Date:   03/29/09

Text:   Psalm 51:1-17

Title:   A Stigmatized House

Theme: God's faithfulness and mercy are the foundation for the removal of sins in our lives

Introduction:

  June 29, 2005 NY Times had an article on Greg Lietz, a friendly guy. After he bought a little house in Wichita , Kansas , he decorated it for his first Halloween. He prepared large quantity of candies that children like, but no one came to his door.

  When he mentioned it to one of his neighbors, he found out why. Somebody had murdered four members of a family who had previously lived in Leitz's house. The crime was committed right in this house. You see, his house was one of six houses in Wichita , dissimilar in size and style, in the same neighborhood. They all had one thing in common. In five of these houses, a serial killer, BTK had committed his ruthless murders. The other house was where the killer lived. If we were in the housing market in Wichita , most likely we would skip these houses.

  BTK stands for Bind, Torture and Kill. BTK had killed a total of 10 people during a 30 years span. Finally he was arrested and pleaded guilty, and now serving several life sentences.

  Originally there were 7 of these houses, and one has been torn down. People lived in the rest of them today. They bought the houses without being told of its horrid past. Now that the killer had confessed and the purchasers have all learned the truth about their houses, and are not happy about it.

  So, put yourself in Greg Leitz and other owners of BTK houses. How would you feel? Most likely you wouldn't like where you are living. Its past history would be too much to make you feel at home.

  During the early days of our Seminary life, in the summer of 1979 , we moved into an unfurnished apartment in STL. Our dining table was made of a table top resting on two ladders. Very soon some member of the church gave us a bed set which we used for the next 16 years. Several years later, we learned that it used to belong to a family whose relative had died on it. Literally, a death bed. It bothered us for a little while and we soon got over it. This Stigmatized bed did not bring us too much unrest.

  Now, how about transferring the emotions connected with the stigmatized house or items to our life? Is there something in our past that we may find too much for us to bear? We may be haunted by past wrong behavior that will not let us live in peace with ourselves. We are haunted by these words, “if only, if only.” We want to cover, forget, remove and suppress such stigma, yet we simply can't. Such unrest can cause us to withdraw from others, looking down on ourselves, or making statements like: the church is too holy for people like me, I'm not worthy to come and even associate with the Christians. To live like this is very miserable.

  While the stigma associated with a house or property may be hard to remove, but stigma in our lives can certainly be removed. There is a remedy for removing the stigma, or shame over things we did in the past.

  This morning we will turn to Psalm 51. Just reading this psalm, we would not know who wrote it or its background. Only later, when the psalms were compiled, the heading was added: it was by David and the occasion was his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, murdering her husband, Uriah; and then prophet Nathan came and pointed out to David how offensive this is to God. You see, if we know from the very beginning this is by David, written after his adulterous affair, then we can say, this doesn't apply to me. However, the words that expressed such strong emotional turmoil can be identified by most readers. In this psalm we see the truth that God's Faithfulness is the basis for the removal of shame in our lives.

I •  Sins can cause great emotional turmoil in us .

Let's take a look at words used to describe David's emotions. Vs.3,7,10, “ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” Feeling guilt. Vs.7, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Vs.10, “Create in me a clean heart,…” Feeling filth, I am dirty, I need to be cleansed. Vs.5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” We see a picture of shame and lacking any self-worth. I was born in sin, from the day of my birth, I was destined to sin, I am good for nothing. Vs.11, “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” Feeling being desert by God. God seemed to be so far from David, asking, Are you still there? If so, how come I don't feel you at all? Vs.12, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation,….” Joy has been taken out of my life. Then vs.15, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” his mouth was closed; his communication with God was corrupted. He couldn't even praise God anymore. If you read David's other psalms, praise was such an integral part of his emotions and relationship with God; but not anymore.

Can you imagine living with such tumultuous emotions: shame, guilt, without peace and song? It is miserable, right? No one, except you, may know the sins your committed, no matter how much you want to cover it, it just won't go away.

Now what?

II •  Emotional turmoil leads us to deep remorse .

David knew such emotional pain were caused by his adultery and killing Uriah. He knew he had hurt Bathsheba, killed a loyal soldier and literally destroyed a family. There is nothing he could do to undo his wrong and bring back Uriah. But there is more to this. In vs.4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,…” Yes, he has sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, more so, he had sinned against God. He was so sorry, remorse, that he had sinned against the God who cared and loved him. He had wrong the God who was his shepherd.

I still remember in a youth fellowship meeting 50 years ago. A new minister in great remorse and tears shared with a group of 20-30 youths about his adulterous affair. We can certainly debate whether it was appropriate to share such sins before a group of teenagers. Yet one thing continue to stick in my mind; his deep remorse for the sin he had committed against God.

