St. Aidan's Anglican Church
  • Home
  • Worship Online
  • The Preachers Blog
  • Hope Explored Course
  • Bible in a Year
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Prayer Requests
  • Request Pastoral Care
  • Youth
  • Give
  • Statement of Faith
  • Video Archive
    • 2025 Videos
    • 2024 Videos
    • Real Lives
    • 2023 Videos
    • 2022 Videos
    • 2021 Videos
    • 2020 Videos
  • Sermon Audio Archive
    • 2020 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centered Eternities November 2019
      • The Real Joy of Easter - Holy Week 2019
    • 2018 Sermons
    • 2018 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centred Church Spring 2018
      • A Gospel Shaped Church Fall 2018
    • 2017 Sermon Series >
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
      • The Saviour King Lent 2017
      • The Victorious King Holy Week 2017
      • The Living King Easter 2017
      • The Brother King Fall 2017
      • Worship the King Advent 2017
    • 2016 Sermon Series >
      • Real Obedience Lent 2016
      • Unity of the Church
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
    • 2015 Sermon Series >
      • Real Gifts 2015
      • Real Mission 2015
      • Mission Discerned
    • 2014 Sermon Series >
      • Real Church 2014
      • Real Lives 2014
    • 2013 Sermon Series >
      • Real God 2013
    • Sermon Archive From 2014 - 2017
  • Christianity 101

the  Preachers  blog

Blogs are posted every Wednesday, except in July and August

Sorrow and Salvation

4/29/2022

 
Psalm 51    Lynne McCarthy  4/29/22
Observe:  A man is racked with guilt and shame; memories of past sin haunt him. He craves mercy because of his terrible, multiple wrongs. No ordinary man (though it could be anybody); this is David, King David, chosen and loved by God. How could he sin, having such a special place in God’s heart?

He recounts first his appeal for mercy (1,2) then in agonies of conscience, recognizes he deserves God’s just judgment. But David longs for a new sense of God’s presence; humble repentance compels him to ask to hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have broken rejoice (8) – there’s no self-flagellation here, but His Presence will blot out (remove) the stain of sin that He cannot look upon.

Verses 10-12 are powerful and poignant. God has indeed made his heart new, but rather than removing His Spirit, as David feared, He answers his appeal for mercy. Remembering Uriah’s murder he prays, Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O Lord … and my tongue will sing aloud of Your salvation. (14). If God can forgive this evil, He can forgive all else, so David asks for a renewed disposition of heart: … open my lips and my mouth will declare Your praise (15), and later, a broken and contrite heart (17), a sacrifice to honour God.

His people, united as broken penitents who follow His covenant and worship Him, foreshadow His Church, sharing in God’s life. (18, 19)

Interpret:   Probably the best-known of David’s Penitential Psalms.  He knows guilt and implores God, in penitence, for His mercy. His sin? He looked, but didn’t look away, look became desire, desire became a sequence of horrific actions: deception, murder, adultery. But this man after God’s own heart couldn’t remain in his guilt and shame; he runs to his God and repents, voicing his wrongdoing, asking for mercy, and receives it.
The Holy Spirit is rarely spoken of regarding the interior life in the Hebrew Bible – the only references are v. 11b here, and Ezek. 36:27.

Apply:   As we recognize our sin, we come to God for His mercy and forgiveness. Our spirits are renewed and refreshed in knowing He has truly forgiven us – proven by Jesus and His cross. As He gave David grace, so He gives to us in our need.
But we must:                                                                                                                                                            1. Recognize that we have sinned (specifics and humility needed here);                                    2. Take hold of that gift of humility, confessing our wrongs to the one we hurt, if possible (Mt. 5:23), then come to God to ask for His mercy;                                                                                  3. Cleansed now, we make efforts to remove ourselves from agents or environments of sin.  But if in our weakness, we do fail --                                                                                                  4.  Repeat the above, again and again, until we know that this sin has no dominion over us (Rom 6:14).
We thank God for conscience and ask Him to clear it so we don’t fall into self-condemnation, self-pity; nor do we ignore it, hoping the proddings go away. They won’t, until we come before God for His help in time of need.

Ask:   Jesus, I’m so weak and fall away from You so often, with such ease, and I am ashamed. Would You cleanse the thoughts of my heart, to grow my desire to remain in You? Would You keep me close to Your heart?

Pray:   Lord, Your property is always to have mercy. Cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the blood of the Lamb and the breath of Your Spirit that I may come to You in humble praise and thanks for Your great mercy. Lead me away from temptation by Your mercy and grace. Let me always be thankful that You, God of all comfort, are Mercy itself.

Song:    Psalm 51  Sons of Korah   A Broken Spirit and Contrite Heart https://youtu.be/8RnDuwbz5UI                                                                                 

Basilica of the Holy Trinity    A Prayer of Repentance  https://youtu.be/5NQjfIOmGkk                                                                                          

Create in Me (Tom Kendzia)
​  https://youtu.be/yWc-QSaw3ME

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture

    Preachers Blog

    In 2025, each week's blog is a follow-up reflection written by the preceding Sunday’s preacher to dig deeper into the sermon topic and explore engaging discussion questions.

    ​All past blogs remain available if you wish to catch up with any days missed.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Who is Jesus?
At St Aidan's, it's our desire to know our Real God,
to grow as a Real Church and
​ to live Real Lives for Him.

Picture
St Aidan’s Anglican Church
274 Campbell Street | Winnipeg, MB R3N 1B5
Phone: 204.489.3390 Email: [email protected]
  • Home
  • Worship Online
  • The Preachers Blog
  • Hope Explored Course
  • Bible in a Year
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Prayer Requests
  • Request Pastoral Care
  • Youth
  • Give
  • Statement of Faith
  • Video Archive
    • 2025 Videos
    • 2024 Videos
    • Real Lives
    • 2023 Videos
    • 2022 Videos
    • 2021 Videos
    • 2020 Videos
  • Sermon Audio Archive
    • 2020 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centered Eternities November 2019
      • The Real Joy of Easter - Holy Week 2019
    • 2018 Sermons
    • 2018 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centred Church Spring 2018
      • A Gospel Shaped Church Fall 2018
    • 2017 Sermon Series >
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
      • The Saviour King Lent 2017
      • The Victorious King Holy Week 2017
      • The Living King Easter 2017
      • The Brother King Fall 2017
      • Worship the King Advent 2017
    • 2016 Sermon Series >
      • Real Obedience Lent 2016
      • Unity of the Church
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
    • 2015 Sermon Series >
      • Real Gifts 2015
      • Real Mission 2015
      • Mission Discerned
    • 2014 Sermon Series >
      • Real Church 2014
      • Real Lives 2014
    • 2013 Sermon Series >
      • Real God 2013
    • Sermon Archive From 2014 - 2017
  • Christianity 101