Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

It takes longer, but you see more.

The Bible records:

When the people heard Peter’s words, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter answered them, “All of you must turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you must be Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. This promise belongs to you and to your children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships the Lord our God.”
Peter said much more to warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:37–40)

Repent. Confess your sins and repent. Confess your sins and be forgive. Confess your sins and receive the Holy Spirit. A lack of repentance is to reject the Holy Spirit; that is to grieve the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30) Should we not pray like David:

Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.¹

Last week Wednesday you read: Hosea 14:1–2 where Hosea echoes David’s words:

Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God… Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity.’²

Confession is not just an inward sigh. It is spoken. It is carried with words of truth and faith, and met with mercy.

Our Lord Christ has said:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.³

It is about a 40 mile drive from Colby to Wausau. Since the construction started on 29 I’ve been taking N. I drive that stretch a lot. It is a 45 minutes trip.

Wisconsin is a beautiful place. There are rolling hills as you drive. There are rivers, woods and fields at moving through planting and harvest. The beauty is so clear you can see it at 70 miles an hour on 29. If you get off the freeway and drive though county roads you see more of it. The truth is if you walk there are streams you probably didn’t know were there, and beautiful countryside. Now I haven’t walked to Wausau, but I’ve headed out for awhile to take in the sun and the fresh air on some bike rides. When you slow down it takes longer, but you see more.

What has stuck out for me was what I saw more of. You see more beauty, but you also see more that isn’t beauty. Now Wisconsin, as I said, is a beautiful place. Effort is put into keeping the place picked up and clean. There are times throughout the year when people volunteer to pick up the trash, or people who have violated some law get volunteered to pick it up, but it keeps the place looking nice.

At 50, 60, 70 or faster it almost always look really nice, but when you take a little longer, when you move a little slower, you see more. The roads over which you usually drive at higher speeds, seem dirtier, more worn and gray when you walk. There are quaint farms that foster thoughts back to a slower time. They sit so picturesque on the landscape, but as you walk by, it doesn’t always look picturesque. You see some that are run down and sometimes abandoned and wearing because of the weather.

Speed is a mixed blessing. Our American culture is fast. Fast is good. Fast can be a virtue, and sometimes it is. However the fastest way is not always the best way. It’s not that great for relationships. It keeps them shallow and superficial. Fast is often a bad way to make major decisions. Fast is bad in worship, or in confession dealing with sin. Fast is not better in our devotion as we move in the presence of God. Our Amish friends I venture grasp that concept a little better than we do.

We are taking this walk through the subject of Confession, admitting our faults, at a fairly slow pace. Some might like to get done. They’d like to kick up the pace. Luther, in writing his the whole Catechism, actually takes quite a bit longer than he could have.

But when it comes to confession and absolution he actually sped things up. He took that old tradition of confession, absolution and penance and he cut that down to just two steps: confession and absolution. So he does speed things up a little bit, which is good. It’s kind of simple. It’s very clean. It’s quick. Confession has two parts. First: we confess our sins and second: we receive absolution;

that is forgiveness from the pastor as from God himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.⁴

I can remember, even in grade school, thinking that was quick. That was efficient, but then he slows us down. He asks: What sins should we confess? Well before God we should plead guilty of all sins. Even those of which we are not aware. “Not aware.” Don’t over think it. There probably are some, so pop off a quick, “Sorry God” and your good to go. That’s quick. That’s easy. …but Luther ask us to take a little longer, to slow down. Luther says:

…but before the pastor we should confess those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.⁵

“Feel in our hearts” We men-folk aren’t always as in tune to our hearts as you women. For guys a whole day can go by when we don’t tune in or ponder what we feel in our heart. We generally tend to focus on what is going on in our mind, keeping our feet moving and hands busy with the stuff of the day and on the calendar, which is always full. That’s usually how we do things. …but we could, and we should, all slow down and ponder our sin, our mess. Pause, think about it, and admit it.

