“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
– Proverbs 28:13
Main thought: We often mistakenly think that worship is a Sunday thing that we do and that no preparation prior to Sunday is necessary. But the reality is that throughout the week prior to corporate worship on Sunday, there should be and must be preparation for worship. To think that we can go to worship the Lord on Sunday giving little thought to Him during the week is a great error. The first way that I think that we should prepare for worship is a daily confession of our sins. As Christians, we have been given a new nature, we are a new creature in Christ, and our desires now are focused on pleasing our Lord. But we are still affected by sin and we still sin, and this sin while not severing us from our salvation in Christ (Philippians 1:6), can and does affect our fellowship with Christ. An example of this is seen in the life of David, who committed adultery with Bathsheba and his unconfessed sin definitely brought the displeasure of God and broken fellowship, but when he confessed that sin fellowship was restored (Psalm 51). Also, we see how Peter denied our Lord three times on the night of Jesus being falsely accused and taken away, but obviously, we see from the accounts in Acts that Peter was restored to fellowship with our Lord and was greatly used by God. We deceive ourselves if we think that we do not sin (1 John 1:8), and we also deceive ourselves if we think that the little sins that we commit and leave unconfessed do not affect our fellowship with God and our ability to worship Him with the people of God on Sunday. Our sins need to be confessed, for as Solomon writes here that if we conceal our sins, we will not prosper. I believe the application is that we will not prosper in any way, especially spiritually, if we fail to confess and forsake sin. We are assured here that if we do confess and forsake, God in His mercy will forgive us and cleanse us so that we might daily have right fellowship with Him, and when we do so, we will be truly prepared to worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23), when we come together with the people of God to worship Him.
David Webber
David Webber is married to Mary with four children and four grandchildren, and serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Longview, TX. He obtained a BS in History from the University of Texas at Tyler, TX, and pursued studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX. Throughout his ministry, he has been an invited preacher and educator in numerous churches and various Bible conferences. Surrendering to the gospel ministry’s calling in 1972 at the age of 16, he received preaching licensure from Little Flock Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, in 1974. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1978, he was ordained in December of 1980 by Faith Baptist Church. Following this, he contributed his services to Faith Baptist in Longview and subsequently engaged with Grace Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where he instructed Sunday School and delivered sermons as needed. In February of 1994, Faith Baptist invited him to lead as their pastor, a role he has faithfully held to the present day. David writes a blog for the church website and is a writer for The Art of Worship.
More from David Webber
Isaiah 41:17-18
“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” – Isaiah 41:17-18
Psalm 29:2
“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.” – Psalm 29:2
Hebrews 10:14
“For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” – Hebrews 10:14
Isaiah 25:8-9
“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of the people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” – Isaiah 25:8-9
2 Corinthians 1:22
“… and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” – 2 Corinthians 1:22
1 Corinthians 10:31
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
Romans 16:20a
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” – Romans 16:20a
Psalm 30:4-5
“Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” – Psalm 30:4-5
Psalm 4:7
“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” – Psalm 4:7
Mark 15:37-38
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” – Mark 15:37-38