Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to share something with you.
Back in the mid 1800s, one of the greatest difficulties for large city firefighters was reaching people in multi storey buildings. Some inventors tried to invent ladder trucks to reach those who were trapped on upper floors, but because they were too heavy and unstable, they often killed firefighters who climbed up them. But then in 1868, Daniel Hayes developed a truck with an aerial ladder that could reach as far as 85 feet. In less than 40 seconds, six men could raise the ladder simply by turning a crank. Created and built completely by himself, it has been dubbed the hayes aerial, the first successful aerial hook and ladder truck to be used in the service of firemen.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Like a ladder, God sent His Son Jesus Christ as a Savior to this world to reach and rescue us who are trapped in our burning building of sin. All of us have sinned and gone astray, and just like people who are stuck on the upper floors, we can’t get out, and there is nowhere to go. We are completely boxed in because of our sins. Sins will only lead to death, so in order to be saved from them, we must reach out to Jesus as our Savior, who was sent by God to rescue us. We must confess faults, reach out to Him in faith, and step onto His ladder of grace.
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.
Confession is one of the very first steps onto the ladder of salvation. It’s having a penitent heart and reaching out to those you have wronged. Confess means to admit the truth about something wrong that you have done. It’s an acknowledgement of your faults, both to God and to others. if you cannot admit and confess them with a contrite heart, you will never be able to turn away from the things that are displeasing to the Lord. You will never be reconciled to the truth, so that you can walk in His perfect will. King David was a great man of faith, but even he encountered sin issues later on in his life. He humbly confessed his faults to God.
Psalms 51:1-19 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit, Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Confession must happen, not only to be forgiven, but so that you can turn away from sin and do the will of God from your heart. If you cannot admit the truth of your sinful condition, conversion really can’t happen. It’s like being in a burning building but you refuse to step on to the first rung of the ladder. In your own mind, you are believing a lie that what you are doing is acceptable behavior, while the actual truth is, it’s completely unacceptable with God. Just as King David, it’s a matter of acknowledging and accepting the truth.
Psalms 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Confession must happen towards God and towards others in the church that you have wronged. If you don’t love a brother enough to apologize and reconcile with them, you don’t love Jesus because these are the things He teaches must be done. Those who genuinely don’t love a brother enough to do this, are the same as a murderer, filled with a hateful and bitter heart. The most fearful part is that you cannot obtain forgiveness with God if you treat others in this manner. This is why in the church, you need to admit your sins to each other when you wrong them, or transgress against God. Confession is stepping onto the ladder, which opens the door of reconciliation with God. We can be in a restored relationship with Him again. This is why He demands reconciliation with each other in the church. Some people want a relationship with God but they refuse to confess faults to others and reconcile with them. This is abhorrent in God’s sight and it’s false Christianity.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
In the wilderness, John the Baptist was listening to the confessions of sinners.
Mark 1:4-5 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
When you confess your faults to others, they become aware of your issue, and can begin to pray for you for healing.
Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Like being in a burning building of sin, Jesus was sent as a ladder to save us. In order to begin walking out of the fire, we must acknowledge sin, both to God and to others that you have wronged. Only then can the cool water of grace wash over your soul so that you can be healed. It requires humility, and taking that first step of confession as you reach out for the ladder of salvation.
Many people have been saved from fire because they too, took that first initial step, and placed their foot onto the first rung of…..
…….The Hayes Aerial
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 