Introduction

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Psalm 51 by quoting Thomas Chalmers and referencing Luther and Athanasius, establishing its historical and personal importance as a deeply affecting and…

Chalmers' quote describes Psalm 51 as the most deeply affecting and applicable psalm, an 'effusion of a smarting under the sense of a recent and great transgression,' which serves to whet the appetite for studying it.

There is no psalm which is oftener sung or prayed in the church than this psalm. And then the saintly Thomas Chalmers, one of the greatest Scottish preachers that the Spirit of God has ever given as a blessing to his church, said the following about this psalm. This is the most deeply affecting of all the psalms, and I'm sure the one most applicable to me. It seems to have been the effusion of a smarting under the sense of a recent and great transgression, my God, and then he launches into a prayer to the Lord in the midst of this, my God, whether recent or not, give me to feel the enormity of...

0:03 - 0:47 Read in full sermon

The point: If we desire to walk in the light, we must know how to scripturally deal with our own sin.

This metaphor describes Psalm 51 as God placing an electronic device by David's heart to record his confession, inviting listeners to 'intrude into the sanctuary of a broken heart' to learn from it.

Well, let me suggest at least two reasons that are very basic as to why we should study this penitential psalm. This psalm, that in the very real way, if we were putting it in contemporary jargon, we would call the bugging of a broken heart. It's as though God placed an electronic device by the heart of David, when in this context of brokenness he poured out his soul to God, and now God the Holy Spirit has given us the record of that which spilled out of the heart of David in this context of confession. Well, why should we draw near, and as it were, intrude into the sanctuary of a broken heart...

2:42 - 3:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize your need for Psalm 51 and long for God to teach you its meaning.

Martin illustrates the flaw in perfectionism by showing how lowering the standard of sin (e.g., only 'known conscious disobedience') would logically lead to remaining ignorant to sin less, exposing its flexible standard.

There would be some who would answer and object in that form. You see, perfectionism says we're beyond the 51st psalm. Now, overt perfectionism is that kind of teaching that says you can actually be cleansed this side of glory of inbred sin and come not to absolute perfection of the angels or the perfection you'll know up in heaven, but a relative perfection. You see, they lower the standard of sin and say all known conscious disobedience, you can be delivered from that.

9:03 - 9:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Let me state categorically you're out of victory if you don't pray Psalm 51 regularly.

The law of God is compared to an absolute, unyielding standard, not an accordion that can be stretched or squeezed, refuting the flexible standards of perfectionism.

You can stretch it out and squeeze it down and work on it like an accordion. But my Bible says that the word and the law of God is absolute and settled and perfect and exceeding broad and nobody can squeeze it. Good Mr. Wesley notwithstanding and all of his followers.

10:10 - 10:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second error is positionalism, which dismisses the need for confession by overemphasizing a believer's justified standing in Christ, ignoring the experiential reality of sin…

Martin recounts an encounter with an older man who, steeped in positionalism, proudly dismissed the need for experiential holiness, believing his positional holiness in Christ was all that mattered, illustrating the danger of this error.

I've actually had people tell me that. I told you the instance one night I was preaching on Hebrews. Follow after the holiness without which no man will see the Lord. And that man came into our service up on the hill there and said he'd been a Christian forty years and came to straighten me out.

12:25 - 12:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Legalism, or 'fix-yourself-up-ism,' is the fourth subtle error, where individuals attempt to earn forgiveness or acceptability through self-punishment or prolonged sorrow rather…

The extreme practice of flagellation in some Roman Catholic traditions in Guatemala is used as a gross example of legalism, where self-inflicted suffering is believed to make one acceptable to God.

But I really can't believe that simply by coming to God and owning my sin and pouring out my grief to Him and looking to the objective provisions for cleansing and pardon that He has made, I just can't believe that it's subtle as easy as that. And so they flagellate themselves. Now, the most gross form of this, of course, is what you see in some of the more unrefined manifestations of Romanism. I've actually seen the movies, not professional movies, just some friends of mine who are missionaries down in Guatemala.

16:10 - 16:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that God gives you a contrite spirit, for He only saves the brokenhearted.

God could have given abstract principles of brokenness, but instead, He chose to give a 'living example' in David's confession in Psalm 51, allowing us to 'put our ear up to David's heart and listen.'

He only dwells with the broken. What's it mean to be broken? Psalm 51 tells us. You see, God could give these things to us in an abstract principle, or he could give it to us in a living example, and in this case he's chosen to do the latter.

22:02 - 22:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the historical setting of Psalm 51, recounting David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah from 2 Samuel 11-12, emphasizing David's indolence, lust, and murder, and God's…

Martin debunks the popular myth of David as a 'little lad' when he faced Goliath, asserting from Scripture that David was a 'mighty man of valor,' highlighting the importance of biblical accuracy over sentimental tradition.

I used to assume that people knew the facts of the Bible, but the more I read the scriptures, the more I realize we've believed a lot of myths. I believe the myth of only a boy named David, you know, only a little lad. It just isn't true. Scripture says he's a mighty man of valor.

24:12 - 24:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: you and I will never pray Psalm 51 with any degree of real heart unless God in his grace is pleased to awake and reawake and continually keep awake a conscience that always has a tendency to slumber

The detailed recounting of Nathan's parable to David, leading to David's righteous anger and Nathan's pronouncement 'Thou art the man,' serves as the central illustration of how God uses 'Nathans' to expose sin.

Nathan. Keep him in your mind. And the Lord sent Nathan unto David and he came unto him and said unto him there were two men in one city the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds but the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb which he brought up and nourished and it grew up together with his children.

27:34 - 27:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Welcome every 'Nathan' God sends to you, whether it's a phrase from Scripture, a circumstance, or a brother.

The Scriptures are described as a 'bony finger of a Nathan,' consistently pricking and wounding the conscience, emphasizing the need for systematic Bible reading to keep the conscience awake.

and became the instrument to expose my sin You say, what are you driving at pastor? I hope you see what I'm driving at if you and I are going to maintain a scriptural attitude of dealing with sin we must welcome every Nathan whom God will send to us for you never pray Psalm 51 until a Nathan's come across your path now that Nathan may be just a phrase from the word of God that's why it's imperative to be in the scriptures consistently because the scriptures themselves become the bony finger of a Nathan that's why it's necessary to read the scriptures consistently not just picking up a passage ...

32:11 - 33:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Welcome every 'Nathan' God sends to you, whether it's a phrase from Scripture, a circumstance, or a brother.

David's statement 'It is good for me that I have been afflicted' is used to illustrate how God uses difficult circumstances to jar a slumbering conscience and reawaken sensitivity to sin.

yes you have haven't you it's about time you straightened up isn't it thou art the man and then you begin to see the sin of parental neglect but if you never read Ephesians you might slip along and never hear a preacher quoted for years that particular passage you might never read about it in a book and because there's been no Nathan conscience will slumber in that area you're a mother maybe you've begun to grow careless in your responsibilities to your husband you've allowed other things to take the edge off the keenness of that responsibility and that relationship and you're reading through ...

33:38 - 35:05 Read in full sermon