King David, Excommunicated From The Church

I thought the title might grab you.  We often talk about King David as the poster boy for God’s restoration power.  I’ve grown up in the church.  Time and time again I have heard how David (King David) is a man after God’s own heart, even after sinning.

Try to follow me on this if possible.  What if King David went to your church?  What if King David was a leader in your church?  Lets go one step further, what if King David were your pastor?  Ok, now that you have this picture in your mind, hold on to that. Lets look at who King David was.

King David is a warrior.  He is a man’s man.  From a young boy he was ready for battle.  David killed a lion and bear with his own hands.  No doubt few could brag about such an encounter, yet one that was won.  David was the young man who killed Goliath with only a sling and a stone.  David was a man of faith and strength.  Now fast forward to when David was King David.

2 Samuel 11:1 NIV,  It was spring. It was the time when kings go off to war. So David sent Joab out with the king’s special troops and the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites. They went to the city of Rabbah. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. But David remained in Jerusalem.

King David began this verse by making a poor choice.  He was to be at war.  Neglecting his duty led to his temptation.  Matthew Henry said, “When we are out of the way of our duty, we are in temptation.”  Needless to say while being home he was not worried about battle.

2 Samuel 11:2 NIV,  One evening David got up from his bed. He walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman taking a bath. She was very beautiful.

I love how Matthew Henry said it in his commentary, “Giving way to sin hardens the heart, and provokes the departure of the Holy Spirit.  Robbing a man of his reason, is worse than robbing him of his money; and drawing him into sin, is worse that drawing him into any worldly trouble whatever.”  This is when it all began.  David had someone bring him this young lady and he slept with her.  Long story short he got her pregnant. David called for Uriah her husband to return from the battle hoping he would sleep with his wife once he returned home.  Uriah didn’t want to sleep with her because his buddies were still in battle.  David’s plan was spoiled by this not happening.  David didn’t want to be found out as being the father so he sent Uriah back to battle and made sure he was on the frontline, assuring his death.

Amazing that this unbelievable leader has fallen so far.  He committed adultery, got someone else’s wife pregnant and than murdered her husband.

Nathan the prophet comes to David sharing with him the Lord knew his secret sin and that his son would die because of this.  God shows how much he hates sin, even in his own people; he will not let it go unpunished.  I love the fact that David doesn’t say a word to excuse himself or make light of his sin, but freely owns it.  David simply said, I have sinned, and Nathan believed him.  There are consenquences for our sins.  David also had to endure many days and years of extreme distress.

All of us love the fact that after David repented of his sin, God said that David was a man after His own heart.  I believe we love this so much because it gives us hope for the sin we have committed in our own lives.  We all want God to say we are a man or woman after his own heart at the end of the day.

So back to the picture we had as King David being our pastor.  Not all but many would have excommunicated David.  Sure he was repenting of his sin but we cannot have a leader that is so evil right?  We all agree that sin comes with payment required but many times we really cannot conceive of the leader in our life being restored.  There are times the church needs to discipline but not discard.

I love the fact that God kept David as king.  David was restored to a man after God’s own heart.  But how many times have we seen leaders thrown away in our churches due to sin?  A lot of us don’t want to see them restored back to leadership but some how moved on and the sin covered.  I have seen some rare cases in which a church has walked through restoration with a leader that was repentant and it was amazing to see someone walking again in their calling.

Galatians 6:1, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.

Paul who wrote this passage was bringing the Galatians up to speed on responsibilities of those who are spiritual and how they are directly related to the problem of division in the Galatian churches.  Paul describes the problem in the churches, he speaks of “biting and devouring each other” and “provoking and envying each other along with false teachers etc…  Paul’s list of responsibilities in this section shows how those who are truly led by the Spirit can bring healing and unity in their divided churches.  These responsibilities are both for the church body and individuals.

1.  corporate: restore him gently

2.  individual:  watch yourself

3.  corporate:  carry each other’s burdens

4.  individual: each one should test his own actions…each one should carry his load

5.  corporate:  share all good things with his instructor

6.  individual:  do not be deceived…a man reaps what he sows

7.  corporate:  do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers which includes restoring sinners

I love the fact that Paul points out the first responsibility of those who claim to be spiritual is the restoration of one who has sinned.  I believe Paul puts it this way, if someone is caught in a sin, is framed in such a way as to point to the high probability that members of the church will sin.  Having a leader sin or anyone for that matter is not hypothetical possibility, it’s reality.  The sin that Paul is talking about is never mentioned, that wasn’t the point, it was the manner is which someone who had sinned was treated in sin itself.

Back in this time period the zealots for the law were merciless to sinners.  But Paul wants to show that the occasion of sin is the opportunity for Spirit-led people to display the fruit of the Spirit in order to bring healing to those that have fallen and unity in the church.

I experienced a time in my life as a leader when I fell.  I decided to live in rebellion and to make poor choices.  It’s impossible to make good choices while in the state of rebellion.  I fell big time.  I lost my ministry, family, friends and all that was important to me.  I was repentive and so much wanted to be restored.  Most of those close to me ran for the hills, many to never be heard from again.  Finding a restoration program was not easy.  Finally I was able to find someone to lead me through a restoration process about eight hours from where I lived.  Having someone believe in me and realize that God’s calling on my life wasn’t over was an amazing event in my life.  Now you understand why I am so passionate about this topic.

Like David I also want to be a man after God’s own heart.  So the next time a leader falls in your life like King David did, gently restore them.  Walk with an individual who has sinned and guide them through restoration.  Do not discard and a leader but restore them.  They will be more powerful than ever after experiencing God’s healing, restoration and grace.

God bless,

Bill Scott

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