Lord I Have Sinned
Genesis 3:8-15
8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LordGod as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LordGod among the trees of the garden. 9But the LordGod called to the man, “Where are you?” 10He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13Then the LordGod said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Guilt “....and they hid from the Lord God…..”
Recognition “.....I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked….”
Vulnerability “Who told you that you were naked?”
Confession “Have you eaten from the tree……?”
Taking Responsibility Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent…..
Forgiveness “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
- What guilt are you holding in your heart?
- Have you identified the source of that guilt….not just the sin but the effect of that sin?
- Where is your vulnerability as it pertains to that sin?
- Are you ready to confess your sin to God?
- Are you ready to take full responsibility for your sin?
- Have you accepted the forgiveness that Christ offers to you?
Prayer of Confession:
God, we are naked and afraid…..vulnerable in the light of your presence….personally and as a church, a country, a world. We confess that not only have we sinned, but that we continue to sin. We pray for your strength as we face our sin, and your grace in freeing us from the chains with which we’ve bound ourselves. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for our sin and to be raised so that we may live. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
TODAY'S PREACHER
Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC