Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU200004S
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00:11 And this is the record
00:13 that God hath given to us eternal life 00:16 and this life is in His Son. 00:20 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:30 Hello, and welcome to this series 00:35 3ABN Australia Homecoming, 2020, 00:39 I'm Rosemary Malkiewycz from 3ABN Australia, 00:42 and welcome to those of you who are here as our audience, 00:45 really, really appreciates you being here. 00:48 And today we are going to be hearing 00:50 from Pastor David McKibben. 00:54 He's the senior pastor 00:56 at Wahroonga Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sydney. 00:59 And he's going to be speaking 01:00 on Chapter 4 of Steps to Christ. 01:03 It's the chapter on confession. 01:06 But first of all, 01:07 I'm going to recap on our previous program 01:12 by Pastor Danny Milenkov, Chapter 3 on repentance, 01:16 and the main summary for his sermon was. 01:20 Number one, 01:22 repentance is a gift from God. 01:25 Two, repentance and the gift of the Holy Spirit go together. 01:31 Three, repentance, humility, and the Holy Spirit 01:36 prepare people for the soon return of Jesus. 01:40 Four, look to Jesus by faith with an honest heart. 01:46 Five, God will complete the good work 01:49 He has begun in your life. 01:52 But before we hear 01:53 from Pastor McKibben on Chapter 4, 01:57 we're going to have Marty Thompson., 01:59 the pastor from Kempsey Church 02:01 sings for us, 02:03 "When I see Jesus." 02:24 Like a dead man trying to stand 02:28 I can't obey The King's command 02:33 Born completely depraved 02:38 Oh, how can I be saved 02:42 Though I'm spiritually empty 02:47 His grace works on inside of me 02:51 My heart so bound in sin 02:56 Is being drawn to Him 03:01 When I see Jesus 03:06 My savior divine 03:11 He gives me With His righteousness 03:15 And takes that sin of mine 03:19 No guilt, no fear, no shame 03:24 All glory to His name 03:28 I trust His grace I know His face 03:33 When I see Jesus 03:47 Like a blind man trying to see 03:53 Can my broken will choose thee 03:57 But the light That lightens every man 04:01 And His love proves that I can 04:06 While a sinner I may pray 04:10 Lord, take my heart today 04:14 I can't give it off myself 04:19 I need you, Lord There is no one else 04:24 When I see Jesus 04:29 My savior divine 04:34 He gives me With His righteousness 04:38 And takes that sin of mine 04:42 No guilt, no fear, no shame 04:46 All glory to His name 04:51 I trust His grace I know His face 04:55 When I see Jesus 05:10 Like a child trying to walk 05:15 I often stumble Though I'm not distraught 05:20 Though the judgments in session 05:24 I need not ask no question 05:29 My soul's in Christ I know 05:33 My works They don't take me home 05:37 His love casts out all fear 05:42 The truth becomes so clearly 05:47 When I see Jesus 05:53 My savior divine 05:57 He gives me With His righteousness 06:01 And takes that sin of mine 06:05 No guilt, no fear, no shame 06:09 All glory to His name 06:14 I trust His grace I know His face 06:18 When I see Jesus 06:26 When I see Jesus 06:31 My savior divine 06:35 He gives me With His righteousness 06:39 And takes that sin of mine 06:43 No guilt, no fear, no shame 06:48 All glory to His name 06:52 I trust His grace I know His face 06:57 When I see Jesus 07:06 I trust His grace I know His face 07:11 When I see Jesus 07:39 Well, thank you, Marty, for that beautiful song. 07:42 Wonderful words, no guilt, no fear, no shame. 07:46 All glory to His name. 07:48 And that actually fits in so well with the subject 07:51 that we want to look out today, the subject of confession. 07:56 It's my, my privilege to be involved in this series. 07:59 As we work through the, 08:00 you know, the different chapters 08:02 in the book, Steps to Christ. 08:04 And today we're looking at the concept of confession. 08:09 But before we look at that together, 08:11 based on God's Word. 08:13 I just invite you to bow your heads 08:15 in a brief moment of prayer. 08:16 Let's pray. 08:20 Loving Father, thank You so much 08:22 for this time together. 08:24 We pray that Your Word would be our guide, 08:28 that the Holy Spirit would be our teacher 08:31 and may Your supreme glory and honor 08:33 be our overriding concern. 08:36 And we ask all this 08:38 giving you thanks 08:39 in Jesus' name. 08:41 Amen. 08:44 Confession is good for the soul. 08:48 Apparently that that saying is derived 08:50 from an old Scottish proverb 08:52 dating from the 17th century. 08:55 However, the saying actually has one word missing 08:58 from the original proverb. 09:00 Apparently the original proverb is, 09:02 "Open confession is good for the soul." 09:06 In other words, it's good to get things out in the open 09:10 that alleviates personal stress and guilt. 