Participants:
Series Code: SCS
Program Code: SCS000004
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00:33 Chapter 4, Confession.
00:38 Hello and welcome to Steps to Christ in Song. 00:41 Today, we gonna look at Confession. 00:44 I have a little niece, who a few days ago got into 00:48 something that belonged to her sister. My sister is into 00:50 gymnastics and she had some little gymnastics 00:54 workout equipment and my niece took her scissors and 00:59 started cutting some of this very expensive stuff and 01:03 her mother came in and saw the sister sitting there and 01:07 the stuff that was all cut up and she said to her, did you 01:11 do this and she said, no mommy I didn't do this and 01:15 she said you mustn't tell mommy stories because 01:19 when you tell stories there is a little light that shines 01:21 from your forehead and she said to herself, there is light 01:25 shine on my forehead, and a little while later in the 01:29 day she saw her up at the top of the stairs and she 01:35 was looking in the mirror and she was talking to the 01:37 mirror telling little stories and she was looking in the 01:40 mirror at her forehead. Few days later, she was 01:44 over at her grandmother's house, my mother-in-law's 01:47 house and she got into some chocolates, 01:49 you know, she wasn't supposed to get into these 01:51 chocolates and she opened up one of the chocolates 01:54 and ate the chocolates and she knew she wasn't 01:56 supposed to do that. She left the wrappers on the 01:58 floor of the kitchen and my mother-in-law came in and 02:02 she saw the wrappers on the floor and she said, did you 02:06 take this chocolate and she put her hand on her 02:09 forehead and she said, no Nanna, I didn't take it. 02:14 See sometimes we try to cover our sins and it says 02:17 in Proverbs chapter 28, verse 13, whoever tries to 02:21 cover their sins will not prosper, but if you forsake 02:25 your sin and confess your sin 02:27 then you will find mercy. Before we get into this very 02:30 important topic of Confession, I'm gonna ask 02:32 Andrew to lead us in the word of prayer. 02:34 Andrew, Dear Father in heaven, you said in First 02:39 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, you are faithful 02:43 and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all 02:46 unrighteousness. Please give us the humility to 02:49 admit that we have done wrong and confess our sins, 02:52 so that we can experience that freedom from guilt 02:56 you so long to give us in your name. Amen. Amen. 03:02 The Bible makes it clear that God loves us and wants 03:05 to forgive us. But, there is a part that we have to play. 03:09 Proverbs 28:13 says, people who conceal their sins will 03:14 not prosper. But, if they confess in turn from them 03:18 they will receive mercy. First John 1:9 tells us that 03:23 if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to 03:27 forgive our sins and to cleanse us 03:29 from all unrighteousness. It's a fact that God can't 03:34 forgive a sin that's not confessed and turn 03:37 over to Him. So, give your sins to God 03:40 and you will be happy that you did. 04:00 Lord, You've touched my heart today, 04:08 That is why I've come to pray, 04:15 You see all I have inside, All the things I try to hide, 04:32 Jesus, I believe that You are there 04:40 And You're listening To this sinner's prayer 04:47 Touch this broken heart and make it new I believe in You 05:04 Please forgive me for my sin 05:11 All I've done and all I've been 05:19 Serving You forevermore Everyday You'll be my Lord 05:34 Jesus, I believe that You are there 05:42 And You're listening To this sinner's prayer 05:49 Knowing You'll remember What You've heard 05:57 I believe Your word 06:05 In Your name this prayer will end 06:13 And a new life will begin Now I know I'm not alone 06:28 Hold my hand and lead me home 06:56 This song is one of my favorites and it reminds 06:58 me that when we fell down and make mistakes, 07:01 all we need to do is come to God and confess our sin. 07:05 He is always willing to forgive us for 07:07 whatever we have done. 07:09 When we talk about Confession what do you think of Alley? 07:11 Oh! It kind of makes me think of when I was 07:15 younger and I was playing in the front yard with some 07:18 of my friends and we are throwing rocks in the street 07:20 and my next door neighbor drove by in his car and 07:23 without even thinking I just chucked the rock at his car 07:25 and immediately he stopped the car and he got out and 07:28 he told me that I shouldn't throw rocks at cars because 07:31 I could hurt someone and it could be really bad and 07:35 after that my mom she told me that I should go and 07:38 apologize to him and I felt really bad, I was 07:41 crying and it was just, it was really hard to 07:43 go and tell him, yeah, I was sorry. 