As we start to wrap up our summer sermon series, “Heroes of the Bible,” we welcome Rev. Rick Peters to speak on his favorite hero, the prophet Nathan.  Since Nathan isn’t one of the more well-known individuals in the Bible, he can be described as the person who held King David accountable for his actions as they pertained to Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah.  King David was THE most influential and powerful leader of God’s people in that era.  He was the slayer of Goliath, the successor of King Saul, the composer and musician who created such timeless works as the 23rd Psalm, the beloved of God… Yet he was also human, and prone to bad judgment, just as we all are.  And in one simple act, he set  himself on a path that led  him into breaking a good number of the 10 Commandments.  Nathan took his very life into his hands to approach this mighty king to give him God’s message: YOU are the man who has done terrible things; you have fallen from grace and have turned away from truth.

Today’s message, Speaking Truth to Power, is about where we find truth, and how do we speak truth to those in power.  Today, we live in an age that is characterized by news spin, fake news, and alternative facts.  It’s difficult to see the truth through the hype of media, politics, and ever-changing trends.  If we can’t look to leadership for the truth, where DO we look?  We look to the truth of the Bible and its stories, its lessons and its heroes who put their lives on the line to tell these truths.  We look at people today who speak and live out the truth, sometimes against insurmountable odds.  We look to the stories we share with our children in Sunday School and VBS.  We look to the core  values of the Christian faith.  And from this basis, we, like Nathan, can speak truth to others, even to those in powerful positions, because we are speaking words based on the eternal truth of our Lord.

Based on 2 Samuel 12:1-9 & Micah 6:8.