THE GREATEST CONFESSION 
CONTINUED
Jesus never asked us to confess anything. However, he did ask the disciples for a confession once. He asked them who they thought He was.
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ the Messiah, the Anointed, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:15-17)
Peter got the answer right by listening to Holy Spirit and made an excellent confession. Although it is not written in scripture, I believe in my heart that Jesus wants to hear our confession of whom He is as revealed to us by Holy Spirit. Who do you say He is?
In the first installment of this series about the greatest confession of all time, we learned how David, also led by Holy Spirit, wrote about who He believed Jesus was. His twenty-third Psalm is shockingly powerful because of its absolute truth. In our last teaching, we examined the first verse. This message will examine the first three verses of His beautiful and true confession.
Y’all can have the twenty-third Psalm read at your funeral or memorial service if you wish, but I wouldn’t. That is because it was written for the living, not the dead. Remember when the angel asked Mary why she looked for the living among the dead? Just my opinion.
BRACE FOR IMPACT
“The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want.
He causes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.”
He refreshes and restores my life. He leads me in the path of righteousness not for my earning it but for His name’s sake.
(Psalm 23:1-2)
These words are a profound statement of belief, without doubt. Because David spoke and wrote them without a doubt in his heart, they became truth.
David believed in His heart without doubt that because God is his Shepherd, he would never lack anything. He also wrote that God caused him to lie in green pastures and walk beside still and quiet waters.
For a sheep, there can be nothing more prosperous than lying down in green pastures. David believed, spoke, and wrote that God brought him great prosperity.
David confessed that God caused him to be at peace by leading him to walk beside still waters. Why does God cause his sheep (those of us who believe in Jesus) to walk beside still waters? Because He knows that we are fretty, easily frightened sheep and that noisy waters frighten us.
Holy Spirit showed David that God had restored and refreshed his soul and brought him into right standing
because of his belief and faith and love for him.
Because Jesus paid the price for all our past, present, and future sins, our restoration to right standing with God(righteousness)is based only on our belief in Him.
(John 1:29,John 3:16-18,Romans 10:9-10, 1 Peter 2:24, John 6:23, Hebrews 8-10-12, Hebrews 10:10-18, Psalm 103:1-3 and 12)
When we combine those four statements, the power is astonishing. One thousand years later, during His time on earth, Jesus confirmed every one of these statements of faith. The Lord (Jesus) is my Shepherd I shall not want! (lack anything because Jesus has already given us everything: 2 Peter 1;1-4 ) He causes me to lie down in green pastures! (divine prosperity: John 10:10, Luke 6:38, 2Corinthians9:6-14) He leads me beside still waters! (He causes me to live in peace and fearlessness: John 14:27, John 15:11) He restores my soul (puts me in right- standing with God, and gives me eternal salvation for His name’s (not my behavior)sake: (John 3:16-18, Romans 10:9-10)
Now, let’s tie in some teachings from Jesus:
The doorkeeper (Holy Spirit) opens the gate for this man(Jesus), and the sheep hear his voice and pay attention to it. And He (Jesus) calls his sheep (Those of us who believe and believe in Him) by name and leads them out to pasture. (The green pastures that David wrote about) When He has brought all his sheep outside, He walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice and recognize His call.
(John 10:2)
Think about what you just read. First, Jesus said we know His voice and pay attention to it. Second, Jesus said He calls us by our names; how cool is that? Finally, Jesus said we follow Him because we know His voice and recognize His call.
Sometimes when I tell people that I listen to and talk to Jesus most of every day, they look at me like I have lobsters crawling out of my ears.
The point is that Jesus is the Shepherd to whom David referred. Jesus went on to say: “I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD”!
Farther on in the 10th chapter of John, Jesus proclaimed:
I have come that they (Us, those who believe and believe in Him, His sheep)may have life and have it in abundance!”
So, according to Jesus, We are His sheep. He is the Good Shepherd to whom David refers, He leads us to the green pastures, and we follow Him because we know His voice. The waters Jesus leads us to are peaceful and quiet because He is with us, and because we believe and believe in Jesus, He gives us right standing with Him and eternal salvation.
Now, let’s investigate the power of confession according to our Good Shepherd:
“The good man out of the good treasure stored in his heart produces what is good, and the evil man out of the evil in his heart produces what is wicked and depraved; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.”
(Luke 6:45)
Davids’s confession is good and came from the overflow of the good in His heart. Good confessions come from the good that is in our hearts. Bad confessions come from the overflow of negativity in our hearts.
MORE FROM OUR KING:
Jesus replied, “Have faith in God. I (I as in THE GREAT I AM) assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to take place; it will be done for him.
(Mark 11:22-23)
MEANING
JESUS TAUGHT US THAT WHAT WE SAY, WITHOUT DOUBT, WILL COME TO PASS. POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.
Therefore, it is urgent that our confessions and what we speak are true, positive, and align with the teachings of Jesus.
Our following messages will teach some key scriptures to help you build your personal confession.
End of Teaching
NEVER FORGET HOW MUCH JESUS LOVES YOU PERSONALLY.
Remember that He loves you so much regardless of your behavior that He died the worst death anyone ever could to buy you for Himself so that you can live with Him for all eternity.
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Jesus wants you to know that He cherishes you (fill in your name) without regard for your behavior, so much that He suffered the worst death any human ever could to buy you for Himself so that you would live with Him forever.
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