Shame-free

Rejecting the lies that immobilise

CAR TECH HAS COME A LONG WAY.

THE ENGINE IMMOBILISER. MARVEL OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY. WHEN IT WORKS AS DESIGNED…

Fully functional car – transmission, engine, steering column. Fuel system. All of the parts needed to travel in modern comfort.

BUT STUCK IN DRIVEWAY. NOT ONCE BUT TWO DAYS RUNNING.

IMMOBILISED – LOCKED OUT BY A CAR THAT THINKS I’M A CAR THIEF!

CAN LISTEN TO THE RADIO, RUN THE AIR CON. BUT NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!

BELIEVER, THE DEVIL HAS AN IMMOBILISER SWITCH THAT CAN STOP YOU IN YOUR TRACKS – IF YOU LET HIM.

IT’S CALLED SHAME. 

NOT TALKING ABOUT CONVICTION OF GOD – URGING OF CONSCIENCE THAT WILL TURN YOU TOWARD GOD; BUT CONDEMNATION – AN IMMOBILISING SHAME THAT WILL TURN YOU AWAY FROM GOD.

I’VE EXPERIENCED IT.

YOU’VE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED IT TO.

VOICES OF SHAME:

·       Never measure up.

·       No coming back from this.

·       You’re a failure.

·       If people only knew what you were really like…

SHAME A TOOL OF THE ENEMY.

QUOTE: Devil gets you twice. Tempts you. Then accuses you.

Genesis 3:8. Sin entered. Adam and Eve HID from God.

“THE ACCUSER” Rev 12:10.

Invented trash talk. Then we make the mistake of believing and speaking it over ourselves! Stop!

To go deeper, we must overcome shame.

BIBLE CHARACTERS. Peter and Judas.

Both experienced shame.

Peter had opportunity to live in shame - but chose not to. Overcame it. Judas, sadly, could not.

Peter capable of great highs, great lows – makes him relatable.

·       One of the inner circle.

·       Bold faith. “Lord if it’s you command me to come to you on the water” Mt 14:28

·       Walks on water!

·       Great faith statements he makes about Jesus when all of the others are silent. Jn 6:68-69. Mt 16:16“Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life … you are the Holy One of God.” AND “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

·       BUT also denies Jesus three times!

·       Genuinely repentant.

·       Later restored by Jesus and becomes one of the leaders of the early church.

Judas – on other hand – could not overcome it. Overcome by shame and guilt and turns away.

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? HOW DID PETER COME BACK AND JUDAS NOT?

A KEY IN 2 COR 7:10. Two responses to guilt and shame. CONTEXT: Paul

had to bring correction to church, took on board. Now writes letter of comfort. 

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

TWO WORDS THERE… REGRET v REPENTANCE.

·       Regret causes us to live in the past. Self-absorbed.

·       Repentance opens us up to future God planned for us. God-focussed.

CONVICTION v CONDEMNATION.

·       Holy Spirit convicts us, so we can turn to God.

·       Condemnation (from the devil) immobilises us, so we hide from God.

·       Judas believed his sin was too great to carry and turned away from God.

·       Peter believed his sin was too great to carry and turned to God.

Go back to CALL OF PETER. Luke 5 

FISHED ALL NIGHT, NOTHING.

JESUS TELLS THEM TO CAST AGAIN, MIRACLE CATCH OF FISH.

PETER’S RESPONSE?

Luke 5:8. “DEPART FROM ME LORD FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN”.… 5:10. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid from now on you will be catching men.”

RESTORATION OF PETER. John 21.

DEJA VU FOR PETER.

AGAIN FISHED ALL NIGHT. NO CATCH. JESUS APPEARS. TELLS THEM TO CAST AGAIN. AGAIN A MIRACLE CATCH.

John 21:7. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and THREW HIMSELF into the sea.

DOES NOT SHRINK BACK, HIDE IN BACK OF THE BOAT, AVOID JESUS GAZE. BUT GOES FORWARD.

SHAME WANTS TO KEEP US LOOKING AT THE PAST. GOD CALLS US TO FORGET WHAT LIES BEHIND AND PRESS FORWARD. PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14. 

CAN’T DRIVE A CAR LOOKING IN REAR VISION MIRROR – CAN’T LIVE LIFE LIKE THAT EITHER.

HIS LETTER 1 Peter 5:7 HE WRITES casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

PETER LEARNED HE COULD CAST HIMSELF COMPLETELY ON JESUS – his failures, flaws … everything covered by love of God.

