Ashamed

Big Idea of the Series: Sometimes we are scared to live, numbing ourselves to life and to those around us. The world can be a scary and difficult place. Barriers to wholeness of life with God include shame, sin, fear, suffering, and distractions. It makes life feel upside-down.

Like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, we hide from God, rather than bringing our troubles to him. The next few weeks we’re going to talk about how to navigate life when we’re “Scare to Live” by taking a look at the painful struggles of life and finding ways to grow closer to God in the midst of them.

ME

6th grade field Day Apple throw Story

*6th grade yearbook pic*

It was field day at WA Wright Elementary.

I was in 6th grade, ready to dominate all the field day games I had learned to master.

We had lunch that day out on the sidewalk.

Sandwich, chips and an apple.

Our school sat up high on a hill and the road exiting the school was far down below.

Me being the dude I was and trying to prove myself, I told my buddies that I could throw my apple over them there trees like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite.

*Uncle Rico Meme*

So I wound up and threw the apple, and it would have made it to the trees... but a car was in the way.

The apple had exploded and applesauce all across the back door of that car.

I immediately ran and jumped over my friends who were sitting on the sidewalk in hopes of not getting in trouble.

*Mrs. Reece pic*

But then came Mrs. Reece.

Now I like Reese's cups. They are my fav candy and are really sweet.

But Mrs. Reece was neither my favorite or sweet at all.

She was a mean old lady.

She saw what I had done, banned me from field day and made me go down and clean the applesauce off the car.

I was left to sit in my shame for the rest of my last field day...

WE

Title Slide

We’ve all done something we’re ashamed of.

Maybe you got into big trouble at school and now have to face the wrath of your parents.

Or you really hurt your best friend and now you don’t want to even look at them.

Maybe there are secrets in your life that you don’t want anyone to know about bc you’re afraid they would judge you.

And in our current culture, shaming others is an everyday thing, especially on social media.

If someone messes up they can get destroyed on socials.

Or even if someone just says something that others disagree with, the war of shaming is on!

Unfortunately, shaming others has become a sick hobby that some people love to take part in.

GOD

But shame wasn’t always a part of our world.

Before mankind had done anything wrong, people were free and didn’t have to hide a thing about themselves.

Genesis 2:25 NIV

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Then the serpent comes along and things get messed up.

Genesis 3:7–13 NCV

Then, it was as if their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made something to cover themselves. Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said, “Where are you?” The man answered, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “How could you have done such a thing?” She answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”

Open Eyes, Broken Hearts

Genesis 3:7 The Message

Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

Title Slide

Could you imagine just walking into class after forgetting to get dressed and then the whole class staring at you like you’re a complete weirdo?

That’s the stuff nightmares are made of.

At first glance, this may seem like a good thing that they can see what’s going on.

But what this eye opening meant for Adam and Eve was the altering of how they saw the world.

No longer did they see through the lens of a faithful relationship with the God they loved and trusted.

Now they saw “entirely through their own eyes.”

Now they know evil, and because of this what had been good in their eyes brought them shame now.

They were whole, and now they’re broken.

Their relationship with God is broken.

Their relationship with each other is broken.

Their relationship with the rest of creation is broken.

Because that’s just what sin does. It breaks EVERYTHING in its path.

*Break something illustration*

Hide and Seek

Genesis 3:8–11 The Message

When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God. God called to the Man: “Where are you?” He said, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.” God said, “Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?”

Title Slide

Adam and Eve are now, who have been close to God for their entire lives, are now hiding from their Creator.

Just like when I tried to hide out after throwing that apple at a car on field day, the first man and woman know they done messed up and want to get away.

But God is God and so He seeks them out.

He refuses to abandon them to their shame.

Yeah, He was disappointed.

His heart was broken.

But He runs after His children because He loves them.

God asks Adam who told him that he was naked.

Now this seems like a weird question, seeing that God already knows who told Adam because He literally knows all things.

Think of it like this though:

When you were younger, there were times where you did something wrong and your momma asked you what happened.

She already knows what happened, but she wants you to think long and hard about what you’ve done so that you won’t do it again.

In the same way, God wants Adam to understand fully what he’s done wrong and what the consequences are in hopes that he will turn away from sin and back to the God who loves him.

Blame Game

Genesis 3:12–13 NCV

The man said, “You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “How could you have done such a thing?” She answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”

Title Slide

Adam and Eve immediately cover up their shame and start playing the blame game.

Adam blames Eve, then Eve blames the serpent.

Adam and Eve are acting more like brother and sister than husband and wife.

“Dad it’s her fault”

“No Dad, it’s the snake’s fault!”

And the snake is just slithering away like nothing happened.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever pointed the finger at a sibling when you got in trouble?

This is called deflection: attempting to draw attention away from oneself and put that attention onto another person.

The thought is that if the other person can get into trouble then I’ll be out of trouble.

But eventually all that dirty laundry gets aired out, doesn’t it?

Matthew 10:26 (ESV)

“...nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

When we try to justify our actions, it just leads to more pain and more problems and poisons our relationships.

And a culture where everyone is trying to justify their wrong actions is headed towards a breakdown.

That is where our culture is today.

But you can help change that narrative.

James 5:16 ESV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

You don’t have to justify our wrong actions or try to place the blame on someone else.

You simply need to rip the band aid off immediately, own up to what you did wrong in confession to God and others, and then you can be healed and move on!

WHEN WE HIDE IN SHAME, GOD MEETS US IN OUR PAIN.

YOU

Title Slide

Is there sin in your life that you’re ashamed of but you’re afraid to talk to God about?

I want you to understand that God already knows and He loves you anyway.

He is right with you to meet you in that pain, shame and regret.

He wants to heal you, but you have to be willing to confess and ask for His forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Title Slide

If you’re tired of living in shame, turn away from the sin in your life and turn towards the God who died for you.

You will be healed, you will be made clean, and shame will no longer control you.

*Prayer*

WE

What if we all learned to live shame-free?

Gossip would end bc we wouldn’t deflect our shame onto others.

We would live lives of confession instead of hiding our sins in the dark.

The world around us would see Jesus clearly because our lives would display His holiness.

Why don’t we start living this way, starting today?

*small group mixer question*