Poor Choices, Big Consequences

 “Poor Choices, Big Consequences”

 Message @ Jericho Ridge Community Church – Sunday, Aug 16, 2015

Text: 2 Samuel 11&12 // Series: Divided Kingdom

This summer, we’ve been looking at the life of David, one of the significant figures in the Old Testament. The Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart.  And we’ve seen some real high points in his life as we have moved through our teaching series in 2 Samuel.  David is now the king over all of Israel… but even kings make mistakes.  2 Samuel chapters 11 & 12 where we will look today is perhaps David’s biggest mistake – and she has a name. Bathsheba.   

This is the big mistake that David is known for but it actually starts out with a series of poor choices.    

Turn with me in your Bibles or on your phones to 2 Sam 11 and we are going to see a series of poor choices that has David walking down the wrong pathway – v 1 “In the spring when Kings normally go to war, David sent Joab and the army.  However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.” 

Mistake #1 – David gets LAZY

Because when he is at home, he sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba and he decides to take what does not belong to him.  Mistake #2 – David gets GREEDY.  (He takes what isn’t his)…  We see this humorously portrayed in the VeggieTales story King George and the Rubber Ducky where Larry the cucumber plays the part of David who has his own robber duckys but he wants the one that is not his. 

Let’s watch this video together… [40 sec]

David knows that this course of action is wrong… Not just the grammar.  He knows that he shouldn’t do this yet he keeps right on going down this path.  As I read this chapter, this is what stood out to me.  It’s like there were all these warning signs posted that this course of action was a bad idea but David just ignored them and kept on going.  Have you ever done that in your life – seen a warning sign but ignored it?  Warning signs are there for a reason, however.  For example, take a bottle of hot sauce…  I came across a photo of the back label of one recently.  The top part says “a great ingredient for sauces, soups and stews”.  OK – so far so good.  Look at the next part, however in this picture… “Also, strips wax floors and removes driveway grease stains. Enjoy!”  Say what?  That should be a warning sign for you that you are going to get burned!         

Now, to help us remember this, I need two volunteers who enjoy hot cause.  I don’t have the one in the photo but I do have two varieties that I enjoy at home.  Siracha, and also a yellow hot sauce from Costa Rica that my folks bought for me when they were there.  I need to see which one is hotter so if I can have two volunteers, I will put a spoonful in your mouth, we’ll set a timer for 30 second and see if you can hold it on your tongue.  Two brave souls for our inaugural HOT SAUCE tasting. 

Point: Sometimes you know it’s a bad decision but you do it anyways J 

See, this is where David is at.  He’s in deep now… He has gotten lazy, he isn’t doing what he should be doing; he’s gotten greedy and taken something that did not belong to him and he had no business taking. And now? Now he goes even deeper… because he realizes that Bathsheba is pregnant.  And so he presses on Mistake #3 – He gets Deceive-y (I made that word up obviously so they can all end in an “e” sound!).  Tammy from our office isn’t here to check my grammar so work with me J.  David masterminds a plan to take out Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.  The army is at war, Uriah is in the army.  So David sends a message to the commander of his army in verse 14 that says “station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed”.  And that is exactly what happens.  David tries to cover up his sin with deception and instead he only adds to it.  In one chapter, he has gone from laziness, to lust, adultery, to murder.  And here we see Mistake #4 – David gets COCKY – he thinks he will get away with it.  He thinks no one will know.  After all, he is the king.  But God sees.  God knows. 

But chapter 11 ends with the phrase “the Lord was displeased with what David had done”.  So the Lord sent Nathan he prophet to confront David.  But you don’t just walk in and confront the King – that would be crazy!  He might have you killed.  So Nathan comes in and tells David a story…  A tale of two lambs. You can follow this in 2 Samuel 12:1-4.  Once upon a time, there were two men – rich man, poor man.  Rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle…. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought.  He raised that little lamb. It grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drake from his cup.  He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 

One day, a friend arrived for a fancy dinner at the rich man’s house.  He asked for lamb to be on the menu. And instead of going out and getting one of his many, many sheep, the rich man reached out and took the poor man’s only lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” 

Well, before this story was even out of Nathan’s mouth, David blew up.  I mean he lost it – “that man deserves to DIE!” he shouted. 

