Welcome to the Illuminate Church podcast.
We hope today's message is encouraging to you.
I want to ask you as we begin if you've ever had any dreams like
the ones I'm about to describe, two of them that are similar in
nature but different experiences, and I have these
dreams recurring. That doesn't mean I have them
like every night, but like it seems like two or three times a
year I have these kind of dreams.
To this fact that I've. Taken note of them.
Like wow, I have that dream quite often.
One of them. Is me trying to get.
Dressed and I can't get the clothes on just right.
I don't know if this ever happened to you.
I can't get my arm through the. Armhole.
It's like. Struggling to get through or I
can't get my. Foot through the pant hole.
If you want to call it that. My shoe doesn't fit right on my
foot. I have problems tying to tie.
I can't get the button like in my dream I'm doing.
Like get through the hole. Right in anyone and whatever I'm
doing to. Try to get dressed.
It's. Frustrating.
It is slow. It is agonizingly, painfully,
frustratingly I can't get done what I want to get done.
I know you are psychoanalyzing me right now.
I wonder what this dream means about our pastor.
It means I looked it up myself, that I will marry a beautiful
woman, and that's what's happened.
Hey. Yeah, the other.
Dream, which is similar but different, is that I'm trying to
get someplace I have somewhere I need to be and I cannot get
there. Like I.
Don't know if you've ever done this.
You're trying to run in your dreams and your feet feel like
they're concreted to the ground. You're like running in.
Super, super slow. Motion anybody anyway Yep Yep,
Yep Or you make the turn that you think is the final turn, or
open the door that you think is the final door to your arrival
and you find out you got many more ways to go the.
Closer you get, the farther. You are, and when I'm in my
sleep it's just frustrating. I can't get to where I want to
get to. And I feel myself frustrated in
the middle of my sleep now. I'm wondering if you've ever had
a dream like this where you have something, where you have
somewhere to go or something? To do essentially this you're
trying to accomplish. Something and you can't get it
done. If you've ever had a dream like
that on your hand, on, on on your hand, on the count of
three, raise your hand 123. OK.
You like raising your hand in church?
Where's my people who like raising their hands in church?
Yep. Where's my people who don't like
raising their hands in church? Got them.
Yeah, maybe these aren't dreams at all.
Is what I was really. Pondering this week, what if
what I'm experiencing in my dream and what you've
experienced in your dream is? Actually real life for you.
And if we were being honest with each other, being candid here in
the House of the Lord. You would say I can't.
Seem to accomplish the very thing in my life that I've set.
Out to do the goal. That I'm trying to reach the
peace, that I'm trying to experience the breakthrough that
you've been waiting for, the reconciliation in a
relationship, that all sorts of things where you could.
Feel like there's this this. Block going on all these years,
so many attempts, this thing. Just out of reach.
It feels stuck like. It's never going to happen and
for each person in the room it might be different, but you know
what it is. Even as I'm talking about it,
maybe something is bubbling to your mind.
That man, I just can't seem to win in this.
I can't ever finish that. Well, I believe I have good news
for you today. In Jesus name according to the
glory. Of God, I believe that.
God wants to unlock for you the very thing in your.
Life that's locked up today, whatever is.
Stuck, he wants to unstuck, if you will.
Unstick today that if you've been wanting victory in an area.
Of your life where? You keep feeling defeated that
God can and will bring victory for you.
Today. Today is Victory Day.
In Jesus name, somebody say in Jesus name, it's Victory Day.
Yeah, look at your neighbor. And say it's Victory Day.
Believe it. And every human being, I would
assume. I don't know you, but you know
you. There are things.
Which are yet healed, yet healed the status.
Of those things in the. Folder of your heart that you
have there that you've. Placed these yet healed things
you've written at the top in the notch of that folder, the word
unhealed, which is an important word.
You could have chosen other. Words like broken.
But you chose the word. Unhealed because you are a
positive person. Even more than that, you are a
person of. Faith.
A person of great hope. So you don't write.
Broken at. The top of this file you write
the word unhealed. Because there's potential in
that word. It's.
Going to be healed it's. Just not healed yet.
