Almost Honest Christians - Week 1 - St. Peter - Pastor Bill Monday
Almost Honest Christians
Week 1 - St Peter
Pastor Bill Monday
Don't you love awkward conversations where, you know, you're supposed to be saying something and you just messing it all up. Well, you know different, I do that all the time. That's so today, we'll be talking about those conversations where it is really important that we keep coming back to it and we learn how the truly be open with others as needed. Why do we go ahead? Before we jump into our message and ask the Lord God the blessing with prayer. Let's pray. Sanctify us by the truth. Oh Lord, your word is truth. So a man who wasn't doing so well, not so well at all and he was being rushed off to the hospital in an ambulance. I mean, he’s fine one moment and the next moment he's knocking on death's door thinking about his wife right next to him. And as they were driving off the hospital, he was fearing, “This is it.” And so he opens up with a deathbed confession of sorts. So he turns to his wife and he says, “Dear. I have to confess. I have to be honest with you. I have not been faithful to you and I need you to forgive me. His wife looks over at him and says, well, now that we're being honest, you should know I've known for a long time. And if we're actually going to be honest, I just probably know why you're here. I actually poisoned you.
Confession. How many of you like to confess your failures? And then here the response, obviously, I don't think by nature any of us. Do I think it isn't that our fear that, if we should confess to somebody, our wrongdoings hurt. They're going to poison us in return. At least make us feel ashamed. We already feel guilty and maybe there will be more hurts better just to keep it all bottled up. I don't know if any of us like to confess to others. I do. But praise God, at least we confess to God. Yeah. You know we just did that earlier here and I pray that it's a daily practice that recognizing we sin against God daily constantly. And we remember his gracious invitation, you can tell me I already know. You know, what I want you to do in confessing is to remember my love. It's kind of that truth. If we don't think about how desperate we are for God's grace, we can take it for granted or think we don't even need it.
So I praise God that we are a people that know, that confession is good, at least with God, but today, we kind of wrestle with this idea. Do I really need to confess to somebody else? And because if I do, they will probably put me in an ambulance and it's not going to end well, I'll need a hospital or maybe I'll be looking at the more. Hey, I just am not comfortable with being open. Open and honest completely with others flesh and blood. So my opening question, that is what are we to think about confession? How good are you? How good am I at it with others? Is it really essential? I mean, maybe your mind when you think about confession goes to kind of an older practice and we used to do this within our Lutheran circles and some traditions in the Christian church, still keep it. But a confessional booth where you had an appointed time and you would go and you would talk to a priest and you would tell them your sins. And then, you would hope to hear words of forgiveness, what? We don't do that anymore, and that might suggest that, we've given up, we don't even need to confess to each other. But don't make that mistake that there is a blessing and there are times where it is good. Even as we confess to God, to confess to each other, we're gonna talk a little bit about that and wrestling with this question, we're going to find from scripture. It's a strange blessing, and as difficult as it is, oh confessions are good and the right place the right time because Grace can be given. So let's take a look. Let's jump into a few passages to show that from scripture God's word. He does desire that we confess and it is always to rescue and save. It is never to condemn The proverbs. Our team. This is the Old Testament, probably written a thousand years before. Christ had come, we believe by the wisest of Kings, King Solomon, the wisest of men, and you noted, this kind of The Upside Down nature of God's kingdom. This is not how the world works but this is exactly how God's kingdom Works. Says whoever conceals their sins. Whoever hides it away tries to bottle it off. They still get away with it. They do not prosper. But the one who confesses and renounces them, That one finds mercy or how about this. From 1st John 1:8-9, we read that earlier and I witnessed Jesus himself, Flesh and Blood the Christ, His love, His grace, He came to this conclusion. John says, if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves. Truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, oh, he's faithful. And just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Righteousness, confessions really good. Now this one James 5:16 to kind of take it. Another step further. James reminders, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. So that you may be healed.
The Scriptures would encourage us, not only to confess to God, but to each other. And that's a really difficult exercise. Again. We are so afraid at least I am So, how do we get there? How do we take that leap of faith and trust God to say, when I need to I will reach out to Flesh and Blood people within the body of Believers and confess. Well to help us. I think we need to have an honest look at ourselves. What do you think about yourself? What do I think about myself? If I'm not just almost honest, but absolutely. So, Would you say you're a sinner?
