I never can tell you how glad
and thankful I am to be here. I was just thinking during this
service upon so many of you that I've known for so long and how
the years have been truly sweeter and sweeter. How many of you here that I knew
when I was in Franklin, Louisiana, Jan Gary, Bob, Becca, how many
of you that the Lord has just truly blessed me to know? And I pray this morning that
truly the Lord would bless us. I learned something today about
difference in a Bible study and preaching. I did, Gary. That was so good. Let's take our Bibles and turn
back with me to 1 John 1. 1 John 1. I'd like to deal with
verse 9. Scripture says, if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now, I know this. The scripture declares this. that every person that's born
into this world is born lost in trespasses and sins. Scripture
declares Roman 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God. And I know this concerning the
penalty for our sins. The scripture says, Romans 6,
23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And then the Lord has graciously
revealed to us a blessed truth concerning a people that Almighty
God has everlastingly loved in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is
what the Father did for His people to His Son, the precious Lamb
of God. He hath made Him to be sin for
us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God, the righteousness of God in Him. Christ Jesus, according to God's
everlasting covenant of grace, the scripture declares, came
into this world to save His people from their sins. And he finished
the work that was given him by the Father. He lived for and
died for his sheep, and they shall forever be with him. That's just too high for me to
perceive, but I know that it's so. And concerning those for
whom he died, the Spirit of God has set forth this glorious truth
concerning the sheep, the elect. Listen to this, this glorious
promise of God concerning forgiveness. Now listen to this. If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Souls made alive in Christ know
that they are sinners. First John 1.8 says, if we say
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. And souls regenerated by the
grace of God speak of themselves in that light according to God's
Word. They say, as David said in Psalm
51.3, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. They know that concerning themselves
in the presence of sin, just as Paul the Apostle wrote, for
I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members. They experience, they know that the force, somewhat the
force of that Inbred corruption that is within, it's a law. Paul says, I see a law in my
members. And concerning that law, that
nature of sin of the flesh, it demands obedience. That law of
sin demands obedience. It's a law that is absolutely
opposite of the law of God in which a believer delights, the
law of his mind, his new man. But that old man, that law of
sin, it demands Dominance, and the only reason
it's not successful is because the Lord has declared, sin shall
not have dominion over you. It demands it. But we're kept by the power of
God through faith, but we struggle all the way. There's two natures
there. and two natures that they oppose one another. So here's
the promise. To those made alive in Christ,
listen, those who continually confess and they behold the presence
of sin and they grieve over its presence, now listen, if we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we'll confess our sins and we're saying confess, I looked
this up, I looked this up to make sure I was right on this. If we confess, it's not merely
confess, well, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. But that word confess,
it means assent, covenant, or acknowledge. If we confess that The depth, you know, Vines says
this, if you're familiar with Vines' Concordance, this is what
Vines said on that word, confess. Admitting or declaring oneself
guilty of what one is accused. Thayers says this, confession
of the committed offense. If we confess all of which we've
been accused, all of which we're guilty, if we'll confess our
sins, you say, how many of them? All of them, all of them. If we confess our sins, the totality
of them, If we confess our sins from a right heart, a heart of truly brokenness,
and confess the depth of them, listen, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God has promised that. And He abides by His promise
to justly not demand the penalty for disobedience, but rather
let it go. If we confess the death, if we
confess what we have done, all of it, I wanna make sure that
we all understand What he's saying, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Well, here's my second point. Here's my problem. I don't know what I've done. I know what the scripture says
concerning forgiveness. If we confess that for which
we are guilty. Listen to this, Psalm 73, 22. David said, so foolish was I
and ignorant. I was a beast before thee. Isaiah 59.8, the way of peace
they know not. And there's no judgment in their
goings. No discernment, no. Jeremiah
5.4, therefore I said, surely these are poor, they are foolish,
for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of
our God. Amos 3.10, for they know not
to do right, saith the Lord who store up violence and robbery
in their places. Romans 10.3, for they, that is
the Jews, Paul speaking of being ignorant of God's righteousness
and going about to establish their own righteousness have
not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Isaiah 1, 5, and 6, the whole
head is sick, the whole heart is faint, from the sole of the
foot even into the head. There's no soundness in it, but
wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed,
neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Some of them say,
yeah, but every one of the verses that you just read was dealing
with people that referred to men before they were converted. Right, but let me ask you this. Since you were converted, have
you perceived the depth or the height or the breadth of our
daily transgressions? Listen to the words of the Apostle
Paul. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I'm carnal sold under sin, for that which I do, I allow
not. Now you can look in your margin.
