Aug 30, 2026 Sermon Audio/Slide Repentance & Confession
Notes
Transcript
Reflections from last night at Youth Alive main event
I came away encouraged by the next generation discipling and sharing the gospel with their peers by showing the love of God; I can imagine, again and again and again.
We started this series with the Lord's Prayer and different ways we can practice it in our daily prayer lives.
Stephen then spoke of blockage: our selfish prayers, holding on to sin in our hearts, and how we treat others. Today we are going to address these blockages by confessing and repenting.
This is with in mind what Di shared: that we have a good father and loving king, that by our faith in him we have our identity and authority as adopted royal children. As we obey our heavenly Father and King, covenant and power are given. This we see perfectly in Jesus
What we also see in Jesus is the way he spoke words of encouragement so that those that encountered him felt the presence of God and were seen by God. I loved the stories Nikki shared on this, and it excites me to think about what examples we can be as we get hold of sharing God’s insights with each other.
As we prayed together on Monday night, I felt a tangible joy as I listened to people praying that I could tell was the same joy our heavenly Father has when we come to him in prayer.
Today's topic is the one that I believe brings him the most joy, but we are the most reluctant, because it challenges our pride and our culture that we are fine the way we are.
Prayers of confession and repentance
I have been inspired by my readings of Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline - discipline of Confession
And Dr Rob Reimer - Soul Care: 7 Transformational Principles for a Healthy Soul - Repentance
So I am combining what they have to say into my own what, where, how, who, and why of confession and repentance.
Next week we are also looking at Forgiveness and Grace; now these themes overlap, but we will look more at the journey of forgiveness and forgiving others next week. Focusing this week on giving a confession and how to receive a confession.
WHY We Confess - The Heart of God
WHY We Confess - The Heart of God
So why do we need to confess
At the heart of God is the desire to give and to forgive. Because of this, he set into motion the entire redemptive process that led to the cross and resurrection.
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Now, depending on your view of God, some have the notion that what Jesus did on the cross was because people were so bad and so mean, and God was so angry with them that he could not forgive them unless somebody big enough took the rap for them.
If we dig deeper, the truth is more about love and the blessing God wants us to receive. Love, not anger, brought Jesus to the cross. Golgotha came as a result of God’s desire to forgive, not his reluctance. Jesus knew that by his suffering he could actually absorb all the evil of humanity and so heal it, forgive it, redeem it.
Because to remove evil in the world is to remove us. The heart of the matter is that our hearts are the matter. Sin is not just our rebellion against God but the harm we do to one another. If God dealt with sin in the world, there is no avoiding removing us, and Hell is the picture of evil being punished and dealt with. In a world full of violence and unjust treatment, that brings hope to the suffering and mistreated.
Since Jesus has ascended into eternity, this work was not just for those around him, but he took in all the violence, all the fear, all the sin of all the past, all the present, and all the future. This was what makes confession and the forgiveness of sins possible.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus succeeded in taking into himself all the dark powers of this present evil age and defeated every one of them by the light of his presence.
He totally identified with the sin of mankind as the perfect offering.
Picture Jesus on the cross.
He died to take up your sin. Picture yourself before him on the cross, and take your sin — like a black spot off your soul - and give it to Jesus. Watch what Jesus does, and listen to what he says. Let the Holy Spirit’s revelation come to you. May God break you free from any sin and shame you carry.
Unconfessed sin can wreak havoc in our lives; confession is possible because Jesus carried what would otherwise destroy us.
Confession is rooted in God’s desire to forgive, not His anger.
We confess because God is eager to forgive, eager to heal, and eager to realign us.
WHAT Confession & Repentance Actually Are - Realignment
WHAT Confession & Repentance Actually Are - Realignment
David describes the effects of unconfessed sin:
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
He was experiencing physical, emotional, and spiritual effects from his unconfessed sin.
Our Souls need to be aligned with God, and we often come out of alignment.
With my love of the outdoors, I like to think of a map and compass. Because of Jesus dealing with our sin on the cross:
Confession = realigning our inner compass to God’s map.
Repentance = changing direction once the compass points true north again.
Map and compass - Kakadu National Park
Kakadu: you had a map, but the landscape confused the path.
You needed the compass to re‑orient.
Today: we use our phones constantly to check direction.
Do we check our spiritual direction as often?
Confession is the practice of checking the compass and adjusting the path.
WHERE Confession Happens — Alone & Together
WHERE Confession Happens — Alone & Together
So where should a confession take place?
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Now this is something we often do on our own: pray to God and say we are sorry. But it is also something we are to do with others, and I would say, from experience is a more powerful moment.
Confession is both personal and communal
So turn to the person next to you and tell them your top 2 sins?
Forgive me, I couldn’t resist getting your attention. We will get to how to give and how to receive a confession. But why is confession not a regular part of our practice?
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
So confession is given to God through Jesus.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
and to one another for healing
When Richard Foster lists the different kinds of disciplines of a Christian life. Confession is listed as a corporate one. These passages teach us that confession is to Jesus and brought into the light, which should be done with others.
