You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
We are returning to the book of Daniel this morning, Daniel chapter 9 to be exact, if
you want to turn there with me.
Two more messages left to close out our study of this challenging book.
We have seen the lions and fires of Babylon responded to by the prayers of Daniel and
his friends as they seek to follow the true king in a land that honors other kings.
Now this morning we come to the longest of Daniel's recorded prayers.
It's a prayer that shows us a lot about what I'll call corporate confession.
It's a counter-cultural idea in our individualistic American society, but we're going to see the
Bible challenge our every man for himself American culture.
Notice the corporate, the group aspect of Daniel's prayer as I read beginning in verse 1.
This is God's holy, inerrant, infallible word.
In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, by descent Amid, who was made king over the
realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books
the number of years that according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet must
pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely 70 years.
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting
and sackcloth and ashes.
I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession saying,
O Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love
him and keep his commandments.
We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments
and rules.
We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings,
our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day to the men of
Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who
are far away, and all the lands to which you have driven them because of the treachery that
they have committed against you.
To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because
we have sinned against you.
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not
obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws which he set before us by his servants,
the prophets.
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have
not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight
by your truth.
Therefore, the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us.
For the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed
his voice.
And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand,
and have made a name for yourself, as at this day we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from
your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers,
Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
Now, therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy.
And for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.
O my God, incline your ear and hear.
Open your eyes and see our desolations in the city that is called by your name.
For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
O Lord, hear.
O Lord, forgive.
O Lord, pay attention and act.
Delay not for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.
Thus far, God's holy word.
Pray with me.
Father, we do thank you for your word.
We ask that you would teach us from it this morning.
That you would show us more of yourself.
That you would show us even our sin.
And that you, through the work of your spirit in our hearts, would turn us back to you.
And we ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
I think we are going sans technology at this point.
So if you have your Bibles, you can look at Daniel chapter 9 there.
And I promise I will try to think as I go what things to cue you on that are not on the screen behind me.
But let me start with this.
One year ago, at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, that's the annual meeting of the denomination that Southwood is a part of,
individuals, churches, and presbyteries were urged to consider present and past racial sins and the need for racial reconciliation.
As a result of that year of consideration that we have taken together and wrestling through some of those things,
ten days ago in Mobile, we made the following statement, of which I will read only a part for sake of time.
The 44th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America does recognize, confess, condemn, and repent of corporate and historical sins,
including those committed during the civil rights era,
and continuing racial sins of ourselves and our fathers,
such as the segregation of worshipers by race,
the exclusion of persons from church membership on the basis of race,
the exclusion of churches or elders from membership in the presbyteries on the basis of race,
the teaching that the Bible sanctions racial segregation and discourages interracial marriage,
the participation in and defense of white supremacist organizations,
and the failure to live out the gospel imperative that love does no wrong to a neighbor.
This General Assembly does recognize, confess, condemn, and repent of past failures to love brothers and sisters from minority cultures
in accordance with what the gospel requires,
as well as failures to lovingly confront our brothers and sisters concerning racial sins and personal bigotry
and failing to learn to do good, seek justice, and correct oppression.
This General Assembly praises and recommits itself to the gospel task of racial reconciliation,
diligently seeking effective courses of action to further that goal with humility, sincerity, and zeal
for the glory of God and the furtherance of the gospel.
There was more to this statement than I've read there,
and you'd be encouraged to know there were more than just words said a couple of weeks ago.
There's a great sense, if you're there at gatherings like this,
of the Spirit moving in our denomination on these racial issues.
We also approved a multi-ethnic committee to continue advising us on racial realities moving forward.
We approved a fund to support minority training in our seminaries to prepare more minority gospel ministers,
which are much needed.
It's all very, very exciting.
You should be very encouraged at what God is doing.
But I want us to notice particularly this morning,
back to the first part of the statement,
that we were confessing and repenting of sins both past and present,
during the civil rights era and continuing sins.
