April 28, 2024
Elephant in the Church
Sermon Title: Messy House
Introduction
- We continue with our series, “Elephant in the Church,” tackling difficult topics often swept under the rug in church discussions.
- Show some love for the exceptional sermon delivered by Pastor Adam last week.
- Story about Danielle cleaning the house and focusing on certain parts over others.
- Today, we’re going to address corruption and moral failures within the church, in a sermon titled “MESSY HOUSE”.
1. Drifting from Devotion
- Exploring the story of David’s confrontation in 2 Samuel 12:1-15.
- Unpacking the process of drifting from devotion, using David as the ultimate example.
- Warning against complacency and negligence in our relationship with God.
“The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said…” – 2 Samuel 12:1 (NIV)
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” – Proverbs 4:25 (NIV)
2. Drunk with Deception
- Deception will lead you on a dangerous path.
- David’s self-deception led to a lack of accountability.
- Discuss the importance of accountability and good counsel in church leadership, using the relationship between King David and Nathan as an example.
- We must maintain accountability and integrity in our leadership.
“As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die!” – 2 Samuel 12:5 (NIV)
“You are the man!” – 2 Samuel 12:7 (NIV)
3. Dabbling in Disobedience
- Disobedience starts small and leads to cascading sin in our lives.
- When we begin to accept small acts of disobedience, we normalize behavior unbecoming of Jesus.
- We must maintain standards in our daily lives that are reflective of God’s standard.
“The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” – 2 Samuel 12:13 (NIV)
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16 (NIV)
Bring it Home
- There 3 warning signs we see in corruption. Drifting from devotion, becoming drunk with deception, and dabbling in disobedience.
- If we want to maintain integrity within the church, we must maintain our devotion to God, we must be honest and accountable, and we must resist disobedience.
- God’s love isn’t a license for sinful living, but a compelling reason to live in obedience.