Church 2/21/2024
Sermon message: Good and bad confessions
Both good and bad confessions can have an effect on you.
The Bible is God’s Word and God’s thoughts. Sometimes we have to adjust our thoughts to align with His thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
God is trying to explain to us that His thoughts are better than ours (and that’s a good thing).
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
It’s important to renew our minds. Otherwise the things of God might seem foolish to us (and they’re not).
When we get into the Word of God our mind and spirit are changed. But we can also unfortunately be influenced by the world, or our flesh.
If your confession is wrong, it’s because our believing has been attacked. It’ll affect our believing and thinking and ultimately our speaking.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
This is a warning. A person can believe that Jesus is Savior and Lord but not believe other things written in the Bible.
Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What you think and believe affects your mind and it affects your confession. Your confession affects your life.
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Key statements: Satan attacks your mind and emotions relentlessly. In response, you need to be renewing your mind relentlessly, daily.
Keep fighting the good fight of faith. This is the spiritual mind.
The natural mind wants to give up and be all negative especially in trials and disappointments. Even our physical senses will interfere with our daily spiritual renewal.
The cost of responding in the natural realm is we will read and react to things wrongly. Responding in the spiritual realm will change things for the better.
Point #1: A bad confession is a confession of defeat and failure.
This is actually talking about Satan and giving the devil praise. We should not be doing this. We should be talking about God and giving Him praise.
Confession is based upon witnessing a truth that you have embraced. (Whatever you perceive as truth.)
Confession is affirming something that we believe. When we confess we put a stamp on what you confirm or affirm. The angels and the demons take note of what you say.
Testimony is confessing God’s power even before it happens/manifests.
Story of the 12 spies sent to scout out the promised land. 10 affirmed Satan. 2 affirmed God. The 2 spies got to go into the promised land. The other 10 didn’t.
You can give dominion over your life to God or to Satan, by what you think, what you believe, and what you say.
Romans 10:9-10
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
We need to continue to give dominion over our lives to God.
Point #2: Christians need to continue to give God dominion over us.
Psalm 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The devil can try to attack you via all sorts of ways: the TV, the computer, the internet, other people, even other Christians. Stand up to Satan. Submit to God.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Speak back to the devil and speak directly at the lie. Use the Word of God.
Focused on 1 Peter 5:8
Satan might be a lion seeking someone to devour. But Jesus is the Lion of Judah.
Point #3: Confess God’s Word.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Matthew 8:17
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”
Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.