09:13 It helps to break down barriers between people. 09:17 Confession is good for the soul, 09:20 and certainly that's borne out by the findings of psychology. 09:24 You know, various papers, various studies 09:26 have shown that confession 09:29 is both liberating and strengthening 09:31 in terms of human experience. 09:35 Confession, for example, 09:37 is a feature of meetings 09:39 organized by the support ministry, 09:41 Alcoholics Anonymous, 09:43 and variably participants in those meetings 09:46 confess their condition. 09:49 And they also admit their need for help 09:52 in dealing with that condition and overcoming it. 09:56 Confession is good for the soul. 10:00 That's a principle that's found in Scripture, 10:03 but not in the exact or similar wording. 10:07 However, when confession is talked about in the Bible, 10:11 it clearly involves an admission of guilt, 10:15 a need and the expression of sorrow. 10:20 But it's important to understand 10:23 what sorrow means 10:25 because the Bible highlights 10:27 that there are two distinct types of sorrow. 10:32 2 Corinthians 7:10, 10:37 and there we find these words from the Apostle Paul. 10:42 "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation 10:47 and leaves no regret, 10:50 but worldly sorrow brings death." 10:55 Two types of sorrow, 10:56 godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. 11:01 What is worldly sorrow? 11:04 Well, worldly sorrow is expressed 11:06 in a number of different ways. 11:09 For example, it's demonstrated in a flippant casual attitude. 11:15 When a person confesses in that way, 11:19 there's no realization of the hurt that's been caused. 11:22 There's no sense of wrongdoing 11:25 on the part of the person 11:27 who comes with that sort of attitude. 11:30 Worldly sorrow attempts to shift the blame. 11:34 It usually begins something like this. 11:36 If I have offended someone well, I'm sorry. 11:40 But in actual fact, 11:41 a person who expresses sorrow in that way 11:44 isn't really owning the sin, 11:47 isn't really owning the wrongdoing, 11:49 the hurt that's been caused. 11:53 Worldly sorrow is sorrow with been found out. 11:57 Sorrow had being discovered. 12:00 We have an example of that in the Book of Joshua. 12:04 After the magnificent victory in taking the city of Jericho, 12:09 the children of Israel suffered a shock defeat 12:12 when they tried to take the much smaller city of Ai. 12:16 And Joshua went to God and asked, 12:18 "What happened? 12:20 Why have we suffered this defeat?" 12:24 And God told him that there was sin in the camp, 12:27 that someone had disobeyed. 12:30 And God instructed Joshua what to do about it. 12:34 And so the people, the children of Israel 12:37 were called out first by tribes, 12:40 then by clans, then by families, 12:45 and then Achan was identified as the culprit. 12:50 He had covered it various things in Jericho. 12:54 He confessed that he had done wrong, 12:57 but he only confessed after he had been found out. 13:01 After he had been discovered, worldly sorrow. 13:06 Then worldly sorrow 13:08 is also sorrow for the consequences. 13:11 We're sorry to experience the shame, 13:14 the pain, 13:16 the punishment that accompanies wrongdoing. 13:20 Sometimes worldly sorrow 13:22 can be a form of damage control. 13:25 People say sorry, 13:26 because if they don't say sorry, 13:28 the outcome will be even worse for them. 13:31 All forms of worldly sorrow. 13:36 One of the saddest examples of worldly sorrow 13:40 is Judas Iscariot, 13:42 the disciple who betrayed Jesus. 13:46 Now he confessed that he had done wrong. 13:49 He cried out, 13:50 "I have sinned 13:52 and now I have betrayed the innocent blood." 13:55 And he returned the 30 pieces of silver 13:59 that he had been given to betray Jesus. 14:03 So yes, he confessed that he had done wrong. 14:06 He realized 14:08 that he had committed a terrible deed, 14:13 but he went out and hanged himself. 14:17 Yes, he was sorry, 14:19 but he was sorry 14:20 that his plans had not worked out. 14:24 You see, Judas tried to force Jesus' hand. 14:27 He hoped that 14:28 Jesus would demonstrate His power, 14:32 but His plans didn't work out 14:35 because what Judas had in mind for Jesus 14:38 was not the way of the savior. 14:40 Jesus could not save Himself and save mankind. 14:45 And so, yes, Judas was remorseful. 14:47 He was sorry, but he wasn't truly sorry. 14:51 He wasn't truly repentant. 14:54 And he demonstrates the distinction, 14:57 the difference between remorse and repentance, 15:01 between genuine and false confession. 15:06 And sadly in his particular instance, 15:08 the sorrow of the world led to his literal death. 