That we were confessing and repenting of sins both individual and corporate of ourselves
and corporate ones of our fathers even.
Many of the specific examples that I read come from before the PCA was founded in 1973.
Many men who voted a couple weeks ago to confess these sins
have never done some of these particular things in their churches.
Does that seem odd?
Is that a little bit strange to confess something that you haven't personally done?
Did it seem odd to you when I read Daniel's prayer to hear this faithful prophet,
himself confessing sins time and again with we?
Did you notice that word?
We.
You'll notice he's very clear about this corporate aspect of confessing the sins of God's people.
We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled.
Verse 5.
All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside,
refusing to obey your voice.
Verse 11.
We have sinned.
We have done wickedly.
Verse 15.
And so it's for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers
that God's people in this generation have been sent into exile.
Yes, because they are sinners, but also for what their fathers had done.
Now, you may be okay with Daniel confessing sin in general.
I mean, we're all sinners, right?
So we can all confess sin.
But he handles specific sins the same way.
The example that takes the cake for me is in verse 6.
We have not listened to your servants, the prophets.
Seriously, Daniel.
You are a prophet.
They are the ones who have not listened to the prophets, right?
But Daniel says we.
Again, we have not.
I don't know about you, but I don't really like confessing someone else's sin as my own.
I've got enough of my own to deal with already.
Thank you.
I didn't need to bring on a corporate dynamic to it.
But we see from Daniel's prayer a biblical principle runs all through the scriptures
that corporate confession is grounded in our connectedness as God's people.
Our connectedness as God's people.
See, unlike other parts of the world that have a more corporate emphasis in their culture,
in their religion,
we in individualistic America don't naturally think about confessing sin in the church as a team activity, do we?
But we do know this corporate connectedness and how it works in another arena, sports.
Let me explain.
You see, when Alabama narrowly defeated Clemson in the national championship game this year,
many of my friends were very happy.
They were rejoicing.
We won.
We beat y'all.
We won our, like, 49th national championship or something.
They have trouble counting.
Side note, it's so much easier to keep, there's less controversy if you just keep the number lower.
Like, one.
We won.
It's easier to count that way.
We did that.
But regardless of how many national championships,
regardless of that, there's a deep sense of corporate identity, isn't there?
There is.
It's deeply felt.
When we cheer for our teams, don't we?
The actual connectedness may be as strong as a degree from the institution,
or it may be as thin as some money given,
or a red shirt worn on Saturdays.
But regardless, many of us feel we win or we lose with our team.
Many of us will feel that corporate connectedness on a national level watching the Olympics in a few weeks
and asking, how many medals have we won?
Or this fall, you'll watch election returns from states you didn't vote in, like Ohio and Florida,
and you'll be anxious and you'll say, oh, we won or we lost
because of the connection you feel to a particular party or candidate that you've connected yourself to.
Again, it's yet another area where we understand and deeply feel a corporate sense of connectedness.
And I have you ask yourself this morning, why do I feel more deeply connected with sports and politics than I do with the church?
How much more should we appreciate the connection that we have in Christ that we actually have because of Him?
If you remember Ephesians when we talked last year about being connected in Christ,
that the reality of our connectedness with each other because of our identity in Christ
far outweighs all the other differences that would set us apart, right?
It's not artificial or theoretical.
It's far beyond the bond of team or party loyalty.
It's an actual connection in one body, one family by our union with Christ.
And it matters more than all of our differences.
Daniel models that reality for God's people as he says,
we, we, we, we, our sins.
Whether God's people is a particular congregation,
a national denomination,
or the universal church,
we are called to rejoice together
and weep together.
When one part of the body is honored, all are honored.
When one suffers, all suffer.
1 Corinthians 12.
It's why we value being together like next Sunday night
when we're gathering for ice cream
and just to celebrate nothing more but nothing less than each other.
The connectedness, the fellowship that we have in Christ.
