Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Welcome to the Crema Chaj podcast.
[00:00:10] Thank you. Take a seat, Take a seat.
[00:00:16] A few people have asked me. A couple of weeks ago we were putting a bid in for a building and a number of people said, so what happened? And at the moment, nothing. I mean, it's all gone radio silence. We put a package together and so they were chatting to us about a week ago, and we're just waiting now as they decide whether they would like to sell to us. So keep praying. So my silence isn't anything bar.
[00:00:47] I don't know the answer yet. But you know what it's like when you're buying a house or something like that. It sometimes takes a little bit of time.
[00:00:55] So I will let you know as soon as I hear something. Well, we're in a new term and a couple of weeks ago we started a series. I want to talk to you about the ways of God.
[00:01:06] And, you know, we talk a lot about how he wants to bless us, how he forgives us, he heals us.
[00:01:15] But all the way through the scriptures, it's really clear there is a but you walk in his ways. Jesus says, in fact, if you want to know if you love me, you'll keep my commands.
[00:01:29] So that there is. The reason Jesus came was to forgive us of our sin, but also to free us from our sin so that we could have brand new lives. So I want to talk a little bit this morning about the confession of sin.
[00:01:45] So should we get my confession over with first?
[00:01:50] This week I had to do a speed awareness course.
[00:01:58] I forgive me, Father, I have sinned.
[00:02:04] Obviously it was entrapment and the camera was badly calibrated, all those things. But they got me.
[00:02:12] They got me and I had to.
[00:02:16] I think the way they stop you speeding is it was the most boring three hours of my life as I stared at the screen and I go, lord, I'll never do this again, ever again.
[00:02:31] But you know, I think some of you have done a speed awareness course, right? Yeah, There you go.
[00:02:37] There's a few confessions. You're just like me.
[00:02:43] But you know, when we talk about sin, all sin is entrapment.
[00:02:49] The devil tries to trap you. You see now you've given your life to the Lord Jesus.
[00:02:55] He has washed you clean and he's given you a new nature. You are a new person. You're not the person you used to be. You're not the person that was erring that way. You're erring over to righteousness. You're erring over to walking with him.
[00:03:09] You have his nature. Now he has changed you.
[00:03:14] The debt of sin has been washed from you.
[00:03:21] Your nature is no longer to sin.
[00:03:25] But if any of you sold your house or moved house and you know, you pack it all up, you move into your new house, you're making home. And then a few weeks later, for some unknown reason, you find yourself driving to your old house.
[00:03:46] And you even pull up on your own old drive and you go, what am I doing here? I don't live here anymore.
[00:03:55] That's called temptation.
[00:03:58] Okay? But if you go to your front door and let yourself in to the house you no longer live in, it's called trespass.
[00:04:09] It's not yours anymore.
[00:04:12] You've got rid of it. You've sold it. It's gone. It's gone. It belongs to somebody else now.
[00:04:17] You have a new home.
[00:04:24] You get it? That's what sin is like to us. It's gone.
[00:04:29] But sometimes we just drive to the wrong house.
[00:04:35] John says this. He says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. Okay? Has anyone sinned this week?
[00:04:56] Everyone.
[00:04:57] Of course we have.
[00:04:59] Okay, now, as you put your hand up, you confessed your sin and he forgives you and washes you clean. James says this. Confess your trespasses when you've walked into your old house.
[00:05:16] Okay? To one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. So James says, confess, pray for one another, and you will be made whole. That sin breaks us. But when we confess and we confess and the blood of Jesus washes Jesus clean, we are made whole.
[00:05:41] So get your Bibles, turn your turn to Samuel. I want to read you a story. It's a.
[00:05:51] This is one of those unusual stories in the scripture. So why don't you stand as we read? This is 2 Samuel, chapter 12. We're going to read from verse one if you're new around here.
[00:06:01] We stand when we bring our offerings, and we stand when we read the Bible. Because the Bible is the word of God and we honor the Lord's word. So this is 2 Samuel, chapter 12, verse 1. Then the Lord sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said to him, there were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had Nothing except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished. And it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom. It was like a daughter to him.
[00:06:44] And a traveler came to the rich man who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare for the one wayfaring man who had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb, prepared it for the man who had come to him.
[00:07:01] So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man. And he said to Nathan, as the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die.
[00:07:12] And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb because he did this thing and because he had no pity.
[00:07:19] And then Nathan said to David, you are the man. Gulp.
[00:07:25] Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel. And I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping. And I gave you the house of Israel and Judah.
[00:07:42] And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword. You have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
[00:08:01] Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord.
