Pastor Randy Furushima
June 30, 2013 - W1326

I’d like to share my heart with you about The Breath of God.  This is one of a series of sermons that Pastor Aaron started us on last week, and which captures the essence of our relationship with God.

The Bible says, “For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4)

Think about the part of this scripture that says “the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  This is because today’s message is on the power of confession.

Five years ago, my wife Jeanie insisted that I see a doctor for a problem that I had with snoring.  So I went for a test that confirmed that I had sleep apnea.  The doctor fitted me with a contraption that pumped air into my mouth and nose while I slept, making it easier for me to breathe.  This device is called a CPAP, the acronym for continuous positive air pressure.

This CPAP is air – it’s breath – it’s life.  It helps me physically, but I also know that I need help “spiritually”.

The Almighty gives us breath.  Worship and praise gives us breath. The Hawaiian word for greeting is “Aloha”, which means the proximity of presence (or face to face) and breath greeting.

The CENTRAL IDEA is that confession is transparency before God that results in a deeper intimacy with Him, and a connection to His will.  This allows God’s purposes to come to fruition in your life. 

The Bible says, “I confessed (Yada) all my sins to You and stopped trying to hide my guilt.  I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’  And You forgave me!  All my guilt is gone.” (Ps. 32:5)

I have added a few words into the original scriptures, because I believe this will add greater depth of understanding to the scriptures.

“Yada” is a Hebrew word which means to know intimately, and to know deeply.  In Genesis it said that, “Adam knew Eve and Adam ‘yada’ Eve.” This part of scripture suggested the closeness of the sexual unity between Adam and Eve.

So the metaphor here is confession.  This is the most intimate description of what one person can have with another.  In Psalms, the meaning of the word confess was used by David when he said, “I yada my sins to You”.  David was transparent before God, which allowed him to deeply know God.  Therefore, it is important for us to confess with our words, and within our hearts.

As we analyze this scripture, the Greek word for confess is “homologeo”.  This means to say the same things.  The word “cleanse” means to prune your life and your heart so that you can be fruitful for all that God has in store for you.  Confession is more than asking God for forgiveness of our sins, it is preparing and pruning your heart.  You are saying to God that you want to know Him intimately by establishing a relationship of “yada” depth.

Hawaii’s state motto is “Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono”.  This means the life of the land is preserved or perpetuated in righteousness.  The word “righteousness” means the right relationships.  When things are not pono, it means that things are fractured, separated, and not whole.  For example, my heart is not pono because of feelings such as jealousy, or betrayal.

God wants to cleanse you and prepare your heart so that you can live a life of pono (righteousness).

A verse that we should all memorize and keep deep within our hearts is, “If we confess (homologeo) our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)   Confessing enables you to build upon your relationship with God. 

WHAT GOD WILL DO WITH CONFESSION

1.GOD WILL SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE.

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brothers.’ But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death.’  Then He said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” ( Luke 22:31-34)

During the last supper Jesus acknowledged His betrayal, and allowed Satan to sift through Peter, as though he were wheat being sifted through during the harvest.  Jesus allowed this so that Peter could be strengthened in his faith before returning to strengthen all of the disciples.  We cannot strengthen each other, unless we are strong ourselves.

Peter did not know what he was saying when he said he was ready to go with Jesus to both prison and to death.  Jesus responded by saying

That Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crows.  Jesus was not challenging Peter’s sincerity – He was challenging Peter’s veracity, because Peter was honest, authentic, and transparent before God, and had a confession of faith, not of his sins.  The truth is that Peter did deny Jesus before the rooster crowed 3 times.

There are a lot of sincere people who are wrong. A friend of mine, name Ken Keeve, an ex-president of Chaminade University did a research paper in the area of education.   From interviewing people at various universities he found that some people still believe that the world is flat.  Now I do not question their sincerity, but I do question their veracity.

God wants us to be sincere, but also express the truth.  This is because without the truth, sincerity means nothing.   Our confessions allow us to become more transparent, authentic, and honest with God.  This develops our relationship with Him, and enables Jesus to speak into our life.

“search me oh God and know my heart.”  The principle here is:  God recognizes in you more than what you recognize yourself.

2.GOD WILL INVITE YOU TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSES.

“And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.  When He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ’Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’”  (Luke 22:39-42)

Jesus was sinless.  He was not confessing His sins.  He was being transparent before the Father, and sharing an intimacy that only a father and son can have.  Remember our central idea that confession is transparency before God that results in a deeper intimacy with God and a connection with God’s purpose for your life.

When Jesus serves wine, it represents His blood - a new covenant; and seals our relationship with Him. “this cup is a new covenant”.

Part of the Lords’ prayer says, “Our Father who art in heaven.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”  Sometimes confession is just yielding to God and opening our hearts to Him.  God’s will for your life is greater and deeper than your will for yourself.  The Bible says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Q:  Why doesn’t God give me the desires of my heart?

A:  Because He has a greater desire of His heart for your life.

The third result of confession is

3.GOD WILL PROTECT AND ADVISE YOU.

“For you are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory.’ The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you.’” (Ps. 32:7-8)

Eugene Peterson wrote a paraphrase of the Bible called “The Message”, which translates into God being a hiding place for you – to protect you from trouble.  The promises of God are to watch, guide, protect, and to be with you; however, we must be transparent by confessing our thoughts to Him.  Communion is a time of confession, and deepens our relationship with God.  It signifies our sincerity to follow His ways, and not the ways of this world.  Communion seals our relationship with Him.

Second Mile

· Recall a time in your life when confessing to God or to someone, resulted in forgiveness and grace for you.

· Share an example from our life when you realized god has a better plan or desire for you that you had for yourself.

· Where are you currently struggling in your life in finding God’s trajectory, or direction, for our life?

· What would you life to pray for that will result in God’s power and protection over you?