Lord, Take Me Deeper: Confession

Intro:

Luke 9:20 NKJV

20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

When we come to the New Year, I like to take time, pray, and listen to what the Lord wants to say about the upcoming year. I did this toward the end of 2018, and the word I shared was MORE.

I preached for the first five or six Sundays on the subject of MORE. We prayed and fasted that God would give us MORE of Him in our lives.

I looked back to the messages I preached to refresh myself and to see how God answered our prayers, and I noticed something.

I preached on MORE of God’s Word, discussing the importance of reading and studying the Bible. As I reflect on 2019, I noticed we have had more people in Sunday School, and we’ve gained more knowledge on scripture.

I preached on MORE of God’s Revival, and I think back to our revival in October and what God did. More than that, I have felt a spirit of revival in many of our services.

I preached on MORE of God’s Healing. I thought back to the testimonies of healing we had last year.

The Lord was good to us this year. Now, I want to turn our attention to 2020. It is hard to think we in three days, we will enter a new decade.

What does God want to do in our lives in the New Year? The word I hear from God for 2020, both personally and church-wide is DEEPER.

When I think of going deeper, I think of swimming. I am sure I have shared this before, but I am not an avid swimmer or lover of water. As a child, we went to the lake every year, I dreaded going swimming.

I would kick, I would scream, I would yell, and I would coerce my mom to let me avoid the danger of swimming. In an effort to get me to calm down, my mom explained to me how a life jacket worked.

But my mom

Once I learned to trust the life jacket, I loved getting in the water, going out into the deep and floating. Not much has changed, at Youth Camp this past year, we would swim in the pool and the lake.

I always chose the lake because the won’t let you wear a life jacket in the pool for some reason. I am sure it looks ridiculous, a grown man floating with a life jacket, but I have no shame!

In our walk with God, He wants to take us deeper.

Psalm 42:7 NKJV

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

Psalm 42 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

God sounds a clear call, He wants us to go deeper in Him. He wants to take us places in Him we have not yet been, but what keeps us from going deeper?

When we go deeper in God, we have to yield our control and go where He wants us to go! We have to trust that He knows the future, and when we place our life in His hands, He will lead us and guide.

However, with the life jacket I can go as deep as I want because something is keeping me afloat.

Jesus is the one who keeps us. He helps us and guides

For the next few weeks, I want to study a portion of scripture in and . They describe Jesus’ conversation with His disciples, specifically Peter.

We will see the process of going deeper. Before we do that, I want to ask what are the benefits of going deeper?

Let’s look at how God used Peter in the book of Acts:

Clarity- on the Day of Pentecost, Peter explained what God did in the Upper Room, people responded and the church grew.

Healing- Peter and John had deep faith that God could heal the man who was crippled from birth.

Wisdom- when Peter and John stood trial for healing the man, from the depths of their heart came supernatural wisdom.

Spiritual authority- Peter did not mince words when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit.

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Again in , he rebuked the enemy for trying to use people to purchase the Holy Spirit’s power.

Miracles- he healed man who was paralyzed for eight years

Resurrection Power- he spoke to a woman who died and she was brought back to life.

Insight- he knew how and when to speak to the gentiles of getting saved

Freedom- God set him free from prison

Think of those attributes, I would love to experience those type of miracles and supernatural power. It is possible, it is available, but we have to go deeper in Him!

Lord, take me deeper! How do we attain this type of spiritual depth? Let’s look at Jesus’ conversation with Peter, [Jesus’ Question], [Peter’s Confession], and [Promised Connection].

Let’s begin

1. Jesus’ Question

After nearly two years of working with the disciples, Jesus asked a pointed question, what do you hear about me? Who do people say that I am?

Luke informs us of Jesus’ location at the time of this question. He was in Caesarea Philippi, which was a heathen area. People in that area worshipped many gods.

Jesus took time to pray. While he prayed the disciples came and Jesus wanted to know what people thought of Him. He knew why He was on earth, He wanted them to know why He was on earth.

The disciples gave a report. Some say you are Elijah. The prophet Malachi promised:

Malachi 4:5 NKJV

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Many thought with Jesus’ powerful preaching and miracles that He was the prophet God would send in advance of the Messiah.

Others thought John the Baptist. By this point John the Baptist died. Herod, who killed him, heard about Jesus. He was convinced that Jesus was the resurrected John the Baptist. Evidently the rumor stuck.

Some claimed Jesus was the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet, his message was of repentance and serious commitment.

While those three names describe great men, they were not the Promised Messiah. Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost, but those He came to save did not understand His identity.

John 1:11 NKJV

11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

John 1:

People looked to Jesus as an interesting figure. One who had power to heal the sick. His teachings dripped with divine wisdom. However, they did not fully grasp His identity or deity.

But Jesus was less interested in what the world thought of Him. He wanted to know what the disciples thought of Him.

2. Peter’s Confession

Luke 9:20 NKJV

20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

After listening to other’s opinion, Jesus wanted to know their opinion. We know what THEY say, but what do YOU say, who am I?

By the time Jesus asked this question, He worked and walked with the disciples for over two years. They heard Him teach, they witnessed His healings, and they spent every day with Him.