[00:08:12] Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor. And he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this son, for you did it secretly. But I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.
[00:08:31] So David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.
[00:08:37] And Nathan said to David, the Lord also has put away your sin. You shall not die.
[00:08:44] However, because of this deed, you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The child also, whom is born to you shall surely die. Then Nathan departed to his house. Take a seat.
[00:09:06] You see, the story of the Bible and the story of sin in the lives of men and women is a story of brokenness.
[00:09:16] It's a story of how, when we don't follow God's ways, our lives become broken.
[00:09:23] And God sends the prophet to David to reveal his sin, just as he sent Jesus to the world to reveal the sin of the world.
[00:09:34] And I think the interesting thing about this story is we're often angry about somebody else's sin.
[00:09:42] It's really easy to see somebody else's sin. You know, Jesus tells a story about the, you know, don't take the speck out of someone else's eye when you've got a plank in your own eye. And David is furious until he realizes it's his sin.
[00:10:01] And David confesses his sin. He says, I sinned against the Lord. And we get the full confession of David in Psalm 50, one of the most, I think one of the most amazing psalms in the book of Psalms.
[00:10:20] And David again, you know, Lord, Lord, look, you can do whatever you want to me, but don't take your presence, don't take the joy of your salvation away from me.
[00:10:30] Lord, all I have is you. I've sinned against you, but don't take your presence from me.
[00:10:39] And do you know, that's what separates David from Saul.
[00:10:45] When Saul sins in the chapters before he hides his sin, he blames the people for his sin, and he wants Samuel to cover for his sin. We read it in 1 Samuel 15.
[00:10:59] But David knows how to repent and to confess.
[00:11:04] And as followers of Jesus, we need to learn how to walk in a confession of sin so that we can walk in his righteousness.
[00:11:19] Because when we confess our sin, and we'd all sinned this week, you all said you have, okay, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[00:11:35] And, you know, how does it happen?
[00:11:39] How could David get in such a hole?
[00:11:43] He's a man after God's own heart. The Lord is with him. How could David commit adultery with Bathsheba, kill her husband and not realize he sinned?
[00:11:55] What on earth went wrong? It begs belief, but it's a warning to us. All sin blinds and it causes people to stumble. You know, if you come from a Catholic background, you're used to the confessional, yes, Some of you might come from a Catholic background.
[00:12:12] And you go to confession and you say, father, forgive me, I have sinned. And you list your sins off. And I think us Protestants have thrown the baby out with the bath water when it comes to the confession of sin, that we've forgotten that we walk a life of confession before the Lord. So here we go.
[00:12:43] What causes us to see our sin and confess?
[00:12:47] And I've already alluded to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, when we're in the presence of God, convicts us of sin. Isaiah 6, the presence of God comes and Isaiah goes, woe is me, because I'm a man of unclean lips living amongst the people of unclean lips. You know, you come into the presence of a holy God, you're worshipping and we're praying. And as we come close to his glory, we're very aware of our weaknesses.
[00:13:21] As we walk into the light of his presence, all is laid bare.
[00:13:27] So we become aware of our sin and confess prophetic insight.
[00:13:34] Nathan nails David.
[00:13:37] You know, we often tell prophetic people not to call people sin out, but that's only from the front.
[00:13:42] You know, I think part of the job of prophetic people is to call people sin out and go, do you know, just like with David, when you did that, you sinned against the Lord. And they go, how'd you know? The Lord told me.
[00:13:55] So, you know, we want the prophetic in the church that kind of gets in our face a bit and goes, listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying.
[00:14:05] Circumstances, you know, you find yourself in a mess and you go, suddenly everything's not working, and you go, lord, what's gone wrong? You know, Julia and I, when things are not going well, often we ask, lord, Lord, what have we done? Have we sinned? Is there any way, Lord, that we have done something that is stopping you blessing us?
[00:14:27] Habit, James says.
[00:14:29] James was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, and he says, regularly confess your sins to each other. Make a habit of it. You know, whenever, you know, you're going around to watch, I don't know, Netflix or something like that, and, you know, there's a group of you, you just, you know, you go, oh, do you know what I did this week? And, you know, before you watch a film, you all pray and you go, lord, Lord, forgive us. I mean, sometimes you have to pray after the film. Go, lord, we shouldn't have watched that film.