15:13 The sorrow of the world, worldly sorrow leads to death. 15:20 But godly sorrow 15:22 is on an altogether different level 15:25 when it comes to character and expression. 15:28 2 Corinthians 7:11, 15:33 "See what this godly sorrow has produced in you. 15:38 What earnestness, 15:41 what eagerness to clear yourselves, 15:44 what indignation, what alarm, 15:47 what longing, what concern, 15:50 what readiness to see justice done. 15:54 At every point, 15:55 you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter." 16:01 And there are many examples of godly sorrow 16:03 to be found in the scriptures. 16:06 We have the example of the repentant faith 16:11 who hung alongside Jesus on the cross, 16:14 just for those six hours on that Friday. 16:21 In Luke 23:40-41, 16:26 we have some of the words that the robber spoke 16:32 whilst he was hanging there on the cross. 16:35 Speaking to the other criminal, he said, 16:36 "Don't you fear God, 16:38 since you are under the same sentence. 16:42 We are punished justly, 16:44 for we are getting what our deeds deserve, 16:47 but this man has done nothing wrong." 16:51 And in essence, 16:53 that thief said some of the hardest words 16:56 to say in any language. 16:58 Basically the thief said, 17:01 "I'm sorry. 17:03 it's my fault. 17:06 I'm in the wrong." 17:09 Now those are quite simple words, 17:11 but they're actually very, very difficult words to say. 17:16 Sinful human nature finds it very difficult to say, 17:20 I'm sorry, it's my fault. 17:24 But this thief did so. 17:27 He recognized that he had done wrong. 17:30 And he also recognized 17:31 that he deserved all that he was getting. 17:35 An admission of wrong, 17:36 a recognition of the justice of the penalty, 17:39 those are two attributes of genuine confession. 17:45 Then we have the story of the tax collector 17:48 and the Pharisee 17:49 who went up to the temple to pray. 17:53 The tax collector stood at a distance 17:56 from all the other worshipers. 17:57 He didn't feel worthy 17:59 to be associating with other people. 18:02 And in actual fact, he felt so unworthy 18:04 that he couldn't even lift up his head toward heaven. 18:08 He felt so unworthy. 18:11 And his prayer was a very simple one. 18:13 "God, be merciful to me a sinner." 18:18 Now, even that translation 18:20 actually doesn't do justice to what he said, 18:22 because if you go back to the original language, 18:24 he actually said, 18:26 "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." 18:30 As far as he was concerned, 18:31 he was the worst sinner on the face of the earth. 18:36 He made no pretense, no pretense, no excuses. 18:41 He had a tremendous sense of his sinfulness 18:45 and his desperate need. 18:49 And Jesus says, it was him who went justify, 18:51 went home justified before God. 18:56 And then we have David, King David, 18:59 the greatest king in the history of Israel. 19:04 Psalm 51 is a powerful example of true confession. 19:10 It was written in the aftermath of his adultery with Bathsheba 19:15 and the exposure of his sin by the Prophet Nathan. 19:19 Psalm 51:1, 19:22 "Have mercy on me, O God, 19:24 according to Your unfailing love. 19:27 According to Your great compassion, 19:30 blot out my transgressions." 19:33 Verse 3, 19:34 "For I know my transgressions 19:35 and my sin is always before me against you. 19:39 You only have I sinned 19:41 and done what is evil in your sight." 19:44 Verse 14, 19:45 "Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, 19:49 You who are my God, my savior." 19:53 And in this Psalm, 19:54 we find David admitting blame, 19:58 recognizing the consequences, 20:00 realizing that he had hurt so many people, 20:03 but above all, he had sinned against God. 20:08 This psalm is an expression of deep heartfelt sorrow. 20:15 Some examples of godly sorrow. 20:20 And genuine confession is always specific, 20:25 it's always sorrowful, it's always sincere. 20:32 And godly sorrow leads to salvation. 20:37 So two types of sorrow, 20:40 worldly, sorrow that leads to death, 20:43 godly sorrow that leads to salvation. 20:48 Genuine confession is always characterized 20:52 by a true heartfelt sorrow. 20:57 Let's move on to the blessings of confession. 21:03 And the first blessing 21:05 that I would wish to share with you 21:07 is the blessing of peace. 21:10 One of the blessings of confession is peace. 21:14 Peace with God, peace with others, 21:18 peace with oneself in terms of a clear conscience. 21:26 Have you ever kept any dark secrets? 21:32 Have you ever tried to hide any vices, 21:36 any aspects of your behavior? 21:40 Have you ever tried to hide something 21:43 that you have done 21:45 that you don't want anyone else to know about? 