Pastor Mark
\nMikels – October 22, 2006<\/p>\n
“WE COME
\nCLEAN WITH EACH OTHER!”<\/p>\n
Church Under Construction – Relational Phase #5<\/p>\n
Intro … “Church Under Construction” … that’s what we are! In
\nfact, the pace of construction has now reached a feverish pitch as
\nChrist rushes to ready this congregation to enter the structure that is
\nrapidly moving toward completion at 13324 Apple Valley Road.<\/p>\n
We are building a building – Christ is building a people – people who
\nwill use that building as a gathering place for fellowship and worship
\nas well as a headquarters for ministry. It’s essential that the people
\nbe as well constructed (as well put together) as the structure.<\/p>\n
In our personal spiritual construction project we are halfway through
\nphase three …<\/p>\n
We have completed the Doctrinal Phase … where we carefully examined
\nthe major beliefs of the Christian Faith which form the foundation upon
\nwhich we stand.<\/p>\n
We have also completed the Behavioral Phase … where we sensitively
\ndiscussed the basic moral standards of the Christian Faith which form
\nthe framework within which we live our lives.<\/p>\n
The current phase that we are halfway through is the Relational Phase
\n… where we are discovering the quality of life that Christ would have
\nus enjoy as we share our lives together.<\/p>\n
In this phase of construction we are being shaped by a series of
\nBiblical Relational Directives … Specific directions from God
\nconcerning the way that we are to inter-act with one another.<\/p>\n
So far He has directed us to:<\/p>\n
“Be Devoted To One Another”<\/p>\n
“Agape One Another”<\/p>\n
“Encourage One Another” and<\/p>\n
“Build One Another Up”.<\/p>\n
If we merely carried out those four relational directives faithfully,
\nwe would be in pretty terrific shape as a congregation. We would be
\nwell on our way to being “the happiest place on earth”.<\/p>\n
However, there are three more of these directives that Christ would
\nhave implemented in His Church and let me say that these final three
\nare absolutely dependent upon the presence of the first four.<\/p>\n
You might say that the first four establish a necessary context for the
\nfinal three …<\/p>\n
So then, as we are devoted to one another and agape one another and
\nencourage one another and build up one another – as we have created
\namong ourselves a community that we enter with great delight – let us
\nconsider now …<\/p>\n
Biblical Relational Directive #5<\/p>\n
“CONFESS your SINS to one another” – James 5:16a<\/p>\n
Confess your sins … what sins? Do any of us still sin? And if we do,
\ndoes it matter? Hasn’t Christ died for all of our sins? Hasn’t God
\nalready in Christ forgiven us for every one of them?<\/p>\n
Well, apparently our sins do matter and apparently God desires that we
\nnot only recognize our sins as sins but that we bring some trusted
\nperson into that recognition with us.<\/p>\n
Now there’s perhaps nothing quite so difficult as that … it’s hard
\nenough to swallow our pride and confess our sins to God but how much
\nharder is it to openly admit that we have sinned – that we have
\nwillfully disobeyed the Lord in some way or another!<\/p>\n
Why would God direct us to do such a difficult and uncomfortable thing?<\/p>\n
Consider with me this morning …<\/p>\n
FIVE INCREDIBLE BENEFITS OF CONFESSION:<\/p>\n
1. Confession officially puts our sin “ON the TABLE” and brings to a
\nconclusion the Holy Spirit’s Work of CONVICTION.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is the supreme example of One who is
\ndevoted to us and who continually agapes us and who would seek to
\nencourage us and who would do anything to<\/p>\n
“build us up” …<\/p>\n
It’s in that incredible context of support and love that He brings to
\nour attention those things that would prove detrimental to our
\ncontinuing growth in grace – it’s in that context we are to understand
\nthe use of the word “conviction” – a word that has nothing at all in
\ncommon with the word “condemnation” …<\/p>\n
Conviction: The Holy Spirit saying to us …<\/p>\n
“Here is something WRONG that needs to be DEALT with.”<\/p>\n
Confession: Us saying to the Holy Spirit …<\/p>\n
“You are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.”<\/p>\n
That’s exactly what confession is … confession is us agreeing with