And so you have this faith, you have this perseverance that the
healing is coming. But here it is, July. 4th 6th
excuse me, 2025 and it's still not healed, The relationship's
not restored. Your Peace of Mind is non
existent, whatever your list is. And so if we were to be honest
here in the House of God, if we were to be candid with one
another, you would say I've been waiting a long time.
I've been trying many things and this still still feels.
Broken, it still feels. Stuck.
Your relationships, your body, your Peace of Mind, your
circumstances, your secret sin, all of these things unhealed so
long that you wonder. If they will ever get.
Healed and the enemy starts telling you it won't ever.
Change that ain't. Never going to get fixed.
You're going to. Die with this problem if I were
to. Have you raise your hand and say
has the enemy? Whispered this to you before.
A lot of hands. Maybe every hand.
Would go up. And because of it, things like
faith and perseverance that we have them, they are weakening.
Yes, I believe in God, but I'm starting to believe that this
won't. Get better, this won't change.
This is the human experience. We're stuck.
We're broken and the way we now. Live our lives because.
Of our stuckness. Our brokenness impacts greatly
the way that we think, the way that we behave, and especially
the way that we interact with one another.
We live from our brokenness. We live from what stuck within
us. We live from our wounds.
They become our constant. They become our identity.
They become our excuse. Nobody's smiling as we're
talking in this series about becoming Jesus.
People, The Seven Habits. Of Jesus, people, we're talking.
About adhering to a life that causes us to think and behave
like Philippians. Chapter 2 verse 15 says that we
will shine like stars in the darkness.
We were going to be particularly different than the rest of the
world and how we think and how we behave.
And all of it is. Based and shaped by our faith
and devotion in Jesus. Christ the issue I believe.
That God wants us to. Address today is this why do
people. In the church look as unhealthy.
As people outside the church, nothing is peculiar.
About the people who attend the church in the areas of health,
when we think about mental. Physical.
Spiritual. Relational, emotional, and I
believe and I know that. You would believe that the
Church should be peculiarly healthy.
If the living God in this. Power to.
Heal are among us then why is there so much sickness of body,
soul, mind and spirit inside the household of.
Faith. If you want to open your bibles.
To Luke chapter 4. I want to.
Show you Jesus's job description.
What he came to earth to accomplish.
If you need a Bible, raise your hand and 1:00 will be brought to
you. Jesus has just begun his.
Public ministry he was. 30 years old, he got.
Baptized by John and began his ministry.
Publicly, I just said that twice.
For your benefit, no. Because I just repeated it Luke
chapter. 4 verse 16 Jesus goes back to his hometown where he
was raised in Nazareth and we get this incredible scene where
Jesus reveals what he's come to the.
Earth to do, verse 16. Says he, Jesus went to Nazareth
where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went
into the synagogue as was his custom.
He stood up to read. And the.
Scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Was handed to him.
Unfolding it, unrolling it, he found the.
Place where it is written. Here's his job.
Description Verse 18 The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he
has anointed me to proclaim good news.
To the poor he has. Sent me to proclaim freedom for
the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind.
To set the oppressed free. To proclaim the year of.
The Lord's favor. When he rolled.
Up the scroll he gave. It back to the attendant and he
sat down. It says that eyes of.
Everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Jesus.
Everyone's. Like.
Looking at him and he began by saying to them today.
This scripture. Is fulfilled in your hearing
Jesus job description it's listed for us he has come to
bring. Breakthrough where there was
none. He has come to bring healing
where only sickness had been. He's come to bring freedom where
they had only been chains. And he ends by saying, y'all,
you don't have to wait anymore. No more waiting.
The hour has arrived. That the fulfillment.
Of these prophecies has. Come, it's me, I'm sitting
right? Here today, right here, right?
Now bondage. Broken bodies healed.
Hearts healed if you said. It and meant it.
Then would you agree and believe with me that he means it?
Still today, July 6th. 2025 South.
Again, I asked the question, why don't we see as much healing in
the? Church, as we should.
Why doesn't the church look? Brilliantly, peculiarly healthy
compared to the rest of the world a few weeks ago.
A friend of mine couldn't drive himself.
To the orthopedic doctor's office because of the procedure
they're. Going to do on him would make
him unable. To drive, so I took.
