"Owning It" 3-5-25

Overview

Owning It: Repentance at the Beginning of Lent

Lent is a forty-day season—a deeply biblical span echoing the rains of Noah, Moses on Sinai, David's reign, and Christ's wilderness temptation. The Church has always called us to repentance, but during these forty days we lean into it with particular focus. The biblical word for repentance means to turn around: you are walking one direction, and by God's grace you turn and walk the other way. And a non-negotiable part of that turning is owning it—taking honest responsibility for our sin rather than passing it off.

Owning it has never come naturally. When Moses descended Sinai with the tablets of the Law and confronted Aaron about the golden calf, Aaron deflected: the people are bent on evil, they pressured me, and "I threw it into the fire, and there came out this calf" Exodus 32:21-24. The same dodge appears at the very beginning—Adam blames Eve (and even God for giving her to him), and Eve blames the serpent Genesis 3:12-13. The Law itself functions as a mirror to expose this evasion: "through the law comes knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20. Scripture keeps pressing the point. Jesus says, "you refuse to come to me that you may have life" John 5:40, and laments over Jerusalem, "you were not willing" Luke 13:34. James warns that "each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" James 1:14-16. The world finds it acceptable—even admirable—to refuse responsibility. God calls us instead to own it.

David shows us what that looks like. After his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, when Nathan confronted him, David did not deflect. He wrote, "I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned" Psalm 51:1-5. That is the confession the Church makes together at the beginning of Lent: we have sinned by our own fault, in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. No blame-shifting. No excuses. We own it.

And here is the gospel that meets us when we do: the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and bore what was never His. The spotless Lamb of God took our sin upon Himself so that we might live—He owned what wasn't His, so that we who own ours might be reconciled to God. The ashes traced on the forehead are coarse and humbling, reminding us, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." But they are placed in the shape of a cross. Frailty and forgiveness meet there. Beloved, your sin has been owned—by Him—and you are forgiven.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's please with me this evening to Exodus the 30-second chapter? 3s

Exodus chapter 32, if you're using a few additional Holy Scripture, you will find that on page 73, 10s

the 30-second chapter of the Book of Exodus. 16s

40, it is such a biblical number. 22s

The Bible tells us that with regard to Noah that it reigned for 40 days and for 40 nights, 29s

Bible tells us with regard to Moses when he went up to the mountain to receive the law of God, 39s

that he was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. 46s

The Bible tells us that David reigned over Israel for 40 years. 53s

The Bible tells us that when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, it was for 40 days. 61s

40 is such a biblical number. 73s

As we enter this evening into the season of length, the season of length lasts 40 days. 80s

You don't count Easter, you don't count Sundays during this time because each Sunday is a little Easter. 90s

But at last 40 days, it's a rich, rich time in which the church in a special way focuses on repentance. 100s

There's already always focuses on repentance. 113s

But during the season of length, there's a particular focus that biblical word of repentance means 118s

you're going one direction and you turn around and you go the other way. 125s

The Lord calls us continually to repent, to turn around, to go a different way. 130s

And part of repentance is owning it. 141s

It's owning our sin. 148s

It's taking responsibility for it. 152s

Part of repentance is owning it. 156s

But that can be a challenge, can't it? It can be a challenge. 163s

Because what's acceptable in the day that we live in. 169s

What's acceptable in all of the days really, since the fall and to sin in the garden of Eden, 178s

what's acceptable is not to own it. 184s

It's not to take responsibility. 189s

It's not to say I own that. 195s

I will tell you some of the giving of the ten commandments, the giving of the law. 206s

His Moses went up the mountain. 212s

He comes down with two tablets. 215s

Bible tells us of the receiving of the ten commandments and the chief function of the ten commandments. 219s

The chief function of it is to show us our sin. 228s

It acts as a mirror. 232s

We understand that we are sinners. 234s

We understand that we are sinful. 237s

We understand the condition of sin because the law is the mirror to us. 239s

Romans, the third chapter, says, for no human being will be justified in his sight by deeds prescribed by the law. 245s

For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 254s

Moses comes down from the mountain with the two tablets containing the law of God. 262s

What does he find? 268s

He finds the people dancing around a golden calf. 272s

This was God's people. 280s

This was the people that God had formed. 281s

This was the people that came forth from that covenant promised to Abraham and Sarah. 283s