I know most of you's got a Bible like I do, and it says no. That which I do, I know not.
Let me just kind of elaborate a little bit on that word no.
It's I do not understand. my own actions, I do not perceive,
I'm not aware of my actions, I am baffled, I am bewildered,
it has not been unfolded to my perception. Paul said that which
I do, I don't perceive. I don't understand. I am bewildered
by what I do. So according to the scriptures,
man is totally ignorant before and even enlightened in regenerating
grace after conversion as to the depth of his rebellion. not only the sins of commission
but omission. The deed I did in my rebellion
and what I failed to do, I don't know, I don't understand the
depth of what I do and I don't understand the depth of what
I don't do. I just, I was talking to Gabe
about this this thing of ignorance, and he shared with me an incident
that happened to him. I guess you told him he was pulled
over. Okay. He didn't tell you he was. And
Glenda and I were driving through a little town here a few years
ago. And I remember, listen, I've learned a little bit about
when you're going through a smaller town, obey the speed limit, especially
then, be aware, listen, I'm bad about talking and not paying
attention to some things, but I remember it was around 30 or
35 miles an hour, Luke. I went into this little town,
and that's slow driving, And I'm just talking and talking
to Glenda, and all of a sudden, I saw a sign that went back and
says, end school zone. I thought, end school zone? And I don't think it was 30 or
35 going through that. I didn't get stopped. All of
a sudden, I thought, I didn't even know I was in a school zone.
But I was still guilty. Had I been pulled over, I was
guilty. I could plead ignorance, but
it wouldn't have made any difference. So here's what I know. If we confess our sins, and I'm
not talking about the ones I thought of, There's some that I think
of, but the ones I don't even know what I'm doing. I don't
realize the spirit in which I'm doing them. I catch myself a
lot. I catch myself with a bad spirit
a lot, but I don't know the half of it. But if that is the basis
of my hope of forgiveness, and here I am, I'm ignorant of what
I've done, then I, in myself, I've got a problem concerning
forgiveness. But here's my last point. There is the prayer of confession
that is accepted of God on my behalf concerning my forgiveness. Now, if we consider the promise
of the Lord concerning our need, I'm telling you Looking to ourself,
having any confidence whatsoever in ourself is no confidence whatsoever. Gabe, you just quoted a passage
of scripture when our Lord was hanging on the cross and there
was a group that was out there mingled in with everybody else.
And obviously there were some of God's elect in that group
that as of yet had not been called out of darkness because when
the Lord said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they
do. That's Luke 23, 34. I know for whom he was praying.
I know who he was interceding for right there. He was interceding
for his sheep. Because he said in John 17, six,
I have manifested thy name unto the men that thou gavest me out
of the world. Thine they were and thou gavest
them me. And then he said in verse nine,
he said, I pray I ask, I request, I entreat, I beg, I beseech for
them. I pray for them, for their benefit,
for their advantage. I pray not for the world, but
for them that thou gavest me out of the world, for they are
thine." So here he was praying, Father forgive them. And what
do you think? was the probability of them being
forgiven called out of darkness, 100%. All that the father giveth me
shall come to me and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise
cast out. Oh, the blessed wonder. of Him
who everlastingly loved us and stood as our surety lived, died
for us, that He prays for us, prays for these people, ever
liveth to make intercession for His sheep who don't know what
to pray, who don't know what they've done. Hold your place
there and turn to Romans 8, 26. Romans 8, 26. Listen to what the Spirit of
God has moved upon the Apostle Paul to set forth concerning
prayer. Prayer. If we confess our sins,
which we don't know what we've done, He's faithful and just
to forgive us, to cleanse us. But when it comes to prayer,
intercessory prayer, Romans 8.26 says this, The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And
he that searcheth the hearts, this is God Almighty Himself,
He who searches the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit,
God himself, because he maketh intercession for the saints according
to the will of God. Now, here's an amazing thing
concerning prayer. The scripture reveals that we
know somewhat of what we are. But we don't know the depth.