It's why we see Christians beheaded across the globe
and we mourn
and say we were attacked.
It's why we confess particular racial sins
committed by our brothers and sisters,
fathers and mothers,
some of them before we were born
or in other congregations
because we have sinned.
This is a biblical pattern all the way back to Adam, isn't it?
Adam's first sin affects the entire human race
all connected to him by birth.
Romans 5 tells us that in Adam,
death came to all men because all sinned.
Many died through one man's trespass.
So while I will admit there is a difference in individual sins
that we confess particularly
and corporate sins,
we confess the sins of our fathers
and should expect that because they're our fathers,
just like with Adam,
in many ways,
those sins still impact us
and those same heart attitudes are found in us.
The Presbyterians in the 1860s
and the 1960s
may have done things that we personally haven't done.
But their prejudices against those different from them
and pride in their own social standing
are idols and sins we know quite well
and must confess alongside their particular sins.
So we need to be challenged here.
It's a cultural blind spot for American Christians.
We often feel more connected to a football team
than a family of God.
More connected to a political party
than to the people of God.
And part of following the true king,
if that's what God is calling us to do,
and he is,
part of that is realizing
that following that king
connects you inextricably
and beyond anything else
that you're connected to,
to the joys and sorrows,
the victories and defeats
of many others
following the true king with you.
Not only is corporate confession
grounded in our connectedness
as God's people,
but Daniel also shows us in his prayer
it is based on sins of omission
as well as sins of commission.
The things we neglect,
not just the actions that we take.
Certainly we see Daniel confessing
that God's people have acted wickedly,
rebelled against God
and transgressed God's law.
They've committed particular sins,
violating God's commands
where he specifically told them
to do something different.
But it's also vital for us
to consider the duties
that we have neglected doing.
The ways we have not shared
God's heart and priorities.
Notice this twice in his prayer.
What they have not done.
First verse six,
where we have not listened
to your servants,
the prophets,
who spoke to all the people
of the land.
We have not listened.
And then later verse 13,
yet we have not entreated
the favor of the Lord our God,
turning from our iniquities
and gaining insight by your truth.
Even when called to it repeatedly,
we have not done these things.
See, when the people of God
lose their zeal for the heart of God,
when they fail to heed his word
and have it shape their lives,
when they neglect to form their lives
around his truth and his priorities,
that is just as grievous to God
as specific violations of his commandments.
That's what these verses are telling us.
And Daniel confesses that
from the people of Israel,
that over and over again,
they have omitted things
they should have done.
They've neglected God's heart
for the poor,
the oppressed,
and the alien.
They have failed to truly
be a kingdom of priests,
spreading his light
to the nations.
I want to help us think corporately
about broad sin patterns
in our lives this morning
that are or have been
both sins we have committed
and opportunities to share God's heart
that we have neglected.
Some of these,
as we talk about them,
you may feel uniquely
in a personal way.
I certainly do.
It's a hard but needful thing
when God's word and spirit
convict us of our sin,
isn't it?
But when you don't feel
that same conviction personally,
I'd urge you to remember
that the idea here
is corporate confession.
To let these corporate realities
break your heart
before your Father.
I'm just going to mention
three areas for us to consider.
The first to follow
the lead of our denomination
is racism and racial brokenness.
Some have observed
that in our society,
Sunday is the most segregated
day of the week.
And that sad reality
is partly due
to the attitudes
in our hearts
that emphasize
and focus on our racial
and cultural differences
rather than allowing
the gospel to break down
those barriers
in beautiful ways
like God has promised
it will.
We harbor underlying prejudices.
relationships with people
like us
and so subtly elbow out
those who look different.
We're content
with the comfortable
status quo
and don't make room
at the table
for others who are different
because we are so full
of those just like us.
If you look back
at the denominational statement,
the whole second paragraph
is about our sins
of omission
in this regard.
All we've neglected
while sitting around
denying that we're racist,
we've said these things
in this statement.
