
is an example of a child of God getting a taste of something he didn't
like and
never wanting to go through it again.
a. Sin broke his fellowship with God.
b. He never again wanted such an experience.
c. How do we feel about broken fellowship with God?
3. Sin
leaves a deep stain.
a. I John was written "that your joy may be
full."
b. First thing John talks about is confession and forgiveness
of sin!
4. Illustrated
in John 13:5-15 (vs. 10).
a. "He that is washed (saved) needeth not except
to wash his feet . . . "
b. Picture of Roman baths.
1) Walk home from bath in sandals on dusty streets.
2) When home didn't need another bath -- just to have
dust washed off feet.
c. When the saved sin, they don't need to be "saved again"
but to have the dirt
and filth of the world cleansed daily.
IV. THE SINNER DECLARES RESPONSIBILITY -- VV. 3-4.
1. Vv.
3-4 -- David didn't blame anyone else for his sin; he blamed himself.
2. Some
people blame their sins on others.
a. Gen. 3:11-12 -- Some, as Adam, blame
God.
b. Some blame Satan -- "The devil made me do it." (Remember
Romans 6:16!)
c. Some try to blame other people. Adam, to an extent,
blamed Eve.
3. True
confession involves accepting full liability for your sin.
a. David blamed himself.
b. Luke 15:21 -- Prodigal Son -- "I
have sinned against heaven and in thy
sight."
c. Luke 23:41 -- Thief on the cross.
d. Some try to blame the preacher, deacons, SS teacher,
some member they held
a grudge against for years, etc. for their unfaithfulness, but they need
to look
in a mirror.
4. Don't
say, "Lord, why did You allow me to get into this situation? You are sovereign
and know I am weak in this area."
a. That impugns God's righteousness.
b. It violates His holiness and sins doubly.
5. Vs.
4 -- David was saying, "Lord, I exonorate You."
a. "I have sinned and done it against You and
Your will."
b. "I don't hold You responsible; this is my fault."
6. Accepting
personal responsibility for your sin is a mark of spiritual maturity.
V. THE SINNER MUST DESIRE MERCY -- VS. 1.
1. What
must we do when we sin?
a. I John 1:9 (CONFESS = homologeo.)
b. II Chron. 7:14.
1) Humility.
3) Repentance.
2) Prayer.
4) Turning to God.
2. Humility
is essential to revival.
a. Before we will seek to be made right, we must first
acknowledge something
is wrong.
b. James 4:8-10 -- Humility will bring
us to such a realization.
3. Prayer
-- Our confession of sin is to God.
a. CONFESS means to "agree with."
b. God is already calling it sin; what will we do?
4. Repentance
-- "Seek my face."
a. We must first turn to God if we are to forsake
sin.
b. We don't turn from sin to God, but vice
versa -- I Thess. 1:9.
5. Turning
-- "turn from their wicked way."
a. This is the second part of this two-fold turning,
or repentance.
We must turn to and from.
b. In our flesh, we don't have the strength to make this
turn.
c. However, by the power of God we can.
CONCLUSION:
1. What
is God's perfect will for us?
I John 2:1a -- "My little children, these things write
I unto you, that ye sin not."
2.
What is His provision for us?
I John 2:1b -- "And if any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous."
a. ADVOCATE = defense attorney.
b. Wuest -- Every time we sin and seek forgiveness, Jesus
must go before the
Father with us and our sin.
3. If
we really want to see revival in our lives and in our church, we must be
humble
enough to admit our sin and responsibility for it before God, be cleansed
from it,
and dedicate ourselves to serve Him.
