Sermon Tone Analysis

In the 1800's, Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard said, “When you read God’s Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.’”

You must learn to follow our Savior for yourself, but never follow Him by yourself.

Henri Nouwen says. . . .

The greatest work we can do is to give our lives to one another and to the world.

Maybe that is what makes real community so irresistible: the sight of men and women giving of themselves to one another in love.

When we think about our being given to each other, what comes immediately to mind are our unique talents: those abilities to do special things especially well. . . .

However, when focusing on talents, we tend to forget that our real gift is not so much what we can do, but who we are.

The real question is not “What can we offer each other?” but “Who can we be for each other?” . . .

It is the gift of our own life that shines through all we do.

As I grow older, I discover more and more that the greatest gift I have to offer is my own joy of living, my own inner peace, my own silence and solitude, my own sense of well-being.

When I ask myself, “Who helps me most?”

I must answer, “The one who is willing to share his or her life with me.”

Henri Nouwen

When we remain silent about our sin before our Heavenly Father and our faith family we cut ourselves off from spiritual fullness and refreshment.

The effects of unconfessed sin are as follows . . .

Sin Soils The Saint

Sin Saturates The Mind

Sin Stings The Conscience

Sin Saddens The Heart

All sin, even adultery and murder is against God more than it is against others.

And David confessed it to God.

But he didn’t confess it only to God.

He also said to Nathan the prophet, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).

He confessed it to someone else, not just to God.

James 5:16 says, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

We are to confess our sins to one another.

Certainly we need to do that when we have sinned against each other to seek forgiveness, but it isn’t limited to that.

Confessing our sins to others in our fellowship is a way of walking in the light, a way of bringing others into our lives so they can help us to say no to sin and yes to righteousness.

We need others to be aware of what is going on in our hearts and lives because of the warning of Hebrews 3:12-13, which says…

Sin Sickens The Body

David’s sin has begun to take a physical toll on him.

Sin does this!

It can damage your health - Paul’s warning to the Corinthians - 1 Corinthians 11:30

On a recent NPR interview with neuroscientist, Dr. David Eagleman, said this about his current research.

"You have competing populations in your brain, one part that wants to tell something and one that doesn't.

There is a real physiological battle going on in the brain.

Keeping certain behaviors secret, especially behaviors that are seen and understood to be 'wrong" means a continual struggle with yourself.

The internal dissonance and lack of sense of personal integrity is draining.

The struggle involved in keeping a secret is stressful.

This means your brain will register the fact that there are increased levels of stress hormones going through your bloodstream as a result of this struggle to keep your secret.

Your brain does not enjoy this stress.

Those living duplicitous lives live with the stress of keeping a whole section of their lives secret from the people they see every day and care about.

The fact that their brains are marinated in stress hormones due to keeping the secret over and above the effects of the wrongdoing themselves can cause an impairment in the person's ability to stay healthy and function well."

This is science catching up to the Bible.

In case that wasn't sufficient.

There was a massive study completed by James Pennebaker at the University of Texas in Austin.

He used blood tests and EEG measurements to measure what physically happens to people who confessed.

He did it in two ways.

Those who would confess out loud and those who wrote it down to be shared.

Here's what he found.

Pennebaker found that whether secrets were confessed to another person out loud or were merely written down privately and shared later, there were tangible health benefits, both physical and mental.

The research found it not only improved relationships in regards to depth and intimacy but better sleep and an improved immune system.

You have science saying, "Don't live a duplicitous life.

Don't hold onto secrets.

Come into the light because confession brings about deeper, more intimate relationships.

By the way, it will make you a healthier person."

This is the secular world going, "The Bible is right."

They just don't know they're saying that, which is one of my favorite parts.

"The Bible is right."

Here's my appeal to you.

If you can feel yourself in this Psalm.

If you have a gnawing in your gut.

If you're having difficulty sleeping at night, you feel just exhausted…stop.

The cost of confession could be severe but you're saying that as though you're not paying a deep price right now for not confessing.

Confessing secrets.

Maybe it's an addiction to pornography.

Maybe it's an eating disorder.

Maybe you're cutting.

Maybe you're really struggling with depression.

I don't know what it is.

Maybe you're actually flirting or having an affair with somebody at work.

I don't know.

There could be a billion things going on across this congregation but I'm telling you that the only way to kill darkness is to drag it into the light.

You will not win on your own.

Sin Sours The Spirit

David had a wrong spirit - 2 Samuel 12:1-7….

Sin does this to a saint.

The backslider will be cantankerous, critical, sour and judgmental.

The saint in sin is impossible to satisfy and quick to attack others to make themselves look better.

They feel so miserable, they attempt to compensate by pushing their pain off on others.

There is only one solution for the sour saint - REPENT!

Sin Seals The Lips

Finally, the Scriptures also teach us the importance of community in dealing with our sin.

Confession of sin in the presence of others is applying and celebrating the gospel, together.

We are sanctified sinners who all need more grace for holiness, and we must rehearse this together.

John beautifully captures this: “My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2).

Confession to one another celebrates the expiation of our sin and the sanctifying work of God through the cross of Christ (1 John 1:9).

Confession to another Christian also guards us from absolving ourselves without true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Bonhoeffer writes that God gives us certainty that we are dealing with the living God “through our brother” (116).

When we bring our sins to another Christian, they become concrete and their ugliness cannot be hid from view.

Confession, whether in secret prayer or in the presence of a caring fellow Christian, honors Christ (Galatians 6:2).

“It is fitting, that by the confession of our own wretchedness, we show forth the goodness and mercy of our God, among ourselves and before the whole world”

Now understand we are not talking about a “woe is me” attitude here.

God isn’t calling us to a perpetual state of self-condemnation where we moan that “I can never do anything right, miserable worm that I am.”

Ongoing confession of sin doesn’t mean we deny the activity and gifts of God in our lives.

We will continue to celebrate those things and be encouraged where we see the grace of God at work, and if you are a believer then he is most certainly at work.

Ongoing confession of sin is simply about walking in the light, about admitting where we have gone astray from God’s revealed will, and desiring to be open about that for the purpose of forsaking our sin and growing in godliness.

Confessing sin need not be (and in fact should not be) a discouraging or threatening activity.