It takes longer, but you see more. Luther helps. He asks, “Which are these sins?” His answer:

Consider your place in life according to the Ten Commandments.

That could take some time.

Are you a father or mother? Are you a son? Or a daughter? Are you a husband? A wife? A worker? Have you been disobedient? Have you been lazy?

It takes longer, but you see more.

Have you been short-tempered? Have you been rude? What about quarrels?

Have there been times when I have hurt someone else by my words? Stay with me now.

Have you stolen? How about someone’s time? Have you been negligent? Have you wasted anything? Have you done anyone any harm?

All of this takes longer, but you see more. It’s like praying that dangerous prayer, “Heavenly Father, I can’t remember my sins. Show them to me.” It is almost frightening how quickly He answers such prayers. …but not because He wants to get you, hurt you or guilt you.

This is not some exercise in self-demeaning or self-insulting, nor is it spiritual one-up-manship, or one-down-manship. This is important. Luther teaches we should, on a regular basis, turn off the speed, gear down, and take a little longer. Take the time to see things as they really are. Take some time to really pause and ponder those real sins by which you have hurt people and yourself. Real sins that have battered and bruised your relationship with your heavenly Father. “Our Father who art in heaven…”

Slow down. Admit it. Face it. When you do you see more? What you see may not be so picturesque, but you know what? I have some really, really good news for you. You see more but there is no sin you will see that Jesus Christ has not already seen. He sees far better than you do what is in you. That’s why you confess to Him, even the sins of which you are not aware. He sees. He knows, and He still loves you. He lived for you. He died for you. He rose to life eternal for you and with you. It is because of these things you know He forgives.

Scripture proclaims:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.⁶

It takes a while just to get ready, and it takes the Holy Spirit a while to get us ready, to truly acknowledge and confess our sins. That’s because we’re not sure we want to face them. Part of us doesn’t want to acknowledge them. Part of us doesn’t want to give them up.

Confession takes time, stillness, and Reflection. It is in that pause that salvation and strength are found.

You know you all too well. You know you like those sins. They’re comfortable. They’ve become old friends. They are that warm blanket. We don’t want to give them up, even when we know they are bad for us. If you are truly honest, you know it is true. You might feel guilty, but giving them up… that’s harder. I have some really really good news for you. Before you are ready to acknowledge them, Jesus Christ is already ready to forgive them, because it’s morning and His mercies are new.⁷ This morning you call on Him because He is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love.⁸ He is so ready to forgive.

Slowing down, it can be hard. It’s easier in some ways to live the pace set by the world, but when you do slow down there are blessings. They sometimes don’t come in the best packages. Sometimes opening the gift includes some pain, some uncomfortable feelings, some admission of guilt, but I have some really really good news for you.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and He takes away the sin of the world.⁹

So we’re here, and we’ve slowed down. Perhaps you have paused. Perhaps you have pondered. If you have, there are sins you have seen that are troubling you, sins you feel in your heart. I know that is true. I know it because the Bible says:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.¹⁰

If you have truly slowed it all down, and really done some self searching, some soul searching, you will see those sins in you. If you don’t please look again. Go slower. They are there. Just like they are in me. I know you don’t want to look ’cuz they’re not pretty. They are there and they will tell you things about yourself you don’t like.

You don’t like them because they are not the part of you that reflects the image and likeness of God.¹¹ When you see them they will pain you. Know this: I won’t leave you there. I won’t because Jesus won’t. I have some really really good news for you. Forgiveness is available in far richer supply then all of that sick seditious sin.

As you look into your heart and see all that filth, failure and fault, don’t look away. Stare it down. Look it, and Satan, in the eye. It is ugly but God has turned ashes to beauty.¹² As you look at it, see it where it belongs: On the cross. Then let me speak to your heart. As you ponder those sins, as you ponder your guilt, know this. I have some really really good news for you.

U pon this your confession I by virtue of my office as a Called and ordained servant of Christ, announced the grace of God to you. And in the stead, and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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NOTES

1Psalm 51:9-12