Him to the. Office.
It was a short. Procedure.
So I'm like, I'm just going to hang out in the car.
And I sat in the car and I parked facing the.
Doors of the orthopedic doctor's office, whatever.
However, you say that the doctor of orthopedics, whatever that
you call that guy. The orthopedic, I don't know
what you call it, not an orthodontist, that's.
Teeth. And I sat there and looked at
the door. About 20 minutes he was in there
and I saw all sorts. Of people all sorts of ages.
Both. Genders, everything walking into
this building kind of the same in one way shape or form or the.
Other got a limp. Bent over, holding thing in a
sling, whatever that somebody Wheeling them in you got.
The the Walker. Things, crutches.
Everyone is walking in with some sort of infirmity.
I'm like, wow, wow, that guy's hurting and the Lord bless them
and all. I'm just thinking all these
things as they're walking in now.
As I sat there. An interesting thing happened
when they walked out. This is what they look like.
And I was thinking to myself, man, if you guys are walking in
to get healing from the sky and you walk out the same way, maybe
you shouldn't be going to this place because there's no healing
in that place. Are you picking up what I'm
putting down? I know.
And I'm so glad that if I were to sit in this parking lot and
watch everybody walk in and we. All war physically.
Our ailments, whatever they are, mental, spiritual, emotional, we
would all walk in with limps. We would all walk in with the I
got a pain into this and my arm and a sling.
But what the world is? Seeing is that we walk out the
same way and they're wondering. Where is the hope of the gospel
if the very people who. Proclaim it are still unhealthy
themselves. I'm not going to go to that
doctor if he ain't healing. I'm not going to that church if
there's no. Healing, I believe you.
Ready. For some good news, almost.
I believe that not yet. I believe God wants to show us
the major. Issue today.
Bring it to mind. I think you.
Already are aware of this. But bring it to mind so that it
can be dealt. With right, it's like.
Oh wow, now I know the. Issue.
Let's deal with it. The single most impactful block
that inhibits our lives from receiving the power of.
God is sin. Yay, it's.
Sin. I want to show you 2 examples in
the scripture of how our SIN inhibits our lives from
receiving the power. Of God first Peter, chapter 3.
Verse 7. Husbands, in the same way be
considered as you live with your wives and treat them with
respect as the weaker partner and as heirs.
With you of the gracious gift of life, so that.
Nothing will hinder your prayers.
Treat your wife as a coheir. She's equal to you.
In the Kingdom. So treat her as such, and when
you don't, you're in sin. And when you're in sin, your
prayers are hindered. What does that mean?
Well, let's talk about it in a minute.
Let me show you another scripture.
Matthew chapter 5 May be more familiar to you, verse 23.
Therefore, if you are. Offering your.
Gift at the altar I've. Come to worship and remember
that. Your brother or sister has.
Something against you, which means I've sinned against my.
Brother or sister, look what Jesus says.
Leave. Your gift there in front of the.
Altar first before you worship. And make offering go and be
reconciled to them. Then come and offer your gift.
Before you make your offering. Go and make it right.
Both of these verses are. Indicating to us that our sin
has an impact on our connection to the.
Power of God, Yes, let it be stated.
Clearly that faith in Jesus. Has granted to us.
Forgiveness from the Father removing from us the penalty of
sin, but that does not mean that the consequences of our sin
don't have an effect on the way. That we relate to the.
Power of God, prayers hindered, worship delayed.
I need to clear. Up a lot of theological.
Things here because. This could get really
legalistic. And really overburdened with
what is not truth. So I want to make it as clear as
I can. If you have questions, Info at
Illuminate dot church. I will respond to you.
Info at Illuminate. Dot church the.
Hindrance that is spoken about in First Peter chapter 3 is not
on the. Power of God.
God's power. Cannot be diminished.
He's omnipotent. Rather, what is hindered is our.
Ability to agree with to. Partner with the power of God
and so the effects. Of the.
Power of God are diminished in us as we do not receive them as
they're meant to be. Received How does this work?
Well, Prayer. Is an activity of faith.
It's by faith that we pray. We pray.
To that which is unseen, it's. Faith.