That multitude would come forth. 289s

This was the people out of which the Messiah would be born. 290s

When Moses comes down the mountain, what he discovers is the people dancing. 294s

Dancing around a golden calf. 299s

Moses, the Bible tells us, was furious. 304s

He was furious. 309s

He burns the calf. 312s

He grines it into a powder. 316s

He spreads it on the water. 320s

He makes the people drink it. 322s

He turns to his brother, Aaron, the high priest. 330s

He says, in chapter 32 verse 21, look at it, please. 336s

Moses said to Aaron, what did this people do to you that you've brought such a great sin upon them? 341s

What happened here, Aaron? 352s

Everything is out of control. 355s

The people are dancing around a golden calf. 357s

He confronts him in his part in this sinful expression. 361s

And what is the response of Aaron? 367s

Verse 22. 371s

And Aaron said, do not let the anger of my Lord, Bernhardt. 374s

You know, the people that they're bent on evil. 378s

They said to be, make us gods who shall go before us as for those Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt. 382s

We don't know what's become of him. 389s

So I said to them, whoever has gold take it off so that they gave it to me and I threw it into the fire. 392s

And I came this calf. 398s

You see what he's doing, don't you? 402s

It's not his fault. 406s

Not his fault. 409s

He blames the people, you know how evil they are. 412s

He blames the people. 415s

Then he blames the fact that he was pressured into it. 416s

Then he blames the fact that he just threw the gold and the fire and out popped this idol. 419s

He didn't own it. 425s

Now my responsibility was as he doesn't own it. 428s

Does that sound like something we've heard before? 437s

The Garden of Eden Adam and Eve. 445s

God said, don't eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 450s

Today you eat of it, you'll die. 452s

And they sink their teeth into the forbidden fruit. 455s

And Adam turns to God. 460s

And recorded in Genesis 3 says, 463s

The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it. 466s

Catch what he does there? 473s

He isn't own it. 477s

He says it's her fault. 481s

And then he has the audacity to blame God for giving the woman to him. 483s

Now life is her fault and it's your fault. 501s

What's Eve do? 509s

The serpent tricked me. 512s

She says to God, and I ate. 514s

She doesn't own it. 518s

She doesn't say, I dissipate you, Lord. 521s

She says, the one to blame here is the one who tricked me on the victim here. 526s

It's the serpent's fault. 534s

Here this, throughout scripture. 538s

For example, in Proverbs 22nd chapter, it says, the lazy person says, 540s

There's a lion outside. 545s

I shall be killed in the streets. 547s

And so they just stay in bed because they're fearful of this lion. 548s

They can't do anything but be lazy because of the 557s

lion that's out there. 563s

It's not there fault for their laziness. 568s

It's the lion's fault. 571s

Excuse us. 576s

It's his fault. 581s

It's her fault. 582s

It's their fault. 585s

It's not my fault. 589s

Now, my fault. 591s

And the excuses can expand. 596s

Can't they? 599s

I was born that way. 603s

I was born that way. 605s

If God didn't want me to do those things, if God didn't want me to say those things, 609s

if God wanted me to be a person that can control myself, 614s

then he wouldn't have created me the way he did. 618s

Have you heard that? 623s

Have you used that? 625s

The excuses? 630s

They multiply. 632s

What was that supposed to do? 637s

I had to go along. 640s

What was that supposed to do? 642s

If you want to blame somebody, don't blame me. 645s

I'm the innocent victim here. 648s

I just got swept along in the tie. 651s

I didn't have any choice about it. 655s

If you want to blame somebody, then blame the originators of it. 656s

Don't blame me. 661s

And what God does is he comes to us through his word and he points his finger. 663s