If you're new to the faith or new to our context and worship here, this might be a striking thought, like, whoa sitter, isn't that an archaic word? And I mean is, is this a fire and brimstone kind of message? And we are talking about repentance and I'm a miserable sinner? I don't think I don't think I care for that kind of talk. That's not the purpose for stating it this way. The purpose though, for truly being honest. As far as the Scripture speaks, not like the world, Is because in being humbled, truly seeing are desperate situations because we have fallen short. All of us to God's will fall short of his demands in confessing that we are truly sinful that we see ourselves as desperate. Then God can rescue. God can't rescue those who think they're healthy. God can't rescue those who are self-righteous. You think they know they need no saving. By the way to, I would hope as we wrestle with this idea. Yes. I know, I'm a sinner that we see that we've already practiced that in that you're in a community of Believers that accepts you as just that someone in need, we just confess that didn't we early in the service? We have this tradition, interesting tradition, where we confess our sins privately to God so that you can hear Grace. You did not hear me speak words of condemnation. No, but quite the opposite. I had the privilege from God's word, just a vessel for you to hear that. You're loved and then that's the only way to be reconciled to God, is to see his Saving Grace. And that can only be appreciated if we first start with our need. And then since we do that, praise God, we publicly regularly weekly confess our sins, and we receive Grace. You ever think that could be a pattern for everyday life, or at least it is to be, and I think this is the difficult thing. How many of us are comfortable taking this practice of sin and Grace and in our own individual lives saying? All right, I'm going to do that too. So that as a husband, or a father, or a friend, when I blow it with someone, when I hurt them with my thoughts, words or actions and it's obvious That. The grace that God has for me, I can be strong and I can confess so that I might be reconciled so that they might forgive you comfortable, with that, and are you comfortable with somebody and that situation comes to you? Who's hurt you by being ready to forgive? See, this is why it's so important for us to think honestly about ourselves. Do we see ourselves in desperate need of God's grace? Maybe a few passages of scripture to see if this does resonate with you and me just a couple Psalm 51 and Psalm 103 notice. This is King David again. A man after God's Own Heart, notice what his heart was like. He was absolutely honest with his need for God he says this: Wash away all my iniquities and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions. I know my sins. They're always before me and it gets you, you only have I sinned. Oh, God, and done. What is evil in your sight? So that your proved right. When you speak and blameless when you judge me, And he goes on to say in Psalm 103, same writer, praise the Lord, my soul and forget, not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals, all your diseases who redeems buys back your life from the pit. Crowns, you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good. Things.
Does that resonate with you?
They resonate with me every day to really think? Well yeah, yeah, I blew it but praise God, he forgives, it's as if it never happened. I'm so loud and so blast and now, so confident and so strong to serve them and to love my neighbor whether they love me or not.
What I'm getting at. As we consider, How much we're in desperate? Need of God, and how much he is? So loved us. He doesn't see our sins anymore, leaves it at the cross. And, in that understanding, in seeing the love that we've been given, we are more inclined to give that love, especially to those that are hurting. So, some kind of asking this question when it comes to confession other people coming to you, are you confession accessible? You so exude God's grace. His love, His humility. His encouraging words. That people would come to you if they had a problem. They struggled with some kind of sand, even if they hurt you are you of such a loving nature. So moved by God's grace to you, that it would be obvious. I can tell them and I know I know is hurtful as it is, they will forgive And they've got my back and they'll be by my side and will be reconciled.
Will enjoy life again. That's tough.
That's tough to be that accessible. And so here's the assignment kind of an evaluation today. I want you to ask someone if they perceive that you are approachable. Someone to confess to. Ask your spouse if you're married, ask your children. If you have children, ask a friend. Do you see me as someone that you could talk to? Even if there were hurt between us, you know? I love you. Do you know I would forgive you just think about how important it is for a child, no children, right. The Bible says, their heart is full of folly. They're gonna mess up all the time. They're learning the ways of life. And they've got a sinful nature as much as We do. And in fact, they are neither more honest, and many of us adults, they're just gonna let you know how they feel. Wouldn't it be nice for every child to have a father or mother to sit down with them and say you know I love you? Do you know that there's nothing you could do? Were you and, you know, the first words out of my mouth will not be well, how dare you? We would not be like, I'm so disappointed in you and shame on you. How could you treat me this way? It would be I love you. You are forgiven. I forgive you, Jesus loves you. And yes there are consequences but we'll do this together and I'm going to establish these consequences to protect you to help. Teach you. You don't want to cross those lines because if you keep doing that, Oh, then there's only death and pain and sorrow, let me protect you. But you know, you're loved always loved how beautiful is that, that a child could be so moved by your love that they would readily confess. That's the goal. And again, to be moved by that. There's only one way is to understand how much God is really loved us. The Dead, He's forgiven so that we can be debt-free givers for others. Yeah, get, I think about that. Parable. In Luke 18, I think about Jesus saying, two kinds of people went to church. There, the Pharisees were the self-righteous, they projected themselves as the ideal of perfection. They had no need for a case. No need for confession, and they prayed to God, I'm so thankful For that. I'm not like any of these other people, terrible. Jesus had the harshest words for them. And then in the back, which by the way, I think we kind of have this practice. I noticed you notice how we