It's our failures
to love brothers and sisters
from minority cultures
as the gospel requires.
Failures to confront
brothers and sisters
who are in racial sin
and have personal bigotry
and we've let it go
without challenging them.
Failing to learn
to do good,
seek justice
and correct oppression.
Maybe not actively
going to do something
but not taking up
the cause
as God would call us
to in His Word.
Do we long
as we should
for every tribe
and tongue
and people
and nation
vision of the kingdom
in Revelation?
Do we long
for that kingdom
to come today?
Our relationships
today tell me
we don't.
We're in the state
of Alabama, y'all,
where we're reminded
regularly
just by names
of cities
and events
on the news
of the pain
and oppression
of our African-American
brothers and sisters
and fellow image bearers
that they've undergone
for centuries
all around us
right here
in our towns
and cities
and we have not
sought aggressively
to correct oppression
and listen to their pain
and their experience
to enter in
to listen
and mourn
and grieve
with them.
We know
there are systems
that benefit us
and exclude them
and others
but we don't
sacrificially
seek to remedy that.
An Asian-American
PCA pastor
named Duke Kwan
spoke to a couple
hundred of us
gathered to talk
about these issues
one evening
during General Assembly
a couple weeks ago
and among other
great challenges
he said
I call you tonight
dear friends
not simply
to repent corporately
for past
overt acts
of racism
which we must do
and Lord willing
which we will do
I call you
to commit
to the dismantling
of white cultural
normativity
in the PCA
and I call you
to the establishment
of a new norm
a new vision
for our denomination
that might be called
multicultural normativity
he's saying
a vision
that you would
commit to
that your kitchen
table
and your church
would look more
like heaven
like the throne room
in Revelation
than it does
today
amen to that
that's what he means
that we would long
for that
that we would want
our church
to look like that
and so that it would
start in our hearts
and in our homes
we've worshipped
a God
made
in our own image
and neglected
others created
different
in his image
secondly
we have worshipped
the idol
of materialism
and neglected
the poor
and the oppressed
money is not evil
but our hearts are
we're proud
of what we have
earned for ourselves
aren't we
and honestly
in our hearts
we feel it proves
we're better
smarter
harder working
more deserving
than those who have
less
we shape our lives
around consumerism
demanding more features
better service
and increased choices
we debate
which restaurant
to eat at
or which outfit
would look better
while others
are neither fed
nor clothed
and we know
we have been
worshipping self
instead of God
because we neglect
to have his heart
for the poor
God wrote laws
to care for the oppressed
and the marginalized
Jesus loved
the poor
and the downtrodden
but we have been
quicker to lecture
and criticize
than we have been
to sacrifice
and love
we have been
fearful
and self-protective
rather than humble
and self-sacrificing
when we consider
a day
where no one
is truly impoverished
in the entire city
of Huntsville
no one homeless
no one hungry
can you imagine that?