When we sin, we are not just hurting others or self, we are sinning against God. You see, the word sin means missing the mark God has set. If there is no God, then sin will not be such a big deal. It was just a mistake or another behavior. In today's society, affairs are no big deal, as long as both parties are adults and consent to it. It may even be beneficial to one's marriage. However, if there is a God, and if he is the almighty and holy one, then it is different. Even though the society may accept such behaviors, but it is offensive to God. He is the truth, the ultimate standard against whom all behaviors are measure.

We feel remorse because we have sinned against God.

III •  Deep remorse leads us to seek forgiveness .

What else did David do? Like David, we may feel extreme remorse over what we did, then what? Children may feel very sorry over the rules they broke, is that enought? We may feel bad about what we said and did to a person. And sometimes we just stop here. No, there is more than just remorse. Let's take a look at David again. Vs.2, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” vs.7, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Vs.8, “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.” Vs.10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” David was pleading to God to forgive him, to remove the sins from him so he can be restored to God, be clean, be joyous and whole again.

The same is true with us. just knowing we have sinned against God is not enough. Just feeling remorse or deep remorse is not enough either. We have all seen individuals and prominent church leaders feeling deep remorse over the sins they have committed, but not much evident for sincerely seeking God's forgiveness. We need to go one step further, asking God to forgive us.

Did David know for sure that his sins were forgiven? From reading psalm 51, we did not get the message that David acknowledged God's forgiveness. However David did make it clear in vs.1, “ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” He pleaded for forgiveness because of God's faithfulness and mercy. Vs.6, “ Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,…” vs. 17,18, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” The only thing David could hold onto was God's character, his faithfulness, mercy, his love for honesty and a broken heart. In psalm 103:8-13, “ 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” this is another psalm that David wrote. David knew of God's faithfulness and grace. He knew God would remove our sins from us, far from us.

  How about us? we definitely know more than David. Few hundred years after David, we have the words from prophet Isaiah, Isa 53:4-6, “ 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” David knew of God's faithfulness, therefore his sins will be removed. Those that came after David, began to understand that there will come a day, when there is a servant from God who would carry men's sins. Yes, it is God's faithfulness that will offer forgiveness, but this faithfulness is not free, it cost him a servant sent by him.

  Another few hundred years later, when Jesus came, John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). Jesus is the one Isaiah talked about, the one who would carry our sins. And then, on the cross, Jesus said, It is finished. Finished what? He had completed the task of carrying our sins on him. this completion is further affirmed by his resurrection. This is the reason, later on, apostle John wrote, “ 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I Jn 1:9).

  David's assurance that his shame would be removed and sins forgiveness, was his trust in God's faithfulness and mercy. Our assurance was also God's faithfulness plus the historical fact that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead 3 days later. When we come to God with that deep remorse of our sins, seeking God's forgiveness, our sins will be forgiven, and shame removed. Yes, we may have that stigmatized past, but it can be removed.

IV •  Forgiveness leads us to changed behavior .

  However, there is one more thing. Yes, our sins are forgiven and the stigma removed, we are clean. Is that all? The Chinese term, “ ?? ” has two parts. The first word means remorse, the second word means change. When put together, it means Repentance. As we look around, we see individuals with great remorse over what they did, they seek forgiveness, yet there was not change. They end up repeating the same sins. There are those who have behavior change, but no remorse. It's like children changing their behavior because the parents want them to. True repentance always means remorse and change. Having given the assurance of forgiveness, we are to ask God to help us to change so we will not repeat the same sins again. Isn't this what John the Baptist said in Luke 3:8 , “ 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance….” Yes, we feel sorry for our sins, but this sorrow, this remorse must be demonstrated through changed behavior.

Conclusion:

  Besides the bible, the next best seller is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. It was first published in 1675, and remains a classic read by many. It is a novel that pictures a traveler, after a spiritual awakening, journeying through the wilderness of the world, in search of an Eternal City. In chapter 3, we have these words. Now I saw in my dream Christian (the traveler's name) walking briskly up a highway fenced on both sides with a high wall. He began to run, though he could not run fast because of the load on his back. On top of the hill, he came to a cross. Just as he got to the cross, his burden came loose, dropped from his shoulders, and went tumbling down the hill. It fell into an open grave, and I saw it no more. Now Christian's heart was light. He had found relief from his burden. …His heart was light…….no longer felt guilty of anything. His conscience told him that all his sins were forgiven. He now felt innocent, clean, happy and free.

  Some of us may still be carrying burdens of our past sins. Our hearts were still heavy. The only way to rid of such burden is to come to Christ. Tell him how sorry we are for the past sins we have committed and ask him for forgiveness. As we do this, we also hold on to his promise that he will forgive us and throw away our sins far from us.