21:50 It's not easy living with something to hide. 21:55 In fact, there are consequences 21:57 when one tries to live with something to hide. 22:02 Living with something to hide is a life of dread. 22:07 We become a prisoner of fear 22:10 because there's always the constant dread 22:11 of being found out, of being exposed. 22:16 Living a life with something to hide 22:20 invariably leads to a life of dullness, 22:23 of indifference, of inactivity. 22:26 It stifles action 22:28 because deep down 22:30 we know that we're living a lie 22:31 that we're hypocrites, 22:34 that we're not the people that we profess to be. 22:40 And living a life with something to hide 22:44 also makes us a candidate for despair. 22:48 A person who's living with something to hide 22:50 is very prone to low self-esteem. 22:54 Such an individual wonders 22:56 if God can ever save them, can ever use them. 23:00 Wonders if anyone else could ever love them, 23:02 but if they knew what sort of person they were. 23:08 I'd like to look at a case study of someone 23:12 who tried to hide. 23:15 To hide what they had done 23:17 and to look at God's response to that person. 23:22 And again, it's a story, 23:24 an episode from the life of King David. 23:29 One evening King David was enjoying a leisurely stroll 23:33 along the roof of his palace 23:36 when he saw a beautiful woman bathing. 23:41 Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, she was a beautiful woman. 23:45 And David did 23:47 what any other man would have done 23:48 in that situation. 23:50 He looked, 23:51 and in that initial look, there wasn't anything wrong. 23:55 God made us sexual beings, 23:58 but that look didn't stopped there, 24:02 that look developed into lust 24:06 and David, he lusted after this woman, 24:08 he wanted this woman 24:10 and he made arrangements for her 24:12 to be brought to the royal palace, 24:14 and he spent the night with her. 24:17 And David probably thought 24:18 that he would have his night of passion and pleasure 24:22 and that would be the finish of it. 24:24 No questions asked, no further obligations. 24:29 But if that's how David reckoned 24:31 things would happen, 24:34 he miscalculated badly, 24:38 very badly 24:41 because a few weeks later, 24:43 Bathsheba sent a message to the king and said, 24:47 "I'm pregnant. 24:49 I'm bearing your child." 24:53 And right at that moment, David was faced with a crisis. 24:59 Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, 25:03 because he was the wronged person, 25:05 had the right to challenge David's authority. 25:10 David's authority as king was at stake. 25:13 The future of the monarchy hung in the balance. 25:17 And so at that particular point, 25:19 David was faced with two options, 25:23 confession or cover-up. 25:28 And he chose the latter. 25:31 He tried to hide, he tried to cover it up. 25:37 He tried to cover his tracks 25:40 and the more he tried to cover up his tracks, 25:42 the worst the mess he got into. 25:46 By trying to cover things up 25:48 that led him on a trail of intrigue, 25:51 of duplicity, of deception. 25:56 And finally, 25:58 David came to the realization 25:59 that he was not going to be successful 26:02 in getting Uriah to spend time with Bathsheba. 26:08 And so David decided that Uriah had to die. 26:14 And so he gave instructions, 26:16 written instructions to his army commander Joab 26:21 that Uriah was to be placed in the front line of battle 26:24 where it was almost certain he would be killed. 26:29 And he had those instructions sealed and given to your Uriah 26:33 to take to Joab. 26:36 In other words, 26:37 Uriah was carrying his own death warrant 26:40 and he didn't know it. 26:42 And so Joab did what the King asked, 26:46 the battle ensued and Uriah was killed. 26:53 And it seemed 26:55 that David had gotten away with it. 26:58 A short time later, 27:00 he married Bathsheba 27:01 and to all intents and purposes, 27:03 he had got away with it. 27:07 But he hadn't. 27:10 Psalm 32 is another psalm of confession. 27:16 And here David reviews his experience 27:20 and the aftermath of his sin, of his cover-up. 27:25 Psalm 32:3, 27:29 "When I kept silent, 27:31 my bones wasted away 27:33 through my groaning all day long. 27:36 For day and night your hand was heavy on me, 27:41 my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." 27:48 Here is David, 27:49 the most powerful man in the region at that time, 27:53 and yet he was burdened with guilt. 27:56 He was experiencing mental torment. 27:59 He felt worthless 28:01 because he was living with something to hide, 28:08 and he only experienced relief from the burden. 28:11 He only experienced freedom from guilt 28:14 when he openly confessed his sin, 28:18 when he recognized that he had done wrong. 