our first thought
is how nice
that would be
for us
not what a joy
it would be
for them
finally this morning
because
my heart
could only take
so much conviction
in one week
we worship
the comfort
of a busy silence
and neglect
the lost
all around us
our lives
y'all are packed
full of things
that we do
for ourselves
for our kids
for our futures
we're just
packed to the gills
there's not room
for anything else
meanwhile
the only hope
for a world
desperately in need
of hope
is kept
consistently
to ourselves
eternity
hangs in the balance
and we are
too comfortable
in what I'll call
our busy silence
to be inconvenienced
by the risk
of rejection
embarrassment
or failure
you see
it's often
not that we plan
to avoid
the lost
but that we plan
so many other
things first
that we can't help
but miss
the lost
and we're not
bothered
when it happens
God so loved
the world
that he sent
his son
from heaven
to earth
to rescue
lost souls
but we have
neglected
that passion
of God's heart
we can't be bothered
to walk next door
to alter
vacation plans
to share
that same
good news
we've worshipped
ourselves
and lost
sight
of the heart
of God
we have loved
and prioritized
ourselves
and we have
neglected
the ethnically
materially
or spiritually
different
sounds actually
if you read
the Old Testament
like the people
of Israel
especially in
Daniel's day
just read through
any of the prophets
prophets
I'm going to let us
confess these things
together
in just a minute
but first one more
question from this
passage
is there any hope
it's just sin
sin
failure
is there any hope
when we consider
these realities
in our hearts
and in our churches
the last thing
about corporate
confession
this morning
from Daniel
is that it is
fueled
by hope
in God's promises
to his people
that's what
drives corporate
confession
and makes it
a reality
just as we know
personally
that it is the
kindness of God
that leads us
to repentance
so corporately
we cling
to his promises
and his faithful
character
as we confess
our failings
Daniel
in this passage
is driven
we're told
by reading God's word
through the prophet
Jeremiah
to pray
and confess
sin
he reads God's
covenant promises
to restore
his exiled people
after they've been
gone from the
promised land
and he opens
his prayer
by claiming
these covenant
promises
verse 4
I prayed to the
Lord my God
and made confession
oh Lord
the great and
awesome God
who keeps covenant
and steadfast love
with those who love
him and keep
his commandments
we are your people
he says
the ones you set
your love upon
your faithful
covenant love
the ones you rescued
out of Egypt
verse 15
the ones you promised
to redeem
with your faithful
covenant love
the love that promises
you will be reliable
even when we
aren't
even when we
fail
it's your promise
to come through
for us
one commentator
Dale Ralph Davis
says
the Lord's promises
drive his
servants prayer
here's this picture
it's as if
God's promises
have velcro
on them
and our prayers
are meant to
get stuck there
I love that picture
our prayers
stuck
on the promises
of God
and then Daniel
appeals to God's
character
as a merciful God
who delights
to forgive
verse 8
look
it's the
open shame
that is ours
because we've
sinned against God
but to the Lord
our God
belong
mercy
and forgiveness
that's the kind
of God
he is
look down
to verse 18
we don't present
our pleas
before you
because of
our righteousness
but because of
your great
mercy
do you see
what Daniel's
down to
as he goes
through and
confesses the
sin of his
people
his only hope
is God's
great
mercy
he's broken
hearted over
the sin of his
people
and he pleads
for mercy
from a faithful
merciful father
who loves
to forgive
it's that mercy
from God
toward his
covenant people
that is our
hope
as we confess
our sin
in fact it's
what drives us
to confess
one of the
primary things
I believe
has sparked
this renewal
and repentance
in the PCA
is the way
our African
American
brothers and
sisters
have patiently
modeled
the merciful
and forgiving
heart
of God
to us
they have
been unrelenting
in their work
for justice
and equally
unrelenting
in their
gracious
commitment
to forgiveness
that's prompted
us to feel
safe
to confess
it's that
mercy of God
his kindness
that leads us
to repentance
you see
God didn't
just use
the principle
of corporate
connectedness
one time
he didn't
just have
someone
stand in
our place
once
he didn't
just have
Adam's
sin
counted
to our
account
as sin
and death
now in
Christ
he has
credited
righteousness
and life
to our
account
Romans 5
is all
about this
read the
whole thing
later
verse 15
says