\nGod about the true identity of the thing we have done – it’s sin …
\nit’s something wrong that needs to be dealt with.<\/p>\n
Confession gets our sin out into the open where it can be seen for what
\nit is and where others can assist us in dealing with it. That’s a
\npowerful positive benefit that God wants confession to accomplish in
\nour lives.<\/p>\n
2. Confession salvages the ENERGY that would have been put into
\nRATIONALIZATION or DENIAL and directs it into RESTORATION.<\/p>\n
The words … “I was wrong and I need to do things differently” replace
\nthe words …<\/p>\n
“I didn’t do it” or “I couldn’t help it”.<\/p>\n
There’s a lot of mental and emotional and spiritual energy expended
\nwhen we try to cover-up or explain away our sins … our sins of
\nneglect or disrespect or willful violation of some Biblically commanded
\nprinciple or practice.<\/p>\n
It can feel like a thousand pound load has been taken off our hearts
\nwhen we finally just come right out and say, “I was wrong”.<\/p>\n
It adds a very important piece of information to that confession when
\nwe say,<\/p>\n
“God has convicted me that something I did was wrong”.<\/p>\n
That statement communicates that we are sensitive to the Spirit within
\nus and that we have heard His voice and sensed His discomfort and that
\nwe are prepared to ease that discomfort by dealing with the very thing
\nin question – the sin that we have committed.<\/p>\n
To have our feet put firmly on the path of correction or restoration is
\na tremendous blessing whenever it happens – confession provides that
\nblessing for us.<\/p>\n
Now here’s something else I want us to think about before we move on to
\ndiscuss benefit #3 …<\/p>\n
Our “confession” sends a wonderful and sometimes relieving message to
\nthose who know us best …<\/p>\n
If our “sin” was something that they already knew about, then our
\nconfession has saved them from the never desirable task of confronting
\nus about it … the Holy Spirit has beat them to it and they can simply
\nsupport us in the task of restoration. They don’t have to convince us
\nor debate us or get frustrated or distressed in any sense because of
\nus. Our confession brings them a sense of relief.<\/p>\n
If our “sin” was something that they had known nothing about, then our
\nconfession has made them aware that our relationship to the Holy Spirit
\nwithin us is both genuine and productive – a delightful awareness that
\ncauses them to treasure us all the more.<\/p>\n
And those twin effects of relief and delight prepare them and us to
\nexperience the third benefit of confession …<\/p>\n
3. Confession unleashes a powerful spiritual DYNAMIC when we confess
\nour sins to those who are DEVOTED to us!<\/p>\n
“Confess your sins to each other and PRAY for each other” – James
\n5:16b<\/p>\n
To the degree that our confession causes our closest Christian brothers
\nto cherish us all the most – to that same degree, our confession will
\nstimulate them to an even increased focus upon us and upon our
\nparticular need in their prayers.<\/p>\n
They will pray that we gain victory over this particular sin; they will
\npray that we be specifically protected from the Evil One; they will
\npray that our minds will continue to be renewed so that our lives will
\nbe more and more conformed to Christ.<\/p>\n
They will immerse us in prayer … effective prayer, wonder-working
\nprayer. How good is that!<\/p>\n
And as that prayer on our behalf pours forth from those who are devoted
\nto us – from those who truly agape us – from those who would desire to
\nencourage us and see us become stronger and stronger in the Lord …
\nthe fourth benefit of confession begins to unfold:<\/p>\n
4. Confession initiates a life-renewing spiritual PROCESS as a result
\nof those who are devoted to us praying knowingly for us.<\/p>\n
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may
\nbe HEALED.”<\/p>\n
(James 5:16c)<\/p>\n
Here we have it … sin creates disease in the spiritual realm and sin
\nfrequently as a result creates<\/p>\n
dis-ease in the physical realm.<\/p>\n
Prayer for spiritual health and healing – for oneness and wholeness
\nwithin the heart of man – is automatically a prayer for physical health
\nand healing as well.<\/p>\n
A person living in harmony with the Spirit and thus in compliance with
