A confession to live by

Introduction

One of the distinctives for us as baptist is that we are not a creedal people. As part of the Southern Baptist convention that makes us unique is that we are a network of autonomous local congregation who has affirmed to a set of doctrinal beliefs and do work with other like minded churches. We are not a denomination we are a convention. With that said we agree to affirm the Baptist faith and message which is our doctrinal statement. This makes us a confessional church, basically the BF&M is our confessional statement. Now many of us came from a creedal background. Most of your mainline churches are creedal… if you are catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, maybe even Wesleyan, you may remember saying the Apostle’s creed every Sunday. “I believe in God the father almighty” etc. We are not a creedal church. For many of us we have a conviction that the scripture is sufficient, and that we don’t need to repeat a weekly mantra to affirm what we read here in the Bible. now do I find any unscriptual about the Apostle’s creed? No, however I find it a bit confusing in some areas, including the statement I believe in the Holy catholic church. Yes I know from what I have heard that the word “Catholic” means universal and all that, but I cannot say it. For us we have a saying around older baptist, no creed just christ. No as for confessions they themselves are subject to change in fact the BF&M has changed or been revised over the years. The statements are written by men yet backed up by scriptures. But that is the problems with confessions and creeds, they are written by men. This is one problem by its very nature flawed, can be changed, the second is churches are so locked into a secondary document they get spiritual lazy about the true source of spiritual truth the one true source the Bible.

The question for us today, is the bible sufficient as a creedal document? For me I see no reason to have a creed if I have the Bible. Yes in a time when most of the population couldn’t read sure, Illiteracy is not our problem today, it is not that most cannot read, most dont want to read. The Bible is chocked full of confessional statements. Phil 3:7-11 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Rom 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”” 1 Pet1:2 “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” and 2 Cor 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Yes we may affirm the BF&M and package it in a way that is understandable for the person who wants to be a member of our church our pocket size to answer questions or defend your faith… But there is no confessional like the scriptures and today we will examine a true confession to live by

Lets turn to Psalm 16 and see what the Lord has for you I am encouraging you today to take notes and study this text this week and make this a confession your your life, and family. Again this is only one confession in the bible but an excellent one

As you can probably tell that this is a beautiful description of what a life that walks with God is all about. This psalm is a confession of what David believes. How He walks, how he lives his faith in front of the world, and how he see God in his life. For us especially on father’s day is looking for a code to live by, looking for a code that we can pass along to our children and spouses. A legacy so to speak. One of my wishes is that my children will read this psalm at my funeral and say “daddy lived by this, this was daddy’s confession of faith”

what can we see here in this confessional that we all need to make our own? Now there is a lot in this psalm and would really take a long time to properly unpack this, however I find 4 statements of faith here 4 confessions that we can all attempt to live by

The first is

I. God is my God, and God’s people are my people - vs 1-3 David clears up any confusion to those are him who may question his alligence. Now understand the people of David’s day believed in many false gods and followed the sins and practices of the world. Times have not changed that much. David make a clear statement of who his God was and who his people were, Those who follow God was his brethren.

God - 1. His refuge - Deut 33:27 “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’” Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Ps 62:7 “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.”

2. His Lord - his master

3. In Him alone righteousness can be found - 2 Cor 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 1 John 3:7 “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.” 1 Pet 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

God’s People - 1. They are his people - the only ones that he can relate to Deut 7:6 ““For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

2. They are the excellent ones - means God’s great ones the majestic, nobles and chieftains Not because of themselves but because they are God’s very own people

3. They bring him delight - God’s own people bring David delight. he sees their beautiful qualities and he knows they are special because they have been touched by God. they have tasted God’s righteousness and walk in it. They bring David delight. Does God’s people bring you delight? They should it should be your confession

the second statement in this beautiful confession is

II. I will depend upon God and Him alone for all my needs - vs 4-6 This is a necessary part of any confessional statement and that is total dependence upon God. This is nothing new to David even as king he did not depend on his own power, cunning, or strength his humility was to be in total dependence upon his God.

He points to the folly of trying to be self sufficient — vs4

The Lord is his portion - that is a confession of “no matter what this world brings or take away he will only be content in God and his relation with God. Ps 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Lam 3:24 ““The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”” Num 18:20 “And the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.”

David life was seemed as a gift to him even in the troubles of life - “Pleasant places” Gen 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Ps 100:3 “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

David is encouraged by the fact that he has part of the divine inheritance - not a son himself but rather an adopted child of God and that was beautiful to David. Do you find your inheritance as a beautiful promise? 1 Pet 1:2-4 “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” Col 3:24 “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

The third statement in this great confessional is

III. God is my comfort and counselor - vs 7-10 In times of trouble God had never let David down. David did not live an easy life yet the solace that David experienced is profound. God was there when David was alone, God was there when David’s life hung in the balance, God was there when David sinned and God granted Him forgiveness. God was…God is God was and God shall ever more be.

a. David commits to a life of praise - vs 7 I will bless (kneel) David’s commits a life of praise because God had counseled him through the hard times and hard decisions. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit’s role is in our life He is the Paraclete John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

b. David has his vision fixed on God - it is so easy to get distracted by life, yet if we force ourselves to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus we will see clearly Heb 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

c. David walks with God and have confidence that God is with him Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Col 2:6 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,”

the fourth and final confessional statement that we see today is

IV. God has personally revealed Himself and His salvation to us - vs 11 This is huge and extremely a theological distinctive for us that God is a personal God who has personal relationship with His children. He gives all general revelation and personal revelation and to those who respond to that personal revelation starts a personal relationship with God. Heb 6:19 “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,”

a. God made known -

b. Once that relationship begins is when we find true Joy

c. This relationship includes pleasures that are innumerable

What is your confession? Are you a follower of Christ then you have a library full of beautiful confessional statements you have no need for a man written statement when you have a divine

Invitation

Are you here today, lost confused about life? Always wanting to live by a code with honor and integrity , but have failed so often. Are you here today looking to live a life that will leave a lasting legacy? Are you sick and tired looking for answers that you have searched this world for and never found them. Stop searching stop looking everywhere else, what you seek cannot be found in this world it is only obtainable from God. Believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved today. The answer is set before you. The bible tells us

god created this world and it was perfect and good

Sin entered in (the pride of life the bible calls it) and the world and all that is in it became corrupted and broken unable to fellowship with our creator.

But God in His love for us provided a cure for the Brokenness and that was His Son Jesus. John 3:16-17 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Rom 10:9-13 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

today if you want to end the struggle, repent of your sins. Acknowledge you are a sinner in need of a savior. Believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved. Call on Him today to be saved, during prayer pray, “Lord Jesus i am a sinner and I need a savior, in faith I believe you died on the cross and I ask you today to save me”