The things we hide 1 and 2
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Illustration/Story: How many of you were afraid of the dark when you were a kid? How many of you are still afraid of the dark today? (Keep this lighthearted and fun — perhaps talk about running through your house instead of walking when you’re alone because it can still be scary to be in the dark all alone.)
(My dad scaring me and now me scaring Elliott)
We can laugh about being afraid of the dark as we get older, but the truth is, some of us are stuck in the dark spiritually, and it’s because the enemy of our souls uses a very specific tool to keep us stuck in the dark, alone and afraid…and that’s shame.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Did you know that shame makes us feel like we need to keep things in the dark and hide from God? Maybe you feel like if there were things that people or God really knew about you, they could never look at you or love you the same way. Tonight, I believe Scripture is going to expose how the enemy uses shame to keep us hidden in the dark, and how we can start walking in the light.
According to Romans 13:12 — We aren’t called to live clothed in darkness, we’re called to live with an armor of light!
So what does this mean for us today?
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Quickly summarize the series of events surrounding this Scripture: God created the universe, the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and everything was perfect. He gave them one command, and they broke it. This is their response to going against the one thing God told them not to do.
What was Adam’s and Eve’s first response when they went against God? To hide.
These two people, who previously walked face-to-face with God, immediately chose to hide in the dark, in the shadows of the trees, away from God.
This is what shame does in our lives. It keeps us hiding in the dark, alone and afraid, rather than in the presence of God who can wash our shame away.
Bottom Line: Shame wants you to live in the dark, but God calls you to live in the light.
How do we apply this in our lives?
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
*When we choose to live in God’s truth, we live in the light.
• When we walk in God’s ways, the enemy has no power to keep us in the dark. His power in our lives is broken, and we are empowered to live in a way that honors God.
• What does your life look like right now? Maybe you feel like you’ve gone too far into the darkness to ever live back in the light. This is a lie that the enemy whispers to you in the dark! There is no darkness in your life that is more powerful than God’s light.
• Application: Come clean with God about the things you’ve felt like you needed to hide from Him. When you bring things into the light, it breaks the power of darkness.
Tonight, come clean to God. Some you have believed that lie that you’ve messed up too badly to ever live in the light again. This is not true. The enemy uses shame to keep you in the dark, but God wants to bring His light into the darkest corners of your life so that you can restore relationship with Him!
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• Illustration/Story: Have you ever had a best friend in your life that when you were with them, you felt like the two of you could take over the world? Tell a story about a friend that makes you feel like anything is possible. (Trevor, playing spies, etc.)
• The truth is, we’re stronger when we live life alongside other people!
Did you know that the enemy uses shame to isolate you from other people? He wants you to feel powerless and alone — but that is the opposite of what God has for you! When we live in community with others, shame doesn’t have the ability to come in and isolate us.
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:12 — When we do life with other people, we’re able to overcome anything.
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Illustration: There was a horse-pull in Canada where they hitched this one draft horse and he pulled 9,000 pounds. They hitched another strong horse up and he pulled 8,000 pounds. So, they figured the two of them together could pull 17,000 pounds. They loaded the sled with 17,000 pounds and hooked the two stout beasts to the sled and they almost ran away with the load. They were surprised, so they kept adding fertilizer bags and testing their strength. Do you know how much those two horses pulled together? Those two mighty steeds pulled 30,000 pounds, over three times what either horse could pull separately.
When we live alongside others, we are able to support each other in our walks with God.
• Living in community with people that we trust minimizes the power of the enemy to bring shame in because things don’t stay hidden. Living in relationship with people we trust brings accountability in our lives, and keeps things in the light.
• True community brings accountability. Accountability means that we are accountable to those in our lives.
When we are accountable to others about our thoughts, actions, and intentions, the enemy loses his power to keep us isolated in shame.
• Bottom Line: Shame wants you to live alone, but God calls you to live in community.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
When we pray to God in faith when we’ve sinned, He forgives us. When we confess our sins to others, God heals us.
• If we truly want to walk without shame holding us back, we need forgiveness and healing from our sins.
• When we get honest with the people in our lives about the areas where we’ve messed up, we find healing from God.
• Confession brings things out of the dark and into the light. Our sins feel so much bigger in the dark, but when we bring them to the light, when we confess them to others, we find that the size of our sin pales in comparison to the size of our God!
• The enemy wants to use shame to make you think that if the people in your life knew what you had done, they could never love you. God wants to use the people in your life to assure that no matter what you do, He will always love you.
• Application: Confess your sins tonight to someone else so that you may be healed.
How do we respond to the message?
• Altar moment: Some of us have believed the lie that comes with shame and says, “If someone else knew what I have done, they could never love me.” This is a lie. I want to challenge you tonight, pray in faith and ask God to forgive you from your sins, but also pray with a leader tonight about what’s going on in your life. When you confess your sins to others, Scripture promises you will find healing from shame!