sit in church, usually sit in the back first, these poor people up front, they had to sit here, probably because everybody else is already sitting in the back that's very much like the tax collector, it would even look up to the heavens, but understood his sin and said, have mercy on me. Jesus says, God has mercy on you. God forgives, he is so lucky. That alone enables us to love and forgive and to be confession accessible. So when you ask someone today, if your confession is accessible, brace yourself, they might not say yeah. But they might praise God. If they do praise God, if you get an honest answer that says yeah. I know, I could turn to you. I know you love me. If they're hesitant, that's a growth opportunity. Keep at it and commit to loving like that because I don't think we say that enough. And then again, reflect on God's love. He so loved us that's how our relationship with God works, we can do the same for others. Maybe one last passage before we move on to the next thought about confession Luke 7:47. I kind of summarize the passage this way and I love Jesus' words. He's so right? He always says those who have been forgiven much, they're the ones who love much, those who know how much they've been loved and forgiven by God, they're the ones. That you can turn to his confession. May we be people who know how much we've been forgiven so that we too can forgive. All right, but there's still maybe another half of the battle to get comfortable with confessing to one another. You know, you could be surrounded and I do believe that 92 Ministry. See, Peter in the core, we try to be a community where you could be honest, and open and you can confess in your small groups with your pastors, for sure, with other trusted, Christian friends and they're going to give you Grace and they're going to keep it at the cross and not gossip and slander. But even if you had a community full of what I would say, Jesus is all around you and you're caught up in something and you're like, you feel like the adults are as woman that was there in the temple grounds thrown on the ground and everybody else was up ready to cast stones at you. Even if you had your closest friends and family Jesus to you saying look I don't You're loved and forgiven. Now, let's go and let's leave this life of sin. I still think we struggled to confess to others, don't we? Because we're afraid. We're afraid of our own, our own shame and guilt that we might put on ourselves. We might not be able to forgive ourselves. So to whom do we turn? I think that's a big question. To answer for this one. Are you confessionable? Do you feel like there is someone in your life where you could be absolutely honest with when you would need to be and when that need it isn't to confess any and every sin that's not what we're saying. The vast majority of our failures. Don't you just bring to God and leave with God? But there might be times in fact there will be times when you are so stricken with guilt that even in a sermon you hear you're loved and forgiven you might even confess to God and know you're loved and forgiven but you can't shake that guilt. The answer is what James says. Confess to someone else so that through prayer, you might be healed. There's nothing. So liberating as to have a one-on-one conversation and have someone tell you, you are forgiven, you are loved. This sin need not control you. That guilt, that shame, we can put that at the cross. Are you confession able that the only way you'll find out is if you can find someone and that's your other assignment. Today these are kind of tough assignments. Ask someone if your confession accessible and then find someone. I believe everyone should have a Confessor. Someone they can turn to. Just pour it all out. It isn't necessarily your spouse. With some fellow Christians. That understands the grace of God. Do you have someone? You can be honest with, I pray, you do. If not this community, this church is a place. So who would you look for? Again, kind of think back to our first thoughts. Those who know God's grace. So well. Maybe, look for somebody who's already said, hey, I'm an addict and I'm so thankful for Jesus. Look for somebody who you know they have that humility. That's again, the exude Grace find somebody that you know, will be honest. That you can turn to and keep it in confidence because not everybody can keep a secret. I can think of at least five people but of course in your small groups, I know there are countless here, but five pastors here. Any one of them is ready and is willing and would love nothing more than to sit down with you and let you know you're loved and forgiven with anything that you can't shake and so that you can be freed from that. I am too, you know, to prove that we are, as pastors, truly understanding of God's grace. I mean, think about some of the people among us, who have really studied God's word and looked into the perfect image of God's law and should know firsthand how sinful we are. I mean, your pastors have an acute awareness of their own sin, they can relate. And oh, by the way, there's nothing they haven't heard. We have heard so many sins confessed and it is our privilege to say, God loves you. God. True that You're forgiven.
And so to prove how much your pastors are sinful, what I'm going to do is I'm going to put up all the sins of Pastor Tim and then Pastor Jim. No, I won't do that. I just realized that the first service passenger was over there. Isn't that what you don't need? You can just trust us and I pray that we come across as accessible. But find someone, someone whose Banner Passage would be like 1st Timothy 1:15. This is what I'm talking about and I think we pastors, we truly want this to be the banner for us. When you see us here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance of Christ, Jesus came into this world. To save sinners of whom I am chief. I am the worst.
It is so important to fight someone that truly sees everyone else's better than themselves. I pray that you see that humility in any of the leaders of this church. I pray that we're people that are like that and I know we are because we know God's grace. Friends, that's how we're honest. When we need to confess we find someone who's confession accessible. We pray that we are. And in that grace of God, we become confession able. So those are your assignments. Ask someone if your confession accessible, find someone to confess to when you need it. And here's an invitation, any of us pastors…. we're here for you. And then be blessed. There's nothing more joyful than to hear. Someone says you're free. You're bigger. You're rescued. You're bigger than the sin, enjoy the life God has given you. That's what we're about at 922. Well, being that honest. So God bless us to such an end. Amen.
