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Hello GBC,
I hope you had a pleasant Labor Day and enjoyed the Lord and family.  
 

Midweek Meditation: The Fruits of Confession

This morning I had a reset time in Psalm 51. I prayed through the Psalm in a focused time of confession. A good time of confession is like pulling a deep splinter. It’s a good pain. It takes work. And it welcomes healing. I want to offer two first fruits, or immediate by-products of true confession— restoration of joy and rededication of service. Look at verses 12 and 13 of Psalm 51. 
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

Confession produces the restoration of true joy- V. 12
Note David’s request in verse 12. He wishes God to give him joy back. Specifically, he desires the joy that is unique to being God’s. This is not a mere conscience appeasement where he can “come to terms” with his wrong. It’s the full restoration of the unique privilege of joy in God because of being truly forgiven in God. This means negatively, that a refusal to confess sin to the Lord and living in the joy of the Lord are mutually exclusive. We cannot know the heavenly benefit of salvation’s joy if we choose sin’s captivity.

Confession produces the rededication of self to service- V. 13
Have you heard the lies of sin tell you that you’re useless to God? Well, when we cling to sin, choose it, even curate it— that feeling is true. We will be a blunted axe to fight against sin. We will be a cracked vessel, feeling ourselves drained of divine ability. We will be a soiled cloth, claiming to cleanse ourselves and others, only to putrefy and poison everything we touch.
If though, we bring our sin before the Father, make it known to him in all its ugliness and our insufficiency, he delights to restore. He sharpens us up. He fills the cracks with himself. He washes us clean again. He takes what is useless and redeems it. Redemption fundamentally allows for reuse. Thus, confession of sin restores us to reuse. It is not the perfect, impressive, and capable whom God sees as most fit for his service, but those who know best their imperfection, acknowledge themselves as lowly, and concede their inability. God doesn’t need put-together tools. He puts together tools.
 
So confess to the Lord, that you may have joy again, and you may be fit to serve. If you can’t think of anything to confess, ask him to reveal to you brokenness he is waiting to restore. If you still can’t think of anything, ask for humility. A confessional life is a joyful one and a fruitful one.

 

Ministry Prayer Requests

  • Pray that God would bless the kickoff of our GFF’s this week.
  • Pray for our movie night outreach this Friday!
  • Pray for a renewed passion for building God’s kingdom at GBC.

Ministry Reminders

  • We kick off GFF’s this week. Your host or leader should have connected with you already, if you are a new registry. If not, please contact the office
  • We have a lot of announcements and signups upcoming, so note them in our written and emailed notifications.
    • Our movie night outreach is this Friday. Invite your friends and family!
    • Our missions Sunday is this coming Sunday! We will hear from some missionaries, kickoff giving, and enjoy a meal provided by the Missions Committee.
    • Grace Bible Institute starts later in the month.
    • Our preaching and ministerial conference is also happening at the end of this month. If you know of a man who would benefit from it please let us know.
  • Always be checking your bulletins!
 
In Christ,
Pastor Kyle