It's belief. God, I'm.
Trusting your word. It's faith.
Prayer is also the. Exchange of wills the most.
Beautiful prayer ever, Jesus says.
Not my will be done. But your will.
Be done, and when we sin, we're in the.
Opposite of faith. And when we sin, we're in the
opposite of exchanging wills. Faith.
Says God I trust. In you and all of your ways.
Sin says I trust. In myself and in all of my ways.
Faith says I agree with you God. Sin says I don't agree.
With you, and in this way, our prayers are hindered and our
offerings are. Delayed.
To be clear, theologically. Get this right?
Does this mean when we sin that God doesn't hear?
Our prayers, Yeah, if you. Say no.
Say it no with some authority. Absolutely not.
Does this mean that? God isn't attentive.
To me, when I sin again, the answer is thank you wife.
I don't think it'll surprise. You that God hears every.
Prayer, and every prayer is uttered from the lips of
sinners. He hears them all.
The sin hinders our ability to partner.
With the work of God. Hindered in the Bible literally
means to impede a moving. Object.
So God's activity. Is moving.
The Bible says that it the word. Of God is alive and active.
This thing is moving. The Word is moving the.
Spirit of God is. Moving the healing of God is
moving the. Power of God is upon.
Us, and we hinder it, we impede that which is moving by our sin.
If you want to think of it this way, you got a hose the water.
Is the power of God. And we take our hands and sin,
and we go kink, and we block what God is trying to do and
move in our lives. And thus even in the.
Church unhealth abides. Unhealth persists.
Now Are you ready for some good news?
Don't shoot the messenger. What's the?
Solution as I said. Last week, Week 2 or week 3.
But habit 2 Jesus people apply the word of God.
If you have a question, ask the Bible.
And you'll find your answers. So let's.
Ask the Bible this question how do I unkink unleash the power of
God's healing in my life so that I am peculiarly.
Healthy. My marriage is healthy, my
mental state is healthy, my finances are healthy, my.
Body is healthy 2 scriptures. One from the old, one from the
new. Which means this is a theme, a
banner in Christianity. Proverbs chapter 28, verse 13.
We begin to see the solution through the word.
Of God, whoever. Conceals their sins, does not.
Prosper. But the one who confesses and
renounces them finds mercy. James chapter 5, verse 16
you'll. See a word repeated therefore.
Confess. There's the repeated word in
both verses, your sins to each other, and pray for each other
so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous
person. Is powerful and effective habit
three of the. 7 Habits of Jesus people.
Jesus. People use confession to unleash
the power of God in their lives. Is this a habit of yours?
Confession. We value right relationship with
God. We value His power in our life.
Therefore, we will practice. Confession if you're putting
together a rule of life value and.
Practice value the. Power of God in our lives.
Practice confession. Let's talk about Catholicism for
a second. I have never been in a
confessional booth, but I've seen one on TV.
I've seen them in the movies. Quite honestly, they scare me to
death. I don't like small spaces and
that little curtain and talking to somebody.
I don't know how it works and I'm not making fun.
It sounds like I'm making fun. I shouldn't make fun.
Forgive. Me But when James says confess
your sins one to another, and never says confess your sins
only to a priest. And so when you hear the word
confession, don't put a stereotype or an old practice
from another denomination in your mind.
Let's let the Lord reset that. And speak to us.
Clearly, what this powerful gift.
That he commands us to do invites.
Us to do. Can bring about in our lives
confession. What does it even mean?
Confession means to acknowledge full agreement.
Openly acknowledge. That means mental awareness that
I'm coming into full agreement. I'm 100% convinced I'm bought
in. But the key to confession is the
openly part. Publicly to speak about that
which you have. Believed internally last.
Week we had 62. People make confession when they
went in the waters of baptism, was it?
Wait, I hope you got to see it. Look at that.
And look at that and look at that and look at that.
I only have 4 pictures. We could have taken 6200
pictures. There's.
Always tears of joy, Sweet. Surrender.
Just incredible healing going on in the.
Waters of Christ, Jesus, beautiful, all of these.
People are making a confession. I acknowledge that I have come
into full agreement with Jesus as my Savior and Jesus as my
Lord, and I'm now publicly making that declaration.