AND SO MUST WE.

AMAZING TO THINK ABOUT. AFTER ALL THAT PETER HAD DONE, NOTICE WHAT JESUS DOES NOT DO:

·       FORGIVE BUT HAVE NO WORK FOR YOU NOW PETER.

·       INSTEAD, HE FORGIVES AND RENEWS THE CALL.

GIVE ALL YOUR FAILURES AND BROKEN DREAMS TO GOD AND ENTRUST YOUR FUTURE TO HIM. HE CAN BRING “BEAUTY FOR ASHES”.

HOW DO WE OVERCOME SHAME?

Must learn to forgive ourselves – see our sins, faults and failures - BUT instead of being trapped by shame, DRAW NEAR to God.

HOW? BY FAITH. Believing that EVERY sin, fault and failure is WASHED AWAY by the blood of Jesus.

WE ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST NOW.

ROMANS 3:22-23. ROMANS 8.

Completely forgiven.

Completely loved.

Complete in Him.

IT TAKES FAITH TO DRAW NEAR.

Faith in the love of God.

Faith in the finished work of the cross.

Faith in the righteousness Jesus gives to us.

OLD COVENANT: BEFORE JESUS – THERE WAS A SIN BARRIER THAT COULD NOT BE REMOVED.

Leviticus 21:18. QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRIEST.

No one who has a blemish can draw near …

THIS IS A PICTURE OF ALL OF US OUTSIDE OF JESUS. SINS ARE THOSE BLEMISHES. THOSE IMPERFECTIONS. THOSE FAULTS. FAILINGS. THINGS THAT CAUSE SHAME. NONE OF US HAS AN UNBLEMISHED RECORD.

BUT JESUS WIPES OUR RECORD CLEAN.

PRAISE GOD. THOSE WHO HAVE BLEMISH – DOESN’T MATTER WHAT IT IS – CAN NOW DRAW NEAR.

NEW COVENANT: AT LEAST FIVE TIMES IN N.T. LETTERS, WE ARE URGED TO DRAW NEAR BECAUSE OF THE FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS.

THROUGH JESUS, YOU CAN DRAW NEAR TO GOD…

James 4:8. and He will draw near to you.

Hebrews 4:16 – FOR MERCY AND GRACE IN TIME OF NEED.

Hebrews 7:25 –  FOR SALVATION.

Hebrews 10:22 –  FOR A CLEAN CONSCIENCE.

Hebrews 11:6 – IN FAITH

THERE ARE SOME HERE TODAY WHO ARE STILL LIVING IN AN OLD COVENANT VIEW OF THEMSELVES. SEE THEIR BLEMISHES AS BARRIERS.

GOD CALLING YOU TO SEE YOUR BLEMISHES IN THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS – COMPLETELY WASHED AWAY.

ILLUSTRATION: “GOD, HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY LOVE ME?” THEN I SPOTTED A CROSS ON A BEAUTIFUL STONE CATHEDRAL.

“Who are you to carry the shame that I already carried for you?”

He took my shame and yours on that cross.

He was despised and rejected.

NOTHING YOU DO COULD MAKE HIM LOVE YOU MORE.

NOTHING YOU COULD DO MAKE HIM LOVE YOU LESS.

Proven his love through the cross.

ALTAR CALL.

QUOTE: ABOUT PETER … “BETTER TO BE A FOLLOWER WHO FAILS THAN FAIL TO FOLLOW”. NIV Life Application Bible

Are you a follower of Jesus? Would like to make certain of that today? Greatest decision ever make. As simple as saying a prayer: “LORD, I know I’m a sinner. I believe that Jesus died for me to take away ALL of my sin. Today by faith I receive Him as my LORD and Savior and will follow Him all the days of my life.”

If you have prayed that prayer for first time then today your name is written in heaven, your sins are forgiven and you have a relationship with God right now.

Other people here today struggling with shame.

Listening so long to voices of shame, think it’s normal.

God saying DRAW NEAR. TIME TO LET IT GO.

People here been living in regret far too long. God saying let it go. TURN TO ME. DRAW NEAR.

I HAVE A FUTURE AND A HOPE FOR YOU.

People here who have never forgiven themselves. God saying I forgive you – when will you forgive yourself?

PRAY TOGETHER: Jesus, thank you that you bore all our shame so we no longer have to. Right here and now, we choose to cast off the garment of shame and put on the robe of righteousness. Help us recognise voice of shame and walk in who you say we are. Amen.