Lent III: Confessional Address (8-Mar-2015)

This confessional address was preached at St Mark's Lutheran Church, Mt Barker, 8.30am, 10.30am.

As we come to confess our sins today, I’d like to draw out a few things from our readings today.

First of all, in our Old Testament reading today, we will read the 10 commandments. Do you know the 10 commandments, and do you often think about them? Or do you just rely on your own conscience and your own heart to examine yourself and decide what’s right and what’s wrong?

Let’s listen to each of these commandments, and let them sit with us for a while. Let’s allow them to show us our sin.

You shall have no other gods.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Honour your father and your mother.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

It also might be useful today, as we confess our sins, to think about Jesus in our Gospel reading today as he enters the temple and kicks out all the money-changers there. What about our hearts? What are the false gods there? What are the things that we fear, love or trust more than God? What would Jesus want to throw out when he enters our heart, the temple of the Holy Spirit?

We also remember that Jesus came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. God’s law, and his commandments show us our sin and condemn us, but God has another word to speak to us, and that is his gospel, the free forgiveness of our sins. Let’s come to him with repentant hearts, acknowledging our sin, and look to him as our Saviour, who promises us forgiveness, and who commands his forgiveness to be spoken in his own church. Let’s pray…