Sunday Morning Sermon
July 23, 2017
Psalm 32, 51

John McKeel

Aachen’s Story

Aachen was part of the army of Israel that conquered Jericho. Unfortunately, he disobeyed God and tried to cover up his sin with disastrous results for him and his family (Joshua 7:10 – 26).

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:9, 10

Confession is Part of Discipleship

1. Part of the people’s response to John the Baptist’s message was confession, (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5).
2. The Christians in Ephesus confessed their addiction to magic (Acts 19:18).
3. James, the brother of Jesus, urges us “^5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Let the Poison Out

What is the value in confession?

1. Everyone has experiences to share – that you need to share!
2. The more we share, the deeper the understanding between us.
3. Everyone faces situations where talking with people who “just get it” can be incredibly powerful.

Some Things to Think About

Knowledge

It is interesting to look up the number of places in the Bible where someone confesses, “I have sinned.” Read and think about these passages:

• Exodus 9:37-30
• Joshua 7:10-26
• 1 Samuel 15:13-26
• 2 Samuel 12:7-14
• Matthew 27:3-5
• Luke 15:11-24

Attitude

• After looking at those passages, it seems sometimes confession led to forgiveness (David and the Prodigal Son) and sometimes it didn’t (Aachen and King Saul). What makes the difference?
• What is the difference between true confession and “Hand-Caught-in-the-Cookie-Jar” confession?
• Why is confession such an important part of the Christian experience?
• Why don’t we practice it more?
• There are two ways to become aware of sin and our need to confess. The first is to become aware of the transgression: “I’ve done a terrible thing” and the other is to become aware of God, which causes us to contrast his holiness with our own sinfulness. (How white is this paint? If you have a standard white paint chip to compare it to, the job is easy.) When is it appropriate to use each method (pointing out sin or pointing someone to God)?

Action

Sometimes the first step in learning to confess is learning to admit to ourselves that we are sinners. Try writing your confession on a slip of paper and then offer it to God by burning it.