28:21 It was only then 28:23 that he experienced peace of mind 28:25 and a conscience set free. 28:29 And that experience brings home many important lessons. 28:34 First of all, 28:35 the importance of keeping short accounts with God. 28:41 David should have confessed to sin of lust 28:44 when he was on the palace roof, looking at Bathsheba, 28:49 that's when he should have confessed, 28:52 but instead he allowed his sins, 28:55 his shortcomings to pile up 28:57 until eventually 28:58 he had to be called out publicly 29:01 and exposed as a hypocrite by the Prophet Nathan. 29:06 How important that we keep short accounts with God. 29:12 And secondly, 29:14 the experience of David brings out very clearly 29:18 the truth that's expressed 29:20 in Proverbs 28:13. 29:25 Proverbs 28:13, 29:28 "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, 29:33 but the one who confesses and renounces them 29:37 finds mercy." 29:40 And how true that was in the experience of David. 29:46 Anyone who tries to conceal their sins 29:49 is doomed to feel, 29:51 that was true for David. 29:56 And also brings about a denial of blessing as well. 30:00 Whereas God's desire for us 30:03 is that we should be people of integrity. 30:06 People with a conscience set free, 30:09 people with peace of mind. 30:12 That's what God desires for us. 30:15 He desires that 30:16 we would be likely Apostle Paul, 30:19 who during his trial before Felix could say this. 30:22 Acts 24:16, 30:25 "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear 30:29 before God and man." 30:34 So one of the blessings of confession is peace, 30:39 peace with others, 30:41 peace with ourselves. 30:43 And most of all, peace with God. 30:50 Confession also brings other blessings in its realm. 30:54 It's the doorway to other blessings, 30:56 such as pardon. 30:59 God's forgiveness, the assurance, 31:02 the knowledge that we are accepted by God. 31:07 The blessing of pardon. 31:10 You see, our confession, 31:13 the confession of our sins does not make God forgive us. 31:20 That would make confession a work. 31:23 Our confession doesn't make God forgive us. 31:26 God doesn't need to hear us confess our sins, 31:30 but we need to hear ourselves. 31:35 Confession involves an awareness of need. 31:40 You know, they... 31:41 Paul said that the gospel is the power of God 31:44 unto salvation, 31:46 but it's only the power of God unto salvation 31:48 to those who have a sense of need. 31:52 The Christian author, CS Lewis 31:54 put it this way in one occasion. 31:57 St. Augustine says, 31:58 God gives where He finds empty hands. 32:03 A person whose hands are full of parcels 32:05 can't receive a gift. 32:09 To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, 32:12 to treat it as if it were good, 32:14 but forgiveness needs to be accepted 32:17 as well as offered, 32:20 if it is to be complete. 32:22 And a man, a person who admits no guilt 32:26 can accept no forgiveness. 32:30 Notice that. 32:32 A person who admits no guilt 32:35 can accept no forgiveness. 32:39 Hence the importance of confession. 32:44 During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, 32:49 a postal clerk called George Wilson 32:52 robbed a federal payroll from a train 32:56 and in the process he killed a guard. 33:00 He was arrested, convicted 33:02 and sentenced to hang for his crime. 33:07 However, at the time 33:09 the public mood was very much against capital punishment, 33:13 and a campaign was lodged 33:15 to secure a presidential pardon for George Wilson. 33:21 That campaign was successful. 33:23 And President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon. 33:29 But amazingly 33:31 George Wilson refused to accept the part. 33:36 This was an unprecedented situation 33:39 and the Supreme Court of the United States 33:42 met to decide what to do. 33:44 Was it possible for a person to refuse a pardon? 33:50 And the chief justice at the time 33:52 a man called John Marshall 33:54 handed down this decision. 33:58 He said this, 34:00 "A pardon is a parchment 34:03 whose only value must be determined 34:05 by the receiver of the pardon. 34:09 It has no value apart from that which the receiver gives to it. 34:14 George Wilson has refused to accept the pardon, 34:18 we cannot conceive why he would do so, 34:21 but he has, 34:24 therefore George Wilson must die." 34:28 And he was subsequently hanged for his crime. 34:33 And so the Supreme Court of the United States said 34:36 that pardon must not only be granted, 34:40 it must also be accepted to be effective, 34:46 and that is true 34:47 also of the Supreme Court of heaven. 34:51 Our pardon has already been secured. 34:55 When Jesus died on the cross, 34:58 He procured forgiveness for every person 35:01 who has ever lived 35:02 and for every sin that they have committed. 