if many
died
through
one man's
trespass
that's
Adam
much more
have the
grace of
God
and the
free
gift
by the
grace
of that
one man
Jesus
Christ
abounded
for many
and the
free gift
is not
like the
result
of that
one man's
sin
for the
judgment
following
one
trespass
brought
condemnation
but the
free gift
following
many
trespasses
brought
justification
for if
because of
one man's
trespass
death
reigned
through
that
one man
much
more
will those
who receive
the abundance
of grace
and the
free gift
of righteousness
reign in
life
through the
one man
Jesus
Christ
therefore
as one
trespass
led to
condemnation
for all
men
so one
act of
righteousness
leads to
justification
and life
for all
men
for as
by the
one man's
disobedience
the many
were made
sinners
so by the
one man's
obedience
the many
will be
made
righteous
glory
hallelujah
by one
man's
obedience
the many
will be
made
righteous
the many
sinners
the many
who had
fallen apart
who'd
sinned
themselves
and their
fathers
and they'd
failed to do
what God
had called
them to do
Jesus
in one
man
brings
them
life
and righteousness
that they
didn't
deserve
that is
great
mercy
that frees
us to
confess
our
deep
sin
that's
why
confession
is a
unique
mark
of the
church
because
we have
a God
who
forgives
because
we have
a righteousness
that's not
our own
it's not
based on
our
record
it's
mercy
that gives
us
hope
because
we may
well
initially
feel
that this
whole
corporate
connection
thing
is
unfair
we'd
rather
just be
judged
like we
always
are
on our
own
merits
that's
what we're
used to
in our
culture
right
but in
fact
it's our
corporate
connectedness
that is
our
only
hope
on our
own
merits
we are
hopeless
unrighteous
and facing
death
but being
connected
to Jesus
changes
everything
by the
one man's
obedience
many
will be
made
righteous
will receive
the abundance
of grace
and the
free
gift
of
righteousness
let's pray
and then we'll
confess
together
father we
praise you
for the
grace
that is ours
in Christ
Jesus
we thank
you for
his sacrifice
on our
behalf
taking the
punishment
that our
sin
deserved
once
and for
all
the
righteous
for the
unrighteous
father would
it lead us
even this
morning
into
repentance
that we
might hate
our sin
and love
our
savior
holy
spirit
even now
work in
our hearts
to show us
our sin
and our
savior
as we
take a few
moments
silently
amen
we
skipped our
typical
confession
of sin
earlier in
the service
so we
could do it
after wrestling
with our
need
for confession
from this
passage
I've written
an extended
corporate
confession
for us
this morning
taken from
some of the
issues we've
talked about
and some of
Daniel's words
in Daniel 9
let's stand
together and
confess
our
sin
heavenly
father
we confess
that we
have sinned
and turned
aside
from your
commands
and your
heart
we have
thought more
highly of
ourselves
than of
others
different
from us
we have
harbored
prejudice
in our
hearts
we have
spoken
carelessly
we have
laughed
hurtfully
and God
we have
failed to
love our
neighbor
by defending
our minority
brothers
and sisters
we have
neglected
to address
broken
systems
we have
been
satisfied
with
relationships
with others
like us
we have
not longed
for a
multicolored
kingdom
that you
have promised
us your
kingdom
is
oh
Lord
have
mercy
on us
heavenly
father
to us
belongs
open
shame
because
of our
unbridled
materialism
we have
sought
security
and created
things
rather than
the creator
we have
been proud
in our
own
accomplishments
rather than
grateful
for your
gifts
and God
we have
neglected
the poor
and the
oppressed
in our
fear
and selfishness
we have
not cried
over their
suffering
or shown
your benevolent
heart
at all
times
oh
Lord
have
mercy
on us
heavenly
father
we have
rebelled
and failed
to obey
your voice
you have
called us
to share
the good news
of Jesus
with all
people
to make
disciples
of all
nations
but we
have
busied
ourselves
with the
temporal
pleasures
we desire
and avoided
the eternal
souls
of people
created
in your
image
and God
we have
refused
to risk
discomfort
rejection
or even
persecution
for the
sake
of your
name
oh
Lord
have
mercy
on us
forgive
us
Lord
for these
and many
other
violations
of your
holy law
we have
done
as well
as many
other
duties
we have
left
undone
oh
Lord
hear
oh
Lord
forgive
oh
Lord
pay
attention
and act
delay
not
for your
own
sake
oh
God
for we
do not
present
our
pleas
before
you
because
of our
righteousness
but because
of your
great
mercy
amen
let's
continue in
confession now
as we sing
the words of
David's psalm of
confession
psalm 51
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Thank you.