Baptism is a confession. Powerful.
Beautiful. If you're waiting to get
baptized in here next time, don't.
Delay it any longer next. Time we do this like 3 or 4 * a
year I can't even remember. 62 people.
Praise God, Amen. In terms of sin, when we
confess, we are agreeing with God that our ways are not.
His ways that his ways are perfect.
In design for us to have the most abundant life possible.
And I'm coming into agreement. God, your ways are right.
And my ways lead to death. I'm out of alignment.
To kill your people, confess Jesus, People who are light.
In the darkness. Confess and as they confess.
The Word of God promises this mercy and healing.
Apply that to wherever you're locked.
Up in your life, mercy and healing.
And it comes via confession. Let's again talk theology.
When you put your faith in Jesus, you are forgiven of your
sins, but you might not be. Healed of them you are.
Forgiven of the penalty. Do you?
Which is death. Do me?
Which is death, because Jesus took our place on the cross,
paid the ultimate sacrifice. Once and.
For all that, whoever. Believes in Him will not perish
but have everlasting life. Our we, We won't die because of
our sin. However, the power of.
Sin and its consequences still is on the earth.
And how do we overcome those? By healing.
And how do we heal? Confession.
Faith helps us with our forgiveness.
Confession helps us with healing from the power and the
consequences of sin. Thank God.
So how does it work? How does confession work?
How does confession unkink the hose and allow healing and
breakthrough to come to your life?
4 things I want to share. With you briefly 4 healing.
Benefits of confession if you're.
Ready to say yes? First, confession heals pride.
And by the way, when you see these 4.
All four, Well, the. Three of the first ones, I
should say. The three first ones are weapons
of the enemy. Their attempts to have
brokenness reside in your home for you to remain in bondage
though. Christ has set you free.
Pride, everyone say pride. Pride is the basis.
Of all sin. If you're to build a.
House called Sin. The foundation would be called
Pride. If you're to bake bread.
Called sin, the flour is pride. It's the center.
Of it all and. It's the genesis of the very
first sin ever created, which was when Lucifer decided that he
wanted to be God in heaven. God kicked him out of heaven and
then he used the same tactic, he being the devil on us in the
garden and says, you know, maybe you should eat from this tree
that God told you not to eat from it because when you do eat
from it, you will be like him. Don't you want to be like?
Him. Don't you want to be God?
That's not what it says, but. That's what it says.
And Adam. And Eve.
And Tim. And Christine.
Whoever was there would have. Eaten because that's our nature.
Confession heals pride. Because if you were build a
house called. Confession The foundation is
called humility. When you confess, what you're
doing is taking yourself from your.
Lofty place where you thought you were right.
And you're lowering yourself and confessing to the Lord.
Your ways are right. And I was wrong or you're
confessing to somebody else, human to human.
I was wrong and I am apologizing.
You're lowering yourself and in humility, pride begins to erode
in your life. And the more you confess, the
more that pride is eroded, and the more that.
Pride is eroded. The less you sin because pride
is the foundation of sin. Humility can wipe it out, and
that happens via confession. I have to humble myself.
I'm going to tell you this now for later.
Today for the victory. To come to you, it's going to
take some humility. You're going to have to not
worry about what other people think and just.
Do what? God's.
Asking you to do humbly. Just seating that in now #2
Confession heals isolation, another tactic of the enemy.
Sin seeks to draw a person away from community in two ways.
Maybe three. The first is.
I've sinned. I'm such a terrible human being.
I am not worth love or being loving somebody else.
I'm just. An awful, terrible, guilty,
yucky man. So I isolate that's.
One way. The other way is.
I'm enjoying my sin, but I don't want to be.
Caught because that would be. Embarrassing.
So I'm going to hide in the darkness away from everybody so
they don't see my sin. And then I become a fraud.
So I'm going to hide. I'm drawing away from community
in my sin. The third way is the enemy
telling you you're the only one who's got this problem.
You're all alone. Ain't nobody.
But you? That's as terrible as you.
A sack of potatoes. Confession, as James has taught
us, to another human being, takes me from isolation back
into community. I've got to confess to a human.