\nthe Word of God is a person who will avoid much of the physical and
\nemotional breakdowns that afflict those who are out of harmony<\/p>\n
with Him.<\/p>\n
Doctors have maintained for years that over 80% of our hospital beds
\nare filled with people whose physical ailments have emotional roots.<\/p>\n
Emotional sins like anger, wrath, bitterness, fearfulness, resentment,
\nunforgiveness, hatred, impatience create an environment of stress
\nwithin the body that is highly destructive.<\/p>\n
Just imagine what the replacement of all those things with the Fruit of
\nthe Spirit would mean to a person’s physical and spiritual well-being –
\nthings like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
\nfaithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.<\/p>\n
When we confess our sins to those who are devoted to us and they begin
\nto pray for us, there is set in motion a healing process that can work
\nits way through every part of our being. It’s the ultimate benefit that
\ncomes from confession.<\/p>\n
Confession – what a scary and yet wonderfully beneficial thing …<\/p>\n
* It puts our sin on the table and brings to completion the convicting
\nwork of the Holy Spirit,<\/p>\n
* It salvages the energy that would have been put into rationalization
\nor denial and<\/p>\n
directs it into restoration,<\/p>\n
* It unleashes a powerful spiritual dynamic (prayer) when we confess
\nour sins<\/p>\n
to those who are devoted to us and<\/p>\n
* It initiates a life-renewing spiritual process (healing) as a result
\nof those who are<\/p>\n
devoted to us praying knowingly for us.<\/p>\n
Now there’s one final benefit of confession that I would suggest to you
\nthis morning. I alluded to it earlier but let’s see it directly
\nidentified …<\/p>\n
5. Confession protects us from the DAMAGE wrought by UNCONFESSED sin.<\/p>\n
“When I kept silent, my BONES wasted away … my STRENGTH was sapped”<\/p>\n
(Psalm 32:3-5)<\/p>\n
Unconfessed sin – sin that we know about, sin that we are refusing to
\ndeal with, sin that we are either consciously harboring or merely
\navoiding – creates havoc in the heart of a born-again follower<\/p>\n
of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
Our new man is not equipped to co-exist with willful, purposeful,
\nfrequently prideful sin. It’s an offence to him; it’s an offense to the
\nHoly Spirit within us.<\/p>\n
Willful sin and a refusal to deal with it set up internal shockwaves
\nthat like an earthquake rumbling deep in the earth create damage in
\nfar-flung places.<\/p>\n
David said that even his bones hurt … his energy was gone – he was
\nfeeling physical consequences as a result of his sin. He was in a bad
\nway.<\/p>\n
But he found a way out … verse 5<\/p>\n
“Then I said … I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”<\/p>\n
And David did just that … more of the details of his confession and
\nthe results of his confession are recorded in Psalm 51 but suffice it
\nto say this morning …<\/p>\n
David was restored to the path of blessing.<\/p>\n
Immediate confession – confession that happens as soon as we become
\naware of our sin – provides the surest protection from the damages
\nwrought by unconfessed sin.<\/p>\n
Within the Church of Jesus Christ, within the context of a devoted,
\nloving, close-knit body of believers, God would have us confess our
\nsins to one another that we might be wonderfully and gloriously healed
\nand wonderfully and gloriously blessed!<\/p>\n
Final Thot …<\/p>\n
CONFESSION – Indeed, it’s GOOD for the SOUL!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pastor Mark Mikels – October 22, 2006 “WE COME CLEAN WITH EACH OTHER!” Church Under Construction – Relational Phase #5 Intro … “Church Under Construction” … that’s what we are! In fact, the pace of construction has now reached a feverish pitch as Christ rushes to ready this congregation to enter the structure that is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[9,3],"archive_item":"http:\/\/archive.org\/details\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com--church-under-construction---relational-phase-part-5","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermons\/200"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermons"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sp_sermon"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}