07:45 And that was a Confession in a situation, 07:47 where you didn't mean to do that. Umm! Umm! 07:51 Alley, what you did, you didn't mean to do. 07:54 Can you even think of an experience, where you did 07:57 something and it was intentional? 07:59 Yes, I have a story. When I was younger, I was at a 08:02 friend's house and I was supposed to be watching 08:04 her two younger sister and brother and I was not 08:09 paying attention, I was just watching a video 08:12 or something and her mother was in the kitchen 08:15 and I suddenly heard the boy crying and I looked 08:18 and the little girl was standing over him and 08:21 I didn't know what happened because I wasn't 08:23 watching and her mother came in and asked me, 08:27 what happened and I didn't know because I wasn't 08:30 watching and so I just said, Oh! She pushed him 08:32 over because I, I didn't want to get caught for 08:36 not paying attention and so little girl got the spanking 08:40 and while she was get spanked she was crying 08:42 and saying I didn't do it, I didn't do it and I was 08:44 feeling really bad because I didn't actually know 08:47 she had done it and later I felt really bad. 08:50 So, I went up to my friend's mother and 08:53 I said well actually I didn't really see that, I didn't 08:56 really see what happened. I don't know what 08:58 happened because I wasn't watching and you can 09:01 punish me if you want to because I know that I was 09:03 wrong and so she put me in the corner, but I was aware 09:07 of the consequences because I knew I was 09:09 wrong and I had a clear conscience. 09:11 Yeah, and the core conscience is worth it, 09:14 even though you suffer the punishment, 09:16 thanks for sharing that. 09:20 Admitting to a wrong won't be very effective 09:23 if it's forced by someone else. To be acceptable to 09:27 God it must be sincere and heartfelt. Psalms 34:18 09:31 says, the Lord is near to those who have a broken 09:35 heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. 09:38 If we are truly sorry for what we have done, 09:41 we will make it right with the person we offended 09:44 and take steps to make sure that it doesn't happen again 09:47 The result of this kind of Confession 09:49 is peace with God and man. 10:11 One day a plain village woman 10:20 Driven by love for her Lord Recklessly poured out 10:33 a valuable essence Disregarding the scorn 10:47 And once it was broken and spilled out 10:55 A fragrance filled all the room 11:03 Like a prisoner released from his shackles 11:12 Like a risen set free from the tomb 11:19 Broken and spilled out 11:27 Just for love of you Jesus 11:35 My most precious treasure Lavished on Thee 11:53 Broken and spilled out And poured at Your feet 12:10 In sweet abandon Let me be spilled out 12:19 And used up for Thee 12:31 Lord You were God's precious treasure 12:40 His loved and His own perfect Son 12:48 Sent here to show me The love of the Father 12:58 Just for love it was done And though You we 13:07 perfect and holy You gave up Yourself willingly 13:21 You spared no expense for my pardon 13:29 You were used up and wasted for me 13:36 Broken and spilled out Just for love of me Jesus 13:52 God's most precious treasure 14:01 Lavished on me Broken and 14:11 spilled out And poured at my feet 14:26 In sweet abandon Lord You were spilled out 14:34 and used up for Me Yes used up for me 14:44 In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out 14:58 And used up for Thee, Used up for Thee. 15:27 You know that guilt is such a horrible thing and yet so 15:30 often we try to cover up our sins, but why should we, 15:35 when Jesus was broken and spilled out when he died on 15:37 the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sins. 15:42 What he really wants us to do, is take responsibility 15:44 for our sins, confess them to him. 15:48 You know that whole idea of taking responsibility 15:51 is a tough one, isn't it Ellen? Umm! Umm! 15:53 Yeah definitely, actually just last week I was in an 15:58 accident. I was driving in Downtown Vancouver 16:01 and I was taking a left turn and, I was driving my 16:04 friend's car and I wasn't really paying attention 16:08 and the sun was shining on my eyes and it was 16:11 just not a good situation. And by the time I got 16:16 in the middle of the intersection, I realized 16:18 that someone was coming straight for me and 16:20 it was too late I couldn't do anything and so there 16:23 is a big bang and crash and I was like, 16:26 Oh! I felt so horrible inside, 16:28 yeah, I was just like, I didn't know what to do, 16:30 all I wanted to do is fall through the floor and just 16:33 hide, runaway, do anything to get out of the situation, 16:36 you know. I wish it was someone else's fault you 16:39 know, but I knew it was my own fault and so the first 16:42 thing that came to mind was you need to apologize. 16:45 So, I turned to my friend and I'm like I'm so sorry. 