Sin & Confession
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION: Thank you for joining us on this Ash Wednesday service. I never recall being a part of a service quite like this and if you have ever been a part of an Ash Wednesday service it will probably be different than what you’ve experienced in the past. Before we begin I want to give you a little bit of history...
Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection. (Christianity Today)
I certainly think if we approach this season with the desire to SINCERELY and INTENTIONALLY reflect upon Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice and resurrection, and not just “go through the motions” it can be something highly beneficial for each of us. As Trevin Wax said, “I hardly think the church is suffering from too much fasting.”
This time of Fasting begins with a time of self-reflection, confession, and repentance. Tonight we will be looking at Psalm 32 to help us during this time. As we read and think about Psalm 32 let’s not focus upon the corruption that’s “out there” but let’s focus upon the “internal corruption” that’s “in here.”
It’s really easy to see the injustice and immorality that’s in the world, but we need to ask the Holy Spirit to LOOK WITHIN!
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
This Psalm begins with the thoughts of having our “transgressions” forgiven. While transgression is a synonym for sin, it specifically refers to “self-centered rebellion.” David is celebrating the fact that God’s gracious forgiveness extends to our rebellious acts that were done out of self-centered motives.
As we enter into this time of reflection I want us to take a few moments to sit in silence and think about our self-centeredness, our selfishness, the things that we do that are sins against God and others and that are motivated by our own self-centered passions.
Confess these things to God as He brings them to mind. Be honest with HIm about these things…He already knows. Ask Him to reveal the self-centeredness that you don’t recognize, that you have grown callous to and confess those things to Him, receive His forgiveness and CELEBRATE the fact that YOU ARE BLESSED because YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS are forgiven and your SINS ARE COVERED!
SIT IN SILENCE
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Not only do we celebrate God’s forgiveness, but it’s vitally important as we enter this time that we ask God to examine our “spirits” for deceit. Jeremiah tells us...
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
Self-deception is very, very real. We need to invite the TRUTH of God’s Word and the ILLUMINATION of the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and root out any deceit that may be there.
Let’s take a few minutes and invite the Lord to examine our hearts and minds for any deception. Are we deceiving others? Are we deceiving ourselves? Are we even trying to deceive the Lord? Let’s ask Him to reveal and burn away any deceit that our hearts may hold.
SIT IN SILENCE
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
The psalmist recounts a personal testimony to illustrate the power of confessing sin. During a situation when he was silent and unrepentant, he suffered and continually felt Yahweh’s punishment. Only after he acknowledged and confessed his sins to Yahweh did he enjoy Yahweh’s forgiveness. (Faith Life Study Bible)
Confession of sin to God and confession of faults to one another is vitally important for not only our spiritual health, but for our emotional and mental health as well. The Psalmist said that when he kept silent about his sins, his “bones wasted away.”
Someone said, “We are only as sick as our secrets.” What do we need to come clean with God about? What have we been covering with “fig leaves.” What have we been making excuses for?
Are you suffering internally, emotionally, mentally because of something you haven’t released or confessed to God? Are you suffering because you refuse to let something go, or refuse to forgive yourself? Don’t let your bones continue to waste away and inwardly groan over something that you are needlessly holding on to.
The psalmist experienced forgiveness when he acknowledged his sin, but it came only after divine chastening. When he was silent and did not confess his sin, he was weakened physically (on bones see comments on 6:2) and grieved inwardly. The hand (or power) of the Lord was heavy on him (32:4), that is, God dealt severely with him. The result was that his vitality (strength) was sapped (or dried up) as in the summer heat. This expression may refer to physical illness with burning fever, or it may describe in poetic language his remorse of conscience.
Therefore he confessed his sin to God. This is the way of restoration, for God forgave him. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
TELL IT TO JESUS!
SIT IN SILENCE
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. Selah
Verse 5 gives us the SOLUTION!
*We ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SIN
*We STOP COVERING OUR SIN
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
*We CONFESS our sin to the Lord
*We RECEIVE and CELEBRATE His forgiveness!
*He takes FULL OWNERSHIP of his sins—we cannot minimize our actions, nor minimize our responsibility in the problem
*He does not indulge in self-pity, but rather engages in true confession.
“Self pity won’t change you, but true, godly sorrow leads to salvation.” (Ministry Pass)
...godly sorrow recognizes the wounding of the other person’s—and ultimately, the Father’s—heart. (Ministry Pass)
Remember what David wrote in verse 1: “Blessed is the one ... whose sins are covered.” On the cross, Jesus was totally uncovered. This is what we as sinners deserve. We deserve to have our hypocrisy, our self-centeredness, our rebelliousness uncovered and exposed for all to see. Jesus went through all of this for us. On the cross, Jesus was uncovered so that we could be covered. (Ministry Pass)