Gatekeepers Pt.5 - "Shame vs. Forgiveness" - Pastor Mark Killingsworth

GATEKEEPERS “Access Granted - Access Denied” #5 Shame vs Forgiveness Nov. 17th, 2019 Introduction: See if you can, tell me who these people are… • Her life was a wreck. After 5 failed marriages she stopped with the formalities of marriage altogether. In her town there was only one well, so she waited to go get water for her home until the sun was blazing hot so that she could hide from the snide comments, the whispers of judgment, and the condemning looks from those looking down on her shame. (John 4) • He was a politically powerful man who abused his power to sleep with another man’s wife. His trist led to an unwanted pregnancy. Out of fear of exposing his sin he tried to hide behind a cover-up that turned even into a premeditated murder. (II Sam. 11) • She suffered from female bleeding for 12 years. All that time, suffering with: uncleanness, uncomfortable and uncomforted. She saw Jesus heal others and desperately longed to receive His touch for her healing. But, how could she ask Him in front of the whole crowd of people? So she decided to hide anonymously in the crowd and then sneak in behind him and just touch the lower fringe of His robe. (Luke 8:43) All of these stories are from the bible. They are stories of people who tried to hide their SHAME. But the most wonderful thing is that all 3 of these experienced God’s power to break the shame’s hold over them. Jesus always showed that His desire was to set people free. WHERE DOES SHAME GET IT’S POWER? Shame has plagued us since Adam and Eve bit into the fruit and realized they were naked. Their first instinct was to hide from each other and from God (Gen. 3:7-11) And no wonder… *They now stood guilty before God whom they loved. *They were now vulnerable to each other and shamed for blaming the other *All of a sudden they were sinful, weak, damaged and living in a new experience of a dangerous world. *They found themselves realizing that they were now living under God’s judgment. *And now wide open to the condemning accusations of the evil one. We also live in this dangerous world and have the same instincts to hide ourselves. Because sin is alive in our bodies (Paul says in Rom. 7:23) Because we are beset with weakness (Heb. 5:2 says) The kind of shame we often experience is a potent combination of failure and pride. We fail morally (sin) We fail due to our limitations (weakness) We fail because the creation is subject to futility and doesn’t work right (Rom.8:20) We also fail to live up to others expectations. To add to this, we are also full of pride. Our pride makes us ashamed of our failures and weaknesses. And we will go to almost any length to hide them from others. This means pride fueled shame can wield great power over us. It controls significant parts of our lives and consumes precious energy and time in avoiding exposure. SHAME ALWAYS WANTS TO MAKE US HIDE The problem is that we many times hide in the wrong places: Just like the woman at the well, King David and the hemorrhaging woman. *We hide in our homes - or away from our homes *We hide in our rooms or offices. *We hide in housework *We hide in media screens *We HIDE T.S. Just because shame moves us to hide in the wrong places, doesn’t mean that our instinct to hide is wrong. We do need a place to hide, but we need to hide in the right place. Sermon Question: Where do we take our shame to hide where it helps? I. THE ONLY PLACE THAT PROVIDES PROTECTION IS IN JESUS Hebrews 6:17-20 “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that , by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” MELCHIZEDEK (Heb. 7:1-3) 1. King of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of God Most High 2. He was before and met Abraham 3. Abraham gave him a 10th of everything (Melchizedek was more in authority than Abram) 4. Name means “King of Righteousness” and “King of Salem” and “King of peace.” 5. He had no father or mother - without genealogy. 6. He had no beginning or ending of life 7. He resembles the Son of God 8. He remains a priest forever. The great news found here is that Jesus is not a Levitical priest for the Israelites, but a priest of the order of Melchizedek – meaning he is a priest for all. APPLICATION: WHEN WE RUN TO HIDE IN JESUS… 1. We run into a relationship with Jesus for His protection 2. Where all our shame is covered and we no longer need to fear 3. His death and resurrection is the only remedy for the shame we feel over our previous sin failures OUTSIDE OF JESUS… 1. There is no other place to go with our sin 2. There is no other atonement (making us right with God) THE KEY TO BREAKING THE POWER OF PRIDE FILLED SHAME 1. Is the superior power of humility fueled faith in what Jesus did for us by taking on our sin on the cross. 2. Then His promises are give to us for a new type of life. 3. Shame pronounces us GUILTY and deficient Jesus pronounces us GUILTLESS and promises His Grace will be sufficient for us in all our weaknesses. 4. As we trust Jesus to be our complete righteousness and our provider of everything we need, shame will lose its power over us. ILLUSTRATION 1. This is what happened to the WOMAN AT THE WELL. She listened to Jesus and believed in Him, and her life was redeemed and her shame removed by forgiveness. 2. That is what happened to King DAVID. He confessed his sin and repented (2 Sam. 12:13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” 3. That is what happened to the hemorrhaging woman. Jesus did make her tell the crowd about her shame, and in doing so she received the healing and cleansing she needed. Jesus made her shame a showcase of His grace. This experience can be yours even today. All it requires is child-like faith, a wholehearted trust in Jesus. Sermon Question: Where do we take our shame to hide where it helps? I. Run to Jesus for real protection II. And… II. THE ONLY THING THAT BREAKS THE POWER OF SIN’S SHAME IS FORGIVENESS Let me list for you some scriptures that tell us what Jesus offers us as a solution for our sin and shame problem… The Holy Spirit Will Tell You Of Your Sin: John 16:8 “And when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness and of the coming judgment. We are given the opportunity to confess our sin to God I John I:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When we confess this is what God says He will do Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Unrighteousness or iniquities: the opposite of justice. Unrighteousness, as a violation of God's standards Sins: not hitting the target; sin (missing the mark). Rom. 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What God does with our sin Psalm 103:12 “As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Why did Jesus die for us? Col. 1:22 “But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” The result of being forgiven Rom. 14:17 “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit..” The meaning of Righteousness: peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. No guilt, no shame, no condemnation and fellowship with your Father. The spirit of Adoption gives us self-esteem (worth) knowing you are loved unconditionally and this brings complete acceptance. Conclusion: Shame is very damning and very powerful. It’s effects on our life can be minor life paralysis - all the way up to physical disease or mental psychosis. It is the pain source for much of our nation’s alcoholism or drug addiction. It can be the root for depression that keeps us prisoners to darkness and sadness. Because of severe sexual abuse by her father, a friend of mine had developed 12 individual personalities. These personalities would come to the surface at different times or if a particular word was used it could trigger one of her personalities to surface. It was creepy and a bit scary to watch it happen. She had developed each of these personalities to hide from the abuse that was happening to her. It was SHAME. Shame for her father. Shame for herself. The only cure for the power of shame is *Our ability to forgive those who have sinned against us. Is this you? Is this the day that you choose to remove their debt to you? Our ability to ask for and receive forgiveness for ourselves from Jesus. Is this you? Is this the day that you choose to bring your sin and shame to Jesus to ask Him for His forgiveness? You can choose to walk out with your shame Or you can choose to give your shame to Jesus and be forgiven.