From the Ashes (2)

From the Ashes

Week 4 - Confession

Big Idea: Confession is the process of recognition of sin, turning from it and experiencing the forgiveness of God. Having a regular practice of searching our lives and coming into the light can cultivate a life full of grace and mercy as we rise from the ashes of past sins and poor decision making in our lives.

Prayer: “God, I confess today that I have made decisions that have broken my relationship with you and others. Forgive me for the mistakes I have made. Free me from shame and guilt that I may walk in the newness of life that you offer me in your Son. May my life be transparent before you and may you help me to live my life with wisdom.”

Scripture: Joel 2:12-13, James 5:16, Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:5, Romans 10:10, Luke 15:11-32, 1 John 1:19

Introduction

(Opener idea: Share a personal story from childhood about a time you just could not bring yourself to confess to wrongdoing for fear of the consequences. I remember as kids one time when we broke a neighbor’s window playing baseball and we were terrified to tell our parents for fear of their reaction… )

Admitting failure is difficult. Confessing and coming clean when we are at fault is not an easy task. I’m sure many of you here today have a similar story like the one I just shared. Honestly, we probably all have numerous stories that sound eerily similar.

Thankfully, the stories end differently when God gets involved. With God, we are promised forgiveness when we confess our sins and come clean. And when we bring ourselves into the light, we can live free, unburdened or hindered by the sin that so easily entangles so that we can run the race set before us.

(Hebrews 12:1)

New International Version

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Confession is the 4th topic of our 6 weeks together in our journey to abundant life. Obviously Jesus led a sinless life so we won’t see any specific examples from His life including sin. However, it is because of Jesus’ sinless life and humble sacrifice that we can experience the unrestrained forgiveness of the Father over our sin.

As I said in week 1, you are not broken beyond repair.

Jesus is the reason we can confess and experience complete forgiveness in our lives.

This divine forgiveness is truly amazing grace and it is such a different response to our wrongdoing than what many of us grew up experiencing.

Our teaching today is going to follow the story of an arrogant son and his journey from the ash heap back to the arms of his father.

Main Teaching

1. We Squander It All

Luke 15:11-13

This story is where most of our stories begin. We are convinced we know how to run our life better than God does. So, we take all that he has given us and we waste it on living however we want. We double down on our bad decisions and hurt ourselves and others in the process.

This is also the story of the younger son, the prodigal son;

“Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”

The word used here for wild living is only used once in the New Testament. It describes an extravagantly wasteful lifestyle. It may seem like the right thing for a time, and after all in the case of the younger son, he was only spending his rightful inheritance. But eventually the money runs out, the parties come to an end, and the nerves wear thin.

It’s at this point we realize we’ve squandered it all. In the words of the prophet Isaiah; “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way…” (Isaiah 53:6)

Thankfully, that’s not the end of the prodigal’s story nor is it the end of ours.

2. No Longer Worthy

Continuing in Luke 15 we read;

“After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said;

‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.”

There needs to be a time in each of our lives where we simply come to our senses and realize that our life will never be what it was meant to be apart from the Father. My prayer is that none of you here must lose everything, become shattered, or have your dreams reduced to ashes...

But the good news is,

1. We are able to make the decision to head home at any time.

a. Some of us simply must come to the end of our worth and realize that in Christ alone we are found worthy before the Father. Not based upon anything we can or cannot do but based upon the finished work of Christ on the cross.

As the younger son reaches his end, look at the confession he was practicing: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you…” He recognizes the depravity of his life and he understands his sin not only touches his earthly father but His heavenly Father as well.

3.Alive Again

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

Luke 15:20-24

This is one of the most beautiful scenes of compassion in the entire Bible. The younger son reaches bottom and begins heading home. But even while he is still a long way from home, his father sees him and RUNS out to meet him.

You can almost hear the son's muffled apology coming through the sound of his father’s warm embrace and smothering kisses. The younger man's humility, confession, and willingness to return home after having lost everything says a lot about his true character. Yes, he was physically starved and yes, he was in a foreign land with nothing to show.

But there at rock bottom, what really mattered became clear to him. The abundance of food, mercy, compassion, warmth, etc… of his father’s house called him home.

How many of you need to humble yourselves this morning, confess your sin against God and others, and return to the Father?

Conclusion/Application

(Pastor - What an amazing moment for you to share your own story of repentance and faith… Or maybe the story of a family member or relative. The whole point of sharing is to set up the opportunity to invite others to confess and repent.)

Let me ask you, what is keeping you from the Father today?

- Anger?

- Unforgiveness?

- Offense?

- Unmet expectations?

- Past hurts?

What can be confessed, repented of, and healed today?

James 5:16 says, “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.”

Come home today.

Let’s pray together.