And he says to us, 670s

own it, own it. 676s

The point is finger. 685s

If the word we hear it, 687s

in John the 5th chapter, 691s

where Jesus says, 695s

yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 697s

And Jesus says, own it. 702s

Luke 13th chapter, 707s

Jesus cries out, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 708s

the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it. 711s

How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen? 716s

Gathers her brood under her wings, 721s

and you were not willing. 724s

And Jesus says, own it. 729s

Proverbs the 5th chapter, 735s

the iniquities of the wicked in snare them. 736s

And they are caught in the toils of their sin. 740s

And God says, own it. 744s

James the 1st chapter. 747s

But one is tempted by one's own desire, 750s

being lured and enticed by it. 754s

Then when that desire has conceived, 756s

it gives birth to sin. 759s

And that sin, when it is fully grown, 761s

gives birth to death, 764s

do not be deceived by beloved. 766s

Own it. 772s

God says, own it. 773s

But it is one of those acceptable sins, isn't it? 778s

Not acceptable in the eyes of God, 783s

but acceptable in the eyes of the world. 786s

Where you don't take responsibility, 795s

and you don't own it. 797s

Aaron says to Moses, 803s

you know the people. 808s

Aaron says to Moses, they said, make us gods. 811s

Aaron says to Moses, 817s

I threw it in the fire, 818s

and I came this calf. 820s

They are known it. 828s

It is not an owning of it. 831s

The service this evening starts in a different way, 840s

it doesn't it? 843s

There isn't the swell of the organ, 845s

and we rise as gods people 848s

and sing the song of praise of adoration. 852s

It doesn't start that way, doesn't on Ash Wednesday. 857s

It starts with song 51, David's song. 859s

David had committed the Bible tells us adultery with Bathsheba. 868s

Bathsheba became pregnant. 873s

David tells us the Bible tells us the image of the battlefield 877s

of Bathsheba's husband with a military move at his order 882s

that would ensure that he died. 888s

That is exactly what happens. 893s

David, Mary's Bathsheba, 897s

just to cover it all up. 901s

But God sends the prophet Nathan, 907s

and Nathan confronts David with his sin, 911s

and by the grace of God, David is convicted, 914s

and David owns it. 919s

He owns it. 925s

And he writes in Psalm 51, 927s

he says, 933s

He says, 934s

According to your steadfast love, 935s

according to your abundant mercy, 939s

blood out my transgressions. 942s

Wash me thoroughly from my inequity, 946s

and cleanse me from my sin, 950s

for I know my transgressions, 954s

and my sin is ever before me. 958s

Against you, you alone have I sinned, 963s

and done what's evil in your sight, 966s

so that you're justified in your sentence, 968s

and blameless when you pass judgment. 971s

Indeed, I was born guilty, 974s

a sinner when my mother conceived me, 977s

and David owned it. 982s

He owned it. 986s

What did we confess tonight? 989s

But we confessed. 993s

We confessed to you, 996s

and to one another, 998s

and to the whole communion of saints in heaven, 999s

and on earth, that we have sinned. 1002s

And then we said, 1004s

by our own fault, 1008s

by our own fault, 1015s

in thought word, 1017s

indeed, by what we've done, 1019s

and by what we have left undone. 1021s

God brought us by his grace to the place 1025s

where he brings forth from us the confession of our sin, 1029s

and we say as one people, 1033s

with regard to our sin, 1036s

with regard to our own sin, 1039s

that we say, 1041s

it's by our own fault. 1042s

And what we did in that confession tonight, 1052s

we owned it. 1060s

We owned it. 1065s

And what do we hear? 1071s

We hear of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1076s

who goes to the cross, 1078s

and he bears our sin. 1082s

We hear of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1087s

who died in our place. 1089s

We hear of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1094s

the spotless, sinless lamb of God, 1098s

who dies for us. 1102s

We hear that through the cross 1106s

of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1108s

we have been reconciled unto God. 1112s

We hear that he took our sin, 1117s

on him. 1124s

He owned what wasn't his, 1129s

so that we would live. 1140s

Tonight we received the mark of the ash on our forehead. 1153s

That reminds us of our frailty, 1160s

it reminds us of our mortality. 1163s

Reminds us of our sin. 1167s

We'll feel the courseness of the ash. 1171s

But it's also made in the sin of the cross. 1178s

When we hear the words, 1185s

remember you are dust and to dust, 1186s

you shall return, 1188s

harking all the way back to Genesis. 1189s

When we hear those words, 1192s

the ashes will be made in the form of the cross. 1194s

And what we hear, 1202s

and we are reminded of, 1207s

is that you, you, you, 1213s

are forgiven. 1224s

Beloved, 1230s

it has been owned. 1233s