The Last Dance (The Battle Against Guilt andShame)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Many times in our life, we are swallowed by the standards that we set for ourselves...
Standards that don’t even exist within our homes. Some that don’t even exist within the word of God.
When was the last time you fell so hard, guilt and shame was the weight that was keeping you from standing up.
All day yesterday I could not put a finger on what tonight’s message was going to be about.
One thing about these topics is that it is a broad scope of our everyday encounters! They have been so good.
Last Wednesday was so encouraging.
But for some reason, tonight has been difficult for me. I hit a writers block yesterday before lunch.
This morning when I woke up, the Holy Spirit laid exactly what I believe someone in here is in need of hearing on my heart.
Before we begin, I want us to meditate on a few different things right quick....
I want to ask a few questions. I want you to answer them silently to yourself.
How many of you would say you are struggling in your walk with Christ right now.
There is a lot of apathy.
You have no motivation.
You love God and believe in God, but struggle to devote yourself to Him.
How many of you feel like you are never meeting the expectations that others hold you too?
How many of you would say you are tired. Exhausted.
How many of you who claim to be a Christian rarely open up God’s word o a regular basis and feel bad about it?
How many of you don’t feel good enough. You wish you were better.
How many of you have an insecurity that you have never shared with anyone before.
Is there something in your life that you have thought, done, our witnessed that has a hold on you.
How many of you don’t think you are a good enough Christian.
Who needs help?
*Time of Prayer
Guilt and Shame
Guilt and Shame
Guilt and shame are conceived in rebellion.
Guilt: tied to an event. “I did something.”
Shame: tied to a person. “I am bad.”
Guilt is the wound, shame is the scar.
We are all guilty.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
When you violate God’s laws, you feel guilt.
But the emotion is quickly, almost simultaneously joined by shame.
Guilt says, “you did something wrong” while shame says, “Now go and hide. You’re no good! You deserve darkness!”
We can all remember a recent moment where we were guilty for some form of rebellion.
The only way we can deal with guilt is to be made right with God.
Justification- this happens at the event of your conversion.
The process of applying this truth to your life is sanctification.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Guilt is removed by the death of Jesus Christ-
We were guilty, our punishment was death, Jesus takes the hit, we receive life!
This is Jesus’ grace for you and me… Therefore, guilt must be and is always confronted with grace- not getting what we deserve.
So how do we deal with the shame of falling short?
We have to deal with shame by reminding ourselves of how God has dealt with our guilt!
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Shame creeps within our minds convincing us of something that is not true!
We convince ourselves in our shame that we are bound to the very sin we committed, that the sins of others define who we are!
Shame can be shared… This makes it contagious. It works in such a way to blind us of truth.
We have to combat this shame… with this truth.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are made new, loved, and forgiven!
How are we forgiven?
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
We have to trust and place our faith in these truths!
Why is this for you tonight? Because I believe some of you are living in the wild. You feel shame and guilt for the things you have committed or the standards and expectations you have not met.
You lack nutrition and are dehydrated because you have not tasted and seen that the Lord is good in quite some time!
You need answers, but feel too ashamed to ask. You want a re-do, but feel undeserving of one.
You lack in motivation and you are full of apathy but are aware of what is being missed out on.
God knows. He knows you feel alone. He knows you are in a broken world, navigating it step by step.
What keeps you alive in the wild? HOPE!
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
We can look to the word of God and see that not only does He sympathize and recognize where we are, but He is willing and ready to help guide you back these truths!
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
We may be in a low and dark spot, but that does not change the love and desire of our shepherd!
Listen.
Shame is something our God is familiar with.
The English word shame occurs 174 times in the ESV Bible. It is present in 161 verses.
If you feel down and out, the battle isn’t over. It is all about whether or not you are willing to have the last word...
Let me remind you of the truth of this gospel and good news....
*3 Circles
Those of you who are in Christ but have been recently been drowning in guilt and shame, it’s time to confront those things and have the last word.
But for those of you who are continually empty. You’ve never made sense of your life, but you have recognized your brokenness and inability to find purpose and satisfaction, you can have the last word too.
This is my prayer for every single person in the room tonight...
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
*Let’s have the last word tonight.