Going Beyond the Sermon Sermon Series by Dr. John Stephens and Dr. Matt Russell Bible S.W.A.P. by Teresa Rossy DAILY BIBLE READING DATE SCRIPTURE DATE SCRIPTURE Sunday, April 19 2 Samuel 11:1-11 Sunday, May 10 Exodus 3:1-14 Monday, April 20 2 Samuel 11:12-27 Monday, May 11 Exodus 3:16-22 Tuesday, April 21 2 Samuel 12:1-14 Tuesday, May 12 Exodus 4:1-9 Wednesday, April 22 2 Samuel 12:15-25 Wednesday, May 13 Exodus 4:10-17 Thursday, April 23 1 Chronicles 3:1-9 Thursday, May 14 Exodus 7:1-13 Friday, April 24 Psalm 51 Friday, May 15 Exodus 13:17-22 Saturday, April 25 Psalm 34 Saturday, May 16 Exodus 14:15-31 Sunday, April 26 Genesis 20:1-7; 21:14 Sunday, May 17 Mark 5:1-20 Matthew 8:28-34; Monday, April 27 Genesis 20:8-17 Monday, May 18 Luke 8:26-39 Tuesday, April 28 Genesis 21:1-7 Tuesday, May 19 Luke 8:40-56 Wednesday, April 29 Genesis 21:8-21 Wednesday, May 20 Luke 9:1-2 Thursday, April 30 Genesis 11:26-31 Thursday, May 21 Luke 9:37-42 Friday, May 1 Genesis 12:1-9 Friday, May 22 Luke 10:1-9 Saturday, May 2 Genesis 12:10-20 Saturday, May 23 Luke 10:17-24 Sunday, May 3 1 Samuel 8:1-9 Sunday, May 24 1 Samuel 1:1-20 Monday, May 4 1 Samuel 8:10-22 Monday, May 25 1 Samuel 1:21-28 Tuesday, May 5 1 Samuel 9:16-10:1 Tuesday, May 26 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Wednesday, May 6 1 Samuel 10:6-10 Wednesday, May 27 1 Samuel 2:11-26 Thursday, May 7 1 Samuel 10:16-25 Thursday, May 28 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Friday, May 8 1 Samuel 13:1-14 Friday, May 29 Psalm 18:1-15 Saturday, May 9 1 Samuel 15:22-23 Saturday, May 30 Psalm 18:16-48 GOING BEYOND THE SERMON LIVING THE STORY: A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART? DAVID BIBLE S.W.A.P. S—Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-11 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?” Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.” Notes: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ W-What Does it Mean and What Can I Obey? David is known as “a man after God’s heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14) We first see him as a teenage phenom, slaying the giant Philistine, Goliath. He is anointed by God as king while the first king of Israel, Saul, is failing to lead in the way God set forth. God promises David in 2 Samuel 7:13-16 to establish his throne forever, no matter who sits on that throne. We read the story of David in Scripture both backward and forward. He is alluded to in Saul’s time, memorialized through the Psalms and connected to the kingship of Christ in the early church. Paul preaches about this connection in Acts 13:16-39 – an excellent read for the week after Easter! And yet, the story of David’s actions with Bathsheba are disheartening for all who look to him as an example. For the full story, read 2 Samuel 11 – 12 and Psalms 51 and 32. His actions can be broken down into a series of poor decisions. First, he was not where he was supposed to be when the transgression occurred. He should have been in battle with his troops. That decision left him isolated from his network of accountability and lonely. He coveted Bathsheba and then he acted on that thought by inquiring about her and sending for her – a clear abuse of his power as king. And then, he com- mitted adultery. For David, this was a particular weakness. He inherited Saul’s harem, took more concubines and wives and eventually had nine wives and at least 20 children who are named in Scripture. (See 2 Samuel 3:2-5, 1 Chronicles APRIL 19, 2020 A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART? DAVID 3:1-4 and 2 Samuel 5:13-14) The sexual sin was not the end of it. He covered up his actions by scheming and effectively arranging the murder of Uriah. He lied to his associates and to the nation. He marries Bathsheba, and after her baby is born, David shows no signs of repentance or remorse. The prophet Nathan goes to him with a parable disguised as a legal case for David to judge about a rich man who stole a poor man’s ewe lamb. “David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die . Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’” (2 Samuel 12:1-7) By sending Nathan, God refused to let David live in serious spiritual denial. Although David experienced forgiveness, there was a price to pay. The punishment for David’s sin fell on his newborn son, who died. And trouble in the form of rebellious children plagued David’s family. A- Apply David sinned in thought, word, and deed. The blessing for us is that he made his sin and confession public and we now have it in Scripture to help us when we are also lured or trapped in sin and need a way out. There are some steps we can take to avoid falling into sin and there is a beautiful remedy to use when we do fall short of God’s best for us. We can learn from King David how to live with forgiveness. David left behind his network of accountability, his military unit. Who is in your life to keep you straight? Do you put yourself in places where you will receive a “scorching personal application of God’s Word” from a trusted friend? Who is your Nathan? David bypassed thinking and moved straight to actions that hurt all the people who were closest to him. We can learn to pay attention to our thoughts, our emotions, our words, and our deeds – in that order. Christian speaker and writer, Beth Moore, offers a daily prayer pattern from Scripture that she uses: Regarding Thoughts: Psalm 139: 23 – 24 Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Regarding Words: Psalm 19: 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my re- deemer. Regarding Deeds: Psalm 15: 1-2 O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; Finally, David used the powerful spiritual discipline of confession. Psalm 51 is a beautiful outpouring of David’s heart and a reminder that even the most revered humans must ask God for forgiveness. He names his sin, sees himself as God sees him, admits to needing wisdom in his “secret heart” and asks God to create in him a “clean heart.” Finally, he expresses the joy of experiencing forgiveness – physical, spiritual, and emotional healing. Read it aloud, slowly, listen- ing for the phrase that speaks to your heart. P- Prayer God, we want our heroes to be perfect; but only you are holy. Thank you for David’s whole life. Help me turn to you when I am tempted to sin and when I have sinned. Create in me a clean heart.