1. Introduction
· Whatever you are ashamed of will rob you of power and boldness
Romans 1:16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God.
2 Timothy 1:7-8. God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love and of sound mind. Be not ashamed…”
Philippians 1:20. In nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness… Christ magnifies.
· Every area of your life where you carry shame you will have no power, no boldness.
· E.g. Finances. E.g. Family. E.g. Moral purity
· Shame is a thief, a robber – personally and corporately
2. The Entrance of Shame
· Genesis 2:25. They were both naked, the man and his wife and they were not ashamed.
Not Ashamed = No feeling of lack, or something wrong in themselves. They were covered with the glory of God because of right standing with him.
Results: boldness, confidence, freedom, openness, intimacy.
· Genesis 3:7-11. Who told you, you were naked?
· Naked = to be made bare, stripped of clothing or covering.
· Told = 5046 = to announce, expose, point out, proclaim
· Satan told them – pointed out their condition and mocked them. Satan himself has been stripped of glory and clothed with shame.
· Shame = result of loss of covering and awareness of ‘being different’
· Genesis 3:7. They made themselves aprons.
Apron = 2290 = Loin covering, belt for waist to conceal genitals. They noticed they were different – they felt shame about their condition.
3. What is shame?
(a) Bible Words - Buwsh = to feel humiliated, confounded.
- Kalam = to wound or taint, to mock because of condition
- Charpah = to point the finger.
- Aishunomon = to be disfigured or dishonest.
(b) Dictionary – Painful feeling of loss of respect and judgement by others became something is lacking, disfigured, or wrong behaviour.
“Something is wrong with me”
(c) Difference Guilt and Shame
· Guilt – I have done something wrong – made a mistake (Behaviour)
· Shame – Something is wrong with me – I am a mistake (Identity)
(d) Roots of Shame
· How does shame get established in a person’s life?
· Usually it is imposed from outside (judgement) and becomes part of the person.
· Becomes a resonating moral belief – something is wrong with me
- I am not acceptable.
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Examples |
Gender Learning Disabilities Financial lack Broken Family
Skin colour belittling by parent/teacher Religious abuse Defeat or Failure
Peer rejection Birth out of wedlock General curses Association with
Physical defect Physical abuse Foolish action people who fails
Sexual abuse Slow development Parent fault e.g. Alcohol
= The prevailing message, something is wrong with me.
4 Impact of Shame
Genesis 3:7-8. “They sowed fig leaves together ….. They hid from God”.
· Responses of Shame – Loss of Boldness and confidence
· Fear of Rejection – distrust of God (3:8)
· Hiding, Covering self (3:7)
· Self rejection (3:7)
· Blame/reject others/Bagging (3:12-13) NZ – Tall Poppy syndrome
· When people experience shame they withdraw and react
· Spirits enter and disempower and torment
Genesis 3:21. “Lord God made coats of skins and clothed them”
· Blood shed – innocent slain
· Our covering removed (Is 30:1-3)
· Gods covering provision put on – (righteousness)
5. Freedom from shame
(a) Jesus Christ Carried our Shame
· Psalm 69:19-20. You have known my reproach, shame, dishonour.
· Matthew 27:39-41. They that passed by reviled him.
· Isaiah 50:6. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.
· Christ carried our shame on the cross – identified and represented us.
(b) Shame must be cast off like a garment.
E.g. Mark 10:46-50. Blind Bartimaeus
· Cried out to Jesus
· Cast away his garment
· Jumped up and came to Christ - Peter: Love healed the shame of failure.
· Sight = ability to see self as God sees you – who you are in Christ
· New Creation – redeemed – child of King – called to have dominion.
(c) Shame must be resisted as a robber
E.g. Nehemiah 2:19-20. The God of heaven will prosper us.
· Enemy tried to shame the people of God – mock the building of the church
- devils friends
E.g. Laughed Scorn – mimic their language. Despised – consider worthless and accused.
· What do you resonate to? What do you echo? – Shame – something wrong?
· Neh: (1) Our God (2) Our identity (3) Our purpose (4) Our Resistance
BAGGER OR BUILDER