Set Free From Shame

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Scripture Reading by Lady Pepper (Show Slide)

(Show Slide) Thank you Lady Pepper for the announcements and the reading of God’s Word.

Welcome!

Please Take Note’s

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Rewired by Christ - Video

Title of the message this Morning

Set Free From Shame

Main idea:

The story of the Samaritan woman perfectly illustrates how God sent Jesus not to condemn the world but to save the world through him.

Jesus humbles himself, engages the woman in conversation, and sets her free from shame and guilt.

She arrives at the well as a sinner, but leaves as a saint. Encounters with God will do that to someone, even YOU!

Prayer:

“Lord, we are so grateful that you are not finished writing the story of our life yet.

Some of us today need a new chapter.

Help us to turn the page from guilt and shame into a new story of healing and belonging. Amen.”

Scripture: John 4:5-42, John 3:17

(All scripture is taken from the NIV unless otherwise noted)

Introduction

(Illustration idea: Surprise Ending.

Today's sermon has a twist at the end that will be a surprise for many of you.

Does anyone like a good story that has a twist at the end?

Like what you see in a movie or a book.

Is there anyone that can share a movie or book that you loved that had a surprise ending?

Hello Church! We’re about half way through our Lenten series Letting Go.

As a reminder, Lent is a time for us to assess ourselves and make adjustments.

It’s a time for us to re-calibrate to God’s way of living and loving.

Today, we’re going to look at a story from the Gospel of John.

It’s a true story. And I think it's a beautiful story because it is about someone who was completely broken and living in shame, but had an encounter with Jesus, and afterwards was never the same.

And I want you to know up front, that there is a twist at the end of this story that will be a surprise to most of you,

even those of you who are familiar with this story because you’ve heard it 100 times.

But I’ll save that twist for the very end.

The Gospel of John says, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

Nowhere is this more clear than in the story we are about to read.

God has no desire to condemn people, only to save them through his Son.

Do you receive that truth for yourself?

Do you know that God does not condemn you, even in your unique brokenness, mess, and imperfections?

He doesn’t shame you nor condemn you. He’s not even disappointed in you.

The word “disappointed” is not found anywhere in the original language of scripture.

He understands you and loves you right where you are today. That DOESN’T mean he’s going to leave you there,

He wants to save you from the inner darkness that has power over you: anger, anxiety, resentments, depression, greed, lust, you name it. He wants to — and will — save you from all of these.

In their place he is going to plant peace, joy, love, and courage.

He’s going to save the world, not just you.

He is going to heal this world and all the brokenness we see in it.

All the injustices and evil systems will be gone. All oppression and unfairness will be no more.

He’s going to heal it all. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to heal

I believe that’s good news!

Listen as I Read John 4:5-42

Main Teaching

Let’s begin by making some observations about what’s going on here, because there’s a lot.

I want to point out some context and background items so that the story doesn’t lose its punch.

Context and background

I Jesus sits down beside a well because he is very tired and thirsty from his journey. He’s alone because his disciples went into town. A woman approaches to draw water. She is all by herself and she is a Samaritan.

Lots of things to point out here. First, Samaritans were despised by the Jews. They did not interact together because the Jews felt the Samaritans had abandoned the Jewish faith by intermarrying with Gentiles and adopting Gentile practices (this goes back to the Babylonian exile — pastor if you want to expound go ahead). The Jews felt the Samaritans weren’t “real Jews'' because they adopted Gentile and pagan practices both in life and in their religion.

It was very unusual for a Jew to speak to a Samaritan, but that’s exactly what Jesus did. Not only that, it was unusual for a Jewish man to speak to a woman, alone. Not because the man might be accused of impropriety, but because women were so far beneath men on the social ladder. Women were more like objects to be used rather than people to be valued.

The fact that Jesus speaks to (1) a Samaritan, and (2) a Samaritan woman, is quite eye-opening. Look at how the disciples reacted when they returned to find Jesus talking with this woman. It was quite radical.

2. The second thing I want to point out is there were differences in worship practices between the Samaritans and the Jews. The Samaritans believed that worship was to be conducted on Mount Gerizim, which is where this story is taking place (or at least nearby). The Jews believed the center of worship was, of course, in Jerusalem at the Temple.

Jesus says that “true worship” will take place neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but instead will take place “in the Spirit and in truth” which can be anywhere, not determined by location (4:23). Jesus says “these are the kind of worshippers that the Father seeks” (4:23).

3. The third and most glaring detail in this story is the woman herself. She comes to the well “at noon” to draw water. Typically women would head out of the village to draw water in the mornings, when it was cool. Not in the midday sun and heat. Additionally, the woman was alone. Typically women would go together draw water. The fact that she’s by herself and drawing water at a usual time is an indication that she has no friends at best, or at worst has been shunned . We find out why she has no friends in her discussion with Jesus.

Can we agree that this woman is no saint? Clearly, she is a sinner.

She’s had five husbands and the person she is now with is not her husband.

How many of these men belong to other women from the community?

Is this why she is shunned? The local women don’t want to associate with their husband’s mistress? Certainly we can agree she is no saint.

That said, there are men sinners in the town also! Let’s not pick only on this one woman.

If she’s been with six men, there are six men just as guilty.

Should God destroy this adulterous town?

What does God and Christ do?

I. Jesus reaches her by humbling himself

It’s so interesting and revealing what Jesus does. And if Jesus does it, it means God is doing it, because Jesus perfectly reveals the Father. What does Jesus do?