16:49 It's my fault and I'll pay for all the damages and 16:52 then I got out of the car and I went, and, to the 16:57 lady that I crashed into and I said, I am so 16:59 sorry, I know it's completely my fault 17:02 and it was really hard and I really didn't want 17:06 it to be my fault, but I knew it was and so 17:10 I had to take responsibility and I really think that's 17:13 the best way is to take responsibility for your 17:16 actions and not to hide from you know what you've done. 17:21 Yeah and the consequences, yeah, and the consequences, 17:24 and often when people do things wrong, 17:27 and I know myself, you wanna blame someone else. 17:30 Yeah. That's one common reaction, 17:33 another one is to try and hide your sins. 17:38 Aileen, you have a story that goes along with that. 17:41 Yeah, one time I was cleaning our bathroom 17:43 and I saw my dad's razor in the basket 17:46 where it goes and for some reason I just had 17:49 this urge to look inside and so and I knew 17:52 I shouldn't touch it, but I really wanted to, 17:55 so I opened it up and I was looking inside and 17:58 I thought, I really got to put this back before 18:00 someone finds me and I'll get in trouble. 18:02 So, I tried to put it back together and I could 18:06 not get it back together and I was getting really 18:08 worried because I thought I would have 18:09 to go tell someone and then I would get in trouble. 18:12 But, I finally got it back together and I put 18:16 it back and it went. But, I felt really bad 18:18 about it and then a few days later in the car dad 18:21 said, does anybody know what happened 18:22 to my razor and I said yeah actually I was 18:26 cleaning the bathroom and I accidentally 18:27 knocked off the counter. So, that's probably 18:29 when it got broken and he said okay thanks 18:32 I just wanted to know if anybody knew and 18:34 then I tried to dismiss it from my mind, but 18:37 I felt really bad and every time I prayed 18:39 I would think about it again and so I finally 18:42 went and told mom what had happened and 18:44 that I told a lie and she said, well you really 18:48 need to go and tell dad and I really didn't want 18:50 to tell him, but I finally decided to tell him and 18:53 when I went and told him and he forgave me 18:56 and I just felt so much better about it after that, yeah, 18:59 And you are saying in your prayer life you 19:01 feel really bad every time you prayed and 19:04 you would remember that and after that you didn't 19:07 worry about it. That's good. You know, 19:10 that's the peace that God wants to give us 19:12 and when you try to avoid confessing your 19:16 sin you just feel guilty that's a terrible feeling. 19:20 Thanks for sharing it. 19:23 It's possible to confess that we've done 19:25 something wrong, but not take the 19:27 responsibility for it. Adam and Eve did not 19:30 take full responsibility when they blamed God 19:32 each other and sinned for the wrong doing. 19:35 This is a common reaction when we get 19:36 caught or feel convicted about doing 19:38 something wrong, but God wants us to simply 19:41 come clean and acknowledge our 19:43 faults without trying to make excuses or 19:46 trying to make someone else look bad. 19:48 Jesus once praised the poor tax collective for 19:51 praying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 19:55 Don't worry when you confess your sins to 19:57 God, you aren't telling him anything he 19:59 doesn't already know. You are simply 20:01 acknowledging your need for a sin pardoning God. 20:13 Have you a heart that's weary 20:18 Tending a load of care Are you a soul that 20:28 seeking rest From the burden you bear? 20:37 Do you know, Do you know my Jesus 20:44 Do you know, Do you know my friend 20:50 Have you heard he loves you 20:57 And that he will abide till the end? 21:03 Where is your heart, oh pilgrim, 21:09 What does your light reveal; 21:16 Who hears your call for comfort 21:22 When naught but sorrow you feel? 21:29 Do you know, Do you know my Jesus 21:35 Do you know, Do you know my friend 21:41 Have you heard he loves you 21:48 And that he will abide till the end? 21:55 Who knows your disappointments 22:01 Who hears each time you cry 22:08 Who understands your heartaches 22:14 Who dries the tears from your eyes. 22:20 Do you know, Do you know my Jesus 22:26 Do you know, Do you know my friend 22:33 Have you heard he loves you 22:40 And that he will abide till the end? 22:50 In Romans 3:23, the Bible says that all have 22:53 sin and fall short of the glory of God. 22:55 We all carry heavy burdens of guilt from 22:58 the sins that we have committed. 