Evening Series: Starting and Maintaining a Revival

Fellowship Issues: Dealing with Unconfessed Sin - Ezra 9

Fellowship issue? When unresolved, unconfessed sin is exposed by God as hindering the believer’s advancement in closeness with Him.

1. Problem of unconfessed sin. Ezra 9:1-2

*Problems caused by unconfessed sin

            -Physical illness. Psalm 32:3-4

            -Discipline of God. Proverbs 28:13

            -Hardening of the heart. Proverbs 28:14

            -Self-deception.1 John 1:8-10

            -Unanswered prayer. Psalm 66:18; James 4:3; Psalm 55:22

2. Prayer of repentance that confesses sin. Ezra 9:1-15

*Defining repentance: repentance is that grace through which we are firmly persuaded to turn from our sin to Jesus Christ.

*Thomas Watson (1620-1686), wrote in his book “The doctrine of repentance” six steps necessary for repentance. We can see five of these in Ezra 9:

            -Seeing sin as sin.  Ezra 9:1-2

            -Sorrow over sin. Ezra 9:3-4

            -Confession of sin. Ezra 9:5-9

            -Shame over sin. Ezra 9:10-12

            -Hatred of sin. Ezra 9:13-15