Confession

Focus Statement

Confessing our sins brings us out of the darkness of the world and into the light of living as a Christ follower.

Things to Consider

We all have things in our lives that are burdens,

whether it be sin, brokenness, struggles, etc.

Our natural reaction is to hide those parts of ourselves from each other.

However, with Jesus as Lord, we can let go of those burdens in the community of faith.

Point of Relation

The video clip I am about to show is longer than what I would normally show in a sermon...

However, it is necessary and super powerful...

A very relevant clip to our theme of confession.

Let us now watch this scene from the film, “I can only imagine”,

which is a true story about MercyMe’s singer Bart Millard’s troubled relationship with his father,

and who that inspired the song, “It can only imagine.”

Let us watch that now.

[Show clip]

Powerful, right?

For some of you, perhaps this reminds you of troubled relationships you had with your parents or others.

Confession isn’t easy. Bart’s dad knew he had done wrong…and he so desperately wanted to make it right with his son...

And he struggled to confess that wrong to a son who was not ready to let go of his anger toward his father.

Still, the father worked up the courage to confess.

What does Scripture say?

1 John 1:5-10 highlights the fact that within God there is no darkness,

there is no brokenness, there is nothing but light.

It also highlights that if we do not walk in the light with God, we are part of the darkness.

As broken creatures, as humans, we often find ourselves walking in the dark.

How do we find ourselves in union with God again to enjoy the fullness of life?

We must confess our sins, as verse nine suggests.

Confessing our sins allows us to experience forgiveness

and find ourselves living in God’s light once more.

Metanoia is the Greek word for repentance.

The translation into English does not fully grasp the depth of what it means-

that one’s mind and heart do a literal turning from one way of a life to another.

A U-TURN, if you will

Repentance means moving our lives from darkness into light,

and we can only learn to live in the light if we confess our sins before God,

bringing it all out into the open.

This repentance involves not only bringing to light our wrongdoings and shortcomings,

but also wholeheartedly desiring and committing to live in light and righteousness, in just communion with God.

Confession is also something that we are tasked to do--not just something that God does without our action.

God never walks away from God’s covenant with us,

but we often walk away from our covenant with God.

While God is always waiting for us to return,

if we want to experience this forgiveness and light,

it is up to us to make the move back to God through confession and repentance.

What does this mean for YOU?

The core and basis of confession is being honest with God in prayer.

These prayers can be private, but there are also times when a more outward confession to God, with a trusted fellow Christian,

is called for and can be a profound release.

I want to encourage and challenge you to grow in this practice.

Take the time this week to share one thing with a trusted friend or with me…your pastor.

Someone who will not judge you, but will listen, as well as pray with and walk beside you.

Carrying our burdens, our struggles, our SIN alone…THAT’s HELL my friends.

There’s also another side to this...

being there to hear and bear the confessions of others with them without judgment.

So, I challenge and encourage you to be that person for others as well.

The most important thing to remember and remind each other of,

is that all is forgiven in Jesus Christ.

What does this mean for US?

A confessional church is a church that shares each other’s burdens

and proclaims Christ’s Lordship in the community around them.

It is simultaneously inward and outward,

devotion and proclamation.

Prior to the pandemic, when we were worshiping together in person,

We used to pass the peace to one another.

We will go back to that practice when it is safe.

I want to remind you that this practice

has always been a demonstration of our common vulnerability

and of our common reconciliation in Christ Jesus our Lord...

Not just a time to chat with our pew mates.

Let us make confession a part of who we are…

As John wrote in verse 10...

New Living Translation Chapter 1

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

We know we are sinners…and confession is the door through which we discover God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So, let us continue to grow in being confessional individually and as a faith community. Amen? Amen!