August 2      How We Fall into Sin      II Sam 11:1-17, 26-7; 12:1-7

  Erk Russell was the defensive coach for the Georgia Bulldogs for 17 years and the head coach for Georgia Southern from 1981-89.  Under his leadership, Georgia Southern went to three championships and he was known as America’s most winning coach.  However, in 1986, this football coach was powerfully struck by the death of college basketball player Len Bias from a cocaine overdose.  In his concern for his football players, during a routine players meeting, Coach Russell tossed a writhing, hissing, six-foot-long rattlesnake onto a table in front of the squad. "Everyone screamed and scattered," Russell recalls. "I told them, 'When cocaine comes into a room, you're not nearly as ready to run as when that rattlesnake comes in. But they'll both kill you!"  Many of his players said that it was a life changing moment for them.

     This morning, we read from one of the most disturbing stories in the Bible.  David who was a great hero and man of God suddenly falls deeply into sin.  He steals another man’s wife and has the man murdered.   How can this be?  But the fact is that any and all of us can fall.  The danger of sin is always at our door days the Bible.  But we forget, grow comfortable, and do not pay attention.  But it is as dangerous as a rattlesnake.  Sin will destroy our lives.  So how do we fall into sin?

   When we begin our story, David is at home in Jerusalem in the king’s palace.  Verse one.  “In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s army.”  David was always with his men.  When there was danger, when there was a responsibility, David was always there.  For years and years, as the Philistine people invaded form the sea to oppress and kill Israel, David fought back.  But now in the spring when kings go to battle, David sent someone else.  David stayed home.

    How do we fall into sin?  Most often we are some place where we should not be.  David should not have been in Jerusalem.  He should have been on the battle field.  So many people fall into sin because they are in the wrong place with the wrong person at the wrong time.  Do you have a place where you should not be?  Is there someone you are spending time with who you need to get away from?  Are there web sites and TV stations that you need to leave alone?  Now we tell ourselves that this place is not so bad.  We are not doing anything wrong.  We are just talking, just looking, just thinking.  Well now, David was just at home.  How could there be anything wrong with where David was?   But David was in the wrong place.  He should have been with his men.  Be honest with yourself.  Is that place where you should be?  We fall into sin when we are in the wrong place.

       David also fell into sin because he retired from life with God.  You know, for years David was a man of action.  David was in the thick of things.  But now in the spring, when kings go to war, David stayed home. Maybe he felt tired.  He was no longer a young man.  Maybe he felt he had done his part and now it was someone else’s turn.  But David decided to retire from his work.  And that led him to sin.      You know, there is no idea of retirement in the Bible.  In fact, retirement is an American invention of the mid-20^th century.  God has made us to be active, involved, and responsible.  Sure, our work changes over time, but we are not made to retire and do nothing.  God calls us still to be active in the church and the work of God.   “But I kept the nursery years ago.”  “I ran the youth group back in the 80s.”  “I gave money when I was working.”  “We have a lake house now and need to spend time with family.”  “I served on the board once before.”   Do you know when your work for God is finished?  When you stand before God and hear his words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  Then you are finished on this earth.  But not before.  There is no retiring from God’s work.  There is no graduating from church.  David retired from the work of God and he fell into sin.

    Finally, David sinned because he liked being the king.  We fall into sin when we decide to control our own lives, do our own thing, apart from God.   There is a subtle weaving in this story of David.  The verb “sent” is repeated 10 times in these verses.  David sent Joab to war.  David sent to find out who the woman is.  David sent to get her.  David sent word to bring Uriah back.  David sent orders back to Joab.   Never before had David did so much sending.  David was usually the man going and doing the will of God.  But now David is no longer going to do the will of God.  David is sending others to do David’s will.   We fall into sin when we forget about what God wants and we begin to send for what we want.  We begin to make our own plans about our time, our money, and our lives.  Who is your king?  Are you the king of your life?  Or is God the king?  There can only be one king.  We’ve all seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot.”  It was meant in a good way.   But listen, if God is your co-pilot, then you need to change seats.  God needs to be the main pilot, the king, the one who is guiding your life.   David fell into sin when he decided that he was the king and he sent others to do his will. 

      Now some of you may think, “Well, why can I not make my own decisions?  This is my life and I want to be in charge.”   Three verses in this story tell us the problem.  There are three other sendings that take place.  First, in verse 11:5.  Bathsheba sends word to David that she is expecting a child.  Imagine that.  You see, there are natural consequences to our decisions.  David thought he was in control and could make his own decisions, but nature has its own control.   When you and I do certain things, there are natural consequences and results.  And we will not be able to control what happens.       Secondly, in verse 11:6 and 11:18, Joab sends to David.   Joab was a very able military general for David, but Joab was never to be trusted.  He was sly and treacherous.  He is repeatedly a difficulty for David.   And in this story, Joab knows what David has done and he sends word letting David know.  When we try to be in control, we often forget about other people.  They hinder our plans.  They may betray us.  They may cause us great difficulties.  We like to think that we are in control of our lives, but even king David fell under the eye of his sly general Joab.  A wink and a smile and David knows that Joab knows what he has done.   You see, we are not in control because there are always natural consequences to our actions and we are not in control because other people also live in this world.  

   But finally, we are not in control because the Lord God is in control.  Verse 12:1 says, “The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David.”   Nathan tells this great story of a rich man and a poor man and a lamb.  David is moved to judge this wicked man for what he has done.  And Nathan tells him.  “You are the man.”  It is one of the great lines in the whole Bible.  You are the man.  This is the focus of the Word of God.  You are the man.  You are the woman.  The gospel is never about someone else.  It is always about you.  About me.  The gospel is never a truth in general but always a specific truth about your life.  Late night dorm bull sessions about God, academic class room talks about the Bible, political speeches about making the world a better place, these are all just religious talk.  Even Sunday School lessons, worship services, and revival meetings can be just religious talk.  They are about someone else.  They are about what ought to happen.  But the gospel is about you and about me.   And until it touches you in that way, you have never heard the good news.

   And it is good news.  To know my sin is good news. Saint Augustine said, ‘O happy sin.”  What did he mean?  He had realized that he was a sinner.  He was the man.  And in that he was saved.   In verse 12:13, David says, “I have sinned.”  And in that, he is saved.  You know, we all try to avoid sin in our lives, but our real primary task is to recognize sin in our lives.  To see it for what it is.  That is the first step to victory.  When I really know that I am the man, I am the one, then I am ready to find a new life in God.  Like a bird watcher who hikes in the woods and rejoices to find a new bird species, I should be on watch in my life, searching for sin.  And I can rejoice when I find and see and discover that sin.  It was always there but I had not seen it.  Now that I see it, I can be changed by God.  It is good news to discover that I am the man.

   David was in the wrong place.  Where are you these days?  Are you where you should be?   David decided he was in charge to send his orders.  Are you trying to run your own life?  Nature will not let you.  Other people will not let you.  And God will not let you.  Instead, the best news of all is to realize just how small we are.  By ourselves, we can do nothing.  But when we are connected to the God of the universe, when we are in the right place, we are powerful to live.  Today as you come to the table of the Lord, realize, “I am the one who has sinned, who has tried to run my own show.”  Now ask God to take control and guide you into life.  Amen.