Every month, as we prepare to come to the Lord’s Table, one of the Elders comes down front and gives “Words for Sinners,” calling everyone to repent.  Even though we all would be wise to heed this call to repent, some do not.  Besides being restricted from communion, what are the consequences of not repenting?  If you desire to hold on to your sin and not repent, what do you do with your guilt?  Guilt is a powerful feeling and can have a profound impact on us.  As sinful human beings, we cannot escape guilt.  Guilt can affect us both physically and psychologically, but how bad can it be?  What does the Bible say about unrepentant sin?  This week we are looking at Psalm 32 and the “Prayer for Our Repentance.”   King David addressed these exact questions as he described his experience with sin. 

Psalm 32 is a prayer that teaches us the value of repentance and the consequences when it’s withheld.  In this psalm, David uses wonderful imagery and word pictures to capture his experience in both concealing and confessing his sin.  As we work through the text, we will see repentance as the key that moves believers from the misery of guilt to the blessedness of forgiveness.

We’re in our third week of our new summer sermon series, “Summer in the Psalms,” and it’s the first of five sermons you will hear from Ruling Elders.  Psalm 32 is not only place where repentance is addressed.  In addition to writing Psalm 32, David also wrote Psalm 51, a well-known psalm dealing with repentance.  I encourage you to read through both to prepare for Sunday.  As I’ve said before when I preached a sermon, it is my privilege to bring this message to you, and I hope to see you all on Sunday, Ron.