Peter served as spokesman for the group, with assurance, he confessed, you are the Christ, the son of the Living God. Peter came to this understanding a little bit at a time.

When Jesus came to earth, He did not announce, “Hey yall, listen to me, I am the Christ, I am the Messiah, and I am the redeemer of Israel. I will die on the cross because you will put me there. Then I will rise from the dead!”

Jesus didn’t do that, instead He revealed Himself to them a little bit at a time. Little by little He showed His power and the disciples took notice.

Before Peter’s confession, He observed all Jesus did:

Jesus called to him as he fished all night. He instructed Peter on how to catch more fish, then promised you will be fishers of men. Peter dropped his net and followed the Lord.

Jesus healed Peter’s sick mother-in-law.

Peter watched Jesus heal the women with the issue of blood.

Peter was present when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead.

Jesus walked on water and Peter asked to do the same, then when he started to sink, Jesus saved his life.

This is the backdrop to Peter’s confession. He watched Jesus for over two years and now Jesus asked the all important question, who do you say that I am?

Peter could not hold it in any longer. The words flew out of his mouth, YOU ARE THE CHRIST, the SON OF THE LIVING GOD. No one put it in those words yet, but Peter spoke for the twelve, declaring their understanding of Jesus.

How did Jesus respond to his confession?

Matthew 16:17 NKJV

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Peter’s confession was supernatural in origin. We read what other people thought. Their flesh and blood told them Jesus was a prophet, but Peter took it a step further.

Jesus is not another prophet, He is The Prophet.

He is not another teacher, He is The Teacher.

He is not another faith healer, He is Healing.

The Father revealed to Peter the identity of Jesus. Peter and the disciples did not fully grasp what it meant for Jesus to be the Christ.

They still looked for a Warrior King to overthrow the Romans, but Jesus started to lay the groundwork for the redemption plan. Jesus’ question led to Peter’s confession. What is the result?

3. Personal Connection

Jesus took Peter, a lowly fisherman, and now issued a promise. God revealed to him that Jesus is the Christ, then Jesus introduces a new concept: the church!

The idea of the church was hidden from Old Testament prophets. Notice in verse seventeen He called Peter, Simon Bar-Johah, which means Simon son of John.

Next He called him Peter. The name Peter means Rock. With his confession, he connected his life to the Solid Rock, who is Jesus. Jesus began to develop the idea of what connection to God means.

Prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection, God was WAY UP HERE, and we were WAY DOWN HERE. Our sin disconnected us from Him. Now, sin is defeated, and we can have a personal connection with the Father through Jesus.

Through this personal connection with God, we are no longer on the defense, constantly fighting a losing battle against sin and Satan. Now we are on the offensive.

God is on our side, Jesus is our Savior, and the Holy Spirit gives us power. Therefore, the gates of hell, the dominion of the enemy no longer rules over our lives.

We can go deeper in the things of God because we have a personal connection with Jesus through our confession of Him as our Savior!

Notice how Jesus then promised, Peter, I will give these keys. The denote authority. Through Jesus’ death, He took back the keys of death, hell, and the grave.

Now, we have delegated authority because our personal connection with the Lord. We can go deeper in our relationship with Him, because we have the keys.

With these keys, this spiritual authority, God can unlock deeper depths, but it requires prayer and fasting. We must become diligent in our walk with Him.

NLT: And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

If we will go deeper in God, when the enemy comes to tempt, distract, discourage, or attack, we can bind those attacks and unleash the power of heaven!

How? through our personal connection with Jesus.

Close:

As we enter a new year and a new decade, I want to go deeper in God than I was last year and last decade. When I read all God has to offer and I see where I am in my walk with Him, I realize, there is so much more.

Therefore, I endeavor, I earnestly pray, and I sincerely desire to go deeper in God. Who wants to join me in this quest, Lord, Take Me Deeper!

The Lord is searching and seeking for people to serve Him with all their lives, making a lifelong commitment to go deeper in Him. Sadly though, we live in a day where people use God. They view Him at their convenience, not making a serious commitment.

This is not a new concept, Jesus’ experienced these type of people over 2,000 years ago.

John 6:66–69 NKJV

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

John 6:

Today is a day of decision. Will we begin this decade and this new year waffling back and forth in our commitment? Or will we join Peter in His confession: God there is no where else I want to go, only you have all that I need.

When we confess our whole-hearted commitment to the Lord, then we can develop a personal connection with the God of the universe.

I am telling you and I promise, there is so much more God has for us. He is calling out to us, imploring us to go deeper in Him! He provides the avenue to make this possible!

Therefore, let’s confess this morning:

God I need you

I am sorry for the times I have used you

I repent for the times I have failed you

I need more of you in my life

I want to go deeper in you

I know there is more you have for me

If we will make a lifelong decision, God I want to go deeper, I cannot promise that everything will be perfect. I cannot promise Satan will never attack again.

But I can declare with 100% confidence that God, He will take us deeper in Him, and with the spiritual depth will come spiritual authority to overcome every attack that satan brings!

If you prayer is, Lord, take me deeper, I promise He will answer!