23:00 God longs to give us rest from those 23:02 burdens, but he cannot do it unless 23:05 we confess our sins to him. 23:09 The idea of confessing your sins and getting 23:11 rid of that burden and guilt, what is that make 23:13 you think of, Rebecca? Well, a few years ago, 23:17 I was visiting my grandma and my 23:19 brother and I were playing in the living 23:20 room throwing a ball back and forth and 23:23 I threw it and it bounced against the 23:24 wall and it knocked one of my grandma's 23:26 vases off the shelf and it crashed to the floor 23:28 and broke, and I was like Oh! No. 23:31 I know my grandma like values all her 23:33 antique like things and she would get really 23:37 mad if she knew that I was broken and my 23:39 brother was like, oh! I'm gonna go tell 23:40 grandma and I was like no don't tell grandma 23:42 you know, I was like alright tell grandma 23:45 and so I went to the room where grandma 23:47 was and I shut the door and just then I was 23:50 originally planning on just you know, saying 23:52 I'm sorry and I'll pay for it, but then a little 23:54 wicked thought came into my head and I was 23:56 like, you know, what, my brother is not here 23:57 and I'm just going to blame it on him. 23:59 And so I told grandma that Michael was the one 24:02 who threw the ball and knocked the vase off and broke 24:04 it, and she got kind of upset and went out 24:07 there and Michael said I didn't do it, 24:09 I didn't do it, I didn't do it, 24:10 but he got punished. I don't remember what 24:12 the punishment was, but, and I was 24:14 feeling kind of good a little bit, you know, 24:16 as I wasn't getting punished and my 24:17 grandma wasn't mad at me at least, but then 24:21 later on that afternoon I just, I started feeling 24:23 worse and worse, and I was like, this is awful 24:26 I, my grandma was wondering shy a kid 24:29 wasn't playing, why I wasn't happy because 24:31 you know little kids are, emotions are right 24:33 there on their face and I was just like upset and 24:36 everything and I was like grandma, I broke 24:40 the vase and I'm sorry for telling lie and she 24:43 was really nice about it and she forgave me and 24:45 everything and I paid for it, but, but it was 24:50 like I remember distinctly that it was 24:52 like a terrible feeling that guilt, but then as 24:55 soon as I told my grandma that I'm sorry 24:57 and I did it. It was just like gone and it was 24:59 really, it was really amazing. 25:02 A relief that you have told and must be 25:05 terrible for your brother, yes, he gets 25:07 blamed for something, I know, did he blame 25:10 you for it afterwards. No I went and told 25:12 him, I'm sorry you know, yeah, and 25:14 everything and it was fine. 25:18 You know, the story of Adam and Eve speaks 25:21 to all of us when they had sinned they tried to 25:26 cover up their guilt. They were hiding in 25:28 the garden and God had to go and look for 25:31 them. He knew where they were, but he asked 25:34 the question for their sake. Adam, where are 25:37 you, so that he could answer, so that he 25:39 could confess his sin. He blamed his partner 25:45 Eve and in blaming Eve he was actually 25:47 blaming God for creating Eve and giving 25:51 her to him and of course Eve turned 25:53 around and blamed the serpent. 25:56 It's the nature of how we deal with our guilt 25:59 and our shame. I think of a pastor, a friend of 26:02 mine, who was a conference president 26:05 and he was trying to hide his guilt and his shame. 26:11 He was involved in a relationship with 26:13 someone who is not his wife for 5 years and he 26:19 finally came to the place, where he confessed 26:22 openly his sin. He told me afterwards it was so 26:25 hard for him. He had two options, he said 26:28 the guilt was pressing upon his heart so badly 26:32 that he felt like he just wanted to take his life. 26:36 But, then Christ kept speaking to him through 26:38 the intervention of the Holy Spirit and asking 26:41 him to confess his sin and he said once he did 26:44 that it was like enormous weight of 26:48 relief was just taken off of his shoulders, 26:51 taken off of his mind, and his heart. 26:55 So, there is a freedom, a peace that comes 26:57 with Confession and forgiveness that God 27:01 gives to us. Let's turn to God right now in 27:05 prayer and ask him to cleanse us and to lead 27:10 him, so, lead us to a place where we 27:14 completely surrender our lives to him. 27:16 Let's do that right now. 27:18 Heavenly father, we can identify with Adam 27:22 and Eve when they were trying to hide 27:25 from you, but we know that you are merciful. 27:28 We know that if we confess our sins to you 27:31 that you are faithful and just and that you 27:33 will cleanse us and pardon us from all 27:36 unrighteousness. We thank you for that 27:39 promise and we claim Lord our lives for you, 27:43 we surrender our hearts in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. 27:51 Steps to Christ in Song is a 13 part series 27:54 from Fountainview Productions. 27:55 designed to be an easy non- threatening way to show the 27:59 Good News about Jesus Christ with friends, relatives, and 28:02 co-workers. 28:04 Order your copies now by calling 1-877-490-4141 or 28:09 visit us online at www.fountainviewproductions.com. 28:15 Steps to Christ in song is also available at your local 28:20 ABC Christian Book Store. |
Revised 2014-12-17