Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Stop Apologizing
Why confess?
Job 42:
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Ps. 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Prov. 28:13 says: Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Matt. 3:6: 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Acts 19:17-18: 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
The specifics of Confession
Confession is not giving an ________________.
- It is more than being sorry for being caught (2 Cor 7:10)
- It is being broken for dishonoring God
True confession:
- Goes __________.
- Goes fast
- Goes __________.
- Goes freely
- Goes __________.
- Goes foremost
#1. True Confession goes first.
Matt. 5:23-26: 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matt. 18:15-17
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
#2: True Confession Goes _________.
Matt. 5:25-26:
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
2 Tim. 2:24-26
4 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
#3: True Confession goes far:
Matt. 7:1-6:
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
#4: True confession goes freely
Luke 15:17-19:
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’
1 Sam. 15:13-15
13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.”
#5: True confession goes _______________.
2 Sam. 24:
10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” 11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” 14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” 15 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”
#6: True confession goes foremost
Ps. 51:3-4:
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
Psalm 25:11
For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Confession should be done to ________ and other people:
James 5:13-16: 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Confession of Sin should always lead us to _______________.
- 1 John 1:9-he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins
The 7 “A’s” of Confession (Ken Sande)
Address ______________________________.
Avoid _________________________________.
Admit _________________________________.
Acknowledge __________________________.
Accept _______________________________.
Alter __________________________________.
Ask ___________________________________.
The difference between repentance and regret
- God and self:
- Regret :
- Repentance:
- Sin and Self
- Regret: “ I can’t believe I did that!”
- Repentance: “I can believe it!”
- Others and Self
- Regret:
- Repentance:
In conclusion:
- Acts 24:16, So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
- Rom 12:18, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
- Rom 14:19, Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification
- Eph 4:3, Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
- 2 Tim 2:22, Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
- Heb 12:14, Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.