[00:15:00] It's just the way, you know, communion, you know, when we break bread and we dip it in the cup and we celebrate all that God has done, Jesus has done for us. Paul says, let each man and woman examine themselves, and so let him eat the bread and the cup. So when we come to communion and we're, you know, we're in the queues and we're blessing one another, we're checking our dials. You know, if I'm. If my car has a red light on the dial, actually, my car doesn't have a red light. It just says, stop, don't drive anymore. You know, engine fault, something like that. If we've got a warning coming up on our dials, we stop the car and we get it fixed. We're same in communion. We're walking up to take communion. We're checking our dials. Are there any red lights on the dash?
[00:15:47] Are there any warnings on the dash, Lord, anything? Because as I take this bread and as I dip it in the cup, I want you to cleanse me again.
[00:16:01] Okay, but what would cause us to hide our sin?
[00:16:07] Well, the first one, I think shame. We feel embarrassed.
[00:16:10] You know, that was the problem in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve hid from God.
[00:16:15] But we're not going to because Jesus has clothed us with his life. We're not ashamed of our sin. We're getting free from our sin.
[00:16:24] Look, sometimes we use the illustration of Jesus writing a check and he redeems us. It means he buys us and he has paid with his life. And it's like he gives us a check. Do any of you know what checks are anymore? You know, write it down. I know, I know. Well, look, if I give you a check, you have to cash it.
[00:16:52] But look, if I gave you a cheque for a million pounds, would you walk into the bank going, I'm really ashamed. I've just got to give you this check.
[00:17:02] No, you'd walk in, I'm the man.
[00:17:05] You'd hand it to the bank teller and go, me, Jesus has handed you a check that pays for all of your sin.
[00:17:19] We're not going to be ashamed.
[00:17:22] We're going to cash it.
[00:17:26] We've learned from the Garden because of what Jesus has done, there's rebellion.
[00:17:32] Sometimes we just find ourselves in rebellion. I don't want to do this.
[00:17:37] You know, there are only three. Three things that are going to get you going through life. Look, I've been a Christian 47 years. Trust me. There are only three things. Girls, gold or glory or guys, gold or glory.
[00:17:48] The devil doesn't have any more tricks. I believe it'll be one of those things, one of those things that get you. But we are no longer in rebellion going after those things. That's why we came to Jesus. We. We were enemies of God before we came to Christ. But now we said, lord, I want to walk in your ways. I want to follow you.
[00:18:09] And so the rebellion has gone in us. But sometimes it tries to sneak back and we have to go. Lord, I'm sorry.
[00:18:16] I just. I've gone to my old house again.
[00:18:20] Unintentional.
[00:18:22] Juliet and I have been reading the law the last month or so, and we've been going through. I think we're both on Leviticus at the moment.
[00:18:31] Do you know how many sin offerings there are for unintentional sin?
[00:18:36] And all the way through it. And if you committed this unintentionally, you need to do this, you need to do that, and you need a lamb and you need a dove, and you need to throw the blood everywhere.
[00:18:46] And I'm like, this is hard work. But now we don't need to do that because the Spirit has come into our life and he's written God's ways on our hearts.
[00:18:59] But sometimes we don't listen.
[00:19:02] You know, sometimes we're on a journey and the Spirit of God is speaking. Our conscience is going, red flag, red flag. And we go, no, we're good, we're good, we're good.
[00:19:14] And you know, if we keep ignoring that voice, our conscience becomes seared and we don't realize we've strayed. You know, when I gave my life to Jesus, no one told me to stop swearing. No one said, don't get drunk. They just didn't tell me to do those things. I just did it. Why? Because God was there. And there was this small voice going, no, no, don't do that. Do this.
[00:19:43] No, keep going.
[00:19:45] Because he made his home in me. And then there's another one. We believe it doesn't matter because we live under grace.
[00:19:56] And God's grace and forgiveness is so amazing. And of course, Paul deals with this in Romans 6, and they're going, well, look, if this grace is so good, let's continue in our sin so grace may abound. And Paul goes, no, don't do that. Why? Because he goes on. He says, so that sin doesn't have dominion over you.
[00:20:16] You see, Jesus didn't just come to forgive you of your sins. He came to give you power over your sin.
[00:20:21] He came to create a new race of people. A people that walked with God, that walked under the blessing of God in the healing of God that would change the world.
[00:20:30] And Paul is saying, no, his grace is unending. You've got it. But it doesn't mean you sin more. It means you're free from your sin because sin doesn't have dominion over you.
[00:20:41] Jesus said, the Prince of this world is now coming, but he has no hold over me.
[00:20:47] And I tell you, we want to be people. When the Prince of the world comes, he has no hold over us.
[00:20:55] Let me just, on this, just comment. When Nathan's. Look what Nathan says to David. He says, however, because by this deed, you see, sin has consequences, you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The child also who is born to you shall surely die. Okay, well, what or whom entices us to sin? Well, I think sometimes our flesh, I think sometimes the old life crawls off the altar. And I think there are demons.
