DANGER OF BECOMING UNINVOLVED

II Samuel Chapter 11

By: Pastor Cecil Lovelace

Introduction:

We have so many Christians (or at least those who say they are Christians) who are not really involved at all in the Lord’s Church. In fact, they are not involved in the Lord’s work in or outside their church.

(1) They have been baptized and joined a church, and in many cases are true born again Christians.

(2) Yet they have chosen to be what I call "passive Christians." They just attend church, usually Sunday Morning only, but leave all the work, all the involvement, all the concern for the task and goals of the church, to others. They just take a passive attitude.

(3) The word "passive." Means dormant, idle, or inactive. I hate to say it, but that fits all too many people today.

(4) where do we get all these passive people today? Some come into the churches like that and never get involved. Some are people who have been active, but they reach retirement age or some point in their age when they feel it’s time to leave all the work to the younger generation! For heaven sakes, people like that are the most knowledgeable and experienced in the church!

(5) We have a story here about a man who came to that place of letting others do the work. Why?

[a] Maybe he was tired and weary. Grown weary in well doing.

[b] Maybe he had such confidence in his army that he knew they could handle the battle.

[c] Maybe he was planning the very sin he ended up committing.

At any rate, he stayed behind while his army was out fighting and he ended up in a heap of trouble. Let’s look at the progression of this man who stayed behind. His sin took place in several steps.

I. HE STAYED BACK AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DO HIS JOB.

A. He was walking afar off. Just as Peter did as Jesus was about to be crucified.

B. The job got done without him, but he ended up in trouble.

C. Often, Christians just don’t want to get involved, but end up wishing they had, because they become slack and fall into Satan’s trap.

II. HE AROSE FROM OFF HIS BED

A. He had let his mind become idle. He became restless. Your mind is like your heart... it has a vacuum has to be filled with something. You ever tried to just make your mind blank?B. Satan supplied his need. III. HE WALKED UPON THE ROOF.

A. The temptation was there. Bathsheba was there taking a bath. It doesn’t say she was completely without clothes. May have been, but it doesn’t say.

B. He didn’t just glance at here, he looked with interest.

IV. HE GAZED UPON HER.

A. He had become slack and lost his power to resist. It happens all the time. Then we say, "I never would have believed he/she would have done that.

B. He saw someone that appealed to him. There is plenty out there in the world.

C. He was looking down when he should have been looking up. That’s exactly what happened to Peter.V. NEXT STEP, HE SENT AND INQUIRED. His temptation was about to become sin.

A. Notice, she came without resistance. He sent messengers, not soldiers, but you have to understand the setting and the culture of that day. You did not resist when the king called for you. And, you didn’t dare approach the king without he had sent for you or given permission.

B. Of course there is plenty of sin available for God’s people that will not resist.

VI. SHE CONCEIVED:  

His sin had surfaced, or was about to do so. A person can sow their wild oats and then pray for a crop failure but it usually doesn’t happen! You can be sure your sins will find you out! Num. 32:23. (He looked with un-crucified eyes. There is a difference.) (Probably where he shouldn’t be)There is an old saying that an idle mind is the devil’s work shop. There is a lot of truth in that. . Often, the king was right out there in the battle. Here he stayed behind. What was the problem?:

Luke 12:2 says, "..there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed."

VI. DAVID THOUGHT HE HAD SMOOTHED IT ALL OVER.

A. He tried to trap Uriah. He had him brought in from the battle and tried to send him home to his wife so he could lay the child on him. Didn’t work.

B. God was watching all the time. Even if he had been successful in fooling man, he couldn’t fool God!

CONCLUSION:

You know the rest of the story: David repented and the baby was born, then God took it away because of his David’s sin.

The battle is not always easy up front, but we all need to stay there. Where are you? Are you in the battle? Don’t be a slacker, stay busy for the Lord.