Jesus humbles himself. He speaks to a Samaritan woman. This is an act of humility, not one of control or hierarchical authority. “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (4:7)

Jesus is humbling himself here, speaking to a despised Samaritan woman, whom he already knew everything about.

She is not a saint, she is a sinner. And Jesus engages her with relationship and conversation. He is not too good and pure to talk with her.

He knows she is a sinner and yet, he looks upon her.

Where do we get this idea that God is too holy and pure to look upon sin?

Where do we get the notion that God is so righteous that he cannot engage with sinners?

HINT: NOT FROM JESUS. Jesus was constantly eating, healing, loving, talking, and praying with sinners like this woman.

He was not offended.

He was not self-righteous. He was kind, loving, truthful, and direct.

She received his kindness, love, truth, and directness.

She owned up to her faults.

And, even though Jesus brought the skeletons out of her closet, she went back into town and brought everyone out to meet him.

II. Her shame

Here we have a lady who not only was guilty of sin, but probably lived her life in shame.

She was ostracized from the other women in the village.

She walked alone to get her water in the noonday sun.

Do you know the difference between guilt and shame?

Guilt has to do with your behaviors, like when you do something wrong.

Shame has to do with your identity, what you believe about yourself.

A person living with guilt says, “I made a mistake.”

A person living in shame says, “I am a mistake.”

Do you see the difference?

Shame is when we say to ourselves, “There is something wrong with me. I am nothing but …expletives.”

And we live our life believing this about ourselves.

That's shame.

Shame involves deep humiliation about ourselves, not about something we’ve done. There’s a difference.

The Holy Spirit will convict us of guilt (something we’ve done, or not done) and of sin,

but he will never shame us.

Notice Jesus points out what she’s guilty of doing (five husbands, and the current one isn’t her husband) and not what she’s guilty of being.

Jesus doesn’t belittle her, insult her, or condemn her. Why? Because the Son of God came to save us, not condemn us. Nor did he come to shame us.

He knows we’re good enough at shaming ourselves without any help!

So remember, guilt is when we feel badly about something we’ve done or not done.

Shame is different. Shame is when we feel badly about who we are.

Let me ask you: do you define yourself by your failings and weaknesses?

God doesn’t define you that way. God sees your sin, mistakes, and failures, but He knows that’s not who you are.

You are his son. You are his daughter. And he loves you very much.

And he is going to clean you and heal you from those sins, mistakes, and failures if you simply look to Jesus on the cross.

Because of Jesus we no longer need to define ourselves by our biggest mistakes, our ugliest sins, or even by what other people think of us.

He came to save you, not to condemn you.

His salvation extends to your deepest hurts, your worst mistakes, and to your ugliest sins.

He will heal them all, because they are not part of who you are.

Let them point you to the empty tomb, that Christ is risen, and that his resurrection power will resurrect you also.

III. Jesus heals her and starts a new story

I promised at the start there would be a twist at the end of her story.

And there is. The story of the Samaritan woman doesn’t end at verse 42.

Her story is much longer than what we find in the gospel of John.

In fact, she changes from being a notorious sinner into a humble and loving saint.

Here’s the surprise ending:

This Samaritan woman was known by the early church after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

She didn’t fade away as a nameless, faceless person in one of Jesus’ stories.

She was known. You remember how I kept referring to her as a sinner in this message?

Well, that didn’t last long. God got a hold of her! And God did his thing!

She was known then, and is still known today, as St. Photini, which means “The Enlightened One.”

Yes, she’s a SAINT! She’s no longer a sinner! She was considered an equal to the apostles

because she led her entire village to meet Jesus and, after the resurrection, became a missionary to areas around the Mediterranean with her two sons. She led her five sisters AND her two sons to Christ, who then traveled with her to share the gospel.

Her life changed the day she encountered the self-giving love of God in Jesus Christ.

He installed in her Living Water, the living presence of God, and her life was never the same.

This woman at the well, St. Photini, was eventually martyred for her faith in Christ by the Roman emperor Nero.

Her sons were martyred also. The story is that Nero had her killed by throwing her down a dry well as a way to mock her and the encounter she had with Jesus.

She followed Christ joyfully and courageously to the very end of her earthly existence.

She looked death in the face and would not recant her devotion to the Lord because she had encountered the God of love.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Many Protestants are unaware of this surprise ending.

Our Protestant church history sometimes only goes back to the Reformation with Luther and Calvin and stops there.

But the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church know her story well. February 26th every year is “St. Photini Day” in the Orthodox Church.

The Catholic Church celebrates her life in March every year.

CONCLUSION

Do you see how this story perfectly shows that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him?” (John 3:17).

God does not condemn you. He wants to save you because he loves you.

God is not done writing YOUR story. He knows about all the secrets and the mess, and he’s not going to leave you there.

He’s going to install Living Water inside of you, too. Do you want it?

Let’s pray together.

Salvation:

The Word of God says in:

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 10:13 NKJV

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you’d would like to receive Jesus today, please pray this prayer with all of us:

Lord I believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that He died On the cross for my sins and His resurrection from the dead gives me eternal life. I ask forgiveness of my sins, and I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

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(Show Slide)

***Leave slide up until Pepper gets in position***

Lady Pepper Please Join Me

Pepper: Any comments or thoughts?

Pepper Praise Reports

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Lady Pepper do we have any prayer request

Let us pray (P/P)

1. Evette - Emotional Healing - Grow closer to the Lord

2. Vadrea - Healing

3. Faith Vision Family & Friends

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Faith Vision Christian Ministries

Closing Blessing

2 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Have a Great Week! GOODBYE !