[00:21:30] In fact, I think low level demons are buzzing around and they appeal to our old life and they try to pull us back. So we confess.
[00:21:39] When we confess, everything is brought into the light and it breaks the power of sin. Because sin no longer has power in the light. But when we leave it in the shadows, it can get a grip on us. That's what Jesus was talking about. He has no hold over me. So when sin is in the shadows, it can get a grip on us. That's what happened to David. So when the prophet comes, he switches the lights on. And when we confess to each other, we switch the lights on. Because we humble ourselves and go, do you know what? I'm not as good as I look.
[00:22:12] But thanks be to God who forgives me and cleanses me. Now, these demons that are enticing the church and you, the same demons that entice you to look at porn will entice another man to rape a child.
[00:22:31] The same demons that entice you to anger are the ones that entice someone else to murder.
[00:22:39] And, you know, when we approve of sin in the church, it's like flies swarming over dog poo.
[00:22:45] The demons love it, but when we switch the lights on, they hate it because they have no more power. That's why when we sanctify ourselves and all sanctify means check your dials and confess. Are there any warning lights? Confess. We prepare so the Lord can do wonders among us.
[00:23:04] There has never been a revival that doesn't purify the church.
[00:23:09] Let me say that again. There has never been a recorded revival that doesn't purify the Church of Jesus Christ.
[00:23:18] Look, I remember. I mean, when I was in my 20s, I was leading a small group with a girl, a girl called Janie. She was my friend.
[00:23:29] She was really posh.
[00:23:31] She was an illustrator for Marks and Spencer's. You know, she was upper class. I was Essex, you know, I mean, there was a girl, she talked like, you know, really posh girl. And we led a group together. And I remember one, you know, there was a new girl there and she was really good looking.
[00:23:48] So I took her out on a date, all right? And we went on a date and we're in a car and, you know, you know, it seemed like A good idea to kiss.
[00:23:57] And so we kiss, and we're kissing. She sticks her tongue down my throat.
[00:24:03] First kiss, I'm like, ah.
[00:24:07] I'm like, oh, my goodness.
[00:24:10] You know, I'm like a Christian guy.
[00:24:13] I'm trying to get to heaven. And I'm like, if this is the first day, I'm not going to make heaven, okay? So I'm like.
[00:24:23] So I go back to Janie, and I know this is a stupid, silly illustration, so I go back to Janie, and I'm going, janie, Janie. And she's going, what's wrong? What's wrong? And I said. I said, look, I need to confess. I took her out on a date, and she stuck a tongue down my throat. And Janie is just looking, and she's shaking because she's trying not to laugh, okay? And her whole body is literally shaking, but she can see my duress, okay? And I'm going, I'm sorry. I've let you down on it everywhere. I shouldn't have done that.
[00:24:55] I remember she going. She says, don't worry, Steve. I think it's going to be all. All right. I'll deal with it. I'll talk to her. Don't worry. I said, oh, would you? Would you?
[00:25:05] But look, look, I decided to walk with Jesus, and I was trying to walk in his ways.
[00:25:15] And a kiss in the car park isn't the end of the world. But I knew where it was leading, and confession turned the lights on and breaks the power of it.
[00:25:29] So that when I do get married, I get a hot wife.
[00:25:33] All right, listen to me. This is Genesis 4, verse 7. Sin lies at the door, and its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.
[00:25:52] That's God speaking to Cain, warning him, but he doesn't listen, and he kills his brother Abel.
[00:26:00] You see, if you don't want sin to rule over you, to have power over you, confess it.
[00:26:07] And you know what? Sometimes you need to keep confessing until you step into the victory. Peter asked Jesus, how many times have I got to forgive? Seven times. And Jesus goes, Nah, I'll probably take you 70 times seven. Just keep on. Keep on going. Keep on going.
[00:26:23] You see, confession is our greatest weapon. We humble ourselves bleeding, the blood falling on the Lord's mercy. It disarms the powers of darkness. Because we choose to live in the light. Confession breaks the shame and clothes us with Christ.
[00:26:38] We are not ashamed anymore. We're clothed in Christ. We're not naked. Because Jesus has paid the price. God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with him, we must walk in light, not darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Do you know there are two major roadblocks that hinder this walk? Falling in love with the world and falling in love with false teachers.
[00:27:05] What do I mean? Well, when the Church looks like the world, we need to get on our knees because we found prophets and teachers that tell us it's all okay. Sin's okay. It's not okay. And there are plenty of them on the Internet. Read about it. 2 Timothy 4, 3.