That's what James is telling us. I can't hide in the corners over
here. I'm going to come forward and
confess to you. Couple notes.
By the way, if you're the one receiving a confession, receive
it in the same manner that. You hope that you are.
Received in When You Confess, Gracious, compassionate, knowing
that I am no better than the one confessing.
And secondarily, when we confess, we realize we're not
alone. There's been times you've heard
me from this platform say, hey, I got anxiety.
Which is hard to say because the preach is supposed to have it
all together. Guess what?
I'm looking at Pastor Voldemear Preach.
You don't have it all together. One time I punched a hole
through my wall and I confessed that in front of the church and
I had so many people come up to me like you're not alone.
I'm like let's journey. This Let's get Better Together.
Sin wants to. Isolate you, the devil.
Wants to isolate you. Confession draws you into
community and heals you of isolation #3 Confession.
Heals you of this secret tactic. Of the enemy Denial Denial is a
weapon of the enemy. Alcoholics Anonymous was formed
in 1930 by two guys named Bill Wilson and Bob Smith.
They're not. Positive because it's.
Hard to count these things, but there are over 2 million people
who have been freed of alcoholism because of the.
Start of this 12 step. Group called Alcoholics
Anonymous. And of course now there's
Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, all sorts of
anonymous things that are helping people break free.
And maybe you're familiar with this, maybe not, but they run
through 12 steps. Do you know what step number one
is? Confession.
Here are the words actually. We admitted we were powerless
over. Alcohol that our lives had.
Become unmanageable. All three that I've talked about
so far this. Takes humility to admit this.
This is drawing them back into community.
They meet in these groups, right?
And then they're breaking this denial.
I am not able to handle alcohol. It's owning me my.
Life, as a result, has. Become unmanageable.
It's part of the healing process in the 12 steps.
The very. First step, it's confession.
Healing takes place because we finally own our ailment.
It happens through something called introspection.
Everyone say introspection. I'm going to look inwardly and
determine what it is in here that's not doing so well.
I'm going to look inwardly and determine what in here is not
behaving so well, not thinking so well.
And then I'm going to be honest about it.
And in terms of confession, I'm not going to be honest about it
privately. I'm going to be honest about it
publicly to heal me of pride, to heal me of isolation, to draw me
into the family. Denial is partnering with the
enemy because to deny the. Truth is to lie.
And the devil. Is the father of lies.
And so when we deny what's going on in here, we're just agreeing
to the darkness. But when we confess, we.
Partner. With and agree with the actual
truth and Jesus. Told us what the truth does, he
says. You will know the truth and.
It will set you free. Confession is bringing to light
what the enemy wants you to keep in darkness.
Denial, denial, denial. Stay in the dark, Stay in the
dark, stay in the dark. Confession.
Light breaks. In and the darkness is repealed.
Confession heals pride, heals Isolation heals denial, and
here's the 4th 1. Confession heals relationships.
When we obey Jesus. And we go and reconcile with
those who have something against us, somebody that we have sinned
against. We are participating in
confession, my friend, my wife, my brother, whoever.
I have sinned against you and I'm acknowledging it.
Publicly, and for that I apologize.
Two quick notes. Note #1 Confession and apology
are not the same thing. We often just do 1.
Do both. I'm sorry.
And when somebody. Apologizes to you.
Maybe, maybe you have the gumption to say this, but
sometimes I'm like. For what?
And do you know what you're apologizing for?
Do you know how you hurt me? I confession is me saying to
you. Exactly what I.
Think I did. That hurt you, that.
Wronged you and then the apologies to say I'm sorry.
Will you forgive? Me and the second note about
this healing relationships. Confession should be made to the
one sinned against. Let me just read what I wrote
here. Most Christians display a
preference for confession in secret before God.
Even concerning matters which involve other people To confess
to God seems to be the easiest. Way out, Jesus says.
Before you bring your offering to me, go and make your
confession. To those that you've hurt.
And then bring your offering to me.
Go and confess 3 words. Introspection, responsibility
and acknowledgement. This is how you confess, if
you're wondering how I'm going to introspect.
I'm. Going to realize where I am out
of alignment with another person, with the Lord my God,
I'm going to acknowledge it. Which is to take.
