Confession of the heart

Jesus is coming back

today, as i stand here in this pulpit. there is a war going on over the Atlantic ocean. about 1,000 Israel citizens have been killed at the time of me writing this sermon maybe even more by now, grown men with automatic riflies killing innocent 3 year old children because of who they are. bombs being emploded over hotel rooms and communities of innocent children. a war that is utterlty and completely demonic at its root.

but friend this should be as to no surprise to us Psalms 83, Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 12 all foretell this event that is happening right now. and without a doubt friend i do not care where you stand esctolgyicly. i dont care if you being in post trib pre trib in your believe we will be raptured before the tribulation after the tribuliuaton or in the middle of the tribulation one that i know for certine and without a doubt in my MIND is that the end is near.

and as i look over the men and women who are hear today, my heart begins to burden as i think about all the souls we know who are without jesus christ. all the souls we know day to day who will be in the lake of fire, who according too jesus in Matthew 8:12: “but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” i think about what the book of revelations where its says Revelation 9:6 “And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.” my heart burdens over the fact that maybe even a soul in this room tonight will experiance this horrible faith.

so today, as i preach i do not care about our best lifes now. i could care less about self esteem or personal development, the only thing that will give me a sleepless night is knowing that maybe someone in this room or in my close connection of family will be in hell fire. and there very memory and existence will be whipped off the face of the earth according to Psalm 34:16: “The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.”

so today, i will preach on the verse a old baptist preaching name robert breaker in a youtube video broke down to be 3 years ago and saved from that verse my soul was saved.

Prayer and reading of the passage

Prayer- Lord and heavenly father, i just thank you for gathering us here today safely. God we did not come here to here Troy preach a message, But lord we need you to speak to our hearts. Lord God i pray in jesus’s holy precious name that you speak to me and thought me today. O lord i pray that you give me the unction to function and you fix my mouth to say what i should But oh lord allow me to say what i shouldn’t father. Please be exalted in everything said and done tonight. and most importantly i pray that we will fall more deeply in love with the person of jesus christ. waken our hearts to his beauty and his majesty. in jesus name amen.

Scripture reading Romans 10:9-11

Romans 10:9–11 NASB95

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

Confession, believe and be saved.

As we find ourselves in a world that seems to be spiraling out of control, a world where the prophecies of old appear to be unfolding before our very eyes, we must ask ourselves: where is our refuge? Where is our hope? In times like these, our focus narrows down to the most basic, the most essential truth of all: the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need a faith that stands the test not only in days of peace but also in times of war and tribulation. We need the kind of faith that Paul talks about in the book of Romans."

"Now, let's dive deep into the heart of that faith, a faith that carries the promise of eternal salvation. The first cornerstone of this faith is the confession of Jesus as Lord.

Confess with your mouth jesus is lord.

as we look at the opening verse in todays bible reading we see that paul tells us that we must Confess with out mouths jesus is lord. the word confess in the greek new testment is the word Homo-logia homo meaning same and logica meaning logic. meaning that we must get on the same LOGIC as God.

the book of romans was written in around 55AD, when the the lord of Rome was Caesar. at this time the citizens the people of this land would have there confession of lordship to the RULERS of roam. this word Lord was always been accompanied with a level of divinity of power respect and ultimately ownership.

1. so as we look at this command of confessing jesus as lord, we see that this means we are also denouncing everything else that could be a ruler or God in our life. and being on the same logic that there is one God one lord The lord jesus christ. the lamb that came to take away the sins of the world. we are indetiying ourself as sons and daughters of the most high God. and putting away the following of the world. and comminting ourself to jesus and his lordship. regardless of the concquenses that follow with it

2. Many professing Christians know Jesus, but don’t know him as lord. if jesus is not the lord of your life he cannot be your savior. James 2:19 tells us that even the demons believe and trimble. but ultimately we know they will end up in a firey hell. Jesus being the lord of our lifes looks like submission, its not just a mouth service but its that understanding of who Jesus is. 1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” a true christian is born again by the spirit of God. he has a new nature he has been regenerated by the power of God and the frore. his old desires have went away and he is now accompanied by new desires.

One of my favriot pastors ever charles spurgon explained regeneration like this, imagine you have a pig eating slop in a pig pen rolling in his mud and filith and by a powerful work of God. the pig is then turned into a king or queen. what will that king or queen do seeing himself in a pig pen in slop in his mouth. HE WILL RUN TO THE SHOWER clean himself and eat right food from now on. HE will not go back to the slop the degusting place and food we once was found in. this is a picture of the christian.

we cannot just confess jesus without out mouth but from our heart from our very being our confession will be displayed by our lives.

Believe in your heart.

Now, you might be thinking, "I've made that confession; I've said those words 'Jesus is Lord.' What next?" You see, confession is just one side of the coin. The Apostle Paul knew that our confession must be rooted in a deep-seated belief that God raised Jesus from the dead. It's one thing to speak a declaration; it's another to believe it so completely that it changes your entire life.