We don't know what we've done. We have no perception of what
we've done. But the Spirit of God, when a
believer is said to pray, and we do, the Lord says, when you
pray, you enter into your closet, and the Spirit of God lays hold. And in the, bearing of our trials,
he comes to our aid. And in our weakness, he moves
upon God's people. The scripture declares with groanings
that we can't even utter. There's something that happens
when a believer prays. Do they pray? Yes, they do. They
really do pray. Do they know what to pray? No. We don't know what to pray. Do they want to pray? Yes. They
want to. They want to speak unto the Father. They want to. But they don't
know what to ask. I don't know the spirit, but
there's an amazing thing that happens inside a believer. There are groanings that can't be uttered. I wish I truly wish I knew what
to say, what to ask, but the Spirit of God intercedes according
to God's will pleads our case in a marvelous
work within us, there's something happens that a believer cannot,
I just can't, I don't know how to say, I don't know what to
say. Do I truly desire that the Lord guide me? Do I truly, do
I wanna pray for my kids? Do I truly desire that God bless
this congregation? I want that, but I, there's a
heart, I have a heart that the Spirit of God has given me. Scripture says, as the heart
panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after you. But I don't know how to say,
I don't know what to say. I want to. I truly want to. I want to. I want to say, I want to. When
you pray, you pray to the Father. You pray unto the Father. And I'm so weak. I don't know.
I don't know. I don't know. Really, I don't
know anything about prayer. I don't. But the Spirit of God
puts a desire in the heart of a believer that truly wants to. And then an amazing thing is
said to happen. And I'm, again, I'm so far over
my head here. I'm just, I'm like a child that's
trying to babble something here that I don't even know how to
say it. But the Spirit of God does something. But then, turn over to Revelation
8. Revelation chapter 8, verse 1
to 4. An amazing thing is set forth
concerning our great high priest. Revelation 8, 1 to 4. And when
he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about
the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which
stood before God. And to them were given seven
trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having
a golden censer. And there was given unto him
much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of
all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne,
and the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of
the saints. ascended up before God out of
the angel's hand. These prayers that we don't know
what to pray, but a desire, an unction, a heart
truly that wants to pray, Those prayers are taken according
to this scripture. I know that it's the prayers
of the saints that pray. And the scripture declares that
the great high priest takes that which the Spirit of God moved
upon a believer to pray, and they didn't even know what to
pray. They didn't know what to say. They didn't know how to
say it. I mean, truly, without Him, we can do nothing. We can
do nothing. I don't even know what to say.
But He takes that which we don't know what to say that has been
made unto them groanings that cannot be uttered, and the Spirit
of God has revealed that the great high priest takes that
which we don't even understand and desire to say, and he offers
it in the incense of his worthiness. And he takes and stands as our
great high priest before the altar of incense, that altar
that was before the veil in the tabernacle in the wilderness.