35:07 But that pardon, 35:08 that forgiveness needs to be accepted. 35:13 There needs to be a recognition that we need forgiveness. 35:19 And the vehicle through which we receive forgiveness 35:23 is confession. 35:25 The confession of our need, the confession of our guilt, 35:29 the necessity of confession. 35:33 As I say again, our confession is not a work, 35:37 but rather it is up to observe 35:41 the divine conditions. 35:45 Just a quotation from the chapter on confession 35:48 in Steps to Christ. 35:51 Ellen white wrote this, 35:53 "The conditions of obtaining mercy of God 35:56 are simple and just, and reasonable. 36:00 The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing 36:02 in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. 36:06 We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, 36:09 or perform painful penances, 36:12 to commend our souls to the God of heaven 36:15 or to expiate our transgressions, 36:18 but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin 36:22 shall have mercy." 36:24 You notice that? 36:26 We don't go... 36:27 We don't need to go on pilgrimages. 36:30 We don't need to perform acts of penance 36:34 in order that we might receive God's forgiveness. 36:41 But someone who did try to do that, 36:44 it was Martin Luther. 36:47 When Martin Luther feared for his life 36:51 during a violent thunderstorm. 36:54 And so he made a pledge in his terror 36:57 that if God spared his life, 37:00 he would become a monk. 37:03 And so his life was spared 37:04 and the few days later 37:07 Martin Luther entered 37:09 the Augustinian Monastery at Erfurt. 37:12 And there, he really threw himself 37:15 into his duties and his obligations as a monk. 37:21 He really was serious. 37:23 He was really earnest 37:24 about trying to find favor with God, 37:27 but he didn't have any peace of mind. 37:32 He tried and he tried, and this is his testimony. 37:37 Although I lived a blameless life as a monk, 37:41 I felt that I was a sinner 37:42 with an uneasy conscience before God. 37:46 I also could not believe that 37:48 I had pleased him with my works 37:51 far from loving the righteous God 37:53 who punished sinners, I lost him. 37:56 I was a good monk 37:58 and kept my order so strictly 38:00 that if ever a monk could get to heaven 38:02 by monastic discipline, 38:04 I was that monk. 38:07 All my companions in the monastery could, 38:09 would confirm this. 38:12 And yet my conscience would not give me certainty, 38:15 but I always doted and said, you didn't do that right, 38:18 you weren't contrite enough. 38:20 You're left out of your confession. 38:24 No peace of mind, 38:27 and so he went on a pilgrimage to Rome, 38:30 the eternal city. 38:33 And during his time there, he actually went up there. 38:36 He actually climbed up on his knees 38:39 on what's known as the Scala Sancta, 38:41 the Holy Steps. 38:44 Now, according to tradition, 38:46 these were the steps 38:47 that Jesus ascended to the judgment hall of Pilate. 38:52 It's claimed that Helena, 38:54 the mother of the great emperor Constantine 38:58 arranged for these steps 38:59 to be transported from Jerusalem to Rome. 39:04 And so the Medieval Church said 39:06 that if people went up these steps on their knees, 39:09 confessing their sins, 39:11 offering prayers that that would buy time 39:14 out of purgatory for them and for loved ones. 39:19 And as Martin Luther ascended those steps, 39:24 it is claimed that he heard the words, 39:27 "The just shall live by faith. 39:33 The just shall live by faith." 39:37 Martin Luther didn't understand it then, 39:40 but he came to realize the beauty of that truth, 39:43 that the just shall live by faith. 39:47 And he did place his trust in God's provision. 39:51 He did accept the forgiveness 39:52 that was made possible by the death of Jesus. 39:55 His empty hands received the gift of forgiveness 40:01 of God's acceptance. 40:05 And that was also the experience 40:07 of the repentant tax collector in Jesus' story. 40:12 He went home justified accepted before God. 40:18 The blessings of confession, it leads to forgiveness, 40:23 to pardon, 40:25 to the knowledge of God's acceptance 40:28 to the assurance that we are right with God. 40:34 So confession brings the blessing of pace, 40:36 of pardon. 40:38 And confession also is the doorway 40:41 to receiving the promises of God. 40:46 God draws close to those in need. 40:51 Here we have one of the beautiful, 40:53 beautiful promise of God's closeness. 40:57 Psalm 34:18, 41:01 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted 41:05 and saves those who are crushed in spirit." 41:10 The same thought is expressed by the Prophet Isaiah. 