Law/Confession/Pardon (1/11)

Intro

Our worship order is designed to touch every part of our communion with God.

We adore the Lord in song, we give thanks for his grace, we bring our needs to him in prayer.

One simple way to remember this rhythm is the acrostic A.C.T.S.

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

Right now we come to Confession—to acknowledge our sin and to come back to the Lord with honesty and humility.

Why we read the law and confess

Scripture teaches us essentially two things: what to believe and how to live.

What we are to believe: the faith once delivered to the saints.

What we are to do: the obedience that flows from faith.

Each week we confess what we believe, and we also hear God’s commands—his will for our lives.

And when God’s law is read, it does two things:

It shows us God’s holiness.

And it shows us our need.

The problem is not God’s law—the problem is our sin.

And God uses his law like a tutor to drive us to Christ.

So we hear the law, we repent of our sin, and we rest again in this good news:

God pardons all who repent and believe in Christ.

And then the Holy Spirit strengthens us to grow in obedience going forward.

Reading of God’s law

Hear now God’s will for your life, from the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.

The words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.… You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.… Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.… Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.… So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 5:20, 48; 6:1, 33; 7:12

Silent confession + prayer of confession

Let’s take a moment for silent confession, acknowledging that we have not obeyed God’s requirements.

After a brief silence, I will lead us in a prayer of repentant confession.

Let’s confess our sins to God.

(Silence.)

PRAY.

Assurance of pardon

Now, listen to God pronounce his pardon on you as a repenting believer.

Receive these words of comfort from God, from Psalm 32:5.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.