[00:27:20] You see, confession breaks the Devil's power in our lives, but then also it breaks the power in the lives of people around us. Because as we confess, others confess and the Church is renewed.
[00:27:32] That is the instrument God uses to renew his Church. So how do we confess?
[00:27:38] Well, have a group of friends.
[00:27:41] Remember Wesley. Here's three things you have to do if you're a new convert.
[00:27:47] How will you confess how you were tempted and how you overcame the temptation? Confess how you've sinned this week and received the forgiveness of Jesus and give a penny to the poor.
[00:28:00] Your spouse. If you're married, they'll keep you honest, you know. You only have to say you're tempted about something, they'll be on you. Okay. That's why the Lord gave us marriage communion when we come up. I've already talked about communion. When we break the bread under.
[00:28:14] The picture is so beautiful of the tearing of the body of Christ for every single one of us and dipping it in his blood and being cleansed by his blood.
[00:28:24] And we're just. Lord, I did this. I'm sorry I did that. I've been at my speed awareness course this week. Lord. Lord, I knew I was speeding.
[00:28:35] It was just inconvenient.
[00:28:38] Let me finish with this. We're almost done.
[00:28:41] Sin has consequences.
[00:28:45] And we tragically see David and Bathsheba's son die in the next chapter.
[00:28:52] But I want you to understand, God is always redemptive.
[00:28:57] Say this after me. God is always redemptive. Once more. God is always redemptive. I want to show you in 2 Samuel 12:24, after all that's happened, David has pleaded with God for his son to live. And his son doesn't live. And just as God said, his son dies, we pick up in verse 24.
[00:29:22] Then David comforted Beersheba, his wife, and went into her and lay with her. So she bore a son and called his name Solomon.
[00:29:34] Now the Lord loved him and he sent his Word by the hand of Nathan the prophet. So he called his name, Jedediah, beloved of Jehovah, because of the Lord David.
[00:29:51] All of his mess, all of the sin.
[00:29:56] Yet God redeems the sin. And we get Solomon, one of the greatest kings of Israel.
[00:30:08] Where we see the high water mark of the shalom of the kingdom, where everybody has a home, everybody is fed, everybody has a job.
[00:30:21] The kingdom demonstrated, you see, when we come to the altar and we confess our sin, it always leads to the redeeming power of Jesus Christ.
[00:30:34] Every time Solomon is born in the line of Jesus. I don't care how bad your sin is.
[00:30:43] Jesus can redeem your life.
[00:30:47] You see? Look, we drive sometimes we just drive to our old home. We're not even thinking about it. We've sold it. And we drive there. And we pull up on the drive. And sometimes we've even got the key in the lock.
[00:31:00] But if you trespass, confess your trespasses.
[00:31:04] He is faithful and just to forgive our trespasses and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And he redeems our life.
[00:31:15] You see, the reason we're no longer ashamed of our sin is because we now belong to Jesus Christ. He has us covered. And he redeems every area of our life.
[00:31:27] Why don't you stand up in a minute if you don't know Jesus. We're going to give you a chance to give your life to Jesus. But I want to do something first.
[00:31:51] Let me find Isaiah 61.
[00:31:58] Can I have the Scripture up on Isaiah 61 up on the screen?
[00:32:07] Any minute.
[00:32:10] There you go.
[00:32:12] I want you to read this with me.
[00:32:15] The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.
[00:32:20] Because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted.
[00:32:29] To proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of prison to those who are bound.
[00:32:37] To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God.
[00:32:44] To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion. Listen to this. To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. They may be called trees of righteousness. The planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
[00:33:10] And they shall rebuild the old ruins. They shall raise up former desolations.
[00:33:16] And they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
[00:33:23] Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks. And the sons of the foreigner shall be your ploughmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named priests of the Lord. They shall call you servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion, they shall rejoice in their portion Therefore in their land they shall possess double everlasting joy shall be in their hearts. For I the Lord love justice I hate robbery of burnt offerings I will direct the work in their truth, and I will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people.
[00:34:21] All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity of whom the Lord has blessed.
[00:34:28] I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation he has covered me with the robe of righteousness As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, as a bride adorns herself with jewels for as the earth brings forth its bud, the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
[00:35:05] Amen.
[00:35:07] Thanks for listening to the Coma Charge podcast. If you enjoyed this message message, you can like and subscribe. You can also join us in person or online every Sunday at Cromer Church. For more information about us, including our ministries, events, worship and how to donate, visit our website at Cromer Church.
