Confession & Assurance of Grace

Church, we’ve gathered here this morning to make much of Jesus and to encourage one another in the hope of the gospel.

We’ve sung of Jesus as our only hope in life and death. We’ve praised His glorious name because He has risen from the dead. We’ve turned our gaze upward to look upon the glory of God as the one true King of all creation.

Now, we want to come together and hear from God through His Word and confess where we fall short. He has spoken to us, he has shown us, he has called us to live in such a way that would bring glory to His name and lead us toward joy and human flourishing. And yet, we often fail, and fall short of His perfect standard. Therefore, we need to confess and repent of our sins and hold fast to the cross of Christ as our only way to be reconciled with God.

In Matthew 22 we read of a Pharisee, a lawyer in fact, an expert in the law coming to Jesus asking which commandment is the greatest.

He asks him in verse 36,

Matthew 22:36 (ESV)

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

To which Jesus replies,

Matthew 22:37–39 (ESV)

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Like this Pharisee, this lawyer, we often have head knowledge but still fail to live as God has called us to live.

We know we should love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, but often chase after the cares of this world, the things of this world instead.

We know we should love our neighbor as we love ourself but often put ourselves far ahead of the needs of others. We seek greatness through being first rather than serving others and being the least.

Therefore, we need to confess where we fall short and repent, meaning to turn from these sinful tendencies of our hearts and hold fast to a superior treasure, which is Christ.

So, let’s take a moment here in the silence to confess where we fail to obey Jesus.

Father, we come to you this morning admitting three things. You are holy, we are sinful, we need your grace.

Father, we confess that we have not always loved you with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind. Too often our hearts chase after and yearn for the things of this world, the created rather than the Creator.

We confess that we have not always loved our neighbor as we love ourselves. Too often our needs, our wants, our desires are what come first rather than seeking to serve others just as you have served us.

And so, Father, we confess our sins before you. We admit that our hearts are broken. We admit our neediness. So, Father, would you bring healing to our hearts through your grace. Would you show us mercy and compassion?

As we look to your law and see where we fall short may we also look then to your Son where we find hope, healing, mercy, and forgiveness.

May your church, who has been ransomed by the blood of Christ shine brightly in the midst of broken, twisted, and dark world.

Today, Father, we pray for our nation. We pray for our leaders, from our president, to the congress, to our governor, to our local mayor. Father, would you protect them and may they lead in such a way that would allow for the gospel to move freely. May they follow you and seek to do that which is right and good for others.

Father, we pray for our country that is lost in sin. Father, we know that when you are abandoned, when you are rejected, when your Word is neglected chaos ensues. And so, Father we pray that the church would rise up and show that our greatest love is you. May the church rise up and love our neighbor enough to call them to repentance so that they might find eternal life through Jesus.

We know this will bring oppression. We know this will bring ridicule. But Father, may we love you more than we love our own life.

Father, we pray, especially this month as June is set aside within our country as “Pride month.” And so, Father, we pray for the LGBTQ+ community. Father, help us to love this community, as all people are image bearers of God, yet at the same time, love them enough to show them that they are living contrary to your Word. They are living contrary to what you have revealed to us which would lead to joy and human flourishing. As they seek to find acceptance from the world for who they want to be, may they see that the only acceptance that matters is acceptance from you which comes through turning from sin, faith in Jesus, and following His commands.

May we be humble and gracious in our care for them, may we be loving in our speech and demeanor, admitting our own need for repentance and grace and calling them to a greater joy that’s found in glad submission to God and His Word. May they know that God’s grace is enough and that all who confess and repent of their sins will find eternal life through Jesus.

This is the hope of the gospel. May we rest in it. Help us God to love you, with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

In Christ name we pray, Amen.

Would you stand with me and let’s read together this assurance of God’s grace from Ephesians 1.

Ephesians 1:4–7 (ESV)

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

Kid’s dismissal - 3rd grade and younger.