Personal responsibility for it, and then I'm going to go and
make I said that backwards introspection.
Responsibility and acknowledgement this last part
of. Speaking it out loud, no longer
hiding it in the darkness. Well, I told it to God.
Nobody else needs to know. Well, the healing comes because
your pride needs to go away, which heals you from.
The desire to do. Sin your isolation goes away,
which means you're not out there in the wilderness by yourself.
Easily to be picked off. Goes away.
Your denial goes away, which means you're partnering with the
enemy when you confess to another person in the 1700s.
The. Revival swept over the nation of
England and even made its way to the United States of America.
There is this group of people that practiced the habit.
Of confession. It was one of their methods and
this movement began what is today known as the Methodist.
Church say what? You will about the denomination
today, but when it began. It was a wildfire that broke out
of spiritual power. Across two nations, 2 continents
and the root of. It was the habit of public.
Confession. Standing before your brothers
and sisters and saying this is where I'm out of alignment with
the Lord. This is where I'm out of
alignment with you, and I want to come back on a return into
community, into the power of God and the healing is released.
What we're going to do here today is allow you the
opportunity to make your confession in three ways.
On the sides of the platform here are going to be our prayer
altar ministry team. If you all want to come forward
now, you can come now. And in the middle are going to
be three of our elders, Pastor Valdemir, Pastor Kim, Dakota
Page. They'll be here if you.
Want to confess something that's been going on in your life?
You know, say I've been out of alignment with the Lord.
I'm coming into agreement that his ways are better than my
ways, than these prayer altar ministry.
Folks are here to receive. Your confession?
They're not. Judges they are with.
You they're bringing you back into community out of isolation,
helping you to diminish the pride in your life getting rid
of denial these. Folks are here for that.
Why are the elders here? Well, James chapter 5 which says
confess your sins one to another and you will be healed is in the
context of physical healing. And right before James chapter 5
verse 16, it says if any of you is sick, come before the church
and let the elders anoint you with oil and they'll be healing.
And what we find so often in the.
Church. Is that physical?
Elements are tied to spiritual elements.
There's something going on your life, unconfessed sin, a block
of some sort, and so you get to come to an elder and say, hey,
I'm confessing this in my life and then we're going to.
Pray they have oil. They're going to anoint you with
oil because it says that in James Chapter 5.
Anointed with oil and pray and there will be healing.
We're believing for that today. As I said, it's going to take
humility because you're going to think, well, if I go up,
everyone's going to think that I've done something wrong.
Guess what we all have? We all have a confession to
make, and so we're going to linger.
Here the third is this. And I'm just going to pray a
prayer real quickly. Maybe not, maybe.
Probably there's somebody you need to go and make confession
to. As Jesus has taught us.
That you have sinned against and you've been for so long holding
on to your pride, saying I'm not going to apologize, I'm not
going to them. Regardless of what they do.
The command of God is upon you to go and make your confession
to them and make it right. Don't just apologize, confess.
So my prayer that I'm going to pray is Lord put a name on my.
Heart of A. Person that I need.
To go to today. And make my confession.
Let's just pray that prayer real quick.
Father you are, you are wise. You know every person in this
room, you know how many hairs are on their head.
I mean, you know. Every detail about us.
So this is easy for you, Lord. To know the situation and the
relationships of our lives and who it is that we need to make
confession. To so Holy Spirit.
Now, right now, would you just fill in the blank for each of
us? A name, a Co worker, a friend, a
family member that I need to make my confession to today and
say I have done this to you and I am wrong and I apologize.
Father, I pray that you would. Back that up now with your.
Spirit, that you would give power to us to do what you have
called us to do. And Lord, now I pray for your
spirit of faith and peace. To rise over the House today.
As you've opened up your altar for anyone to come and make
confession, God and I pray in the name of Jesus that you would
release your healing as we come. We are trusting your word that
as we confess our sins one to another.
We will be healed body. Mind, soul, spirit,
relationships in Jesus name. Thanks for joining us today.
We hope God is speaking to your heart through this message.
If you'd like to connect with us, you can text Connect to 4:07
588-0115 or visit Illuminate dot Church.
Have a great week.