Nathan says to David in 12:7 – YOU. Are. That. Man. 2 Samuel 12:7-12 

David quickly says “I’m sorry” BUT the damage is already done.  There are consequences to his choices.  Uriah is dead.  The child that Bathsheba gave birth to dies.  And from this moment on in the book of 2 Samuel, we see that David’s family begins unravel and turn against him. 

Here’s what I find personally intriguing and challenging from this text.  We can fall into a bad habit of thinking that when we sin – when we engage in thoughts or actions that are disobedient to God – that we can just say a quick “I’m sorry” and move on.  But sin always has consequences.  Relationships are broken. Sin damages our relationship with God and often creates incredible pain and hurt in our relationships with other people.  We can think “no one knows” when I engage in gluttony or theft.  We can think “I’m not really hurting anybody else!” when I lie to make myself look good to friends at my new school or when I spend money beyond my ability to repay.  But God knows.  And God is displeased.  Today, God might be bringing a thought or action to your mind that you need to tell yourself the truth about.  You need to stop being all lazy or greedy or deceive-y or cocky and you need to repent.  Say God, I’m sorry 

Because here’s what we learn from this instance in David’s life.  That the choices you and I make each day are leading us down a pathway… The question is Where is your path taking you?

This is equally true for kids as it is for adults.  The each of us is on a pathway… your choices are leading you somewhere either healthy or destructive.  And every choice you make is a step down a pathway…  For example, how you use your words today sets you on a pathway.  You can choose to speak words of anger and resentment and bitterness and that will lead you further down those pathways.  OR you can choose to forgive. To release that person who hurt you.  Maybe today you’ve been walking down a pathway of disrespect and disobedience to your parents.  You can choose today to keep walking down that pathway or you can choose to do what David did when his sin was pointed out to him.  He confessed it. 

What pathway are you walking down?  Where is that path leading you? 

Ultimately, the Bible says this is true of our lives… We can walk down a path of trusting in God and into eternal relationship with Him by saying yes to Jesus, OR we can choose the path of self-sufficiency and pride.  The final destination of that pathway is death, however.  Not just physically but spiritually.  Eternal separation from God. Choose a different path: LIFE!

Some of you need to begin to walk out other choices.  That can begin today.  Some of you need to make better choices with your friendships.  You need to begin to speak and live the truth instead of trying to be someone you are not.   Some of you need to stop walking down pathways of chronic consumerism that is leading you deeper and deeper into debt and financial bondage.  You need to learn to walk a pathway of contentment and being free from the love of money.  Some of you need to use your time better this fall.  What pathway are you walking down?  Where is that pathway leading you?  Maybe today your act of response is to name that to someone.  To confess to God and to another person where you are at on that pathway and to begin to make different choices.   

Jared and the team are coming to lead us in a time of worship response.  As is our practice here at Jericho, we want to stand with you in prayer to listen and support you in what God is saying to you.  We have Ann-Marie, Aaron and myself available at the sides for prayer for whatever it is you are facing.  We are going to sing 3 songs – take time to listen to God. 

One of the incredible things that emerges in the midst of this tragic story of sin, deception and murder, is that there is still hope, forgiveness & grace.  David responds with repentance, God forgives Him, there are still harsh consequences for David’s actions… his own family begins to turn against him, his child dies, we’ll see next week that his own son leads a massive rebellion against him… BUT God still graciously forgives David.  He still is faithful to His promises to David.  Jesus, the Saviour of the world, centuries later still comes from David’s family, via Bathsheba who gives birth to Solomon.  God gives us grace, guidance, but He also gives us significant choice and sometimes we blow it.  Some of you need to hear that message this morning – a message of mercy and hope.  You feel that you’ve walked too far down roads that have dead ends and God’s mercy cant’ reach you.  You need to know that is a lie.  The love & mercy of God can reach repentant hearts wherever they are.  As we prepare our hearts to respond to God in worship hear the words David writes in Psalm 86...  

Benediction: “Most mighty God and merciful Father, who has compassion upon all, mercifully forgive our sins; receive & comfort us who are grieved and wearied with the burden of our sins. Spare us, God, enter not into judgement with your servants who truly repent of our faults, but make haste to help us in this world, that we may eve live with You in the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  {bless, keep, face, countenance}