Not Ashamed

Sermon Notes

Shame can have on the believer.  Both on his view of God.  And on his ability to impact others. (obstacles)  Can hinder the advancement of the Gospel in us and around us.

Define “Shame” –  a painful feeling of embarrassment, humiliation, or guilt because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations. What you feel like when you feel exposed in a negative light.  

Paul’s Risk of Embarrassment and Shame was not entirely different from our own.

1. “Your Faith has no Power”.  Paul is a little fish in a BIG POND.    
2. “Your Faith lacks sense. (logic?)”
3.  Your Faith is Too Exclusive (or Narrow?)
4. You are (Morally) No Better than Us.

But how do we keep from being embarrassed or shamed? Feeling exposed?  How can we avoid feeling shame?

Acts 7:54-60

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.  But he (Stephen) full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  And he said, “Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”  But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.  Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.  And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  And falling to his knees he cries out with a loud voice, “Lord do not hold this against them.”  And when he said this, he fell asleep.

1. Power of the Gospel comes through believing in Christ’s position.  And when we know and trust His position. WE can know and trust our own position.  

Hebrews 12:2

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Come to him with your shame…

Many of us are living in shame.  For many, we look at our past, We are calling unforgiven, what God calls forgiven. We must bring our hearts honestly before the Lord. We can’t pretend, He does not want you to pretend.  Come just as you are - with your shame and weakness!!

 Ask God for faith to believe that this love and this power is for you?

This resurrection power is available to you today…. He has removed every obstacle that is keeping you from knowing Him and making him known.  

Some of us need prayer to believe that this power is in us…. We are believing more of the words of this world...than the word of God.

What do you need from God to know his power, and to experience from shame?  Whatever you need - God will supply in just the right way - tailored just for you - because he knows you intimately and knows your specific needs.  

How Is God asking to NOT BE ASHAMED and  to stand for Him?

The Gospel’s Power was never meant to be hidden.  Good News was meant to be told.

Perhaps you need to share with someone...your life is a living example of Gods power.

Thank God that we you, Providence is NOT ASHAMED.   

Reflection by Prov Writers

Prov Writers on Medium

Being the youngest of six naturally lends itself to becoming an uncle at an early age. I’ve got a ton of nieces and nephews, which makes things fun at family get-together’s. I’ve noticed over the years that before the age of 7 (roughly), many kids have this supernatural ability to defy conventional laws of social embarrassment. They can do and say the most absurd things and shrug them off without a second thought.

“Yes, I pooped my pants. And no, I wasn’t planning on telling you. I figured you had better things to do. Wanna watch ‘Finding Nemo’?”

“I haven’t bathed in 3 days, how long you think I can go?”

“Yea, I walked into a wall while eating cheese puffs. So what? … Hey, you want some cheese puffs?”

“I’m sorry, the snot rocket hanging out of my nose is going to have to wait. I’m Batman right now, and Batman is everything.”

“Hey, I know we’re all at your boss’s wedding, but I’m gonna take off my pants and run around for awhile, k?”

In many regards, it’s wildly refreshing. To see a child do something that would mortify his adult counterpart is like seeing a picture of a festival that you’ve never heard of being celebrated by a people you’ve never seen in a country you’ve never visited — it doesn’t quite fit with what you know, but deep down you wish you were the one in the picture, throwing colors into the air, playing exotic instruments, and just celebrating something for once…

The interesting thing is that we adults never want a child to be embarrassed about something silly they do. We enjoy the silliness; it’s welcomed. But somewhere along the line, you notice a change. One day, the girl trips as she’s playing, and she does something she never did before. Instead of just getting up and carrying on with whatever it is that little girls do in their free time,

She looks to see if anyone saw her stumble.

At some point, she learned that certain things should not just be brushed aside. She learned that it’s best to check if someone saw her do something “stupid”. She realizes that shame is bad, and should be avoided.

Is it the parent’s fault? I don’t think so. I don’t know about you but I never got a “Shame and Embarrassment” talk like the “Birds and the Bees” talk … (Well, maybe the Birds and the Bees was the shame and embarrassment talk for some of us, but that’s a totally different topic). Could you imagine if parents purposefully explained embarrassment to their kids as a necessary part of life?

Dad: “Billy, it’s time we had a talk.”

Billy: “Ok Daddy. Did I do something wrong?”

Dad: “Well, not yet. But you will someday. And I have to say, you’ll look really dumb when you do.”

