In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

Why do we often take our blessings for granted? We have food, clothing and shelter. We have freedom of speech and of religion. We take it for granted, perhaps, because we have had it so good for so long. We take it for granted that there will be a church and school here, and that we will stand on God's pure Word. We take it for granted that our synod will be true to God's Word. We take it for granted, perhaps, because, we have had it so good for so long. Husbands take their wives for granted. Wives take their husbands for granted. Children take their parents for granted. Why? Perhaps, we've had it so good for so long.

You might be thinking: so what's wrong with that? Well, consider what happened to King David. When he had it rough, he prayed often. He wrote psalms. He praised God. He lived to the glory of God. But then, he started to take his blessings for granted. The really big wars had been fought and won. His troops were keeping busy mopping up the rest. So when the army went off to war that spring, King David stayed behind in Jerusalem. One night, he was restless and bored so he walked on the roof of the palace. Maybe you have done a similar thing. You can't sleep, so you turn on the TV and begin channel surfing. Or maybe you go online and surf the web. Eventually, you might come upon a station or a website that is a temptation for you. Maybe, it will lead to the sin of lust. David didn't need a TV or a computer. He just looked down and saw a beautiful woman bathing. From his vantage point, he could see what many see on those websites. And he lusted after her. He fell into SIN.

But, that's not all. King David sent a servant to find out about her. The servant tactfully not only gave him her name, Bathsheba, but he mentioned that she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. As in, "Ahem, she's married!" But, David would not be denied. He sent messengers to get her. She came to the palace and they committed the sin of adultery. Then she went back home. But she had conceived from this adulterous union and now she was pregnant with David's child. She sent word to David, and he knew it was a problem.

He immediately sent for Uriah. It was a clever cover-up plan and it should have worked. He would send Uriah home, and make it look like the baby was his. It seemed fool proof. But then Uriah would not go home. Perhaps Uriah thought it was a test of his loyalty, but he would not go home. David tried to persuade him and get him drunk, but to no avail. What seemed to be a perfect cover-up just did not work.

So, David sent Uriah back to the army, and gave orders to put him in the front, and then have the army withdraw from him so that he would be killed. In essence, this was murder. But, to an outsider, it would have looked clean and innocent. So, Uriah died. Bathsheba mourned for her husband for a while, and then David brought her to the palace and married her. She gave birth to a son, and it all looked clean and neat. David was a pretty good hypocrite. Very, very few would have known what happened there. He still looked like a godly king on the outside. "But the thing David had done displeased the LORD" (2 Samuel 11:27). The LORD knew what he had done. The LORD knew that David was impenitent, that he was not sorry for these sins of adultery and murder and hypocrisy. And deep down inside, David knew this too. In Psalm 32, he reveals how much it bothered him. But he put on a good face. He was a good hypocrite. He faked that things were okay. But they weren't. He was not "okay with God." He was on the road to everlasting punishment.

In love, the LORD had to act. The LORD sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. This was no easy task. David was the king. To upset him could be dangerous. Nathan could have been put in prison or even executed. Nathan might have been shaking when he went to meet King David. But Nathan obeyed and went. Like so many of God's prophets of old, Nathan went where the LORD sent him and said what the LORD told him to say regardless of the consequences. And he did a marvelous job.

The LORD gave him amazing tact. He didn't just barge in and blurt it out. Instead, he told a parable, the one we read in our Old Testament lesson. In this way, he caused David to judge his own case without realizing it. A rich man who had many animals stole his neighbor's pet, killed it and fed it to his guest. David burned with anger. He declared the rich man deserving of death!

Then Nathan proclaimed those bold and famous words, "You are the man!" These words cut right to the heart and stabbed David's conscience. King David, you are that man! You have sinned! You deserve to die! You had the pick of any young woman in Israel, yet you took the wife of another man. Then you killed him! King David, "You are the man!"

God's Law produced a clear CONFESSION of sin. David said, "I have sinned against the LORD." The King was guilty and he knew it. God knew it. Nathan knew it. He was the man! And he admitted it. He didn't deny it. He didn't make excuses. He didn't blame others. He just confessed, "I have sinned against the LORD."

And apply God's Word to yourself. What sins are lurking in your memory? Perhaps no one else here knows, but God knows. Maybe it was in your youth. Maybe it was last week. Maybe it was something you have tried to forget about. God knows. Give it up. Say, "I have sinned against the LORD." Don't make excuses. Don't blame others. Don't be looking around, saying, nobody's perfect. That's the point! Nobody's perfect, but that is not okay! Confess your sins freely. Maybe you haven't been putting God first. Maybe you've cursed and misused God's name. Maybe you haven't heard God's Word as you should. Maybe you haven't respected those in authority over you. Maybe you haven't loved your neighbor as yourself. Maybe you've committed the sins of lust, or adultery. Maybe you've surfed the net and landed on sins that tempt you to sin. Maybe you have longed for somebody else's spouse. If so, give it up. Be like David who said, "I have sinned."

But now, what? David pronounced his own verdict. He was deserving of death! And the wages of our sins is death too! We deserve to perish, because we have sinned. But David didn't perish, and we don't need to either. Nathan's reply to David was swift and clear. He said, "The LORD has taken away your sin." Nathan declared David forgiven. He announced God's free FORGIVENESS. And that's what we are to do as well. As soon as a sinner confesses his sin, we are to declare God's forgiveness without delay. That's right, without delay! So, if you were whispering or thinking: "I have sinned," then hear this, "The LORD has taken away your sin."

This is where we differ from the Catholics. When somebody says, "I have sinned," we don't say, "Now, all you have to do is say 50 "hail Mary's" and so on. No, we know that none of that stuff pays for any sins. The only payment for sin that counts is the payment Jesus made on Calvary's cross. He lived a sinless life for you and me. Then, he suffered and died on the cross to take away our sin. And because he did that, he rose from death, and that is God's guarantee that these words are true: "The LORD has taken away your sin." And we can say it to every sinner who repents. As soon as somebody says, "I have sinned against the LORD," let us say immediately, "The LORD has taken away your sin."

These words bring comfort and joy. And David was clearly touched. Right after this, David wrote Psalm 51. He couldn't help but praise God for forgiving him. Yes, there would be some very painful earthly consequences. There would be consequences for his family and his kingdom. He probably would remember this sin every time he went up on the roof. Maybe he wouldn't go up there anymore. But this painful discipline would work out for his good. David got into trouble when he had it too good. From now on, that would not happen again. And from now on, he would really, really value those words: "The LORD has taken away your sin"

If you don't just love to hear, "The LORD has taken away your sin" then there is something wrong in your heart. But if you have felt the pain of God's law pierce your conscience, you will value these words. These words were written for our learning. Beware of temptation. Do not excuse your sins or cover them up. Always say without delay, "I have sinned" and hear without delay those wonderful words: "The LORD has taken away your sin." Indeed, he has, through Jesus Christ. Amen.