And that altar that symbolizes and sets forth the intercessory
office of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he presents in his own merit
that which the Spirit of God who always intercedes according
to the will of God. And I don't even know what it
is. And He intercedes for us and that prayer is taken by the
Lord Jesus Christ and presented before the throne. And in His
merit, in the merit of the obedient servant who honored and glorified
and satisfied God Almighty in His life and death. Those prayers
are offered before the Father and are heard and are accepted in His merit
and He perfumes heaven as He offers up the prayers of His
people before the throne in the savor of His worthiness and His
honor and His shed blood. And here we, as heirs of God
and joint heirs with Christ, Sinners, saved by the grace of
God, washed in the blood of the Lamb, those to whom or of whom
it is said, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
be in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh and after
the dictates of the flesh, but after the Spirit. These prayers are accepted. And
they're perfect. And there is an absolute, complete
confession of all of our sins. All of them. And we didn't even know what
they were. I don't even know what they are. but the Spirit
of God who moves upon all of us who are just absolutely spiritual
Mephibosheths. And we all know it. Helpless, spiritually lame on
both our feet, vessels of God's mercy, and for the sake of Christ,
He loved us, gave Himself for us. We who can do without Him
nothing, always able now to sit at the table of the King like
we're doing this morning, to feast upon Him who is our heavenly
bread, always needing. to have our feet washed as the
Lord graciously demonstrated that when he washed his disciples'
feet. And Peter said, Lord, you can't
be washing my wash. He said, no, if I don't wash
your feet, you don't have any part of me. You're clean every
week, you just need to have daily, daily, daily, daily, I need my
sins confessed. I don't know what they are, but
he washes. cleanses us in our blood. This was beautifully set forth
as I close Leviticus chapter 16, Leviticus 16, on the day
of atonement. Leviticus 16.21, this is the
day of atonement. Leviticus 16.21, and Aaron, Here's
the high priest. And right here, here's the, now,
here's beautiful. You know, Aaron was a glorious
picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, but here he's a picture of the
Father. And Aaron shall lay both his
hands upon the head of the live goat. It was two goats, live
goat that was the scapegoat and then the goat of the Lord that
was slain. But here's the live goat. Now
here's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the live goat.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live
goat and confess over him all the iniquities of the children
of Israel. and all their transgressions,
in all their sins, and putting them upon the head of the goat,
and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into a wilderness." Under the law, the high priest, Aaron, take
his hands, make confession. Here's the beautiful part. Listen
to this. All the iniquities, all of their sins, all of their
transgressions, how many is included in all? All. Truly being made sin, He bore all of them. All of them, you mean those for
which I'm not even aware? All of them, all of them. Confession of sin, if we confess
our sins, The Spirit of God causes us to, by faith, by faith, lay
hold of Him, lay hold of Him, our great high priest, beseeching
Him, Lord, pray for me. Pray for me and confess the sins
of which I'm not even aware. I'm so sorry, I don't know, I
don't know. I'm just an ignorant child. in need of your intercession,
because I don't know what to ask for. And since he's born all of them,
he knows all of them, and he confesses all of them, they're
all forgiven. If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive
us our sins. Lord, pray for me. Pray for me. Pray for this ignorant
sinner who is in need of having all of his sins forgiven. Last verse. I want us to read
a passage of Scripture. I'm gonna just read a few verses
out of this chapter. And without doubt, these, what
I'm gonna, you go ahead and turn to Psalm 51. Without doubt, these
are the words of a broken-hearted sinner. Name was David. Just
like all of us, made aware somewhat of his guilt. One that's truly
confessing, confessing what he is. But in light of Revelation
8, 3, talking about that angel, that is the great angel of the
covenant himself, the Lord Jesus, taking the prayers of the saints
and presenting them in his own merit. Those prayers that were
born in the heart of a believer by the intercession of the Spirit
of God that gave us a heart to pray, we still didn't know what
to pray, but he did, he did. These are truly the words of
David, but I want you to think about these words being the words
of our great high priest, taking what David in himself could never
perceive, Listen to these words as the great high priest prays
them. He who bore our sin and they were made to be his own.
Psalm 40. These are the prayers. This is the prayer of the great
high priest now who is bearing the guilt of his people. And
here's what he says. Have mercy upon me, oh God. according to thy loving kindness,
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. My sin is ever before me. Verse seven to nine, 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. He who knows all. and has died for all the sins
of his people, and confesses all of their transgressions before
the Father, having borne them and answered for them, and now
he confesses them all, all of them, and they're all forgiven
for his sake.