In Romans 10:9, the Greek word for "believe" is "πιστεύω" (pisteuō). This word is often used in the New Testament to indicate a form of belief that is not simply intellectual assent but is deeply personal and involves trust, confidence, and reliance. it comes down to the very being of who you are. being fully convinced of this truth and reality that jesus was was raised from the dead declaring his power over life death and sin .

being convicted fully of this is important because

1. death- Jesus's sacrifice on the cross reveals His dual nature: fully man and fully God. As a man, He could suffer and die, absorbing the penalty for our sins. As God, His death has eternal significance, offering salvation to all of humanity. It's this miraculous union of divinity and humanity that makes our salvation possible.

2. his burial -Jesus's burial confirms the reality of His death, marking the completion of His earthly sufferings. It serves as a critical transition, fulfilling prophecy and setting the stage for the ultimate victory over death: His Resurrection

3. The Resurrection- is the cornerstone of our faith, for it validates Jesus's claim to divinity. It proves that He is the Lord of both heaven and earth, with power even over sin and death. This miraculous event also underlines His unique holiness, as He alone has conquered death to offer us eternal life.

we must be fully convinced of this reality this reality of jesus’s resurrection by of God, will lead the beliver to new heights of piety and love for his creator. it will also lead to a oral confession as stated in the first half of romans 10:9

and you will be saved

"Now that we've delved deep into the power of belief, understanding the resurrection of our Lord, and how these convictions shape our very existence, we arrive at the culmination of our faith journey. As we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we unlock the gateway to a remarkable promise – salvation. So, let's explore the profound truth that lies in the final part of Romans 10:9-11, 'and you will be saved.'"

assurance of salvation.

as we look at romans 10:9 and it says you will be saved. this tone in the text of how paul is wiring this is not suggesting salvation, nor is he hoping for the possible gift of the atonement of sins. but he says it so plain and clear that YOU WILL be saved. leaving out all shadow of doubt about salvation.

i want you guys to imagine this. that your on a massive cruise ship thats sailing over the Atlantic ocean, the waves so strong and powerful that its knocking the ship around. like a like Childs tow in a bath tub. you are in your cabin gripping the sides of your bed in fear for you life. feeling every twist and turn ever shutter and boom fearing the absolute worst.

but them comes over that intercome the captin speaking “ we will make it thru this storm, we will reach the shore and be safe” there is no stutter in his voice. there is no Maybe buts its a strong rich confidence WE WILL MAKE IT TO SHORE, and be safe

this is the tone in which the apostle paul is ensuring belivers. upon there confession and belief that this salvation, this glorious work of God is not a maybe or a possibility this is reality this is truth that you can stand on. its not a chance of salvation this is a cerniity.

rebirth and transformation.

"Consider this: Imagine you've weathered the fierce storm on that ship. The captain's promise held true, and you reached the safety of the harbor. You step off the ship, drenched and battered from the tempest you endured. But something remarkable happens as you set foot on solid ground.

In that moment, you aren't the same person who boarded that ship. The trials of the journey have transformed you. You've learned valuable lessons about trust and perseverance. You've gained a deep appreciation for the solid ground beneath your feet. You're no longer the timid passenger who set sail; you're now a seasoned traveler, forged by the storm.

This transformation mirrors the essence of salvation. When you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart in the resurrection, it's not just a ticket to a safe harbor; it's an entry into a journey of transformation. The storms of life may still come, but your inner self is remade. The old self, battered by sin, is left behind, and a new creation emerges.

Just as you stepped off that ship transformed by the voyage, you step into the Christian life, reborn in faith and transformed by the power of Christ. The old is gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the assurance of salvation - not only a promise of eternal safety but also a guarantee of inner renewal and transformation."

we must be a lifeline.

As we stand here, anchored in the certainty of salvation, we must remember that there are countless others adrift on the sailboats of sin and chaos, tossed by the same storms we've weathered. They're desperately seeking the safe harbor we've found.

Just as the captain assured us that we would be saved from the tempestuous sea, Jesus has given us an even greater promise: that if we confess and believe, we will be saved. It's not a possibility; it's a guarantee.

So, what's our response to this incredible gift? It's not just to rest in our own salvation; it's to extend a lifeline to those still battling the waves. Our job is to share this message, this life-changing truth, with those who are lost at sea, to reach out to them with the assurance of salvation and the hope of transformation.

Imagine if, as you were on that ship, someone had reached out a helping hand to guide you to safety, to share the promise of rescue. Now, you have the opportunity to be that guiding light for someone else.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 10:14, 'How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?' We are the preachers, the messengers of this good news. We are the ones who can tell those lost at sea, 'You can be saved; it's not just a chance, it's a certainty.'

Just as we've confessed and believed, let us now confess and believe in our mission to be bearers of this life-transforming message. In a world of turmoil, uncertainty, and despair, we hold the promise of salvation - the unshakable truth that 'whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed' (Romans 10:11). It's a truth worth sharing, a mission worth pursuing. As we leave this sanctuary, let us commit ourselves to be messengers of hope, guiding those in the midst of life's storms to the eternal harbor of salvation and transformation."

©Troy D McKnight II -LifeLineBaptist church