41:15 Isaiah 57:15, 41:19 "For this is what the high and exalted One says, 41:22 he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 41:27 'I live in a high and holy place, 41:29 but also with the one who is contrite 41:32 and lowly in spirit, 41:34 to revive the spirit of the lowly 41:36 and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" 41:41 Depending on your translation, in the King James Version, 41:45 that's the only verse that has the word eternity. 41:49 And there God describes Himself as the eternal One, 41:52 the One who is above and before time. 41:56 He is great, He is mighty, He is powerful. 41:58 And yet He says, 42:00 He draws close to the person 42:03 who recognizes His or her need. 42:08 God promises His closeness to the one who confesses. 42:14 You see if there's one thing 42:15 that shuts a person off from God, 42:16 it is a spirit of self-sufficiency. 42:20 It's interesting that 42:22 one of the most popular songs 42:24 at secular funerals 42:25 is the song made popular by Frank Sinatra. 42:28 I did it my way. 42:32 And if a person wants to do it their way, 42:35 they can do it themselves. 42:36 God cannot help that person. 42:41 Whereas God is drawn to a person 42:43 who recognizes his or her need, 42:46 He loves that individual, 42:48 and a spirit of confession opens us up to God's help, 42:52 the promise of God's closeness. 42:57 When we confess our sins, 43:00 we also encounter a God of compassion. 43:04 We have this beautiful promise in 1 John 1:9, 43:11 "If we claim to be without sin." 43:14 Or sorry, verse 9, 43:16 "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, 43:20 and will forgive us our sins 43:22 and purify us from all unrighteousness." 43:28 What a tremendous promise? 43:32 God is faithful. 43:35 He is true to His word. 43:36 He's faithful to His promise, and He is just. 43:41 He forgives us in His righteousness. 43:45 He is able to forgive 43:47 because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 43:51 And variably you find in Scripture 43:53 that forgiveness is linked to the shedding of blood. 43:57 Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 44:02 And so God is faithful. 44:03 He is just, He's a God of compassion. 44:09 And that's a recurrent theme in Scripture. 44:13 We have this beautiful revelation 44:17 of God's character 44:19 found in Exodus 34 and beginning in verse 6, 44:25 "And He, that is God, passed in front of Moses, 44:28 proclaiming the Lord, 44:29 the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, 44:33 slow to anger, 44:34 abounding in love and faithfulness." 44:38 And this verse has been described 44:39 of the Old Testament. 44:42 You find it over and over again in the Old Testament. 44:48 And a wonderful example of God's compassion 44:52 is how He treated David. 44:55 When David was exposed by Nathan, 44:59 his reaction was, 45:00 "I have sinned against the Lord," 45:04 just six words. 45:07 And Nathan told him that God had forgiven him. 45:12 David didn't get a lecture. 45:14 He wasn't sent on a guilt trip. 45:16 He was told right there and then that he was forgiven. 45:19 Now he did have to live with the consequences 45:21 of what he had done, 45:23 but he was forgiven. 45:24 And it almost seems that all that time, 45:27 the mercy of God was hovering over David, 45:30 like a cloud, 45:32 just waiting to drop its mercy, its blessing, 45:37 but all it required was for David 45:39 to recognize his need, 45:42 and to realize that he had done wrong. 45:48 Confession opens us up 45:49 to the promise of God's compassion. 45:53 And 1 John 1:9, 45:55 also tells us 45:57 that God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 46:02 Confession is the doorway to change. 46:05 And that's a work of God. 46:10 Again, we have sadly many examples 46:12 of false confession. 46:14 King Saul, he confessed, 46:16 "I've played the fool, I've been a fool." 46:20 But it didn't stop him from continuing 46:22 on the road to rebellion. 46:25 There was Judas, 46:26 "I have sinned 46:28 and I've betrayed the innocent blood." 46:29 But he went and hanged himself. 46:33 We have the children of Israel 46:34 who recognized that they were sinning 46:37 and being like the other nations 46:39 and having a king to rule over them, 46:41 but they continued on that way of, 46:43 on that course of action. 46:47 But true confession 46:49 always brings about change, always. 46:54 And so the confession opens us up 46:57 to the promises of God, 46:59 His closeness, His compassion, His cleansing, 47:05 the blessings of confession. 47:10 And so, in conclusion, 47:14 confession is good for the soul. 47:18 Yes, but much, much more than that. 47:24 Confession is the doorway to receiving God's forgiveness 47:29 and grace. 47:32 Confession opens us up to repentance 47:35 and change in our lives. 