Confession is a difficult practice for us because we all too often view the church community as a fellowship of saints before we see it as a fellowship of sinners doing our best to follow Jesus. We feel that everyone else has advanced so far into holiness that we are isolated and alone in our sin. We cannot bear to reveal our failures and shortcomings to others. And so we hide ourselves from one another and live in isolation and hypocrisy.
But if we do humble ourselves and take off the mask, we can actually find healing and help others find healing and freedom.
But we need places to examine ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of the areas in our lives where we have gone off course, off map, where we can see our behaviours that are hurting people, and we are encouraged in the discipline of confession.
So yes, confession is prayed privately, but healing is often found publicly
HOW We Confess — A Guided, Biblical Process
HOW We Confess — A Guided, Biblical Process
Richard Foster quotes an Italian Catholic bishop, St Alphonsus Liguori, that a good confession needs 3 things
An examination of conscience or heart
Sorrow — we understand our sinfulness
Determination to avoid sin
Dr Reimer in Soul Care says a confession must cultivate Godly Sorrow
asking for a contrite heart
bringing evil from darkness into light
and owning our part
I believe both of these concepts are in our discipleship growth Circle from Mark 1:15
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
When we focus on Jesus and our sin he took on the cross, we can reflect on our life currently (look ourselves in the mirror) and ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin that we are partaking in.
Then we recognise it we bring those unhealthy and hidden areas of our lives to others, in trusted fellowship.
This keeps us accountable to respond not only to avoid sin in our lives but to be healed and walk in freedom and on the right path, focusing on Jesus. And this is also something that should be shared with others so that they too can be healed.
When we do this, we experience what David describes in Psalm 32:6-7
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
It has been my experience that I have found God with people committed to walk with each other in this way. We share the songs of deliverance that we recognise in God.
Confession is a skill we learn, so that we stop enduring in shame.
And so we don’t just name our sin; we cooperate with the Spirit in fellowship to change direction.
WHO We Confess To — Wise, Trusted, Spirit‑Led People
WHO We Confess To — Wise, Trusted, Spirit‑Led People
So who should we confess to and follow this model with?
It is right that, theologically, every Christian believer can receive the confession of another, but not every Christian believer will have the empathy and understanding. Particularly in keeping confidence and reacting to the sins revealed. And as I have pointed out, we are all not very practiced in this sort of thing.
Not everyone is safe, but everyone can grow into safety.
This is something we will continue to train in as a church, and Monday night will be a place to learn how to value receiving someone's confession.
We will begin constructing the confessional after the service. A joke.
In seriousness, just as we can ask the holy spirit to convict us of the sin in our hearts and lives we need to address. So we can ask for revelation from God of the forgiveness of that sin and who to share it with.
Ask the Spirit:
“What sin do I need to confess?”
“Who should I share this with?”
“How do I walk in freedom?”
Confession requires community, but as a community we must be wise.
As we all grow to be people who:
Listen without shock
Hold confidence
Respond with grace
Pray with authority
Help us walk in freedom
As King David reflects
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
The Result — Joy, Freedom, and a Realigned Life
The Result — Joy, Freedom, and a Realigned Life
Confession leads to joy, not shame.
Psalm 32 ends with joy:
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Confession brings:
Relief
Healing
Clarity
Direction
Freedom
Joy
So why do we hold back from such things?
God rejoices when His children return to Him.
Starting next week, we are having a trial to cultivate such a space after the service.
Conclusion — Bringing It All Together
Confession and repentance are not God’s way of shaming us; they are His way of realigning us. We can see through Psalm 32: the heaviness of hidden sin, the relief of confession, the joy of forgiveness, and the guidance of God’s loving instruction.
Just like navigating Kakadu with a map and compass, our souls drift. We lose bearings. We follow the landscape of culture, emotion, pressure, and pride. Confession is the moment we stop, check the map and compass, and turn back toward true north — toward Jesus.
And when we do, God does not meet us with disappointment. He meets us with joy. The joy I felt on Monday night as people prayed — that is the joy of the Father when His children come home. Confession is a doorway into freedom, healing, and deeper fellowship with God and one another.
This week, may we become people who practice confession honestly, and walk together in the freedom Jesus purchased for us. Next week, we step into forgiveness and grace — the continuation of this same journey of realignment.
Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, today, we pause. We listen. We turn. We realign our hearts to You who forgives, heals, and leads us in the way everlasting.
“Lord, show me where my heart has drifted.”
Bring my soul back into alignment with Your truth, Your love, and Your ways.
“Holy Spirit, reveal any sin I have hidden or ignored.”
Give me courage to bring it into the light before You and trusted community.
“Break my heart for what breaks Yours.”
Let me feel the weight of sin without falling into shame.
Strengthen me to choose holiness, healing, and obedience.
Make our church a place where confession is met with grace, not judgment.
Raise up people who can listen, pray, and walk with others in freedom.
“Jesus, thank You for carrying my sin on the cross.”
“Release me from guilt, shame, and anything that keeps me from Your joy.”
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.
Let me live as someone forgiven, loved, and realigned to Your purposes.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