Billy: “What do you mean?”

Dad: “Well buddy, let’s say you’re outside and you’re playing ball with Tommy at the playground. And then let’s say you trip and fall while running. You’re not hurt, but it definitely isn’t your most graceful moment. What do you do first?”

Billy: “Um, if I didn’t get hurt, I get up and keep playing right, Daddy?”

Dad: “Well, that’s right, but first you’ll want to see if someone saw you fall.”

Billy: “Why?”

Dad: “Well son, when you trip, you look dumb. And when you look dumb, you should be embarrassed. If someone saw you trip, then it’s best to know that they saw it happen so you can “act casual”. That way you can make a joke about it later over a beer and be “socially graceful”, and they can then realize that even though your running skills leave a bit to be desired, you’re a secure individual and they will be impressed by your self-confidence and social prowess.”

Billy: “Daddy…what is social prowess?”

Dad: “Great question son, well … um … Did you ever read ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’?”

Billy: “No, Daddy, I’m too young for that book. It’s really dark and above my reading level.”

It would be ridiculous. Not to mention it would probably be considered bad parenting.

And yet, somehow each child learns how to be embarrassed. Not from parents necessarily, but just from being. We can blame this on a multitude of things: society, culture, social media, advertising, capitalism, communism, liberals, conservatives, education, television, internet, cell phones, Elon Musk …

Regardless of how we learn shame and embarrassment, it becomes so ingrained in us that many of us don’t even know how to let go and really dance at a wedding without a little “liquid courage”.

Interestingly enough, neuroscientists believe there are between 4 and 8 primary emotions (depending on which ones you ask, and depending on what day you ask them apparently.) Below are the four base emotions they all agree on:

Joy — Fear — Anger — Sadness

These neuroscientists that went to schools I’ve never heard of believe that other emotions (the more complex emotions) are not separate, but are actually extensions of the four listed above. Annoyance isn’t a separate emotion, it’s an extension or varying degree of Anger. Disapproval isn’t on it’s own, it’s an extension or varying degree of Sadness.

Notice that Shame nor Embarrassment are in this list of four. What if Shame is an extension of Fear?

Fear of what? I mean, really, why is something as innocuous as tripping so embarrassing? Is there some fear lurking behind the thing that’s behind the thing?

Fear that you’re clumsy?

Fear that you’re stupid?

Fear that you’re unlovable?

Fear that you have no intrinsic value?

Fear that those around you might forsake you?

Fear that the God you believe in isn’t really as good as He says He is? …

These are the questions we would rather not ask. These are also the questions we would rather not answer. Because there’s always a part of us, the part that learned shame a long time ago, that believes we do have something to be ashamed of:

Ourselves.

The shame that you have learned from the world has efficiently and effectively taught you that who you are is not enough, and this is a terrifying thought indeed — that your Mr. Hyde is real and you aren’t the good Dr. Jekyll you thought you were. That you must conceal the portrait of your soul in a locked and dusty room upstairs. That the Frankenstein monster you created turns out to be less hideous than you. And as such, to hide this shame, the world screams that you must be something else, you must be someone else, you must be —

“You must be perfect.”

Perfect… The world despises Christianity for this concept; it’s also the very thing that the world requires of us for our acceptance: perfection. For all eternity we could clean ourselves up. But like a toddler cleaning up spilled milk, we just end up spreading it around and making it worse. And sooner or later someone sees. No matter how much fixing, adjusting, hiding, covering, or concealing we do, someone sees the mask we’re wearing and cuts the string holding it in place. Because this world is a ruthless judge and jury. It always finds a fraud. And in that place the world heaps shame upon our heads without mercy. This is what we’ve learned as children, and we’ve never been able to unlearn it.

But in a different story, the king looks at us, smiles through his tears, and says:

“I’ll be perfect for you.”

In some cosmic substitution that I still don’t fully understand, the sustainer of life offered up his perfection in exchange for all the shame that we’ve been accumulating and collecting over the years. He cleans up the spilled milk, refills our glass with something better, and shows us the way without making us feel stupid for not knowing how. And now, just as we learned shame, he has invited us to unlearn it, to step out of the grave clothes, and remember how to be fools for him — unwavering children who are ready to laugh, dance, play, and trip without a second thought.

For now… “There’s no shame in looking like a fool, when I give you what I can’t keep and take a hold of you. It’s more than words, and more than good ideas, I found your love in the open fields.” — United Pursuit

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