Father, I m Coming Clean 1 John 1:9

Father, I m Coming Clean 1 John 1:9

Introduction Part 4 of series Connecting with God What does this mean? Connecting with God begins with a personal relationship with Him If you want to connect with your Heavenly Father you must be His child Once you become His child, you connect with Him through prayer

Introduction Last week we began looking at How to Pray We started with beginning prayer with a time of adoring God This is a time where we focus on the character and attributes of God This helps put everything else in right perspective

Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication

Introduction Adoration prepares our hearts for the next step in our model for prayer Knowing God is all loving makes it easier to confess our sins before God Knowing God is longsuffering toward us makes it easier to confess our sins Knowing God has already forgiven us in Christ makes it easier to confess our sins

Introduction Adoration prepares our hearts for the next step in our model for prayer Knowing God never changes makes it easier to confess our sins Knowing God wants to restore our relationship with Him makes it easier to confess our sins

Why we need confession All have sinned (Romans 3:23) Christians have lost the joy of knowing Christ They have not lost their salvation and relationship with the Lord They have lost the joy of it being a child of God What causes this joy to be lost?

Why we need confession What causes this joy to be lost? There is only one thing that comes between us and our Savior and that is sin Nothing can separate us from His love When sin enters joy leaves So confession becomes the method by which we experience the cleansing power of God

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

David is a good example of why we need confession David was a man after God s own heart He wrote the 51st Psalm after he had grossly sinned committing both adultery and murder and he was confronted by Nathan the prophet. (2 Samuel 11) Yet, in spite of his sin God still loved David

David is a good example of why we need confession David had not lost his salvation He lost all the joy of it because of his sin When God saves a person he is eternally and everlastingly forgiven and saved from his sins That means past, present and future sins

Let s look at Psalm 51 FATHER, I M COMING CLEAN David is a good example of why we need confession Until Nathan confronted him, David was content to be living in sin and taking pleasure in it But it took its toll on David Emotionally no joy Physically affected his health

Psalm 51:1-4, 7-13 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only,

Psalm 51:1-4, 7-13 have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast

Psalm 51:1-4, 7-13 heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

All of this is a lie FATHER, I M COMING CLEAN David is a good example of why we need confession We are like David in that we often try to cover the conviction of sin or deny it We may even seek to justify our wrong doing Blame someone else Compare ourselves to others

David is a good example of why we need confession The true child of God will never be happy in sin We can hide it, deny it, try and justify it There is no joy, no peace for the one living in or with sin Three things we can learn from David here

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored First, David admitted his sin (Psalm 51:3) He says his sin is ever before him He feels the guilt of sin and also the consequences David's family went to pieces after he stopped trusting in the Lord Israel lost confident in him as King

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored First, David admitted his sin (Psalm 51:3) Sin is never personal in the sense that it doesn t affect others His sons also grossly sinned and Absalom led a rebellion against his father and David for a time had to flee for his life Admitting his sin and guilt led to

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored Next, David confessed his sin (Psalm 51:4) It must be full confession He says "Against thee, thee only have I sinned..." A major aspect of confession is coming to agreement with God

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored Next, David confessed his sin (Psalm 51:4) A feeling of this wasn t so bad is not agreement The idea of blaming others is not agreement We must recognize sin for what it is

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored Next, David confessed his sin (Psalm 51:4) "Lord, I was wrong, I sinned against you No watering down No excuses Just complete agreement with God

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored Next, David asked God to cleanse him This will only come from true repentance which means a positive action of turning from sin David has admitted his sin David has confessed his sin Now, he wants a complete change

David prayed and ask God for his joy to be restored Next, David asked God to cleanse him A half-hearted prayer is not repentance It is not sorry at being caught, It is being ashamed, and making a conscience decision not to do it again David wanted his relationship with God restored

How about you today Have you lost your joy in your relationship with God? Is there unconfessed sin in your life? God wants to cleanse you, but you have to Admit your sin Confess your sin Repent of your sin

How about you today If you do what David did God will cleanse you God will restore the joy of your salvation This will affect you emotionally This will affect you spiritually You will be restored in your relationship with God

I will praise you O Lord with all that I am in all circumstances for You O Lord are awesome and worthy of my praise.

What about you are you connecting with God today?