47:38 Confession leads us 47:39 to the knowledge of God's acceptance 47:42 and the assurance that we're right with Him. 47:46 Yes, indeed, 47:48 confession is good for the soul, 47:50 but more than that, 47:52 it is vital in our relationship with God. 47:55 It is a blessing for time and for eternity. 48:03 After a gospel meeting, 48:06 an elderly lady asked the evangelist 48:10 if she could speak to him alone. 48:14 And so he ushered her to an adjacent room. 48:17 They sat down at the table in that room. 48:21 And as she began to talk, her eyes welled up with tears. 48:26 She began to tell her story. 48:30 She told the evangelist of how as a young wife, 48:34 she was so thrilled 48:36 on the day that she discovered that she was pregnant 48:40 and she looked forward so much to sharing this wonderful news 48:45 with her husband. 48:47 And so she eagerly anticipated sharing that news. 48:51 That night he came home from work. 48:52 She prepared a beautiful meal. 48:55 They enjoyed the meal together. 48:56 And then she told him the news, 49:01 but she was absolutely devastated 49:04 by his response. 49:06 Get rid of it. 49:07 I don't want any kids. 49:10 And she thought that maybe he had a bad day of work. 49:13 She let it rest. 49:16 She told the evangelist the following day, 49:18 she raised the subject again, 49:21 and again he exploded in a violent temper 49:26 and he actually issued an ultimatum, 49:29 it's either the child or me. 49:31 If you don't get rid of the child, 49:34 then I'm walking out on you. 49:38 And now she explained to the evangelist, 49:39 she was absolutely distraught. 49:41 She didn't know what to do. 49:43 She didn't want to lose him. 49:47 And she ended up having an abortion. 49:53 And she said to the evangelist, 49:56 "I cannot get over the fact that I killed my child. 50:01 I have prayed and I've prayed for forgiveness, 50:04 but I'm tormented by guilt. 50:08 Can God help me?" 50:13 And the evangelist listened intently to the story 50:18 and then he opened his Bible, 50:20 and he read 1 John 1:9, 50:25 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, 50:30 and will forgive us our sins, 50:34 and purify us from all unrighteousness." 50:39 And the woman said, 50:41 "That's too good to be true. 50:43 How can a few words wipe out 50:46 the terrible nature of what I've done?" 50:51 And the evangelists said, 50:52 "Look, these aren't just any words. 50:57 These are God's words. 51:01 And He is faithful, He is true. 51:04 He keeps His word. He's faithful to His promise. 51:09 And these words are backed up by the fact that 51:11 His Son Jesus died on the cross to forgive you, 51:16 to forgive your sin. 51:21 Again, she doubted and the evangelist said, 51:25 "The choice is yours to live with torment 51:31 or to accept the promise." 51:35 And right there and then, both of those, 51:39 the evangelist, that woman knelt down, 51:43 she confessed her sin. 51:46 She accepted the promise with gratitude, 51:51 and she went away with a conscience set free, 51:55 knowing that she had been forgiven. 52:03 Perhaps you have been carrying a burden on your heart. 52:08 Maybe there are times that 52:10 maybe something that you've done, 52:11 some sin that you've committed 52:13 that seems to block the way to God. 52:19 Do you even pray? 52:21 Perhaps you think, I don't even feel like praying. 52:25 I'm too great a sinner. 52:27 God won't hear me, 52:31 but it's not about how we feel. 52:34 It's about what God has promised. 52:38 And there He has clearly demonstrated 52:40 in this verse. 52:42 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, 52:46 and will forgive us our sins 52:48 and purify us from all unrighteousness." 52:54 I urge you to take God at His word, 53:00 to experience His peace in your heart 53:04 and to know and experience the joy of forgiveness, 53:08 the knowledge of acceptance with God. 53:12 Will you make that choice? 53:14 Will you make that decision? 53:16 I pray that you will. 53:19 I invite you to bow your heads in prayer. 53:24 Father in heaven, 53:25 thank You that You have made the way so clear, 53:28 so simple. 53:30 You haven't asked us to go on pilgrimages 53:32 or do works of penance or great or mighty deeds. 53:36 You ask us simply to confess our need 53:38 and to throw ourselves upon Your mercy and grace, 53:41 and to accept Your Son and our savior Jesus, 53:45 for who He is, for what He's done. 53:48 And, Lord, that's our desire 53:50 that we receive Your grace and forgiveness 53:53 that the blood of Jesus would cover our sins, 53:55 wipe away our faults and failings, 53:58 and that we would have that knowledge and assurance 54:00 that we're right with you and accepted with you. 54:04 May that be our experience, 54:06 may that be our joy and delight is our prayer in Jesus' name. 54:10 Amen. |
Revised 2021-03-22